Family is the BEST/Contacting is a way of life here in Szczecin... :) (2/4/19)

Cześć Rodzina!!

This was another busy week!! As most are in the mission field.

Monday was p-day and we were able to go bowling and have a good time at Family Home Evening later that night.

Tuesday we did our weekly planning session! And it was really good! We got blankets and some herbal/fruit tea (don't worry, that's allowed!!) and planned out our week. (Actually there is really good tea here in Poland (caffeine free of course!!) and we even had the kind that Sister Einfeldt recommended. The lemon raspberry "Intensitea" tea.... Anyway, that's beside the point... during weekly planning, we were able to call a bunch of people in the area book (the book/binder we use to keep track of all the people we're teaching and the lessons we've covered and their contact info... etc.) We were able to get in touch with some girls who have been waiting for Sister Missionaries to be back in Szczecin and to teach them!! We set up 3 lessons for this week! And I cannot wait to meet them and finally start teaching. So Tuesday was pretty exciting because of that.

Also, that night we had English class. After class, we normally have an optional 15 minute religious discussion with the people who come. And Sister Godfrey and I were in charge of it. So, we taught a lesson on the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ. It was my first time actually teaching here in Poland and it went really well! I was excited that I could actually say basically everything I wanted to and felt like I had enough vocabulary to survive haha.

On Wednesday night, I went tracting for the first time!! (This is where we knock on people's doors and ask them if they would like to hear our message.) As expected (haha, I'm not negative, it's just how Europe is!!), we had many people close their doors on us. I'm always surprised at how nice people can be when they're turning you down, but I actually really appreciate them at least being polite!! We went tracting twice this week and we actually had 2 people say that we could come back another time. So, hopefully they'll actually let us come back and teach them. :)

Fun thing about tracting here in Poland (maybe just Europe in general): Basically everyone here (in the city at least) lives in an apartment building. And so, to get into the building itself to knock doors, you have to be let in by someone. And people like to ignore their domofon (the phone the buzzers call so they can talk to you and let you in.) Basically how it works, is you press the button for an apartment number or type the number in and it calls up to them. You can talk to them and depending on the person they may or may not let you in. Or you just wait for someone who lives there to go in and you just go inside with them. haha! XD I was just thinking about the different ways people tract throughout the world. Some people knock doors, some clap at houses, and some have to buzz into apartment buildings. It's all pretty unique wherever you are.

On Friday we did another fun English Finding Activity and we went contacting. We're always able to meet some really great people while contacting and also some... really interesting people. I'm pretty sure we talked to AT LEAST 3 or 4 Bobcias (grandmas/old ladies) who had zero teeth.... not even dentures. THAT'S a new one. haha! But they were all very sweet! Except one... and she was kinda crazy, but also completely drunk. XD

On Saturday, we volunteered at Park Run! I guess this is a thing all around the world, not just here. It's just a volunteer-run 5K that happens in the park every Saturday. So that was a lot of fun! We just helped time them and hand out the card that told them what place and time they got. It's a pretty cool system!

Me and Sister Godfrey on our way to Park Run.

Later, we went contacting and talked to people about the Book of Mormon. We actually gave out 2 copies of the Book of Mormon!! It was so exciting! One of them was to a 14 year-old (8th grade) boy named Dawid (David). He was the sweetest, most respectful 8th grade boy I think I've ever met. He actually talked with us for a while about religion and his beliefs. He has a belief in God and in Jesus Christ. And he said he's been visiting a lot of different churches, so he's really open and has just been searching!! I am SO EXCITED we ran into him and found him. The Elders are really excited to teach him as well!!

Sunday for church, it was just the missionaries. Our super solid member in the branch, Dagmara, was out of town and Jan (the previous branch president) was sick. And no idea what happened with the other 2. So yeah, it was pretty sad that nobody else came. But we still had a really good meeting and a really spiritual and bonding testimony and sacrament meeting. I am so grateful to be with a set of Elders and the senior couple up here in Szczecin. I am so glad to have at least a small group of us here. :)

So basically to sum up the missionary work here: I have not gone to any houses here yet. But we talk to a lot of people on the street, in stores, on buses, on trains, on trams, and pretty much everywhere!! But yeah, pretty sure Europe just has this public transportation thing totally DOWN!!

Weather here: The weather feels like Utah or Idaho.. just.. humid so basically, the cold just has a bit of an edge to it. But it's really not as cold as people hype it up to be haha. Honestly, it's not even that bad. So, not to worry Mom!! :)

This week, everyone please find some way to serve!! I LOVE serving here in Szczecin! Honestly, service is just the best thing ever and it is a great way to love people and come closer to Christ! Christ served others and when we do the same, we are becoming more like Him and in the end that is exactly who we want to be most like; Christ!! But yes, I love service and I wish I had made more time for it before my mission because it makes others (and myself!) so happy!! And I forget about the things I'm worried and stressed about and I can just love the people. :)

Also family, some mornings here have been really hard. Not to worry, I'm doing okay, really I am. And I am so grateful to get emails from you every week because I miss you all like crazy. Thank you for being such a great support and strength to me even all the way across the world. I love you all and I'm so grateful that I get to be with you all forever!! :)

Miss and love you all!!

Siostra Shaylin Carroll

The Szczecin District having Sunday dinner at the Williams'.

Our backpacks on chairs...aaaannnnddd....

BOOM!! THE DISTRICT!!! :D

Making the whiteboard for our English Finding Activity.

Here's a little info about my companion, Sister Godfrey.  She is from Mesa, Arizona. We both like to cook and exercise together. And we have really similar tastes in food, so that's been working out well. She was born in Soda Springs, Idaho and now lives on a farm. She's 20 years old and went to a semester at BYU before the mission. She's been on her mission for a year and goes home in July. She likes sports and country music. And yeah! She's super great, really nice, works really hard, helps me to work hard. She is a great trainer and takes care of me and helps me know how to be a missionary!!