A Baptism, transfer and looking inward

What a week! I think that this week was honestly one of the best of my whole mission. Sister Tobler and I seemed to reach a new level in our companionship and really witnessed miracles. KASIA IS BAPTIZED AND CONFIRMED! It’s really hard to describe what that actually means to me right now. Our whole purpose as missionaries is to help people make that choice and she did. It was beautiful and I am so grateful I got to be a part in it! I don’t know if I have ever felt more like a missionary than on that day when she came up out of the water. I could just see the happiness and light of Christ radiating off of her. She came out of the water and greeted Sister Tobler and I with giant soaking wet hugs. I was just filled with love for her! It was a day I will never forget. Sister Tobler and I sang the primary song called baptism and I almost wept like a child! There were quite a few people in attendance and I just felt so happy!!! It was one of the best things I have ever been a part of. This gospel is true and it changes lives! I got to watch it change hers and I seriously cannot tell you through an email how amazing it was!

In other news, President Edgren called me on Friday morning and told me that there was a change that needed to take place with the Sisters Missionary companionship in Warsaw 2 (branch) and that I would be transferred. So on Sunday I was transferred to the other branch with Sister Petersen and Sister Wendel took my place in Warsaw 1. So now I’m training Sister Petersen it’s her first transfer! I will be here for at least the next 3 weeks. This change was really hard. I really felt that it was so inspired for me to be in Warsaw 1 with Sister Tobler and I know that’s where the Lord wanted me to be. We worked so hard and saw so many miracles! I was really getting to know the branch and I love our investigators. In other words it was a lot for me to leave. I know you know all of this and that this too is inspired but I’m sure you can see how the adjustment is just a little harder. I know the Lord needs me here now and I am going to do everything I can to make it a great experience and learn from it, but it was really hard for me to leave. I guess that’s the point of a mission in the first place. I am here to serve no matter where I am. I think for me it’s just that it was hard to leave Katowice and Sister Petherbridge but when I got here and I just knew that it was right, everything with Sister Tobler and Kasia and working with the branch. I just felt like I was needed in Warsaw 1 and that it was exactly where I needed to be. It became home. I know that I can have that here too and I know the Lord will help me. Sister Tobler was a little heartbroken to say the least. She has become one of my very best friends and it’s like we reached this ultimate bliss! Kasia was baptized and everything was going so good! We laughed so much and worked so hard! Plus we had our whole Christmas planned out. But I know that I need to be in Warsaw 2 now and we don’t always understand everything. I do know that the Lord knows everything. He knows me and He knows my purpose here. I just trust Him! So since we weren’t going to have Christmas together anymore we had a fake one :) on our second to last night together we had Christmas Eve and slept with the tree lights on and then the next day was our Christmas!!!!

I opened one of the gifts from Amber and it was perfect!!! I loved everything about it and it made me so happy!!! Then Sister Tobler opened one from her mom and then we opened each of ours from you guys aka she opened the one from you and I opened the one from her mom and it was so amazing!!!!!!!! We felt so loved and so happy to have a mini Christmas together :) the next few hours were a little rough and then Elder Wilson and Neuner came and took me to my new apartment. I was still able to go to the branch Christmas party!!! I was so grateful!! I got to talk with everyone and say goodbye and it was so nice. I just love those people and I was finally gaining their trust and love! Anyways that was this week!

This last week I really looked inwardly. I decided I wanted to choose the person I want to become and the character traits I want to have and obtain. I took it to the Lord and it was a really spiritual experience. It made me feel very humble and I recognized that the only way I can obtain these attributes is with the help of my Savior and my Father in Heaven. I know I can grow and obtain these attributes through the experiences I will have. I know that this experience will teach me a lot. I have been praying that I will be able to know why I am here and what I can do to help Sister Peterson the most. I love my mission, not because of the companion I have or the area I’m in but because of the work that I am involved in. The work is still true in Warsaw 2.

Christmas Eve is a bigger deal here than Christmas Day just like Germany and at ou wigilia I ate SLEDŻ!!! It was nasty!! You'll have to look it up but it’s a Polish tradition. Apparently, you are not a Poland Warsaw missionary unless you try it! According to the Elders of course, so I had to.

We did some more carolling this week with all the missionaries in Warsaw and we tied books of Mormon up with bows!! it was really successful and we are doing it 3 more times this week!!