We Got LET IN!

And the card was super cute aww my little nieces :D Pinch their cheeks for me ;)

I got my Christmas package and opened it haha ok so I've only eaten half a Tim-Tam packet, and I haven't opened the starbursts yet- I'll see if I can hold out til Christmas ;)

We went tracting in this bulding with the steepest staircase ever! It's hard to see from the photo, but yeah, it was crazy!

Ringing some doorbells

Really cool view of the Solidarity (Solidarność) Museum in Gdańsk

Hey Family!

I don't have a lot of time, but I'll tell you some highlights!

Well on Tuesday night we went tracting again (we pretty much go every evening now) and we got let in! It's apparently not the most common thing ever, haha so we're trying to change that! So yeah, we were at a place not too far from our apartment, it was super cold outside (maybe 5 degrees celcius) and we were in a big apartment complex trying all the doors from top to bottom, hoping that someone might let us talk to them. Then we get to a door and a youngish man answers- and he's wearing an Australian T-shirt! Coincidence? I think not ;) So my companion introduces us, and I'm like "Hey I really like your t-shirt! I'm from Australia" and he's like "Please, come on in!" (this was in Polish by the way) and my companion and I look at eachother like "whaaaatt??" haha we were a little bit shocked to say the least. So he was looking after his young daughter, who, get this, was watching Bible Videos on the TV!! Super cool family! So anyway, we were able to have a little lesson, and we found out that he had actually met missionaries before and had a Book of Mormon but had never read it. Anyway, unfortunately since then, we haven't been able to meet again because they're not really interested, but nonetheless it was still a really cool experience for us both! Oh, then that night we came home and Sister Wood had her first Tim-Tam Slam and it was so delicious! Mmm I miss Australian chocolate- thanks family you're the best!

On Thursday we decided to try finding some people out in Sopot (one of the 3 cities in the "tricity area" which includes Gdansk and Gdynia) and it was so freezing cold and windy! We had a few interesting responses from people, but unfortunately didn't get any potentials to teach, so we'll keep trying and maybe stay closer to Gdansk. We did however get to take a nice lunch break with a view of the Baltic Sea, so that was really great! Oh yeah, and then there was also a little crazy moment with us tracting in Sopot in the evening; we got let into a house (via the domophone) but when we were finished, we couldn't get out and the gate was locked. So we had to go to the side and jump over the fence via a drainpipe :/ haha it was sort of awkward but we and the fence and drainpipe are ok!

On Friday we (our district) planned for a presention that we're going to give this Wednesday to a social sciences university class! We've been invited by a professor at the Gdansk University, and so we're very grateful to have such an opportunity of sharing our message first-hand with others. We're planning on using some videos from the church (there's one by Elder Holland explaining what the Book of Mormon is, and then we'll probably show an I'm A Mormon video). We're also going to be speaking in Polish, so I'll be sure to let you know how it all goes in my next week's email! 

One of the things I'm most grateful for on my mission, is all the time I get for studying! We get 3 hours every morning (1 hour for personal study, 1 as a companionship and 1 for learning Polish) and I really try and milk out that time as effectively as possible. For the past couple of days I've been studying about baptism (particularly about need for authority, what baptism means, why we should do it, and what difference it makes in our lives). It's been so cool to see how my own understanding has deepened, and I've discovered that I absolutely love the Bible Dictionary and footnotes in the LDS version of the scriptures. We are so blessed to have those study helps!

Today my companion and I are going to the shops to buy some winter stuff (it's so cold here mum!!)- I already bought some boots a couple of weeks ago, but I think I need another sweater. Then I have a bit of letter writing to do because I got 3 letters from friends in my German ward (Solingen yay :D) and one awesome girl in Winston Hills ward- so I feel very loved right now with all my letters! It's also an elder's birthday today, so we'll probably play some games later at the chapel. I'm excited for another great week, and I hope you are all doing well and settling into the new home nicely! Say kako si to baba for me, and tell her I love her very much :)

Kocham was,
Siostra Grgić

Tim-tam slamming

"Are You Guys Mormons?"

