Monday, June 23, 2014 3:07 AM Bromance City

Um, yeah. The past week of my life, I've been living in a Bromance City. I'm a sister, and I've been living in a Bromance City.

Brief Explanation:

There are different sized cities in this mission. Different sized cities and districts have names. For example, I'm currently serving in a Double Date City. One elder companionship, one sister companionship. (I know. Don't read too much in to it, okay? It's just funny.) When I was in Bydgoszcz, I was in a Third Wheel City. There were two elder companionships, and one sister companionship. Cities with only elders are called Bromance Cities. There's only one of those left these days. Oh. Correction. There are two. There used to be more, but the sisters are taking over. Anyways. Now, all Bromance Cities have two companionships. But it used to be, in days of yore, that Bromance Cities had one lone companionship. Since I'm a sister, I'm never going to have to experience that agony. But I've served around enough elders who have survived such a city to know they are NOT fun.

We were elder-less basically ALL week. Elder Jaeger and his trainee (Elder Jourdan) had to stay in Warsaw Monday to do legal work. And then, it didn't work, so they had to stay Tuesday too. And then that kept happening for A GAZILLION DAYS. And they finally got back on Friday night. Sister Monty and I discovered that we would NOT survive a Bromance City. It's not that we don't love each other. We're pals. This companionship is beautiful. But sometimes, you need more than just your comp - especially because you're stuck with your cmp 24/7. Even with a companion you love, that's a LOT of time. So. That was nice. We were both excited to see our elders return.

Oh hey guess what? We have a fun investigator these days! Her name is Barbara. We call her Barb. (When we're talking about her. Not to her face. She might not love that as much as we do.) She's SUPER cool though! She asks a bunch of questions. And she's easily distracted. And she talks a lot. ... She sounds like a four year old ... Okay. I promise, she's cooler than a four year old. We love her. It's a good time.

We also met with Jadwiga. Bless that woman! She's so cute! I love her. Lands, I love her. She had us sing for her, and made us pierogi in broth for dinner. She's literally the most adorable woman on the planet.

Um. Yeah.

Our week wasn't super interesting ...

Also. I gotta run.

Because guess what? We're going to ŁEBA today! I don't exactly know where or what that is, but I'll let you know next week! Stanley (... Um. ... Stanisław. Because we're in Poland) is taking us out there with the starsi. Gonna be FUN!

I LOVE YOU ALL!

Siostra Young

Monday, June 16, 2014 5:34 AM Yeah. Um. I'm His Favorite.

Well, guys. I've got some good news, and some bad news. (The good news is for me, and the bad news is for you. ... Sorry about that ...) The good news is this - I'm feeling PRETTY confident in the fact that I'm God's favorite child this week. Which means that bad news is that you aren't ... Sorry, fellas! I don't make the news, I JUST report it.

This was maybe one of my favorite weeks of my whole entire mission. It was INCREDIBLE.

Okay. Well. It actually started out a LITTLE bit grumpy ... I wanted my transfer call on Saturday (to znaczy, two Saturdays ago, not the Saturday we just barely had). As I was promised I would receive it. But then on Friday (to znaczy two Fridays ago, not the Friday we just barely had) Elder District Leader Elder Jaeger called and was like, "Yeah. Um. That's not happening until next Wednesday." And I was like, "What?!" And I demanded to know why, and he just laughed at me and said he didn't know. The man thoroughly enjoys laughing at me. Bless him. Moral of the story: I spent the first three days of the week wanting to know what would be going down the last three days of the week, because everything was mass hysteria. But good news, it all turned out fine.

Fast forwarding to Wednesday.

We were sitting in English, Toby and I and Ines (she was our lone student), and then the phone rang, Sister Tobler said, "Hello, President!" and walked out of the room, and I freaked out. It was weird, but Ines knows us well, so it was fine. Then Toby walked back in and gave me the phone, and I talked to Prez, and whaddaya know, he said I'm staying in Gdańsk! And whadlsedaya know, I'm serving with Sister Montesinos again! I know. It's crazy! Monty is sitting right next to me, as I type, in this punk little internet cafe! It's a good time.

