Week 32
So of course you know my miracle of the week! It was Krystyna being baptized! A few months ago, I met a lady named Krystyna on a tramway. She was coming back from her sons grave and was feeling pretty down. Then a missionary from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (me) came up to her and started speaking in bad Polish about the Book of Mormon. We set up an appointment to meet the very next day. Her story hasn't necessarily been one of the instantaneous miraculous stories that I've been telling for the past few weeks, but it is miraculous none the less to see her amazing progress. From her starting point of not understanding the need to be baptized by proper restored authority, to now showing forth her faith by being baptized is just miraculous! I tell you, it was so beautiful to see her so excited and happy on the day of her baptism and on the following day at her confirmation! I can't tell you how blessed I feel to have seen the whole process out until the end! And boy what a pay off when she mentioned that Sister Malinowska and Sister Kukurenda (members of 20 years) are good examples to show her what she can become!...She sees that this is just the beginning and she's willing and ready and excited to learn more and more and grow stronger and stronger! Not to mention that she got the most beautiful blessing during her confirmation and said she felt warmth. I'm so excited for her!
So I have been transferred to Katowice! I will be "white washing" [when missionaries are both new to the area] with Sister King (who awesomely enough was Sister Poklinkowska's companion in the MTC!) My new address is:
Al. Rozdzieńskiego 86A/12
Katowice 40201
Polska
I am really excited to go and white wash Katowice! Yes, I have been a little sad here and there because of how much I LOVE the members here in Wrocław and the investigators we have and I will surely miss my amazing partner in crime Sister Poklinkowska, not to mention what a GORGEOUS city Wrocław is! But you know, despite all that, I know that the Lord has a great work for me in Katowice! It's actually pretty neat...we've been kind of hinting to President Edgren all transfer that we wanted to stay here in Wroclaw and be together, etc...and he agreed and felt like it was a good idea to keep us together in Wroclaw!...but after much prayer about the needs of the mission, he felt like she needed to stay and I needed to go to Katowice. It gives me comfort and peace that this really is where the LORD wants me to go. I know that Sister King and I are going to see so many changes and miracles in Katowice and I know that we are going to see many more Tamara's and Rebekah's and Ania's who have just been amazingly prepared and just placed in our laps! I know that we will find them and I'm so excited to be a part of this work! There will be new friendships to make, new roads to navigate, new hot chocolate places to find, and new souls to save! And I'm really excited! And same with being the new sister training leader!! I'm excited for how much trust I have put in me and I know I'll learn a TON from this assignment! Anyways, who knows what the Lord has in store for me! But I have faith that these assignments, members, new companion and new city will shape me into the person the Lord needs me to be for the rest of my life! I just pray that one day the Lord sees fit to send me back to Wrocław or maybe to work with Sister Poklinkowska again! :) But my thoughts are not His thoughts and I know He will do what is best for me!
Also this Friday was All Saints Day! (the Polish version of Halloween...except much more meaningful and a really beautiful time where families gather and go visit the graves of their loved ones!) Last week we went and helped clean graves and this lonely fritz hanse didn't have any relatives to clean his or his 3 friends graves, so Sister Poklinkowska and I did it! and this is a picture of the final product! It was so pretty and there were SO many candles in the cemetery! It was actually pretty awesome because there were so many candles lit, we actually weren't cold at all!! but as soon as we left the gates of the cemetery, it was pretty darn cold (not freezing yet, but cold). It was so cool to go and see this part of their culture, but I'm also so grateful for the restored truths that are in this restored church! I know that I don't have to pray for the souls of my deceased relatives because I know that they are in the Spirit World and are doing missionary work to bring OTHER souls unto Christ! (if this is unfamiliar to you, click here so you can understand what I'm getting at here :) http://mormon.org/beliefs/plan-of-salvation )
OH! One other thing! Jessie Conner! I don't know if you are in the Irvine area or not, but it was the craziest thing! So Sis. Pok. and I were walking to the chapel like I've done over 800 times (I did the math) and we passed these 2 younger looking guys and a dad (50's)... Here's how things went down.. "Dzień dobry! Jesteśmy misjonarkami z kościoła Jezusa Chrystusa--"... "Oh, we're from America...we don't speak Polish"... "Oh great! neither do we!!... where are you from in the States?" ... "California".. (Sister Blake starts jumping up and down) "I'M from California! what part?!" ... "we're from Laguna Beach!" (Sister Blake starts jumping up and down again) "I"M from Laguna Beach!!!" Anyways!! It turns out this this man Matt and his son Victor are from Irvine (not exactly Laguna.. but wszystko mi jedno) and Matt's wife (Victor's mom) is MORMON!!!! I didn't really know what to do I was in so much shock!! But they started walking away and all I could think to do was to give Victor a little pass along card... THAT'S IT!? That's all I could come up with!?!... but you know what, it's okay. We prayed that this little encounter may have a lasting affect on them and I pray that Jessie Conner is in their area and can figure out what family has gone on a vacation to Poland lately (sorry Jesse for the vague "details" haha...good luck!) But it was really cool and i really hope that Matt feels the Spirit that is in him home because of his wife's faithfulness to the Lord. (1 Corinthians 7:14).
Also...many know that I have a very acute sense of smell... and things this week have been reminding me of so many random lovely things in my life that I know and love! a blessing! This week I have smelt Sundance Resort lollipop General Store and Sam when he was a baby and we were at GNancy's house in DC for Thanksgiving!!! :) (specific, yes, but a tender mercy nonetheless...love you Sambo!)
Also, a sweet thanks to Grandma Ruby for her package :) Thanks so much! Love you tons!
I love all of you so much and can't wait to report on the miracles I see in the upcoming week next time!
Love,
Siostra K. Blake!