Some of the members from our Gdansk Branch on Sunday

My companion Sister Wood and I taking a selfie at the library

Here's a photo with me and a card tower that I made :D (One of the elders in our district is really awesome with doing magic card tricks, and he carries a deck around with him all the time)

 

This week I've had so many great experiences with my new companion Sister Wood (plays piano beautifully, speaks ein ganz kleines bisschen auf Deutsch, and comes from California). It was sad to see Sister Montesinos go, but I'm very grateful to have this new opportunity to learn from being in a different situation.


On Wednesday, I had to wait for over an hour at the dworzec (station) for Sister Wood to come in from Szczecin (a Polish city near Berlin) and while I was waiting, I had the mobile phone for the Gdańsk sisters (normally the senior companion takes the phone responsibilties, but as I had no companion, I was holding on to it until Sister Wood got in). So then I got a call from a member in our branch, who doesn't speak English! I answered, and it didn't take long for the member to realise that this would be a difficult conversation haha, but in time and with her patience, I was able to speak and understand her (we set up to go have dinner with her that night). It was so cool that I was able to understand her by myself (I've never spoken in Polish on the phone before, and it's a lot harder when you can't use body language to get a point across)- so yeah that was a milestone for me :)


A couple of days later, the district decided to go out in the town and try finding some people to teach who might be interested in our message. So we went to a pretty busy area near the station, set up a table with materials, and started talking to people. I'm normally a big chicken when it comes to talking to people, but I was somehow able to get over that hurdle, and we managed to find someone who the elders are now set up to meet with later this week. My companion and the elders were able to have some good conversations with people too, (I started to have a conversation with one lady, and then she touched my face and hair and was sort of treating me like a 5-year-old before walking away...haha it was pretty weird!). There were also these 2 American ladies that came up to us, and were like "Are you guys Mormons?" and we're like "Yes we are!". So then we were talking for a while and they were super loud and speaking English so it was probably a funny site for some of the locals. The ladies weren't members of our church, but they were super friendly and wished us luck on our missions.

Later that day, my companion and I decided to go tracting at some apartment blocks around our place (normally something that I'm also a big chicken at). So normally the routine goes like this: We ring a random number at the domophone, say we're missionaries, be lucky and someone will let us in, we start at the top floor and try all the doors, people answer and tell us they're not interested (in many colourful ways), we work our way down and then it's time to go home. But this time was different! Well, sort of! We actually were able to find 2 people (from 2 different households) that let us speak to them, and we were able to leave them with pass-along cards (with mormon.org on it and our number and church address). We're hoping to visit these people again tomorrow and see where it goes and we're very excited about the potential of getting to know these people better and being able to actually teach them lessons. This was the first time I've ever had anyone let us do that, and we had 2 in one night! It was a super cool experience, and I actually maybe just slightly might enjoy tracting now ;) (My companion also helped with that- she would tell me funny stories while we were going from door to door and we were still in the 'getting to know you' stage so we had a lot to talk about). Then 2 days later we went tracting again, and found another guy who actually let us teach him a mini lesson at the door and he accepted a Księga Mormona (Book of Mormon)! It was a pretty cool experience.

Last week we went to Sopot to visit with a less-active member. I wasn't sure how long it would take to get to her house, so we ended up getting there about 20 minutes early. While approaching her building, we saw an apple tree (just growing in a public place) and my companion loves apples, so I suggested she eat one. Apple trees are everywhere in Poland, but I've never actually tried a fresh apple from the tree before. So we both picked one each, cleaned them off a little on our skirts, and gave it a shot. We were both expecting them to taste funny, but to our surprise, after biting into them, we realised they were super juicy and fresh and full of apple-y goodness. So then we decided to pick a few, and put them in Sister Wood's backpack. We had a good catch-up with the member, and then when we got home, we washed all the apples and we had 15! I didn't realise that we had so many haha. So anyway, I found out I have a new hobby- apple picking! (just kidding, but actually I wouldn't mind doing it again).

Today we're probably going to walk around the old town here (if the rain holds off) and then play some board games at the chapel before p-day finishes. I'm super excited for this transfer and all the things I'm yet to learn. I love being here in Gdańsk, and I feel so blessed to be a missionary here amongst the beautiful Polish people. I think about you guys all the time, and I love you dearly!

