Zion's Camp

Oh boy.  Well, here we are again on a Monday Preparation Day and I'm sitting here e-mailing.  It's pretty crazy.  I can't believe how fast the weeks are going.  This one did seem to be really long, but looking back it seems like it was just yesterday I was in the random library e-mailing :)  Now I'm in an enternet cafe.  Kraków is such a beautiful city, have I told you this?  It's got cobblestone streets, several universities, good ones, and really old beautiful tall buildings.  There are pigeons everywhere, and this week is really hot.  Gregg, I feel for you.  Actually I think Jenny might be burning up too, and Scott for sure will be in Jamaica!  :) crazy, so no complaints!  Just loving it!

I hear that Gregg is going to be a Zone Leader!  And Jenny may train soon!  And Scott and Nathan are about to get their endowments, whoa... the world is evolving at a rapid pace! :)  It's pretty cool!!! 

I'm going to tell you a few stories, then I've actually got a ton of people to e-mail today for some reason, so yep...

Story #1: The Boy with the Broken Bike

We felt like we should go out and try to find this one girl and where she lives - we get out there about an hour and realize it is taking a long long time, but we felt like we should go out there, that perhaps there was at least someone on the way.  So as we talked to everyone along the way, we get on this bus when we meet this boy named Andrzej.  I think I may name one of my sons Andrzej some day - it's way cool... And he's a red-head with freckles, and he's rather tall, and he's 18.  His bike had broken and he'd tried to fix it but ended up just getting smeared grease stains on his face :) haha, he was the nicest kid.  He also said some fun words like 'prestiż' :) when I told him we studied in the states... haha... Well turns out this bus ends up breaking down too!  And so we spent probably a good 25 minutes getting to know Andrzej and letting him feel our good energy - aka the Spirit! - and then we were able to give him a Book of Mormon and get his phone number!  He ended up telling us that his mom died of cancer three years ago, he has two siblings and a father who owns his own business... man... he said it was really hard.  But he was so kind... and he just had this awesome soul, I could just tell! :)  I'm so excited to just watch the rest of all these stories someday, and to imagine in my mind what I want to happen.  I wish that he'll just read it all, and pray, and then read the bible, and pray more, and then meet with the missionaries, have a super awesome spiritual experience, know the TRUTH and get baptized and stay strong for EVER!  That's what I want to happen.  He's just too cool to not bring with me to the Celestial Kingdom, along with a million other people I've met in Poland.  These people - I love them. I just wish they could break free from the traditions of their fathers.  They can do it, it's just going to take someone... maybe just one person... to start the fire... and I want to help feed the flame!

Story #2: Exchange to Wrocław

I got to go on a lovely exchange to Wrocław this week!  I hope I helped out in Wrocław, all I know is that they definitely helped me.  Sister Blake is twice the woman I'll ever be and she's just so great.  Sister Ellis is also there and just working so hard, with so much faith, and so much trust in god.  I'm grateful for the Sisters in Poland, we we seriously have such a great group, perhaps the greatest :) AND Wrocław is GORGEOUS, i'll send some pictures

Story #3: Zion's Camp

So, Presient Kucia, the coolest Branch President in the entire world, decided to have us watch a clip about Zion's Camp for Sunday School yesterday - during Church!  I wonder if you can find it on line or rent it or something... it's so awesome.  It focuses on two boys in the camp and how one dies and just the craziness they have in Zion's Camp.  They get clear back to Missouri and then God tells them to come home. So yeah, they get out there and come back and some people are like 'WHY are we going BACK!?'  why would God tell us to come home - all we want to do is fight!   But they are obedient and out of those tested individuals comes the leadership of the early church of saints!  9/12 of the Apostles are chosen from that group!  How cool is that!  And sometimes I just feel like certain things are so hard, why this, why that - aaah and I know I shouldn't play the why game - but you know what, god has a greater plan.  He always has and always will and he commands and revokes, he giveth and he taketh away.  He knows what he's doing.  Trust him.  WE HAVE to TRUST HIM!

I know that Christ is Our Savior.  He felt it all.  He knows it all.  I can't comprehend it, but I know it's true.  He is Alpha and Omega, beginning and end, and he's also my Big Brother.  He loves you.  And you knew him, so we must come to know him now.  He is not out of our reach.  He still wants to succor us, he still wants to comfort us.  We must let Him.

I love the mission.  I love this sweaty, painstaking, at times heartbreaking work.  I know who I'm doing it for.  And we can't let Christ take the cross by himself.  We've got to carry it with Him.  -- Sister Hemming shared that insight with us this week, she is such a star.  I'm so grateful for my companions and what they are teaching me.  I'm trying not to compare myself and just be TEACHABLE :) because I have so much to learn from them :)  I love Sister Young and Sister Hemming.  We have so much fun in this three-some thing.  It's going to be weird not having it someday.  We're only about half way through this transfer, so another 5-ish weeks.  :)  Love it!

O.k., love you all!

-Siostra Amber Allen

Sisters Ellis and Blake on my exchange