Week 50 (realized we were off count since February 27th will be a year!)
This week was really so great! One thing that stands out as I think back on this week is the major answers to prayer I've seen! So as you might remember, when I was serving in Wrocław, the work was just on fire! For 6 months I never had a "contacting block" of time in my planner. We were packed with lessons all the time and always had tons of investigators. I remember even one week with Sister Bezdjian, we got 25 lessons in one week (which for Poland is definitely pretty above average!) I was "raised" in the mission thinking that this was so normal, and then after my trainee transfer, I trained twice, thereby still having the untainted image of the mission being hard in the sense of not knowing how to fit in all the lessons we wanted to have! But having since left Wrocław, I've white washed twice (practically in Łódź) in places that have maybe 2 investigators when I get into the city. I've discovered a whole different side of "hard" on this side of the mission...sadly, the side that most missionaries here seem to experience. It definitely is hard to be finding through my own efforts for 90% of the week, but I have learned so many new lessons that I don't think I would've been able to learn any other way! This transfer, as I've mentioned before, has had a focus on diligence...that despite not really having many meetings planned, I've been able to find a love for the work, have a sense of urgency about doing it, and even have a desire to do it! This week, I really feel like the Lord is acknowledging my efforts and blessing us greatly as a result!! A few nights ago, I was feeling a little disheartened after all of our meetings for that day fell through. That night, I felt like I could relate better to Enos and Nephi and other prophets who "pour out their whole soul" unto the Lord. As I prayed, I expressed to the Lord the faith I have in His power and my faith in this mission. I KNOW that the Lord has really amazing plans for this mission and specifically Łódź...and not in 10 years... that there are people ready now that the Lord has been preparing! I expressed willingness to do whatever He asked me to do and admitted that, although I'm not perfect, I am ready! The days following this, we have been seeing really put together people show interest and come to meetings!
A really amazing woman named Gosia became a new investigator the next day and she NEEDS the gospel in her life and is excited to see how our meetings and the gospel will help her in her life. We set a baptismal date with a super sweet investigator named Beata and she's really serious about it and ready to commit! And we had a "walk-in" come to church who merely received a pass along card yesterday and she's super put together and willing to hear the message too! ...Once again, my faith has been transformed into knowledge. I KNOW full heatedly that Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers. I know that He wants us to have success (even if it comes in a different form than we think it will). and I know that the Poland Warsaw Mission is a place where the field is white and ready TODAY to harvest! I'm so grateful to be serving here in Łódź!
This week I also got to go on an exchange with Sister Pearson in Warsaw! She has great work ethic and really has a strong desire to be a good missionary! All in all, it was a good exchange and I really love Sister Pearson! It was neat because there were some things on her mind that I feel like I was really able to help her with, not necessarily even things about the work, just general things, and I had had similar experiences last transfer that helped me relate directly to her! It really goes to show that the Lord really does know our needs. It's been so amazing to be to be the Sister Training Leader in 2 zones, because on every single exchange I've been on, I specifically was needed for that person at exactly that time. No one else could've! It's just been amazing to be a sister training leader and be able to help these dear Sisters here in such a personal way. Time and time again I'm reminded what a blessing it is to have this assignment and of this calling to be a missionary here in Poland.
Funny moment: last night I was talking to someone on the tramwaj, and a couple sitting behind me heard me talking and asked my companion where we were from. She told them the States, and this couple said that they knew it because when they heard me speaking Polish, they said I spoke Polish with a Californian accent! haahah what!? I just thought there was speaking Polish with an English accent, or French accent, but not just from America, but a California accent! haha who would've thought...even way over here in Poland, I've still kept that part of me alive! hahah
Love,
Sister Blake
This week was really so great! One thing that stands out as I think back on this week is the major answers to prayer I've seen! So as you might remember, when I was serving in Wrocław, the work was just on fire! For 6 months I never had a "contacting block" of time in my planner. We were packed with lessons all the time and always had tons of investigators. I remember even one week with Sister Bezdjian, we got 25 lessons in one week (which for Poland is definitely pretty above average!) I was "raised" in the mission thinking that this was so normal, and then after my trainee transfer, I trained twice, thereby still having the untainted image of the mission being hard in the sense of not knowing how to fit in all the lessons we wanted to have! But having since left Wrocław, I've white washed twice (practically in Łódź) in places that have maybe 2 investigators when I get into the city. I've discovered a whole different side of "hard" on this side of the mission...sadly, the side that most missionaries here seem to experience. It definitely is hard to be finding through my own efforts for 90% of the week, but I have learned so many new lessons that I don't think I would've been able to learn any other way! This transfer, as I've mentioned before, has had a focus on diligence...that despite not really having many meetings planned, I've been able to find a love for the work, have a sense of urgency about doing it, and even have a desire to do it! This week, I really feel like the Lord is acknowledging my efforts and blessing us greatly as a result!! A few nights ago, I was feeling a little disheartened after all of our meetings for that day fell through. That night, I felt like I could relate better to Enos and Nephi and other prophets who "pour out their whole soul" unto the Lord. As I prayed, I expressed to the Lord the faith I have in His power and my faith in this mission. I KNOW that the Lord has really amazing plans for this mission and specifically Łódź...and not in 10 years... that there are people ready now that the Lord has been preparing! I expressed willingness to do whatever He asked me to do and admitted that, although I'm not perfect, I am ready! The days following this, we have been seeing really put together people show interest and come to meetings!
A really amazing woman named Gosia became a new investigator the next day and she NEEDS the gospel in her life and is excited to see how our meetings and the gospel will help her in her life. We set a baptismal date with a super sweet investigator named Beata and she's really serious about it and ready to commit! And we had a "walk-in" come to church who merely received a pass along card yesterday and she's super put together and willing to hear the message too! ...Once again, my faith has been transformed into knowledge. I KNOW full heatedly that Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers. I know that He wants us to have success (even if it comes in a different form than we think it will). and I know that the Poland Warsaw Mission is a place where the field is white and ready TODAY to harvest! I'm so grateful to be serving here in Łódź!
This week I also got to go on an exchange with Sister Pearson in Warsaw! She has great work ethic and really has a strong desire to be a good missionary! All in all, it was a good exchange and I really love Sister Pearson! It was neat because there were some things on her mind that I feel like I was really able to help her with, not necessarily even things about the work, just general things, and I had had similar experiences last transfer that helped me relate directly to her! It really goes to show that the Lord really does know our needs. It's been so amazing to be to be the Sister Training Leader in 2 zones, because on every single exchange I've been on, I specifically was needed for that person at exactly that time. No one else could've! It's just been amazing to be a sister training leader and be able to help these dear Sisters here in such a personal way. Time and time again I'm reminded what a blessing it is to have this assignment and of this calling to be a missionary here in Poland.
Funny moment: last night I was talking to someone on the tramwaj, and a couple sitting behind me heard me talking and asked my companion where we were from. She told them the States, and this couple said that they knew it because when they heard me speaking Polish, they said I spoke Polish with a Californian accent! haahah what!? I just thought there was speaking Polish with an English accent, or French accent, but not just from America, but a California accent! haha who would've thought...even way over here in Poland, I've still kept that part of me alive! hahah
Love,
Sister Blake
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