How to Get a Pole to Pray...

Where do I start?  I don't know where to start...

How about I make a list and then...

Haha... HEY YOU GUYS!  THE CHURCH IS TRUE! :)

 

Well, I'll start at the beginning of this week, we found out who our new companions would be and where we'd be spending our next transfer.  I am now serving with Sister Sara Bezdjian, from Salt Lake City, Utah.  She played lacrosse and soccer in high school and she used to have really long gorgeous brown hair.  (Well her hair is still gorgeous, but just short now...oh and still brown).  She's the one that came down for a couple days on an exchange earlier last transfer.  The last 2 transfers she was serving with Sister Ostler - one of my MTC companions - in Gdańsk before that with Sister McAdams for 3 months.  So she's been in Gdańsk her whole mission and now she gets to rock Poznań with me!  It's going to be a blast, I can already tell.  She likes to laugh, and she's good at entertaining us.  I have realized on the mission (if I hadn't before) that I'm sort of...boring.  So sorry for whoever was bored out of their minds whenever they hung out with me.  Gregg would call that a 'hater' - haha, well either way, I'm going to work on being more fun.  But we're also going to work our rear ends off, and it's going to hurt SO GOOD.

 

For example, I've never felt so close to getting what they call 'The Standard' as we got this week.  We were only 2 numbers off.  And we're aiming high and setting the goal to get the standard this week, and I'm so excited.  I love setting goals and getting a bit competitive... I mean that only in a good way.  I mean, really, all it is a bit of faith.  You believe you can do it, you set your sights high, and then you go for it - NO EXCUSES!  NO BEING LAME!  So here we go.

 

This week was really REALLY cool.  There were so many awesome things that happened, to name a few...

1. Izabela came back, she now has a baptismal date again.

2. Danka came out of the wood work.

3. Anna's HUSBAND was on a lesson.

4. Weronika PRAYED!

5. Arseń was on a lesson with Pani Łucja :)

6. Fireside: Armor of God

7. We got an extra hour of SLEEP!!! Hahaha!

8. I got a letter from Allison Barnes, Julia Keleman, and Jenny Williams... and they're going on MISSIONS!

9. I got a letter from Rishi and she's going to have a BABY soon!  (I am excited to see pictures)

10. I made Jesus Bread all by myself!

 

O.k. so #1, #8, #9, and #10 sort of explain themselves.  I'm going to give a bit more about the others...

 

2. Danka - SO we went out to eat at this cool Polish cuisine place and it's like the traditional meat, potatoes, and salads and soups... and we were sitting there eating and I saw some guys eating french fries and really wanted some, so we decided to order them.  We did, and I'm glad we did, because this woman sitting at the next table over just started talking to us randomly, out of the blue!  Haha, her name is Danka.  She's middle aged and interesting, sort of pessimistic, but we're working on it, and just wuper WILLING to listen to us.  She came to Institute that night, took a book of mormon and has read half of it, she said on Sunday, and also came to CHURCH on Sunday.  She may have a baptismal date, we're securing that detail tonight.  Soooo.... SUPER!

 

3. So Anna, cute awesome mom with the three kids and one in a wheelchair!  We got to set up with her and went over to her house Friday and she invited her husband to sit down (which I've been praying and hoping and praying for him to be on a lesson because I know how a family should be united and they should communicate about everything!  And I just knew they both had to be in on this!)  HE CAME AND SAT DOWN AND LISTENED!  And I think he even felt the Spirit, and he asked questions and we asked questions.  And when I asked him if he believed the bible was true he said yes, but that more of it was hypothetical and parables rather than straight up literal.  I was confused with what he was talking about in Polish so I said, 'do you know the Book of Mormon is true?'  He said, 'Well I don't know, I'll have to read it to find out...'  He also believes there are people on other planets, not sure how he found that one out, but he asked it in such a normal way, like he's such a deep thinker, but at the same time I think a lot more spiritual than he lets on.  He would be the BEST bishop, EVER!  So we were going to set up for our next meeting and Anna said 'how about 17:30' and he goes, 'Well I'll still be at work then,' - so we get to meet with them again!  And he said he may read the Book of Mormon!  It's a start!  I just love them so much...and oh man... after that lesson I was about to explode with happiness!  I want to see them all in WHITE!

