Monday, September 4, 2017

My Last Epistle

September 4, 2017
My last Epistle,

Ok, so I am about to say what every dying missionary says, I can't believe this day has come... Who would've thought that 18 months would go by so fast! This has been the greatest 18 months of my entire life. Yes, there have been ups and downs and in betweens, but there have been super highs and unexplainable experiences that I will ever be grateful for. There are so many fond memories I have here in Kansas that I will never forget! How I will miss this place!
  1. The people! So many wonderful people that have been sent by God to me to help me or for me to teach the gospel to.
  2. Seeing the changes the gospel makes in a person’s life. Especially mine!
  3. My backyard being lit on fire at 11pm by a crazy psycho.
  4. Feeling the Spirit as you teach the gospel and seeing how it “clicks.”
  5. The sound of running water in the church, as someone I came to love gets dressed in white.
  6. Being a representative of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
  7. Bed bugs.... NOT!
  8. Sitting in church with an investigator and feeling the Spirit.
  9. Seeing investigators recognize confirmations from the Spirit.
  10. Change! 
There is so much I wish I could express through this email, but sadly I can't. I have loved every second of being the Lords missionary! Everything I have done in this year and half has been for my Savior. I have gone out in the heat, cold, stormy tornado weather, to teach what I love and know to be true. I was never forced. I have done this because I want to bring the light this gospel has brought to my life to others. I have had thousands of doors slammed in my face, but those that have opened their door and let us in has made those thousands worth it. I have met so many wonderful members with such a desire to share the gospel to their friends, and have been wonderful examples. I have seen them embrace complete strangers into the church, and love and take care of them. The sweetest moments of my mission, are the times when the Lord allowed me to see his children as He does, with love and all that they can become. Brothers and sisters this church is true and contains the fullness of the gospel. The Book of Mormon is holy scripture and another testament of our Savior Jesus Christ. I promise you that as you read it with a sincere heart and act upon its precepts, you will come closer to God than by any other book. Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and called to restore His church upon the earth, so that we may no longer be in darkness but guided by God’s chosen leaders through revelation once again. 

When my mission is over I will be steadfast and immovable as a living epistle of Jesus Christ and love my Savior forever more. I belong to the Kansas Wichita Mission family, Hoorah for Israel!

Love,
Sister Magda 


I LOVE MY MISSION!

August 28, 2017
Dear Family and Friends,

Wow so this week just flew by like crazy fast! I can't believe it’s almost September. I think when I was praying for time to slow down its doing the exact opposite... dang! Well, this week was amazing! So many miracles happened I'll do my best to tell you all about them. 

We had our mission conference on Saturday. The whole mission came to Wichita to the 29th Street Building to hear Elder Dallin H. Oaks speak to us. First, when we got there at 11am we had lunch with the whole mission, and got to mingle and chat beforehand. I was so excited specially to see Sister Grover (my Topeka, Ks companion). We pretty much spent the whole time during lunch together talking and catching up. I have missed her so much! It felt so good to see her again before I go home. Of course, she made a few dying jokes... who wouldn't though haha. (That is a missionary slang term for “going home.”)


We all gathered together and sang before we headed into the church (we were in the pavilion outside) and the Spirit was so strong. It was hard not to tear up. We then headed inside and took a mission picture with Elder Oaks and then headed into the chapel. Elder Oaks and two members of the Quorum of the Seventy spoke to us. Before that, they made sure to shake every missionary’s hand!  Elder Oaks talked to us about teaching repentance and baptizing converts. How important it is to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ which is, Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the end and how important it is that when we teach the gospel we don't skip a step if someone doesn't understand it. He told us our purpose is to convert people to the gospel of Jesus Christ not the church because when times get tough and we go through trials only our testimony of the gospel will get us through it. We as missionaries need to teach simply and help our investigators and converts get into the routine of reading our scriptures and pray every single day because just doing the basics is what is going to build our testimony and keep us strong and firm in our faith.