Til next week,

Sister Grgich

I Really Do Love This Place!

Saying goodbye to Siostra Montesinos at the Dworzec Główny (Main Station) in Gdańsk.

Saying goodbye to Starszy (Elder) Wolfley at the Dworzec Główny (Main Station) in Gdańsk.

Myself, Stanisław, Sister Monte and Elder Jourdan taking a photo of us haha

This is myself with Sister Monte, and a member Wioleta (it was her birthday yesterday!)

My companion and I with 3 awesome little ones in our branch, Kasia, Ania and Tomek

And myself with a newly-wed couple in our branch (they're so awesome!) Gosia and Marcin. They're getting married in the Stockholm Temple tomorrow :D

My companion and I with 2 members Irena and Józef

The senior couple here the Shaw's (from Idaho) with my companion and I

Sister Montesinos, myself, and 2 Polish members from our branch Marinela and Jadwiga, and a Hawaiian member Sister Harker.

This week we got to finish watching General Conference, and I absolutely loved it! There was one from Elder David A. Bednar about why we do missionary work, and it was so awesome! It made us all laugh at some points too, I hope you got to hear/watch it!

So this week is transfer week! And I'm staying in Danzig! (That's the German word for Gdańsk haha) It's super exciting to get to stay here, because I really do love this place. Unfortunately my companion is leaving to a different city, and so are both of the elders, and I will truly miss them, but I'm also super excited to get to meet 3 new missionaries, and work with them to help build up our assigned area. I'm probably getting ahead of myself here, but I'm actually especially excited to get some type of musical fireside/talent show organised for the branch, because I've heard that at least 2 of the 3 new missionaries coming here are musical, and that makes me SO happy! :D So, I'll keep you updated on what happens there! I thank Heavenly Father every day for giving me an amazing musical family who fostered my own love for music and the chance to develop my talents to bless the lives of myself and others.

On Wednesday during English class, we had a new guy come to our class, and when we introduced ourselves as missionaries and said that our main purpose is to teach others about Jesus Christ, he said he really respects that and was grateful to be in our class, and it was just such a tender mercy to have a friendly person say that to us! We also had a lady come up to us at a park the other day, and after taking a few pamphlets (she asked for them! super cool) I invited her to come to church on Sunday, but even though she said she can't because she has her own church to attend, she told us she was proud of what we're doing and wished us well. It's so nice when people say such nice things to us. Never underestimate the power of words and honest compliments!

Oh, a pretty funny thing during English- we asked if anyone had done their homework from the week before, and Stanisław (a non-member friend) pulls out a piece of paper with burnt edges, with "My Homework" and scribble written on it. It was so funny! So then my companion asked if she could keep the piece of paper, and now she's got it as a memoir! Hehehe

Yesterday we went to an American member couple's house in Sopot (a super pretty and posh city in our area) and we had two awesome other ladies (one Polish and one Russian) from our branch there as well and we had an awesome dinner together! It was so nice just getting to chat with them and it's so awesome that Sister Harker (the American member) is so willing to help out with strengthening our little branch here, and just be a good friend to the other members here. We got to learn a lot about each other and it was so nice to hear from Jadwiga and Irena's lives. It's crazy listening to all the stories from War and Communism times and it makes me so grateful that I grew up in such a peaceful country. I especially loved hearing from Jadwiga who told us of how she would play pranks on her late husband during communism time (I'll have to tell you her funny stories one day!), and it's so good to be acquainted with such strong people like her who still kept hope and had a sense of humour, even in such dire circumstances. Sister Harker also showed us a video from a couple years back, and it's got Jayden (Elder Zelezniak) doing the Haka in it hahah that was cool to see.

Well I feel like my Polish is slowly coming along! Yesterday at church, I went into Primary and translated (or tried!) for Sister Shaw (the American senior missionary who is also the Primary President in our branch, but doesn't speak Polish), and it was amazing how much I was able to say and understand! I made a lot of mistakes, but I'm getting better haha. I hope I get to do this translating in Primary more often! I also found myself understanding a lot more of conversations that I had with the members, so I'm excited to continue to make progress and get to know the members more in depth.

