mtc week 8! final countdown

Guess what? 6 days and we will be leaving!!!! How exciting is that??!?!

I love the MTC so much and I really love my companions, and our district and teachers. But I am VERY VERY excited to be out in the field! Can you believe it's comign so soon? I hope to call you in the airport!

This past Tuesday Elder Holland came to the MTC. He told us some amazing perspective-changing things:
*Everything we ask and want for our investigators is what Heavenly Father wants for us. WE are God's investigators. I thought that was interesting.
*Let the mission/the gospel change you FOREVER. "Never go back to what you were--even if you were terrific."
*Use the Book of Mormon more. We read 1 Nephi 1 (only 20 verses long) together and we talked about what Lehi/all prophets do. So investigators will know that prophets:
-pray -converse with Divine Beings -are given holy books -warn of sin -prophecy of Christ
He then told us that that is Joseph Smith's story. So cool. I had never seen that chapter that way.

I really love Elder Holland. I wish I could have talked to him! But oh well. Another day.

This past Saturday Elder Christofferson was in Poland!! So cool. Our mission President sent us multiple emails about how great it was and how proud he was of the missionaries and their spiritual preparation for an apostle.

We have another "Pday" on Saturday to do laundry and pack so I may get to email again then. If not, we'll talk on Monday for sure!! I can't wait to talk to you Dad, Mom, Andrew, and Hannah (even though you'll be in Puerto Rico). We'll have to figure out the time difference, just talk to mom about that please. it'll be before we leave SLC, or after we land in Chicago. Let me know what works better for all of you.

And remember I love you!!! Also if you have thoughts about a verse/chapter from the Book of Mormon please write me it!

LOVE YOU,
Sara

oh yeah guess what else?!?! WOJTEK AGREED TO BE BAPTIZED!!! We're so excited about that. we've had some really good lessons lately. yay. soon it'll be back to square one though haha.

MTC week 7!

Dear Family,

Hi! How are you all? Can you believe how fast time is flying?? In 13 days I will be on my way to Poland!!! How crazy is that? I'm really excited and oddly not scared or worried at all. But my companions are getting a little nervovy! (nervous) But they are excited still too. Our teachers are really excited for us too, they keep telling us stories about how amazing Poland is and everything.

So this Sunday night we had a devotional from President Myers one of the District Presidents here. He told us about a reunion with his companions and they were talking about Elders from their missions and what they were like. He said it was interesting because they all remembered that Elder for the same attribute--"he was so hardworking" or "he was so loving" and they all remembered them that way. So then he turned the question to us and asked us, "What do YOU want to be remembered for?" That is a very good question. Then he had us study a little bit and answer that question and explain that attribute with a scripture. Mine was loving and diligence (hard working) and I love the scripture Moroni 8:33; I really want to remember it always:

"And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and beause of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God." I love this scripture.

So family, I ask you and invite you to answer this question: What do you want to be remembered for? Just pick one (maybe two) attribute(s) and find a scripture that talks about that. And then you can share it with me if you want (through dear elder) or you can write it in your journal. Either way, just remember what you chose and strive to do that thing! I am going to do the same.

I can't wait to talk to you all in just less than 2 weeks! We should get our travel plans this Friday so I'll let you know what they are. Hopefully we'll have some nice layover time! I'm so excited, I already want to pack one of my suitcases.

I love you all so much family! Remember that I am praying for you every day :) and that I love you. That is why I can't wait to share the gospel of happiness with those who want to have the blessings we have.

Love,

Sara

p.s. I'm glad you all went to dinner on Friday! That makes me happy when I hear about our family doing things all together. I love it :D Have a fantastic week!

mtc week six!

Dearest family,

HI! witaj!!! (that means hello) Thank you for your letters/dear elders. Oh and the HUGE valentine's card! It was kind of embarrassing to carry it around but so funny. I loved that everyone signed it! Thank you so much. I love hearing from you! I've been thinking about you all. And wondering how you're doing. It sounds like things are good at home.

Things are going really well here. Our companionship has made leaps and bounds these past few days. It's really amazing. My testimony and faith have really been strengthend. Christ has the power to truly change people. I've really believed that on a personal level but this week I've seen it so much in others. We have a lot of Elders in our Zone who are older and I've been able to witness how Christ has changed them and prepared them for missions. It's really really good. I stink at playing basketball against them but we have a lot of fun. Hearing their testimonies really strengthens mine.

