Monday, December 09, 2013 5:24 AM Dearest Family. And Friends.

So. Um. Hey.

Fun story. Last week I got emails from my peeps (translation: Mom, Dad, Will, and Babs) and they're all like, "Hey! Frozen was so good! Yeah, like, Disney rocks. And the music? In-credible. Sorry you're a missionary and you don't watch movies ..." (minus they didn't say the last part about being a missionary. That's what I was thinking as I read it. And every time I passed a poster for it. And every time I pass a poster for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. That's a kick in the chicklets, lemme tell ya. Oh, and there's this HUGE, building-size poster for it, with Bilbo and Sting - AH. Kill me. Just kill me now. But not really. I love being a missionary. And it's not like a year and a half is forever, anyways. I'll watch movies soon enough. And in the mean time, I'll be a missionary.. It's a good trade-off. Anyways ... Where was I ... Ah. Yes. Parantheses.) So. I was later at the mall. Because that's a fun P-Day hang-out. And we were at Empik. And Elder Pieper was like, "Hey, check it out!" And he pulls out the Frozen CD po polsku. And I was like, "WHAT!?" And then (and this is all a little fuzzy, because the excitment overcame me) I think I snatched it out of his hands and was like, "WHOA!" Yeah. I've turned into a snatcher. Embarrassing. Anyways. Long story short,  I bought the CD. And it totally rocks. The music is SO beautiful. I'm just like, "YES." So beautiful.

This week Sister M and I worked a lot on the Christmas fireside we're doing for the branch. Which may or may not end up happening during church (BOO. But Elder Finch is going to try to talk to President Marian and get it changed to Friday night). Anyways. Elder Finch delegated the fireside to us (lucky us, right?) He was like, "You're sisters! Planning parties is what you do!" ... True. It's true. I don't appreciate the confined assumption of gender roles, but it's true. And honestly, who would leave planning something like this to elders anyways? A crazy. That's who. So we've been working on that. If all goes according to plan, it'll be AWESOME! If not? Well ... At least we tried, right? Right. 

I bought a coat this week! So maybe (MAYBE) I won't freeze and die this winter! Hallelujah! My coat is big and fluffy and purple and long, and basically, it brings me insurmountable joy. And I also got a pair of fake leather gloves so I can wear them AND pass out ulotki (my giant mittens are freaking cute, and super warm, but they're basically useless when it comes to passing out ulotki). Merry Christmas, me! Now I need to find more socks ... I'll be okay, but my feet get SO cold! They, like, turn numb, and then I walk really awkwardly until they get tingly, and then I was even MORE awkwardly, and then they return to a state of relative normal. It's marvelous. Oh Poland. How I love thee. This going to be the Best Winter EVER! (... Or something like that, anyways ...)

Also last week we spend some time Wednesday helping the Tuellers figure out Łódź. Those poor kids. I feel so bad. They've got no idea what they're doing. Apparently the MTC didn't teach them anything, poor lambs! They ask us all the time, "Now, do we do this? Should we do that?" And we're like, "Ummm ... Sure?" We are totally not helpful. Because we've never been a senior couple before! We don't know what senior couples do! Poor babies. It's like they're two little trainees without a trainer, and neither speaks a lick of Polish. That's a tragedy right there. But they'll be okay. They'll figure it out in no time, and they'll do just fine. They're so cute.

So we teach Advanced English. ... Oh. Correction. We TAUGHT Advanced English. We have a senior couple now, so that responsibility is no longer ours. Which is actually super sad. Because guess what? We've got the COOLEST Advanced English class EVER. Mostly because of two of the students. Student One: Bartek. He's AWESOME. He works for the police department (or something like that ...), and he used to the be the second best weight lifter in the country. And he lived in Georgia The Country for a year. And he comes every week, and the poor sucker has to reintroduce himself every week because we kept getting new students. Anyways. He's awesome. And last week he brought us Kaki (the spelling is questionable ...) because the very first week we taught we were talking about what we would plant in our gardens if we could plant anything, and he said he'd plant Kaki because it's his favorite fruit. And we were like, "What the heck is that?" And he tried explaining it, and we had NO idea what he was talking about. So last week, he brought us some. What?! I know, I know. He rocks. Student Two: Maksim. Maksim is from Ukraine, and he is possibly the most pleasant person I've EVER met. He's just so nice! And happy! And - let's get real - we're in Poland. Nice and happy are in rather short supply in this country. So that's great. We love Maksim. And - it gets even COOLER than nice and happy! - Elders Finch and Fogg are teaching him, and he's TOTES interested in the Gospel! Ah. Maksim is the best. This guy is TOTALLY getting baptized. We are going to miss our English class, dang it! 

Okay, so Tuesday was the Best Day Ever. BECAUSE. Guess what? I got my Christmas package! And a card from my Mama! On the same exact day. Whoa, right? The timing of the shipping and the postal service was perfect. Basically, I was immensely happy. My package ROCKED. Oh man. SO GREAT. Babs - that scarf is seriously gorgeous. I LOVE it! And Grandma Young - I LOVE the ornament! It's on my tree right now! I was seriously spoiled SO rotten on Tuesday! 

Well, it's been a real slice. (Nazywaj ten film!) I'm out.

Much love!

Siostra Young

Deuteronomy 4: 29-31

Monday, December 02, 2013 5:33 AM Thanksgiving. Charlie Brown Style.

You know what? When you're in Poland, Thanksgiving is hard. They just haven't learned to appreciate Thanksgiving in this country. In fact, they don't even sell turkeys here. They just don't do it. So our Thanksgiving was a LITTLE bit sketchers. This is Poland. This is how we do. So. How was Thanksgiving, you ask? Lemme tell ya. It started out with a whiteboard with Elders Finch and Fogg. And we were trying to decide what to do, and we were like, "It's Thanksgiving. It's gotta be Thanksgiving-y." And then Elder Finch was like, "But we're in Poland. Is that okay? Will they be alright with that? We're already trying to get them on board with the Book of Mormon, and they already think we're an American church. Is that too much?" And Elder Fogg's like, "Well, we are centered in America. They can get used to it now or later. Let's do it." And we're like, "Yeah, okay!" So we decided to draw a turkey on our whiteboard. So Elder Fogg and I combined our talents and drew a BEAUTIFUL turkey, and then underneath wrote, "Co to jest?" What is this? Genius, I know. Except, everyone kept guessing CHICKEN. It was OBVIOUSLY a turkey! What a bunch of goobers. So we're standing there, talking to people, and from across this street this construction worker pokes his head out of the door, and yells, "To indyk, no?" And we were like, "TAK!" Yeah boy! Ah. What a priceless moment. It was wonderful. So. Then we did actual Thanksgiving. We had pizza, chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, pasta salad, jello, and apple pie. Uh huh. That was our Thanksgiving dinner. Elder Pieper brought the pasta salad, and he made me try it. He literally scooped it up and put in on my plate and watched to make sure I ate it. It was alright, but I'm still not a big pasta salad fan. Oh - and later, we were eating jello, and Elder Pieper was explaining to me how you're supposed to swish it through your teeth (because that's fun), so I tried it, and I was like, "Hm. I don't like it." And Elder Finch was like, "You don't like my jello?" and I was like, "No, no! The jello's great!" And he was like, "I'm not offended or anything. I made it out of a box." And I was like, "No, really! It's great jello!" And then Elder Pieper was like, "Jeez, Sister Young. You don't like his jello?" Little punk. Anyways. Moral of the story. Thanksgiving was good, but definitely unorthodox. I've never had a Thanksgiving quite like it. And if I never had a Thanksgiving like it again ... well, I'd be alright with that.

On Wednesday we got our new senior couple! That was super fun! Elder and Sister Teuller (spelling is sketch ...) are from Utah, and they're brand spankin' new to the country! But they're SO SWEET! We love them already! They are going to be EXCELLENT fake grandparents! They are seriously so sweet. 

