March 27, 2024 • 63 mins
This episode of 'Dear Daughters of God', hosted by Stephanie Eccles, explores the theme of 'Finding your purpose: Stephanie shares her own journey of discovering purpose through scripture and prayer, highlighting a specific moment where a verse from the Book of Mormon deeply resonated with her, reminding her of her divine mission. The episode features a special guest, Kasia Haroldson, who shares her inspiring story from growing up in communist Poland, finding the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and eventually moving to the United States. Through tales of hardship, faith, and divine intervention, the episode emphasizes the importance of understanding one's divine purpose and the strength that comes from family connections The story concludes with Kasia's touching, efforts to aid her sister, and a miraculous tale of healing and spiritual awakening. The episode concludes with Haroldson’s touching song 'Little Dove', inspired by personal loss and her spiritual journey.
Thanks for listening! I'm on Instagram as deardaughtersofgod. Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/invites/contact/?i=1iyjqx0cq4kbk&utm_content=qr66nqv
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Stephanie test (00:00):
I am Stephanie Eccles.
This is Dear Daughters of God,Episode 13, Finding your
purpose.
We are inspired by the true lifeexperiences of those around us.
My name is Stephanie Eccles.
I'm an educator, counselor,school administrator, and
natural storyteller.
From my perspective as a memberof The Church of Jesus Christ of
(00:21):
Latter day Saints, I share avariety of life experiences
Bring us hope and joy in oursavior.
Jesus Christ.
Welcome.
Dear daughters of God.
I address you that way becausethat's what you are to him.
To our Heavenly Father, you aredear.
Today, I'm going to start with ashort story of my own.
(00:44):
Then we're going to hear aseries of stories that culminate
into one end from a specialguest, I'll introduce her in
just a moment.
I'm sure you've noticed we eachhave different personalities,
aspirations, inclinations, andappetites.
Well, there's a divine purposein these differences.
(01:07):
As my patriarchal blessingreminds me, it becomes a
requirement to find that purposeand fulfill the measure of our
creation.
Our theme today is finding thatpurpose.
Have you ever had one of thosetimes when you're trying to read
the scriptures and you justcannot focus?
I've had that happen plenty oftimes.
(01:27):
One in particular was this lastsummer.
I was reading the Book ofMormon.
I was having one distractingthought after another.
I almost gave up on reading as Irealized I was picking up the
phone to follow through on oneof these distracting thoughts.
Then I said to myself, Are yougoing to let the adversary take
the scripture time away fromyou?
(01:49):
And I answered back out loud,because I was alone, with a no,
I'm not.
I grabbed this piece of paperand I wrote down the distracting
task that I wanted to complete,that I thought, this is the same
intervention that I would havegiven a student at school who
couldn't pay attention.
(02:10):
I was embarrassed that at myage, I needed an intervention.
I felt so terribly mature at thesame time.
I knew I had trouble payingattention.
It wasn't something new.
I just it was hard to face rightnow.
It seemed like.
In the workplace, it suited meas a leader to complete many
(02:32):
tasks, but sitting in front ofscriptures with no title as
executive director, thisdeficiency It was just nothing
but annoying and evenembarrassing to me.
I finished writing down thedistracting task that I would do
after I read scriptures.
I told myself that I couldconcentrate and then I knelt
(02:54):
down and I prayed to my HeavenlyFather for help.
I asked that the Spirit wouldspeak to me through the
scriptures.
I sat up again and I got thehighlighter marker.
I was ready to mark the passagesthat mentioned our Savior Jesus
Christ, and I began to readagain.
I came to this verse in Mosiahrather quickly.
(03:17):
It was in chapter 26, verse 20.
It says, quote, Thou art myservant, and I covenant with
thee that thou shalt haveeternal life, and thou shalt
serve me.
And go forth in my name, andthou shalt gather together my
sheep.
When I read these words, andthou shalt serve me, and go
(03:38):
forth in my name, and shallgather together my sheep, I knew
that this phrase was for me andspoke to me.
I thank the Lord for remindingme of my purpose.
A memory of an experience I hadhad three years earlier while
driving to work came into mymind.
(04:00):
I'm on the freeway on my way towork early in the morning.
I find myself caught up in avision in my mind.
There I was sharing stories in apodcast called Dear Daughters.
I knew the stories I was toshare.
I felt guided by the Spirit ofthe Lord.
(04:22):
It felt imminent.
It was uplifting, a powerful andbeautiful experience.
I felt as if that is what Ishould be doing.
