August 19th....What a ride!

This week was ridiculously busy and so many things happened that I'm not even going to be able to explain it all.

Last monday we went out to Tłuszcz(translation: Fat. lol) so we spend the pday in a city an hour outside of warsaw named Fat with Kac... one of our investigators, and the district. We hung out and met his family, and we went to the forest. Everybody slacklined while I sat down against a pine tree and enjoyed the weather and the clouds. It was awesome, and a fantastic break.
Tuesday, we met with our investigator Mac... he has a PhD in Chemistry. He's super super inteligent, and it gets me so excited every time I think about it. his english is pretty good, and I have a lot of respect for him because he's one of the only polish people I've met who actually know what their church believes in(it's a huge problem, here, unfortunately.) So that's been super interesting! Then we had culture night with the district. We went to the Copernicus museum for culture night with the district, and had a ball. It was so fun with the district(they are like family at this point). Then on wednesday, we met with president and got ready for this upcoming week, and then I had a meting with the psychologist, and it went really really well. Thursday, we went out to eat with bar to break his fast... and he got an answer on how to proceed... so it's goint to take some time, but it'll all be good. Then I went on an exchange again on Thursday with elder connelly. It was a blast. Friday, we met as a district, and got ready for our special musical number on sunday. Then we had free friday, and went out to visit a deaf referral... and left a book of mormon. saturday was insane. We had an english blitz, and had sports saturday. So many people came that we had to do two games across the whole park. I played soccer, and went for it this time. It was awesome, and I didn't get hurt... and I remembered just how much I miss being sore. Good things. Elder cowley and I also helped Prezydent make transfer calls. It was fun to get to talk to the missionaries and tell them were they are going to be serving! Pretty neat.

This most recent monday, we got some studies done, then we went and picked up elder jones for his last day as a missionary. As tradition holds, we went and got one last Mcdonalds breakfast run, and then we met at the train station, and picked up all the departing elders. It was sad, and pretty tough, but they're gone, so that's good! We had dinner with them that night, and did their final testimony meeting with them that night. We slept the night at presidents  because.....

Tuesday: we got up at 2:30 am and took the departing group to the airport with president. We got all of their stuff done, and got them on their planes. We came home and got a quick nap, before elder jones' family picked him up. I sure miss that guy.  then we went ot the airport again to pick up the new group., 12 missionaries came in, and they're all studs. We took their bags to the mission home, and then took one of the groups to Sadyba to get legal pictures taken, and get some food. Then we switched and picked up the other group to do the same. We then went out contacting with the trainees. I got to go with elder blackwell for like a solid hour/hour and a half. He's a stud, and he's going to be a really good missionary. Then I went on an ap adventure with elder curtis to find Sister Turek the last things that she needed to make dinner. Elder Curtis is awesome, and he hunts, so we had a ton to talk about. He's a great guy, and super chill. then I spent the night helping sister turek make food for a million people, then I was up cleaning up after it all with elder cowley until just before 10:30.

Then we got up the next morning and helped with breakfast, got them all together, and got them to the Wiktorska chapel for the trainer/trainee meeting. The meetings went well, and we got them all off (in a rush) to their trains, just on time. Elder Blunt came up for his trainee, and it was such a good time to get to hang out with him for a little bit. He's a bro. I love that guy.

Thursday, we had MLC. All of the sister training leaders and the zone leaders came into warsaw, and we met with prezydent and sister turek for a few hours and discussed what the mission needs, and how they can teach zone training this upcoming week. Everybody in that room is super special, and I love all of 'em! We had the craziest adventure. So elder cowley and I had a meeting with Kac like right after the meeting... but one fo the sisters didn't have a ticket and needed to buy one and all this stuff... and we didn't want to cancel the meeting. So we got out there, and ahd the office elders drive by, I jumped in the car, and elder mcmaster jumped out. They went ot the meeting, and elder connelly and I raced to our apartment to pick up a bag(that had to make it to one of the cities with one of the sisters). So we had her miss her train and got the bag, all the while sprinting to get to the train station. we rolled out of the car and ran to the lines. We got the one set of sisters on their platform with the bag(their train was leaving in 5 minutes), and elder connelly got the ticket, adn i ran it down to them on the platform, while he was buying the other sisters' tickets. We got them to their platform just minutes before their train left. So in the space of an hour, we did an exchange, went back to the apartment, got a bag, got to the train station, delivered a bag, sprinted around warsaw, and got 4 sisters onto their trains. everything that happened was a miracle, and looking back I still don't understand how the Lord did it... but it was one of those crazy mission experiences I'll probably never forget. Good times.