On Tuesday (sorry - this week is all backwards!) after District Meeting, we talked to this crazy lady named Elenora. We were walking home and this lady asked us directions, and I don't know how to say, "So you'll walk to this intersection and turn left, and Piotrkowska's just one street over" in Polish, but I'm trying, and Elenora walks up and she hears the slaughter of her native tongue that's going down and answers the lady's question, then she looks at me, and she's like, "How do you not know how to speak Polish?" Um, I BEG your pardon? And I'm like, "Oh, well, we're from the States." And then (as per usual) she's like, "OH! The STATES!" Everyone over here loves America. You tell them you're from the States, and you've got a new friend. Who wants you to find a way to get them there. Which is not possible. But hey. Whatever. So. Then she wants us to translate a postcard for her into Polish from English. And the gist of the postcard is this: I didn't lie about the gambling, I just never told you! Come to America! I miss you! What kind of soap opera have we just walked into, am I right? So then she gives us the backstory on this guy from the States she met twenty something years ago, and apparently they had a bit of a thing, but they're both married, and blah blah blah, and he flew to Warsaw to see her, and blah blah blah and he has a really nice house in America (yeah - she showed us a picture - it wasn't that nice) and his wife is really nice and younger than she is and so on and so forth. And then we got random rants about how she wants to live in the Sierra Nevadas with bears, and the Pope said JW's know the bible well, and then - and this was my favorite part - she asked us to hook her up with old men from America. Um, yeah, NO. I'm NOT going to do that. She was a crazy. But a very interesting crazy. That was probably the most entertaining conversation I've EVER had, and I didn't even understand 100% of it. Ah, Poland. What a lovely country. 

I got LETTERS on Tuesday as well! Thanks Mama! And cousins! And Babs - your picture is BEAUTIFUL! I hung it up on my wall. I love it. :)

Can I just tell you all how much I love this district? They are so fun! Ah. I love them. I tell ya, the start of every single transfer, I'm like, "Hm. I'm not sure about these people. They seem weird. I don't know if I'm going to like them. I miss my old district." And then, after a couple weeks, I'm like, "OH MY HECK I LOVE THESE PEOPLE!" You'd think I'd learn from this at some point. Or not. Whatever. I guess as long as I end up loving them all, it's okay. But I seriously love them. My comp - she is so great. I LOVE Sister M! And our elders are HILARIOUS. I think they're great. We have so much fun. 

Speaking of the D. We assigned Spirit Animals. Yep. The Spirit Animal thing is cool again. (Again? Who am I kidding - Spirit Animals are ALWAYS cool.) Elder Finch is a raven (no, the irony of his animal being a bird is not lost on us. But he's just so bird-like!), Elder Fogg is a wolf, Elder Gibby is a caribou (he was originally a giraffe, but we changed it), Elder Pieper is a lynx, Sister Montesinos is a fox, and I am yet undecided. I've offically decided that being a sea otter is cheating because I chose it myself. And you can't choose your own Spirit Animal. That is the first rule of Spirit Animal assigning. Anyways. I'll keep you all posted.

Apparently Elders Finch and Fogg saw a magazine at the bank, and it said that Łódź was voted the ugliest city in Poland. If that's not depressing, I don't know what is. But whatevs. It reall isn't that bad. It's has it's own sort of charm. You just have to look really hard to find it. (And I mean REALLY hard ...) I was talking to Elder Caskey last week for a few minutes, and he said that Kato is WAY uglier. But I don't know ... It's hard to disagree with a magazine in a bank. That stuff's legit. (However, Kato was voted second ugliest ... Maybe they flipped a coin ...)

Good news - I've officially been out over 9 months! Whoa nelly! That is SO crazy!  I can't believe it! Sometimes, I'm like, "What? 9 months!? When did THAT happen?! I left yesterday!" And then sometimes I'm like, "What? Only 9 months? Haven't I been gone three years?" It's weird. This missionary time. I'm telling you. I'm never going to get used to it. 

So. Yeah. That was my week. PRETTY exciting stuff. You should all feel free to be jealous. Because I'm guessing none of you ate pizza for Thanksgiving. So SO sad. You poor saps. You haven't truly celebrated Thanksgiving until you've celebrated it with pizza.

LOVE YOU ALL!

Siostra Young

1 John 4

Monday, November 25, 2013 5:32 AM Yeah. I still can't think of a good title. Sorry.

Hi People! (You know, family, friends, random readers of things on the internet - all of you!) I hope you're all having the most CHARMING of days! My day started out PRETTY rockin'!

My alarm goes off at 6:30. At 6:36, I'm awake. Just laying on my bed. Trying to find the motivation to brush my teeth (don't be judgin' - you can NEVER get enough sleep as a missionary. It jsut isn't possible).. And then my phone goes off. 

I'm like, "Ergh (that's the sound of tiredness). What? I already turned off the alarm. Oh. Łódź DL. Huh. 'Ello? Um. This is Sister Young?" 

"Hey Sister Young! This is Elder Finch!" 

"Hi, Elder Finch?" Note that all my comments end in question marks. That's because I'm confused, and my brain is still not fully functioning. 

"Hi! *words words words*"

"Um, what?"

"*words words words*"

"I'm sorry - what?"

"*words words words, but more emphathetically this time*"

"Snow? There's snow?"

"Yeah! There's SNOW!"

And now I almost fall out of bed, trying to get to the window ... Okay, well, not actually "almost". I really just fell out of bed. It was kinda embarrassing. So I stumble over to the window, and what do you know! There's SNOW out there! Granted, not much. But it's THERE! Meanwhile, Elder Finch is still on the phone, apologizing for calling and saying he's weird in the morning (aren't we all, Elder Finch?). And then I made myself some hot chocolate and turned on Elder Fogg's iPod (more on that later) to Mannheim Steamroller. YEAH BABY. My morning rocked today.

Anyways. Due to the changing of the season, the sun sets PRETTY dang early here. At, like, 4 o'clock. That's quite early. And when I say the sun sets, I mean, we're, like, plunged into darkness.. We should probably be carrying flashlights with us everywhere we go. At home, I'd love this sort of thing. In Poland? As a missionary? Not so much. Because that means that I have to wander dark creepy streets, contacting people like a creeper, in the dark. Boo. But hey, we live and we learn. And we find other things to do. Like TRACTING. Yay. And Former Hunts. And Less-Active Hunts. Missionary work - always such an adventure.

On a spiritual note, we did a whiteboad with Elders Finch and Fogg, and I talked to the COOLEST lady. Her name is Iza. And she was SO NICE. Oh my heck. So nice. And I was talking to her about the Księga, and telling her how it helped me, and she was just like, "Yeah? Oh, okay." I could tell she was really, like, soaking in what I said. And the way she looked at the Księga, like it held the answers - it was so cool! Because guess what? That book DOES hold the answers! It was awesome. And as I was talking to her, and testifying about the Book of Mormon, I just thought to myself, "Okay, so this is what it's all about, isn't it? THIS is missionary work. And it's super cool." Sometimes I have these moments where I remember that being a missionary is awesome (because - I'm not going to lie - sometimes I forget), and I'm justl ike, "YES! LET'S BAPTIZE POLAND!" And then I realize there's no font big enough to baptize an entire country. Except, the ocean. That would work. Anyways. 

I had my first experience with alcohol this week. Good news - I am not EVER going to touch that crap again. And stop worrying RIGHT now - it was all an accident. A tragic, TRAGIC accident. You see. We were with Elders Pieper and Gibby at Manekin. Getting naleśniki. Of course. And Elder Pieper's came with this caramel sauce. So, naturally, he tried it. And then he was like, "WHOA. There is something up with that stuff." And I was like, "What are you talking about, kid? It's caramel sauce." And he was like, "Try it!" And I was like, "Alright." So I tried it, and guess what? It was fetching disgusting. Firstly, it tasted like the smell of Larry. EW. And then, it burned going down. Like, burned. So. Now we know it's alcoholic. And it's foul. And for serious - NEVER AGAIN. Good news, parents. I'm not going to go home and turn into an alcoholic. That's not happening.

Since Sister Wendel left and we are senior couple-less, I am the branch pianist. Yes. Thanks for making me take lessons all those years, Mom. Now, I have to play for Sacrament Meeting. Greeeeeeeat. But really - I love it. I thought I didn't, but I do. Piano is my favorite thing. And I didn't realize I actually missed it until I started playing agian. Ah. I can't wait to be at home someday and play REAL music, not just hymns. But. Until then. I'll play in Sacrament Meeting, and it'll be grand.