 

4. Weronika PRAYED this week!  It was amazing to see her just take that leap of faith.  Weronika is a younger red headed fire ball who lives here in Poznań studying medicine.  She used to be Athiest... over our four or five lessons and she began dating an Agnostic guy... but now she's claiming to be Agnostic - where she doesn't really believe there is a God, but she won't deny it.  We talked to her about praying - and she's been saying no like a million times already - and I felt impressed to share the story of our friend Darek, who also didn't want to pray but finally did, and it was just amazing.  So she did it!  And she said she felt 'weird' in a good enough way that she's going to 'try it again'!!!!!! Oh I never thought that seeing someone pray would be so exciting...but it seriously gives you a high.
 

5. Haha, so after the Fireside - which I may not get to talking about... we got Arseń to come with us to a lesson with this older woman.  Which he told us to call her a middle aged dame... but in Polish...haha...So she talks a LOT and he's usually really immature, but he was mature on the lesson and it was just so fun to see him behave infront of an old lady - he just got baptized my first transfer here - and anyways, super funny, don't have time to tell you more...

 

The Principle I learned was this, GOD WANTS YOU TO PRAY!  Pray about everything!  We were missing Sister B.'s new planner this week and after her running around trying to find it for a couple days, I asked if she'd prayed to find it.  Well, nope, so we prayed, and pretty soon there after - we found it!  Then we said a prayer of thanks.  God is THERE for you!  We just have to ask.  And if we can get Poland praying correctly, we can get Poland baptized.
 
My companion and I are doing GREAT!  We have so much to tell eachother, so many ideas to bounce off of one another, and so many things we AGREE on, that it's really refreshing!  I'm stoked to have only 30 minute lessons and to be able to speak more and just there will be some new things going on here and I need this change, it's going to be stellar.  I've already learned so much from Sister Bezdjian. 

 

All I can say is that miracles DO happen.  A man at a door yesterday said it was hard to believe everything about this Joseph Smith character.  Yeah well it's hard to believe that Christ changed water to wine too, I said, but it happened! And so did Joseph Smith story.  And whatever problem you are facing in life right now, it can be fixed through the Atonement and power of Christ, this I know.  MIRACLES will happen in Poland.  Sister B. has more faith in that than anyone I know.  She just EXPECTS it to happen, and it does - it's really weird, but super cool.  :) I'm excited to learn from her and have FAITH!

 

No pictures this week, or voice recordings, I'll work on it.

Mom, I did get your letter!  And I haven't read anything you guys sent me yet but I did look at the pictures - nice deer! 

Love ya all!

- Siostra Allen

Ode to Sister Folsom

 

Luke asked: Have you gotten to give out Books of Mormon this week? Is it getting cold? I feel so sick and my head hurts, maybe you gave me your sickness. Are you feeling better?

I'm feeling MUCH better, I gave out 9 Books of Mormon this week BUT this week was the best EVER because we had 22 LESSONS!  That's the most I've had in one week my whole mission!  And yes, it's getting colder, but last week was also REALLY warm for some reason - people call it a Golden Polish Autumn here instead of an Indian Summer like they do in the States.  It's been so GORGEOUS with all the leaves changing.  Last night there was lots of MIST though, tell me if you got the story I recorded and if you listened to it!

To all the BYU fans, I'm sorry about Riley and Notre Dame and stuff. That's a bummer.  Hey but maybe it's not meant to be, eh?

Well, my companion of four months is going home... it's weird.  Really weird.  But today I thought I'd just write about some things she's taught me:

 

Sister Folsom taught me how to cry when you eat really hot pizza.

Sister Folsom taught me how to never say anything negative, you never know who's listening that you'll bring down with you.

Sister Folsom taught me how to adopt an Eternal Perspective.

Sister Folsom taught me how to always listen to the Spirit, and to learn to recognize it.

Sister Folsom taught me to boot shop in the rain.

Sister Folsom taught me how to LOVE the people, LOVE the language, and LOVE the FOOD! :)

Sister Folsom taught me that when all else fails, MOże Być

Sister Folsom taught me you don't have to get all the right answers to get an 'A'

Sister Folsom taught me that the church is TRUE, it's all TRUE, no matter WHAT others may say, it's all TRUE.