Today is pday. All we're doing is emailing and going to sleep. I'm so dead tired it's ridiculous. We're trying to have transfer goals done by sunday night so that next week, we can just hit the road running. We only have 2 transfers left, 19 weeks... and miracles are going to happen. The Lord is too good to me.

Adventures in a city named Fat!!

Our Japanese friend.  He just showed up at church on Sunday. He goes on vacation twice a year and visits a different county.  I got to translate for him during church. He said I was a great translator.

Zoo Trip with Agnieszka  Good times!

 

Status Quo.....

Well nothing has changed...! My mission has been the biggest rollercoaster I could have imagined, and saying that,  I realize that I'm still strapped in and got half of the ride to go!  just gotta hold on tight. We are emailing, again, in the middle of the week because our lives are so crazy that we didn't have time until now. I just look at elder cowley all the time and say "what is our mission...?". Good times. Somehow our schedule is almost never full... and it looks like we have huge open spaces in our schedule, which always seem to get filled by random things to get done...! It's insane.  I'm going to do my best to recap everything, obviously leaving out a lot. 

Friday I got super super sick. I barely made it to Free Friday, and afterwards it put me out for a little while. It was an interesting day, but I definitely needed it!

Saturday: we had an english blitz, weekly planned on two church chairs out behind some buildings on nowy swiat (because we didn't have enough time to go home to plan while we were waiting for a meeting).  Got flaked by the meeting we were waiting for, so we went home and got just a little bit of dinner, before we rushed to the chapel. There was President and Sister Turek's fireside for the members that we went to because investigators came as well. It was kinda a let down because 9 people said they were going to come, and the one that did come actually nicely dropped us this last week. Woooooh... so that was interesting. bgut it was a really cool meeing, and we were glad to be there. 

Sunday: I love sundays because of the sacrament, and because of the members. They really are the best. In church i sat next to Ula. She's the one I met on the train my first mission, who is just the best. There's something I need to do to help her boys while I'm here. I don't know what or how... but it has to happen. Then we went over to Agnieszka's and Przemek's house to eat lunch with the other elders. We always feel at home over there. I love them!

Monday: Zone conference in Warsaw. the wasrsaw zone all came in that morning, and prezydent and siostra turek taught us about thankfulness and miracles. It was really really good. Prezydent turek talked for like 3 hours just in polish. It was really cool, and it  really really helps to be able to hear and understand more as time goes on. It was a really good feeling this time. Right after that, we had district meeting over on nowy Świat. We then went to centrum. It was Rememberance Day in Warsaw for the warsaw uprising. It was like 76...(?) years ago. But all of the streets closed down, and for a minute at 5:00 everything stops. All of the cars, all of the people, everything. Everybody is silent in honor of the rebellion. Then they all lit off red flares and chanted to their honor and stuff. It was pretty tight. then we had YSA FHE and things like that, so that was good!

Tuesday: we met with Prezydent Turek and planned most of transfers. It was really cool. Prezydent is a bro! hahhaa we had a good time, and got work done. I love how President takes everything to the Lord. His humble prayers are an example for me. We got studying done, and did an escape room with the district. It was really cool, and we weren't that far off from beating the record. Good times with the fam, I'll send pictures if I can(from my companions camera lol) Then we got invited over with the sisters to some guy's house that elder cowley and sister barney met on the patelnia. He had his.... girlfriend...(???) over as well. He had the most intersting house I've ever seen. He's a world traveler, and has a museum in his house. We got to hold world war I and II helmets that he found out in the forest that we can see from his window. Crazy stuff. He had an old pre-war record player, and I got so stoked to listen to the music and more or less understand what it said... old polish is crazy. We had two desserts, and had a really really good time. He even brought out the guitar. It was a miracle that i needed. Unfortunately they didn't want anything to do with the church, so we won't be going back... but it was a good experience, nontheless!

Wednesday: we made some calls to set up meeting this week, rushed to the patelnia to help out an old investigator. She's really struggling with depression, and it was cool to share some of my experiences that I hope helped her. She's great.... and needs the gospel so bad. We'll be praying for her. We then went and had a meeting with our boy Kac... He's a homie. He's going to start currency trading. He's stoked out of his mind, but also scared to death of losing everything he has. He's awesome. We're working on the foundational truths to help him out. He needs those... kinda like all of us!  And here goes another week! I love you guys! have a good one!

Yep, We're stayig as AP's again.....July 25. 2016.

