Hey there Family!!!! Sounds like a super exciting week! Garrett coming home definitely probably awesome! Maybe not for him. hahah I bet he misses the work. But were the kids super excited? How did you guys surprise them?!?! 

But man! The thing I miss most is definitely family! I miss all my siblings! There is a family in our ward that is actually from America! But both Return Missionaries from Poland. Got married and moved back here. But they have these little kids and a little boy named Isaac that is my little bud! But the funniest thing is when they talk! Cause they know Polish and English! It's not fair cause I can't even speak polish! But they just switch back and fourth in it all the time. And they are adorable! I wanna hear from Garrett and how he is doing!

Sounds like the boy in Football are doing good! Keep me updated every week!! I love hearing about them! I love the pictures too! Thanks so much!

So this week in Poland was sooo AWESOME! First off we had Zone Conference! So there was like 25 missionaries at the Chapel and we just had like a fireside and what not. We had Cafe Rio which was sooo good. (Home made cafe rio) But the best part was the spirit that was there!

President Edgren who is soo amazing talked to us. He changed some rules up since he has been here. We can listen to music now! And he said that we can change the missionary schedule up. Moving everything around! This is awesome cause now we can go contact in the morning when all of the Dad's are going to work and what not! It's sooo awesome! And he told us that we need to get creative in the way we do things! So we are thinkin of some new idea of contacting! If you all can think of any that'd be awesome! Just let me know!

But this week we actually taught 7 lessons!!! haha which is the most I've taught in a week since I've been hear. That's actually probably the same I had taught before this week total. But it was so awesome. Cause people were actually scheduling some meetings with us and following through with them! Now we just gotta get them to church! So pray for my investigators please! Also, in Zone Conference we talked about having Faith. I can testify that with Faith, Anything is possible!!! I can promise anyone that. That Faith includes action also! You have to be acting on that faith! This work is going to start growing and im so excited for it!

At the end of Zone Conference we have like a Testimony Meeting. And I bore mine. 

Something I've been studying was how to become the best missionary that I can be. I thought of Christ. He was the best example of missionary that we can become. and in Bible. In John it talks about his atonement. And I just couldn't imagine what the Savior went through that night. No one can. And I ask everyone "Why did he do that for us?" Because he loves us. The Savior and our Heavenly Father have a perfect love for us. They have Charity. The pure love of Christ. If any missionary can figure out how to have Charity in their life then they will be the missionary that Heavenly Father wants them to be! If they follow the most important and first commandment that Heavenly Father gives us "Love thy God with all thine heart. And love thy neighbor with all thine heart" If you TRUELY love these people then you will do absolutely anything within your ability to help them! You with be exactly obedient to every rule! You will study for THEIR benefits! You will Become better at the language for them to understand better! You will pray with ALL your Heart! If you truly love these people and want to help them then you will build up all the faith that is possible in order to help them! 

I love this work sooo much! I've never been so close to my Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. I promise you that they live today! That we can always have a way back to them as we make the mistakes in this life. And that is because of Jesus Christ and his Atonement. That's because our LOVING Heavenly Father has given us a way to return to him. They both have a perfect love for us! And we can be happy in this life if we stay close to them! I encourage you all to do ALL you can do to stay close to Heavenly Father. GET YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT!!!!!

The Lord always comes first. I love you all so much. And we all need to return and live with each other forever! 

"NO EMPTY CHAIRS" I pray for you all every night. 

Love you all! I love the Polish people. My Love grows for them everyday! They're are so awesome and I can't wait to continue to find others to help to our Heavenly Father!

Love you all! Write me! 

                                      -Starszy Fotu 

ohhhh heyyyy!

How is everyone doing today! 

So hopefully I don't ruin any surprise but Garrett comes home today!!!! So sweet! hahah I can't even like imagine what coming home would be like. But I bet he is excited to be home and KEEP BEING A MISSIONARY!!! just not full-time. Thats something that I always think about is still being a missionary when we get home, And to always strive to build our relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ! Everyday Strive to be a better person than you were yesterday!!!!

This week has been pretty good! We really haven't had much success which is always hard. But I think im doing good at keeping the attitude up! I'm working hard! Given it my best, its hard to do alot when I don't know the language. But I try to do what I can!

But I know that the Lord will bless me with someone soon. I just want to help SOMEONE!!! so bad! ANYONE!!! I just want to enlighten someones life so bad! And its hard cause there are sooo many people here in Poland that need that. They need to enter into the waters of Baptism that gets us all on the Path of Righteousness. Where we can make covenants and continue to Endure to the End! ok enough preaching now. haha sorry.