So - Elder Fogg's iPod. Like, 80% of it is SUPER not wolno (apparently his brother got ahold of it before his dad sent it to him. And by not wolno, I mean SUPER NOT WOLNO. As in, Taylor Swift. And Journey. And Boston. And Imagine Dragons. The tempation is great - but don't worry. I'm tough. I only listen to the wolno stuff). But the other 20% - man, it is good. Okay, well, mostly I listen to his Lord of the Rings music. Because he has a freakin' ton of it. But it ROCKS, and I LOVE it. He has Misty Mountains, from The Hobbit - AH! Can I just tell you all how complete my life now is? SO COMPLETE! LOTR - it's like my comfort music. My comfort food is bean soup with toasted cheese sandwiches. My comfort movie is Sleeping Beauty with Emily and Dad. And My comfort music is LOTR soundtrack. 

Sister M is still SUPER AWESOME. And - good news - she's a QUOTER! A really really good quoter. Ah. It brings me so much joy. I love ALL my companions, they are all incredible. But none of them, until now, have been quoters. It's like coming home, man! I am so happy! She's so great. I love her. Fun Fact - her mother is from Poland (Poznań) and her dad is from Chile. And she's American. She doesn't speak with an accent. She does speak Spanish, but she didn't learn Polish until the MTC (because, let's be honest, it's kind of a useless language. And I say this with all the love of my soul! I LOVE Polish. SO MUCH. But it's useless outside of Poland). She's SUPER COOL. 

I think that's all I've got for ya, dzieci. Thanks for the love and support and prayers! I promise - they're much appreciated!

Siostra Young

Monday, November 18, 2013 5:48 AM Shweet!

Hey guys! What's the word on the street back in the States? (It's an awkward beginning, I know. I just get tired of writing the same thing every week. I'm experimenting. Clearly, it still needs a little work.)

Things are PRETTY great here in Łódź. I'm just, you know, lovin' life. Bein' a missionary. Preachin' the G. What more could a Sistah want?

You know what? I really hate when people call me, "Sister." Sister Young is okay, Siostra Young is great, I LOVE Siostro and Siost, but Sister? Just plain old Sister? Ugh. NOT a fan.

Anyways.

You know how we have "exercise" every morning for thirty minutes? Yeah. NO. It's the worst thrity minutes of my life. I'm not doing anything. I'm being awake. That is literally all I'm doing. My exercise time consists of me, congratulating myself on being awake and trying not to remember the joy that is sleeping in. I need to get a hobby or something. Maybe I'll invest in a jump rope .... Or ... I don't know. Something. It's just lame.

Beata still rocks. We met with her Saturday and talked about church and Sabbath Day and she was like, "So, am I allowed to come see what church is like? I know I'm not a member, but is that okay?" YES! PLEASE COME TO CHURCH! And she was going to come yesterday, but she woke up sick. Dangit, Satan! Stop making my investigators sick! I mean, REALLY. That's just low.

We have this little boy that comes to Dzieci English. His name is Julek.. He is HILARIOUS. We were talking about food last time, and we were playing pictionary, and he would walk up to the board to draw his food, and then he'd look back at everyone and say, "Give me time to finish." And then they'd guess what he was drawing really fast, and he'd just keep going until he was done. He is a boy with some serious personality. My favorite was when he drew his cake. They all guessed cake, and then he kept going, and when he was done, he stepped back and looked at his masterpiece, and said, "Now THAT is a cake." YES. I love this kid. I'd steal him, if that were in any way acceptable. Unfortunately, missionaries aren't allowed to have pets. White handbook. And I'm feeling like children fall into the same category.

LOVEYOU ALL! Have the most incredible of weeks, and I promise to write more next week!

Siostra Young

Tuesday, November 12, 2013 5:36 AM Week 1, Transfer 4. Let's do this thing.

Well. Here we are. Start of the transfer. Let's do this thing! (Nazywaj ten film!)

Sister Montesinos. Is SUPER awesome. She's from Salt Lake (uh ... Midvale? Or something? There are too many outlying territories that belong to SLC. I just can't keep track.) She's been out one transfer, so techicnally speaking, I'm finishing her training. What does that mean exactly? No one is quite sure. But we just go with it. She served her first transfer in Warsaw with my MTC siost Sister Lidtka, so that's fun! She was actually Sister Tobler's MTC comp (Fun Fact - Sister Tobler and Sister Pearson are comps - what the awesome?! I know, I know. That companionship just spells FUN.) She LOVES movies (YES), and books (YES), and the Gospel (YES) - so basically, everything is working out A-okay here w Łodzi. Look out! PS - She LOVES Northanger Abbey. Let's take a moment to appreciate the awesomeness of that statement. NO ONE loves Northanger Abbey! Except for me. And every other classy human being on the planet (which is a surprisingly - and quite frankly disconcertingly - small number). Ah. I am so happy. She is super awesome! Her Polish is good, she's got energy, we both think we're pretty funny - it's just a dream come true. But, you know, whatever.

Good news! I have been informed that Łódź is indeed getting a new senior couple! Hallelujah! I just want to get up and do some Gospel choir singing or something! Senior couples are the BEST. Oh my heck. I'm so excited. I didn't even know how rough I had it back in Kraków (which I suppose is a sort of blessing ... but given the choice, I'd probably just take the senior couple ...).

On Sunday night we were Less Active hunting (yes. Hunting. It's what we do - don't even worry about it). So we ended up in a sketchy looking neighborhood, outside a REALLY sketchy looking building. The freaky kind, that doesn't even have a domophone. It's just like a weird gaping hallway that leads out onto the street, and then you walk in, and on either side there are doors, and behind the doors are scary stairs that end up who knows where. It's kind of a Larry dwelling. (Larry: a homeless person who carries around grocery bags full of garbage and empty beer bottles; dirty, old, scary, smelly. See also, hobo.) So. Here we are. And we see this Larry looking lady. And I was like, "Ohhhh boy." So we go out onto the street, trying to decide what the next course of action will be, and Larry Lady walks out. I was thinking, "You know, I ought to say hi to her." And then I was like, "Yeah. That's a good idea. Say hello to the scary woman. And then she'll grab my bag and run. That's intelligent." And then I was like, "No, no. She's a daughter of God. He loves her. Just say hi. Come on. It's easy." So I was like, "Dzień dobry!" (but out loud this time - not in my head. That would have been weird. And she wouldn't have heard.) And she was like, "Dzień dobry. I think you're looking for me." (Of course, that was po polsku) And I was like, "What?! Krysyna?!" And she was like, "Yep!" And I was like, "Oh.. Well, cool!" So. She's our less active. And we're meeting with her tonight. She was VERY nice, and I kinda feel like scum for calling her a Larry Lady. You shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, friends. So maybe I'll have something more interesting to report about her next week.

We didn't meet with Beata last week (SO SAD!) because she was really busy and then she was in Kielce with family. But we're meeting with her this week, so things are looking up! She is so great. We've got daily contact established with her, and sometimes I feel weird about that, but she's TOTALLY chill and doesn't even mind when we text and call her (even though, if it were me, I think that MIGHT possibly freak me out a little bit. Just imagine it - you're meeting with these missionaries, who want you to get baptized, and then they start calling you and texting you. Everyday. I mean, that's what we're supposed to do, and that's comin' from PMG and mission president and everything, but still. It's a little weird.)

Well. I gotta run. Catch you all on the flip! (I was informed by Elder Finch that that means something about people dying ... I don't believe it. And I'm still going to say it. So. That's awkward. But whatever. It's fine.)

LOVE YOU ALL!

Siostra Young

Monday, November 04, 2013 5:12 AM FORWARD UNTO DAWN

Well. I would NORMALLY start out this email like, "Hey Family! Guess what? Transfer calls happened, and you'll never believe it - I'm staying in Łódź! And Sister Monetsinos is coming here!" But apparently that news is already out. How - I'm still not quite sure. But whatever. It's fine. It's not like I enjoy sharing the surprise of where and with whom I'll be spending Christmas and Thanksgiving. It's like, whatever.

So. Forward Unto Dawn Week was INCREDIBLE. Up until yesterday. But more on that later.

Monday. P-DAY. Er ER! (If you know what this is, you just made it onto the Cool People List. If you don't, well ... I'm sorry. And if you think maybe you know, but you can't be sure, because how do make that sound when you're typing, I'll put you out of your misery. This is a Baby Mama quote. You're welcome.) I loves me some P-Day. We were GOING to go ice skating with the elders, but guess what? The place doesn't open until 18:00. Right when P-Day ends. Which is ultra lame. Then we had a lesson with a less active named Irena. She's SUPER cool. The reason she's less active is becasue she's blind, so it's hard for her to get to church. But she's got a rock solid testimony, and she's a sweetheart. I like her.

