January 7th, 2013

New hair cut now all the same length

Dear Hannah, Andrew, Dad, Mom,

Thank you for the year mark package! That was so nice.

 

Sister Bown is really great. She is a really good example of calmness. Which is good because that is something I lack. More than once I have been stressed out or worried about our investigators or feeling rushed. And she in her quiet, unabraisive way reminds me that the Lord is in control. It's really cool.

How Sara and Sis Bown celebrated New Year's Eve

 

Something I learned from the scriptures this week: Well I completely forgot to mention last email. We are reading the Book of Mormon together as a mission until April. Everyone is welcome to follow! On Sister Nielson's blog is the reading schedule. (Not sure of the site but just googling 'poland warsaw mission blog nielson' should bring it right up.)

So the reading this week was in 1 Nephi. Contemplating about Nephi's visions this week was just great. But something stood out to me this morning. Today was chapter 15 when Laman and Lemuel ask Nephi the meaning of their father's visions. We had a similar situation this week, when an investigator and a member asked us about the scriptures. Nephi is a perfect example of how to handle this situations. He reminds his brothers HOW to get personal revelation and not just WHAT everything means. But then, beyond that, he calmly explains the vision's meaning. I love how Nephi doesn't selfishly hold back the information God has revealed to him. He is willing to share it and encourages his brothers to find out for themselves and he does it in a way that inspires them to humility.

 

Our Christ-like attribute for this week is: diligence. Great planners make great missionaries and I am really focusing on chapter 8 in Preach My Gospel this week. I know that if we plan well and work hard, "we will have the Spirit...and we will touch the hearts of the people" (Preach My Gospel). I still have a lot to learn about planning but the mission has definitely helped me think about planning more. I think I would be a lot better at doing my homework and organizing my life now. Planning really does make life more efficient.

 

In other news:

*Romana, our baptismal candidate is doing just great. She loved church yesterday and is inviting all of her friends to her baptism.

*Last night, we had a really cool meeting with this older man named Bogdan and his daughter and grandson. His house looked a lot like Baba's and he started out complaining about communists, and capitalists. I was thinking, oh man. How are we going to pray and start the lesson...But sooner or later we started and the atmosphere completely changed. Soon his little grandson was reading the scriptures out loud for us and helping us with the lesson. It was really cool. And they both prayed at the end! So I hope they'll be excited to meet again and read the Book of Mormon.

 

Thank you for all you do and for who you are.

Sister Bezdjian

 

p.s. Please tell Aunt Hollie thank you for the letter and the package! Sister Bown and I love the pj shirts and it was so nice of her to send it. Thanks!

Notice that a priest would be in the area to bless their building