weekly email Poznan 2

ELDER STOCKFORD (FROM SPRINGFIELD OREGON RIGHT OUT OF THE MTC), ELDER TINER (FROM LAS VEGAS WAS IN THE MTC WITH SARA), SARA AND SISTER ALLEN (FROM PROVO UTAH WHO WAS IN THE MTC WITH SISTERS OSTLER AND PETERSON)

Dear Family,

Thank you for your prayers and thoughts. And thank you so much Mom for the pictures!!! They really do make my week. 

Sister Allen is such a trooper. She is a hard worker and has really strong endurance. She has been sick the past few days and in pain. Something's wrong with her stomach. But she has endured it all with a smile and a good attitude. I hope I could be like her if I was going through so much pain and sickness. We are having so much fun as a companionship and I am really learning a lot from her. 

Our Christ-like attribute for this week is: humility. I am excited to study this attribute and I'm going to look at ways that Christ exemplified it. 

Something I learned from the scriptures this week: Our district mtg homework was to look at how people feel/describe the Spirit in the scriptures. Because next mtg will be on the Role of the Holy Ghost in conversion. So I had some really good studies this week; looking at how Nephi, Alma, Enos, and other experienced conversion. Oh and back to Christ with the Samaritan woman at the well. I noticed that at first he was in the right place and at the right time to meet her. He asked her for what she had and offered her more. He also invited her to partake of eternal life. What stuck out to me this time that in order for the woman to come to the water and drink she had to 1) be clean and 2) be with her 

"husband" in other words we come to the eternal life together, as families. 

We invited the Spirit this week by really listening to our investigators and teaching to their needs. It was really rewarding to listen to the Spirit and teach the doctrine that would help them. 

Some fun things from this week:

* We had a Halloween party! I LOVE having a senior couple and a chapel. It is just fun to have more tools to find people and get to know them and invite them to meet with us. Sister Allen and I took the elders' tags and wore white shirts and dark skirts so we were elders. You can see pictures of it on the Reed's blog (so go google their blog! reedmission.com)!

*Natalie is amazing. She is one of our members and is one of the coolest people I've ever met. She's 12 years old and was baptized spring 2011. Her parents met the missionaries when she was 3 and ELDER JOHNSON (my first district leader in gdansk) called them 8 years later to meet. Well little did he know that they both, individually had been praying for help for their family. Well time went on and it turns out they didn't want to be baptized (they used to come to church frequently though) but Natalie did! So she joined the church and is just seriously amazing. 

NATALIE AND SARA

*The Reeds are so fun. I love them. They are so fun and energetic and loving. 

We spent "Day of the Dead" the first of november with them and had a blast. We went with them, the elders, and our member Natalie to the cemetery and had so much fun. You can look at the pics/listen to the recordings for more deets on that. On the way back in the tramwaj a hooligan pulled the emergency safety handle so the tramwaj stopped and that was an adventure. We got home all right though.

Candles such as these were on sale by the thousands all around the city.

Here we are on this beautiful fall evening in Poznan. This night was another occasion to gain an even deeper appreciation for this wonderful country and its people. We are so blessed to serve here as missionaries.
FROM THE REED'S WEBPAGE

Graves were beautifully decorated, and the candle lights could be seen for acres and acres all around us as we walked through the grounds. It was a stunning and beautiful sight. FROM REEDS WEBPAGE

One of the biggest holidays in Poland is All Saint’s Day which is November 1st. Families gather together to enjoy delicious food and to visit and decorate the graves of their deceased loved ones. It is a sacred holiday for the country, and everything is closed for the day so that people can enjoy their families and memories. The missionaries and Natalie came over to join us for dinner, and then we went to one of the cemeteries to get a feel for this special occasion in the evening hours. FROM REED'S WEBPAGE

 

*We're having fun memorizing scriptures to songs. Sister Allen is really musical and has a great voice. So we've mastered 1 Nephi 19:23 to the tune of the Circle of Life from the Lion King. I'll record it when she feels better.

*We went to a hospital last monday because this cute mom and her 3 girls and 2 sons live by the chapel. her daughter was in the hospital so we went and sang them songs and they loved it!! we hope they all become new investigators this week.

*Danka, a lady we met not too long ago has made the decision to be baptized! Her date is the 8th of December. And also Bogusia! an amazing woman who truly wants to follow Christ. Her sister drowned though so she is scared of the water but we talked about it this week and she has faith that it will be ok. (SEE LAST WEEKS POST FOR HOW THEY MET DANKA)

*Another fun small-world story:When i was in the MTC I met a Pole named Wiktor who was really nice. He is in Michigan now on a mission. Well I didnt' know his mom lives in poznan and is one of the sweetest ladies in the world! her name's regina, and she comes to church every week I think. We just have to help her read the Book of Mormon so she can, like her son, experience the blessings of the gospel. 

 

*I am so glad sister ostler is feeling better and that they've finally figured out what's up! We're going to see each other on wednesday for zone conference. I imagine she and sister peterson might stay with us--that's what sis mcadams and I did when we had zone conference in poznan, it will be fun to hear how everyone in gdansk is doing. 

Wow that's all for now. I LOVE YOU ALL. Really, I pray for you by name every day and I wish the best for you all. 

Love,

Sister Bezdjian

PICTURES FROM THE PUTTING ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD FIRESIDE 

BY THE REEDS -  SATURDAY OCT 27TH

Saturday evening we had a fireside for the Branch and visitors based on the Armor of God scriptures found in Ephesians and the Doctrine and Covenants. Our spiritual armor is vital to find true joy and peace in this world. Everyone seemed interested in the topic, members and visitors alike. We had 6 visitors in the meeting, making around 18 people in attendance. It turned out to be a great evening.

After the initial presentation, groups were assigned to make the various parts of the armor. This is the helmet group.
FROM REED'S WEBPAGE

ach group came up and put a piece of armor on Chris and explained their piece of spiritual armor. This is the spiritual man complete with his armor! FROM REED'S WEBPAGE

Here are all the armor builders. How we love these wonderful Polish people!
FROM THE REED'S WEBPAGE