(In other news, Sister Toby went back to Warsaw, but to Warsaw II this time, as the Overlord. She's going to be AMAZING! But I miss her already. Baby Weggs ... Ooooh. I mean, Elder Weggersen. Rest assured I never call the man Baby Weggs (... at least to his face. ... Usually.) Elder Weggs also went to Warsaw, but to Warsaw I as DL. Elder Jaeger is staying up here with me, and he's got a trainee! (I've been informed I'm not allowed to call his trainee his baby. He said it's demoralizing. ... He's ridiculous.) The trainee seems cool. I don't really know him. And I don't remember his name ... In my defense, I've only talked to him twice, and we were never formally introduced, so I'm under NO obligation to remember. And that is the transfer news from Gdańsk!)

So yeah. That happened.

And then on Thursday, we got a phone call from Elder Jaeger, and he said, "Good news! We're going to Wawa TOMORROW!" And then we were like, "Uh, what? Woo hoo!" So then we had to do LOTS of packing (and by we, I mean Toby) and get ready to head out, so that was a good time.

It was actually SUPER weird to be in Warszawa. I discovered that I missed that crazy place. I missed the metro, and the branch, and the Carrefour Express about five seconds from our house - I missed it. That was a pleasant discovery. I am a fan of Warsaw.

And then. My life got significantly more exciting and crazy and beautiful.

Saturday morning we got up and got ready, and then. We went. To a baptism. Yes. A baptism. Of one VANESSKA [insert forgotten last name here]! A Reminder: Vanessa is one of my favorite children in Poland. Sister Mik and I taught her when we were in Warsaw to prep her for baptism. And said baptism happened! That beautiful, BEAUTIFUL girl got baptized! And I GOT TO GO! Holy flip. That is the best Tender Mercy of my entire mission RIGHT there. I love that little girl so much, and I wanted to go to her baptism SO BAD. Everything worked out absolutely perfect for me to be there. It was amazing. Holy flip! It was so cute - when we were on our way out there in the morning, Vanesska called me using Sister Mik's phone, and she was like, "Hey, are you coming?" And I was like, "Yep! On my way!" And then when I was there she hung out and talked with me for a little bit and gave me a gazillion hugs, and it made my whole flipping life. I LOVE HER. Her baptism was absolutely beautiful. She is the sweetest thing on the planet.

And THEN. A thousand (okay ... Um. 70 or 80 or something ...) missionaries showed up to the chapel in preparation for the arrival of the Silver Fox (more commonly - but only barely - known as President Uchtdorf. As in Dieter F. Yeah. That went down). So that was lovely. Oh my snap, it was SO LOVELY. It was so fun to see EVERYONE! And talk to people I hadn't seen in a gazillion years! It was also a bit of a sensory overload, because there were SO MANY PEOPLE. By the end, I kind of wanted to hide in a small dark coat closet or something and treasure the dark and the quiet. Which is weird. ... I'm scared about America now ... But for the most part, it rocked! I got to see my cute little MTC district, and we took a cute little picture together! That was fun.

And THEN. UCHTDORF. It happened! He came! He spoke to us! I sat in the same room as that man - I BREATHED HIS AIR! And when he first came in, he and his beautiful wife shook everyone's hands! THE EXACT HAND WITH WHICH I AM CURRENTLY TYPING HAS BEEN SHAKEN BY PRESIDENT UCHTDORF. I feel like a celebrity. President Uchtdorf is so incredible. The spirit that he has - it's incredible. He's such a genuine and wonderful person, and he says the most beautiful things. He is so obviously called of God - you can't be near him and not see that. He didn't say anything new - but everything he said, HE SAID, so it was automatically beautiful and inspiring. For me, the message that I took away, is to do your best every day, and to live in the day and the moment that you're in. Which I'm not especially good at. BUT I'm trying, and I'm going to do better! So life goes on. And it's grand.

And THEN. The next day. We got UCHTDORF PART II. With all the members! That man - bless him! He's the best. Everything he said was EXACTLY what this Gdańsk branch needs to hear. He talked a lot about love and forgiveness and patience - it was beautiful. I wanted to hug him. It was seriously incredible, to be in that room, with so many members from Poland, with so many missionaries, and to listen to a prophet of God. That was probably one of the highlights of my LIFE (all joking aside. It was that incredible). And guess what? As soon as it ended, I felt a tap on my shoulder, so I turned around, and who should be standing there but ANIA MUCHA, my favorite person in Kraków and maybe Poland and maybe the world! She was like, "Sister Young!" And I was like, "AH!" And then we hugged and it was beautiful, and she was like, "I saw Sister King and Sister Hemming, but I didn't see you and I was scared you weren't here!" It was beautiful. I almost cried. I love that woman! She told me about Kraków, and how it's doing AWESOME - that city is seriously exploding, and it was probably the best few minutes of my life. I also talked to Vanesska some more, and I told her I missed her, and she said she missed me too. It was cute. I LOVE HER.

