Happy New Years!!!!

 December 30th, 2013

Hello my darling family! I love you all so much and it was such a joy to hear from you this past week. I will tell you what happened last week.

On the 18th, we had Wigilia... which is a Polish New Years Eve. That was with the whole branch and it was wonderful! I loved it:) But Polish food is pretty heavy, and I think I'm not used to that ( I don't actually eat Polish food very often:) We spend Tuesday baking with the Relief Society Prezydent because we don't have anyone else who can help her... crazy:) But it was great and a great cultural experience. Then on Monday the 23rd we went to Katowice and had a Christmas Zone Conference. I sang O Holy Night, and it was wonderful to be able to share my talents! I have learned alot about that this week, about how we need to use and share and cultivate our talents in order that we can keep them and multiply them!

Monday evening we went back to Kraków and spent the night there. I was so excited to go and contact on the Rynek!!!! I love contacting by the way, we meet the coolest people and it's a great time to practice my polish:) The Spirit can always tell me what that specific person needs, which really has helped me see the Heavenly Father knows us all personally.

On Christmas Eve we woke up and had our P-Day in Kraków with all of the other districts from katowice!! It was awesome:) We had a great breakfast and spent the day touring Kraków and it was lovely and a beautiful sunny day! We then went back to the Kraków chapel and watched some bible videos and played backgammon! ( my new favorite game:) That night we made a mad run for the train... It was so close to leaving, and we spent some of the night on the Polar Express( not really, but we did take a train and it felt very Polar Expressy:) I loved that. When we got home we ate dinner... salad and beets (  I know. it's pretty ridiculous;) and then we read the Christmas story from Luke 2 and also from 1 Nephi and the Tree of Life. It was a beautiful experience and as I could her our neighbors getting drunk and laughing I realized how very grateful I am to have the opportunity to be a servant of the Lord. No Christmas in my life will ever be the same. Then I said my prayers and went to bed.

The next morning we woke up and had orange juice:) Then we opened our presents. I don't have time today to e-mail and thank everyone, but I am so grateful for Grandma and Granddpa Bird and the calendar and poem! I will e-mail them next week about it. And to Grandma and Grandpa Hemming for the thoughtful gifts. Seeing grandma's handwriting was so sweet to me, and Zeus has already been my cuddle buddy a couple of times. We got ready ( czyli batman t-shirt) and spent the day with the Elders! It was so fun. We played soccer ( I'm actually not bad) and we ate food and we played games and I beat Elder Raines at backgammon... then he beat me:) It was wierd, I always pictured my mission Christmas to include lots of work, but since everyone gets drunk in Poland on Christmas we aren't really allowed to go do proselyting. Anyways, it was a great day.

Then I paced the floor trying to decide what to say in the phone call. I don't know why but it made me nervous. Sister Moncur and I had talked about how it might be better if we called closer to each other so that she wasn't just sitting around for an hour after I talked to my family and freaking out. THat's why when you called I said that we should wait an hour... but after I heard my sweet family's voices I couldn't ever wait!!! I just want you all to know that I love you so much! you are such a wonderful family and this week was filled with comfort and peace for me. I loved to listen you you and hear your voices. I then said my prayers and went to bed. It was a bit hard the next morning, but as I put my trust in the Lord I was completely fine. Oh how blessed I've been:)

This week we had an absolute miracle happen. We were really trying to have the faith that Karina could get baptized, and it was a miracle because on Sunday she had her meeting with Elder Raines and she passed, with one problem... her husband didn't allow it. So Sister Moncur had the great idea to fast for her! So we started fasting and striving for more faith. We went over to their house and made pierogi! It was with pig livers and chicken hearts. literally:) But it tasted good! Then the Spirit took over. We ended up knowing exactly what to say to him and he ended up agreeing to her getting baptized and even said he'd bring a soup to it!!! It was a miracle to say the least. I have been so blessed to see so many miracles. Pray for her. Her baptism is this week Saturday at 15:00!

I love you all so much! Have a wonderful new year and be safe!
Love, Sister Ali Hemming:)

making fish for wigilia!

Riding home from Krakow!  Felt like we were on the Polar Express!!!

My Christmas Eve dinner!!

As long as there's Christmas I truly believe that HOPE is the Greatest of the Gifts we receive!!

December 16th, 2013

Hello my Lovely Family!

