Poland's Day of the Dead

Hey everyone!  Sorry I'm writing so late today!  But I'm glad I get to write still.  

This week has been pretty crazy.  In Poland, they don't celebrate Halloween, but they do celebrate 'All Saint's Day' or Day of the Dead.  So as a branch we celebrated Halloween and had a super fun party and carved pumpkins but later this week we went to the graves and celebrated All Saints Day with Natalie.  Natalie is the 12 year old in our branch that got baptized with out her parents getting baptized.  She comes to church all by herself!  She's so cool.  So on All Saints Day they put candles and lanterns all over the graves and everyone comes and visits the graves of their ancestors.  It's really quite beautiful.  On our way back home from the graves we were on a tramwaj - the long bus-like things that run on rails - and this hooligan pulled the emergency alarm break in the back of the tramwaj.  Then the two men got off the tramwaj and walked quickly away.  That was an adventure.  

We have three baptismal dates in Poznan!  Hold your thumbs that they'll all go through!  (Instead of crossing your fingers in Poland, you hold your thumbs).

Anyways, this week has been so good.  One of my favorite parts was visiting this little girl, Izabela, at the hospital.  We walked part way and rode a bus most of the way, with Izabela's little sisters, and an older sibling and her husband I think... the little girls, Marcela and Martyna are twins and they're the cutest things ever.  We got to the hospital room and were able to sing a couple hymns in polish to them.  We also got them singing with us at one point.  It was just super fun.  On the way home we taught the twins how to play this hand-slap game and they just ate it up.  It was so fun to play on the bus, then they wanted to keep doing it as we walked back to the chapel.  They live right across the street from the chapel, and I may have talked about them before.  Kids are the best, and they have so much potential!  If you have any influence on little kids, just love them, alright?!

I got a letter from the Tonja and Jason Henderson family today!  That was fun!  Thanks guys!  And thanks Rishi for all the letters you have sent.  You're so amazing!

I bought new boots this week, and gloves and a hat!  I'm excited to use them soon.  Sorry I haven't said much about the weather... but fall has basically come and gone and there are not many pretty leaves on the trees anymore, looks like winter!   It did snow a little bit a while ago, but not enough to stay on the ground.  Fall was beautiful here!  And I loved the time change cuz I got an extra hour of sleep.

Well the past few days I've been feeling pretty sick.  I'm thinking I have the stomach flu, I've got a pretty nasty fever.  But I got a blessing this morning and I'm so grateful for blessings and the priesthood!  I'm also grateful for little miracles.  Yesterday my fever broke for long enough that I felt like I could go to church.  I was so grateful for that. 

I know that God is looking out for me and that His Son knows exactly what I'm feeling.  Christ is so amazing.  I can't imagine being sick all the time like some people are, or being like  Wojtek and having MS, or like Bozena who has to get dialysis every other day.  I'm grateful for my usual great health and I'm grateful for the Savior who knows how to comfort me.  He comforts me with family, like the other night when I couldn't sleep i got up and read some letters from family and could get my mind off of my body.  He comforts me with a great companion who knows how to serve me and stay positive.  And with worthy awesome elders who could give me a blessing this morning.  I'm so grateful for our Elders - Elder Tiner and Elder Stockford.  Such awesome young men.  

The church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day saints is TRUE.  Stay healthy, remember the Savior, and find someone to comfort who isn't feeling well.  

Love you all so, so much,

- Siostra Amber Allen