But I forgot to mention in last weeks e-mail that we did like a Luau for the Warsaw 2 district. Which is the only other one in Warsaw. I'm in Warsaw 1. But Me and 5 other Elders did a Haka/Slap Dance/White boiiii dance. hahaha it was soooo embarrassing slash soooo funnny. I have the video but I'm not sure it will send through e-mail. I will try next week. But yeah it was so funny, cause Poles have like no idea what the haka is. But it was really fun and the Branch really bonded together!

But yeah this week has been really good. We did teach one lesson, to a man named George. He lives here and in Texas. But he just kinda wanted to know more but wasnt really willing to commit to anything or change anything in his life. And he didn't really have time. haha he said we could meet next April. hahaha? like what. 

But the thing was he was the nicest like old guy. And he is so close to letting us in but his heart is just a little too soft. I feel like that is with most people here. Or at least the nice ones that let us talk to them. But I know as we work and keep workin! And rely on the Lord that he will bless us! 

This week my love for the Book of Mormon has grown. I started the Book of Mormon over and am almost done with Alma already. But after reading it yesterday I just had the best feeling inside. And a strong feeling that the Book was from God. I just sat there on my knees holding that Book. I love it so much. We can grow closer to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ through that book. I love it sooo much! But Yeah I just love the Book of Mormon so much! And we should all be reading in it everyday!

Thats somethin Mom and Dad were really good at was having us read the Book of Mormon as a family. I'm so thankful for that.

I also wanna give a shout out to Jared! Happy Late Birthday!!!! Jared is such a stud. Yes, Jared is a STUD with the ladies;) And he is a STUD on the FOOTBALL FIELD! I loved watching his games as he just hammered kids and ran over them! But something that little Jared has is a TESTIMONY! And he is such an example to me cause Jared bore his testimony every Fast Sunday in Church! Short and simple testimony. It only took him two mins to bare his testimony. Because Jared has decided to take 2 MINS! out of his month, every month! He is going to be an awesome missionary with an awesome testimony! That is something that ALL missionaries need! Is a testimony "you must attain my word". Jared you are such a stud! Keep choosing the right and taking care of your little brothers and sisters! Love you.

So mom you should probably send me a list of all the Birthdays cause I will forget a lot if you don't!

But I love you all! keep working hard in sports and everything! But keep working hard in stay close to the Lord. If you are not progressing in becoming converted to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and His Gospel. Then you are moving backwards! You have to be moving forwards and growing closer to them or else you are moving further and further away! I promise as you do so you will all be happier, and you will feel Their love for us!

Love you all! Keep up the good work! Keep prayin for me! I can feel your prayers. Really though. The Power of Prayer is really. I wont go off on that though. I hope I'm not sounding like a preacher. I just love this gospel so much! Pray for my language skills. haha sooo hard. But I love you all! Have a good week!

                                    -Starszy Fotu

**so the ties are just some new cool ties that i got. So there is this store here called Adams. This guy owns that is an investigator. And he just hooks up the missionaries. haha nice cool little gig we got. But I wen tto his store. He has any tie you could ever think of. Imma send you guys some.

Then just some kinda cool pics of the sun! Loves!

Cześć!

Dzień Dobry Family!

This week just flew by! As every week does! The work is comin along some what. Actually, this week was pretty bad. We really didn't have much success number wise. But it's ok cause we are just gonna keep working harder. Alot of Poles are out of town and on Vacation. But that's ok! There was a big rain storm one of the nights right when we got into our apartments at 9 it just started pouring! it was crazy! But I loved it. The lightning was sweet. 

But last Tuesday we actually talked to a family, Which is like what we really look for here, We really wanna help a family! But the family seemed somewhat interested. I just hope they call us sometime! I'm prayin for it! But I know the work is going to really pick up here in Poland! I can just feel it. Our Mission President, President Edgren! Who is just amazing! Actually just got back from England from like a Europe-Asia Conference. And all the mission Presidents there were taught my Elder Nelson, Elder Ballard, and Elder Holland. Man that's so amazing to me. If I could meet anyone in the quorum of the 12 that would be so amazing.

Something that I've learned about this week was FAITH! If anyone knows bout faith or wants to know about Faith read Alma 32. I love that chapter so much! I just love the scriptures so much. I honestly just cant wait every morning to just start reading the scriptures. They just make me feel so happy.

