Cicha Noc

This week was Christmas week and it was another good week overall. We got to see the members quite a lot which was nice as it gave me the opportunity to get to know them a bit better so that was good. We finally had some dinner appointments haha, and just like the teaching appointments I mentioned in a previous email, they both came on one day haha. But it's all good, it was good food and it was filling. 

At one of the dinner appointments we met with a member named Juan from Venezuela. I really wanted to go and see him as he's out here alone without his family and doesn't speak Polish so he cooked us a meal and we shared with him a spiritual thought. I shared with him how he can use the little time he has to read from the scriptures and have spiritual experiences each day, and also the importance of keeping a study journal where you can record the thoughts and impressions you receive. I shared an experience I had, where I looked back through my old study journal and saw something I'd written about why I was serving a mission and who I wanted to be in 2 years time. I simply wrote that I want to be a better version of myself and that I want to make the Lord proud. It gave me some much needed strength at that time, and being able to share this experience with Juan was so special and the spirit was so strong. I'm glad I get to share these experiences with others and hopefully make a difference in at least one persons life. 

On Christmas Day we hosted a Christmas party and we planned so much stuff and made cookies and no one showed up haha, apart from one member who came and so we stayed and sang carols with him and played games haha.

On Boxing day we went caroling, and there was one experience that stood out to me and has been in my mind quite a bit since. We saw a man on a bench and we sang Silent Night to him, not thinking much of it. I sat next to him on the bench and shared with him the lyrics so he could sing along with us. Once we finished he started to cry, and he began to thank us for what we were doing. I don't understand much Polish but he said that he had lost his wife and kids, and didn't think that Christmas existed anymore, and so he was grateful for us simply singing a carol with him. It shows just how far a simple act of kindness can go, and the importance of love and care toward others. 

Over the Christmas period something I thought a lot about is the Saviour's birth and his truly humble beginnings. In the Christ Child video, the very last image is the manger in which He was born, and this was really powerful to me. I thought a lot about it, I thought about His condescension and His humility and His love for his Father in Heaven. There was one scripture that came to mind as I thought about this and it's found in Matthew 8:20, and it says,

"And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." 

It just really struck me and reaffirmed to me the knowledge that the Saviour knows us individually and perfectly. He was born in a stable, He was a poor man and He was homeless. He can empathise with the poor and the needy because He too was poor as to the things of the world. He can empathise with the downtrodden because He too was "a man of sorrows ...acquainted with grief." He can empathise with those who are spat upon, and cast out and rejected, because He too was spat upon, and cast out and rejected. In Luke we learn that He was sent "to heal the broken hearted." He was sent to bind up our wounds, to offer refuge for the captive soul, and to help us on our way home. I know I speak about this a lot, but to me it's the most important thing I could talk about, so I hope I don't sound like a broken record haha. I just love my Saviour, and I really do stand all amazed at the love that He has for me.

Speak to you all soon, and have a lovely New Year!

Starszy Ashworth x 

Testimony

So this week has gone so fast. It's been so so busy and I can't believe it's P-day already. We had zone conference this week, which was really really nice. It was on the meaning of  Christmas and what we want our Christmas to look like while we're here in Poland. It's different here, I'm not with my family, I don't have the christmas tree and the christmas songs or even Home Alone. This Christmas has been a great time to really think about the true meaning of Christmas, why we celebrate it and why the season is filled with so much joy and so much hope. It's the season of giving, of sharing and of loving. The reason why we have Christmas is because 'God so loved the world that He sent his Only Begotten Son.' God sent His Son Jesus Christ, who was born in a stable in Bethlehem. The God of the Old Testament, the Lamb of God, the Saviour and Redeemer of mankind had such humble beginnings, and the story of His birth sparks within us joy, and love and care for others as we are reminded of what is really important during the Christmas season. I've had moments of peace and moments to be still, as I have thought about the Christ child, His mother Mary and the humble Joseph. I've been filled with gratitude towards God, for the gift that he gave us, the gift of His Divine Son. 

The rest of the week was really good, we finally taught a lesson haha, and not just one lesson but two! It was so nice, I couldn't help but smile as we taught because I was sharing with them something that is so important to me and they were both such lovely people searching for the truth. We shared with them the message of the Restoration, taught them about the Book of Mormon and gave them each their own copy. I'm so grateful that I get to share with people Salvation. It's moments like these that make it all worth it, just look for the good in your life because I promise it will always outweigh the bad. 

Another good thing is that my Polish is improving a lot which is always a good sign. It's been a huge blessing and I've just been able to embrace it without fear and I find myself having conversations and talking and listening like woah I'm really doing this hahaha. It's quite funny to be honest but it's so cool. We had the ward Christmas party on saturday as well and it was a 12 course meal without any meat which was bizarre but I enjoyed it for the most part hahah.

