The Details of Our Lives

October 20, 2014

Hello Family,

Oh what an interesting week it has been. Then again, most weeks are pretty interesting when you are living in a foreign country! Well we are all settling in after transfers, Sister Tobler and I were already settled though haha. Our new district is great and I am excited for the next transfer to come. On Wednesday Sister Tobler had mission training with all of the other mission leaders, so that left me the odd one out. This happened to me when I first got into the country at the beginning of first transfer. That was the time that Sister Hemming and I went and contacted at the University. Well this time it was my turn to take the newbie out by myself. Which is pretty funny considering I still feel like the newbie. Only one sister arrived in the new batch of missionaries, and let me tell ya, she is adorable. Her name is sister Simkins and she is from Utah. She was so happy to be here and to be a missionary, it was great! I hope we are companions someday! We got to chat a bit at the MTC since we overlapped and it was great to finally be reunited. I have to admit I was terrified to go out and do some street teaching with her because that meant I was going to really have to take the lead. You should have seen what a nervous wreck I was before I picked her up, but Sister Simkins and I set out and some cool miracles happened. Nothing huge happened, but it was really cool to see little miracles in my language as I really pushed myself and tried to talk with everyone! I even had like a five minute conversation with some really nice old lady, which is am 60% sure I kinda knew what was going on haha. Five minutes sounds like nothing, but it was huge to me! Sister Simkins was a huge help too! I remember feeling so terrified when I first arrived, but she had such courage and happiness for the work we were doing that it gave me courage. There were some pretty rocky contacts we made haha, but It was huge a big blessing to see that I have made some progress since I have arrived. The Lord really does bless His missionaries with the gift of tongues.

The people who accept the gospel are so courageous. They have to make so many changes in their life, surrounded by a culture where church standards are definitely not normal, yet they do it all because they have faith and a desire. It is amazing to see that the Lord has prepared people even over here in Poland who are so ready for the word. We also have another cool investigator named Kaja who is so smart and great. She made us Persian food this week which was definitely different. She has so many questions it has really pushed Sister Tobler and I to study harder and better than ever.

Sister Tobler and I are busy planning meetings and activities left and right. We are planning and Halloween party for this Thursday for the Warsaw YSA's. There will be dinner, pumpkin carving, and caramel apple dipping. The older generations here really don't like Halloween here because it is a silly American Holiday, but the younger ones are more open. We shall have to see how that one goes. After that we are in charge of planning the huge open house at the Wolska chapel in Warsaw I. Instead of Halloween here, everyone celebrates Day of the Dead on Nov. 1. Everyone goes out and visits the graves of loved ones, which is cool because it is probably one of the only day's a year that Poland really focuses on families. The Wolska chapel is situated between two graveyards so it is a great opportunity to find some new investigators. So it is about to get a bit crazy, but I am excited, that is just the way I like it!

Through the help of the Lord and the atonement we can make the changes in our life that will make us better. It doesn't mean that it is easy, but hey, I really want to change and become better on this mission. Why not try to become the best I can. The Lord really is in the details of our lives. I know He is there and always listening. He has blessed me so much and so it is my privilege to be able to come to Poland and serve Him for such a short amount of time. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, and that the restored church really is true. The atonement and repentance are real and available to all of God's children. Living by the commandments and principles given to us by God through revelation truly does bring the most lasting and satisfying happiness to our lives. Seriously though this church really does just make sense, and I feel blessed every day to be a member of this church and to have the knowledge I do. I am a Mormon. I am an Adventurer. I am a student. I am a Sister Missionary. I am a Benson. And I am a Daughter of God. And this brings me joy! Have a great week everyone!
Love Sister Benson