A baptism in Katowice!

Hey everyone just a few things to say this week. I just wanted to start off with what happened last week. We had a baptism in Katowice! It was one of the best days of my life I loved it. He's such a good guy, I had the privilege of interviewing him last Friday and it was a really special moment for me to see someone so ready to accept the gospel. Then Saturday was the day of the baptism. We walked 14km to a lake where we baptised him and on the day as a whole we walked 20km which was really long haha, but it was so worth it. It was at a beautiful lake in the middle of nowhere and then after that we went and made a campfire, confirmed him as a member, cooked some sausages and chatted for a little while and then came home. It was such an amazing day. It's so good as well to see that the work continues to move forward, even under the given circumstances.

I just wanted as well to share a little thought I had this week. I was reading in Alma in the Book of Mormon about Alma and Amulek. I thought about who they both were, and who they both became, and these words came to mind, 'God calls the unlikely.'

Alma was a man who tried to destroy the Church, but God needed him on His side, and eventually he became a mighty prophet called to preach the word of God. Amulek had rejected God and had refused to accept him, but God needed him on His side, to support and sustain Alma and be his companion. Together they brought many souls unto God, but at first they were two unlikely people to be called to the work. In many ways I too feel like one of those unlikely people, but I've really come to learn that this is the work of Almighty God, and He makes weak things strong to achieve His eternal purposes. 

Love you all and speak soon. 

Starszy Ashworth x

Yet thou art there.

That's been my favourite little line this week. It's been a nice reminder that the Saviour is always there, regardless of how we feel. Not much has changed since last week, we're still doing the same work, still on Facebook, still wondering when it'll all go back to normal. It's a funny old time to be in, kind of just taking it all a day at a time because that's all you can do really. I've found a lot of peace in prayer and scripture study. Those basics that we're always reminded to do, but they're so powerful. That's one lesson I've learned from all of this, just how much Heavenly Father wants us to talk to Him and tell Him everything that's going on. 

Prayer really is what connects us with Heaven and there's a quote I love from President Hinckley,

"when life gets too hard to stand, kneel."

It's so true and I have felt the power of prayer in my life. So too with scripture study, I'm grateful for what I'm learning and the peace that it brings. I'll say that word a lot.

Peace. 

But that's what this gospel offers. Peace, hope, joy, renewal, happiness, purpose and so much more. One of my favourite things as well is that we can access all of this through scripture study and prayer. 

I've been reading the gospels recently in the Bible, and it's been a really profound experience. My testimony and gratitude and love for my Saviour have continued to grow and I just love the New Testament you should all read it. There's too much to talk about but I've loved comparing all of the final events of Christ's life in the gospels. 

There's one part that stood out this time as I read them all, and it's when the Saviour goes back to Peter, James and John after coming out of the Garden of Gethsemane and He says,

"sleep on now, take your rest." In the Bible it emphasises the word 'your'. The Saviour had compassion on His disciples, and told them to take their rest, while He knew there would be no rest for Him. He would be betrayed by one of His own, face illegal trials and then move on to crucifixion. I'm just amazed again and again and again by the love of my Saviour and His example. What a time to be a missionary and bear His name. 

Speak to you all soon! 

Starszy Ashworth. 

Facebook Missionaries

The weeks are all merging into one at the moment haha, but I'm happy and healthy so I can't complain. I moved to Katowice this week, well, last week and it's been a really good week. My apartment is amazing I love it. It's a pretty place and the views are amazing. We even have a balcony haha, so we've been soaking up the sun haha. It's been really good weather as well in Poland, like 22 degrees celsius! I think I burned a little which is embarrassing but it's been nice to sit outside in the sun, keeps me sane. The work is exclusively facebook work, but it's actually really effective and kind of fun, but at the same time it's kind of exhausting. 6 hours talking to people on Facebook in another language actually saps the life out of you lol.