Well, know that I love you so much, and I'm excited to hear how things continue to progress at home!

Lots of love,

Siostra Grgich

Happy New Week!

The Courtyard of Malbork Castle

My companion and I chilling with some Teutonic knights, you know the deal

Old Gothic Well (There's No Water In It Anymore, I Know We Checked)

Super Cool Roof (I Wish You Could See It Better)

Me and a Small Window

Sister Monte, Starzy Wolfley and Stan Being Awesome as Usual

Stainsław and I Inside the Castle

This week was sort of boring because I've had a cold- but it's also been super awesome because of General Conference and today! So it all worked out :D

I'll start with today while it's fresh in my memory! So right after studies, instead of emailing, we (the Elders and Sisters) went with a friend Stanisław to the Malbork Castle (about an hours drive from Gdansk). It's actually a German-built castle, and a lot of it was destroyed in WW2, but it's been rebuilt and is a pretty popular tourist place. It was cool to walk around and enjoy eachother's company, and I especially liked hearing all the German tourists walking around haha :) Unfortunately, only some of the castle was open to see (a lot of museums and stuff are closed or part-closed on Mondays), but we still got to listen to an audioguide, and have our own 'tour-guide' Stan tell us some Polish history, so it was way cool.

Have you heard any of General Conference yet, or the Women's Conference? Yesterday for church, we were going to watch a Saturday session, but it wasn't up yet in Polish. So we ended up showing the General Women's Conference, and in a room next door to the main chapel, we set up the computer to show it in German for a man Karl (non-member from Germany) who doesn't speak Polish. So I got to go and watch it in German (I'm definitely able to understand way more of that than Polish unfortunately- I'm still working on my Polish of course!). It was a really awesome experience for me, and I felt the Spirit very strongly in the room, testifying to Karl and I that what we were hearing from our leaders was true (a lot was spoken about temples, and it made me really miss going to the temple! I can't wait to have that opportunity again in Sydney). I hope you get to watch all of the sessions if you haven't already (we still actually need to watch both Sunday sessions)- I can't wait til all these talks come out in the next Ensign so I can study them and read them over again. I've had some amazing, clear answers to my prayers already, and I'm excited to see Sunday's sessions to get even more inspiration and insight. How blessed are we to be able to hear such powerful words and recieve so much guidance from our apostles and prophets every 6 months-I love conference so much!

This week we also restocked our 72-hour kits (with the help of the senior missionary couple the Shaw's). I was really drained getting all the stuff actually, (because of my cold) but the awesome thing is that we rotate the food from the kit, which means we get to eat all the old stuff (which is practically non-perishable anyway)- so yay, more Nutella for me! ;) In all seriousness though, I've actually really been trying to eat healthier, because I hate the feeling of being sick and I want to prevent it as much as possible from happening again. I haven't enjoyed this time very much, but I guess it has forced me to drink more fluids and be careful about what I'm putting in my body. Yet another trial for me to learn from, I'm sure! The Word of Wisdom is important, and it's not just about abstaining from drugs and alcohol! I'm really trying to eat less chocolate now, and more fruits and vegetables. It's a little bit hard for me to adjust to the fruits and vegetables here, because they don't have the same type of fresh produce that I'm used to back home, but I'm trying to teach myself to like the canned stuff, and buy things in season! I'll get there- hopefully the next time you see me, I won't be a chocolate addict anymore ;) fingers crossed

Okie doke, it's so cool hearing about everything that's happening at home and I hope the transitions you're making aren't too stressful. Give all my love to the nieces and my sisters (and everyone really!) :)

Kocham was,

Siostra Grgich

An Odd Little Encounter

Our District Elders Jourdan and Wolfley and Sis Montesinos and I

This super blurry one is of my companion and I, and the senior sister missionary, Sister Shaw in the lift on the way up to the chapel in Gdansk

Me on the Długa (the main tourist street in Gdansk)

I'm a tad sick today, so please excuse me for this week's email if it's really boring!


