December 28, 2010

Well, this has been a great week, Wysoych Swiat!

We worked hard, went through the branch list and found less-actives all over Katowice, Gliwice, Sosnowiec, and Zabrze, gave them banana bread, a Christmas card with the Living Christ on it, and invited them to come to church on Dec 26th. We missed a lot of buses, got lost a few times, and ate banana bread in the dark and cold while we waited for the bus, but we quite a few people came who hadn't been in a long time. (less-actives here are pretty much the same as inactives in the States).

On Christmas Eve we had wrapped copies of the Book of Mormon and rolls of the Living Christ and Family Proclamation and handed them out to a ton of people. Then we went to Pawel (Pah-veh-w)'s house. He invited all of the missionaries over for w'gilia dinner; which is a huge Polish tradition, and we got to have the 12 course feast with the 7 missionaries and senior couple, Pawel, and the branch president. Pawel doesn't live with any family and lives, like most Poles, in a tiny 3 room apartment, but is SO happy all of the time. He loves the church and the missionaries. I said "ty jestesz najlepszy Pawel" (you are the best, Pawel) and in return he says "Nie, Siostry, Jezus CHRYSTUS jest najlepszy!!' Ha, he's awesome.

Anyways. The meal was an adventure. I was full after the first round of beet soup, but then came the fried cod, crazy salad, raviolli, and pickled herring. I took one for the team and helped others finish the huge servings of seconds that Pawel gave them. The herring is raw and called 'sledge'. I still am dealing with repercussions from the choice to eat 6 pieces of it (even though the last one didn't really stay down...) The next course I thought was banana bread, so I took a huge bite of it, ended up being surprise meatloaf/pate business, which isn't terrible except for when you think it is banana bread :). We ate two large desserts that were pretty good and waddled back to the chapel.

My district is awesome and we acted out the Nativity! I was a shepherd of course, and we helped supply costumes for the Elders. I video taped it so I'll try to figure out a way to get it home to you. Christmas morning we made scones and watched everyone open presents. One elder had like 5 different presents that were different kinds of pens or pencils. Ah, missionary Christmas.

We had some great meetings this week, and I am getting the confidence to just speak up and say what input I have, even though it takes a lot of time and corrections to have them understand what I'm trying to say. I am trying to figure out ways to be a more effective missionary, but I feel like a huge part of that is just getting to be proficient in the language. I still am surprised, I thought that missionaries would be fluent and have the language down solid after a few months here, but most of them still struggle a lot. Yikes. That just means harder studying for me. Also, I am starting SYL-ing (Speak Your Language - basically speaking in Polish all the time, even with companions) all of the time starting tomorrow, I'm excited. I think it will help my Polish to improve drastically.

I have also been studying and trying to implement good ways to be worthy of, feel, act on, and teach with the Spirit. It has been going well so far and I think is so necessary especially right now when my language is a weakness. If I can be quicker at testifying and teaching new doctrine to everyone I meet, whether in a lesson, on the street or on the bus, the Spirit can help take over and make up for my lack of ability. I also am trying to be completely ready and out of the house exactly on time so I can qualify more for the spirit and direction (that is rough with all of the layers we have to put on!). Oh, and I get to teach a Stop Smoking program with Sister Brown next week in all Polish to a heavy chain smoking investigator we have, we'll see how that goes.

Adam gets baptized tonight!! It almost didn't happen, the swimming pool we usually use wasn't available which caused some stress, but things worked out, and his dad and whole family are coming to watch and support him. (the Sisters say they have never had a family at a baptism, so its a big deal. We also don't have a single family in the Katowice branch, crazy) It will be wonderful. He is so strong!

This last week I read a talk from the conference Ensign about being being a good teacher, and so many of the points struck out to me. If I can share my passion, attitude of love for this gospel and how much it has blessed me, others will feel my love for it and them and it will me more natural for me to extend bold commitments without them feeling pressured into it. I also came kept coming across the phrase "be thou an example of the believer" and read the talk by Elder Oaks and in PMG (Preach My Gospel) about it in relation to our purpose as missionaries. Missionary work has a lot more 'transit' time and hang time then I thought, we aren't just teaching people every single hour. I think that how I act, what I say at meals, on the bus, in the chapel, at slow times on the street, will make a big difference on the impression that I leave of the church, and success that we will be able to have here. I am trying to always be a good representative of Christ, and not a 21 yr old girl with her friends.

Well, I should go probably, but I love you. P-days are on Mondays now, so I will email then and get pictures to you then as well. It was so great to talk to everybody! Merry Christmas, happy new year, the church is true!
-Siostra Stay

p.s. If people want to write letters they can write directly to my apartment and I can check it daily instead of sending it through the pouch and getting it once a transfer. You just send it in a normal envelope and air-mail stamp and I will write back! I can't write any emails to anyone but the one family email a week. I will have this address until at least March. I love you!

Sister Dominique Stay
ul. Korfantego 22/15
40-127 Katowice, POLAND