Tuesday. We did a MEGA WHITEBOARD with the elders for Halloween. There are about 3 gagillion J-Dub missionaries roaming the streets in Poland, and since they're anti-Halloween, we decided to go the opposite direction. We carved jack o'lanterns with the elders and put them up at the white board and asked people what they were afraid of. It was QUITE a party.

Wednesday. CULTURE NIGHT! AND a lesson with Beata! We talked with Beata about Słowo, and she was TOTALLY okay with it. Yeah boy! Then we had Culture Night. We ate at a Polish restuarant (I wasn't a huge fan, but it was okay), and then we went and saw FIDDLER ON THE ROOF! Po polsku! If that's not the coolest thing EVER, I don't know what is! And I was actually surprised by how much I was able to understand - not because I know the play, but because I know Polish! (And I use the phrase "know Polish" VERY loosely - but hey! If I was able to understand a musical po polsku, maybe I understand more than I give myself credit for!)

Thursday. Halloween! Woo hoo! Halloween actually isn't a thing in Poland. They just don't really do that. But we had a Halloween party with the YSA's at the Lloyd's house, and that was SUPER fun! Ewa and Milena BOTH came, so that was pretty crazy! We think maybe we'll be able to bring them back into investigating the church. But we'll see. Elders Caskey and Fogg had an investigator there (who they'd never actually met before, so that was weird), and he was an ODD duck. Like, I was standing in the kitchen, watching people carve pumpkins, and he came over, and, like, petted my arm. Yeah. It's exactly as weird as it sounds. Or maybe even weirder. He just walked up and rubbed my arm for a couple seconds, and then I was like, "Ooookay, well that's enough of THAT crap," and high-tailed it right out of there. Oh Poland. Oh Poland.

Friday. All Saint's Day. This day is a BIG DEAL in Poland. Basically everyone buys a bunch of flowers and candles and things, and take them to the graves of their deceased relatives. We went to a cemetary with the elders, and it was DECKED. Oh man. SO many candles and flowers. It was SUPER cool! It's a nice way to remember the people you love. So that was really fun. We walked around with them and looked at graves and talked, and it was just great.

Saturday. Actually, nothing of interest happened on Saturday.

Sunday. Yesterday. Transfer calls. I HATE THIS DAY SO MUCH. I am the biggest NOT fan of transfer calls on the planet. I had come to grips with the fact that I was probably staying in Łódź, and Sister Wendel was leaving me. I was ready for that. And I was also comfortable with the fact that Elder Wolfley would be out, because he had also been there for six months (same as Sister Wendel). I wasn't sure what was going to go down with Elder Finch, but I had prepared myself for the possibility of him leaving. What I was NOT prepared for was the fact that Elder Caskey is leaving. We've been talking about transfers for a few weeks now, and we were all SURE that Elders Caskey and Fogg and I would be staying in Łódź, and the others were leaving. That was the plan.. We were ready. But guess what? That did NOT pan out. Wolfley is going to Lublin, Sister Wendel is going to Warsaw (and I'm going to miss her! She's my KOLEŻANKA!), and Elder Caskey is going to Katowice. The good news is, I get to keep Elders Finch and Fogg! And they're going to be comps, so that'll be fun! It'll be great - we'll have an AMAZING transfer, I'm sure. I just don't like it when my people leave. It's dumb. I hate it. So I possibley cried a lot last night. And possibly cried a lot this morning. But whatever. It's all fine.

So that was my week. It was quite eventful. And now I'm just a little sad. What am I going to do without Sister Wendel? And Elder Caskey? And Elder Wolfley? Oh boy. Transfers are lame.

Oh, and guess what else? My sister is engaged. This just keeps getting better and better. Is there anything else lame that could happen? Maybe they could change the missionary age and William can leave on his birthday instead of waiting until school's out? Perhaps the dogs could die. Or ... or ... Oh, I don't know. I'm just over this crap.

Anyways. On a happy note (because let's end this on a happy note) ... The Church is true. That's a happy note.

LOVE YOU ALL!

Siostra Young

Monday, October 28, 2013 6:17 AM 'Ello, Friends!

Hey, everyone! Another week in the books. Crazy how that happens. Time. She is just a flyin'! And sometimes crawling. But that's alright too.

Speaking of time flying. Are we all aware of what yesterday was? For those of you NOT keeping very good calendars, it was my 8 Month Anniversary! When the heck did THAT happen? Good grief! Next transfer will be my half-way point! Half? When did HALF of my mission happen? Man. This freaks me out. It's just freaky. 

And. Now. Speaking of next transfer. Transfer calls are NEXT Sunday! Crazy, right?! Where did my TRANSFER go?! (Oh. Yes. That's right. I spent it in Warsaw ...) Okay. Not even. I was only in Warsaw about a week and a half in total. But still. This transfer went by crazy fast! I can hardly believe it's almost over! I'm guessing next transfer I stick around in Łódź. Which I'm TOTALLY okay with. But, I guess we'll see! Transfers are a little hard to predict. So - stay tuned! Next week I can inform you all of my location for the next two months of my life! Which will include Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. CRAZY!

So. I'm a missionary, right? And my name is Siostra Young. That's my name now. So it's weird, if I'm telling people a story, and it's from pre-mish, and I'm about to use my actual name, and then I'm like, "... Sister Young ..." Because guess what? Now, when I say my name, I feel like I'm swearing. I know. It's ridiculous. But I can't do it! I can't say my name! I feel dirty when I say it - like I'm breaking rules or the commandments or something. You can kiss the Celestial Kingdom good-bye! It's just weird. Being a missionary is such a strange experience. What's going to happen when I'm home someday, and EVERYONE calls me ... Anna. What the heck is THAT going to be like? And I'M going to be using first names too! Ugh. Freaky. I'm getting dizzy just thinking about it. Sorry, parents. I might have to be Siostra Young forever. We may need to look into a legal name change or something ... It's just going to be too weird.

I hope I'm not about to burst anyone's bubble when I say this, but sometimes, being a missionary is hard. I know. It's okay. And sometimes, you have rough days. Because somedays, people do NOT line the streets, waiting for their turn in the font. Weird, right? It's weird. But. Occasionally, it happens. But you know how you tell when you've had a REALLY rough day? When the ulotki people snub you. EVERYWHERE in Poland, on every street, by every mall - basically everywhere - there are people with flyers. They just hand them out. You know, advertisements for sales or guitar lessons or lawyers and whatnot. We call them ulotki people. And they'll do pretty much anything to get you to take their paper. They'll shove it into your hand. Or maybe a dozen of them (you know - so you can pass them on to your friends). And sometimes, you just don't want their stupid papers. You're going to throw them away in a few seconds anyways. What's the point? But also, sometimes you feel bad for them so you take the dumb paper and put it in your bag and throw it away later when they can't see you. Usually it's the latter (because I'm a bleeding heart and I care about humanity and I want even the ulotki people to feel like their job is successful). You know you've had a pretty crappy day, when you see those ulotki people, and you psyche yourself up to take their dumb paper, and then, as you walk past and look at them and prepare to say "Dziękuję," and smile politely, they don't even hold the stupid thing out to you. They snub you. Right there on the street. What the heck? Am I so repulsive to you? I have been NOTHING but kind to you people! I was even going to take your ulotka! How DARE you?! Somedays I have this experience. It's pretty great.

We have an investigator. Her name is Beata. She's getting BAPTIZED. (And when I say this, I actually mean it this time!) She's SO legit. The elders found her tracting (yes! TRACTING! Of all proselyting activities!) and then gave her to us, and now we teach her, and she's basically incredible. Her Baptismal Date is November 23, but we're going to have to move that because she hasn't been in church yet and she's going to be out of town the next three weeks with family and different things. But she's so awesome! When we were talking about baptism, she was like, "So, I'm a Catholic. I was baptized a Catholic. Does that count?" And I was thinking, "Oh boy. Here we go again!" I HATE this question. So I'm like, "Well, you remember how we talked about Priesthood authority? Well, we believe that only this Church has it. So you kinda need to be baptized in this church ..." (or something to that effect), and she was like, "So it doesn't count?" And I was like, "... No. ..." And she was like, "Oh. Well, alright! I was just wondering." I'm sorry, WHAT?! Usually, the conversation takes a very different (and ugly) turn at this point. Beata! I love you! She's so cool. And she REALLY likes the Book of Mormon. She says she wishes she had more time so she could read it more (she's quite busy. Going to med school and all that jazz). Isn't she INCREDIBLE!??! I'll keep you posted on her. She kinda rocks.

