LAST WEEK HERE

Me with Ania

Me with the Primary kids in the branch

Kasia and I domophoning to get into the building of the member we were snowflaking

Kasia and I with the 'snowflaked' door

Sister Young, Kasia and I with our snowflakes

Us with Olga at the chapel

And Sister Young thinking she's coming with me to Australia ;)

Me with Kasia (from Gdynia) and Krowa (dog named 'cow')

Me and Sister Young

Me with Wioletta

Our district singing Kolędy (carols) at the Care Home

This week is my last week here- how strange! Well, I guess it's not so strange, I mean it had to happen eventually, it's just a weird feeling to be at this point already. This past week we've had yet more great experiences. Yesterday we got to help out at an elderly home and we all had such a good time :D Sometimes people/organisations are hesitant to let us help out/give service, because they're afraid/don't like that we're mormons (we were looking for some opportunities to serve and were rejected a couple of times on that basis). But last week Sister Young and I went to a Dom Opieki (care home/home for the elderly) and asked if there was something we could do to help out, like sing carols or organise/clean etc. The ladies there were so excited to have us help out (even after finding out that we weren't Catholic), and invited us to sing at their Christmas party/celebration. So that was yesterday, and we were greeted and treated very kindly by the workers, priests and guests, and it felt so good to see people singing and smiling along with us- celebrating the birth and life of Christ! They even fed us afterwards (even though we didn't want them to, because we wanted to be the ones doing the washing up and everything!), it was very kind of them. Although I won't be here for much longer, I'm excited for the other missionaries here to continue to have good contact with those people and hopefully they'll have plenty more opportunities to serve and help out there. They're going to have a mini play/reenactment of the nativity early next year actually (the Christmas season in parts of Europe carries on longer than it does in Australia), and one of the ladies asked if the missionaries could help out with that. She really wanted Sister Young to be Mary because she looks the part hehehe, well that'll be a good experience for whoever's here next transfer :)


Oh, this past week we got to meet with a lot of the branch members! We met with Kasia (she's in Young Women's) and made snowflakes, then 'snowflaked' (taped them up on) another member's door and left cookies for her. Hehe it was pretty fun- and a little tricky, because we had to be super quiet, and ask a neighbour to let us in the apartment complex! We got to meet with Marzena and teach her about Family History :) She created an account and got started right away (I got to show her my account and family tree, and she thought it was pretty cool!). We showed her how you can add photos and stories, and how connections are made etc. And of course most importantly, the WHY behind Family History work in the church- it helps us feel more connected to our ancestors, we remember and honour them, and we perform saving ordinances like baptism for them by proxy in the temple. It was so awesome to see such enthusiasm for doing this work from her so immediately! We also got to meet with some members to practice musical items for our Sacrament Meeting (of course, Christmas focused), and then singing them on Sunday was lovely :) We also got to meet with Kasia (from Gdynia) and talk about Family History work (it was possibly my last time seeing her, so that's really sad for me, but I'm so glad we have the internet!). We got to meet with Olga (also my last time seeing her) and read a General Conference talk with her about finding answers to our sincere questions -our lesson was perfect timing, because the Polish General Conference Liahonas only just got to our chapel a couple of hours before the lesson. Witali and Marzena gave us cute Christmas presents (angel candle holder things), and we gave them a photo album with photos from their wedding day (Sister Young was the photographer). I'm really going to miss all of the wonderful people I've met here. Gdańsk will always hold such a special place in my heart, and I can't wait until I get another chance to be here. The people I've met mean so much to me, and all the experiences I've had here have moulded me into the better person I am today (and I know I of course still have a long way to go haha!).


I look forward to talking with you on Christmas Day and then it really won't be long at all until I'm back in that Australian heat with all of you!
Love you so much,
Siostra Grgich

One of the Coolest Things Happened

Elder McPherson and I singing after English class

My companion Sister Young and I awkwardly hugging photo ;)