Afterward, I was in a place ofawe.
I thanked the Lord for thevision I, I shed silent tears.
(04:43):
As I got closer to work, realityset in.
I wondered, how would I possiblyfulfill that vision while
holding my current position?
It must be for when I retire,and that won't happen for a very
long time.
But now, when I was recallingthis memory, now, I had the rest
(05:07):
of the name of that podcast.
It was Dear Daughters of God andhad completed four episodes.
But even so, I wonder, did Ihave what I needed to go on?
considering my chronic migrainesand human frailties, like the
ones I mentioned.
And the Lord reminded me againthrough scripture of my call To
(05:35):
hear the rest of thatexperience, listen to Episode 7
Now, I want to introduce ourguest, Hasha Haraldson, who is
coming to us from WashingtonState, but was born and raised
in communist Poland.
As we hear Kasia's stories, keepin mind how her life experiences
(05:57):
have helped her find her lifepurpose while on this earth.
I'll bring her on now.
Hello, Kasia.
Welcome.
Thank you for joining us.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12- (06:09):
Thank you for having me to be here.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-202 (06:11):
We are happy to have you.
Kasha and I met in December.
kasha was sharing a story abouther father who was raised in
communist Poland, I was sotouched by that story.
And we've become friends.
today she's going to shareanother story with us about her
grandmother and her sister, Butbefore we get into that story, I
(06:35):
would like to give ASHA's formalbiography.
ASHA's journey started in Polandwhere she grew up with six
siblings in a small town, sootby the Baltic Sea.
As a teenager, she left herchildhood home and family and
moved to Warsaw where she livedwith her grandparents.
(06:56):
While adjusting to a new part ofher journey, she attended school
and worked.
During her spare time, she wouldplay and create music expressing
her feelings through lyrics andmusic.
In her early adult years, shemet missionaries from the Church
of Jesus Christ of Leonard, aSaints who introduced her to the
(07:17):
gospel of Jesus Christ.
She was always a believer inGod, but through the
missionaries she learned moreabout the purpose and meaning of
life.
She desired to serve God, And ayear after joining the church,
she was called to serve amission In the Utah Provo
mission, while serving hermission, she was able to share
(07:39):
her music and meet manywonderful people, which
ultimately opened the door forher to return to America and
start her education at SouthernUtah University.
Majoring in music.
Kasha currently lives inWashington state.
She's a wife, a mother, and agrandmother.
She teaches music in her studioand loves spending time with her
(08:01):
family.
She also loves to share hertestimony and experiences from
her life's journey throughinspiring messages and music.
If you want to know more aboutKasha and her journey, please
visit her website at www dotASHA's faith journey.com and
ASHA's music.com and listen toher messages and music on ASHA's
(08:27):
Faith Journey podcast.
Kasha, you're gonna tell us astory about your grandmother and
your sister decisions that yourgrandmother made, and how they
affected your life.
right?
do you wanna start with yourgrandmother.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2024 (08:40):
I will start with my grandmother.
my grandmother was born nearbyWarsaw.
She was only 18 years old whenshe got married.
and very petite, verystrong-willed and very driven
since very early in her yearsshe had four children, three
(09:02):
boys and one girl, which thegirl is my mother.
Her first boy passed away whenhe was about a month old.
He was born in December and inJanuary he passed away because
it was so cold.
What they were living in thisvery small little house.
I had two uncles and my mother.
(09:24):
I had an uncle who was bornduring World War ii, So my
mother actually is the secondchild.
She's second, the oldest.
And then my younger uncle wasborn 10 years after my mother.
they grew up in nearby Warsaw ina little village, called Sad
(09:45):
Dova.
My grandmother was verydedicated to taking care of her
children.
there's one situation duringWorld War II, it My grandmother
had difficulties with deliveringbabies.
my uncle, who was going to beborn in 1942.
Had some complications.
(10:06):
So my grandpa had to go toWarsaw.
That was the closest place thathe get a doctor.
And while he arrived to Wara, heand some other people that were
on the street in Warsaw werecaught by the Germans.
They call it waki, which meansthe trucks will come to the city
(10:30):
and then they will catch whoeverwas on the street.
Didn't matter what they weredoing, they would just grab
them.
And usually they would put'em ina truck and take them to,
concentration camps, or theywill just put them by the wall
and They will execute them onthe spot.
It was very hard.
(10:50):
Many people died that way.
But my grandpa was caught and hewas placed in front of the wall.
so he was the one of them whothey were put in front of the
wall and then execute them so hedidn't go on a track.