And THEN. We waited for a really long time for a really long train ride, and after a gazillion hours ended up in Gdańsk, Sister Monty and I.

Yeah. It was clearly a beautiful week. But. Lemme tell you why it was REALLY special.

Reason 1: Vanessa.

I love her. So much. (As you've read.) I can't believe that I got to go to her baptism. The timing on everything was perfect. The fact that she happened to get baptized the weekend of Uchtdorf conference - that her BIRTHDAY was the day she got baptized, that I was in Warszawa at the time, that we got to go down on Friday instead of waiting until Saturday like most of the other missionaries had to - that was crazy. I lucked out hardcore. Which translates to, God Loves Me Hardcore. And the fact that she didn't forget me - yeah, that rocked. I love that child!

Reason 2: Ania.

Oh my flip. I love her. It was SO GREAT to see her! And to know that she's doing SO good in the Gospel! She teaches Institute, for heaven's sake. The woman is teaching Institute! I LOVE HER! Also. I was talking to Elder Allen (for the first and last time since being in the country), and he told me that when he first got to Kraków, he asked her if she knew Sister Young, and she said I was a "super misjonarka". She's so cute! And Sister Swenson told me that Ania always talked about me and how much she loved me, and always checked up on where I'd be at transfers. Is that not beautiful? I thought maybe she forgot about me. But she didn't! And she's doing SO WELL! Glory. God loves me so much. I don't deserve to be so blessed!

Reason 3: Uchtdorf.

I can't even EXPOUND on that one.

Anyways.
Love you all!  Happy day!

Siostra Young

Monday, June 09, 2014 5:34 AM Polish Mexican Food Is Not Ideal.

Well. My children. I had QUITE the week. It felt like Field Trip Week. It was so fun! On Thursday we went out to Sopot and Gdynia, then on Friday we went to Sopot, then on Saturday we went to Stutthof, and then on Sunday we went to - you guessed it - Sopot! It was SO MUCH FUN! I love weeks with lots of adventures. So. From the top.

THURSDAY

... It wasn't actually all that exciting. We went out to visit a couple less active members in Sopot and Gdynia. That was a delight. BUT we got to ride the train, so that made it an adventure! Trains = Adventures. Easy as that.

FRIDAY

CULTURE NIGHT! Oooo OO! It was SO MUCH FUN. We went to Sopot. Explanation. I live in Gdańsk. Just north of Gdańsk you find Sopot, and just north of that you find Gdynia. It's called Trojmiasto. To znaczy, there are three cities, but all kind of one-ish city. Anyways. Sopot is the more touristy city of the three, so we went there for the night. And it was SO lovely. We had a bit of a scare, because an hour before Culture Night was supposed to start it started raining HARDCORE. So we were going to have to change our plans a little bit. And by change our plans, I mean order pizza at the chapel and play games. NOT cool. But it cleared up RIGHT before we left! Yay! We had dinner at this restuarant called The Mexican. ... Yeah. That was a bad decision. Mexican food in Poland is a bad idea EVERY TIME. And yet, I keep going back. I don't know WHY this keeps happening! Actually. I do. It's this: I AM MEXICAN-FOOD DEPRIVED. I just want a quesadilla. Is that so much to ask? A simple chicken and cheese quesadilla. Or even a burrito, for pity's sake! I would KILL for nachos. Or salsa. Anything. I'd take anything at this point. And because I'm so deprived, every time I see a Mexican restuarant, I think, "This time! This time it'll be different! I just want a quesadilla!"  And then ... It's bad. When do we LEARN? How many times can this continue to happen before I finally learn that throwing myself into every Mexican restuarant I see in desperation and hysteria is NOT a good idea? It's heart breaking. So. After THAT nightmare, we went down to the beach! WE WENT TO THE BEACH! And then, we just sat, and we talked, and it was beautiful. The end!