I have loved reading your e-mails, my one from my little Heathie touched me so much. That he has faith that I am doing what the Lord wants...:) I love my Little Siblings! If only you knew:)

This has been a very influential week on my mission. I have learned so much, I think that Heavenly Father knew that I was getting a little lost in the logistics of missionary work and a little too bez oczucia:) There have been a lot of experiences this week that have led me to think about my personal testimony of the work. I have been praying so very hard and am grateful for a renewed sense of who I am and I hope to share my testimony with you accurately in this letter.

Karina is doing so well! She and her husband and their sweet little family were all in church this week, and we went to their house on saturday to eat with the Elders. The leaps and bounds that their family have made just add to my testimony that this church changes lives to be in accordance with God's will, because it's His church, so it really makes so much sense! Her date is january 4th, and I am praying so hard that she will be ready, she just needs to take the step. I know it will start her live over, give it to her new, and she can become better than she ever has been! ( which is hard to believe)

We had a great week and found some great new investigators. We had a great discussion with one of our english students who I love! She is reading the Book of Mormon and she says that the scriptures are helping her to find more joy in her life, that is because they are from God. They are from the Father of us all! One of our investigators, as I was sharing my testimony about how we are all children of God, said that we should trakt and when they open the door say .. " Cześć kochanie! tęsknie za tobą:)" basically Hey darling... I miss you. I thought it was a good idea, but then I got a call from one of our contacts asking me on a date... and decided better not;)

At this time of the year I have been reflecting on the reason. The reason I'm doing what I'm doing... the reason that I plead that others will also be a part of this great work, and the Reason is found in my heart. The Savior. It's all for Him. His great sacrifice for me cannot be repaid, but I can give my all for this short time ( and really my whole life) to come closer to Him. I read a talk from Elder Holland that talks about teaching the atonement. It says that we can't expect to come close to Christ without having to walk some couple of steps in the general direction of Calvary. I know that I will never experience even half of what He did, but I am so grateful to give this time to come to know Him, " as He is" ( moro. 8:) I read from Jesus the Christ when it talks about the fig tree that is all leaf and no fruit. It caused me to look inside myself. I sometimes get caught up in working hard and acheiving goals and pushing the work that I forget my real purpose. During this Christmas time, let us all FEEL the meaning of CHristmas. Take a step back from the craziness of life to reflect on the Savior and His ultimate sacrifice, His love. As Joseph Smith said, Let us " treasure up the words of life". I can't think of any work that depicts life more than "Savior".

As my only Christmas in the mission field ( maybe... except for with my stunningly wonderful  husband someday:) I would like to testify that this is His CHurch! It is simple and beautiful and is just makes sense. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that His works and word are from God for us in these days. Have miracles ceased? Definitely not!

I love you all! I will talk to you on Christmas:) By the way... I'm trying to think... I know that you are all going to really want to talk to me super early in the morning... but if it's okay with you I think I'd actually rather you called later at night. That way I can look forward to it all day and after the call I can read the scriptures, say a prayer and go to bed, so that I can start the next day fully focused. I know that kind of takes the fun out of it but I'm thinking that if you called me at like 10 o-clock in the morning... on the 25... so it will be 18 my time that would be so great! I also only have 40 minutes, so if you think that you could write down or think of what things you want to talk about that way we can use the time well! I really just want to hear you all and what's going on in your lives and such!

I love you all sooooo much!!!  I can't wait to serve the Lord this week!

Love, Siostra Hemming!

As long as there's Christmas

Our wonderful Zone! Love them all!!

December 9th, 2013

Hello my lovely family!!! I can't believe that Christmas traditions are already underway... time is so crazy! We had a great week this week and I am so grateful for the people and the work that is here, what a great time of year to be a missionary serving the Lord!

I can't lie, it's also super nice to be able to spend a long time to e-mail, for the past while I've been so rushed, and I'm super grateful!

So we started off the week with going to Aushwitz, I loved that experience. To be able to learn about the strong and wonderful peope of Poland again was so touching. It was odd, I felt that there was a spirit of reverance there even more so at this time of year, and I was able to have my testimony of the power of the Atonement grow. Then we went as a zone to Katowice and went caroling! What an experience, I was able to talk to and meet some amazing people and it was wonderful! I LOVE our zone, the sisters in our zone are so powerful and lovely, I love them all! There will be some lucky men who someday get to marry these sisters! I got to talk with Prezydent Edgren and Sister Edgren for some time, and I just love them! Then we came back and put our experiences to work!

