Happy Thanksgiving!! Turkey Turkey!!

November 26th, 2013

• Happy Thanksgiving! Turkey Turkey:)‏

Hello hello!!! Everyone brace yourselves for the miracle of my life...

Karina and Przemek and one of his friends and their whole family came to church!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I seriously almost had a heart attack. I was so filled with joy I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so instead I just went into the bathroom and had a little talk with my Heavenly Father. I have been so blessed to learn this transfer that so much is accomplished by prayers and faith. We had a lovely lesson with Karina this week and I cried when I told her that I know that I was blessed to come into a family who had the fullness of the gospel. I love you all so much, I am so blessed!

Okay mom, I will give you a little update of my life:)

I get up and study with Sister Moncur, we usually go running around Kielce in the mornings, and I love it:) Then we study, and I've just changed my ideas( thank you Sister Blake) so that now we try and make our comp studies into a more spiritual study experience instead of a long talk about the outlines of every lesson and exactly what scripture we will share when. It has really helped me keep the Spirit with me! I LOVE my Savior! Then we usually have some crazy schedule of meetings all over Kielce and we try and talk to everyone the Spirit says on the way. ( literally I think we contact at least 50 people a day..yep!) Then we usually either go home and eat lunch i.e. pasta or rice or veggies or a salad. or we get a roll and cottage cheese at the local market. Then we have more meetings and we usually work until about 8:00 p.m. and then go inside for dinner. It's wierd to eat so late, but we feel safer being in earlier, and it gets pretty dark here at about four o clock! what? Good thing I have some sunshine in my seoul every day ( cara:) Then we laugh and listen to music and write in our journals and plan for the evening and then get ready for bed! And then I sleep, like a rock:) We make these detailed plans daily, but they always seem to get pretty crazy! We spend some time with Włodzimierz often because he is so kind to help us get better at our polish! I am so grateful for that!!! He does a lot for us.

Well yep. I haven't made anything to crazy to eat yet, except we made cookies the other day, I haven't had those in forever! We don't really have a ton of time to spend on finding and making crazy recipes. NOt to mention that I haven't got any idea what the recipe actually says!!!!!

Anyways. Sister Moncur is amazing, she is just a little tought cookie. She works hard and isn't afraid, and I love her. I want to love her more and serve her more, so that she can feel at home here in Poland, because I remember wanting that so much my first transfer. I was so lucky to have my lovely Sister Allen to help!

Well, they don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Poland, because that's just an american thing, but they do start to get some decorations put up for CHristmas!!! I can't wait for all of that. But this week we ate dinner with a huge group of ewangelikal churches. We had stuffing and some pumpking pie and it was soooo delicious and we were all speaking english and I loved it so much. It felt very homey, I know they have so much truth, and we just want to add to it! That's what's so great about the gospel, it helps us add onto the truths people already have!

I love being a missionary, I love you all so much,and I can't wait to report on the miracles of the week of THanksgiving! I pray for you all every single night. I pray that my dad can know how much of a powerful influence for good he has made in my life, and my mum to know what love and service and selflessness she has taught me!
I love Poland:) Have a great week my lovelies!
Love, Me

Sorry It's So LATE!!!!

Sorry we haven't updated in a long time about Ali. We've had computer issues but here is her latest e-mail!

 

Hello!

So last week was Poland's independence day so that is why we couldn't e-mail:) But I am doing so well and my new companion is so sweet and I love her! Her name is Sister Moncur and she's from Idaho Falls.

This week we saw so many miracles. We had a baptism, Piotr. He was confirmed in church on Sunday and I had been praying that some of our less-actives would come because I really needed their support for Karina! I had a thought to send two of them texts early Sunday morning and they came! I was too busy worrying that everyone was sitting next to someone and felt comfortable that I didn't even realize that I got exactly what I prayed for until I took the sacrament. I had a lot to repent of after that. Sometimes I get too caught up and forget to be grateful for all the little blessings, which is the worst thing I could do! Then that night we met with someone we found trakting, his name is Oskar and hes so cool!!! We were able to find five new investigators this week, and then to top it all off, Karina called me and said that her husband, (Przemek) wants to come to church next week!!! WHAT? that is a 180degree turn from a month ago. I met him today, and he was super kind and willing to talk and I was really grateful for this experience. I went home and fell on my knees and felt like I could burst I was so happy!