Sister Folsom taught me that my gifts and talents were given to ME to add to God's storehouse and contribute to His kingdom in a unique way that only I can do it.  She said it's not just to catch a cool husband when I get home - it's to build God's kingdom.  So I better use my talents WISELY and realize that even if I can't do something the way she does, or the way someone else does, I'm here because God knew he could use ME, with all my weaknesses and flaws and everything!

Sister Folsom taught me that SATAN is the one telling me ooh, that's really annoying, I'm annoyed and that he's the one telling me I can't do this  It's Satan that whispers little lies to me and when I get frustrated I need to not only recognize what God's saying to me but see how I'm letting Satan in and to STOP it.

Sister Folsom taught me how to get to Kutno, Poland :)

Sister Folsom taught me how to go on an adventure in the mists of darkness, holding on to the iron rod, and making it to the TREE OF LIFE!

Sister Folsom taught me how to make life a PATTERN of PRAYER!

 

Yep, she taught me a TON and so much more I don't have time to write as of now!  But I really love her, and Poland will miss her a lot.  Good luck, Sister Folsom!

O.k., so my new companion will be Sister Bezjdian!!!  I'm SO EXCITED!  Change will be really good for me right now!  I will be staying in Poznań with her for the next two months - which are also the HOLIDAYS!  I'm excited to spend the holidays in my favorite place in the world!  It's going to be sweet!

 

Just so you all know, we're teaching three families right now!  It's really such a blessing!  I am so, SO blessed.  This last week was just a miracle.  One of my favorite things, when I felt the spirit so strong, was when we were walking down this street away from Pan Wojtek's place (remind me to tell you about him) and I said hello to this really old woman.  She said, 'hello, do I know you?' and was a bit startled.  I said, no, I just say hi to everyone.  She said, as she started to cry in a really shaky voice, 'well that's good!  I'm pleased!  Good to know there's still people like that out there,' and then she started to walk back to her house.  SAY HELLO to EVERYONE!  They need you more than you know.

I love you all, and smiles coming your way from Poznań]

Love,

Siostra Amber Allen

My Brother's an ELDER!!!

Oh man, I just got done reading one of Gregg's letters.  What a stud.  He's an ELDER!  And he's learning how lazy americans are...and how grateful we should be for our family, and just how much he loves us all, he's gaining weight like a good missionary should ... and man, I just LOVE MISSIONS!  The things they do for people is unreal.  UNREAL!

 

You know what else is unreal?  This week we had a MOM in Sacrament Meeting and we also had TWENTY-FIVE PEOPLE in Sacrament Meeting - most we've had since like my first transfer.  SO AWESOME! 

 

WHOA!!! WAIT WHAT!  I am skipping back and forth between reading letters and writing this dang e-mail and I just saw that TASHA IS PREGNANT!  WHAT IS THIS!  Aaaah!!!!! I'm SO HAPPY, I'm going to be an AUNT!  :) Haha, please do tell Tasha that her kids will call me Aunt Amber, it's going to be a party.  Oh man, Congrats to Tom and Tasha, my favorite red-headed couple in the whole world!!!  And TIFFANY is putting in mission papers?! and got accepted to BYU-Idaho?!!!  AWESOME!!!  Well, if any of these are rumors, I'm sure sorry... but they make me excited anyways!  So yeah...

 

Well, mom, you asked about the lady with an older fourty year old son... I'm not quite sure who that is, maybe Łucja?  We are not still teaching her, no.  The mother who we had the miracle meeting with (Kamila) never answers her phone and we saw her from her window once and she hurried and closed the window - so pretty sure she's avoiding us.  It happens alot, but I'm trying to get used to it.  The woman who had a baptismal date - Izabela - no longer has one, she also didn't answer her phone for like 2 weeks and flaked us three times.  She randomly called us this morning and set up a meeting tonight, so not really sure where that's going, but no, she doesn't have a baptismal date any more.  Matylda's family hasn't come to church, we invited Matylda to church yesterday, but she didn't come.  We have another meeting with that young mom and dad this week, though!  And there was a mom, Ola, who came to church with her two kids, a girl and a boy!  So fun!  We have a lesson with her tonight as well, so that will be awesome!

