. Lexi in Poland .: It's all about love!

Dear Friends and Family,

How are you all? :) It is so good to hear from you all each week!! All the letters, DearElder's, emails, packages, and love you send me mean more to me than you know!!

So, I have never realized until this week how LONG my group emails are!! Holy cow! For all of you that actually finish reading them, I am so impressed!! :) I just have so much to tell you all that I tend to just type that email for basically the whole hour that we get! But I am going to try to keep my group emails a little shorter, so it doesn't take your whole entire day just to read through them!! :)

First... umm... okay... I leave to Poland in 11 days!!!! AHHHHHHH!!!!! *does a little happy dance* Oh jejku... I am so excited!!! :) We received our MTC checkout lists a few days ago in the mail, and that just made it so much more real for us!! Can you believe that we will be getting our Flight Plans any day now?! I am extra nervous, but extra extra excited to finally be able to be in Poland. Is it possible to be homesick for a place you've never been?? I feel like when I opened my call, my heart just leaped all the way to Poland, and it's still over there, just waiting for the rest of me to get there! :) Being a missionary has given me a new perspective on SO many things. But, one of the most important, I think, is the love God truly has for ALL of His children. It is so wonderful to think of and pray for the Polish people, and automatically love them. I feel it every day. This week I've realized that I believe in love BEFORE first sight! Kind of cool, right? :) But, I think everyone does in a way. If the Prophet were to meet you today, he would probably shake your hand, and tell you he loves you. Would he be lying? No. He really does! He loves you before he even meets you! That is Christlike love. Being able to love someone you don't know. It's also maybe loving someone you do know, despite all their mistakes. All you mom's, you know what it's like! You love your baby, even before you meet them! That is Christlike love. You love your kids, even when they make mistakes! You want them to be happy! That is Christlike love. As a missionary, I think my heart has been opened to that kind of love as I think about the people of Poland. I can't wait to finally be able to meet them. :)

Yesterday we were able to Skype people in Poland again and it was AMAZING! :) Siostra D, Siostra Dekker and I skyped with a man named Romuald! He is so wonderful!! He was just talking to us about President Edgren (my mission president in Poland), what Poland is like, and so many other things! We shared a message about prayer with him, and he kept sharing experience after experience and comment after comment of his testimony of prayer. It was amazing to see the role that prayer has had in his life. This church is true. It brings a peace, joy, and purpose to our lives that nothing else in the world can, and I love it with all my heart. After the call, he messaged us and thanked us for a wonderful talk with wonderful sisters! (in Polish of course!) Isn't that the sweetest? It made us so happy. :) He made us so happy, and it was the perfect start to our day! The Poles are wonderful! :)

It is so wonderful for me, when I get discouraged about the language, to take a step back for a second and think of how far we have come in just 7 weeks! My companions always tell me, "Hey, Siostra Kamp, you came into the MTC 7 weeks ago only knowing how to say 'Hi' and 'Yes' in Polish, and you just had a 40 minute conversation with a native Pole, in Polish, you understand everything your teachers say in class, you teach 9 30-minute lessons a week in Polish.... you are doing just fine." Somehow, whenever I doubt, or get discouraged, the Lord always finds a way to show me, "Hey, you know enough." I know He is always here to help me, and He really has been the one lifting me up this whole time. I feel His spirit everyday, and I am so grateful to be a missionary. "Nie Bój się, tylko wierz." "Krok po kroku." That's become my new favorite phrase. :) "Be not afraid, only believe." and "Step by step" :)

Well, I'm trying to keep this short, so I'll tell more next week! Here's a few extra side notes....

*Siostra Barney sleep talks. All the time. It is HILARIOUS!! The other night, it was exactly 5:00 in the morning and she abruptly sits up in bed, folds her arms, and says, "We can say this!!" and starts praying in Polish!! We were all so creeped out! ha ha! Then after the prayer was over, she laid back down and Siostra Lerch said, "Siostra Barney... Are you awake?" and Siostra Barney said, "Yeah I'm awake!" all mad-like, because she was mad that no one had said Amen to her prayer because we had all "fallen asleep" during it! ha ha ha. Oh man. It was great. :)

*We hosted new missionaries this week!! Whoooooo!!! It was so fun to reassure them how amazing the MTC is after their families drop them off, and just really help them have a great first impression of the MTC! :)

Well, I have to go, but I will talk to you soon!!

I know this church is true. This week I've realized that if I really focus on being the kind of person Jesus is, I will never have to ask myself, "What would Jesus do?" or "If Christ was here, what would He say to this person" because... It will just be a part of who I am. Being always preceeds doing. And I need to start asking myself the question, "Who would Christ BE?" instead of "What would Christ DO?" It's my new goal to study one Christlike attribute each week, and really try to work on developing that attribute that week. :) I'll let you know how that all goes! :)

T-minus 11 days until my dream comes true!! Whooohoooo!! :)

I love the gospel of Jesus Christ that I have the opportunity to share with the Polish people! It's kind of like... when you find a really good song, and you just want to show it to EVERYONE you see. That's how I feel about this gospel, but times infinity! I love it with all my heart, and know that there is no where else in the world I should be right now than right here. :) I have personally seen how the gospel changes lives. It changed my own, and I KNOW without a doubt, that it can touch hearts and change lives in a way that nothing else can. I love it. It is true. It is as real as you and I. It is profound, yet simple, and it is the way to everlasting peace and happiness. In this life, and the life to come.

Have an amazing week, everyone!! Find someone to serve. :) It is the Christmas season, after all. :)

Kocham was bardzo!!

∞, Siostra Kamp

Last trip to the temple before we head to Poland and Slovakia!!!!!! We love our Slovaks. :)