At the zone conference, President Chandler gave me the opportunity to share my testimony of my Saviour and I was grateful for this. I'm always grateful for the opportunity to share my testimony of the Saviour because it means so much to me. I cherish my testimony of my Saviour, because he is everything to me. I am so grateful for Him,I'm grateful for His example, His love, His teachings and His atoning sacrifice. I feel his love each day, it helps me to continue on, when I feel like no one understands me I always remind myself that there is always one who knows, there is always one who understands, because Jesus Christ knows and understands perfectly.

Speak to you all soon!

Starszy Ashworth

Have Joy in the Journey

This week has been a really good week. I've been much happier and I can feel the approval of my Heavenly Father as I just try my hardest and do what is in my control. Again I just want to stress that God doesn't care about numbers, he just cares about our offering to him, and I have felt this during the week. It's been hard, there's still been tough days, days where no one listens, days where I feel like I'm not good enough, but at the end of the day I always feel comfort and love from my Heavenly Father because I'm doing what I can to serve him. 

Although people have turned me down constantly this week, I've been so happy! it's strange really, but acting in faith will always help us to have joy, because we're doing what's right. And I really do have a testimony that 'all things work out for good, for those who love God.'

I wish I had more stories about meeting people and teaching people but at the moment I don't sorry, but I'm really trying hard, I know that there is someone out there who is being prepared by the Lord. So far the one who has been coming closer the Saviour is me, and honestly I've never felt closer to the Saviour in my life. Although it can be hard some days, I really am grateful for every experience, especially the difficult ones. Without those moments we wouldn't grow, we wouldn't have to experiment on the words of the Lord, and it's in the difficult moments of our lives that we grow closer to the Saviour, because our understanding of His atonement grows, and so too our grasp of His love. 

 One thing that has brought me great comfort is that not only did the Saviour atone for our sins but he took upon himself our pains and our sorrows and our heartaches too. He can empathise with us because he has felt all that we will ever feel, and he did this 'that his bowels may be filled with mercy... that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.' I can take great comfort from knowing that the Saviour, the only perfect missionary, the very Son of God, was rejected and spat upon and cast out also. When I stand seemingly alone I stand with Christ himself, and he lifts me up, he matches my tears with his own and he gives me the strength to carry on.

One of the most precious things in our lives is our testimony of the Saviour and so I would ask this week that you do what you can to strengthen your own testimony of Him.

Speak to you all soon. 

Starszy Ashworth x 

Łódź - The Manchester of Poland.

So, it's been my first week in Poland, and in all honesty it's been pretty hard. I was super excited to be here, and I still am, but it's taking me some time to adjust. What's giving me comfort is knowing that the Lord is with me, he's mindful of me and he knows how I feel and this brings me comfort. Also, the Lord won't ask me to do anything that I can't do, so I know that as I continue to work hard and have faith that I'll do alright.

 As far as Łódź goes, (pronounced woodge) it's a really pretty place, there's a huge street that runs for like 4.3 km, it's huge, and I've spent most of my time there lol. Also the name of the city means boat, but there's no water near it whatsoever which is confusing. 

My only funny story from this week was that while contacting in the streets, I went up to someone to just say hi, but I panicked and said thank you instead and they just laughed at me and walked off, quite awkward but ah well.

 I've heard some really uplifting things this week and have had many moments that have given me strength and reminded me of where I am and who it is that I am serving. My favourite though was that God doesn't care about how many people I baptise, He doesn't care about numbers, He just cares that I give my will. The one thing I can give to my Heavenly Father that is truly mine is my will, and so long as I submit my will to my Heavenly Father then I'll be okay, and my Heavenly Father can't ask for anything more. As well, when I serve and I go forth, Christ has promised us that He is with us, He is on our right hand and on our left and His angels are round about us to bear us up. This brings me great strength and I am so grateful for this knowledge.

Another thing this week that I've realised how important the Book of Mormon really is. Of course I knew this before but I know it even more now. It really does provide us safety for the soul, it is the word of God and gives us the guidance and direction we need, and it also teaches us of Christ and his Love, and reminds us that we are Children of God. I've found comfort and peace in it's pages, and I know that it will bring peace to your lives too as you read it. I promise you.

Lastly, I want to just testify of the power of prayer. This week I've really had to rely on my Saviour and His atonement, and I've had to turn to my Heavenly Father in prayer. We should always have a prayer in our hearts, always keep our minds on the things that bring us peace and joy. As we always have a prayer in our hearts, we keep our feet on the ground, but we have our minds in Heaven. 

I hope to hear from you all soon, do widzenia!

Starszy Ashworth x

POLAND

So I leave for Poland in 3 days, I'm so so so excited, it feels like I've been in the MTC forever and now I'll finally be able to preach the gospel to the Lord's people in Poland. It's been a rollercoaster of a week. I went to the doctor with some knee pain, and he said I'd torn my meniscus. He sent me to a specialist in Utah and I had an x-ray done, he also told me that I'd torn my meniscus and then I saw another doctor who also told me it was torn, so it looked like I'd be going home. I had an MRI scheduled and after the MRI I was going to find out whether I'd be going home or not, so I went and asked a district president in the MTC for a blessing. The moment he finished the blessing, I stood up and the pain was gone, and the MRI came back with no damage to my meniscus at all, such a miracle. 

