There's one Biedronka in Białogard and Mały Koń: A deer is a small horse (3/18/19)

Cześć!!

This week was so exciting, I couldn't decide on a subject line!!

On Monday, we had a lady, Grażyna, who is a member of the church actually stop by for Family Home Evening and we have been trying to meet with her ever since we got to Szczecin!! And she told us the reason she came was because we were so persistent and kept on trying to visit. So persistence works!!

On Tuesday, we took a train to Gdańsk for exchanges. We had the most fun/funny train ride over there because of the people in our cabin. Oh my goodness, they were hilarious! It was these two 19 year old guys and this other young couple. And we were all laughing and joking together. Then they went off forever and were roasting/making fun of this little town called Białogard. They just laughed and laughed about how there's absolutely nothing there, but "oh, there's one Biedronka!!" (a super common grocery store that is EVERYWHERE here in Poland, so it literally means nothing that they have one Biedronka there in Białogard.) Even the one guy who is from Białogard was making fun of it. I don't know why it was so funny to them, but I was dying just listening to them and oh my goodness... Anyway, we're actually still in contact with those 2 guys and hoping to set up a meeting with them!

Super fun train ride to Gdańsk!!

Oh! And we were trying to figure out the word for deer in Polish. And one Polish guy was like, "Oh! Deer!! It's like a small horse!!" And again.. we all died laughing!

On Wednesday, I went on exchanges with Sister Aramaki! It was really great! We were able to go to a service project. We also worked on Facebook (There are only 2 sisters in our mission who are assigned to do missionary work on Facebook and it's the Gdańsk sisters.) And we talked to some people on the street. Also, a few people throughout the day thought that I was Polish!! They were so surprised when I told them I wasn't. Then they asked about my grandparents and if they were Polish. Haha, one lady even told me to translate for Sister Aramaki since she looks like she's not from here at all! XD

On Friday, we were able to do a family history finding activity. We talked to a lot of people in this beautiful park about their families!! It was so much fun! We met these 2 teenagers and the guy seemed way interested in learning about his family. But the girl just sat with a blank face (almost angry looking). But the more we talked with them, we finally broke the Polish girl and got her to laugh and smile and open up!! Yeah! Sometimes Polish people can be really closed off and distant, but once you get through that, it's so great! We also talked to this old man who was just like a grandpa. He had this big, white beard, these super blue eyes, and a hat that made him look like a sailor. He was just the nicest ever! He told us a TON about his family and family history and such. He wasn't interested in the gospel, but he said his friends might be. I guess they all hang out in the park together when the weather is nice. So we will be going back there and meeting his friends sometime!

On Saturday, we went and volunteered at ParkRun again. 

The Elders got their transfer calls! It's actually a week early because we have Emergency Transfers since one of our Elders has to be reassigned to America because of legal work problems. So basically, they need to move people around earlier than planned. Anyway, Elder Jenkins will be going to Warsaw and be working in the office. And Elder Moody will be going to Kielce and finishing training Elder Cheal (an Elder from my MTC group). So, it will just be us Sisters up here in Szczecin for a week. Maybe more.... Basically, President Turek (our mission president) is waiting a week to see what happens here in Szczecin and in other places. And then he will decide if he wants to have Elders back here in Szczecin. So we don't really know what's going to happen right now. I hope we get Elders back though because things are really starting to pick up and we need all the help we can get here!! It's a good problem to have though, being this busy. :)

Sunday... HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!! Also, here in Poland, they do something called "name day." It's almost like having another birthday. Basically, every name has a day assigned to be their name day and that's their name day. Haha pretty straight forward. Anyway, I thought it was funny and really perfect that the name for name day for March 17 was Patryk (American: Patrick). CRAZY! XD

Happy St. Patrick's Day!! (see the green in my food??) :)

So yeah, Sunday was super crazy, but really good! Grażyna came to church on Sunday!! And we set up a meeting with her for Saturday. We are so excited that we finally get to meet with her. I guess this is her first time coming to church in a long time. Like.. 5 years!! (if I understood correctly) Jan Tamborowski was also there as well. He's normally too sick to come. And Karina was there too! That was her 3rd week in a row! (She's more active than some members!!) Technically speaking, people only have to come to church 3 times before getting baptized, so Karina can get baptized now. We still have a lot to teach her though! Anyway, Karina, Sister Godfrey, and I sang "God Be With You Till We Meet Again", per the request of the Elders who are leaving Szczecin. And it was good! Karina thought it was fun too.

After church, we met with Bogusia, a lady who we, and the Elders, have been flaked by SO MANY TIMES!! But we went to her house for obiad (lunch) and talked with her for a while. Holy smokes, she is so nice!! Immediately, she gave us hugs and told us not to call her "pani." (The formal/polite way of addressing someone. Like, Miss or Ma'am, etc...) So right away, we were on a pretty personal level with her. Bogusia has been to America 5 times to work there for a while. When she was in New York, she met with the missionaries there and even went to church. She also thought it was so nice that the missionaries gave her a Book of Mormon in Polish! She told us that she would start reading the Book of Mormon this week and she will come to church next week and meet with us after church too. I'm SO GLAD we were finally able to meet up with her. Basically, we just set up a ton of meetings on Sunday.

That night, we said our goodbyes to the Elders with some nice, solid handshakes. XD Gotta love the life of a missionary. :)

Sunday Dinners with the Williams and Elders Jenkins & Moody.

Quick thought: One of our investigators, Mikołaj wasn't wanting to ask God for anything. I just wanted to talk about how it's okay to ask God for things we need! God is our LOVING Heavenly Father and He wants to help us. He knows our needs and wants, but we need to ask Him. He WANTS us to ask Him. And then He can help us.

In 3 Nephi 14:7-8; 11 it says:

7 Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

8 For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.

11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Heavenly Father wants to give us good things and answers and help in this life. He hasn't left us alone. But prayer is the tool we have and the way we can talk to Him. If you need something, JUST ASK!! He is waiting and will listen. :)

Love and miss you all!

Siostra Shaylin Carroll