Yep, we're staying as AP again. It's... interesting. It's been tougher than I thought! we don't really do anything, and we want to help and do what we can... we just don't know what to do! We don't have much contact with the other missionaries, so it doesn't feel like we're making a difference... and most of all... we're supposed to have the best area in the misison and be finding and baptizing people, but we haven't been able to do that yet! We're working with people, they're just progressing so slowly, and we don't know what we have to change to see the results. We're working on that. President is awesome. He's so fun and cool to meet with, and he's a great example. Unfortunately, we've only met like twice so far. He's a busy guy! We'll see if that changes this upcoming transfer. 

There isn't any room for anything but positivity in this life, so this week we're just focusing on the positives and the miracles. Here they are:

• ·         We did an escape room last week with elders mcpherson and jones. It was freakin awesome. The only problem was-the theme was exhorcism. Yeah.
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• ·         We had a good exchange with elders bebel and sommerfeldt. They're awesome, and good elders. The exchange went fine!
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• ·         Sister turek called and told me i MUST make myself a workout plan to take care of my body-even if it costs some time out of the day. I needed that... I'm way too stubborn to do that without force. 
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• ·         I made a new homie, Pio... We've bene talking a bunch, and we're going to meet Sunday after church. 
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• ·         We went to the zoo with the district. Super fun. it's like a family, I love it. 
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• ·         We made the entire district chili, and elder jones brought cinnamon rolls. 
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• ·         We had another exchange with elders jones and mcpherson. it was the weirdest exchange ever, and nothing went according to the original plan, but I loved it. I was able to talk to elder jones about a bunch of stuff. I love that guy-he's a stud. 
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• ·         We all slept out on the balcony the last night of the exchange because the weather was so nice. We just took all the blankets and pillows and pads we could find and threw them on the balcony. We all fit out there all night. No homo. 
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• ·         We met with daniel today, had an awesome lesson, and then went and got Indian food. It was pretty fun. 
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• ·         We met with president turek and started planning transfers. He's a bro, and was teaching us polish during the meeting. It was pretty cool. 

There they are. I have a wonderful family and support group. I love you guys! Have the best week ever. 

Week of July 18th...

The Sisters made us breakfast Sunday morning. The Elders all prepare a language section and present it to everyone during a language study together as a district once a week... and in return, the Sisters cooked for us! haha It's a pretty good trade.  Our sisters are awesome! It's like a big, super sassy, weird, interesting, love-hate family we've got going on here in Warsaw. It's interesting that it's been like that for the last 6 months, but just with a whole bunch of different people. Good times!

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Elder Cowley and Daniel Chains

Sunday night meeting with some great people!

        

Week of July 11, 2016...No time so just pictures.

I hope that my excess of pictures this week will make up for my lack of writing... Love you guys!

My companion sniped a picture of me during English class.  This guy's a boss.  He's retired and his hobby is English.  Love him!

AN EMAIL from the Senior Missionary Couple, the Jones, in the Mission Home

Good morning parents,

We had a little 4^th of July celebration for the Warsaw missionaries yesterday.  We took a few pictures and wanted to share them with you.  I hope we caught everyone.  We had pizza and apple pie – so it was almost like home.  Elder B. Jones was able to hold up the Welsh end very well!  After lunch we all toured the Summer Palace of King Jan III in Wilanow. 

We have the very best missionaries in the whole world serving with us.  Thank you for raising such wonderful young men and women.

Siostra Evelyn Jones

Office Senior Missionary

Poland Warsaw Mission

FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION WITH THE SENIOR COUPLE JONES.

July 4th...My God is a God of MIRACLES!!

My God is a God of miracles. Getting me through this week alive was a miracle big enough to rival Elijah's fire from heaven, or Moses' water stone, or manna in the wilderness. I wish I would have counted the times that I thought to myself 'this is the most I can stand' or 'oh flip here we go, again!'. But, all in all, the Lord brought me through every trial, and was there with me every step of the way. Tuesday: I had to be smart because I got to that point where I couldn't walk anymore... my hips and pelvis were just murdering me. It was pretty bad. The Lord worked some mighty miracles, and our lessons canceled so I was able to take some time and be smart enough to stretch and take care of myself.That was a huge miracle!

