November 5

Hello!! Well this week was the best week ever!! We had so many awesome experiences, and had a lot of fun doing missionary work - and preaching the gospel. We were able to meet with Marta, and had a great lesson with her. She said she is searching for truth and that she will be baptized if she comes to know that it is true. So we are going to work with her and continue to teach her. We promised her that she would be able to know - and that God would help her. She feels that this will be a whole new experience and way of life for her...and is still hesitant to give it her all, but we know with faith, prayer, and fasting that miracles can happen. A little bit about Poland - being mormon here is really hard. It is almost like changing your indentity of who you are - but that is why we rely purely on our testimonies and the power and authority the spirit gives to our words to touch the people's hearts here that WE KNOW that this is true. That God has reached out to us again, and has called a living day prophet, (because God doesn't change and has always worked through prophets) and that he has restored his same church here back on the earth. The Book of Mormon is evidence of this and is: Another testament of Jesus Christ. It contains the FULLNESS of the everlasting gospel. It's so cool to think that everything that we need to know in this life is in the Book of Mormon and Bible. They go hand in hand. Looking back on my conversion, I have realized that I came to know the Book of Mormon was true as I saw my desire to change and to come more unto Christ as I read. I felt my little seed of faith grow and be nourished (just as it talks about in Alma 32) and saw that life with God, and Christ at the center of it is so much more happier and fufilling and true. Today as I was reading in 3 Nephi 9, it talked about COMING UNTO CHRIST...and how he is still extending his arm towards us every second of every day. He is always here...but are we always willing to COME UNTO HIM? and use his atonement in our lives, which has the power to heal us. It's so simple, yet so easy to forget! But it is the most important thing that we could ever use i our lives. I am so grateful for this gospel and for the atonement. Nothing will ever seperate us from the Love of God - which is in Jesus Christ - his only begotten son. Never FORGET, but always REMEMBER that there is a way to find peace, happiness, and joy in this life....if it is founded upon the gospel of Jesus Christ. DO the little things that you need to do each day to get you there. DIVE into the scriptures, POUR out your hearts to Heavenly Father in prayer, GO to church on Sunday, KEEP the commandments, SERVE those around you, and EMBRACE this message. You will be amazed at the difference you feel and see in your life. God BLESSES us in more ways than we could imagine when we center our lives on his teachings and we GET so much in return for it in this life and in the life to come.

**This week we were also able to go to what is called "Day of the dead" - which is a holiday here...and all the graves at the cemetaries are lit up! It looks so awesome!!! It was magical :).
But we are excited for this week and for the experiences that we will have!!**

Have a great week and make it the best!!!

Love,
Siostra Forsey

October 29

Well this week has been awesome!! We ended a great transfer...and began a new one! On Tuesday we went out for dinner as a district for the last time...and then early Wednesday morning I went up to Warsaw to go meet my new trainee, Sister Bown, who is so AWESOME! We came back on a train with the other elders who are in our district, Elder Zelezniak (from Austrailia) who is training Elder Smith ...and got to work. When we were buying our bus/tramwaj passes we had an awesome experience - we asked this young man if he new where a certain street was...he told us in english that he wasn't from here...that he was actually from Oregon. We asked him if he had heard of the church before and he said that he had, and that he was actually a descendent of Joseph Smith! So crazy! haha. He said he wasn't interested and that he was Catholic, but I though it was so awesome that here, in Poland, Heavenly Father was still trying to bring him truth. I know that if we are obedient that we will be lead where we are meant to be! On Friday, we went out contacting in a park - and it was pretty deserted - because the weather has gotten so COLD and it snowed a lot - but we decided to follow through on our plans. We met this girl in her 20's who stopped right away and said that she had been stopped by missionaries before. She set up to meet this week and was so interested in what we had to say. We are excited to teach her. Her name is Marta :). Another cool experience....we went out white boarding with the elders on saturday...and we were talking with this man about the Book of Mormon, when a young man stopped and said, "wait! You are talking about the Book of Mormon?!" I've been trying to get a new copy of that because i lent my brother mine - and I really enjoyed reading it and felt good. We gave him a copy and were able to talk to his friend as well. This week really taught me that Heavenly Father puts people in our path all around to hear this message, and if we open our mouths and are ready...we will find those who are being prepared!!!
But I'm so gateful to be here in Lodz and LOVE this work. It is seriously the best work ever. I love the people here and Poland. I'm so excited for Sister Bown and the experiences that she is going to have here. The Poland Warsaw mission is the best mission ever! :)