On Monday we had a Family Home Evening at the chapel, and a couple of different members (and a nonmember) came which was really nice. We got to talk together and played a card game called 'golf' (it's super fun, you should look it up if you have time!). The senior missionary couple (Elder and Sister Shaw) run the FHE every week, so normally everything's in English, but one older member came last week who can't speak English, so it was actually pretty cool for me to try and translate for her. My Polish is still quite terrible, but it really helped us bond together with me trying to speak in Polish with her, explaining the rules of the game and what not. This lady also won the game, which made her super happy and she kept hugging me heheh so that made me feel special. It reminds me of the good ol' days ;) back in Germany, when I just somehow made friends with people, even only being able to speak my broken German. This language is still frustrating, and every day I'm learning more, but I know it will take some time until my understanding skills (in particular) will start to pick up.

This week we went tracting a few times (our mission president has been pushing for us to do more) so that's been very interesting! We haven't been let in anyone's home yet, although we have hope! One day (I think it was last Tuesday) we were ringing the domophone of an apartment building (it's not so common for people to live in houses on one block of land per family like is common back in Oz- so our tracting normally consists of speaking to people over the domophone of big apartment blocks, and hoping they'll buzz us in) when the light from within the main staircase came on. We had just finished talking with a super sarcastic man and it was time for us to head back home so we moved a couple of steps away from the main entrance while my companion wrote some things in her planner. Then as we're about to go, this elderly lady comes out of the block and tells my companion to go walk down a certain direction. At first my companion thought she was showing us the way to go back to the main road, so she heads down that way, but I'm like "Hey Sister, it's this way" (the opposite direction). Then the lady looked really angry and was just staring at us and then said something (I didn't really understand) and my companion is like "just go this way" but I was really confused because it was a really round-about way of getting back to the main road. So then my companion was like "Come on, she's angry with us" so I went down the other way (still wasn't sure what was going on) and I look at my companion all confused, and she says quietly "The lady's angry with us and wants us to leave and now she's following us". We went down some stairs (this is out in public mind you, not on anyone's private property or anything) and the lady mumbles something else and stares at us as we walk away. I look back, and she's still sort of following us with her arms crossed.



So that was an odd little encounter. I asked my companion what was going on (I couldn't understand anything the lady had said), and she had apparently said something about how we're terrible people for bothering people at this time of night (it was 7-8pm...) and that we need to go away. It made me really sad to think about why this lady felt it necessary to be so mean and rude to us. We weren't being noisy, we weren't rude or abrupt or unfriendly on the domophone (we only ring the bell for an apartment once, and simply state something like "we're missionaries etc, do you have some time for us to teach more..."), we speak kindly and with manners, we're dressed conservatively, and aren't nagging or pushy in our words. I can't see anything that would be threatening about us- and yet some people unfortunately see the need to be so unkind to us. This bothered me for a little while and I was still thinking about it as we went to bed.


The next morning for personal study, I was thinking about why there's so much opposition and ill-feelings towards missionaries. I started reading from the Book of Mormon about Alma and Amulek (around Alma 14). These missionaries had so much opposition, simply from sharing the gospel.They had not done anything wrong, in fact they were doing the best thing for these people who needed the blessings of the Gospel in their lives. Many people even accepted their teachings, and repented, or turned their lives around for the better. Yet for some reason (and we know that reason is Satan), Alma, Amulek and all the believers, were mocked, persecuted harshly and all but Alma and Amulek were killed for their beliefs in a most horrific way. I then thought about our very Saviour, the one perfect man to ever live on this mortal earth- even Jesus Christ. His life was never easy. He was persecuted by so many, even when He was performing miracles in plain view. There were still people that used their agency, to mock Him, and try to put Him down- try to make Him feel bad for doing so much good. I love the scripture in Luke 23: "Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots." I can't ever imagine the pain and trials that my Redeemer went through on earth, and yet He had so much love, and truly was so perfect, that He was able to forgive His very persecutors in the act of their wrongdoing.



