I am staying here in Żoliborz but I will be district leader and I am training! Insane? I know. Some organizational changes happened in the mission so my new district will have Warsaw zone leaders and a companionship of sisters. My district will be full of experienced missionaries so luckily they will be able to help me along will all of this change. This week on Wednesday I will go to the mission home and meet my trainee! I was not expecting this and since I have heard I have felt many emotions. Of course the initial excitement but then as it settled in I experienced a minor freak out of stress and nerves and then with a few deep breaths back to excitement. When I came into the mission it was an "older mission" but with the group just going home and the two after that (including my own trainers group) we will quickly become a very young mission with a ton of missionaries leaving and a whole bunch to replace them.Time on a mission is warped and flies by, especially having two short seven week transfers. I am thankful for the companionship of the Holy Ghost because I have felt at peace for the most part. I am calm and looking forward to this. In some ways I feel unprepared with random worries but I think I am ready for this. In General Conference I received direction to stop thinking about myself and focus on others. I think being senior companion with a new missionary will help me to accomplish this. I remember well how I felt when I came into the country but I am grateful to now be on the other side and be able to help someone else. Difficult times on a mission can be rough but the challenges I have faced have taught me a lot. More than anything I am reminded to more fully rely on the Lord. I also find myself filled with greater gratitude. For now I am going to try and take it one step at a time, not overthink it, rely on the Lord and just try to love and serve those around me.
I am psyched to stay here in Żoliborz because so much is happening and I feel like there is more for me to do.
Jacob, 19-year-old student/linguist, seems to be taking our lessons seriously. Our lesson went well, he's soaking up all that we are saying and has great questions. As missionaries, we have been guided as we meet with him and I feel directed and calm when we talk with him. He is just a super cool guy we are just working on learning how to find answers so we are emphasizing CPR (church, prayer, read) this week. We receive revelation (meaning communication from God) 1. As we attend church and strengthen/ are strengthened by others 2. Pray sincerely to God and 3. Through scripture study, as we ponder and search intently. I am excited to work further with Jacob.
Zbyszek is an English student who we meet with individually. As we meet his priority is to learn English but he also seems to enjoy the gospel topics we discuss. He has some really good comments and likes what we have to say and offer. I am also looking forward to work with him.
Zbyszek is an English student who we meet with individually. As we meet his priority is to learn English but he also seems to enjoy the gospel topics we discuss. He has some really good comments and likes what we have to say and offer. I am also looking forward to work with him.
Kondrad and Julia are the couple with three kids. Konrad is well versed with many religious beliefs but rejects them for the most part. Julia is less certain but she seems more interested. Everytime we have left a lesson we wonder if we got anywhere, if we helped them at all or got anything across. This past time I think we did. Their oldest daughter, 10, believes with God and goes to church with her grandma. She was excited to join in the prayer with us since she is the only praying person in her family. She is a perfect example of being an example! She is only 10 years old, praying to build a reltionship with Heavenly Father - by her small and simple actions she is setting an incredible example not only for her younger siblings but even for her own parents.
Bartek is an absolute miracle of the week. While contacting one day we met him but he dismissed us almost as soon as we had approached him. As we were turning to walk away he stopped us sensing we were not Polish/ maybe even American. He asked and that started the conversation. He loves the NFL and NBA and may want to study in the States (so we assume he is finishing up Liceum - high school - now). We then talked about the restoration and he soaked it all up. He took a copy of The Book of Mormon like a golden treasure and told us something incredible. He explained to us that rather than taking his normal tram home he decided to walk down a street he never goes by, he had just been thinking about Easter and how he is in need of a spiritual guide. He then ran into us! This miracle was not lost on him. He was excited to meet and come to church on Sunday (yesterday). Unfortunately, he never showed but we are praying for him and hope that we can set up this week.
There was excitement Yesterday, it being the Warsaw Marathon. We took our culture night this week and toured the Royal Castle in Warsaw - it was mainly destroyed furing World War II but has been rebuilt to its old glory with a ton of original artwork, decor etc. Right outside of the main sqaure in Old Town was the starting/ finishing line for the race so we were able to see them set up for this big event. Yesterday on our way to church we saw a ton of runners on the metro and trams - a ton of people were involved, I was a little sad I wasn't a part of it. I miss races and runs but it was fun to be in the midst of the city wide event.