 

I woke up yesterday with what felt like a sinus infection.  I was expecting to make it through my whole mission without getting sick because when I got set apart, the Stake President said I'd be healthy like 3 times in the blessing!  Haha, but alas, here I am with stuffy nose and sort of achy head.  It's okay, I work through it, and life goes on!  I worry about my voice, though, if that goes... well... I didn't realize how much a missionary really needs her voice! 

 

O.k. besides this all I guess I ought to tell you some more stories...

 

So one day this week we were walking along the streets of Poznań and getting NAILED.  Like people were laughing at us and being rude and not stopping to talk and I was actually fine with it all, but I think Sister Folsom at that particular moment was feeling pretty...well...nailed.  And then randomly, some lady says to me, 'are you alright?'  (of course she said it in polish...)  And I go, 'yeah, why?'  She's so kind and an older woman with dyed black hair, but really young style clothes - she's like, 'well you just looked tired!'  'Haha!  Maybe I am a bit,'  'Well I am too,' she says - WHAT!  NO ONE EVER just TALKS to me!  It was so cool, then Sister Folsom came up and we talked to Beata for a while and she was so kind and has been to the States - to Oregon - which is where Sister Folsom is from.  So it was just awesome.  Then the NEXT person we meet is Elżbieta.  This woman KNOWS THE BIBLE!  NO ONE EVER KNOWS THE BIBLE!  People here say, 'the bible is enough for me' but no one has read it.  Even the Jehovah's Witnesses who claim they know the bible front to back haven't really read the whole thing through.  If they have, they completely ignore the fact that it doesn't make any sense with out the restoration!  So anyways, both of these women gave us their contact information and it was just great.  THEN!  I saw Bogusia!  (Boh-Goo-SH-UH)  (Yeah, the names here are out of WHACK! and AWESOME!)  she is one of our investegators who got offended at church and has been sick and just hasn't made time to meet.  So she wanted to use a computer with internet...just so happens we were headed back to the chapel and there's one there!  So we got to walk her back to the chapel and give her time on the internet.  Then we had a lesson with her on Word of Wisdom - which she AGREED to live!  And then the Elders gave her a priesthood blessing cuz she's been sick.  So great! 

 

Basically, if things are hard, and you're feeling like you're getting nailed... just wait, God's got something SO COOL in store for you.  I probably write about things like this every week... but that means God is pretty consistant, eh?  Yeah, it means we can surely TRUST HIM!  Because God knows how to give good gifts.  And he knows how to succor his children.  He especially loves us missionaries.  And if you want to feel especially loved... try being a missionary.  You can do it wherever you are, and whenever.  Do you know how AMAZING it is that so many of you know so many MORMONS?  There are no mormons in Poland... well there are a few... but the ones that are here I think at times feel very lonely.  I wish they could see a picture of my ward, a picture of the young woman's.  I wish they could talk to you and feel of your love and know they're not alone.  I wonder why I'm so blessed sometimes.  And it's really because my ancestors chose to live the gospel... and probably somewhere long long ago somebody followed the spirit to move to America.  You Americans don't have a clue how much you've got!  Seriously... You're so blessed.

 

God really is in the details of our lives.  Pray for help.  Read your BIBLE.  And KNOW your BIBLE.  It's true too, remember?

Love you tons, especially Mom, Dad, Gregg, Nathan, Spencer, Rachel, James, and Luke.  I can't tell you how much I love you guys.  I'm going to try to write a letter today and get it in the mail.  I also have a voice recorder I might try recording something and sending it next week, with pictures, no promises though!

 

LOVE YA TONS

The church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is TRUE!

- Amber Allen

And then the WORLD got turned UPSIDE DOWN!!!

