Cześć!!
Monday we got up and did our grocery shopping right away just to get it done. Have YOU ever done grocery shopping at 7:00 in the morning?? It was a fun day of talking with a ton of friends and family. Blessings of technology and unlimited data haha. Then, of course we skyped. It was really fun to have Caleb and Vova connect and talk in RUSSIAN!! That was so cool!! After that, we taught our English class and had Family Home Evening. Sorry that Mondays aren't super exciting for you to read about, but they're so nice for me to just chill and relax and talk to people!!
Tuesday was New Year's Eve!! Not too much happened. But we were able to plan out our week and work in the Family History Center. Also, it was also the last day of my "Blackout Year"!! (Meaning, the year where I am a missionary for the ENTIRE year.) And guess what guys?? I come home this year!! 😱😱 Haha, I still have a while though, so no worries. Still many adventures to have haha! In the evening, we were able to have a meeting with a lady named Betty through Facebook messenger. We had originally planned on doing a video call with her, but then we began feeling like we shouldn't Skype her for some reason. But we felt good about doing a lesson through messages. It actually went really well and flowed nicely. It was a cool experience to teach in such a different way as this. She seemed pretty open and willing to learn more. She said she will read the Book of Mormon and pray about the things we are teaching her. So yeah! It was an interesting new experience. Later, we just hung out at home and we were given permission from our Mission President to stay up until midnight. :) Sister Aramaki went to bed and woke up at midnight haha. But I stayed up and skyped my family while watching all the fireworks. Then, at midnight, of course there were a ton of fireworks. EVERYWHERE!! I have to say.. I think this is the most fireworks for New Year's Eve that I've ever seen haha. Europe goes pretty big on it because they don't have a 4th of July. ;) Haha kidding! But it was fun to see all of them! Happy New Year!! Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku!! :) 2020 whoooo!!
Wednesday we headed out to Legnica for District Council. I had a section on a "Christlike Thought" and since it was New Year's Day... I decided it was only perfectly fitting to set some goals!! So, I used the article in the January 2020 New Era magazine and based it off of that. We used the outline of the 3 categories and set goals for each of those. Gospel Learning, Service and Activities, and Personal Development. And then we talked about how these goals can all help us to become disciples of Jesus Christ. It was pretty cool! And I think that the new children's and youth program is just brilliant!! After District Council, we had a long song practice with some of the members in Legnica. They asked us to be in their choir for a performance they're doing on Saturday. It's a good thing I can sight read music because... that was our only rehearsal hahaha!! Oh and... I'm pretty sure they asked us to be in the choir because they kicked the Elders out. XD Elder Baer told me that they said something like, "You know.. you're a great missionary... but you really can't sing. So please don't come to choir." He was totally okay with that, but oh my goodness I think it's so funny how blunt they were. XD But yeah! The song practice was fun!! It felt like being in choir again for a bit. Plus, sight reading is one of my favorite things. I think it's so much fun!! So of course it was good! :) Oh! And Sister Zań even noticed that my last name was Carroll and she said, "Aha! Carroll!! Siostra Kolęda!!" (Remember that kolęda means carol.) It was awesome! Jokes never stop... XD
Thursday we went and had a meeting with Lucyna. We went around with her to a few different stores to buy the things she needs for the "Stop Smoking Program." She kept buying the wrong things even though we sent her with a very specific list... So, this time, we went with her to make sure she got the right things. We're also working on getting a "friend shipper" (a person to help and support her through this 1 week program). Which has been a lot harder to get than you would think. We want to do this program right, so we have to have everything perfectly ready and in place for when we start. Later in the day, we helped in the Family History Center and we worked on the main Church Facebook page. Then, we had a meeting with Doni. We reviewed the first part of the Plan of Salvation and then Doni started talking about how he is sometimes mean to people, so he thinks that he is in a hole too deep. We talked about about the Atonement of Jesus Christ reaches everything and goes as deep as he is. He also committed to be nicer to people this week. So that was good! Later, we posted on some local pages about our English class. We actually got a lot of comments, likes, and messages from it, which was cool! But then, our post got taken down!! That happens WAY too much. We post something, we're not breaking ANY rules of the group, and then it gets taken down because a bunch of people really don't like the Church here. And therefore, we often get unfair treatment. Yeah.. frustrating stuff. Especially because it's one person taking down a post and taking away the choice from everyone else. The crazy thing is, on the page where we posted it to, almost NOTHING gets comments or likes or anything. But as soon as we posted, it was going crazy!! And it's so interesting that the only post that gets attention is the only one that gets taken down. And it was literally just about a Free English class, not even religion. So that's cool I guess.... not!! It's okay, we have contact with some people from that because they messaged us, so we should be having some new people coming!