It's so true because I have seen how just doing simple and basic things are the most important ways to build and maintain your testimony. There have been times where I have lacked in my prayer and scripture reading and I can remember feeling lost or more confused than if I were doing those things. I promise you that if you continue to do those basic routines and habits, your life will be enriched and blessed eternally. I absolutely loved everything that was said in that conference and the sprit was so powerful in that room. We ended with the hymn "I Know my Redeemer Lives"... never in my life have I ever felt the Spirit stronger than during that song. I couldn't finish the song because of how strongly I felt the Spirit. My favorite verse of that hymn is " He lives all glory to his name! He lives, my Savior, still the same. Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives: "I know that my Redeemer lives.!" He lives! All glory to his name! He lives, my Savior, still the same. Oh, the joy this sentence gives, "I know my Redeemer lives!" What a beautiful song. It will forever be one of my favorites hymns. It ended our conference with such spiritual power that I will never forget. 


Sister Lomu and I are teaching so many wonderful people! We are teaching a guy named Joshua and he is just amazing. Sister Lomu found him on exchanges with sister Setoki. They stopped him to give him a picture of Jesus and he told them that he has met with missionaries before. As they continued to talk to them he told them that he has read the Book of Mormon three times already but when he moved he lost his copy. He was very happy to receive a new copy. We taught him the restoration last week and he just absorbed everything and he told us that he knows the Book of Mormon is true. He then told us all about what he read before we came which was Nephi and the Liahona and how amazing it was that the lord provided them away to get to the promised land. He told us he wanted to come to church really badly but doesn't have car to get there which was no problem because there was a member just around the corner who was super willing to give him a ride! On Sunday, we left early to go see if he was ready... well when we got there he had just woken up because his alarm never went off.... he then told us that he wasn’t going to be able to make it this week. That’s when sister Lomu said "is it because you don't think you can get dressed on time?" He was like "ya" she then said, " don't worry we can wait for ya so go get dressed." He went to get dressed and then came out with a white shirt and jeans and his Book of Mormon in his hands and excited that he could come.


He absolutely loved Sacrament and all the members swarmed him to greet him and he just beamed at them. He loved Sunday school and participated in the discussion. After priesthood, he came out and told us that he feels like he's at home here and can't wait to come back! We were talking to him when a sister from our ward came up to me and said "did you know Elder Oaks is in the chapel right now?" I immediately got excited and told Joshua to follow me and on the way to the chapel explained who Dallin H. Oaks was and how he's an apostle of the Lord. When we got to the chapel Elder Oaks was shaking everyone's hands and came up to Joshua and shook his hand and looked at him and said that he was very happy that he came to church. A lady from our ward told him that that was a once in a life time opportunity to be able to shake hands with an apostle, and Joshua smiles and said, " I'm going to go tell everyone!" Hahah it was so funny and awesome. Joshua was beaming from ear to ear the whole day. He has been such an amazing guy to teach. He has such a desire to change and build his faith in the Savior. He is currently preparing to be baptized on September 16th and I am so sad that I won’t be able to be there but that’s how it is. We are just instruments in the Lord’s hands to help him move his work forward and I am so grateful to have been a part of Joshua's journey. 

We are also teaching Tara and Tabitha who are sisters. They both just moved from Chicago to live with their other sister and start their lives over. Both sister have such a desire to learn more of the gospel of Jesus Christ and come to church. Tara has already asked for Sunday's off to go to church and is coming next week with her daughters and Tabitha. We are so excited to teach them more. 

This week has truly been such a spiritual and wonderful week. One of the best of my mission! I love my mission so much! I love that I get a front row seat to the miracles our father in heaven has for his children and getting to be an instrument in his hands to help my brothers and sisters feel the joy that comes from living the gospel. I do this only because I have seen it in my own life and want so desperately for everyone to have it in their lives because without it would be sad and so very difficult.   I am forever and eternally grateful that I have the fullness of the gospel and all the blessings, peace, joy, comfort, strength, and confidence that comes from the knowledge I have. 

I love you all so much and hope you have a fantastic week! Remember to read and pray every day so as to have the strength and powers of heaven with you every day! 