Love, Siostra Forsey

October 22

Hey everyone!!! :) Welp...the big news is that I"m training again!!! :) We got transfer calls last night...and I will be training the new Sister who is coming in, with the seven elders! I'm excited! I had a lot of fun training last time, so I'm sure it will be great. Sister Smithee is going to Wroclaw with Sister Howells, they will be reopening it back up...so that will be awesome. We are both going to miss each other so much, but are excited for this next transfer. Sister Smithee has been such an awesome companion and we have had the best district ever here in Lodz!!! Starszy Tanner and Johnson will be going home - along with the Senior couple - so there will be a lot of changes here...but I know that it will be great whatever happens. This past weekend we were able to go to Warsaw for district conference, with one of our investigators Magda. We think she really enjoyed it, and had a good time talking with the YSA's up there. We have been able to do a lot of less active work here...and the elders last week, right before we went segwaying (yes we rode segways! they were awesome :)) ran into a less active in a book store- she just was like "hey Starszy!" and talked to them for awhile and they got her number. Her name is Ola...and she is so cute and awesome. She joined the church when she was 14...so about 18 years ago...right when the church opened here in Poland...but hasn't been in too good of contact, but we are excited to work with her here...as well as Irena (the other less active). We have been tracting more...we are trying to find some more better areas to tract...for the winter....but we are going to start this transfer with a lot of faith that miracles are waiting to happen.
"Some blessings come soon, some blessings come late, and some blessings don't come until heaven. But those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come". Elder Holland. I too know that if we embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, and become his faithful disciples, that we will be able to experience the blessings that the gospel gives us - and see more peace, happiness, and joy in our lives than we ever thought possible. It's so simple, but yet there are so many distractions in the world that compete for our attention - and pull us away from this. I know that this IS the only way to recieve true happiness in this life, and eternal salvation in the life to come. As elder Holland says, "Don't delay. It's getting late". I know that it is possible through the atonement  - which allows us to repent and to change  - and to become better. It's available to ALL of us.  That is the the gift Heavenly Father has given us :).

But Have a great week, and enjoy the fall weather!!! :) Love you!

**ps...I sent off a postcard for you all last week...so hopefully it will get to you this week :)**

Love always,
Siostra 4c!

October 15th

Czesc!! Well this week started off good...we were able to get in contact with a lady who joined the church ten years ago, and is now wanting to come back! Her name is Irena, and we were able to watch part of the women's conference with her! So we are excited to start helping her, and teaching her more. On Tuesday, we were able to go have a culture night with out district and go out to dinner and see "Fiddler on the Roof", which was really awesome! They did a great job! It was fun listening to it in Polish, although I still didn't understand everything haha, but we got the jist of it. As a district we also had a goal to get twelve lessons this week, and we finished the week off at thirteen! So we know that the Lord blessed us to achieve that goal. We had an open house over the weekend for the church, and handed out a bunch of fliers all week, and did what we call are "white boards", where we take a white board stand out, and have a question or a statement on it, and then contact people around us...usually on nicer, busier streets. But there were a couple people who came...some members who brought their friends. We weren't unfortunately able to meet with Jola this week :( - she now has a new job where she is gone a lot...but we are hoping to find new investigators and are going to continue to have faith to find them. We had a funny experience this week...early Saturday morning we heard this purring noise outside our front door...and so Sister Smithee went to go open it...and a cat ran into our apartment! haha. It then ran under my bed...and then into our bathroom tub...and then we heard a lady calling from the floor above us to find her cat...so we brought it back up to her. It was so funny! haha.
But this is our last full week together until we find out this weekend about transfers! I'm assuming I will stay :). I love it her and am so grateful I got the opportunity to serve with Sister Smithee! We have so much fun together and are always laughing :). Another thing that happened this week...Sister Nielson had a heart attack :/. She will be getting surgery tomorrow morning to put in a fibulator...but she is doing all right. We know that she is being watched over!
But I love all of you and am so grateful for this work!!! It is so amazing, and I know that if we dilligently keep pressing forward and rely on the Savior that we will be able to experience the blessings that this gospel has to offer us.  :).

Have a wonderful week!! Enjoy the pics!!!