Friday we had a meeting in the morning with Agnieszka. We talked more about the temple and the importance of church attendance. Especially as preparation for going to the temple. She's worried that when she goes, all she's going to feel is guilt for not going for such a long time. I was able to testify to her of God's love for her and that when she comes back to church, she will only feel His love for her. I feel like we're so close with her! I just want her to come so bad!! Anyway, it was a good lesson though. Daniel was there too, in and out of it, but he had some good questions again. It's really cool to see him so curious about the gospel now. It's awesome! Then, we rushed off to Renoma for our meeting with Asan. We also had Vova with us for the lesson. We talked about the "Gospel of Jesus Christ" and it was way good! Vova was the perfect person to have on this lesson with us. He has great comments and helps to teach very well. The lesson was great. We talked a lot about repentance and how that works. Asan really absorbs and understands what we're teaching. It's really cool to see that! Also, Asan has a great sense of our purpose. He always meets with us, stays on topic, knows why we're meeting, and leaves right afterward. He doesn't hang around after lessons. He knows we're not just friends who hang out. And that's really cool to have someone understand that! He's making great progress in the lessons. He reads the Book of Mormon and definitely prays. His prayers at the end of lesson are really good too! I love teaching him! Later in the day, we helped a member (from Gdańsk maybe?) to set up their own Family Search account and start doing family history research on their own. Then, we were able to teach our English class. At the end, for religious discussion, Marek even stayed! He normally just rushes out the door as soon as we say the word "religion" or "scripture." So, I was very surprised that he actually stayed. It was great! We watched a short video, I had them read 3 different verses from the Book of Mormon, and we each set a New Year's goal of a way we can bring more joy into our lives. :)
Saturday was pretty fun! We taught English in the morning. Anna (the new one from last week) was the only one there, but she is awesome! She is such a sweet lady. Oh, and we found out that she plays the accordion!! What?! That's so cool!! Also, at English, she was asking us a ton of questions about the Church and what makes us different from other churches. It was great! Then, we hopped on a train due West.... haha well, technically Legnica is West. ;) XD We were singing with the Legnica Branch Choir for a "Concert of Polish-Ukrainian Carols." The choir is made up of Sergej, Wioleta Call, Ola Zań and her son, AJ Call, and the Sister missionaries (us). We probably sang about 9 different carols and then more at the end when people requested more. And oh my goodness, Legnica has great turnouts to their events! And most of the time, they don't know the people who come. It's just random people from Facebook who saw the event and decided to come! Legnica is WAY smaller than Wrocław and yet, people just seem to be more willing to come to this sort of thing out here. And it is so cool!! The concert went really well! And it was so much fun to be part of a choir again. And wow, they have some talented singers and musicians in Legnica. I could say that Legnica is EASILY the most musically talented Branch in Poland. So, yes the concert did go well... except for one thing... Okay, all my past choir directors reading this won't be proud, but... here's the story. So, in the middle of one song, Sister Aramaki got way giggly. And she was having a straight up laugh attack. (Silent, of course, as she was fighting so hard to keep it quiet.) And of course, while this is happening, I'm trying to just focus on only the music so I don't start laughing too. So, I was able to sing fine for the first verse, but by the second verse, I was stifling laughter and struggling to sing. So I would just mouth the words, so I wouldn't accidentally laugh instead of singing the note. It was soooo hard! She would be laughing and I would have it mostly under control, and then she'd start to get it under control, and then I would start struggling.... and back and forth it went for the ENTIRE SONG!! It was so bad!! I have NEVER had that happen during a performance before. But it was the funniest thing ever!! Still makes me laugh just thinking about it. But hey, I listened back to the recording I took, and you really can't even tell!! Yay! XD But yes, the concert went well and was a pretty big success! After the concert, we headed home and worked on Facebook and that was basically it.
