Those Good Feeling Days

Look Ma! We're Here

Ready To leave the MTC

Our Awesome Polish Teachers

At Provo Temple with my companion and two awesome elders going to Melbourne

My Most Amazing MTC Companion Sister Smith (seriously the best) Who Has to Stay a Couple More Weeks in America, so We Had to Separate :(

Me With My Companion Siostra Montesinos who is on the Far Left and Two Other Sisters

Ah mum! I know a lot about those "good feeling" days. I love them so very much :) And I'm really convinced that your prayers for me are working, because I am seriously serving in the exact area I was hoping for (not that I honestly cared, because I know that God calls us to where and with whom we need to be, but it's pretty sweet that I get to be here) :D I'm in Gdansk (Google it!) it's right up north on the coast by the Baltic Sea, and there are a lot of Germans! My companion's name is Sister Montesinos (she's far left on the photo) and we just work so well together! I really couldn't imagine a better trainer for myself. She is such an amazing example, and is just such a down-to-earth person, so it makes it really easy for us to plan and work together.

The branch here is super cool. There are about 25 active members, and we're certainly working on bringing more people! It's hard sometimes to even get in a conversation with people on the street- as soon as they see the name tags they run! haha but we just try to show the people that we're normal and loving, and we definitely have faith that God is preparing people to receive the message of the Gospel. In the first few days it was really hard for me to step out of my comfort zone and just approach people, but now I already feel more confident with talking to strangers, and I'm picking up new skills every day, and I can really feel the Spirit speaking to me with ideas in my mind that I know aren't coming from my imagination. I can really feel God guiding me in every aspect of missionary work. I know without a doubt that this work is super important. There are so many times in the scriptures where we've been told to preach the gospel, so I'm so happy that you mum have been having good experiences with that too. It really is sad when people feel the need to put others down for believing in God. It's so twisted that people sometimes want to ridicule the one thing in your life that actually is absolute truth, the one thing that brings true and eternal happiness. But I guess that's the whole point of earth isn't it. If we didn't have oppoistion, we wouldn't be able to show our faith. If life was easy, we wouldn't grow and we wouldn't become the amazing people that our Heavenly Father knows each of us can become.

Yesterday in Sacrament Meeting, I got to give a 5 minute introduction to the branch, and I told the congregation how very grateful I am to have been raised in such an amazing family. I'm eternally thankful for my upbringing, and I've always loved that you've let me make all my decisions for myself. It's true mum what you said about needing to look for the truth yourself. No one can give anyone else a testimony. That is something that one can only get through sincere seraching and real intent, to know the truth for oneself. If you want to know something is true, go to the source. One very important thing I've learnt so far from being a missinoary, is that people can say what they will about what they think you believe, but they can never tell you that your testimony is wrong. I have recieved a witness that the Book of Mormon is true, and that God's Priesthood authority truly is on the Earth today. People may not agree with that, but no one can tell me that I didn't feel what I did, and what I still do feel. It's true that a testimony never stops growing, it's something we need to constantly nurture. I love this church so much, and I love the knowledge we have of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Plan of Salvation. It's such a beautiful thing. I love life, and I love you all my wonderful family and friends!

Have an awesome week!

Siostra Grgich

I Went to Salt Lake!

Outside a really cool door at Salt Lake temple :D And kids playing in the background haha it was so nice to see children running about- we hardly get to see any youngins here at the MTC

Outside of Salt Lake Temple

Me inside the Tabernacle (amazing acoustics- dad would love it)

myself and Sister Gericitano (I think that's how you spell it) at the Christus Statue

Conference Centre from the outside

inside the conference centre (those amazing pipes!)

Me and the German sister! (woo)

myself, aussie sister and nz sister outside the Conference Centre.

back-stitching in the church's humanitarian centre with Sister Gericitano (from Perth)

YAY Birthday!