Love,
Sister Magda 


I Know the Gospel of Jesus Christ is True

August 14, 2017

Dear family and friends,

Not a whole lot has happened in this week. Monday night we got a call from the STL's asking if we could change our exchange from Thursday to Tuesday... which was all good we didn't have any set appointments so we agreed to it. As we were driving up to the 13th Street Building they called us and told us that they had to change the exchange again to the next day... which was super funny to us because literally we were pulling in to the parking lot when they told us so we had to drive all the way back to our area. Luckily, all those miles were reimbursed. So, we had exchanges on Wednesday instead after district meeting. I went to Bel Air with Sister Thompson, and Sister Lomu stayed in Maize with Sister Setoki.

Back story, Sister Setoki in Topeka got into a fender bender and lost her driving privileges and then just two weeks ago Sister Thompson got into a fender bender and lost her driving privileges as well so they have no car and have to walk everywhere... which meant on my exchange in Bel Air I had to walk everywhere as well... ewwh. But it was still super awesome! Sister Thompson and I had a lot of fun talking to people and talking about all our mission stories. We walked up to this one guy’s porch and started talking to him. Well, he was super drunk and was acting all flirty to us he then said, "if I join your church can I have two wives... just kidding." After that, we asked if we could send other missionaries to talk to him later. We then passed him to the elders hahaha.

That night it stormed pretty hard but we were luckily in a member’s home eating dinner by that time and then had meetings at church so we didn't have to be in it. The Andover sisters picked us up from church (sister Gardner and sister Nail) it was really nice to see Sister Nail and spend a little time talking to her. We then went out to Cold Stone because Sister Thompson wanted to celebrate my last exchange with ice cream... ðŸ˜­ I loved every minute of that exchange! Sister Thompson is such an amazing missionary and taught me so much! She is such a wonderful example of diligence and obedience. She is also so much fun. We definitely became close friends and I am grateful. 

When Sister Lomu and I got back to Maize she had found 4 new investigators and two of them are super solid! The other two will get there. We weren't able to find any more people though which was rough. But we were able to progress a lot of people. 

Mark spoke in sacrament meeting for the first time! He gave his whole conversion story and testimony and it was absolutely amazing. He gave such a strong testimony on the restoration and how he was led by the Lord to know of its truthfulness. He said that he could not deny that this was God's true church restored upon the earth. I can't express how amazing it has been to be able to see the changes this gospel makes on everyone's lives. People that are lost and confused are able to find peace and clarity. Those who are lonely and hurt are able to feel Christ love in great abundance and are able to be fully healed through his atonement. There is an endless amount of blessings that come from the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I have seen so many in my life before and during my mission. 

 I love my mission with all my heart it has brought me so much joy that words cannot even express. I have felt my Savior walk beside the whole way through, helping me through hard times and rejoicing with me through good times. I have come to know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is truly Jesus Christ's church restored here upon the earth with the fullness of the everlasting gospel, and that it brings families closer together. It’s brought mine closer together which I am forever grateful for. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and if we read it God can truly answer our prayers and questions. I know that it is another testament of Jesus Christ and all those who read will come closer to God than any other book. I know this because I've read it and studied, pondered, and prayed to know if it was true and by the power of the Holy Ghost I know that it is. I promise you that if you read and ask God if its true he will tell you as well and it will change your life and you will be able to know of the glory of God and the joy of the fullness of his gospel. I am so excited to see the miracles God has in store for his children here in the Maize 1st area and to be a part of it. ðŸ˜Š 

Love,

Sister Magda 

Sunday, July 30, 2017

All Day Baptism and Bedbugs!

July 24, 2017
Dear Family and Friends

This week has been CRAZY!!! First it was super hot like 107 plus humidity so it felt like we were swimming in a hot tub of stickiness….eww! I mentioned a few weeks ago a miracle about an investigator named Mark. Well, he is getting baptized this Saturday!!!  He is so amazing and has such a strong testimony of the church. He has been investigating on and off for about 6yrs and his daughter was baptized 2yrs ago. We have spent the past 3 weeks going over every other day teaching him all the lessons over again... He teaches us hahaha!!! We go over with a new pamphlet and he tells us all he knows about it and testifies of it and then we discuss questions that he has. He is just so AMAZING.
 