Sunday we were at church and Mayur came!! We were so excited! It was so cool though, because literally everything that happened at church was FOR HIM!! All of the testimonies during sacrament meeting were about when the members went to church for the first time or about the Book of Mormon and praying and things like that. And then the lesson in Sunday school was a perfect introduction to the Book of Mormon. It just felt like everything was catered to him. It was amazing! Afterwards, we had a quick meeting with him about how his reading and praying is going. He said it's going well and then he prayed at the end of our short meeting. It was a beautiful prayer. He talked about how he wants to ask God a question, but he knows he needs to do some work on his own first. He said that he needs support on this journey, then as he said that he realized and said, "Oh actually, I have the Sisters to help me. So thank you for that!" And he also said, "I want to know Jesus perfectly." And I just thought that was beautiful. Wow. I am so lucky to be teaching this guy!! Later, we went and visited Babcia. We visited and sang some Christmas carols with her. During one of the songs, she just broke down crying. She said it was her husband's favorite song. Oh, she misses him so much! I'm so glad we're able to be here and visit her. She doesn't have anyone else here. So I'm glad we're able to help her not be so alone. Later, we called Doni to wish him a Happy Birthday! We talked for a bit on the phone and we asked how old he was. He told us to guess. I guessed 24 and he said he was 26. Then, he flipped the question on us and we told him to guess. He said, "18?" We said, "No." He said, "17??" And we said, "NO!!" Then we all laughed. I don't think he actually thinks we're 17 haha.
Also, quick story so the subject line makes sense. So, on the train, Sister Aramaki went to use the bathroom. It's a weird automatic door. But she locked it. BUT!! While she was in there, an old man went and opened the door and they both freaked out and tried to get the door closed. But the automatic door always opens all the way first before you can close it. And therefore, Sister Aramaki was "exposed" as she said. Thank goodness we wear skirts hahaha. So it was only slightly traumatizing for her. XD She came back and told me. And we laughed so hard! Okay, so now the subject line should make sense!!
Monday we did not have pday, surprise!! It was Three Kings Day. I believe it's called Epiphany. It's a Catholic holiday that is celebrated 12 days after Christmas, to celebrate when the 3 wisemen came to visit the baby Jesus. All the stores were closed so we have a Tuesday pday this week. Basically we did our weekly planning and worked on Facebook. We also went over to the Kwaśnicki's for dinner!! We had Barszcz and it was really good. I really like Barszcz actually. For some reason, hearing about it when I was a kid, I thought it sounded gross. But then I had it on my mission, and it's really good! Anyway, we had a good time with the Kwaśnicki family. Their kids are the cutest! Yes, pictures are included. ;)
Barszcz with the Kwaśnicki family.
(Michał is in the back looking at his lego creation of the Nativity scene!)
Us with the Kwaśnicki's.
Michał and I had fun taking pictures on the ride to the chapel after dinner. :)
After that, we had our English class to teach. Marek/James (he changes what he calls himself every other week...), anyway, he stayed for religious discussion AGAIN!! It was awesome!! Then, we had a fun game night. Wilbert found a Jeopardy game online and so we played a Madagascar themed one (about the movie) and a Harry Potter themed one. I thought I would know most of the answers for that, but it was HARD!! Solomiya knew EVERYTHING though. I was so impressed. Actually, we only played half of that one and apparently we happened to pick all the insanely hard questions, because when we looked at the others, I literally knew all of them. Oh well. 🤷🏼♀️
But this week was good! Hope you all are doing well!
Love and miss you all!!
Siostra Shaylin Carroll
P.S. Bonus Picture! Family: see another cool story in a picture I sent you. It's something I wrote in my journal and didn't want to type out, so hopefully you can read it okay!
Elder Frank and Elder Baer are basically twins. XD
Mariusz: our member who is so totally dedicated to family history and LOVES it! And the Kwaśnicki kids playing all around him and under his desk. It was so cute!
Cute dog in a sweater I saw on the tram. :)
Me and the comp <3
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