Which in some way was, ablessing.
(11:11):
That doesn't sound like ablessing, but it was because
while he was standing there andthe line.
He was able to use his Germanand talk to his, this German
soldier, and he asked him if hewould let him go.
And he explained to him what thesituation was.
And I tell you, God was watchingover him because this German let
(11:32):
him go and he was able to getthe doctor, and my grandmother
was able to deliver her littleboy.
it was a miracle.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-2 (11:42):
That is a miracle.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (11:44):
yes, a miracle that led to other
miracles in life later.
one of them was, my mother wasmarried when she was 22, and my
dad was nine years older thanher.
during communism.
he believed in freedom and hewas outspoken.
(12:05):
And because he was outspoken,that didn't serve him very well.
He was, sentenced.
to death.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-202 (12:13):
Oh my goodness.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (12:14):
Yes.
And then they changed hissentence to life.
which meant either way he woulddie.
Just longer, experience in theprison, this is all during
communism.
So at that time was, allaffected by Russian leaders.
but because of styling died,they changed and there was an
(12:38):
amnesty.
So my dad was, released earlier,which means he was only in
prison for about four or fiveyears.
And one of the year he was in asolitary confinement, not
talking to anybody.
One year, one full year.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-20 (12:58):
For one year.
in solitary confinement.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (13:00):
Yes.
So that's why when he came outof the prison, he was already
like close to 30.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-202 (13:09):
Oh my goodness.
what a terrible experience.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (13:12):
Yes.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-202 (13:13):
He made it through a life.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-202 (13:14):
He may I know.
It was like, wow.
God saved him because he neededto have a family.
he met my mother, they startedfamily and they had seven
children.
And I am one of the familychildren
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-2 (13:32):
Yes.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2024 (13:34):
I also have a story of, life
events that, I was not going tolive, and yet I am alive.
And, it's a blessing because ofmany events that took place.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-202 (13:50):
do you, wanna tell us what you mean
by that?
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12- (13:54):
Yeah.
my parents, they had sevenchildren altogether, but I am
number five and my mom gotpregnant right after my brother.
My brother was born not longafter.
And so between me and him, it'slike about, 16 months or so.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-20 (14:13):
And this is from number four to
five.
The
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (14:15):
four
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-202 (14:16):
To the fifth child.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (14:17):
Yes.
So my.
My mother and my dad wereconsidering my mother didn't
really want to do it, but my dadwas, I, think he was just very
overwhelmed.
I dunno exactly what happened,but they just considered
abortion.
And, my mother did not wanna dothis, but it was like, what to
(14:40):
do question.
And she decided to go to thechurch.
And she prayed and prayed andthat's what she told me, the
story.
And she said, when I prayed, Ihad such a strong feeling not to
do this.
this was just before she wasgoing to the clinic to do the
procedure.
And she said instead going tothat clinic, I just went to the
(15:03):
store and I bought baby clothes.
And that's how I was born.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-20 (15:07):
Oh, what a shift from the abortion
clinic to going to buy babyclothes.
what a sweet end.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12 (15:16):
Right.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-20 (15:17):
Oh, and here you are.
to tell your story.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-20 (15:20):
And here I'm, I have to tell you
this story,
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-2 (15:23):
What a blessed end for, for you and
your family.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12 (15:27):
right?
Right.
Because so much happened becauseI was born and I really do feel
God's power and directionthrough all this years of my
life.
Like even thinking about, justmyself, how I always felt God's
present in my life in differentsituations.
(15:51):
But that's what another story, Iwanted to say.
What happened after thisexperience?
we end up being a big family,but because of that, we did not
have many things.
And we struggled, especiallyduring communism when we had
(16:11):
those orations cards and we hadto share small meals.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-20 (16:16):
Oh, there were ration cards.
Were there.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-1 (16:19):
Russian cards.
Mm-Hmm.
During communism?
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12- (16:24):
Okay.
and this was in the eighties.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (16:27):
Yes.
This is in eighties.
Mm-Hmm.
Early eighties.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12- (16:31):
okay, so, your family was probably
much larger than the most.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (16:35):
Yes.
That's exactly so very uncommonduring that time in Poland to
have seven children.
Usually people will have two,maybe one, maybe three the most.
So we were this big family thatpeople knew was everywhere,
school and music school, theyalways remember this ska family.
(16:59):
Lots of kids.
Sometimes they will tease us andmake some comments, but I, we
just, we just lived
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-2 (17:10):
Yes, yes,
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-20 (17:12):
so,
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-2 (17:13):
yes.