July Zone Conference
Mark wanted to be baptized at 11am on the 29th so our ward mission leader went to schedule the building. Unfortunately, that slot had been taken so we asked Mark again what time he wanted his baptism. He then said, “Well how about 1pm?” So, we were like, “Ok” and told our ward mission leader.  To our surprise, he texted back and said that all of the time slots had been taken and that someone had booked the building from 11am-7pm for ONE baptism! We were so confused! We went back and told Mark about it and the first thing he said was "sounds like someone is having a pool party in the font!" Hahaha! We were dying laughing. We had to call around to figure out why someone had booked the building for 8hrs for a baptism. We finally figured out that the Maize 2nd sisters and the Zone leader's ward mission leader didn't know how long it took to fill the font nor how to book a building. Because of this, they booked the font  for the whole day for their baptism at 2pm! After switching Mark’s baptism to Friday, then Saturday, back to Friday, and then back to Saturday, we finally got everything settled and his baptism is again back for this Saturday at 11am. Whew!
Sister Magda got to see her former companion, Sister Nail!

This week we had an unpleasant surprise but before I say what it is, I need to go back a few months... like to May. So, when Sister Lee and I moved into our new apartment (which used to be an elders’ apartment) we had to clean a lot because... elders are gross. Anyway, it was coming to the close of May and getting really hot and the mosquitos and all types of gross bugs coming out. Well, all through May, June and July I kept getting all these itchy bites that would just drive me CRAZY and they were all over my body. The bites were down my arms and legs even on my feet and the bottoms of my feet. For a long time, we couldn't figure out where they were coming from and I just thought they were chiggers or mosquitoes.

One day we were at zone conference when our mission nurse told us to beware of the bed bugs and she showed a picture of bed bug bites and they look EXACTLY LIKE MINE! I freaked out and as soon as I got home I checked my mattress and let out a sigh of relief because there was nothing there.... or so I thought. A week went by and I was still getting eaten up badly and the nurse couldn't figure it out either because I told I checked for bed bugs. But late one night I was trying to fall asleep when I felt something crawl across my hand! My eyes shot open and I immediately slapped it and ran to the bathroom to see what it was.... IT WAS A BIG BROWN BED BUG!!!!! I called the housing people and told them I thought I had bed bugs and they told me that they would call our apartment people and they would send someone over the next day. Well that night I flipped my mattress over and again there was nothing. I even checked in the creases and still found nothing. I was so puzzled. That was until the thought came to me to check under the box spring. So very hesitantly, I pulled my box spring up and.... my stomach turned because as sure as God made little green apples there was a mass of nasty blood sucking bed bugs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so appalled that I yelled and ran out of the room and called the housing people to tell them that I for sure had bed bugs and couldn't sleep in that room! I was almost in a panic because it grossed me out so badly. They said that they would bring air mattresses for us to sleep on until the exterminators came. That whole night I was fearing that the nasty little bugs would come find me and eat me so let’s just say that sleep wasn't happening for me that night. The exterminators came that afternoon and pretty much just held a flash light to my mattress and said "yep you've got bed bugs alright" I just thought to myself, "no duh Sherlock what gave that away?" and then they walked out of the room and said, " we can't treat it today but we will treat it on July 31st. In the meantime, your gonna have to sleep on your bed so they don't spread to other parts of the apartment." I thought I might pass out! There was no way that I was going to sleep with those blood suckers!


It was completely unfair because I was the only one who was being eaten by them Sister Lee wasn't even touched! She had bugs on her box spring but I guess they were just chilling and then climbing to my bed to eat me. I was so upset. I called the mission housing people and they said they would see what they could do. The next day they called and said that they had a guy in the Glenn Hills ward that would call our apartments corporate to see if he could do it instead. And he did!!! So, the next day he came and treated our apartment!!! We were so relieved!!! Now we are bed bug free!!! What an answer to our prayer. It was kind of awkward though because we had to pack our car to the max with black trash bags and go out and work. A lot of people thought we were living out of our car hahaha!!!! 

Transfers is this week and we just found out what's happening! For my last Transfer I will be..... wait for it....... drum roll please.... louder drum roll...... Staying in Maize 1st YEAH! Sister Lee is..... drum roll again.... louder...... Going to Kaw Valley Topeka! She is going to love it there!!! My new companion is Sister Lomu and I don't know anything about her other than she's coming from Lamar Colorado and that she's been out for about 5 months. 


