'On jest Polakiem? NAPRAWDĘĘĘĘĘĘĘ?'

This week was a mixed week. It was tough emotionally, I really struggled with the language and it was just a tough week, but at the same time we finally started to make some progress. We got our first investigator which is so good, it's been such a blessing and I can see how the Lord is blessing me day by day. I've been reminded again and again that this is the Lord's work and He is at the helm, and we need only look toward Him and He will guide our paths and help us to do the things He needs us to do. I've felt the power of the atonement in my life, it's carried me through the hard days and I really have been 'finding strength beyond my own. 

As I said, we finally have someone that we are teaching and he's the best. He's such a nice guy and he's open to learning more, and more importantly he's our friend. It makes all the hard days worth it when you find someone like him, and I can't wait to see his progression. 

Something else really cool is that I bought a 1970 press of the Let It Be album by the Beatles, and I love the Beatles so much, so that was a highlight. Then we had zone conference, it was a good day but I've got awful blisters on my heels so the walk back from the train station to our apartment was a painful one haha. 

Funny story from this week is we keep bumping into this one guy on the streets, it's happened 3 times now and he speaks to us for like 30 mins haha. Anyway, we have a service missionary here in Łódż called Starszy Kapela, and he also served with my Brother as a full time missionary which is a fun little fact. We were out street contacting and we stopped this guy and he asked where we were from, I said England, my comp says America and then Elder Kapela says that he's a Pole. The guy stopped for a second, looked at us and then said, 'On jest Polakiem? NAPRAWDĘĘĘĘĘ?' which means like this guy's a Pole? really? but it was so funny because Elder Kapela is as Polish as it gets and He just stood there in disbelief like are you kidding me. I've realised it doesn't do it justice over email but it's been something that's made us laugh all week haha.

This week I've marvelled again at the Saviour's love for me and for all of you. I read in Romans 5 that 'Jesus died for the ungodly.' He died for me and He died for you. The Son of God came to a fallen world, to save a fallen people. He thought me, a sinner, worthy of His blood and I will always be grateful for this. It's hard to sometimes understand, and while I'll never fully comprehend and understand it, I'll always be grateful for it and I'll always love it. Nothing is more important than our relationship with our Saviour. I've said it before but it's because it's true and I want you all to know how much He loves you.

I hope you all have an amazing week, speak soon!

Starszy Ashworth x  

The city of murals.

So Łódź is the city of murals and it's actually living up to that reputation. The murals are awesome and there are always people doing wall art, and it's not just kids doing graffiti, they get the scaffolding out and everything and they go to work. I'll add some pictures for you because I saw a few cool ones this week. 

Łódź is starting to feel like home now, it's a funny thing really, but I'm starting to love the place and the people. I've realised it doesn't all happen in a day, and I can feel my love growing for them each day. I've also realised that it all starts with a love of God though. If we love God it only makes sense that we'll love His children also, and as we Love God and develop our relationship with Him, we'll start to see His children through His eyes and through the eyes of our Saviour.

This week has been a blur, which is kind of becoming a common theme haha, all I remember is having an interview with the mission president, and also this one day where we did like 4-5 hours of contacting on the streets. We walked forever and I spoke to a loooootttttt of people and about only 2 stopped to speak to us, but I had so much fun, because I'm on the Lord's errand, and I know without a doubt that His angels are round about me lifting me and strengthening me and supporting me. 

Also my Polish is getting better which is always fun to see. I did my first street contact on my own, teaching the person about the restoration of the church and the prophet Joseph Smith. The guy kindly declined the message but I felt so good, and I made sure that I gave all the thanks to my Heavenly Father because you know, we have to stay humble. In all honesty though, we're promised in Doctrine and covenants as we open our mouths that we'll know what to say and the spirit will guide us, and I have felt that promise being fulfilled, it's the coolest thing ever. 

I have a little funny story today as well, at least it's funny for me anyway, also pretty scary though haha. So in like my second week, I was strolling down this street and I saw this really scary guy and he made eye contact with me but it felt like he was literally staring right into my soul, it gave me the chills. Then I turned around to get another look at the guy, and when I turned around he was walking backwards while still staring at me and it was terrifying. I turned around about another 5 times and everytime I did he was still staring at me. Fast forward to this week, I'm walking down the same street and at the same point on the street I look up and he's walking past me and staring right at me and it freaked me out, it gave me the shivers hahah. Honestly it hasn't left my mind, but at the same time it makes me laugh.

For the Come Follow Me study this week of Lehi's vision, I watched a video with good insights on the scriptures and it really opened my eyes to things that I hadn't noticed before. In the vision, the tree of life is a representation of the love of God, and how is the love of God made manifest? it's made manifest in His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, and from and Elder Bednar talk we learn that the fruit is a symbol for the blessings of the atonement. That's why the fruit is so sweet and 'desirable above all other fruit.' And in the vision there are 2 groups of people who partake of the fruit. 1 group partake of the fruit and eventually fall away from the tree, and another group 'fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree.' Now remember how the Love of God is made manifest in His son Jesus Christ. These people aren't just falling down at a metaphorical tree, they are falling down at the feet of their Saviour in gratitude, awe and love. This brought whole new meaning to these verses for me. I know that God loves us, I know that He cares for us and wants for us to return to Him and enjoy all the many blessings He has in store for us. Just trust in Him, and love Him and all things will work out for your good.