Last week we went to Warsaw. It was fine. Sister Wendel's blood levels are all looking a lot better. She's still not feeling 100%, but she's doing better! Yay for that! So, on the way home from Warsaw, as we sat on our train, we got to talking. About hair. We're girls. We do that. And then we decided to color our hair. Just like that. All very spur of the moment. Sister Wendel chickened out, but I didn't. I colored my hair that night. Well, technically Sister Wendel did it. And she did a FABULOUS job (seriously - if you need your hair colored, call her up! She's good!). So my hair is now nice and dark again. With maybe a tinch of red (tinch. It's a word). I quite like it. I've attached some before and after pictures for you all. Just, you know, because that's fun. I really do love that color. It's a lot like I had at home - we'll see if it sticks around or comes out like it usually does. It was funny - at institute I was talking to the elders, and Elder Finch was like, "I like your hair that color. You should make it permanent." And I was like, "Well. Alrighty then. Thank you." I was thoroughly amused, because I would LOVE for my hair to be permanently this color! It just so happens, my hair isn't a big fan of keeping dye in it very well. But it's fine. I'll keep dying it and life will go on.

Well. I think that's about all I got for this week. Next week will be more interesting, I'm sure. It's going to be a BIG week! Remember Mega Week back in Kraków? This is going to be the Łódź verson. And we've named it Forward Unto Dawn Week. Elder Caskey named it. Apparently it's from Halo. But I'm letting it go because I think it sounds cool. And it does, right? Right.

Well, as always, much love from Poland and your favorite sister mish! (Come on - we all know I'm the favorite!) LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH! Thanks for the prayers and support and love! Talk to you all next week!

Love, Siostra Young

Monday, October 21, 2013 5:39 AM Hey All!

Dear Family.

Prepare yourselves for a really short email. Sorry. I just have basically nothing to say. And it's been a little bit of a rough week.

Sunday - yesterday - was District Conference in Warsaw for the Warsaw District (aka Stake Conference). Missionaries were only allowed to go if they had investigators (or so we were told. But we were also told that the Lublin elders went. So. Not really sure what to say about that), so we got special permission from the branch president to have Sacrament Meeting yesterday as the missionaries. And it was SO awesome. Man, can I tell you how nice it was to hear the Sacrament prayers in English? It was incredible. And it was really cool to do Sacrament meeting, just the six of us. Then we bore our testimonies and had lunch and language study together. It was a really nice Sunday.

We're heading into Warsaw again tonight. Sister Wendel has a doctor's appointment for tomorrow morning. Just some more bloodwork. Hopefully we won't have to worry about that for much longer, and everything will be back to normal, and she'll be feeling better.

... Yeah. I don't know. I really don't have much. I'm sorry..

I don't want you guys to go into Worry Mode over this email, okay? I promise I'm alright - everything is fine. I'm just tired all over, and I don't have a whole lot to report.

Love you all!

Siostra Young

Monday, October 14, 2013 5:30 AM 'Ello, Fam!

Hey guys! Sister Young here! (As per usual ... I don't know who else would be emailing from this account ... But whatever. It seemed like a good thing to say.)

Let's begin with my questions, shall we?

1. What are the names of the three musketeers?

2.. What is Devin's last name?

3. What are the plans for Halloween? 

4. When is the first Jazz game of the season?

5. How are my Giants doing?

Great. Now that that's out of the way. On to the show!

This week was PRETTY rough. Sister Wendel is still working up to 100%, so that's been a little sketch. She's doing a lot better, but she's still not quite there yet. Room for improvement. It's great. But it has been a little rough on us to be spending time in the apartment instead of out on the streets. With that as our backdrop ...

Monday. P-day. We went with the elders to Ratagast Station (sorry, the spealling is iffy) and then a Jewish cemetary. Apparently the largest in all of Europe. That was really fun.

Tuesday. We finish watching General Conference at the Lloyd's. Yay for General Conference! After that, things took a turn for the worse. We went to a meeting with Ewa (who was late, as per usual. It's just her style). And we had decided that we were NOT leaving that meeting until she had committed to a baptismal date. So. In we went. It was BRUTAL. In a really good way. But brutal. We were in that lesson for over an hour and a half, but in the end, we got the commitment. November 2. Things were grand. Then we had our lesson with Milena, but Ewa was still at the church, and they wanted to talk because they hadn't seen each other in a long time, but we had to get to the lesson because we had other stuff to do and we were STARVING to death. So we finally got them seperated, and took Milena to the mall to have dinner with her while we did the lesson. We were literally SO hungry we could not wait. So. We did that. We were also planning on giving her a BD, but it wasn't going to be as intense because she already told us she wanted to get baptized. So we go, we order our food, we're waiting, and she tells us that she's done investigating the church. We were TOTALLY blindsided. It was AWFUL. So then we talked about it, and ate dinner, and that was that. So she's gone. We got home, checked the mail, and I got a letter! Yay! In fact, I got TWO letters! One from my Mama, and one from my Siostro Emily. I was pretty excited. I read Emily's first. And it was REALLY good, but it made me sad. So I cried a lot. And then I read Mom's. And it was ALSO really good, but I think she forgot a page in there somewhere, because is ends quite abruptly, talking about Abby driving, and that's that. So then I cried a little more. I think I was just emotionally dead at this point. Hence the relentless tears. It was rough. Man.

Wednesday. We had Zone Training. It was fine. 

Thursday. We did a whiteboard with Elders Caskey and Fogg. That was fun.. 

Friday. We did a whiteboard with Elders Finch and Wolfley. That was fun too.

Saturday. We went to clean the church with the rest of the missionaries and Ewa (it was supposed to be a YSA activity, but she's the only one who came. What a bunch of punks). That was a blast. I love cleaning churches. Then we all went to this crazy lightshow they were doing at Plac Wolności, which was INCREDIBLEY awesome. Oh my heck. I can't even describe the coolness of it. But they project these cool images and colors and patterns and jazz on the fronts of these buildings, and played them to music, and it was the coolest lightshow I've seen in my ENTIRE life. SO cool. Sister Wendel got it on her camera (I forgot mine), so maybe someday I'll be able to show you guys! It was seriously so cool! Way cooler than it sounds, I assure you.

Sunday. We had church. Ewa came, but left early. So later Sister Wendel called her to ask how she was and ask if she was still planning on the second of November, and she was like, "Nope. Actually, I'm not planning on getting baptized ever." Ewa say WHAT? Yeah. That's right. Apparently she's been seeing a fortune teller to commune with her deceased mother, and her mom's telling her not to get baptized - that she shouldn't "limit herself" that way. I don't know what the heck THAT crap's supposed to mean.

That was our week. Now, not only do we not have the two baptismal dates we were planning on, we don't have ANY investigators at ALL. Last night was pretty rough. There were more tears. I think I have done FAR more than my fair share of crying this week. That's gotta stop. I'm so over that.

In other news (and this is much MUCH happier news), Anna got baptized in Kraków on Saturday!!!!! I'm SO HAPPY for her! She's SO incredible, and I'm SO excited for her! Ah! She's just the best! It TOTALLY bites that I didn't get to be there, but still! It's awesome! She's so cool. I love her so much.