Also I've really seen the hand of the Lord helping and strengthening me (and our zone) as I've been serving as Coordinating Sister. Our new Bulargians (4 sisters, 7 elders) are so good and it's fun to get to know them! The sisters are so new and it's been great to help them get used to the MTC. We are becoming good friends already.

On Sunday, President Jenkins (district president over our zone) came to our sacrament meeting and talked to us. He boldly stated that "some of you are converted to Christ...but some of you are not" and he talked about how that needs to happen. He taught us from the scriptures about King Lamoni and his father and how they were willing to give up EVERYTHING to know God. He talked about how king Lamoni's father had probably never seen anyone truly love anyone else before he sees Ammon defend his son. That is what first impressed him, and gave him a desire to know more about the gospel. "the greatness and generosity of the words of Ammon" and even Ammon's concern for the welfare of his soul. And he was willing to give up half his kingdom to spare his life, but then to know God and be saved by him he was willing to give up all his sins. President Jenkins pointed out that this wasn't just past or present sins. It was also future sins. I thought that was interesting.

Please will you read a chapter of the Book of Mormon (any chapter) prayerfully and send me your thoughts about it? I would really love that. Or if you don't have time for a chapter, even a verse or two. Especially if they are really read through and prayerfully pondered.

Thank you and I LOVE YOU!!!!!!

Sister Sara Bezdjian

p.s. Here are some things I loved from President Nielson's email this week:

Dear Elders and Sisters-

I am so exited for Elder and Sister D. Todd Christofferson to come to Poland...Please start now with your personal preparation by being worthy in every way so you will be taught by the Spirit.

This week in our Book of Mormon reading you will study chapter 13 of Alma… one of the great chapters on doctrine, foreordination and responsibility. People are being prepared today to hear your voices. Read and study it closely. We also read Alma 7 and 8 this morning. Chapter 8 has great application for you and I in missionary labors. Ponder the words “speedily” and “by another way” in verse 18. I think of Alma’s eagerness to preach and his creativity to get people to hear his words. We can do the same.

And finally, think about the words of President Uchtdorf from this last conference (page 122 in your copy of the Conference Addresses)--

"The gospel of Jesus Christ is not an obligation; it is a pathway, marked by our loving Father in Heaven, leading to happiness and peace in this life... The gospel is a light that penetrates mortality and illuminates the way before us.

The “what” and “how” of obedience mark the way and keep us on the right path. The “why” of obedience sanctifies our actions, transforming the mundane into the majestic. It magnifies our small acts of obedience into holy acts of consecration".

As your mission president, I pray for you specifically. To you Elders, Sisters and Senior Missionaries, I ask the Lord to specifically bless you in all ways. I know that He is blessing you. I hope you recognize His actions and thank Him. You are where He needs you, with the right companion and in the place where He called you. I know this is true.

MTC week five!!

Dear family!

How are you all? This week has been such a good one! Can you believe that as of tomorrow, I will be in my 6th week here at the MTC?? So strange! Then it's less than 3 weeks until we leave for Poland...ahh! The Bulgarians left this morning which was bittersweet. We're so excited for them because they were going to go to Arizona but then their visas miraculously arrived on Friday! So they were very very happy. Last night we sang "God Be with you til we meet again" in polish, which translated is actually "God don't abondon us until we meet again" it was very nice. We sing a lot better now then we did at the start! Because we can read faster :)

Anyway probably the best thing that happened this week was reflecting on Elder Bednar's talk from Xmas here called "the Character of Christ." It was very good. Elder Bednar talked about a quote from Elder Maxwell:

"There would have been no atoning sacrifice without the character of Christ."

So then he talked about character and how every action the Savior did was turning outward. Even when He had every reasonable justification to turn inward and focus on himself (like any natural man would do), but He looked outward and focused on others and His Heavenly Father. He encouraged us to study the New Testament and look for those moments of selflessness, putting off the natural man. And he quoted Mosiah 3:19 a number of times, explaining that through the Atonement, we too can become saints and put off the natural man. He asked us what are the implications of this for missionary work? Basically: This isn't about me. It's about Christ and it's about those people that can come unto Christ through attaining a testimony AND become converted to the Lord.

One really cool insight Elder Bednar had on Ether 3 was about the stones the Brother of Jared brought to the Lord. Like the Brother of Jared, we need to come to the Lord not only with our problems, but solutions. Come to him with a proposal. Elder Bednar read verse 4 and explained that the Lord touched each one--why did he touch them one by one? Why not change all sixteen at once? And AFTER the stones were illluminated, the veil was lifted. So the Brother of Jared's faith was increased as he saw the evidence (the stones lighting up) each time until his faith became pure knowledge and he couldn't be held back. Anyway then Elder Bednar related this to us. He said those individual stones represent the people we serve. When we turn outward and watch them become illuminated by the Master's hand, our faith increases.