I am loving my mission so much. It's so hard, but I am grateful for every minute. There isn't a time I regret being here. I am grateful for the Christmas season and the peace and binding it brings. I love these people so much, my heart is with them. I never want to leave Kielce! I know the Lord loves us and cares for us and wants the best for us.

Rori, I am so glad that your play went well and you look so beautiful!

I hope that you all have a lovely thanksgiving. I am so grateful for my wonderful family and all that you do for me. I am so blessed and have been given so many miracles, what that says to me is that more is expected:) I have to have more faith!

Gratitude! It's amazing!

Love, Sister Hemming:)

1. Independence Day!( dad, you'd think this was cool)

2. me and Sis. Moncur!

3. My favorite Kawiarnia aka cafe:) And my favorite book! in my favorite language;)

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween (November 4th 2013)

My Sweet, Lovely Family!

I can't believe that you already had the first snowfall! Of course you won't find it hard to believe that yesterday I went out in a jacket and flats and no umbrella and it decided to rain cats and dogs( I might add that it hasn't rained in weeks!) Needless to say, I ended up trudging through the streets with soaking shoes... but we found two new investigators! I've learned so much this week about doing the work of the Lord!

So... pierwszy... since I know you all are wondering what's going on... drum roll...

I'm Staying! In Kielce:) whooo hoo! and I'm training! What? I know. How can the sister who can't even correctly dress herself for the rain train another sister. I admit that at first when prezydent told me that I'd be training I thought that I still don't really know anything, but I have learned alot about how I need to trust in the Lord this week, and that played into my reaction. I know the Lord qualifies whom He calls. I am grateful for an opportunity to pick up the pace. To rely completely on the Lord. To strive to give Him my every waking thought!

This was a crazy and beautiful week! On halloween we had a great crepe breakfast! yay:) I got a package from the Listons on Wednesday! Perfect timing! I am sending them a letter, but tell them thank youso much! It was filled with the best things:) Candy Corn... and cute halloween decorations. We had a great time on Saturday with Prezydent Najberg on the cemetaries. I will show you some pictures, it is amazing!

We had a lot of lessons and were really praying to find five new investigators... As I felt and meant what I said in my prayers and then matched it with action, the Lord's miracles fell into our paths time and time again.  We are teaching a sweet lady named Sylwia. She is a single mom ( we are now teaching 3 mothers with children... something I only dreamed of in Kraków). We have had a hard time meeting with her because she's really busy but I feel prompted that she will be of great strength to the branch, so I know the Lord will prepare a way.

Sister Barth has been so amazing this week( and every week) but this week she just worked so hard. She was a great example and influence on me, and I'm a little sad that just when I feel that we start to work really well together we get seperated, but more about that later.

For my miracle of the week I would like to share a very special experience. I normally don't like to talk about the hard things but I think this is for the best of everyone! I was feeling a little bit under the weather on Saturday but I was really excited to get out and find people! So I prayed and went to work. It was especially hard that day. No one was talking to us and on top of that some people were pretty rude. I began to feel frustrated, and I said a prayer... " Please help me to love this:)". I contacted the next lady I saw and she was getting really mad at me. Telling me that she's already Catholic and how dare I be in her country and tell her that she doesn't know about God. I tried to share with her that I am so glad she already has faith, and simply wanted to invite her to learn more about this thing that has brought me somuch happiness. She then proceeded to tell me more unkind things. I walked away and was feeling a little emotional( yep) and all of the sudden I had this feeling of peace and love wash over me. It was so enobling and enabling. I felt love and strength. I KNEW in that moment that I am a daughter of God. That He loves me, and that everything and every sacrifice and every blessing ever made by myself or my ancestors was for something that is true! Right after that I met this lovely lady who was so kind and took a Book of Mormon and set up for tonight! I said a tearful and heartfelt prayer of thanks after that. The Lord is so mindful of us. As we do what He wants. And only then can we feel the full extent of His love.

I bear my testimony that it's real. I know it . I wouldn't be here if I didn't. I know if for myself and not just as a tradition or a nice story, God Lives. He loves us. And His church is on the earth as proof of that love. The Church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints!

I love being amissionary! I can't wait to meet a new companion and get moving on a new transfer filled with humbling experiences and growth in the Lord!

I love you all so much!
Love Sister Erika Alexis Hemming