Baptism!

haha so Siostra Grgich and I decided to play a little trick (a nice one , don't worry) on the elders this week- we swapped clothes, shoes, and even did our hair like the other. It was quite effective might I say. The picture still throws me off! haha. So we are wearing each other's hats, scarves, shoes, skirts, tops, coats- and for the picture's sake, the others' bags. She curled my hair, I straightened hers. :p Funny enough, the day we did it, the elders came to sneak up behind us, and freaked out when we turned around hahaha. Throughout the day, we all made comments- oh my gosh, it happened again! The little trick worked on the 2 of us as well haha. Made for a good laugh.

here we are at a "Polski Smak" restaurant-celebrating elder Kimball's (front right) birthday :)

so Gdańsk totally had a baptism on Saturday! from left to right are : Prezydent Kempa, Elder Kimball, Dawid (the "baptisee") , and Elder Platter. Such a great experience-iinvestigators, Dawid's friends, members came.. it was so nice. :) More pics to come. :)

here are more ppics of baptism. kind of awkward that Dawid's friend arek put his arm around me.. (he doesn't know that not hugging the sisters is a thing methinks- so don't judge, or judge that I look extremely awkward in the picture haha.)

from left to right: me, arek and kuba (friends of dawid), dawid, elders kimball and platter, members waldek and jadwiga, sister grgich

Wioletta is making a funny face hahah she's super awesome and we get along really well (she loves Queen and the Beatles so we bond over that ;)) This is at the hotel for Dawid's baptism

first few photos of me at the library giving a presentation on my Australian culture :)

This week was super amazingly awesome :D The biggest highlight was Dawid's baptism and confirmation. We hired out a room in a medieval-looking hotel (it was the only place available that we were able to find!) and used that for the service, and then used the hotel pool to do the baptism. It was a really special occasion for everyone. One member in the branch was baptised exactly 20 years ago to the day, and we had our mission president and his wife attend, and a progressing investigator and some others who'd never seen a baptism before. Yesterday Dawid was confirmed a member of the church and given the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and the room was filled with such a great spirit. After church, Sister Wood and I were able to have a lesson with our progressing investigator (we met him tracting a couple of weeks ago) and it was just a great lesson with Andrzej saying a beautiful, heart-felt prayer at the end. It's so refreshing hearing the simple testimonies and of investigators and new converts- they notice the things that sometimes I take for granted, like how great it is that we can say prayer in our own words because we are directly communicating with our loving Father in Heaven. It's also so good to see how the branch here are willing to fellowship new members or guests and help them feel loved.

That reminds me, we're starting a new 9-week transfer this week and I got the news that I'll be staying in Gdańsk yet again with Sister Wood, and Sister Bąk will be joining our companionship! :D I'M JUST OVERJOYED!! Firstly, I love Gdańsk and I never want to leave hahah. Secondly, Sister Wood and I've managed to get super tight this transfer and we work pretty well together in my opinion! Thirdly, SISTER BĄK!!! Ahhh MTC bud buddies :) hehehe, so yes, I'm super excited about the upcoming transfer. We'll have Christmas and the New Year, and this beautiful city and branch to enjoy.

This week, I had a really nice opportunity to talk about my Australian culture with Polish people! I was invited by a public library to give a short presentation on Australia, so I did :) I got to talk about Aboriginals (and I of course mentioned my beautiful nieces) our modern culture (including our multiculturalism) and why I'm here in Poland on a mission. I had my guitar and sung a few Aussie songs (Give Me a Home Among the Gumtrees, We Are Australian, Click Go The Shears, and Sister Wood and I sung acapella, that Aboriginal song that's on Bran Nue Dae). Everyone was really nice and complimentary afterwards (about the music, my Polish, and my ANZAC bikkies) and it just felt so good. I encouraged everyone to be proud of their country too, because Poland truly is a beautiful place. The day before the presentation, I also just happened to hear an Aussie on the street around the Christmas markets, so I interrupted his conversation and said "ARE YOU AUSSIE?" and he said yes and then we spoke for a bit (his dad is actually a Christian minister in Wollongong so that's cool) hahaha it was a tender mercy that I was able to hear that familiar accent. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE it here so much, but hearing that Aussie accent is pretty comforting sometimes :)

This week, Sister Wood had an idea that we should swap outfits for a day, so we did haha. It was pretty funny because we kept fooling ourselves and the elders into thinking that we were the other companion. It was also nice because Sister Wood has a super warm jacket and we went tracting that night, so it kept me warm :) I've been so blessed to know all these amazing missionaries so far on my mission (both in the MTC and my companions in Poland) and I'll really miss my trainer Sister Montesinos (she's going home tomorrow)- I've just had such positive experiences here. I'm so excited for this upcoming transfer. I see a lot happening in this branch, and it will be a sad day when my time comes to leave it!