He also talked about becoming selfless is a line upon line process. As we do a little bit every day, the enabling power of grace comes in and increases our capacity to become like Christ. His grace is what saves us. The faith neccessary for salvation has three parts:

1) Faith to accept the idea that God exists

2) A correct understanding of His character and attributes

3) Actual knowledge that the course you are pursuing is in accordinance with His will

What else to tell you sweet family? Our investigators are doing well! We have a new one named Zbyszek (z-bih-sheck) and he is super nice. I like him a lot. It was kind of sad/funny last lesson, he told us how his wife and daughter DIED and I was the only one who understood! my companions thought he said they got divorced but they didnt' look terribly sad. So i was like I'm so sorry! that is really sad. And after they were like what did he say? Sister masters was like ah!! they died!!

I love you all. Remember Mosiah 3:19--put off the natural man! yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit :)

Love,

Sara

more from week four!

"excited to clean the showers.............WE clean every Wednesday from
8:40-9:50 after gym time! We love clean dorms."

"We love to see the temple - and go there on P-day!

To feel the Holy Spirit - To listen and to Pray..... (sing it:))

Starszy Tiner, Siostra Young Siostra Master and Ja

Oh I almost forgot! We learned some funny polish idioms this week.

English: what does that have to do with anything?

Polish: What does gingerbread have to do with a windmill?

English: straight as an arrow

Polish: straight from the bride

English: just spit it out

Polish: put the coffee on the table

English: I don't have a clue

Polish: I don't have a green idea

Aren't they awesome?? I can't wait to see/talk to the Poles!!!

more MTC life!

Dearest Family,

Wow what a spiritually uplifting week! We heard from Elder Holland and Elder Nelson on the 50 Anniversary of the MTC on Tuesday and we've been teaching our rough investigator more and fast Sunday was a feast!

One of my favorite talks was from about a week ago from Robert P. Swenson, the Director of Missionary Services. He had three sisters stand up who were going to Holland. One of them was a girl I knew in High School! The other girls I didn't know but Brother Swenson explained how he knew these two sisters and how they are different in many ways but they are the same in the most important ones. They all had a desire to be good, to serve a mission, testimonies of Jesus Christ, and the Lord knows them. He told us to relate this to our missions. He testified that the Lord knows us, He knows our companions, He knows our mission presidents, He knows all of our investigators and He knows what we need. Basically it was really nice to take a step back and realize that the Lord has a plan for me and for Poland and He is preparing us to proclaim the gospel. While he was talking, I asked myself the question, why does the Lord trust me/us to help with His greatest work? It is a huge work and he's letting us, mere mortals (and young unwise ones at that) help others follow Christ. Why? As Brother Swenson kept talking, he answered my question. He was explaining more about the Lord's plan and how He wants to help us. And then I had something come to my memory by the Spirit. The Lord won't ever ask us to do something we can't do (with His help). I've been really pondering 1 Nephi 3:7 lately. I know we've all heard that scripture before but it's so cruicial to keeping all the commandments of the Lord!

Whether it's repenting, keeping the word of wisdom, reading our scriptures every single day, or praying sincerely, the Lord has commanded us to do it and He won't command the impossible. He commands these things because:

1. It's possible to do, especially easier with His help

2. Obedience brings blessing and happiness

3. Obeying the Lord sincerely draws us closer to Him

This week in the TRC, we got to speak with two polish natives! One is a girl named Ada and the other is Maruicz (like mario-with an oosh and the end). Mariucz asked us about why we don't wear crosses and it was so cool! I could actually speak back and forth with him in a conversation! So exciting! It was amazing and we could really feel the Spirit when we testified in unity about the gospel of Christ.

Ok i'm giong to try to send some recordings now!

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sorry this email was so long!

Kocham ciebie,

Sara

pictures from sara!

1st picture: This is us pointing to Poland Starszy Tiner, Sara, Siostra Young and Siostra Masters

2cd picture: from left to right. The Bulgarians- Elder Bryce, Sister Farnsworth, and Sister Campell. The Polaci- Siostra Young, Sara, Siostra Masters, and Straszy Tiner

But the Bulgs leave in 2 weeks :( I'm so sad. They're so fun and I love them.

3rd picture: from left to right Siostra Young, Sara, Siostra Mastersm a Finnish Elder who just left and Straszy Tiner in our Poland classroom in front of the flega.