I know that missionary work is not often easy, and why should it be, when Christ truly is at the head of this Church. I have such a strong testimony that "it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things", but that doesn't mean that we can't have so much joy from this work- even amongst the opposition. I'm so grateful for the 3 hours of study we get to have as missionaries every day. It's really been bringing me closer to my Heavenly Father and my brother and Saviour Jesus Christ. I know that they love me, even when others may look down on me for being a missionary. I try hard every day to go about with a smile, because I know this work is important, and I know that I have a clear conscience before God. I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have to be serving in Poland among such beautiful, hard-working people. I'm so grateful for the trials in my life, that are only making me stronger, and I pray that God will continue to make my weaknesses become my strengths. I pray that you are all happy and well, and remember that even when others around you may put you down, you are nothing less than a daughter or son of God, and He knows your divine worth and potential for greatness.



Love you so much,
Siostra Grgich

Serving in Hel!

Sister Kuchar and I reunited at Zone Conference in Poznan

My companion Sister Montesinos, myself and Elder Jourdan at a restaurant in Hel

My companion and I at Port Hel

We're in Hel (beautiful little town on a peninsula an hour or so from Gdansk by car) And that's a member in Gdansk Branch who took us out there for our culture day. Waldyk (I think that's how to spell it)

This past week has been filled with a lot of new experiences! I'll start of with yesterday (while it's fresh in my memory). So yesterday we had District Conference in Bydgoszcz (instead of the normal Sacrament Meeting at Gdansk chapel). So we woke up early (as usual) and took an approx 2-hour train ride and 4 of us Gdansk missionaries walked from the station to the Bydgoszcz chapel. It was really nice seeing some of the members and other missionaries from Gdansk, Bydgoszcz and Poznan (and maybe someone from Szczecin came too?) and then an Austrian guy walked in the chapel (he's currently being taught by some Elders in Bydgoszcz). So I was of course super excited to speak German, so we were talking for a while but then the conference was starting so we all sat down. The conference was super spiritual for me, and I just love being able to see Polish people bearing their testimonies and uplifting eachother as members in this relatively small district. I was thinking about how many people come to stake conference back in Hebersham (a crazy amount in comparison to the maybe 50 people that came yesterday) and how I would love to see Poland have stakes of that size one day. Poland doesn't have any stakes yet, but I have a lot of hope to one day see a temple here :) I would do anything to be at the opening day for that! So after the conference, I found the Austrian man again, and we had a pretty cool conversation just about what he's doing in Poland, and what Austria is like (and he complimented me on my German which was nice!), so then after our conversation, I went to some other members and tried to speak Polish with them and it was so bad! Oh man, I forgot how to say the simplest of things in Polish and it was so embarrassing! Well I managed to speak to one member who knows the Irelands in Sydney, and she was so excited that I know them. She said she loves them a lot, and it made me so happy to think that this couple who were here a few years ago, are still making an impact on people's lives, and I'm grateful that they were able to be such an obvious help to the members here in Poland.

This past week we also had Zone Conference (for the missionaries). We went down to Poznan (a beautiful city!) and received training from our Mission President and his assistants. It was so cool to see Sister Kuchar again (she was in my MTC group and is now serving in Szczecin) and we just had the most awesome time catching up and discussing our common problems being new missionaries in the field haha. It's nice to have someone who just understands and especially when they're such a great friend! Oh, the train ride over to the conference was pretty cool too- I was playing my guitar for a lot of the way (I made sure not to be annoying I promise!) and I played a Polish patriotic song called "Zeby Polska byla Polska" and there was one other man in our carriage (with us 4 missionaries) and he was singing and tapping his foot as I played that song, so that was super cool!

On Saturday, we decided to take our "culture night" (which was sort of more of a "culture day" in our case), which is when once every transfer (9 weeks), we get to do something culture-y for a few hours and have fun :). So our district got an invitation from Waldyk, a member in Gdansk, to come with him to Hel (a really pretty coastal town a couple of hours drive away). So that was a great experience, and he even bought us lunch (very nice of him!) and we got to walk alongside the coast and look out at all the boats and just have good conversations with each other. The members here are so awesome. It was also pretty funny going to Hel, just because of it's name I've got to say! haha, and it's probably even more funny, because it's sometimes a curse word for Americans (I have to keep refraining from using certain words that are totally fine in Australia but that are NOT in America hahah you know what I mean!) all good, so we had a blast!