Well time goes on and my will to work hard only gets stronger in this Polish winter! I love you so much and I'm so grateful for all your awesomeness. Excited for our Christmas Skype call (you've got to invite the nieces too)!

Love from Sister Grgich

Last Full Week of the Transfer

so, we all took our culture night this previous Saturday. It was a lot of fun! We all went to a handball game with the elders' investigator Dawid (far left). I discovered handball is a lot like football, soccer, basketball, and wrestling all in one haha. A prettyintense scenario, have not been to a public competitive environment in.. a while!

I got my (2nd) Christmas package hahah I'm so sorry, I just had to open it!! Full of those Aussie goodies :D You're all the best!

My companion Sister Wood and I at Westerplatte (a peninsula in Gdansk where they say World War 2 started- well, it was the first battle of the war between Poland and Germany)

Me on some fallen stairs (it was secured by poles and stuff- as in, metal poles, not the people Poles) har har stop Sister Grgich, you're too funny ;)

Selfie- me and my companion climbing the ruins

At Westerplatte- this is my district climbing amongst some ruins of an old guard building/barracks

The monument at Westerplatte (in remembrance of the Polish defenders). Don't let the blue sky decieve you- it was 2 degrees! But sunny, which was nice I've gotta say:)

so, kind of found ourselves in Warsaw for a couple days so Sister Grgich could do some legal work which was fun. Left to right are Sister Grgich, Elders Wolfley (office elder) Elder Taylor, and Elder Jaeger (office elder). There we are waiting fr the train back to Gdańsk.

so this is in the area where WWII began, in Westerplatte by all the ports. We got to walk around, see some ruins, lighthouses in distance, and see the Bałtyk :)

so here is where we spent some pday and following, enjoyed Da Grasso and an oreo pie thing :)

here is this ruin building- kind of fascinating got some legit shots inside on the various cameras, wouldn't mind returning there!

 

 

This week is our last full week together for this transfer- time goes by incredibly fast! Today for p-day our district decided to go to Westerplatte (they have a monument and a permanent outdoor exhibition to read about the history of the area) and whilst it was cold, the sun was out in full force and shone its beautiful rays on us for the majority of our time there, so all in all I'd say it was a glorious day :) This is where World War 2 had it's first European battle (so between Germany and Poland) and it also has a lot of significance in other times of history, so I'd definitely suggest googling it!

This week our district also went out to see a European Handball game, and an investigator Dawid who's getting baptised in the branch this weekend came along too (we chose this activity as our 'culture night' of the transfer). It was pretty fun to see the crowd and the teams all having a blast. Afterwards we all went to a Pierogarnia (a restaurant where they make and serve Pierogi- Polish dumplings) and spoke and just had a good time, feeling Polish and enjoying the atmosphere!

So last Monday, Sister Wood and I went down to Warsaw and back in 2 days so I could so some legal work, and we both got to stay the night with our MTC companions (so I saw Sister Smith again!!). It was pretty good, and being able to see my MTC comp again made up for the annoyance of being on a long train ride haha. Actually, on the way back, we had a great conversation with 2 people in our cabin on the train about what we're all about as mormons and missionaries (one man even took a Book of Mormon), so I would say it was an overall very successful trip! We also got to join one of the districts in Warsaw for their district missionary meeting, and we got to see President Edgren, so that was nice.

