Mansfield - April 21, 2014

So yea, I was wrong, we do get to email on Tuesday. Well that's good I guess, there was a mix up and President changed his mind after I emailed you on Thursday.

Yea, it's amazing that I got to meet Elder Larson. He's really not bad at speaking polish already; I'm impressed. Right now I'm with Elder Hoxha because he won't have a companion until later, so since we're in a trio and he's on his own I guess it makes sense that I be with him.

I have no doubt that Elder Larson is in good hands, I think he'll pick up the language just fine. It's hard to pick up Polish in a non polish speaking country. You simply don't have the opportunity to speak it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But I know that Heavenly Father helps us. I've seen him help me a lot.

This week Buffy was baptized along with two other 8 year old girls. Since it was an occasion where the two other girls were confirmed right after their baptism the Bishop got special permission so that Buffy could be confirmed that day as well instead of waiting until Sunday. It was amazing to see her father, who has recently just come back to church and just gone through the temple and received  the Melchizedek priesthood baptize his daughter. She wanted me to do it, but we talked to her and convinced her to have her father baptize her. She wanted me to confirm her. I admit it had been a while since I'd gotten to participate in an ordinance, I could feel the difference.

I'm now worrying about what to bring home. I have collected a few things here, that I really do want to bring, but really I think there will be a lot that I leave behind.

There is a man named Adam who owns a shop. He is from Poland and he and his wife lived in American for a couple of months. He invited us over for some Polish food and a good chat. We talked and he showed us a lot. He and I have become pretty good friends. I really like that man. He and his wife are so nice. There are just so many good people that we meet. I only hope that I'm planting seeds and that these people will remember us, and how they felt. We both signed a Polish Book of Mormon and gave it to him as a gift. It's perfect because I think that it means more that way. He also gave me a book of pictures of a church in Poland. It was really good. There are a lot of people I'll miss here. He tells me that I really need to go to Poland. I really would love to go to Poland some day.

Missionary work just seems to make me happy. I think I'll miss all the time I have to study. I've really learned a lot. I've read a lot of the bible as well as the Book of Mormon many times.

Easter was just a normal day for us missionaries. I really enjoyed church on Easter,  there was a lot of talk on the Atonement and the Resurrection. That was good because last year there wasn't anything mentioned at all about the Atonement and Resurrection and it was different. I know that some holidays just become too commercialized, but we still shouldn't forget the real meanings of them. Poland has a lot of Easter traditions. It's a good time of the year for them. The Catholics fast from meat and dancing and things like that in preparation for Easter. Then on Saturday they take food to a priest who blesses it. I can't remember all of it, but the food is all symbolic. The eggs represent new life and there's bread and sausage. Then they prepare it to eat it the next day on Easter Sunday.

I really love my mission. I've had so many experiences. (His sister asked if he had an English accent) ha, no I have a polish accent... :)

I'm excited to see you all,

Love Starszy Ressler