The old town of Gdansk

This week we had some incredible experiences! I'll try and condense things because I don't have a lot of time- but first off- one of the coolest things happened! So last week Sister Young and I were walking to the nursing home to visit a former investigator and sing songs for her and just talk, so I had my guitar, and we cut through the mall to make our way over to her residence. In the mall, a security guard all of a sudden saw me with the guitar and said "Hey, play something!" and I was like "ehh.." haha then we ask who he was, and he just says "oh, Mormons, right?" and we say "yeah! have you met us before?" and he says "Yeah, but I'm Jewish" and then he asks to play my guitar and I say "No, it's mine" then he plays it anyway haha (it's all good, I really didn't mind) then he plays a Jewish song for us right there in the mall (it's in Yiddish! which is really cool, because it's similar to German) then he hands back the guitar and tells us to just wait for a second, then he gets on his phone and is talking to his daughter and asks her if she wants to meet with the Mormons, then he gets off the phone and tells us to take down her number and it's best to call in the evenings. Then he says he needs to go to work, and goes along his way, and Sister young and I are just left so confused but amazed at what just happened! So we eventually were able to set up to meet his daughter (who speaks incredible English by the way) and we got to visit with her and teach her about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon, and a little bit about the Plan of Salvation- ah it was the coolest thing ever, and she was the sweetest, coolest girl! She also had a really cool dog, nicknamed "cow" (krowa, in Polish) haha it was one of the biggest but happiest-looking dogs I've ever seen. We can't wait to meet with her again. So it turns out, her family met with some Elders about 20 years ago- and they even remember one of the Elder's names! She had a photo with her and the Elders when she was a baby hehe so cute. So now we'll try and find out where this elder is now haha- we'll figure it out somehow! Yeah, so that was an amazing experience- that was no coincidence- God is activiely a part of all our lives and He wants to help us! I know that He loves us, and all of His children, all of the people we meet with and walk past- they are all His children and He loves us all more than we can comprehend. That was a great day to see the hand of the Lord in our lives (and in others'!).


Oh, later that day was pretty incredible too! We had gone around the old town and contacted some people on the streets, trying to talk to people who're interested in learning, when all of a sudden a couple of guys walk past us and one says "Siostry!" (meaning "Sisters"), and we trun around and they turn around, and we're like "Czy pan zna nas...?" (Do you know us?) and then we started talking and find out they're 2 return missionaries (Americans) and one served in Russia and the other in Poland (about 20 years ago), and they're just in Gdańsk for a couple of days. They've been in Poland for a little while (staying in Kraków) checking out things for work/business. So yeah, we had the whole conversation in Polish (they're both learning, but they both spoke so well!) and then they came to church yesterday which was really cool! Ah.. anyway, pretty amazing how people are put in our paths (or us, in theirs).


Well, a lot of other great things have happened this week, but I've got to go! So have a great week and be happy and I love you all so much!!!


Siostra Grgich <3

Culture Night and All The Photos!

I made some Oblatne! (bosnian treat!) My companion loves it :D

Vegemite Cadbury- that's certainly not your average cadbury chocolate block!

I got a package from Australia!

Sister Smith and I during culture night

By the old town with Sister Smith

On the Ferris wheel

Reading the General Conference Liahona!

Tim Tam slams, eating chocolate on dluga street (hahah you know me), tracting by a really pretty field, musical free table (finding activity) in a pedestrian tunnel, playing the guitar at our branch annual picnic activity, we made pass-along cards in Polish about how things in the Bible in regars to the Book of Mormon, photos from last p-day at the beach in Sopot (playing volleyball and my guitar)

 

Photos from culture night (ferris wheel, bumper cars, the old town of Gdansk etc.)

Sister Smith and I with Marinella (member in our branch)

Sister Smith and I eating dinner at the Shaw's

I'm going to keep this one short because I sent you a bunch of photos and we all know that photos speak themselves hahah, well sometimes!


This week we had many beautiful opportunities of serving others and building our own testimonies. We've been trying out new methods of finding people- for example, we posted up flyers on boards around the city (they have places where it's legal and free, near tram and bus stops) inviting people to meet with the missionaries to find out about what 'mormons' believe. We're just testing the waters at the moment, but it seems to be working at least somewhat- we had a call from someone who's interested, and we've also been seeing people looking at the flyers as we post them (we try to talk to them of course too right there!). We took parts straight from the mormon.org website in Polish, about what to expect from meeting with missionaries, and made little rip-off tabs at the bottom for people to have our number and address of the chapel. We also have an invitation for people to come to church on Sunday on the main flyer. So we'll see if this brings any more interested people!


We've also been trying different street approaches, we've been able to meet with some members and former investigators. Sister Smith and I have felt a lot of unity in our teaching, and we feel like just at the close of this transfer, we've really got into a good swing. We're hoping that we'll stay together for next transfer, but we won't find out until later this week, and then we'll be transfering on Sunday (if at all), because we'll be in Warsaw over the weekend for a 25th anniversary of the Poland mission rededication. I'm super excited about seeing members from all over, and I hope I get to see some of the people I've been priveleged to meet during my times serving in Bydgoszcz and the Warsaw 2 branch. It'll be a great experience for all the members I'm sure- I love Poland and I have so much pride for this beautiful country! (in the best way possible!) I just have so much motivation and enthusiasm for the Lord's work, I know that His kingdom will roll forth, and I am so blessed to be able to help with the missionary efforts for God's children in Poland.

Oh, also, we received the General Conference edition of the Liahona in English yesterday, I've already been devouring it! I really encourage you to go over the talks again (if you haven't already) and really think how you can apply the counsel of our modern prophets and leaders of the church. We are so blessed to have continuing revelation for the Lord's church, and we should never take that for granted! 

2 Nephi 32:3
"Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do."

 

Thank you for being such an amazing family, have a wonderful week!
Love Sister Grgich