Poland Week 2 (Katowice)
Cześć!!!!!
So I didn't do a good job writing in my journal this week, and that's what I use to write about the week, so this might be a slightly vague email....
This week was pretty busy. We've been going through our area book (a binder with all the records of people who used to learn about our church) and we started going to various cities to try to get in contact with tchem. So our district covers a HUGE area and I-don't-know-how-many milion people, so there are a lot of cities around Katowice with less-active members and formerly interested people that we can visit. Unfortunately, we weren't actually able to talk to any of the formers/less-active people we tried to visit this week, but we will keep trying!
The story of the homeless couple:
So one evening we were in Dąbrowa Gornicza (probably spelled wrong) trying to find a less-active member. And everyone in Poland will always give you directions, even if they don't want to hear about their eternal salvation. So we asked this couple for directions, and as they came closer, we could tell they looked a little...different. Mostly like they needed a bath, and maybe like they were drunk. So that was that. End of story. Except on Sunday, we were serving at a Catholic soup kitchen for the homeless, and THAT SAME couple was there, even though it's like a half hour away from the city we had been in. And then today, we were walking through the mall, and THAT SAME couple was coming down the escalator behind us. I realize as you're reading this, you're wondering if we shared the Gospel. Well, as I'm typing this, I'm realizing that that would have been a really good thing to do, but we didn't do it. But on the bright side, we will probably see tchem again.
We also went to a Dom Pomocy this last Friday with our friend Agnieszka. Polish old people are so cute. One sweet babcia kept saying "Ja bardzo kocham cię!" (I love you very much) and "Moja kochana," (my sweetheart) and that was about 1000 times sweeter because it was in Polish.
Fun fact: everyone here is named after saints. If it's their saint's day, they get to celebrate like it's their birthday. So it's hard to keep track of all the different Olas, Anyas, Agnieszkas, Mareks, Marias, etc.
We've started teaching a new girl named Martyna, whom we met on the streets. We taught her about the Restoration on Saturday, and we had a really good, open discussion about it. Well, mostly Sister Harmon and Martyna did, because I'm still working on that Polish, but we're excited about her.
Sunday was really good. We had a wonderful testimony meeting, and after church we had lunch together. Sandra, one of our closest friends in the branch,made some delicious food from her home country of South Africa. Mmmmm...that was good. Sister Harmon and I made cookies for the lunch with Anya, another member. And you should be proud of me, Dad, because I put in less sugar than it called for. But there is no such thing as chocolate chips in Poland, so we cut up a chocolate bar.
Well, I know a lot of other things happened, but I can't recall tchem at the moment. However, I CAN recall the consistent peace I have felt, especially as I study the scriptures. It's obviously a little hard and a little stressful to adjust to a new country, new language, new everything, but I know that God is helping me through it. He also knows everything that is hard/stressful about your lives, and if you turn to Him in prayer and scripture study, you can feel His constant, deep love for you. And that can make any time of your life, no matter how difficult, joyful.
Love you all!
Love,
Sister Eberting