SATURDAY
We went with our cute little member Jadwiga (yah-d-vee-ga) out to Stutthof - a concentration camp in the okolice of Gdańsk. It was ... nice. It was good. It was SO great to spend time with her and the elders and those cute Tufts. It was a good experience. But I've got to be honest with you - I don't know how much more WWII/concentration camp/Holocaust stuff I can do. It breaks my heart. It makes me physically ill. Reading about the way that people treated other people - the things they did - it's a lot. It's A LOT. I can't even retell the stories of the things that I saw and read, because it's that horrific. It's important to know about the things that happened. I'm SO glad I've seen the things I've seen. It's important. BUT. I don't think I can do it anymore.

SUNDAY

We had a lesson with Agnieszka and her three crazy children Kasia, Tomek, and Ania, and Brat Harker. That was nice. I ate salmon. Yes. You read that correctly. I, Anna Lin Young, Ate Salmon. I don't even know myself anymore. I didn't like it, but I ate it. Don't expect it to happen again. It was a fluke. Other than that, it was a nice evening!

Let's see. Other news.

I LOVE SISTER TOBY and I already miss her. This has been the fastest transfer of my whole life! It's blowing my mind. And I'm going to miss Sister Toby.

PRESIDENT UCHTDORF IS COMING TO POLAND THIS WEEKEND AND I'M GOING TO SEE HIM AND POSSIBLEY SHAKE HIS HAND. I couldn't be more thrilled. Unless they also gave me a million dollars and 80 pounds of Milk chocolate and my family for the weekend. THAT would be heaven. ... Oh. And a private One Direction concert. Now that - THAT would be heaven. But that's okay, because PRESIDENT UCHTDORF IS COMING TO POLAND THIS WEEKEND! I'm content with that.

That's all.

Love you guys!

Monday, June 02, 2014 6:01 AM Wait. What?

My mind is running SO WILD right now.

Time. This freaky weird thing called time is freaking me out right now.

Because guess what? This Saturday we have transfer calls. I just barely got to Gdańsk! I got off the train, like, yesterday! And now, all the sudden, we have TRANSFER CALLS HAPPENING SOON.

And guess what else? This is the last time I get a transfer call. THE LAST TIME. Let that soak in.

Time is making me CRAZY. How does this happen? Where does the time go, when it sneaks off like that? Is there some backroom where it's hiding out? I don't even know. All I know, is that my mind is running seriously wild today.

Anyways. Enough of THAT nonsense. I'm going to stop being weirded out now.

Do you people want to hear a beautiful story? Good. This is the story of Mateusz.

The Story Of Mateusz

One day last Monday, we were contacting our way along. Minding our own business (which is the business of Saving Souls And Talking To Everyone). So we're doing this, and talking to these two girls. They didn't seem OVERLY interested, but we were talking. It was fine. They were going to GET interested. Meanwhile. This guy walks past us, staring at us, kind of in a hurry. Then he stops a few yards away from us, watching us talking to these two girls. He looks like he wants to talk to us. But we're in the middle of a conversation. Finally he gives up and comes over, and he's like, "Hey, could I get an ulotka?" And we're like, "Dude, for suresies!" So we give him an ulotka. And then he says, "Do you guys have, like, any meetings I could come to during the week?" And we were like, "Um, what? We've got English on Wednesdays ... Are you interested in English, or the G?" And he was like, "Well, English too, but the G." And then, we paused our lives, and we FREAKED OUT because it was beautiful. This man. He contacted us. And he wanted to learn about the GOSPEL. Then we unpaused, and said, "Cool. Let's meet!" And then he was like, "Cool! Let's do that!"

So on Wednesday we met. And he loved EVERYTHING we taught him. It was beautiful. He ate it right up! And we asked him if he'd get baptized, and he was like, "Yeah!" Yeah? YEAH! And after the lesson he was like, "Do you guys have a few minutes? I'd love to read from the Księga with you guys for a minute." And we were like, "YES SIR! WE CAN DO THAT!" And he wanted to meet again on Friday. TWO DAYS LATER.

So we met with him on Friday. He was sad. But it went well! He's awesome.

And THEN. He came to a grill we did with the branch on Saturday! And he had a GRAND old time! And he brought bananas! Bless that man. You should have seen him. It was beautiful. He walked in, and he was like, "Hey!" And we were like, "Hey!" And then - oh, it was beautiful, you're never going to believe it - he walked around, shook EVERYONE'S hand, and chatted it up with all the little wardies. All of 'em. He fit right in! And he even stayed after we left! This man is SOLID GOLD. He's so getting baptized.