This is an awkward story for you. From Warsaw. I forgot last week. So. I was in Warsaw, right? And Sister Tobler wanted to run stairs for her morning excercise, and I graciously volunteered to  be the middle person so Sister Howells could stay in the apartment. So I'm sitting in the hall. Just sitting there. I just woke up, so I'm quite a sight. My hair has been haphazardly thrown on top of my head in a bun, mascara is smudged under my eyes, I'm wearing sweats and a Captain America shirt - you get the idea. So I'm just sitting, and the elevator comes up to our floor. And I'm like, "Cool. Because that's what I want. Someone to see me. Looking like this. Oh well. Probably some old woman coming in after a morning walk." Psych! Out walks this young, really well-dressed, attractive guy (well, the attractive part isn't for sure. My contacts weren't in. But he looked promising.), and he's like, "Hej!" and I'm like, "Cześć ..." and he walks away, and I just hang my head in shame. Just not cool. But whatever. It's over now. Psych again! He comes back a couple minutes later, pushes the button for the elevator, and starts talking to me while he waits like I know Polish or something. And I've got NO idea what he's saying. So I'm like, "Przepraszam?" And he repeats it all, but I'm still gettin' nothing. Which is now obvious. So he looks at me, and says, "Co robisz?" What are you doing? Uh huh. That's an excellent question. So I'm like, "Tylko siadam tu jak moja koleżanka biega na ... oh crap, how do you say that? Um, stairs?" Yep. That's what I said. I'm just sitting here while my friend runs on the ... (and I think after this part you probably understood the rest). It was PRETTY bad. So then we talked about running on stairs for a minute, and finally - MERCIFULLY - the elevator arrived. So he's like, "Do zobaczenia!" (which, literally translated means "to the seeing" aka "see you later!"), and I'm thinking, "Not on your life!" (like I want to see this kid again after THIS experience. Who needs all that noise? NOT me) but instead say, "Miłego!" And that was that. It was bad. Oh my life. I just experience the most awkward things.

Well. That's it. 

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!! 

Siostra Young

Monday, October 07, 2013 5:34 AM 'Sup, Dzieci

Well, my friends, I'm in Łódź again. Home sweet home. Kinda ... I mean, I suppose it's home for the time being. So it's fine. We'll go with that. Home sweet home. I really am glad to be in Łódź again though. Warsaw was fun and all (I actually really did love it - more on that later), but I was sick of living out of a tiny carry-on suitcase and being without my cute koleżanka and not talking to my elders and senior couple and all that jazz. It is NICE to be home.

So. Warsaw. WHAT an adventure! It was pretty crazy! We did a few whiteboards, and those are always fun. My FAVORITE was the one with Starszy Waskiewicz, my MTC Brother. I love that kid! And he's so funny! We were inviting everyone to general conference, and when he'd pass out ulotki, he'd say, "Proszę bardzo, coś dobrego!" Which basically means, "Here you go! Something good!" Ah. I love him.. He's so great. Also, on that occasion, I was handing out ulokti and zapraszać-ing people, and this guy, was like, "No thanks, Sister." In English, with a weird accent. Um, excuse me? Alright then ... So I went on with my life, passing out ulotki and zapraszać-ing people, and he comes BACK, and he's all, "Are you hungry?" I'm sorry, WHAT now? So I'm all, "Nie. Dziękuję." Who needs all THAT noise? And then he's like, "Do you speak English?" and I was like, "Tak, mowię po angilsku," but I was trying to speak Polish, and I HATE it when people try to make me use English! And then he said something about Germany - like, that I was from Germany or something? -, and was like, "Then why are you speaking Polish? I don't understand any Polish." And I was like, "Oh, uh, sorry. I speak English. I'm from the States." And he was like, "Oh. Well. Are you hungry? I was about to go get some food ..." Hm. Yeah. No. So I was like, "Yeah, no thanks. I'm good." And he was like, "Are you sure?" "Um, yeah. Thanks." So then he walked away. It was all very odd. And then later, I was telling Waski about it, and he was like, "Sister Young. Was he handsome?" Pft! NO. But it's so Waski to ask a question like that. I love the kid. 

Let's see ... what else happened that was exciting ... I'm really drawing a blank here! This whole week has been bizarre and freaky fast. I guess that's what happens when they take you out of your hometown and you end up with Warsaw for a week. 

Conference was SUPER awesome. Man. I loved it. And we even got to watch it all in English! I LOVE English! I mean, Polish is great and all, and I really do love it, but my comprehension isn't near as good as in English. For obvious reasons. I can't WAIT to get the November Ensign and read them all! 

So, while I was in Warsaw, it was FREEZING cold. And, because I had a limited amount to time to get my stuff together and it wasn't that cold, I just grabbed a light scarf and went on my way. That was NOT enough in Warsaw. So ... I bought some stuff ... Namely four scarves, two hats, two earwarmers, and a pair of mittens. But I'm going to use them all winter! And maybe for the rest of my life! Because they're really cute! So it's fine - don't worry about it. I will be warm and snug and happy in Poland. Except for the fact that I have not yet purchased a big winter coat ... I need to get on that. Hm. Maybe next week ....

Speaking of Warsaw. It was SO fun. And I feel kinda bad about that. My poor cute companion was in the hospital, and then in the mission home, suffering, while I was chilling with Sister Howells (who is SUPER awesome) and Sister Tobler (who is ALSO SUPER awesome. And hilarious. And reminds me of Emily a lot, so THAT was super fun!). I feel bad about this. But I had to make the best of things, right? It's fine. I'll just justify my job some more, no worries. But you know what? Sister Wendel and I are going to have a BLAST the rest of the transfer, so it'll all be okay. I am so happy to be with her again! I love my comp!

I think that's about all I got for ya, guys. It was a crazy week, but now that I reflect on it, fairly uneventful as far as big things go.

LOVE YOU ALL! SO SO MUCH!

Siostra Young

September 30, 2013, 4:43:08 AM Greetings! From Warsaw! What?

I know. Another Warsaw story? Will they ever end? Good question, Reader. I've been wondering the same thing.

This story begins on Monday. (Because there are actually TWO Warsaw stories this week. Woo hoo!) I came to Warsaw on an exchange. And I was QUITE nervous about this. Mostly because I'm a chicken and have a little bit of an inborn dislike for Warsaw (I don't know what that's about. There's just no explaining it). So I got here, met Little Baby Missionary Sister Tobler, my comp for three days, and we went to the apartment and everything was dandy fine. And I was like, "Hey. Maybe this won't be so bad!" Good news - it totally wasn't bad! In fact, it was a BLAST! I absolutely loved it! I just got to hang out with Sister Tobler, preachin' the Gospel, changin' lives - you know, missionary work. And it was so great. Sister Tobler is so fun! She's from ... Utah ... somewhere. And she's so great. She goes (went?) to BYU and is studying something about speech (as in, like, speaking. Not as in, like, speech and debate kind of speech). She's just great. I love her. And I got to go to District Meeting and GUESS who I got to see?! ELDER WASKIEWICZ! My BFF! If that wasn't the happiest reunion of my life, I don't know what was! (Okay, actually, I just walked into District Meeting and Waski was like, "Hey Sister Young!" And I was like, "Hey Waski!" And that was it. But it was still pretty great!) And we talked for just a minute after, and it was so fun! But - here's the crazy part of the story - my little Waski has grown up! He's like the more mature, but equally hilarious and now freakishly spiritual version of the Waskiewicz I knew in the MTC! I couldn't be prouder! Ah, Waski. What a champ. And we also did a free table and we talked to some super awesome people later that night - it was just a super cool day. Full of miracles. As per usual. So then I went home on Wednesday. The rest of the day was uneventful.

