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Dearest Family bo bamily,

 

Thank you so much for your letters! I got a few from Mom and one signed by all the family and one from Hannah and Brother Yeager. It's so good to hear from people. I'm sure there are some people thinking ''oh I don't need to write, she'll be home soon." WRONG. Those letters make my day! Oh and the pictures from Hannah's farewell look so good! We have a good-looking family :) So thank you all very much!

pictures from today on the rynek :)

The principle I learned this week was...what we talked about in our interview. Love and the Spirit are the most important aspects of this work. President was telling me in our interview--when we truly love the Lord and our fellow brothers and sisters, we will want to be obedient (for the right reasons) and we will teach with the Spirit and according to their needs.

these pictures are from Sis Nilson's blog during the specialized training.

The Katowice District. Sisters Pearson and Packard with Elders Dopp, Rittmanic and Neuner along with Elder and Sister Reed, our Katowice Senior Couple who does so much for this great Branch. SARA WAS SO ELATED TO SEE THE REEDS - SHE SERVED WITH THE REEDS IN POZNAN AND LOVES THEM VERY MUCH!!!

We also have been studying the question "Why does God allow bad things to happen?"

 

Many of our investigators, members, and contacts on the street ask this question. So I've been studying it and I came up with 5 main reasons: 

1 There must be opposition in all things. Freedom of choice (our agency) is essential in our progression and for our agency to have any weight, it has to come with real consequences--good or bad. 2 Nephi 2:11. For it must needs be, that there is an ^aopposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

2 Difficulties are a trial of our faith and patience--which is part of why we came to earth. Mosiah 23:21-22.  21 Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to ^achasten his people; yea, he trieth their ^bpatience and their faith.

 22 Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his ^atrust in him the same shall be ^blifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people.

3 So the wicked can receive justice. Every person will receive punishment for their own sins. Alma 14:9-11  9 And it came to pass that they took Alma and Amulek, and carried them forth to the place of ^amartyrdom, that they might witness the destruction of those who were consumed by fire.

 10 And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the ^apower of God which is in us, and save them from the flames.

 11 But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in ^aglory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the ^bjudgmentswhich he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the ^cblood of the ^dinnocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.

 Alma 60:13.  For the Lord suffereth the ^arighteous to be slain that his justice and ^bjudgment may come upon the wicked; therefore ye need not suppose that the righteous are lost because they are slain; but behold, they do enter into the rest of the Lord their God.

4 Trials remind us that we need to rely on the Lord and they help us to humble ourselves. Ether 12:27   And if men come unto me I will show unto them their^aweakness. I ^bgive unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my ^cgrace is sufficient for all men that ^dhumble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make ^eweak things become strong unto them. 

Alma 4: 3 And so great were their afflictions that every soul had cause to mourn; and they believed that it was the judgments of God sent upon them because of their wickedness and their abominations; therefore they were ^aawakened to a remembrance of their duty..

5 It allows the Lord to show forth His power. 1 Nephi 18:11 And it came to pass that Laman and Lemuel did take me and^abind me with cords, and they did treat me with much harshness; nevertheless, the Lord did suffer it that he might show forth his power, unto the fulfilling of his word which he had ^bspoken concerning the wicked.

Sister Blake and I are....doing great! She is amazing and I love her more and more everyday.

on the train to Katowice on exchange last monday

 She learned a lot on the exchange about planning with the Spirit and it was cool to hear what her perspective is. I learned a lot from the exchange as well. I realized that I need to focus on what the Spirit is prompting us to do during planning than just 'intellectually' planning out the next day's activities. As Sister Blake and I have been focusing on that more, we have had a better atmosphere in our planning sessions. 

 Katowice Sisters Packard and Pearson with whom Sara and Sis. Blake did exchanges.

Sister Pearson (who I was with on the exchange) is a really positive missionary. I think that was the biggest thing I learned from her---she is positive no matter the outcome of the previous contact and no matter the result of what the next one will be. And she really does love the people. She loves them and wants them to be happy. It was fun to work with her and fun to see another city of Poland! (Even though of course, Wrocław is MUCH prettier!)

Brother Kotliński, Cynthia and her family--Mom (Wioletta), 

Cindy, AJ (who got the priesthood on Sunday)

So my most amazing experience this week was...being a part of Cynthia's baptism! As Sister Blake and I were talking about it she was like "Good job! We got our first baptism!" And I was happy and excited but I replied "We didn't do anything!" And that's really how it was. We were so blessed to be here at this time and teach Cynthia the truths she already knows, lives, and loves. It was great to see her so happy after the baptism and the next day after her confirmation. She was so prepared and so humble and it was just a blessing to be a small part of it.

sister blake at the pool for the baptism

Have a great week! I love you all! See you in 4 weeks!

Sister Bezdjian