Oh. And now he's not ours anymore. Because he's a man. He belongs to the elders.

The End.

Also.

I LOVE THE TUFTS. They are the most beautiful senior couple. I love them. SO MUCH. They are incredible. They do SO MUCH for this branch in Gdańsk. I don't know what's going to happen here when they leave. Thankfully I'll never have to find out (they leave two days before I do - but even so, it's not for sure that I'm staying up here next transfer). I just want to hug those beautiful people every day of my life.

We had Zone Training in Bydgoszcz this week! It was good. Prez came up with the apes for it. So that was nice. I'm about to say it again, and I know - the fact is VERY well established, but I just love Bydgoszcz so much! It's so magical!

The other day, I was standing on a loose brick. And then I somehow flipped that brick up onto my leg. It hurt like a mothah. And scratched me up pretty good. It looks like my leg has been mauled by a baby dinosaur. It's kind of exciting, actually. I feel like I should earn a few battle scars in Poland, you know?

Last week we went on a BOAT! Out to see Westerplatte (I could try to explain what that is, but it would probably be historically inaccurate because my memory is a little kipsko ... sorry)! It was so great! I decided I miss boats. Didn't think THAT would ever make the list of Things I Miss. But there you go!

Oh yeah. We had that branch grill! That was fun. We had a pretty good group out for it! And the food was really good! Except ... Well. The meat they had ... It was only on the bone. And I don't really LIKE meat on the bone. It grosses me out, and it's hard to eat. So I had to overcome that little trial in my life. It was difficult, but I did it. Please, hold the applause.

I got to weed in a member's yard for about an hour. That was ... You know, it was actually REALLY nice. Mom - I need for you to not get TOO excited about this, okay? But. I think. I think I miss gardening a little bit too. My mind is running wild.

Alright. That's all!

I love you, you crazy people!

Siostra Young

Monday, May 26, 2014 5:25 AM Merp.

Dearly Beloveds.

Today, I am short of two things. Those two things would be time, and writing ability. Actually, make that three things. And thing three is interesting things to write about. And so. This isn't going to be my best work. You've been warned.

Things Of Note.

Polish Week.

Sister Toby and I are crazy people. We decided to speak only Polish last week. (And we MOSTLY did it - except when English was necessary.) Congrats to us! It was good. Because you know what? We can speak a little Polish! We certainly aren't FLUENT or anything (wouldn't THAT be nice!) But. We can speak a little Polish. Enough to survive! Let there be rejoicing.

Peanuts.
I may or may not have an allergy to peanuts. They make the back of my throat itchy. So. We can throw that one on the list of Very Minor But Still Annoying Allergies Of Sister Young right next to canteloupe and watermelon and honeydew.

Rain.

It rained a LOT the other day. And I forgot my umbrella. Hence, I was very wet. I may as well have gone swimming. That's how wet I was. Also, after the rain stopped, my bag broke. The strap just broke. It was sad. So then I had to carry my bag around in my arms like a baby the rest of the day. That was awkward. This same day, I ended up quite by accident by myself in the elevator with the elders coming down from the chapel (awkwardness), and I tripped over a chain in the parking lot and fell on my face. ... It wasn't my proudest day.

English Kasia.
We have a new English student. Her name is Kasia. She's really cool. And really funny. And she feeds us salad and chocolate. We love her. She also calls us by our first names. I'm not supposed to like that. But I LOVE IT SO MUCH. I LOVE being called Ania. It's so cute. Sometimes I miss my first name.

Contacting.
We talked to a bunch of crazies this week. That was a delight. You know. Crazy people - they're crazy. But they’re also INSANELY hilarious. So I actually don't mind talking to a crazy every now and again. It keeps things interesting.

Summer.
It's getting hot. You guys, I do not like it. I do not LIKE heat. I like sweaters. You can't wear sweaters during the summer unless you've got a death wish. Hence, I'm about to be hideous again. The bangs are going up, the hair is going in a ponytail, and the make-up is stopping. Gross. I feel gross just thinking about it.

Spiders.

We've got a lot of spiders hanging out around (and sometimes inside) our apartment. I don't really like that very much either. Spiders are NOT my favorite of God's creations.

Mercy River.
We listen to those ladies all the time. We love them.

Yeah. Um. That's basically it. MOST BORING EMAIL EVER WRITTEN AWARD goes to me. Sorry, guys.

