Elder Jacob Fotu: 16 marca 2015

Crazy week! We left Wroclaw on monday and headed to Lodz to do a training! After Lodz we went straight to szczecin which was a really long train ride. It was pretty weird returning back to szczecin and seeing old faces and walking and teaching on the same streets. It was pretty awesome though. It felt like I had never left there. After szczecin we went to the city of Poznan. Spent a couple days there. Yesterday in church there were 8 people present. 6 missionaries and 2 members. I blessed the bread and water. And spoke in church on obedience. It was pretty awesome. There was a member there named marta. So solid. She is pretty amazing. Just got back from her mission in Chicago. She started her mission here in Poland cause of Visa problems. And I remember being in her district. Its weird serving with her and now she is home. The foundation of members being built here in Poland is pretty amazing. I love it. I've never seen such faithful members.

Couple awesome things happening in the mission. The area presidency in Europe was wanting to close the gap between our progressing investigators and baptismal dates. Because we had so many progressing investigators without a date to progress towards.....which doesnt make much sense. Progression sky rockets when they have a goal in mind and we promise them that as they show their faith, God will answer there prayers. Thats really what our training is focused on. INVITE others to COME UNTO CHRIST by receiving RESTORED TRUTH. The words invite, come unto Christ, and restored truth. Very simple but sometimes hard to explain clearly to investigators our purpose. We are helping the missionaries build practical skills with these. We are helping our investigators understand our purpose by clearly setting expectations and inviting them to act. (setting expectations and extending invitations) so simple but so powerful. In setting these expectations we promise the investigators that God desires to make a covenant with them (a two way promise). And that as they learn of these restored truths they will desire to make a covenant with their Heavenly Father by being baptized. Its been powerful and amazing to see the results. At the beginning of our trips the mission was around 6 investigators with a baptismal date and 28 progressing investigators in all of Poland. Today we now have 17 progressing investigators with a baptismal date and 23 progressors. Its been amazing to see the Lord's hand in his work. The miracles are everywhere. We are finding the Lord's prepared children by his Spirit.

I love traveling around. I love these missionaries. I remember before the mission I had a hard time with accepting people as they were. If someone was a little different than I was, I didnt want much to do with them, I wouldnt go out of my way to know them. Many of these missionaries are so different than I am, but I've felt this love in my heart for them. They are pretty amazing and fearless in the work of the Lord. Its so fun and fulfilling to work with them throughout these exchanges. I love it. It keeps me fresh and excited with two hands to the plow and no looking back.

Ill send some pictures from these past couple cities! Love you all!

_Starszy Fotu

1) Marta the member from Poznań

2) Missionaries in Łódź