Love,

Siostra 4c

October 8th 2012

Hey Family & Friends! I hope that everything is going well and that you had a great time enjoying conference weekend. We were able to watch two sessions of conference and it was so AMAZING!! I loved all of it. Our faces were priceless as we heard the announcement that you can be 18 years old for boys and 19 years old for girls to serve a mission! We were so shocked haha. But I think that it is awesome that they can go when they are almost fresh out of high school. Serving a mission is one of the most incredible and rewarding things I have ever done in my life. You feel joy that can't come in any other way, as you share the message of the restored gospel and see others come more unto Christ. I would encourage anyone who is thinking about going on a mission to do it! You will never regret it, and you will not only be blessing those you serve, but it will bless you and your family, and your future family and posterity forever. I loved Elder Holland's talk! Here are some things that really stuck out to me. "I need disciples. I need them forever. I need someone to preach my gospel. To defend my faith. Ours is NOT a feeble message. It is NOT hopeless. It is the work of the almightly God. It is to change the world." I too know that this message IS a message of hope and happiness. It is what the world needs. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only antidote for becoming better and reaching our true potential. I know that becoming disciples and choosing Christ over the world will make us the most happy in this life. This is done through reading scriptures, praying, serving others, attending church, developing christ-like attributes, and using the power of the atonement in our lives. No matter what may be in our past - we have the promise that our sins and mistakes "although they may be as crimson, they can be as white as snow". We need to start now to become defenders of the truth. I also liked what Elder Uchtdorf had to say. I agree when he said that we should let ourselves be happy now. Find joy in the journey and not the destination. We are ALWAYS going to be tried and tested. But those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ and weave a tapestry of gratitude, will see that life is to be enjoyed amongst the trials we are going through. I love this gospel with all of my heart. It is an honor to be a missionary and to be a representative of Jesus Christ and his restored gospel.  I KNOW that Jesus is the Christ, the redeemer and savior of the world. I know that he still lives and that he will come again, and reign in his glory and fullness. I KNOW that his church has been restored to the earth today and that it is his church: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints. I know that he is still calling after us every day and that if we will choose now to come and serve him faithfully, that all will be well with us. Blessings come to those who embrace this message.
This week we were able to get in touch with our investigator Jola, she was away visiting her daughter, but is back now :). We are continuing to contact and teach those about the restoration, and find those who are prepared.
I hope you all have a fantastic week! I pray for you all every day. I hope grandma is doing okay and that she will be able to regain her strength. Let her know that I love her! :).

Love, Siostra Forsey

October 1st

Dzien Dobry!!! It's crazy to think today is officially the 1st of October, but the weather is definately Fall here...and the leaves are beautiful! We had a finding week this week, with lots of contacting, but we were able to meet some awesome people and get some numbers to set up with. SIster Smithee and I both got colds again over the weekend :( but we are now back to healthy again lol! (If you could send me some dayquil and nightquil pills that would be awesome - they don't have really good cold medication here)...but Jola, who we are working with, hasn't been answering...and so we went over to her house to see if everything was okay, but she didn't answer - so we are hoping that she is okay, because she is sick with cancer right now. We are probably going to be going back again this week and ask a neighbor if everything is alright! The Lodz branch just got a returned missionary home, which is awesome! He was serving in the London Mission...but is now back. The branch is excited to have him here. We were able to watch the Relief Society broadcast with Sister Tarasavich on Sunday before we had dinner at their house...(the senior couple who is here) and it was SO good. We are going to be able to watch I think one session of conference this Saturday...but unless we have an investigator present, we have to be proselyting...so we are hoping that we are going to beable to have someone come to it! But things are going well and are moving forward. We worked really hard this week, and are going to try our best to continue to work with all our might to help bring others unto Christ. I'm so grateful for the power of the atonement in my life, and for the power it has to heal us. I know that if we rely on Christ - he will ease our burdens which are put upon us. I have seen the blessings that come from living this gospel, and know that if we continue to live it, everything WILL work out :). Stay awesome and have an AMAZING week! :)

Love always,
Siostra Forsey

September 24th

Hello Family and Friends! Well this week was another awesome week, and we were able to help out with the YSA conference for what was called "Weekend in Lodz". Almost all of the YSA's from the whole country came and had a conference here :). I think there were about 30 who came...but we were able to teach them a lesson about the Plan of Salvation and make "Life Maps" and how focusing on the bigger picture helps us make our everyday choices. It was awesome! Kasia also came and loved it! She had a great time playing games...and eating lunch with everyone. We will probably start teaching her this week :). We were able to meet with Jola and the Elders were able to give her a priesthood blessing to help her have strength and peace in her life. It was really spiritual and peaceful and she felt really good after. We are going to continue to find those who are prepared and to teach everyone we see :). It's getting colder here...cold for September I should say haha...but we will see how this winter is!

But I love you all...and pray for you all. I KNOW that christ lives. That the atonement is real. I know that this is what brings true happiness in this life and in the life to come...and that if we are searching for peace, happiness, rest or joy in this life...the gospel of Jesus Christ is what brings it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LINCOLN!!! (It's so wierd to think I haven't even met him!?) glad you all had a fun party with him! Time is flying...but I'm going to work my hardest until the end!

 

Love always,

Siostra 4c!