But. Good news. I LOVE YOU ALL! (As if that made up for a boring email - it's no excuse, I know. I'm sorry.)

Siostra Young

Monday, May 19, 2014 5:25 AM B-Town Love.

I canNOT keep myself out of Bydgoszcz. I can't do it! And - let's be real - I don't really WANT to anyways. Who would voluntarily leave Bydgoszcz?! (... Elder Swicegood would. He's been there for eight months, end of this transfer. He wants out. But he doesn't know what he's asking for! Mark my words - the man will leave next transfer, and then he'll spend the rest of his mission missing that Zion of Poland.) Anyways. Bydgoszcz. This lady right here - this sister typing at the computer wearing the blueish-greenish sweater and the gold watch with her hair in a ponytail because the Heat of Summer is arriving in Gdańsk - went to B-Town TWICE this week.

Yes, my children.

You read that correctly.

Twice.

Glory, it was the best week of my life! (Except for those weeks I actually spent in Bydgoszcz 100% of the time - those were pretty good weeks.) I love Bydgoszcz SO MUCH.

B-Town Take One.

I went on exchanges! Woot woot! That was QUITE an adventure. I arrived in Bydgoszcz, hopped off my train, and was greeted by the Bydgoszcz District in full (minus Elder Swicegood who was going on exchanges with Poznań, and Sister Barth. For obvious reasons. ... She was in Gdańsk. That was the obvious reason.) And they were like, "Hey, you made it! We're so glad you made it!" And I was like, "Uh, yeah, me too ..." Confusion. And they were like, "Well, Elder Fogg didn't - we've got no idea where he is. So we're glad you're here!" And then, I had stress. WHAT?! Elder Fogg was LOST? Somewhere in POLAND? And no one had heard ANYTHING from him? Glory! THAT is not okay! Stress. SO MUCH of it. But we were like, "Well, good luck, fellas. Hope he turns up soon! We're going home to plan. Peace." And then we left. So we get on the tram. Sister King, that cute little missionary, gave me a bilet. I stamped said bilet. The bilet checkers checked said bilet. And then, they got out their ticket writing tools. And I was like, "Um, przepraszam. CO TU SIĘ DZIEJE?!" It turns out the bilet I had stamped had been previously stamped, and Sister King had given it to me by mistake - bless her heart. So they hit me with a fine for 180 zlots. THAT hurt like a mothah. That is SO MANY ZLOTS. But it's fine. (Bah! Get it!? Fine? Because it's got a double meaning - meaning one being okay, and meaning two being a ticket. I didn't even do that on purpose!) We got home, Elder Fogg finally showed up (apparently there was some confusion in Inowrocław - that city is NOTORIOUS! At least when I was stranded there, I had Elder White for company and a phone. Elder Fogg was stuck there with a Larry. For two hours. With no way to call anyone. ... That poor kid) - life goes on, wiesz? Tuesday was far less interesting. But that's probably for the best. We did missionary stuff. You know. It was a LOVELY day, but nothing out of the ordinary. And Wednesday I got home without too much trouble, so it was also uninteresting. But it was a really nice exchange! It was so much fun to be with Sister King for a couple days! She is SO much fun! And she's a great missionary - I learned so much from her! She's a doll.

B-Town Take Two.

GUESS WHAT, GUYS? THERE'S A THIRD DISTRICT IN POLAND NOW! Yes! That is a TRUE STORY. (To clear up any confusion, a district is to a branch, what a stake is to a ward.) And we got to be there for the creation of it! Yesterday we went in to Bydgoszcz, with a bunch of people from our branch (we had 24 members/missionaries from Gdańsk there! That is INCREDIBLE!), and saw a bunch of people from the Poznań, Szczecin, and Bydgoszcz branches and their missionaries, and boom! Just like that, they made a district! Ooo OO! It was so exciting! There are things happening in Poland, guys! Glory, I love this country. It's so beautiful! And there are now THREE DISTRICTS HERE! I'm so excited. It was SUCH a great meeting. All the talks were SO beautiful. There are such solid members here, in this part of Poland. It's amazing. I love 'em. And I got to see them! I got to see Karolinkuśku! And the Kagele's! And the Zalewski bunch! And a gazillion missionaries I love! It was a BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL DAY.