Enjoy your weeks everyone!

Starszy Ashworth x

I'm a missionary (still doesn't feel real).

So this week I was on exchanges, which means I went to a new city and had a new companion for a couple of days. We were walking around and it hit me again that I was a missionary and I looked at my companion and I was like woah I'm a missionary. 

I still sometimes can't believe it, my whole life I've been waiting to serve a mission, the missionaries were like superheroes to me, and now I'm here living in Poland, fulfilling my dreams and it's the coolest thing ever. I get to share with people the message of the restored gospel, a message that can and WILL change lives. 

It's a message that brings hope, peace and comfort to the soul. Without the gospel and without my testimony of it, I wouldn't be able to have hope in the fact that I'll be with my grandad Brian again, but because of the message of the restored gospel, and through the Holy Ghost, I know that I'll see my grandad again and that I can live with all my family throughout the eternities. This is just one example of how the gospel has blessed my life and the comfort that it brings. 

There are countless examples and I see it each day and I am so so grateful for it. But, back to exchanges. I was with one of the zone leaders called Elder Long and the guy was a machine. I learned so much from him. We spoke to a ton of people and We did a street display which was fun. I spoke to like 50 people and about 2 people stopped to talk but that's just the life of a missionary here in Poland haha. It's fun though, as I've mentioned before, I know that the Saviour is there with us, He promised us that He always will be, and He doesn't break his promises. 

I read a really good talk earlier this week by Jeffrey R Holland called songs sung and unsung, and there was a quote in there that really touched my heart and it says, 

"But I plead with each one of us to stay permanently and faithfully in the choir, where we will be able to savour forever that most precious anthem of all - 'the song of redeeming love.'" We all have moments where we feel like there is no place for us in the 'choir', where we feel that we're just not quite good enough but I know with all my heart that this is not the case. A kind, loving Heavenly Father knows our hearts and He knows our desires. He blesses us for wanting to do good, He blesses us for wanting to improve. We are exactly what our Heavenly Father wants us to be, and with His help He can help mould us into what He knows we can become. 

One thing I've learned from my short time on my mission is that because of the Saviour Jesus Christ and His infinite atonement, divine love and compassion are never far away, and a loving Heavenly Father is always close by. Just keep going, and do your best, because that's all that our Heavenly Father asks for. 

Speak soon everyone and have a great week!

Starszy Ashworth x 

2020

Well this week was a tiring week, with some good old-fashioned missionary work. Hours and hours of street contacting haha, it's been long but it's been good to push myself and speak to people and try my best to share the message of the gospel with the people of Poland. We've actually found some success, we've set up a lesson for this friday and we might have some other people to set up with soon hopefully. It's fun being a missionary, you spend every minute of every day trying to find ways to help people and to spread happiness, you face rejection, you're working for 12 hours a day every day just to find ONE soul to save but it is so rewarding and so fulfilling. Knowing that I am on the Lord's errand and knowing that He is with me brings so much joy and so much strength. I really wouldn't want to be anywhere else, being a missionary is such a blessing. It was New Years last week obviously, and not much exciting to say about that honestly haha, it was just another day in the life of a missionary, we worked our regular day and then went home and I was so tired by the end of the day so I just went to bed and missed all the fireworks, but I'm sure fireworks will still be around in 2 years so I just figured I'll enjoy them when I get home instead haha. 

The work was tough though the last few weeks, it's been the holidays so it's been hard to meet with people and there haven't been many people on the streets and so it's been quite tough, but I've found so much strength in reading the scriptures, and also in prayer. My Stake President told me that my scriptures would be my best friend on my mission and he wasn't wrong. I find so much peace and so much comfort in the scriptures, and I know that all of you can as well. 

This week I was reading in 3rd Nephi where the Saviour comes down and visits the Nephites and it is such a powerful verse and it really moved me, as I read the words of the Saviour and felt His love and compassion for the Nephites and also the pure and perfect love that He has for me and all of God's children. These words really stick out to me, 

"Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world."

I cried as I read these words. He invited all to come and feel the prints in his hands and in his feet, and to know that He really is the Son of God, and the same invitation is there for us, to come, to see, to feel and to know. We may not be able to feel the prints in his hands and his feet just yet, but one day we will, and we will see our Saviour once again. I also love that the resurrected Christ, with a perfected body, still kept His wounds, He still kept the prints of the nails driven into His hands and His feet. That pain and suffering is a part of who He is. He did this to remind us of the love which He so freely gave, to remind us of the pain which He suffered at our expense. I know that He loves us, I have felt that love in my life and I feel it each day. I have a testimony of my Saviour and of this gospel, it's why I'm here in Poland because I want to share it with others, I want people to know what I know and to feel what I feel.

Have a blessed week everyone, speak soon!

Starszy Ashworth x 

I've had to find new ways to keep warm, hence the Mary look.