So of course you know my miracle of the week! It was Krystyna being baptized! A few months ago, I met a lady named Krystyna on a tramway. She was coming back from her sons grave and was feeling pretty down. Then a missionary from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (me) came up to her and started speaking in bad Polish about the Book of Mormon. We set up an appointment to meet the very next day. Her story hasn't necessarily been one of the instantaneous miraculous stories that I've been telling for the past few weeks, but it is miraculous none the less to see her amazing progress. From her starting point of not understanding the need to be baptized by proper restored authority, to now showing forth her faith by being baptized is just miraculous! I tell you, it was so beautiful to see her so excited and happy on the day of her baptism and on the following day at her confirmation! I can't tell you how blessed I feel to have seen the whole process out until the end! And boy what a pay off when she mentioned that Sister Malinowska and Sister Kukurenda (members of 20 years) are good examples to show her what she can become!...She sees that this is just the beginning and she's willing and ready and excited to learn more and more and grow stronger and stronger! Not to mention that she got the most beautiful blessing during her confirmation and said she felt warmth. I'm so excited for her!
So I have been transferred to Katowice! I will be "white washing" [when missionaries are both new to the area] with Sister King (who awesomely enough was Sister Poklinkowska's companion in the MTC!) My new address is:
Al. Rozdzieńskiego 86A/12
Katowice 40201
Polska
I am really excited to go and white wash Katowice! Yes, I have been a little sad here and there because of how much I LOVE the members here in Wrocław and the investigators we have and I will surely miss my amazing partner in crime Sister Poklinkowska, not to mention what a GORGEOUS city Wrocław is! But you know, despite all that, I know that the Lord has a great work for me in Katowice! It's actually pretty neat...we've been kind of hinting to President Edgren all transfer that we wanted to stay here in Wroclaw and be together, etc...and he agreed and felt like it was a good idea to keep us together in Wroclaw!...but after much prayer about the needs of the mission, he felt like she needed to stay and I needed to go to Katowice. It gives me comfort and peace that this really is where the LORD wants me to go. I know that Sister King and I are going to see so many changes and miracles in Katowice and I know that we are going to see many more Tamara's and Rebekah's and Ania's who have just been amazingly prepared and just placed in our laps! I know that we will find them and I'm so excited to be a part of this work! There will be new friendships to make, new roads to navigate, new hot chocolate places to find, and new souls to save! And I'm really excited! And same with being the new sister training leader!! I'm excited for how much trust I have put in me and I know I'll learn a TON from this assignment! Anyways, who knows what the Lord has in store for me! But I have faith that these assignments, members, new companion and new city will shape me into the person the Lord needs me to be for the rest of my life! I just pray that one day the Lord sees fit to send me back to Wrocław or maybe to work with Sister Poklinkowska again! :) But my thoughts are not His thoughts and I know He will do what is best for me!
Also this Friday was All Saints Day! (the Polish version of Halloween...except much more meaningful and a really beautiful time where families gather and go visit the graves of their loved ones!) Last week we went and helped clean graves and this lonely fritz hanse didn't have any relatives to clean his or his 3 friends graves, so Sister Poklinkowska and I did it! and this is a picture of the final product! It was so pretty and there were SO many candles in the cemetery! It was actually pretty awesome because there were so many candles lit, we actually weren't cold at all!! but as soon as we left the gates of the cemetery, it was pretty darn cold (not freezing yet, but cold). It was so cool to go and see this part of their culture, but I'm also so grateful for the restored truths that are in this restored church! I know that I don't have to pray for the souls of my deceased relatives because I know that they are in the Spirit World and are doing missionary work to bring OTHER souls unto Christ! (if this is unfamiliar to you, click here so you can understand what I'm getting at here :) http://mormon.org/beliefs/plan-of-salvation )
OH! One other thing! Jessie Conner! I don't know if you are in the Irvine area or not, but it was the craziest thing! So Sis. Pok. and I were walking to the chapel like I've done over 800 times (I did the math) and we passed these 2 younger looking guys and a dad (50's)... Here's how things went down.. "Dzień dobry! Jesteśmy misjonarkami z kościoła Jezusa Chrystusa--"... "Oh, we're from America...we don't speak Polish"... "Oh great! neither do we!!... where are you from in the States?" ... "California".. (Sister Blake starts jumping up and down) "I'M from California! what part?!" ... "we're from Laguna Beach!" (Sister Blake starts jumping up and down again) "I"M from Laguna Beach!!!" Anyways!! It turns out this this man Matt and his son Victor are from Irvine (not exactly Laguna.. but wszystko mi jedno) and Matt's wife (Victor's mom) is MORMON!!!! I didn't really know what to do I was in so much shock!! But they started walking away and all I could think to do was to give Victor a little pass along card... THAT'S IT!? That's all I could come up with!?!... but you know what, it's okay. We prayed that this little encounter may have a lasting affect on them and I pray that Jessie Conner is in their area and can figure out what family has gone on a vacation to Poland lately (sorry Jesse for the vague "details" haha...good luck!) But it was really cool and i really hope that Matt feels the Spirit that is in him home because of his wife's faithfulness to the Lord. (1 Corinthians 7:14).
Also...many know that I have a very acute sense of smell... and things this week have been reminding me of so many random lovely things in my life that I know and love! a blessing! This week I have smelt Sundance Resort lollipop General Store and Sam when he was a baby and we were at GNancy's house in DC for Thanksgiving!!! :) (specific, yes, but a tender mercy nonetheless...love you Sambo!)
Also, a sweet thanks to Grandma Ruby for her package :) Thanks so much! Love you tons!
I love all of you so much and can't wait to report on the miracles I see in the upcoming week next time!
Love,
Siostra K. Blake!
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