Pressies from the Devisons and the Grgichs

Class Photos

Hey fam-bam(and other-bam)! This last week has zoomed by, and I have so much to tell you about. So first thing's first, I went to Salt Lake! Ah, it was so amazing! So on Friday, my companion took me to the cafeteria at 5:45 in the morning, and got ripped from my side, as we said our goodbyes and I went to eat breakfast with the other international missionaries. I must say, it was so strange to not be with my companion for the day! So after a very quick breakfast, we went to the coach/bus and were on our way to the Great Salt Lake! The views are so beautiful, and our bus driver gave us an amazing tour-guide commentary of the surrounding mountains, and buildings, and temples (there are like 5 on the way from Provo to Salt Lake) and he even showed us the area where prophet Thomas S. Monson grew up! It was pretty neat to leave the MTC bubble, and I even met another Aussie girl (she's from Perth and going to Chicago). It was so cool to talk to someone without having to repeat myself every 3 sentences hahah

So then when we got off the bus, we went straight inside the temple. It is so magnificent! There were so many people (so many weddings!) and inside the actual temple, the artwork and architecture is so beautiful. We did a session and it was just so inspiring. It really helped me see things from a different perspective. I definitely encourage anyone who gets the chance, to go to Salt Lake temple!

So after the session, we went outside and split up into smaller groups so that the lovely Temple Square Sisters could take us on a mini tour. So first they took us around the temple- one of the sisters was German, so I was so excited talking to her just wanting to talk about Germany! Haha but we also spoke about some symbolism of the temple. One really cool thing they told us, was that when you actually look at the walls of the temple, there are a lot of big black spots on the granite (i think that's what it is). They're marks in the stone blocks that probably could have been removed in later days, but for whatever reason, they've decided to keep them. And it sort of makes it really unique, and she related it to how we as missionaries, are not perfect, but we are still beautiful in our own individual talents and spirits.

After walking around the temple, we got to go inside the tabernacle (the old building where they used to have conference, and now they use it for choir concerts and as an overflow room when the conference centre is full). It looks really strange from the outside (sort of like a UFO-type thing) but on the inside it's pretty amazing, especially just to think about how many prophets and apostles and great saints have just been in those walls, and declared their testimonies of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was actually really solemn to just sit and look around and feel the spirit. After the tabernacle we got to go to the Conference Centre. It was also really special, particularly because I'm so accustomed to seeing that building on the big screens when we watch conference via satellite or internet, but here I was in the building itself, just enjoying the spirit as the sister missionaries spoke to us some more about special symbolism and some major events that have happened there.

At the end of our short tour, we had a bit more time and got to see the Christus statue where they had beautiful hymns playing, and then we went through some rooms (mainly targeted at non-members) which outlined the Plan of Salvation through videos and props. It was so special, and all of us were crying at the end of the presentation. I am so grateful to have a knowledge of this Gospel. I know that families can be together forever only through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Because of Him, we can repent of our sins, and return to live in true happiness with our Heavenly Father who loves us and cares for each one of us so much. This life truly has a purpose, and there is not a soul in the world that God doesn't care so deeply about. I am so grateful for you, mum and dad, for bringing me up in the knowledge of this Gospel. Without it I'd truly be lost, and wouldn't have the amazing life that I do, with the knowledge of Christ that I do have. I love being a missionary. I don't know what could be better than teaching people about the amazing plan of happiness that Heavenly Father has for us, that we all rejoiced for before we came to Earth.

After the tour, we had a quick snack and our last stop was the church's Humanitarian Centre. They showed us a video of what the centre does, and how many people it affects (it's truly great, look it up online if you haven't already!). We then got to back-stick some quilts for about 20 minutes but then had to go. It was also a really special place to be in, just because of knowing what good that place does for so many people in the world- regardless of religion or race or gender or anything else. There are great paintings of Christ all around the centre, and it just really makes you remember how important it is to have charity-the pure love of Christ. I love my Saviour so much, and I know I have such a long way to go, but I'm ever trying to be more like him.

Well, a lot of other things happened this week, that have just been such a testament to me of how God loves His children, but for now I have to go (no time!) and the next time I write you, I'll be in Poland!! Ahh so exciting :D Have an amazing week, and be good to each other. Tell the girls I love them
I love you so much,
Siostra Grgich