This week it's still been cold, but I feel like I'm already starting to get used to it. I still don't know if I could walk around with my ankles exposed, but maybe I don't need my gloves so much anymore ;). We've been doing a lot of tracting still (it's proven quite effective in my experience) and last week we got to have a lesson with someone in their home. It was a good experience and we got to explain a lot of simple doctrine. We also had a conversation just last night at someone's door, and even though the person was not interested in listening to our message (more wanted to tell us what Jehovah's Witnesses believe), it was a good experience for me, because it was affirmed to me yet again, why I love the gospel and the church organisation, and really reiterated the importance to me of my job as a missionary and being a representative of Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Saviour. It was sad to hear someone say that "Jesus was just a leader/guide". I believe I cringed when I heard this man's usage of the word "just". Yes indeed He is our guide, but He is also our Saviour, a part of the Godhead, one with Heavenly Father in purpose and mind, but a seperate being with an integral role to our salvation and happiness in mortal life and eternity. This man we had spoken to was so caught up on the fact that we must know God's name to be saved- it was, I must say, a sad realisation for me that people are so confused about life and God. We were able to bear our testimonies that our works and how we choose to live our lives are of more importance than anything else we do on earth. Jesus Christ indeed saved us all, and because of that, we will all live again with perfect bodies, but it's up to us to choose how we live our lives and whether or not we choose to accept the teachings of Christ, as to what type of life we want to have after this mortal one is over. I know that Jesus Christ was not merely a charismatic man, but is the focus and the reason for everything we do in life. It is ONLY through His Atonement that we can return to live with our Heavenly Father and our families in happiness after this life. Jesus Christ is the God of the Old Testament. He led the prophets and spoke to them through divine revelation for the wellbeing of all on Earth. He did live and die for all who would ever be born, He was resurrected that we all will one day be resurrected. I know that He did appear to people in Ancient America as a resurrected being, and taught them of His gospel. I'm so grateful for the Book of Mormon, the Bible and living, current-day prophets that lead and guide us today, and their combined witness that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ.

Yesterday we had another great experience with teaching Dawid (he's getting baptised this week and we're all so excited for him!). We taught about certain commandments like following the prophet, the 10 Commandments, (including keeping the Sabbath Day holy) and obeying the law of the land. It's just so nice to teach someone that's so open and humble, and I love seeing how he's letting the gospel change his life for the better. He's such a great example to me, and I know he's already such a great example to his friends here in Poland. I've seen that it's not the easiest thing to do- go against the grain and join a church that your friends may laugh at or ridicule. But I know that he's making the right choice, and I couldn't be happier than to see someone make that progress in life :) Experiences like this just give me hope and remind me to keep working hard in inviting people to learn. There are prepared people out there waiting for the knowledge of the gospel, and all the efforts are worth it to find those people and help them on their way to a happier more fulfilling life.

There's a great video about Christmas on mormon.org by the way,- I really encourage you to watch it! It's called "He Is the Gift" and I hope we can continually remember what Christmas is all about at this very special time of year! (Poland is looking beautiful with all the lights and Christmas markets up, hopefully I'll get some pictures of it all next week!). Be loving and kind to each other, and be happy!!

Lots of love,
Siostra Grgich

I Hadn't Had An Experience Like That Before

I spilt a whole tub of powder makeup and I felt sad. true story.

Me in front of the Wielkie Młyn (Great Mill) around the corner from the Gdansk chapel

Sister Wood and I in our winter gear (it's so cold!!)

Left to right/od lewo 

Siostra Wood, Siostra Grgich, Starszy Kimball, Arek, Starszy Platter, friend from Turkey, Kuba

This week was really nice. My companion, Sister Wood and I made plans to visit as many people from the ward (including less-actives) as possible in the week. I made ANZAC bikkies and Sister Wood made Banana Cake, then we printed out spiritual thoughts from last General Conference and put them with the treats. We got to meet some new people and see some old faces, and it felt good to just talk with these people about life and the gospel. The main message we wanted to bring was one of unity and charity, and we encouraged everyone to make a conscious effort to serve others each day, so I encourage you to do the same! I remember when I was in Germany, and the missionaries had a similar lesson with me, and gave me a commitment to seek for opportunities to do at least one act of service each day- I felt a big change in myself after doing that. I'd say nothing takes away the blues faster than lifting up someone else.

Yesterday was a really nice Sabbath. Recently the amount of people coming to Sacrament Meeting have been sort of dwindling (maybe it's the Winter, but I don't know) but yesterday we had quite a few people which was nice to see (there were a few guests). There were still of course some missing faces, but we just keep praying for them and let them know that we love them, and hopefully they'll have the desire and ability to come next time. There's a German man (not a member) who used to come every week without fail, but he hasn't come for a while now, so last week I called him but didn't get an answer. Last night he called back but we were asleep, so this morning I rang and we had a good conversation in German (he doesn't speak Polish). I told him the branch misses him and the members ask about him (which is true) and it was good to hear that he has good feelings towards the members and missionaries. Sometimes it's hard to know how we can help others, but 1 thing I know and have learnt, is that it's just important to really care about people, be their friend and continue to love them no matter what. I've definitely seen when I go through hard times, friends have been a great means of support and it's often their encouragement that motivates me to keep pushing on.