I am so excited for this new transfer and to continue to be a representative of Jesus Christ, to teach the gospel that has blessed my life and brought so much happiness ere is no better calling! 

Love,

Sister Magda 


Miracles in July

July 10, 2017
Dear friends and family,


We had a wonderful miracle this week! We had another lesson this week with Mark and he had asked us about who the Holy Ghost was. After we explained who he was and answered some more of his questions, he
became concerned and then told us that he hasn't received a witness that the Book of Mormon is true yet... but then he bore his testimony of the truthfulness of The Restoration and of Joseph Smith and how there is no way that he's not a prophet and so on. We looked at him and said, "Mark you know the Book of Mormon is true you know that the church is true and you just bore a beautiful testimony."  He then expressed  to us that he knows it's all true and that he wanted to be baptized. So, we went through the BIQs (Baptism Interview Questions) and then invited him to set a specific date. We gave him several dates to choose from, but he wouldn't except one. Then, at church, we walked into the chapel and as we walk up to Mark the first thing he said was, "The 29th! I want to be baptized on the 29th!"  We are so excited! It was such an amazing experience to be able to see how the gospel has changed his life and how he looks so much happier and brighter!  His countenance shines! It's such a testimony builder to me that the gospel truly changes and blesses lives.

So, for the 4th of July, we didn't do anything other than missionary work and then had dinner... but I almost ran over a firework while trying to find a house. Luckily, it blew up after I was already past it. Kansans like to blow fireworks off from 1pm -2am... crazy people.

Well sorry for short weekly but I hope you have a good not too hot week 😄

Love,
Sister Magda


Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Once Upon a Time...More Adventures in Oz

June 19, 2017
Dear Family and Friends 

I want to start of wishing my amazing Father a HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!!! I love you so much Dad! I thought about you all day yesterday and all the talks that were given reminded me of how I have the best Dad in the world! Thank you for being such a loving father. Thank you for being a protector, provider, and for always being there when I was afraid or upset. Words cannot express enough of how much I love you. You are my best friend! I love you with all my heart dad! ðŸ˜˜ 

This week has been wonderful! Last week we got a text from this kid named Justin (he was a former investigator but couldn't get baptized until he was 18 because he said his parents were against. He must have been forgotten over the years). He texted us telling us that he was reading the Book of Mormon and wanted to know where he should start.... Sister Lee and I both looked at each other shocked!! We excitedly texted him back and told him to start from the beginning (introduction, testimonies, 1 Nephi 1 etc.) Then a few days later he texted us with some question he had. The questions were a little complex to reply by text so we asked if we could skype him and he said he would get back to us. Then, later the next night, he texted us at 3am saying, "I know you guys are asleep, but I wanted to share incredible news! I have been praying all night and reading the Book of Mormon, and prayed about the promise from Moroni 10:3-5 and Heavenly Father gave me overwhelming peace and told me the Book of Mormon is true! He also answered the questions I had texted to you. I know I want to be baptized, I just have to wait a few months..."  We texted him back the next morning and told him to write that experience down so that he could always go back to it. We then asked if we could meet him in person and show him around the church building. As we set up a time last Friday to show him around the church building. We had to get a member to be able to do that (we can't be there when it's just a single guy). We tried calling everyone and asking if they could come help us and it wasn't until the last second that we finally found someone to come with us. Sister Cocanouer was an amazing team up that was such a help in answering some of his questions.

Justin loved the church and really wants to be baptized. He told us that he actually has never told his parents about his interest in the church and was nervous to do so and that’s why he was waiting until he was 18 yrs.  We talked to him about it and told him to pray for inspiration so he could talk to them. We also talked to him about inviting them to listen and learn with him so that they could better understand as well and he was really for that. Later the next day, he texted again and said that he couldn't make it to church because it was Father's Day but that he had opened up to his mom for the first time about how he was searching religions and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was something he was really interested in, and he said that his mom seamed ok with it! It was so awesome!!

