July 29, 2013

SORRY IT'S LATE!!!!!!!!!!!! I COULDN'T FIND WHERE WE PUT HER LAST TWO EMAILS! HERE THEY ARE!!!!!!

Harmie Cat has the preisthood!!! yes:) the best thing ever! Harm.. you should read the talk " The power of the preisthood in the boy". I read it just a couple of days ago and thought of you. It's been on fire here in Krakow for the past coulple of days.. no one told me that I should bring like seven fans and cold packs here in Poland. I feel good though because even the people say it's abnormally hot... so I am writing this down in my journal that I remember it in winter!

I'm glad everyone is doing well, I can't really believe that you are already starting football! what? I'm super excited to see all of the cool pictures of my heathie scoring some touchdowns... Dont' you let him think for one minute that he can't be just as good as everyone else! He is full of potential, and this will be a perfect way for him to reach it! Also... Harmie, I can't wait to see you in basketball. I'm glad that you spoke up for what you wanted and will focus on basketball! Love it! My little Livi, I'm excited for your soccer pictures, and I'm so glad to hear that you are enjoying being the best big sister ever! Rors, I like your blonde hair, everyone thinks your older than me in our pictures,,,,, so that's great:) I think you're gorgeous inside and out and I think the blonde is nice! Dad... way to go! you finally did it:) I think it actually looks good. Mom, gorgeous as always, everyone here says"your mom is beautiful" and I'm like... I know! lucky me, two handsome parents and a plethora of good looking siblings! I love my family so much:)

Okay, so this week was a rollercoaster of events! On Monday sister Allen left us for exchanges... so that means we two trainees were just chuggin along on our lonesome. We were definitely blessed and had a good time, the gift of tongues is so real. We were able to get along just fine, amidst our not excellent Polish. People are so kind and understanding, it's great!

We have been contacting alot lately... like all day:) which is great, I can't believe how many people I meet on a daily basis, it's amazing! I would never have the opportunity to meet people like these in a nother setting! And I have the most amazing thing to tell them. We taught Justyna again this week, she is great and we love her. She told us that she really has had a hard life and struggles to believe in God because all through her life she hasn't felt His help. It was amazing for me to be able to testify to her that He definitely does listen to her, that every prayer she said He heard. I felt His love for her so strongly in that moment and I was so grateful! Keep praying for her, she's amazing and just needs to build her faith.

I learned such amazing lessons this week. I can't believe how much I've already learned and been blessed with. This really is the "training center" for life and the eternities. Heavenly Father is very much aware of us every day, this I know. I studied alot about The Atonement this week, and can't believe how beautiful it is. I really only understand a fraction of it, if anything, but I know that the Savior is real. That He lives and that He really did suffer the most anyone can suffer for us. Oh I stand all amazed. All my life I've kind of assumed that everyone gets down and everyone has doubts and it's just part of life. That I just need to accept that it's life. But this week I learned it's not. As I read about the Atonement and I read the talk from President Holland " And none were with Him". I began to have a change of heart. I read the scripture when Peter sees the Savior and he goes out on the water, I can just picture it... Peter is so excited to do something for the Lord, to prove his faith! He gets out and then he looks down. He sees the waves and he doubts. He begins sinking. He cries for help. It says that immediately the Lord reaches out and pulls him up. He then says " Oh ye of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt". the Lord also says... ' be not afraid, only believe". I realized that this is a commandment. And that the Lord doesn't give us commandments we can't keep(nephi). So I decided to lead by faith! When doubtfull thoughts come, don't invite them in and ask them to stay a while. Shut them out with a thought of faith and hope! The best think ever.

I would also like to say that I am so grateful for pioneer ancestors. In a way, I think the saints here in Krakow are like the Kirtland saints. Those who have stuck it out are amazing! they are stalwart and immovable. And I know the church will grow in Poland because of their examples! I found a picture I hid in my bag a long time ago. It is the picture of Elizabeth and James Steele. I have such a wonderful example. How grateful I am to them and all of my ancestors( including my grandparents:) and their bold strenght in the gospel! I now have that picture hung up on my wall.

I love being a missionary! This week we taught this amazing family... Igor and Jadwiga. They were possibly the coolest people I have ever met! They started off by stating they are very Catholic, and as the Spirit guided us what to say and we decided to teach the Plan of Salvation. They said it was a beautiful plan, filled with hope and light and fairness, and that it made sense. I cannot believe how much perfect sense the plan makes! It's from God. That's all. I love it! They were asking us about how to live that plan, which is an excellent lead into the next lesson. They are on vacation( like everyone else in Poland) so we won't teach them for a month, so pray they won't forget!

I can't believe how much I love Poland! I'm so lucky and have beautiful experiences daily. Also... some funny ones. Like when Sister young accidentally started to pray to a manon the street instead of contacting... awkward:) I continually call men Lady and women Sirs... and I love to embaress myself with poor Polish. Oh humility:) But I have seen how much my langauge improves as I talk with people and have faith in the Lord!

I pray for you every day! I love you so!

Till next week Siostra Hemming