Wednesday: That was the day! We had District meeting with the district, and an english blitz in the morning, and then studies in the afternoon. After that, we got in the car, and headed out towards the airport. We met up with President and Sister Edgren. We sat down with them and had dinner at their hotel.(Everything was more expensive than my soul, so I got this tiny soup.... sister edgren knows me well and gave me a half-plate of chicken... she's the best). We talked about the plan... there was a lot to do. Turns out by the time we finally got everything plan, and then helped them get everything done that they needed to, and helped sister edgren back up her photos onto her icloud, and got the cars/keys worked out, we ended up leaving the hotel at like 10:10. we had to say goodbye to President and Sister Edgren and I think I almost died. Not only were they some of the last real people I had in Poland from my first mission, but I just love them to death and I'm not ready for them to go home already. But we said our goodbyes, and headed out. 

The next morning, it all began again. After studies, we stopped by a kebab shop to get a quick lunch, made it to the office, got some office work done/finished up president's calendar and some receipt problems. Then we got the transporter, and went and parked it at the airport parking terminal. Miracles happened, and there were two spots(that's a miracle in and of itself)... but they were right across from each other. You better believe I parked out transporter right in the middle of both spots. Then we got to the hotel, payed to get president's car and phones back that were in the parking lot, and drove it down to the airport parking, and parked it right in front of the transporter. Then we went and found where President and Sister Turek were supposed to come in. We were there a little bit early, so we got to rest a bit. Then we were sitting there waiting for them, and realized that we didn't even know what they look like. So we stood there in front of the terminal waiting for them to find us. They finally did, and they are awesome! President only speaks polish to us. It's legit but also pretty dang intimidating. Funny story... first few minutes, I tried to tell him that his parking break was on.... and I looked at him and told him 'hey your danger brake is turned on'. Goooooood. That's a great first impression lol. So I've been being humbled a lot with my polish as well. 

Friday: we had free friday out on the patelnia as usual... and i needed some time rest, so I took it. Then we went out to Dennis' house. He's from the Congo, and he's like Mom but black. He's awesome! We had funny african food, and I ate a caterpillar that he cooked for us...! hahah it was pretty sweet. 

saturday: We had a meeting with a less-active that's started coming back to church, and then we met with an investigator that we ran into on the metro like 5 months ago when we wer together, and then we had interviews with president. I was 100% honest with him, and bore my testimony. I even cried. It's been a long time since I did any of that. It was good. I felt like I needed to be open with him. I think we're going to get along real well... and I'm still working on being humble enough to be okay with the fact that now my mission president and I are both fully aware of how weak I am and what I have to work on. but it's going to be a good thing. It was an amazing feeling to be able to look him in the face and tell him that I've been able to do what the Lord needed me to do up to this point in my mission. That's such an amazing feeling. Then president came on a lesson with us to S... and G....'s house! We talked about their problem of not being able to come to church because of his health, and her work. we testified, and the spirit was there, and they are praying and searching for answers to their problems. They'll get it if they just keep searching and asking!

Sunday: One of those days. Made it through church, and then just fell apart. I didn't think I go anymore. I was searching and praying and pleading for help. The Lord always gives me just enough to help me keep going just a little farther. Then it was 18:00 and we needed to go out to do a finding activity on Nowy Świat. The only thing that got me out the door was the thought that I was doing that because I love my Savior. That was the only thing that would do it. Miracles happened. Elder Cowley found 3 new investigators, while I saw miracles of my own. I had an amazing talk with an investigator that was there with us(while sitting down off to the side-of course). We talked about the gospel, and I was explaining questions, and bearing testimony, and it was awesome. Probably the coolest thing was I talked to this Englishman that was a walking encyclopedia. I don't know how he's done it, but he knows everything... names, facts, dates. Well yeah... he's also seen just about all there is to see in the anti-mormon world, and told me that he actually got an answer from God that our church wasn't true, and that it was founded by the devil. (lol). This guy was intimidating. But I felt good talking to him. I said a prayer that I would be able to receive the promise that I wouldn't be confounded before men, and we talked. It was amazing. He brought up everything from women to the priesthood to the temple to blacks to missionaries, and everything in between. I just waited until the Spirit brought something to my rememberance, and said that. Everything I said answered his questions and brought out the holes in his logic, and put the responsibility on him. We ended the conversation with mine and sister barney's(who showed up to help save the show at the very end) testimony that he could not gain a testimony until he read the book of mormon and prayed about it. I bore my testimony, and it just felt so good. It was a good pick-me-up... and we're ready to go again. 

Today: 4th of July. The Jones'(from Gilbert... they live on Cooper road) had all the missionaries in warsaw go out to wilanow and we had pizza and apple pie. Then they paid for us to go through the Wilanów palace and see everything there. It was awesome! I loved it, and it was so generous of them. They're great!

I love you guys. Keep the prayers coming. They are so needed and so helpful! Love you

Proof....We are ALIVE!!!