Sister Young & Sister Tobler

Thursday. Sister Wendel and I had to do more legal work and get our new Karta Pobytu's in Łódź, and we had NO idea what we were supposed to be doing, so we wrangled Elder Caskey and Elder Fogg along to assist us (and it's a good thing we did, or we would have had some serious struggles. Bless their cute little elder hearts. They were exceedingly helpful. And Elder Fogg - what a goob. He's so funny). So that was basically our entire morning. And then later that night we went to institute. That fateful night at institute. I was just sitting at the table, talking to Elder Fogg (because he really is funny), and then Sister Wendel informed me we were going to the actual lesson part because our investigator wanted us to go. And I was like, "Eh. Alright." So we went. And we were sitting in the lesson, I was feeling a little self-conscious about my Polish in front of all these Polish speakers, and I looked over and saw Sister Wendel slouched over in her chair, and I remember thinking I wished I could do that too, but I was trying really hard to pay attention and get something out of the lesson. And then, like, 30 seconds later, I heard a thump and looked over to see her on the floor - out cold. THAT was a bit disconcerting. So everyone leaped out of their chairs and surrounded her and they were trying to wake her up, and Ryszek called the emergency people, and I (much to my chagrin) just sat in my chair, completely stunned. Sister Wendel was out 30 to 40 seconds before they got her back. Finally I got it together, and me and some others helped Sister Wendel out of the room and we got her lying down until the emergency people arrived. So they came and Ryszek (he's one of the members, by the way. He served a mission in London South a couple years ago, and he's SUPER awesome. And he was GREAT English. Which we all love) acted as interpretor for us, and it was decided that she needed to go to the hospital in the amublance. So Ryszek and Sister Wendel got in the ambulance, while I waited for Elder and Sister Lloyd to come get me and take me to the hospital. So we finally all got to the hospital - Sister Wendel was doing okay, but not great. She wasn't in danger of her life or anything, so that's good. She was just really tired and weak. They ran a gazillion tests, we waited and waited and waited, and then, around midnight, they sent us home with a couple perscpritions for pain-meds for her head ache. Because that's why we went to the hospital. Sister Wendel had a head ache. Yeah, NO. Ridiculous. So we went home, slept, and the next morning they called and told us to pack because we were heading to Warsaw. So we got in the Lloyd's car and drove to Warsaw, chilled at the Mission Home for a couple of hours, and then went to the hospital for more waiting. She was admitted to the hospital, went up to her room, Sister Edgren and I hung out with her for a while, and then we went home to get to bed. So I slept over with President and Sister Edgren. SO weird. I had a room all to myself. I slept in a room ALL BY MYSELF. That was FREAKY weird. Then the next morning Sister Edgren put me in a three-some with Sister Howells and Sister Tobler, and I've been with them since. It's been a pretty crazy week, to say the least. Oh man. It's been so crazy. I haven't written so much in my journal in a LONG time. However, the good news is, I got to go to church in the ACTUAL CHAPEL! In the only church building in Poland! That was SUPER AWESOME! And I got to see my Waski again - that was super fun! And Sister Tobler, of course! And I got to meet Sister Howells for reals, instead of the five minute, "Where you from? What are you studying? Okay, well, good luck in [insert name of Polish city here]!" So it's been great. And last I heard, Sister Wendel's doing well, and HOPEFULLY we're heading home to Łódź today or (more likely) tomorrow. So yep. That's that.

Also. Just, you know, so it doesn't sound like I'm completely neglecting Sister Wendel here - she's doing well! They're running a few more tests today, and they think they've got her diagnosed. Apparently hypothyroidism has been the problem here. But she really is doing a lot better, and I miss her terribly, and I can't WAIT for her to be feeling good enough that we can go home! She's been SUCH a champ though! Man, I love that companion of mine! She's the coolest!

I hope J-Man and Babsie had AWESOME birthdays! I thought about you both a lot!

Fun News - Yesterday I got a whole slew of letters from the Peacefield Ward Young Men and Young Women! That was SO AWESOME! It sort MADE MY WHOLE LIFE! And all the other missionaries were like, "Whoa! You have a gagillion letters!" And I was like, "Mmmm hmm. That's called coming from the COOLEST WARD EVER." Okay, so no, I wasn't that sassy about it. But yeah. It was fun. So pass along my thanks for everyone!!! (Especially Malia Jones for the One Direction updates - that was my FAVORITE! Ah man. I love it. It was so funny. And you know what? I'm grateful. No one else keeps me informed of these things.) And the pictures were cute too! When did the YM/YW groups getso gigantic?! That's crazy! Also - extra big thanks also go to WILLIAM and DAD. You win the Best Family Members of the Week Prize. Abby and Jame - seriously? You're both in the picture - I KNOW you were there! And you didn't write me? Your favorite sister? That's a kick in the chicklets. But Dad and Will - props. You guys rock. I'm proud. And Will - thanks for the Hercules quotes! I forgot how hilarious taht movie is. I'll write it on my list of Movies to Watch when I return.

I've been reading Acts recently, and I've just started Romans, and I gotta say - everytime Paul refers to the people he's talking to as "Sirs" I laugh to myself. Because it reminds me of Charlie Brown. You know? How Macy always calls Charlie Brown "Sir"? That's what I think of. I love it. Paul, I doff my cap to you. Well done.

Speaking of the scrips. I started the Old Testament recently as well (because I decided I should read the whole thing. Pray for me). I was reading about Noah, and I was thinking. How often do we think about the logistics of that Noah's Ark deal? I mean, yeah, there's the building of the ark. That's pretty cray-cray. And THEN, God commands him to get TWO (or seven ...) of EVERY animal? And then stick them all in the ark? What the heck?! How is that task NOT impossible! I mean, first, there's the gathering of the animals. THAT couldn't have been easy. Herding cats? Yeah. Noah's done that. And how far did he have to go for these animals? Was he traveling the world for years, gathering them? What must THAT have been like? And then once you got them all together, you've got to make sure they aren't like, eating each other. Keep the lions on one side, and the antelope on the other. And then, you shove all of them into this giant ark you've just made, and you've got to make sure they're all staying in their little cages and what not - I mean, seriously. How is this part of the story not in the Bible? I'll tell you. It's because it kinda doesn't matter. All it says in the Bible is what God commands Noah to do, and then it says that Noah was obedient. And that's it. That's all we hear. For me, that means that this stuff - I mean, it's crazy, and I personally find it fascinating and these are going to be among the first topics of converstation I have with the Big Guy (if I can find a way to make that work out), but it's not that important. Because the fact of the matter is, God makes it work out. If He commands something, even something like this, He's going to make it work out. All the little things that sound like they might be a problem (or the massive things, in this case) - He just makes them work! And THAT's the beauty of it. God. He's got a pretty good plan, you know? Just go with it. So that's what I learned this week. Fun, right?

Well, that's all I've got for you this week, kids! Remember - God made you special, and He loves you VERY much! Good bye!

(But seriously. Warsaw. They just can't get enough of me. This is the third Monday in a row they've found a way of wrangling me up north. Enough is enough! I'm sorry, Warsaw, but ŁÓDŹ is my city now. There's only so much Sister Young to go around! If I'm here again next Monday, don't be surprised. I'm sure they'll think up another excuse.)

Monday, September 23, 2013 8:41 AM Well. This is fun.

So. Our emailing place closed early. Fun, right? Wrong. Because that means we have to wander the city, looking for computers. BOO. However, I'm on a computer now, I'm doing my emailing, and things are good. No worries, children.

Fun Story! I was just chilling yesterday, napping during lunch, and I heard Sister Wendel on the phone. And I was like, "Who's she on the phone with? Eh. No matter." And then I heard her say something about someone's first trip to Lodz and how they'd like it, and I was like, "What? Who's coming to Lodz? Eh. Whatever." And then I got up and went and talked to Sister Wendel and she was like, "So guess what?" And I was like, "What?" (note that I've just woken up, so I'm still a little groggy), and she's like, "We're going on exchanges!" And I was like, "Hm?" And she was like, "Yeah! You're going to Warsaw tomorrow and Sister Howells is coming here." And I was like, "Huh?" Yeah. This is great. I'm REALLY starting to get sick of the Sunday night phone calls for Monday trips to Warsaw. So yep. I'm going to Warsaw tonight, and I'll be returning on Wednesday. I'm a little apprehensive because it's going to be me with a little Baby Missionary, and she's brand new in the country. And what if I kill her? I don't want to kill the baby! I am NOT to be trusted with babies! I'm still basically a baby myself! What is this? Who's idea was this? I tell you. I would like to have a word or two with the AP's about all this ... No, not really. In real life, I would not have a word with the AP's about this. I'd just be like, "Um, Warsaw? Oh. Well, alright then ... I'd like it to be made clear I won't be held liable for any injuries and/or death caused by this exchange ..." That's where we're at here.

And ANOTHER fun story! What? Two?! I know. It's okay.. Keep it together. So. We have these investigators. Their names are Neil and Ashley. Wow. These names sound crazy American, right? Right. But guess what? They aren't American! And they aren't Polish! They're CHINESE! Yeah! Straight up out of China Chinese! And they're SUPER cool. They're so awesome. Man. But it's really strange to be teaching people who don't have Christian backgrounds. As you can imagine, this isn't a problem we run into very often in Poland. But yep. Here we are. So we had a lesson with them and talked about how God is our Heavenly Father and explained who Jesus is and the Atonement (briefly). It was super awesome! And the Spirit was so there! And then we were like, "Do you guys have any questions?" and Ashley was like, "Yeah. Will you teach us how to pray?" Will we teach you how to pray? Um, I think YES! So we taught them how to pray and then Neil sayed the prayer at the end of the lesson, and it was super awesome! And THEN, even MORE awesome, he was at church yesterday (Ashley was sick), and he said the prayer in Sunday School! Isn't he AWESOME? Ah man! I love Neil and Ashley! They're so cool!