So, it's Saturday night in Poznań and the Elders call us... three times...while we were planning...and PRAYING even... Haha... we rejected and ignored their calls until after planning and prayer and then we called them back.  What's up?  Starszy Skolimowski starts out by saying, 'have you heard the big news?'  '"No, what?"  'President Monson's announcement, you haven't heard it?'  'NO, WHAT IS IT!?'  - so he's on speaker phone, we hadn't got to watch conference but the Elders watched it with their english speaking investegator at the Reed's apartment - and then he drops the bomb, 'They announced that Elders can now serve at age 18 and girls at age 19.'  'WHAT!!!'  ARE YOU KIDDING?!  Sister Folsom and I sort of...errupted... haha it was very LOUD to say the least in our apartment that night.  After a few seconds of freaking out, I realized they could be pulling our leg.  They've done it before... so we checked for understanding, like a good missionary should, and then decided to check in with a different source, out of the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses, you know?  So we actually rudely hung up on the elders and called Elder Reed who then CONFIRMED this craziness.  We couldn't stop thinking about it.  It was really hard to get to sleep.  I haven't wanted to call my family and Jenny so much in the last six months as I did last night.  I just wanted to talk to you guys so bad about this!  NATHAN!  I did the math and if you leave in July, that means I won't see you for a total of like 3 years and four months.  That really stinks.  But I'm willing to give you up for the Lord.  Besides, sacrifice brings for the blessings, right?  SCOTT!  Have you talked to Scott much about it?  You said you felt like you lost a year of your life, I just kept thinking about you, Nate, and wondering how you were feeling, if you could sleep Saturday night alright.  I think my head would be spinning.  This is going to completely CHANGE things, you know that?  Mormon culture is going to be so different.  And SO many more girls are going to serve.  Jenny!  man, I read your letter today and just cried.  I'd wanted to cry for you when I heard the news on Saturday but I was too excited to cry.  Today, I guess I was just in the mood and have now been able to cry  --cry for happiness that you get to go now and you don't have to wait like I did (if that is, of course, what the 'man upstairs' has in store for you).  Then again, like my Mom said, I definitely was supposed to go on a mission when I went, because that was what was supposed to happen.  I'm so grateful that I met Sarah and Laura and Stirling and Tyler and Bobby and the 8th Ward and learned to play the guitar and everything, no regrets!  Such a good life, I'm leading!  You know that?  WE are SOOOOoooooo BLESSED!  I guess I cried about that too, mom's letter just made me smile and cry.  She has such a strong testimony.

 

Yep so the Lord is preparing an ARMY, you know that?  An army  of young, prepared people.  Let me tell you, Nathan, Scott, Jenny, and who ever else is thinking about serving now - YOU ARE READY.  God wouldn't have changed the time period if he didn't know who was on the earth, RIGHT NOW to send out.  God loves you and, like President Monson said yesterday, he's in the very details of our lives.  (By the way I did get to watch Sunday morning session - and just the segment from Saturday's session when the prophet made that announcement.)

 

Dad, you asked if I'm tired.  Well sometimes I feel tired, expecially now that my legs and feet are realizing what they got themselves into... I do need to go buy some new boots and my favorite pair of shoes are almost worn out as of right now!   But generally, especially on lessons, I'm not near as tired because I can actually understand most of the conversation and I try to add in more things than I used to.  So that's good. 

 

You also asked about service opportunities.  We were able to move a dresser drawer thingy for a lady the other day who needed it moved...um... and I'm sure there's other things we've done as service but for the most part we don't really have any planned things.  I wish we did.  Sometimes after people rejecting us so much all I want is just someone to serve.  I love it when an old lady is walking slowly with tons of groceries and we just get to help her, it feels so good to just simply SERVE because a lot of the time I just feel like I'm bothering people.

 

Transfers are on the 26th of October, so my companion will leave me the 25th or so.  I'm a bit nervous, sad that sister Folsom is leaving, but definitley ready for some change up in here.  I really hope I get to stay in Poznań for the holidays at least.  I love this place so much.  It's so beautiful.  The leaves are starting to change and the people, I love the people here, and the lay out of the city, and the branch, and just... EVERYTHING!  I LOVE IT!  This is my city, definitley was meant to be here.