Yesterday was thanksgiving and Elder Neil L Andersen came for the devotional and it was amazing. He told us to be grateful for all that we have and he bore such a powerful testimony of the Saviour, it was really moving and the words of this primary hymn came to my mind,

'love one another as Jesus loves you, try to show kindness in all that you do, be gentle and loving in deed and in thought, for these are the things Jesus taught.'

One of the best ways to follow the Saviour is to love those around us, and as we approach the Christmas season it is the perfect time to be kind to others. Think of someone you can serve, think of something you can do to help someone smile, and think of something you can do to lighten someone else's load. I promise you that you will find joy as you are in the service of others. 

Also, please please please all go and watch the new light the world video. It's called the Christ Child and it is amazing. Just type in LDS Light The World into your search bar and I'm sure you'll find it, and it'll help show the true meaning of christmas. 

Next time I email you all I'll be in Poland and I can't wait!

Speak soon,

Starszy Ashworth x

Me with Brother Eggert the MTC choir director. 

18 Words of the Saviour

This week has been another good week, I've laughed a lot and I've had so many things to be grateful for, so many reasons to smile and so many reasons to give thanks to god. I am so blessed to be a missionary, so blessed to have the Lord on my side and so blessed to have a knowledge of this gospel. The language has been coming along so good this week, I have a newfound desire to continue learning and expanding my ability to speak. It also helps having a brother who can speak Polish, it's such a cool opportunity to go to the places he went, and to walk where he walked and share those same experiences.

 I've been studying a lot recently about the restoration, reading about the importance of the Book of Mormon and how it can change lives. I have a testimony of that book and of its divinity, I know that there is power contained within its pages and I know that if anyone wants to draw nearer to God, then they can by reading the Book of Mormon and turning to God in prayer.

 The devotional this tuesday was amazing, it was given by Bishop Waddell of the presiding bishopric of the church. He spoke a lot about the Book of Mormon and its role in missionary work, and he also gave a really powerful message about the Saviour and his 18 words. The first 5 words were, "Here am I, send me." From the very beginning, the Saviour was prepared to be our Saviour and redeemer, to rescue mankind and to give us hope, to heal the broken hearted and help us on our way back home. Much like the Saviour I have accepted my call to serve, I have said 'here am I, send me' and the Lord is relying on me to do his work.

The next 7 words were, "not my will, but thine be done." In the greatest display of love ever shown, the Saviour submitted to will of the Father and partook of the bitter cup. He took upon himself the sins and the sufferings of all those who had lived, those who were living and those who would live, that they would never have to bare lifes burdens alone. He completed the atonement which is infinite and individual, and helps us to overcome all of lifes challenges and sorrows.

The next 3 words were, "It is finished." The Saviour finished His work on earth, He claimed victory over the grave and completed the atonement on the cross. I'm doing this for him, he never gave up on me, so I can't give up on him. He finished his course for me, so I'll finish mine for him.

The last 3 words were, "He is Risen." Christ lives, and I share with you my testimony that I know this is true. I know that my redeemer lives, he lives and he loves us. He loved us to the end, and he loves us still. He is our advocate with the father, he pleads for our cause, and he will never let us walk alone. I love Him and will stand as a witness of Him in everything that I do, because I am not ashamed to be His disciple, I am not afraid to stand for what is right.

Have a great week everyone.

Speak soon.

Starszy Ashworth x 

The Divine Gift of Gratitude

This week has been one of the best so far. It started off pretty rough because a lot of my friends were leaving who had finished their 6 weeks. My good pal Elder Degener left for the Belgium Netherlands mission and so I was gutted about that but I'm sure I'll make some new friends. I'll add some pictures hopefully next week because I haven't been good at that so far lol. 

The devotionals this week have been amazing. We got shown the new Light the World video this year and we got to see it early! Let me just say you're in for a treat. It is such a moving video, it is so real and we really get to see the journey that Joseph and Mary took, and their characters and their care for the baby Jesus. Also, the portrayal of the wise men is amazing, it had me in tears, I can't wait for you all to see it. 

I was kind of struggling to be positive this week, but this Thomas S Monson talk kept popping into my head, about the gift of gratitude. I was sat in class on Monday or Tuesday I cant really remember which, and I said the most simple thing in Polish but I used it in the right context and I was super happy with myself. But then I gave all the thanks to God, I was grateful for Him for helping me and answering my prayers, and after this I was even more happy, God had blessed me for being grateful and I felt the Holy Ghost in my heart. Think of what you're grateful for, write them down, even if it's the simplest of things and I promise you'll see Gods hand in your life, no matter who you are. 

I've had some good teaching experiences this week also, teaching has been a struggle of mine, especially when it's in Polish, but this week the Lord has shown me what I'm capable of through Him. I bore simple testimony of the Book of Mormon and of its truthfulness but for me it was one of the most powerful experiences I've had. It's amazing being a missionary, it's amazing being set apart from the world, having the Lord on your side always and knowing that Heavens help is all around you. 

Speak soon,

Starszy Ashworth x