Mom - Would you be a dear and send me the recipes for Peach Cake and Zucchini Cupcakes? I would be MOST appreciative!

We now have texting bacck in the mission, and we're all PRETTY darn excited! Honestly, you have NO IDEA how awesome texting is. It's so useful! And we've already set up a few lessons thanks to texting! It's so much less pressure than a phone call (both for us and the investigators or members). It's awesome. Except I'm out of practice now, so I'm not a very fast texter. Particularly when I'm texting in Polish. And using predictive text with Polish - WHAT an experience! Woo! I love Polish. I love this ridiculous language.

I would like to say STO LAT to my PRECIOUS little siblings Babs and J-Man!

Babs - 16? Good heavens! That blows my mind! You're so old! And so gorgeous! It's just ridiculous. I look at your pictures, and I'm just like, "Um, what?! That's my baby sister?" It's crazy. But I hope you have the best birthday ever, and it's awesome! I love you so much!!!!

J-Man - You're going to be a TEENAGER! I can't believe it! How the heck did this happen? You're going to be a teenager. It's ridiculous. You're SO awesome! I love you SO SO much, J! "Believe me, it was FAR from amusing." (I have that Post-It note hanging over my desk - I love it!) Love you, Bud!!!

I bought myself some boots. And it's a good thing too - we've been getting a LOT of rain recently. Which I love. It's great. I'd much rather have all the rain than the searing heat and blinding sunshine of the summer here. Honestly. That's the WORST. So, let's here it for boots! I actually bought two pairs ... Because I wanted a black one and a brown one. How does one survive with only one pair of boots? No way! So anyways. I'm lovin' the boots.

Well, family, time for me to hit the bricks. I've got a train to catch. To Warsaw. Again. (What IS this? Enough of Warsaw already! I know, I know. I need an attitude adjustment. I'll try to be happy, I promise.) LOVE YOU ALL!

Siostra Young

Tuesday, September 17, 2013 5:58 AM Hello, Family Mine!

Hey guys! SO sorry I couldn't email yesterday! I hope you weren't too worried. Unfortunately, I had a surprise trip to Warsaw to get my Karta Pobytu (Yay! I'm now legal in Poland!), so that put a bit of a damper on things P-day wise. Basically, we didn't have any P-day at all. Luckily we get to do everything today, so it's not too big of a deal. Just a little inconvenient.

Things are SUPER fall-y now in Poland! I love it SO much! It's absolutely gorgeous. Yesterday on my train ride I saw my first red leaves of the fall, and I was SO excited! I wanted to get a picture, but alas. That was not possible. Those trains move a little too fast for that. (Speaking of - when my mountains turn red and orange, PLEASE take a picture for me and send it. I miss my mountains. Poland is quite flat.) We've been getting a bit of rain recently, and that's fun! Luckily I invested in some boots last week, so my feet aren't soaked and gross. And can I just say, the person who invented boots and I are going to BEST FRIENDS in heaven. I love 'em. And guess what? With boots, I get to wear SOCKS. Straight up socks. EVERY day. I'm livin' the dream. Seriously. You don't have any idea how awesome socks are until you go 6 months without wearing them.

So. Best news ever. I can now listen to soundtracks. And classical music. And Christmas mucis. But SOUNDTRACKS. It's like, the best thinge ever. It makes me want to cry tears of joy. I love music. And I love MoTab - I do. But listening to them, and them only, day in and day out, for six months - it takes a toll on a person. Seriously. It's rough.

Last week I was a wee bit sick, so that was unfortunate. I slept for almost 17 hours straight. And then I was STILL tired. How does that work? I don't even get it. You'd think after sleeping for that long, you'd be like, "Well, alright! Enough of that! Let's be awake!" Nope. Not so. I was just like, "What? Only 17 hours? Nope. Still tired. Sun - go away." However. That's not exactly wolno.. So I got up. And I'm feeling a lot better now, so that's good!

We had a game night with some YSA's and our investigators and all the missionaries (you hear that? They do actual BRANCH ACTIVITIES in Lodz! This is UNHEARD of! Activities! I almost cried, I was so excited), and it was SO awesome. And SO fun. And our investigators are the coolest. Unfortunately, one just left on a two week vacation to Ireland. So that's unfortunate. However, she's super solid, and she'll be back in no time, and we'll just teach her and be happy and life will be good.

So there's this thing, called Polish. And it's the best language ever. Because guess what? Word order? Not even a problem. I can say any sentence any way I want to and throw that word order around, and it's totally fine. It rocks. And now, my English is getting a little bit messed up, because I love that no word order thing. It's makes for some awkward conversations. And then sometimes I think weird Polish things, or I use weird Polish words when I'm talking in English, and not gonna lie, I kinda love it. Oh Polish. How I love thee. I mean, it's ridiculous. It's the most ridiculous language on the planet. But it's very interesting, and comlicated, and fun. And I just love it. At church the other week, one of the members was talking about how if ANYONE can speak Polish - missionary or actual Pole - it's gotta be a gift from God, because this is one crazy langauge. And I was just like, "Dude, skadzam sie.." Except I said it more Polish-y and politely. Don't worry. I've never referred to anyone as "dude" here in Poland.

Anyways. I've gotta run. But I love you all SO SO much, and I PINKY PROMISE I'll put up some pictures next week! You guys are the best!

Love, Siostra Young

September 09, 2013 6:34 AM Greetings from Łódź

Sorry. My computer doesn't type Polish stuff. So just pretend everying in Polish is correctly typed, and we'll all be just fine.

So. Yeah. I'm here. It's PRETTY crazy. And can I just express my intense dislike for transfers? Getting my three gigantic suitcases to the train station in the trams, and then around the train staion from peron to peron, onto the train (with help from Elder Zelezniak, thankfully), and then off the train to Lodz - WHAT a nightmare! I have GOT to downsize. My advice for all preparing missionaries? Don't bring ANYTHING you aren't going to need every single day of your life. It's ridiculous. I just have too much junk.

So far I like Lodz. Everyone told me how ugly it is here.. (Seriously. I'd say I was going to Lodz, and they'd be like, "Oh ... I'm sorry." Thanks for that.) But really, it's not bad. It's not Krakow, certainly. But it's not bad! It has it's own charm. It's nice. And the branch is GIGANTIC. I was sitting in Sacrament Meeting, watching people come in, thinking, "Holy cow! There are three gagillion members in this branch!" And then later Sister Wendel and Sister Lloyd (she's the Sister half of our senior couple here) were saying, "Where was everyone today?" And I was like, "WHAT?!" So yeah. Apparently it's even huger than I think it is. Our apartment is basically a palace. There's a room, and it's only function is to house my clothes. Yes. I have a dressing room. What IS this place?! And I have an oven! And a TOASTER! I swear, I'm in heaven. It's crazy. It's SUPER fun to be back with Sister Wendel! I'd forgotten how much I love her! She's super awesome! Lodz is very different from Krakow, but I really think I'm going to like it. I'm really happy so far.

Sister Hemming and I got to meet with Anna one more time - the night before we left. That was REALLY awesome, and I was SO grateful to meet with her one more time! (Until I'm transferred back to Krakow, of course). It was so great! So she asked us to convince her to get baptized. She said she REALLY wanted to, but she was scard, and she wasn't sure how her family would react and what it would be like to be a Mormon in a Catholic family and country. So we just talked to her about it and about how the Gospel has blessed our lives and our families, and we bore our testimonies, and then at the end, she was like, "I just wanted to tell you guys, I wasn't sure before, but now I'm positive. I really want to get baptized. I'm for sure getting baptized. Thank you both so much!" She basically cried the whole lesson. She's so sweet! And then she wrote us both notes and gave us chocolate. She is SO awesome! I can't BELIEVE I'm missing her baptism. It breaks my heart. But I'm so glad she's getting baptized, and I know it'll all be okay. She's so cool! If you guys can remember her in your prayers, that would be awesome.

Okay. Sorry. I know this is a shorty, but I gotta run. I'll write a longer one next week! (Besides, there wasn't a WHOLE lot to report, since things have been so crazy with transfers and all that jazz.)

LOVE YOU ALL!