The Lord truly is preparing people and it is proof that if we are obedient and worthy to have the Spirit, we will see those miracles and be true instruments in the Lord’s hands. Justin is the most amazing and prepared person I have ever met. He knows more about the church than most teenage members do. He has seen tons of anti-Mormon websites and has heard a bunch of anti-Mormon comments from other people as well, but he said, "it was obvious that they didn't understand what they were talking about so I just moved on." He will be such a powerful and strong convert and member and I am so excited to help him and to be a witness of his conversion. Having a miracle like that makes all the door slamming worth it! 

Have I ever explained in detail the difference between Topeka and Wichita? Well I'm going to. So, Topeka is very, very hilly and almost looks like a forest (depending on where in Topeka you are. If you start heading to Holton then not really). It has roads that go vertical and horizontal like a grid, if that makes sense. Most of the roads down near the capital are all brick.... it's the worst! Driving on super old brick is difficult.... and so is walking on it! Man, I think I've almost tripped and died a million times on those roads. Sister Grover would trip daily and biff it.... I tried catching her but I sometimes wasn't fast enough haha. Topeka is also really, really dirty looking... again that's if your down by the capital on Topeka Blvd up to Farelawn. There were a lot of abandoned houses that only animals lived in or random people that didn't have a place to live.... it was pretty shady sometimes. Also 10 years ago, an insane asylum shut down and just opened the doors for all the people to just leave and wander the streets... true story! So, you also had to be aware of craziness as well... it was an Adventure!!!!

As you got closer to the church which was down 21st Street past Wanamaker on Kingsrow Road, you got the more well-off kind of people. But, that area was in Sherwood—the  ward right next to Kaw Valley, so we couldn't work there. As you drove more down 21s Street past Urish Road to Southwest Indian Hills Road you got the Big Homes! Like mansions!! And those where in our area... Sister Grover and I called it the “richhood ðŸ˜‚.”  We would try to tract there but no one would listen. The first day we tried three castle sized doors. The first door we tried a man answered and said, " Oh, it's the Mormons." we continued to try to talk to him and he just continued to say, "Man, I wish I had time right now to talk to about how you're an absolute cult and how the Book of Mormon is a fraud, and to help you get out but I'm busy right now so come back later," and then he closed the door... Sister Grover and I were like, "Ya, nope, not coming back to that house!" The second door we tried, the guy told is that he really like the family part of our message but was atheist so he'd pass. The third door was a lady who just very politely said she wasn't interested. It was an interesting experience.

Ok, now I'll explain my area in Wichita. So, Maize and Wichita are incredibly flat and have lots of wheat and corn fields.
Wichita has some trees but they are different looking than Topeka’s. The roads are windy which is sooo annoying!!! You get lost so easily. It is also so much cleaner and well kept (other than the dirt roads) than Topeka. The area I am serving in, there is only two kinds of homes—big, Bigger, and GIGANTIC! We once saw these teenagers riding a golf cart on their lawn it was so big... true story. There is only one small, tiny, tiiiiinny, little neighborhood with normal sized humble homes... those are on dirt roads. Since the time Sister Grover and I knocked on those big homes in Topeka I now have experience in talking to wealthier people and it has been... an adventure as well. Hmm let's see Wichita is kind of like the Roseville, Rocklin, and Folsom areas to me not so much Sacramento. But I love it here! Every area is unique and a different kind of adventure hahah! Wichita people are very different than Topeka people or Abilene people and I love it! Topekans are crazy and funny, Abileneians are more redneck and friendly, Wichitaians are more educated and religious and family oriented (in our area that is). 

That's all I can think of on how to describe the difference ðŸ˜‚

Ok so Here is another once upon a time story... you ready for this one?.... 

Once upon a time it was a beautiful hot... muggy...sweaty... smelly... Kansas day. These two sisters were just finishing planning their day in the nice air conditioning apartment and walked outside and...melted. One sister (me) said, "Man it is too flipping hot outside! I wish it would rain so it would cool us off a little." Little did she know that her wish would soon come true. So, they soon went on their way knocking doors and visiting with all that would listen when in the clear blue sky they saw ONE cloud.That same sister (me) said, "Come on little cloud, make some more friends." Oooh was she about to meet the rest of that clouds friends! After they had dinner at one of the member’s home, the man of the home told them to be careful that there was going to be a BIG storm tonight. The sister missionaries (one of them being me) left and that sister (me) was excited! But, she then said, "Ooooh Kansas storms are nothing. It will probably rain for 10 minutes and then sprinkle. I doubt it will be a big storm"... oh was she about to get it.