Bartek is an absolute miracle of the week. While contacting one day we met him but he dismissed us almost as soon as we had approached him. As we were turning to walk away he stopped us sensing we were not Polish/ maybe even American. He asked and that started the conversation. He loves the NFL and NBA and may want to study in the States (so we assume he is finishing up Liceum - high school - now). We then talked about the restoration and he soaked it all up. He took a copy of The Book of Mormon like a golden treasure and told us something incredible. He explained to us that rather than taking his normal tram home he decided to walk down a street he never goes by, he had just been thinking about Easter and how he is in need of a spiritual guide. He then ran into us! This miracle was not lost on him. He was excited to meet and come to church on Sunday (yesterday). Unfortunately, he never showed but we are praying for him and hope that we can set up this week.
There was excitement Yesterday, it being the Warsaw Marathon. We took our culture night this week and toured the Royal Castle in Warsaw - it was mainly destroyed furing World War II but has been rebuilt to its old glory with a ton of original artwork, decor etc. Right outside of the main sqaure in Old Town was the starting/ finishing line for the race so we were able to see them set up for this big event. Yesterday on our way to church we saw a ton of runners on the metro and trams - a ton of people were involved, I was a little sad I wasn't a part of it. I miss races and runs but it was fun to be in the midst of the city wide event.
This week leading up to Easter is a great time to reflect upon the life of Christ. Recently, I have been thinking about His role in our lives. The idea of our reliance on Him struck a few question within me. The IB (international baceloreate) heavily emphasizes our need to be free thinkers, although at times we probably all become the same kind of "freethinker" defeating the point. However, from my personal experience the IB helped me to be an independant learner, challenging me to figure things out my own way. The IB gave me a confidence in my own views and abilities to do things my way. This focus on trying to figure it out yourself before asking teachers was a relayed by many of my high school teachers. Despite all of the insecurities, ignorances, and weaknesses that we teenagers have I felt confident in figuring things out my own way. At first I hated it, wishing my teachers would just tell me exactly what they wanted or exactly what and how I ned to complete my tasks. Now I am grateful for the independance and confidence I have, which has fluctuated throughout me time as a missionary. Equally, the IB/ La Chat (my high school) probably creates students who think that their way is best and have some problems here and there with leaders/ authority. I have been thinking about my confidence and as a missionary these my perspective has rollercoastered. This led me to wonder about the balance between being confident and humble. I know that we are all blessed with talents and gifts but, seemingly conversely, we are also expected to rely fully on Christ in our lives. In a lot of ways I want to be independant in the sense of my confidence in myself and my abilities. However, from my experience I also know how much I have had to rely on the Lord in my life. With that I have relied on and found strength from family and friends. Heavenly Father and Christ's goal for us is our happiness, which comes as we become more like them. As they are perfect beings, as we have been commanded to do, we must strive to become perfect. Therefore, we must work exploit our talents as well as develop new skills. Christ isn't there to take away our strength or replace our responsibility but help us on the road to becoming stronger and better. No matter how good "my way" to solving a problem is if combined with the ideas of others in unification the product will be a superior solution. Like with our reltionship with Christ. We must exert all that we can and then as we humbly rely on Him and His everlasting Atonement we will be able to reach our greatest potential.
Jesus Christ came to Earth to organize His church and lead by example. He taught vital doctrine and performed miracles but the greatest reason for his life on Earth was to fulfill the Atonement. This Atonement redeems us, it lifts us up. Christ suffered for us, meaning he experienced first hand our sins, guilt, weaknesses, trials, pains so that He would know how best to help us. Our Savior willingly died for us on the cross and then resurrected. This complete Atonement is Christ's purpose. Thanks to the resurrection Christ lives, we have a living Savior. He knows us and loves us. He never judges or punishes, instead, he extends mercy, love, and help through all of life's challenges. The reminder of Easter is that as a living Savior, Jesus Christ can bless our lives today if we want it. Never will he force His power over us, we must learn of His light and then seek Him and as we reach out to Him he will envelope us with His love and joy. I know that Jesus Christ lives and loves us. This life has a purpose: for us to progress to become more like our Father in Heaven. We must try to be the best that we can, always relying on Christ because with Him we are stronger. Let us be humble and willing to accept help as well as smart, able, and confident. I am forever grateful for this knowledge I have and promise that through prayer all may feel the love of God.
I love you all and wish a you miłego, dobrego, cudnownego tygodnia!
z miłością,
Starszy Kimball
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