But more on Faith. It talks about "planting that seed of faith". And "nourishing it". Faith can be really hard. Because at times when you are trying to be faithful if feels like you are not moving anywhere, and it feels like you are just staying in the same spot. This can be really discouraging. But remember what the savior said to his disciples, "FEAR NOT". We should have nothing to fear, But we should rejoice! Our Savior has overcame the world and through his atonement we can be saved! When you plant that seed of faith you need to nourish it with all your might! You need to do everything you can to make it grow! And When you do so Heavenly Father will bless you! I Promise he will! Because he loves you. As you do so, your faith with burst into a tree! and you will have fruits like no other! This is how we can be happy in life which is what everyone wants! Do the simple things! Go to the Temple, Go to Church, Pray, SERVE OTHERS, read your scriptures. This is how we get TRUE Happiness!

Something I noticed this week was your prayers from home! I'm so thankful for you ALL! really though. Thank you so much! 

The language is slowly coming and I'm workin on it! It's super hard! But with the Lord anything is possible! Love you all!

The kids sound like they're all doing good! I miss them all so much! Definitely the thing you miss the most on the mission is Family and Friends! I miss little baby Emma;( Excited to watch her grow! Send me pictures! I've gained a little weight! not much though. I exercise somewhat. more on P-Days! 

But I love you all! really though! Im workin hard for you guys, and for the Savior, and THE PEOPLE OF POLAND! They need to have this gospel! Have a good week! Use Dear Elder! 

Loves. Do Widzenia! Ofa'Atu!

                            -Starszy Fotu

Poland 4 Dayzzzz

Whats up ya'll! I want a e-mail next sunday! Sounds like all the kids got a lot going on! So let me know how they do in all their Sports! Keep workin hard and doing the right thing!

So this week was a pretty good week! Had a lot of fun! I wen ton a Transfer with Elder Harris, he is from Riverton. Cool kid! But we taught a lesson with him. I could kinda tell what was going on in the Lesson. The Language skills are coming along! I made a goal that I try to talk to a Pole every time I get on a bus. Which is like 8 times a day. But I usually just ask if they speak English and if they can tell me a sentence that i could learn in polish. But keep prayin for me! I know you all have been. I'm so thankful for the prayers too. I can feel like everyday. I wouldnt be where I am without them! 

So somethin I was learned about this week or that I've been studying for personal study was how we talk to others, and just in general what we say throughout our day!

Our Words should always be uplifting to others! And if correction is need when someone does somethin wrong, it should be in a loving way! Something that I thought of when I was studying was of Dad! And I remember that every morning he would drive us to school, we would usually say prayer in the car. Maybe read some scriptures if we havent yet. But right as we were getting out of the car Dad would ALWAYS say "YOU"RE A WINNER JAKE!" 

hmmmm..... "These words bring tears to my eyes right now"

But I look back on that now and I love it. I love having parents to encourage us to do things. I will always remember the words that my parents have encouraged all 30 kids with.

I'm so thankful for that, as well for others that have given me so much words of wisdom in my life!

We should always be nice to EVERYONE! Giving them words of encouragement and loving words! I can't wait to have a family and do so.

We need to be careful with what we say also! Because some words we say can be offensive or hurtful! And they can be remembered just as well! So everyone speak as if Christ would. I know you all do so anyways.:)

K so cool story!

Last night we were talkin to a group of kids and two like 25 year old guys walked by. I could tell by what they were wearing that they were golfers. Nobody golfs in Poland cause no one has the money. After we finished talking to the kids they golfers walked by again, i asked them if they play golf? (In polish actually) and they said they did. I said "Ja, tez!" Which means "Me too!" They kinda left and just kept walking. But I noticed one of them ran into a bank and the other waited in the car. haha I decided I needed to keep trying to talk to these guys. I walked up to the guy in the car and asked where the nearest golf course was? He could tell that I didnt speak good polish so started talking in English. 

He told me they were both Professional Golfers. haha which is sweet. I told them I had played since I was little. They said they didnt have time, but gave me their card, said that if I ever wanted to play to give them a call! haha so maybe next P-day I'll be golfin. haha which would be sweet! And I'll share the gospel with them! Kinda excited for the oppurtunity. 

Also after that right before we were bout to get home to our appartment, a group of 4 girls walked passed us and asked, what we were. 

We tried sharing a message with them, but they were insane. They really like us I guess. Asked if we would come drink with them. hahahaha They were crazy. Just like any other poles here. They were super surprised that we had never in our life drank. 

We left them and walked home. Found out that they live 2 floors below us. So now we definitely make sure we lock our doors at all times!

But hey im gonna run! I love you all! Keep doing what is right! I pray for y ou all every night! Send me letters and yeah. 

Loves.

                                          -Starszy Fotu