It was approximately 7pm when they started to hear thunder and see some grey clouds on one side and bright blue on the other. They thought nothing of it and continued on their way knocking on doors down a dirt road (since Kansas are full of dirt roads). Every person they met said that it was going to get windy and storm and to go home. So, after no one would listen, these sisters (yes, one of them was me) ventured to a different part of town. They were driving down Hoover Road singing to the song, "I'm gonna go on a mission" as loud as they could (well just me actually) not noticing what was going on outside when finally, one of the sisters (Sister Lee) said, "Hey look at those clouds, they're really dark... but it looks like they're going away." HA! Ya, that’s what SHE thought.

They pulled up to a neighborhood stopped the car and got out. When they got out of the car they looked behind them and froze.... the clouds were completely black with a greenish tint to them and all they could see was a THICK wall of DIRT like it was so high it looked like a part of the clouds. Both sisters gulped and looked at each other... they checked their phones looking for updates on weather from the AP's but there was nothing... so they continued on, knowing they couldn't go home unless they were told by the Zone leaders or AP's. As one of the sisters (me) was taking a picture... in the middle of the road... like a numpty... she almost was hit by a car (not really). Then, another car stopped and this really sweet man was telling us to be careful and that we shouldn't be out too long because it was going to get really stormy in about 10min.... Well, it only took 5min. When as we were talking to someone on their driveway (who wasn't very interested) the wall of dirt hit them FULL FORCE! It started to pour a thick wall of dirt rain.
The lady they were talking to told them to leave and get safely into their car... one sister (me) thought to herself, "Really... you're not going to let us in when its storming outside...?" So, the sisters ventured back to their car which was around the corner. As they were running, it became so windy that it was picking up trash cans and blowing the trees so hard that you could almost see the top of them at eye level. They got into the car and drove to the nearest shelter as it was starting to thunder and lightning was striking everywhere the eye could see with only seconds apart.

As the sister (me) drove to the nearest gas station to protect the car, she felt as though it was going to be lifted off the ground! But they made it to the gas station... alive. About that time a ward member called and ask if they were at their apartment. They said, “No,’ and told her where they were. She said that they should go INSIDE the gas station because there were winds that were clocking at about 80 MILES AN HOUR!!!! They went inside and waited for the storm to pass. They watched as tree branches blew by and all sorts of weird things... one sister (me) thought they saw a COW FLYING by....but it was just a really large black plastic garbage bag. They decided to call the zone leaders and ask if they should still be out... the zone leaders said that it was just windy but to be safe and continue to work... the sisters looked at each other and said "WHAT?!" But they decided to go visit a member that was at the church and to wait the storm out there. And so, they ventured back out into the storm and drove to the church slipping and sliding but made it there safely. It was about 8:30 pm when it finally became just rain and lighting and they were able to finish the night with talking to a few more people and dodging lightning as they walked. The one sister (me) said to her companion, "maybe I shouldn't wish for rain out loud next time..." Those sisters slept well that night. 

I know you were probably waiting for a tornado story but there wasn't one at all that day which surprised me because the clouds were like a freaky green color... I was bummed haha. 

Well that’s pretty much it for this week!! ðŸ˜˜

Love sister Magda 


Monday, June 26, 2017

Olympic Challenges

June 5, 2017
Dear Family and Friends

Let's see hmmm... This week our zone did a week-long challenge called “The Wichita Zone Olympics.” There were three teams, which are the Wellington team, the Valley Center team, and then the Zone leaders. There were two districts to a team... except for the zone leaders. They were a one companionship team. Each day the zone leader texted out the challenge for the day. Wednesday was “how many people can you talk to”, Thursday was “how many times can you share the first vision”, Friday was “how many people can you commit to coming to church”, Saturday was “how many missionary materials can you pass out (pass along cards, Book of Mormon, pamphlets etc)”, and Sunday was “how many people can you teach about sacrament.” It was all really fun! 

