Dear Family,
This week I'm just going to send a short one because we're going to the beach again today eeeh I'm so lucky to be up here in Gdansk!
Anyway, I want to tell you about something incredible that happened just yesterday. So my companion and I went to the senior missionary couple's home for Fast Sunday dinner, then afterwards we had planned to tract around their area until the end of our night. So we found a really big apartment building and only about 15 minutes after starting, a man let us into his home to talk! He actually spoke amazing English, so we ended up having the whole conversation in English (he had some incredible spiritual inisghts which blew my mind of how deep some of his thoughts were)- we were able to leave him with a Book of Mormon and although he wasn't totally interested, it was such a tender mercy to have someone let us in and talk (and I really felt uplifted by some of the points that were brought up in our conversation). Polish people truly are so friendly (once they warm up to you, that is!) :) Then, only 5 minutes later, another person lets us in their home and we end up teaching a super awesome girl about the restoration of the church and we leave her with a Book of Mormon as well. So two people let us in their homes in one night! I have definitely learned to love tracting in this transfer. My companion has been a great example to me of how to be light-hearted and yet purposeful at the same time. It's really helped me with being more courageous and trusting that Heavenly Father is with us all the way, and He will lead us to people in His timing.
One more thing I just want to say about this past week- so in Poland they have a holiday called All Saints Day (Wszystkich Świętych) where they remember their ancestors and other deceased people (such as soldiers) by cleaning the graves and decorating them with flowers, candles and lanterns. With all the candles lit (literally on
every grave) it looks like an incredible sea of light and is something quite special! So on Saturday evening we went to 2 different cemetaries in Gdansk. The first was smaller but they had a ceremony happening where someone was playing guitar and they were all singing Polish hymns together around the graves. It was so nice to see how Polish people appreciate their history and remember those people who have lived and died for Poland to be the great country it is.
The second cemetary we went to was HUGE- we were with the elders and and a friend who took us around to the graves of his family members, so that was really special to see a more personal commemoration on this holiday. It really made me think about how wonderful it is that we have knowledge about the Plan of Salvation, and how God is aware of every individual. It was also a little mind-blowing to think about all the people who have ever lived on this earth and who are still yet to be born. It's almost unfathomable to me to think that Jesus Christ loves and knows all of us, and suffered for us all. All those people. I think about how I could ever possibly give my thanks in return, and I know that all He wants of us is to live as He did- that is the best way we can say thank you. By living our lives in accordance with His teachings, we're showing Him that we value our lives and appreciate this precious time we have, and that makes Him happy because He loves us. He knows that when we live as He asks, we're only making life happier for ourselves. I've seen that time and time again, and I'm so grateful that I've been meeting more and more people who understand that and act as such great examples to me of how I can make life more meaningful.
Also I just want to say, I read 2 Nephi 4 today and it blew my mind of the awesomeness of it!! ;) For reals though! Nephi is a poet. Anyway, love you lots, have an awesome week, be meaningful and have fun!
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