In the evening after church and having dinner with the senior missionary couple here, we decided to visit a man we met at his flat on Saturday tracting. He had told us at the time we first met him, that he was busy but that we could come back. So we did, and we ended up having a good lesson about the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ and we're going to meet with him again this week. It was pretty incredible to have someone actually listen and be fairly agreeable with what we were teaching- I hadn't had an experience like that before on my mission. He said he didn't really believe in God, basically because he's seen quite a few hardships and hasn't seen how God's been of help, so we bore our testimonies of the reality of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and we know that as he learns more, he too can find out of their reality. I hope that we can continue to teach him, and see how having the basic knowledge of who Jesus Christ is and what it means to know that He suffered and died for us, can change this man's life for the better. I'm so grateful that you, my parents, brought me up with a knowledge of God's love and how we can communicate with Him through prayer. Those basic principles are truly what's kept me grounded in life- just knowing that there is indeed a Savior Jesus Christ, we can live with our families together forever, we can be forgiven of our sins as we repent, and there is real purpose to this life that extends after the grave. Life is beautiful and meaningful :)

This week has been really cold, dark and in general, just gloomy so I hope you're having a wonderful time in that Sydney sunshine! I was showing some family photos to a member the other day, and she said you look nice mum and dad! I hope you're getting everything settled at baba's and I hope dad's not being too loud with his guitars ;). Love you so much!


Siostra Grgich

I Look Like A Polish Girl

Elders Quackenbush and Jeffs (from my MTC intake) and Sister Wood and I at Zone Conference in Bydgoszcz last week

A super-awesomely decorated envelope courtesy of my amazing sister Kate :) I carry it around in my bag and show it off to everyone haha

Me in front of a statue in the Gdansk Old Town (just felt like I should)

Sister Wood and I in the Solidarity (Solidarność) Museum at the back of a battery-powered truck (it might be a replica, I don't really know)

Standing on some stairs in the museum

The roof was a giant mirror, so of course we had to take a selfie

Bet you didn't know I was a camerawoman... and that carpet is actually hard floor

A photo of our district at the round table in the Solidarity Museum

 

Today we decided to do something cultural/educational again for p-day, so we went to the Solidarność (Solidarity) Museum in Gdansk with the elders in our district. Basically it's about how Poland came out of communism in the 80s, and the museum itself is located on a historically important shipyard site, where they say the Solidarity movement in Poland started (with protests and workers' strikes). It was cool to go around the different exhibitions and learn about how the Polish people worked together for freedom and better living circumstances. At the end of the museum, there was even a section about how other countries have worked for freedom (particularly from communism/socialism) and I saw an interesting film about Yugoslavia. It was pretty funny looking at all these photos from the 70s, and so many people looked like dad! With his moustache and afro hair and 70s clothes hehehe (I guess Slavic people sort of look the same). Anyway, it was pretty awesome and educating, so I was glad to finally go and see that today.

This past week when tracting, there was one day where on 2 seperate occasions, a person mistook me for their friend or relative haha. So one door we knocked on, and an older lady answers and her eyes widen and she smiles as she looks at me, and says "you look like my niece!" hahah but unfortunately I had to tell her that I'm not. After explaining that we were missionaries and wanted to share a gospel message, she looked slightly less happy haha, but was still super friendly and wished us good luck on our way. Then on that same day, we're tracting another building and an older lady again looks at me and smiles so big and says something about me being her friend, and asks where I'm living now hahaha. I unfortunately had to tell her the bad news that I'm not her friend that she thinks I am hehe, but the good news that we're missionaries! (she looked really confused). Anyway, so conclusion- I look like a Polish girl yay! We're actually hoping to do some more tracting this coming week- we've been having some interesting experiences, so hopefully someone will let us teach them again in their home :)

This week we're planning on visiting a lot of less-actives in our branch, to try and get to know them (I'm making ANZAC bikkies and my companion will make banana cake to give them)- so we're really excited about seeing some new faces and maybe reaching someone who needs a little friendship and sisterly love. We've also spoken about doing a musical fireside- so it's still on the agenda! I'll be sure to let you know how that goes (I love music!). Every morning as a companionship, we sing a hymn together and I play the chords on guitar. There's also a member who lives not too far from us, and we visit her and sing songs while I play, and it's super nice to just enjoy the music together. Music can be so uplifting, so thank you mum and dad for bringing me up in the best household ever! :D

Ok, I better go because my time is ending, but on Tuesday we had a really cool opportunity to see a bit of the city parade for Poland's national holiday, and it was nice to see people being so proud of their country and just coming together and enjoying each other's company. I love when people unite and you can just feel like one big family. I'm so grateful for my friends and family all over the world that are there for me to support me in both my ups and downs, and I hope that I can be that person for my family and friends too. Love your neighbour as yourself, and everything will be alright :)

Your'e the best!

Love Sister Grgich