I can see why families were,were considerably smaller.
Birth control was, very heavilyinto
squadcaster-43df_1_02-1 (17:20):
Mm-Hmm.
Right, Right, Because we weresuch a big family.
My grandmother, she wanted tohelp us.
She was, wanted to help mymother with the children.
so she had a plan that they, ofcourse, decided together that
one of us could come to Warsaw.
(17:40):
'cause that's where mygrandmother lived.
And we would live with mygrandparents.
she chose my sister, the Attaand she's three years older than
me.
But the atta first of all, shedidn't wanna go.
And also because she did notmake very good choices at that
time as a teenager, almost a, Iwould say young adult by then.
(18:06):
So my grandmother decided shedoesn't want my sister to come
at the time.
And I was just finishing myschool, which is kind of like,
you have it here K through 12.
So it's like one, one buildingthat you go for from when you
kindergarten to, you 15 and it'swhen you graduate.
(18:31):
I was just finishing that schooland my grandmother and my
parents decided that would be agood time to shift from this
school to the other school inWarsaw, and I could start new
school in Warsaw.
And so when I was 15, I moved toWara and start my life.
(18:54):
A new chapter began for me.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-20 (18:56):
How did you feel about going?
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-202 (18:59):
I, I did not wanna go to my
grandmother because like, mysister, we were afraid of a
grandmother'cause she was verystrict and she had rules and we
had to follow those rulesbecause she was not happy if we
didn't follow the rule.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-20 (19:18):
mm, I see.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-202 (19:20):
we were rambunctious came from
seven kids, from the big family,so it was always busy, busy in
the house.
here I come to this lonely placewith three older folks as a
15-year-old.
So that wasn't very exciting forme, but I accepted what needed
to be done.
(19:41):
now when I look from perspectivetoday, I see that it was good
for me.
Living with my grandmother wasvery good experience, a blessing
and an opportunity to learn, togrow, to understand things that
I didn't understand growing upat my home with some many of us.
(20:03):
But I did miss my family.
I did miss playing musictogether and goof around and
just doing things that we did asa family.
So I was afraid, but Living withmy grandmother helped me to see
her from a differentperspective, not just this
grandmother who is strict withus, but a woman who once upon a
(20:26):
time was a young woman and maybeshe had some dreams that were
not fulfilled.
being 18 and start family andthen war started and all those
experiences that were happeningand health issues, pregnancies
that were difficult.
I have a great respect for mygrandmother and her wisdom.
she passed away, in 2001 I livedwith her, as a 15-year-old
(20:50):
through the teenage years.
then.
And I was about 21.
Something was going on in mypersonal life.
it's been for a while, I alwaysfelt like there was a direction
that God is watching over me.
Like there was a bigger purposemaybe that my mother, when she
(21:11):
was praying for this abortions,to do this procedure, and she
felt strongly not to do it.
Maybe not, maybe I just know nowthat God had a better picture
for me better purpose.
And I needed to come to thisearth.
now with looking at the eventsof life, which I share about on
(21:32):
my podcast, more details, but Isee God's hand.
Masha, tell us how you see God'shand play out in your life.
so how do I see this?
when.
I lived in Warsaw.
There was things already that Ifelt like there's something
more, but I didn't haveunderstanding.
I always believe in God.
(21:53):
So I attended, a Catholic churchand I did all those things that
were required.
And you did the mass and you dothe Fridays, confessions.
There are all those traditionsthat we've done, but I felt like
there was something missing inmy life and I didn't know not
that I was looking for somereligions or something, it's
(22:15):
just that it was somethingmissing.
And so when I was 20, this isalso the time when, The der wall
came down and, not yet, didn'tcome yet when I was 20, but when
I was 22.
But this was a period of timethat there was just so many
(22:36):
things were happening.
The leg leg vaa and thecommunism was going down and
just shifting, shifting in ourcountry.
And borders were open and otherchurches were able to come.
that was the period of time thatI met so many different people
from different churches and hadsome questions myself.
(23:00):
But before that, I was workingin the office doing a paperwork
that was my financial section.
Totally different than today.
The work looked like.
We had big sheets of papers thatwe were writing with pen, the
numbers for every worker, andthat was their payments.
(23:23):
So no computers, everything wasdone by hand.
that was my job.
So one day, I met this younggirl who we were the only one
who were young.
Rest of them was like mothers,grandmothers working in that
office.
so sometimes we would have alunch together.