 

O.k. well, I feel like I haven't shared enough spiritual things, I am a missionary after all.  Just know that FAMILY is so important.  Oh my goodness it's so important.  I recieved a letter from Rishi this week and one from Katherine's family a while ago and I just LOVED getting those letters and recieving e-mails from you all today.  I'm so grateful that God has given us FAMILIES.  We got to meet with a family this week, actually, and I think it may be the first actual FAMILY who we've met with ALL TOGETHER.  We meet at the homes of families sometimes, but only one of the parents listens or something... so this was actually a young mom and dad, with their baby in the room, he's like 10 months old and named after his dad - SO CUTE!  They were so fun.  I'm so grateful for the opportunity we had to TEACH them!  I honestly didn't think that lesson would go through - it's always the lessons you don't think will go through that do.  So God wants you to just LOVE your families, try to find ways to serve them, know that you were put in YOUR family for a reason and God loves you so much.  I want to be with my family forever and I'm going to miss Nathan alot but at least we can still write, eh? 

 

Man, there was so much else I was going to write, but my time's up.

Love you all tons,

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the ONLY true church on the earth today.  I know it as much as I know that I have blue eyes and blonde hair - speaking of which, do we have Norwegian ancestors?  Several people this week told me I look Norwegian!

O.k. Dozobaczenia

-Siostra Amber Allen

SIDELINES

We did not get an email from Amber last Monday October,1,2012 She resent it today.

 

 

My family is very sports oriented and we love to watch, play, and talk about sports, pretty much any time of day all year long.  We're in the middle of BYU football season, and my brothers are playing soccer and flag football and of course they play basketball all year long Monday, Wednesday, Friday.  Dedication.  Haha, well even on my mission, I've been thinking about sports, and really applying the gospel to them really.  Lately I've been thinking alot about sidelines.  The first idea goes something like this:

 

Play hard while you're on/in the field, you never know who's watching you from the sidelines.

 

    I've been thinking about people in my life who probably don't know how much I watched them from the sidelines.  All my cousins who served missions, and my college friends too, Tessa who I watched drawing and inspired me to be an artist myself.  I even have a bookmark I have with me out here in Poland that I got from Sister Susan Standefer when I was in primary.  I defintiely watched her from the sidelines, what an amazing woman.  My kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Jones, I watched her and wanted to be a teacher.  Amber Pickering, and Cheris Henderson - I think about them alot while I'm on my mission because I can picture them in my mind's eye with a name tag and a smile just turning the world upside down with their soul-shaking testimonies!

    I think the ones I really learned the most from, though, were my parents, of course.  I can see who I've become because of my parents.  My parents taught me to work hard, to plow through, and to give it my best shot.  In sports and dance and piano I was always encouraged to practice, practice, practice, and to have confidence in myself.  Dad always taught me I could do what I wanted to with my life, he taught me to dream.  Mom taught me to dream about my family, to love deeply and unselfishly.  My parents are also both firm in their beliefs and they're rooted, not to be moved.  I am learning more than ever out here playing on this field, how great it is to have those coaches, who are now on the sidelines watching me play (and cheering me on, rather than learning from me).  I am also grateful that not only could I watch them play, and have their example of being missionaries when they were young, but that now I have their full support.  I know mom prays for me multiple times a day, and dad too.  I'm so grateful for them.  I'm also grateful for all my friends and cousins who care and cheer for me too!  I got a package from Nephi and Katherine's family recently and it just made me SO HAPPY!  Thanks guys!

    There's something else about sidelines that's pretty magical too though, it's the faith that someone is learning from you as you play.  Sometimes we're in the heat of the game and all we can see is the goal line, the ball, the sweat, the dirt, the clock, whatever it is.  But you really hope that somebody is watching, learning, growing from you.  Sister Folsom and I have been talking alot about this lately, about how we're asked to have faith that we'll get baptisms... well Sister Folsom's only seen one which she taught her whole mission.  Yeah, but she's so full of faith that I don't know if there's any room left!  So where is all this hard work of faith going to?  The SIDELINES.  Four times in the last little while, people have been listening when I had no idea they were even there.  I was talking to someone and Hania was listening and then she ended up talking to Sister Folsom and we got a new investegator off of it!  The tramwaj driver was listening once and waved at us kindly.  Another woman was amazed we'd learned Polish that fast and started talking to us because we were talking to someone else.  Also, who knows how many people sit in on our lessons from the other side of the veil... and I have to believe that lots of our work lies in futurity!  WE ARE moving mountains, but we just have to have faith they're moving because we're focused on the ball right now... not on how many people in the crowd are being inspired in they're own simple ways to change for the better.  It's really a great feeling, to know that mountains ARE moving, even if we can't see them.  I KNOW they are, because I can feel it.  God didn't send us here to fail, so something great has got to be happening.