It was Easter this past weekend, surprise. But yeah it was the best time. I loved the extra focus I was able to have on the Atonement and Resurrection during my personal studies. As I was reading in Matthew I came across the well known words, "He is not here, for he is risen," and the words just seemed to jump off the page as I read them and I was filled with gratitude, for I know that death isn't the end. There aren't many other things that bring more consolation to a broken soul than that of the knowledge that Christ broke the bands of death. The grave has no victory and death has lost its sting. Christ's love for us all took Him to Gethsemane and then all the way to the summit of Calvary. He pressed on to the very end, finishing the bitter cup that was placed before Him. I'll never be able to fully express my love and my gratitude for my Saviour, but I hope that my small offering that I make to Him each day of my heart, all that I am and all that I have, is enough.

I love and miss you all. Also, a little shout out to Elder Jake Preston who is an inspiration to me every day.

I hope you all have a blessed week.

Starszy Ashworth x

General Conference!

Hey everyone it's been a few weeks so today might be a bit of a 2 birds with 1 stone kind of thing. 

So it's been a whirlwind of a few weeks, there's been no certainty to anything really, apart from that General Conference was on the 4th-5th of April. What an experience that was by the way, but I'll talk about that later. 

So to start, I got a new companion. President gave me and Elder Posacki  a surprise call last saturday, told us that he would be leaving on tuesday, and that I'd get a new companion on monday and that I'd be finishing his training etc. So that happened, Elder Posacki packed and left and I had my new companion. I then found out on friday that that would all be changing. I was told I'd be moving cities and getting a new companion which was a big shock, and I'll be in the same city as my trainer lol. I had a really nice 6 days with Elder Hancock but the Lord has different plans for us both and we just need to put our faith and trust in Him that it'll work out for our good. 

So I'm moving tomorrow. I get a fresh start in a new city called Katowice which is exciting, also pretty nervy but I'll be alright because I've got God on my side, and as Paul said, if God is for us then who can be against us? 

So it's been a pretty busy week haha but that's just part of being a missionary during the Covid-19 pandemic. At least the journal entries are a bit more exciting though haha. In the midst of all the craziness, I let my companion cut my hair for a bit of fun, and I think the only one who enjoyed it was him because it looked like someone had tried to cut my hair with a lawn-mower, but it gave us a good laugh and I fixed it somewhat later on so it's cool. It's one for the mission memories. I'd include a photo but I want to save myself the embarrassment haha.

Moving on, Conference happened! It was amazing and inspiring and uplifting in so many ways. I was overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude to know that we have a Prophet who leads and guides us. Each time he spoke the spirit entered into my heart and it's just such a blessing to have a living Prophet. All of the messages were inspired and the weekend as a whole brought so much comfort and peace to my soul. I'm so so so so excited to go back and listen to all of the talks. It amazed me just how personal each message felt. I realised that what made it unforgettable for me was the preparation I put in, and the hunger that I had to feel God's love. 

After a few hard weeks I just wanted to feel again that God loves me, a question that each soul yearns to have an answer to. I wanted to know what Christ thinks of me, I wanted to know what role I can have in this restoration and how I can help. I was humbled in my preparations, and taken back to the very basics, with a child-like desire to be reassured and comforted that everything will be okay. My questions were answered in an abundance, and my heart was filled with love. Of course God loves me, He sent His Son to die for me. Christ thinks everything of me and of you, because He thought us worthy of His blood, and He suffered all things both body and spirit, so that we can have the opportunity to accept His sacrifice and be found worthy to dwell in God's presence once again. We all have a role in this restoration, we have the right and privilege to receive revelation, to 'Hear Him,' we have the opportunity to go to the temple, to perform ordinances and enter into covenants and receive blessings from our Heavenly Father. We can enjoy all of the many things that thousands and thousands of Saints gave their lives for. The restoration of the Gospel is a marvelous work and a wonder. "The marvelous work is the work of the Lord's Church in the latter days, and the wonder is that He invites all of us, in spite of our weaknesses, to participate." What a blessing it is to be a part of this work, and to live in a day where the Lord speaks to His people.

 I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and I hope you all have an amazing week.

Starszy Ashworth x