Well, I've got to go now, man there's so much more I could tell you about but I've run out of time! I guess I can tell you all funny stories when I come home in 15 months (ah I've been here for a month already!) but thanks for reading my nonsense today ;) I love you so much :)

Siostra Grgich

New Experiences

Just Claiming My Territory

Sister Montesinos and I outside of our apartment building

Dearest Family!

How are you all? Hope you're doing splendid :) Is it cold there? I've had the longest Summer this year- from January to now it's still quite warm, so for one of the first times in my life I think I'm ready for Winter! Anyway, this week was filled with a lot of new experiences for me! So my companion and I aren't super pumped about going tracting and it's generally a 'last-resort' type of thing, but we went this last week, and got quite a few door slams, but finally I mustered up the courage to do the initial greeting at the door (instead of my companion doing the talking) and so I did it all in Polish and all by myself! Mind you, we got scoffed at, rolled-eyes and a slammed door before I was even able to say "...Latter-day Saints" but hey, I did it myself! It gets hard sometimes having to deal with the rejection, but I've been carrying around a big picture of Jesus Christ in my Ksiega Mormona (Book of Mormon) and my companion always reminds me that He's with us always as long as we are doing his work and trying our best. I love all the time that we get for spiritual studies in the morning, because it means I get to learn more about what Jesus Christ is like and what His disciples are like, and that consequently has been helping me a lot with loving people and seeing their worth the way that He does.

This week I also had a pretty good experience with speaking to a man sitting on a park bench. I've been praying so hard for courage these past few weeks, and God has definitely been helping me out. So I went and made the initial contact, I explained who we were and then he said "Please sit down" (in Polish). I was so taken aback at the invitation I almost didn't believe I had heard him correctly! We were able to teach a short lesson and hopefully give this man hope about having purpose in life (he said he didn't believe in God and had accepted the fact that his life doesn't have a purpose). While I didn't understand much of what he saying, I was able to bear simple testimony about how I know that God exists and has a purpose for me, and knows everyone on the Earth individually and loves them. My companion did a really great job of teaching some other basic restored truths of the gospel, and even though we probably won't see that man again, I have hope that he was left with a better understanding of his own great worth, and I'm glad that the Lord let me be led to that encounter.

Yesterday at church was really great. My listening skills are slowly picking up, which is helping me build more meaningful relationships with the members of the ward. It's also giving me more courage to just speak for the sake of trying, because I know that's how I'm going to learn best.

The other day, the Elders and us went to a park and set up a 'free table', where we have DVDs, pamphlets and Ksiega Mormonas free for people to take. One man came up to our table and said he's heard about us before when he was in the States, and he satyed in a Marriot Hotel and got a Book of Mormon there. We were like great, what do you know about the church? He said he knows everything already but wished us good luck and was quite friendly. He walked away and the Elder and I were a little sad because one of our least favourite responses as missionaries, is "I know everything already". It's such a shame to hear that, because we know that really, if they knew everything already, they would give our message a chance, pray about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith, read Moroni's promise about knowing the truth of the Book of Mormon, and find out for themselves about why our message truly is so important. It's also a principle that we as members should always remember- we never know everything. I seriously love reading the scriptures (I've been reading a lot from the New Testament lately) because every time I read through, I learn something different, and I feel closer to Christ. It's super important to remember that Christ's gospel as told by Himself, includes the final principle of enduring to the end. We need to constantly improve and learn, and none of us can ever reach a limit of knowledge or spiritual understanding on this earth. Well back to the park, a few minutes later, the same man came back to us at the table. He was curious about why we were in Poland and asked us if we have Polish backgrounds. He was super surprised when we said that we didn't, and he seemed a little confused as to why we would be doing missionary work in Poland. (I've noticed that we get this question quite a bit). Well it's a good opportunity to bear testimony, and I hope that this man could feel of our sincerity when we told him that we truly believe that Christ's true church has been restored with His authority on the earth.

I love being a missionary in Poland, and I truly wouldn't be out here telling people the things I do, if I wasn't 100% sure of it. I know more than anything, that the things we teach honestly matter more than any material thing in this world. "Men are that they might have joy". I love life, and I love you all so much I can't explain :)

Be happy and have a super awesome week,

love Siostra Grgich