We were able to find three new investigators this week, and they were all such miracles. People being in the exact right place at the right time! It is the work of the Lord. Both times we put our trust in the Lord and did what He wanted and we were led to these people! I have been trying so hard this transfer and last to establish the relationship between missionary and others. There have been some experiences where we've met people who were investigators and they really were just the missionaries friends. They had absolutely no idea why the missionaries were actually here in Poland, and I don't like that, so it's been a bit of an endeavor, but I think that as we use our time wisely, follow the rules and love the people, they will know that we are here to help bring them closer to Christ. We have no other purpose.I think it's so important to show them love and care and obey the rules of times and such. I remember often what dad said about leaving right after you finish the lesson, I think that makes a HUGE difference!

Auschwitz...what a sad place but SO important to remember!

Sister Moncur and I have just been learning from each other and trying to figure out how to work better together, I have been trying to learn more about how to not take it all on myself. I think that I have the tendancy to take everything on myself and feel like I have the responsibility to make everything work out exactly right and make sure that everyone's happy and I have been realizing this week that I am called to take advantage of my talents, work hard, have faith, and leave the rest to the Lord. I can't do everything, and I'm not supposed to. Elder Raines told me this week that when he was AP Prezydent Edgren would ask them to do all of their work and still have the model area, and he said that he told Prezydent that he couldn't do it, and prezydent said, " that's right, you can't, but the Lord can, and you have to go to Heaven for help". That helped me a lot, and I want to work on it this week! I need to work on the basics, prayer and dependency on the Lord! I'm just super grateful that He's patient in helping me learn the same lessons time after time:)

We are listening to Christmas music as we work out and really any other time we're allowed! I love it! I think I've just realized that I only get one Christmas on my mission, so I'd better use it well! I can't wait to share the message of " good tidings and great joy" with everyone in my path! whoo hoo! We are also buying a tree today, and I just love it!

Sorry this is so long, but just so you know there was a hurricane in Northern Poland and it was a pretty crazy week this week with super cold wind and snow, but i'm healthy and well! We are trying to find new ways to find people even in the cold weather!

I love you all so much, please be safe and have a wonderful week this week. Bask in the Spirit of Christmas, which is really just the Spirit! I KNOW that the Savior lives. He is our Savior and He loves us all more that we can even comprehend. This church is His church, which means that through it we can be closer to Him than through any other way. Any other way.

I love this work!!!! so much love from Poland:)

Thank you for the package!!!!! It brought me so much joy to see all of my lovies! ( I got that word from Aunt Kathy, but the Polish people totally use it!) What a sweet family I have been blessed with.

~Sister Hemming

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What is this!!!!

 December 4th, 2013

So I'm so sorry that for like the fourth week in a row I don't have time to e-mail:) We had a split second opportunity to go to auschwitz again... and of course I took it! We then got to go and spend the whole tuesday and monday with the whole zone in Katowice!! It ws such a miracle and so needed. I've been needing the boost that comes from being with other missionaries and it was so wonderful! Presydent Edgren came and Sister Edgren and I loved to be there with everyone!!! I was able to talk with Sister Blake again, she is such an example for me, and I loved spending time with the missionaries! I swear that the best missionaries in the whole world are in Poland!!!

I will for sure be e-mailing a huge e-mail next week, but for now I will just tell you that I am doing well, that we got the package!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yay:) I am so grateful for the thoughtful pictures, for the gifts ( don't open till Christmas:) and for everything that you all do for me!

This week was a great one, but also a little bit hard. We had a lot of people flake us, but recieved a lot of contacts. IT is so interesting to hear about other missions, where they make a goal to contact fifty people a week. I am positive that we contact that many people in a day.. easy! But I think it's important to know that missionary work is the same everywhere, it is the work of the Lord!

The lights are going up in Kielce, I will be sure to get some pictures, I love CHristmas and have been finding joy in loving it even more in Poland:)

Sister Moncur is doing well, I hope I don't wear her out, but she's so kind and loving and has so many wonderful talents and traits that I need to learn from! I love to be here, I love you all so much, and I am so grateful that you are who you are!

So sorry I can't write anymore, but I will for sure be able to e-mail in a week! I love my family, and was so grateful to have a long talk with Elder Raines about how much my mission means to me. It is seriously an experience for the Eternities, I just hope that I'm able to do all that is required of me in my short time here!

So much love from Poland!

Siostra Hemming