Bydgoszcz. I'm TELLING you! I don't know WHAT it is about that city, but it's INCREDIBLE. I would DEFINITELY go back there for my last transfer. I would actually request that. ... I'm going to request that. The branch, the members, the city, the missionaries - I love everything about that blessed land! SEND ME BACK, PREZ!

In Other News:

Sister Toby and I have a problem. It's called - according to Elder Tufts - "the giggle bean". We are SO GIGGLY. This past week - I tell you. We have been struggling. Why is everything so funny? (A Hint: Because we are funny people.) We laugh at literally everything. We're having a grand old time. It's sometimes awkward though, because other people - they can't quite appreciate it the way we do. We were talking on the phone with Sister Overlord Sister Barth, and we were laughing so hard I had to leave the room, and Sister Toby had to tell her we'd call back in a minute. We couldn't keep it together! Oh - and YESTERDAY. Glory, it was embarrassing! We were talking with Elder Wegs and Sister Edgren, and Sister Tobes made a face at me, so NATURALLY I burst into uncontrollable giggles. Naturally! What else was I supposed to do? ... Sister Edgren was not overly impressed. Well, alright then. I can't live my life to impress other people. It's just really awkward when we're giggling, and people are like, "Oh, did we miss something?" and we're like, "Yeah, nope. We're just easily amused." Live your life, am I right?

This lady asked me if my parents are white this week. That was a first. I'm used to the confusion that comes with the last name of Young. I've gotten that enough, I'm used to that now. ("Young? That sounds Chinese. Are you Chinese?" "... Am I Chinese?" "Yes." "... Really?") The other day, we were talking to this really cool lady named Barbara, and she was like, "Young? Are you Chinese?" And I was like, "Um, no. The name is actually from England." And then she was like, "Oh. Hm. Czy twoje rodzice są biali? Are your parents white?" I beg your PARDON? Are my parents WHITE? What? I don't get it. Do I LOOK like my parents could be anything but white? I'm not being racist here when I say that - I'm just being confused. Honestly, do I look anything but white? Confusion. I experienced a lot of confusion.

Last Saturday was Norway Day! Hooray for Norway! (The Resident Norwegien Elder Wegs informed us. We didn't do anything to celebrate. However, in our defense, we aren't Norwegien.)

I've become addicted to Snickers. Because they're delicious.

Ines came to Bydgoszcz for the conference! It was really good for her. I love that woman. She is SO SWEET! She just needs to learn to doubt her doubts, and not her faith. How do you teach someone that?

Talking to people on the streets about baptism is kind of awkward. But you know what? It's kinda cool - it's like, either that contact ends REALLY quickly, or you get into a really good Gospel discussion right off the get-go. So it's nice! We like it!

Sister Toby is a hoot. I love that girl.

I also love Poland.

And Bydgoszcz.

And Gdańsk.

And Snickers. This has GOT to stop!

Peace, kids.

Siostra Young

Monday, May 12, 2014 5:56 AM The Great Christmas Epiphany.

You know what? I love Christmas. And I sort of live for Christmas. I'm a generally happy person. I love my life. And I can appreciate my life in the moment that I'm in. BUT. I maybe sort of live for Christmas. It's like I have a clock in my head eternally ticking on a Christmas countdown. I'm okay with that. Christmas is a good thing! I can appreciate Easter, and the Fourth of July, and Halloween, and Thanksgiving. But I love Christmas!

Sometimes as I get closer to Christmas, I get to thinking about it. I think about how it's almost Christmas, and then I wonder what it will feel like to actually BE IN Christmas! It gets SO much build up, and I look forward to it for SO long, and I wonder, "Wow - what's it going to be like being in the actual moment of Christmas! What's it going to feel like when I wake up early? What's it going to be like to see the tree all lit and hear the Christmas music playing and smell that evergreen candle we have going every year?" And then, when it finally actually IS Christmas, I try to take a second to think about it - to be aware of the magic that is that moment, and to take some time to really appreciate Christmas day. I want to be able to remember every second and every feeling perfectly, for some day in the future that isn't Christmas.

As I've been on my mission, I've been counting down to Christmas. Christmas being the moment I get to be with my family again and live a normal human life. I've had my little clock in my head, keeping me informed of the days and weeks and months until Christmas. Not that I haven't been enjoying my life where I'm at now. Not that I haven't been loving my mission for everything it is. But I'm just aware of the time. I do that.