    Point of the sidelines story - KEEP singing, KEEP playing, KEEP praying because SOMETHING will come of it.  Have faith, and someday we'll see the mountains we've moved and it'll be super beautiful!  Some more stories:

 

Just yesterday we were at Park Cytadella, one of my favorite parks, and we were walking in when Sister Folsom got a phone call so I decided to just contact on my own for a minute and I saw the cutest little family out walking in the leaves.  Looked like they were searching for something, I thought perhaps for mushrooms…so I went over, and instead of just saying something about the gospel right away – like Elder Jensen talked about the Nike shoes first and then led into the gospel – I asked first about what they were doing.  It ended up being a really fun conversation especially because even though I told her that my Polish wasn’t very good, she insisted that it was and that if I could understand what she was saying after only 5 months of learning the language, that was pretty great.  Yes, well I prayed for help – that’s the best answer for that one!  And then we got into a little bit of a gospel discussion and then Sister Folsom came over and helped and we ended up being able to leave her with a Book of Mormon!  She says she doesn’t have time to meet, but Ana was interested, and if she just reads, man, so cool!  I know that even though a lot of the rest of that contacting time felt pretty slow, that one contact was why we were supposed to be there yesterday.

Another one, we were on our way to go tracting in another part of Poznań and there was a younger college age man coming out of the grocery store and we contacted him.  He was super nice and surprised that we talk about God to people because not very many people do.  He was up for meeting but didn’t have time and I just kept thinking about what we’d talked about in Zone Conference about how we should try to teach right NOW, if we can.  So I just re-stated that we could teach him right now if he had time, he agreed for us to come back in a ½ hour!  So we did!  And the lesson was so good, but at the end was the best part.  Darek has had some hard things in his life, and he wants help, but when we asked him to pray out loud, he didn’t want to, he said he was too nervous or something… We kept encouraging him for what seemed like at least 10 minutes, I even prayed once, telling him that my Polish stinks but I still pray out loud!  And then he finally did it!  Coolest thing was, that the beginning of his prayer was really slow and labored but as soon as he opened his mouth and just took that leap of faith to pray, it became way easier and the words just flowed from his mouth!  HOW AWESOME IS THAT!  He prayed to his heavenly father because we’re in Poland!  Such a great feeling.  He even said afterwards how much better he felt after the prayer and how we were right, it really did get easier as you pray!

A woman named Eugina said she’s been attending the Catholic Church across from her house for 30 years and has never felt the way she did when Sister Folsom quoted the First Vision story.  She’s committed to read the book of mormon, and those goosebumps were real.

Karol, an inactive member we found randomly on a bench my first couple weeks here has now been at church three weeks in a row and bore his testimony yesterday.  His testimony was much like Darek’s prayer, opened his mouth and at first it was like, ‘I feel good here, I don’t have much of a testimony….’ Some soft stuff….but as he bore witness, the spirit hit him and he was able to testify with great power that this church is TRUE.  And it was AMAZING and I wanted to SHOUT for joy because I felt so utterly HAPPY! 

The principle of all this?  OPEN YOUR MOUTH.  God will fill you with words, God will follow through if you just TRY.  Have confidence my little flock, because you CAN do this!

My companion and I are doing great.  I am just praying that Sister Folsom is happy all the time and praying that I can act in a way that will help her stay happy.  I’m hoping that she can have a smooth transition to go home –then again if you are a ‘consecrated missionary’ you are guaranteed to not have a smooth transition home… so I don’t really know what to pray for… Haha…oh well, so is life.  But we’re really doing great!  We even got free pasteries this week, SWEET!  Literally!

The church is SO true, and I'm so grateful for it in my life!  I'm so glad Gregg is serving with me!  Lots of love from me to you,

-Sister Amber Allen