Monday, January 7, 2013

Happy Birthday Luke!!!

Oh man, it's Luke's Birthday coming up!!  And that means BAPTISM!!!  Sweet!  I'm excited for you bud!!!   Baptism is SOOOooo important.  I know that for SURE!  And you are promising God that you want to serve him all your life, so it's a pretty cool decision.  I am glad you want to serve God.  I'm glad you can understand and choose that for yourself! 
     And Happy Anniversary Dad and Mom! 

So I'm listening to Jazz music being broadcasted via enternet from California in an internet Cafe close to the underground subway in Warsaw, Poland writing to you all and it's an odd feeling... usually there's no music as I'm typing, but I guess I'll have to think while it's playing!  A few thank-you's are required here,
I GOT THREE PACKAGES THIS WEEK!  One from my lovely family...which I took pictures of myself opening and wearing what was in my packages, I just can't get my pictures to up-load, maybe next week... and one from Jenny and Jack! (Nice Turtle J-Wills!,  You are a GEM!  I have something I want to try to send you today, and Jack, please tell Emily to get better quick and that my dad broke his femer his Senior year of High school too... yuck.  Good to see pictures of you at home, Jack, I'll try to write soon)  Thanks guys!  And one from Sister Phillips from the Young Women's for Natalie.  Thanks guys!  You are all so amazing!
Oh and thanks Michael and Bobby for your letters too, I'll try to write back as well.
I also hear that Sydney Patchett is heading out for a mission, I was actually thinking about her this morning, someone tell her good luck and I love her from me!  Also, is Mari going on a mission?  Or Morgan?

Po za tym... that means 'besides that' I am just learning how to love Warsaw!  We've had some crazy experiences this week, and things can always get better, we'll just say that much.  Lots of flakes, so no we did NOT have three lessons every day this week... But oh well, we still had a grand old time and lots of adventures.

One such adventure happened just yesterday, we were trying to get at least 8 lessons in the week because we'd been asked by our District Leader to set that goal.  Seriously we tried so hard and yesterday after church we'd only had 6 lessons and no one was set up for last night.  So we ended up deciding to go tracting... it was an interesting night and we were just quieter than usual and ringing a domophone that was also super quiet and nothing seemed to be happening, no one answered their domophone... then randomly one answered - a lady named Urszula - she goes 'are you guys Jehowa's Witnesses?'  No... 'Please come on in' - WHAT!!!! So we went upstairs and shared the message of the restoration with an older lady, mother of one child, grandmother of one grandchild who is our age and studying medicine her in Warsaw.  Urszula just had surgery and is kind of stuck inside but is completely there mentally and super SUPER nice.  We asked her to read the book of Mormon and SET UP AGAIN for next week with her!  So excited.... so that's what, 7 lessons right?  And we've got what... 1.5 hours left of tracting, right... so we knock on the next door and this guy answers, tall, in jeans, looks really tired, maybe 30 years old, maybe 27... so he's like "uh...no I don't have any time." - but he says it as he like rubbs his eyebrows... then we continue to promise him blessings and he's like, 'well can I make you guys a sandwhich and some tea?'  And we were like, 'uh...no you don' t have to make us anything!  But we DO want to share a message with you!  'No, no, I don't have time' Haha... 'Well can we pray with you?'  'Yeah sure come in.'  Uh... he was either HIGH or just... really...socially inept... it was one of the funniest meetings I've had.  The dude was so off topic, and took FOREVER to answer our questions.  In the middle of a sentance he got up and went to get us some 'tea' and we said 'no, no no!'  I said, 'if you really want to give us something, we'll eat one of those...' pointing to his apples... haha, so he washed off two apples and we ate these apples in his dirty messy apartment.  Super funny... because then later as he was talking, he brings up this word, 'MIRA' and we're like, WHAT's MIRA?  He's like just a second I'll show you... he comes back with this baby tree plant thing and explains that it's Myrrh - the stuff the three wise men brought to baby Jesus!  WHAT?  I met a guy with a MYRRH PLANT!  Haha... then right before we left he gave us nuts too... he was nuts... but it was just exactly what we needed - one more lesson and a GOOD LAUGH!  So we ran away from the building laughing, so funny!  (sorry if the description of this man doesn't exactly make you giggle, I promise it was worth a good laugh)

Another awesome thing!  We get to have a Sister's Training Conference thing coming up!  That means I get to see Sister Bezdjian again!  and Sister Howells!  YEAH!  SO EXCITED!

I loved having Kinga on lessons with us this week.  She's a member here in Warsaw who is our age and super spunky.  She's so cute and it's funny cuz she just lacks patience with people sometimes and was on two hard lessons with us this week, so in her testimony sunday she told everyone what a hard job we have... I didn't realize it was that tough...but maybe I am blessed with more patience than I thought.  I know God blesses us in ways we really don't see out here.  I am so grateful for his blessings, and for all the prayers you guys are saying for us!

One more thing, a man on the street this week was Athiest, like I think at least 50% of the people here are, and he said he was in a hurry but that I had a few minutes, 'Prove to me God exists' he said.  So I had like 3 minutes to prove God exists.  What did I do?  Well, I'll let you think on it and tell you next time, but I want each of you to think about it, what would you say in 3 minutes that could be convincing enough to help a 30 year old guy on the street, super nice guy, to BELIEVE that GOD EXISTS? 

I know he DOES exist, everyone.  He answered my prayers this week.  I know he will continue to answer our prayers.  I've also been reading the Book of Mormon looking for Christ's name and mentions of our Savior and it's amazing how many times it mentions Him.  Expecially it mentions him as the Lamb of God.  I want to know more about that, what do Lambs do?  I guess if they are Gene and Nanette, we know they are hard workers and good looking and they even sing well...but I think the scriptures are referring to the animal... hehe...

We also got to meet with a less active member who lives far away and its sad cuz she now has two kids, one 8 and one 10 who have no idea what the Book of Mormon is.  I think this mom still has a testimony, but they live so far away I don't know whether or not we will be able to help them come back to church.  I sure hope she can see how IMPORTANT the church is for her children.  I'm SO grateful for the Gospel in my life.  I'm more and more grateful every day!

I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is True!  Christ lives and LOVES US!  Onward Christian Soldiers!
- Siostra Amber Allen

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