So the other day, I was thinking about Christmas. And how much I love it. And how beautiful it's going to be when I'm home again. I was thinking, "Wow. What's that moment going to be like, sitting on the plane? And then - coming down that escalator in the SLC airport, and seeing my beautiful BEAUTIFUL family down there - what's that going to BE like?!" And then, this thought just exploded in my brain. "This Is Christmas Right Now."

I AM LIVING IN CHRISTMAS RIGHT NOW. A whole entire year and a half of it! Granted, it didn't get as much build up as a normal Christmas day (we all know I wasn't planning on being a missionary EVER in any life ever), but it's Christmas none the less! It might not always FEEL like Christmas, BUT this is Christmas! And I only get this year and a half of it! Someday in the distant future, I'm going to be at my house, and I'm going to look back and think, "Wow. I was a missionary. I was in Poland. What exactly did that feel like? I wish I could feel that again." And glory be, I'm in that moment right now! I'm in Poland. POLAND, folks. I'm a missionary. This is Christmas. And I'm never going to get another one! I want to memorize every single feeling (even the bad ones), because someday I'm going to want to be here again, and I'm not going to be able to do that. Time travel DOES NOT EXIST (I tell you, if I had a zlot for every time I've mentioned time travel in an email ...).

Alright. Elephant in the room. We all know it's there. My Christmas is winding down. It's not over yet - but it's getting close. And I'm scared I'm not going to have enough memorized from this time of my life. Hence. It's time to really appreciate this moment for what it is. It's time to love this Christmas for what it is and what it isn't, and make EVERY SINGLE DAY the best it can possibly be. This is all I've got! I've got a whole life of normal human living ahead of me, but only a few more months of Christmas. I have a whole life of normal human living ahead of me during which I can think about all the magic that was this year and a half, but only a few more months to actually make the memories I'm going to be thinking about. STRESS. Stress is happening.

But also excitement! Because Christmas is a VERY exciting thing. I love it.

The End.

And now. Funny Stories. Buckle up, kids!

Funny Story 1.

Hubert The Confused.

We were walking down the street, and this man called to us, in a English with a British accent, "Sister! It's me! It's me!" Ummm ... what? We've NEVER seen this man before. But he was calling us, so I stopped. And then I started praying that Sister Tobes was going to stop too, because I did NOT want to talk to this crazy alone! (And thankfully she did.) So he was like, "It's me! It's Hubert!" And we were like, "Uh huh..." And he was like, "Hi, Sister Young (cue him trying to read my name tag), and Sister ... (cue him, trying to read Sister Tobler's name tag) - hey, where's your name tag? Mine's in my backpack. I'm an elder!" What? He was SO WEIRD. And then he went off for a while on how you, "can't lose your book, or you're out of the club forever". Whatever THAT means! And then he said, "Hey. Whatever you do after your two years - be it business or marriage or kids - DON'T LOSE THE BOOK. Keep it close to your heart and under your bed." So then we decided to get out of there, and as we were walking away, he was like, "Go get 'em, tigers! JW's rock!" ... Huh?

Funny Story 2.

Mr. Frog Man.

I gave this guy a Mormon.org card, and he was like, "Oh, what's this?" So I was like, "It's about our church. Have you heard of it before?" Yeah. Heard about the church. Impressed by my Polish. Blah blah blah. And then he's like, "What do you think about sex before marriage?" And, naturally, I was like, "Um, I beg your pardon?" And then, naturally, he repeated his question. I wanted to tell him we don't do that in our church. Because we don't. But instead, I told him, "We will NOT do that." Face palm. What? Did I really just say that? Oh gee. Polish is hard, okay? Awkwardness ensued. He asked me why not, and I told him that it builds trust in a marriage to wait, and then he said it's okay to make a few mistakes before marriage, and then I shut him down pretty hardcore and sent him on his way. It was NOT my most spectacular moment, Polish wise.

Funny Story 3.
We were trying to find a member's house. We thought we were at the right the building. We tried the door. A man walked up behind us, and asked us what we were doing. At this exact moment, the member's child calls after us from two buildings down. Oops! So Sister Tobes was like, "Oh, sorry!" And then we just ran away. We literally ran away from that train wreck. The poor man thought we were breaking into his house! We are TERRIBLE missionaries. But it was hilaroius!

THE END FOR REALS.

I love you all, and I wish you everything the best! You're beautiful people!

Siostra Young