March 7, 2010

Dearest Family :)
It's Sunday evening, and this isn't going to be the main letter I send off to you all, but I just want you to know that the week, and especially the weekend was brilliant. I am tired as can be, and I haven't been in a car so much in a very long time, but I am so happy and satisfied with the amazing experience I just had for the past few days. Ola is not yet baptized- I pray this next week it'll will happen. She has new work that is keeping her incredibly busy, but it'll be ok.
Tomas Kofod and his wife, Ane Marie, are so cool. Amazing human beings. Their english accents would rock your face off- Sister Kofod sounds like she's straight from America, and so does Tomas. He sang so beautifully and their conversion stories were incredibly powerful. The missionary that found and baptized Tomas didn't baptize a single other person his entire mission, and felt somewhat like a failure. Little did he know. I'll write more as soon as I can. Possibly tomorrow morning- i'm not sure.
One of the concerts was in Katowice- and that was such a good feeling to be back there. I love that city. I was sad that Carlos and Ela couldn't make it, but I'll hopefully see them next week.
I've not gotten much sleep, and i'm feeling it ha. I look forward to sleeping this evening- we'll see how that goes. I'm starting to learn that the Office doesn't sleep. No sir haha. I'm doing my best to man up and enjoy it. I've adopted the 'wake up and splash the coldest water you can find in your face' technique that you taught me father. I thought that was so ridiculous back then. Now it saves me in the first minutes of drowsy near-concsciousness.
Thank you so much for the e-mails from Elder McLaws. He sounds like he is in love with that country. Taiwan was made for him, and vice versa. I feel the same way about Poland. I love this country with all my heart. I hope you find this letter to Jakey boy. I can't believe we've been out for so long, and I can't believe their taking us so soon. It's a crime. But Carpe diem to the very last minute. I can only imagine how many missionaries' hero you are. You can add me to the number. Suck the marrow out of it all.
I could write you 300 pages about the last 3 days, it's ridiculous. The longer I write the more I'm worried that it won't be possible. Tomorrow will be incredibly busy in the office, and the day after will be Zone Conference in Warsaw for the Warsaw and Bydgoszcz Zones. It'll be wonderful. And slightly stressful. But more wonderful for sure.
We were in a meeting with President- Elder McRae, Packer and I- and I recieved a text message from Elder Slagowski. I was worried that something was wrong so I opened it as quietly as I could; our meeting was winding down anyways.
The text message read "Kamila zostanie ochrzczona." Kamila's getting baptized. I slapped my hands together out of pure excitement, and E.McRae asked me what happened, and I told everyone. It looks like Kamila's heart is really being softened. I'm so excited for her. I'll without a doubt be going back for that baptism too. From atheism, to baptism. Miracle.
Friday was the day Elder McRae and I picked up Tomas and Ane Marie, and we drove 6 hours to Wrocław for the South Zone Conference. We barely made it to the end, to see E. Slagowski and Terkowski give their dying testimonies. I cried tears of joy and sadness. I was joyful from the power and genuine spirit of love that flowed from the mouths of my former companions. They are my heroes as well. I will miss them, as well as everyone else that is leaving on the 26th of this month. I'm not ready for them to go home. So many of them have been my brothers and friends, and now they are leaving me. Not because they want to however. I am proud of them all. Elder McRae and Packer will give their dying testimony on Tuesday. That will be strange for me. I've talked to E.McRae for practically my entire mission. Unbelievable.
Ok, I've got to leave- we've got to finish some work. I'm glad I could jot this down for you all. I love you family so much. I pray that everything will continue to go as smoothly as it is now. I know you would write me a letter either way, ha. And i'm grateful for it. I love you my family. I've written that in letters for the past eternity I feel like, and I'll write it til the day I die. In the mission, and literally.
I love my mission. I adore growth and adversity. I adore problems and challenges and things that are hard for me to do. It's how we grow and learn. I had to translate for Tomas this morning in Łódź and it was a challenge, but the Lord blessed my to say what needed to be said. I was a wonderful experience.
I love teaching people the Gospel. I love how much sense the Gospel has. Everything can be explained. There is an answer for everything. Every single thing. We may not always be ready for it, but it is there. I love my Savior, and my Father in Heaven, for the blessings that i've been given to live here, in Poland, in this body of mine, surrounded by these people. Everything has a reason. The Lord knows us, and knows our trials and discomforts and struggles, and will never let us struggle more then we can handle. I remember Ryan's comparison when he compared our life to learning to swim. It's perfect. I love my cousin so much, and my best friends, and for everything they teach me. From the letters that i have closely followed for the past 20 something months i've been inspired to better teach these people here. I am simply grateful. I don't know why I was given what I was. I remember what Burke taught us, and now it makes so much sense why that was the theme of our floor in 2100 Stover Hall. "With great power, comes great responsibility." We are so blessed, and so much is, therefore, required. Everyday is a day for growth and learning. Oh how grateful I am for this.
Have an absolutely wonderful week. I'll write a lot in my Journal about the last few days so you can read it later.
Tomas was so humble and kind. His testimony was deep and true. President Engbjerg is such a man of God. I respect him and love him very much.
I heard more Danish in the last 3 days then ever in my entire life. It was hilarious. But it was wonderful. That language is crazy. I have no idea how E.Ockey speaks that stuff. :P
I love you family. Talk to you next week.

p.s. Ma, I don't know if you had the chance to send a second e-mail, but if you did I didn't get it. Maybe you didn;t have time, or maybe it sent and my e-mail just didn't get it, either way, it's ok :) I loved the first one, as well as yours father. You are the greatest parents in the world. I really do want you to come to Poland if you can. You have to see this place. It is fantastic :)