For the first challenge, Sister Lee and I went for it super hard talking to everyone we saw. By the end of the day we had talked to 21 new people! That was even after we had spent 3 hours of our day doing weekly planning and we didn't go out until about 3pm! But it was also a really challenging day for us as well because out of the 21 people we talked to, we had only found 1 potential investigator. Everyone rejected us and most in a very mean way, but we kept going and doing our best to stay positive and uplifted. The Lord was definitely giving us tender mercies throughout the day though and lifting our spirits with all kinds of things which helped.

This one door contact made me laugh so hard! I had felt like we needed to knock on this door so we did. This guy opens the door and the first thing he says was "Mormons!" My first thought was "oh no.." he went on to just spew all this anti Mormon information for like 10 minutes and Sister Lee was starting to fight back a little and that’s when I politely said that it was nice to meet him and then we left.
The reason it was so funny was because as he was talking about all this anti stuff he was like acting it all out like he was on stage or something...it took a lot not to laugh out loud because it was hilarious.

After that night was over we both were pretty exhausted and felt really down that no one would listen to us. I remember feeling so hurt and couldn't understand what we could have done wrong that no one would let us in or even let us talk, but then a remembered a talk that was given by Elder Holland where he expressed that it was never easy for Jesus Christ so it’s not going to be easy for us. 

Thursday, we shared The First Vision with three people. Sister Lee and I would role play in the car how we were going to share it in our door contacts so that we weren't going in blind because the Lord can only help if we are prepared. So, the first door Sister Lee was going to share and then the next one I was going to share it. We get to the door and Sister Lee was like, "nope can't do it" and before I could say anything the door opened. We talked to this lady and her daughter for about 8 min before I found a way to tie what she was talking about to The First Vision. I thought that it went sloppy but the lady and her daughter listened and then afterwards said that we could come back and continue to teach her and her family. I was shocked and excited at the same time it was pretty awesome! We set up an appointment for that Saturday.

For Friday, Saturday, and Sunday we had mostly a difficult time being able to accomplish the rest of the challenges but our team got second place! We almost got first but the Wellington district won the last challenge (“How many people can you teach about the sacrament”).  

Also, on Thursday, at like 7 pm, we were walking and suddenly “Kansas” thought it would be a good idea to start storming out of nowhere! The sun was out on one side and then SUPER dark clouds on the other side. The wind was crazy and it started pouring down rain like someone had turned on a shower full blast! Sister lee and I didn't have jackets and we had one small umbrella that broke after we opened it from the wind... then it started to hail pebble sized hail on us! we looked at each other and started laughing because it was just so random.
We continue to walk to where we were going. When we got to the house we were headed to, before we could even knock, the door swung open and this guy was like, "hurry come inside!" We did and he handed us a towel and told us that we were crazy. He said that we could stay until the storm passed and asked if it was ok if it was just him and his son at home because his wife was in Kansas City. We told him that we couldn't stay there without his wife present but thanked him for offering. He then got out this huge umbrella and said, "well at least take this. It will last better in the wind". We thanked him for the umbrella and ventured back out into the storm. It was a eventful half hour that’s for sure!

We also got “parked” on Saturday for three days because we went 72 miles over our 800 ... that sucked! (Missionaries can drive only so many miles per month. If they go over that, they must park their car and walk or find rides for the rest of that month). So, we rode our bikes all day in the rain on Saturday. I kept track of how many miles we went and it was about 20 miles total... let’s just say we couldn't walk when we got home... or the next day really.
That night Sister Lee found an Ice pack that was made for your muscles and could wrap around your back and legs and stuff. I wanted one too, so I went to the freezer to look for one but sadly I could only find ONE frozen water bottle... but I still used that and tied it to me leg with a towel... it worked a little.

Well that’s pretty much my whole week. Minus all the tiny details haha. Today we are going to the zoo with the whole zone! This will be my first time to the Sedgwick county zoo and I have heard its beautiful. I’ll take lots of pictures.

Love you!
Sister Magda