(23:44):
one day she gave me a Bible andI started to read the Bible and
we would talk about God, and wewill talk about different
experiences in life and we'llshare some little insights.
And that was so, interestingbecause.
I didn't have that in theCatholic church.
Like you go to church, you havea mass, and people go there for
(24:05):
one hour and then you go homeand usually it's of course the
priest reading the scripturesand we just listen.
And then we go home.
And at home we didn't do like afamily scripture study or
anything like that.
It's so unfamiliar to us.
so, but I did start reading andI had some questions and then I
(24:25):
read story of, a musician, cliffRichard, he's a British
musician, and he was writing hiskind of like a conversion story,
putting scriptures and hisstory.
And I read that and I thought,oh, I, that's so amazing.
That Christmas I went home and Iexperienced something.
(24:47):
Incredible.
It was me and my sister in bed,in the room and we were talking,
and then suddenly I shared withher my stories of scriptures and
the journey that I had with myfriend.
and then suddenly I saw a lightand I felt such a warmth in my
heart.
And as I was talking, it waslike emotional.
(25:08):
My whole body was feeling it.
And I said to my sister, do you,do you see this?
Do you feel this?
And she's see what, what?
I don't, I don't know, are youtalking about?
And I didn't know how to explainit better than what I
experienced, the light, the, thewarmth feeling, but.
(25:33):
She experienced some ownpersonal experience that she
said, I feel something too.
And she was crying.
So it was just like a amazingexperience that, a wonderful
feeling that I did notexperience that before.
It's such a joy and all mixedtogether now.
(25:53):
I didn't know what that was atthat time.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-202 (25:57):
so you were both, experiencing the
spirit of God, but not realizingwhat it was.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12 (26:04):
Right, right.
we didn't know how to name itand what was happening.
It's just that most amazingfeeling.
So this is my younger sister.
I just wanna clarify that hername is Magda.
But Atta at this time was busywith her friends and still not
making maybe the best choices.
(26:27):
She was doing her own things.
That's what I would say.
So I was not connected with mysister, but atta.
So the next day I woke up and ofcourse shared with my mom about
this experience was six monthslater.
So from December to June, I hadsome experiences, like I met
(26:52):
different churches and peoplewould invite me to their
meetings.
And I was in the process.
I dunno if it's a process, theright word, a stage of my life
that I wanna know more like whatis my purpose?
Where am I going, what am Idoing in this life?
(27:13):
And.
All those things that I felt atthat point about my life.
Who am I, why I feel sodifferent with the people that
I'm surrounded with.
It made more sense.
I felt like there's higher powerof understanding, not just going
to church.
There must be something more.
(27:34):
So I continued to read the Bibleand my grandmother was
interesting.
At the same time she wasvisiting with Jehovah Witnesses.
Not that she wanted to changereligion, but she was just
curious.
And this is also a period oftime where, political changes
(27:54):
were occurring in Poland.
you would go to church and a lotof priests would talk about
politics, and I think peoplewere tired of that.
They just wanna have someSpiritual messages.
I think we all felt that.
we had politics in tv and thenyou go to church and then priest
would talk about politics.
(28:15):
I think my grandmother was justenjoying talking about God with
the Jehovah Witness.
what I'm thinking.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-202 (28:22):
it sounds like she was missing that
spiritual edification
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12 (28:25):
Right.
She,
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-2 (28:26):
used to having at church because she
certainly, was a very devotedCatholic,
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-20 (28:32):
she was, very Catholic, strong
Catholic, very traditional and,very, active in her church
helping the preachers and thepriests and volunteering if
there was a need.
So yes, she was very active.
that's why I was very surprisedwhen I saw her, having the
Jehovah Witness.
(28:52):
Coming.
But sometimes I would listen towhat they would say and then I
would have a thought, oh, I willgo and check.
They were just sharing about theBible.
I will go and check and read myBible.
And oftentimes I would find thatthis is not what I I understand
from what they would say.
(29:14):
So it was very intriguing it wasa beginning for me to, be more
interested in reading thescriptures, the Bible, and I
loved reading about Jesus.
I loved the New Testament and I,cried when I read the stories of
his crucifixion and that really,I was touched by the spirit, we
(29:35):
all have a light of God in us.
so I had glimpses of it, I wouldsay that led me to where I meant
to be, after meeting so manychurches, I met another one
Stephanie test (29:51):
Hasha, I would summarize your experience that
you've described to us as apreparation time.
You're given a Bible by afriend.
You start to have discussionswith her and your interest in
the scriptures and your HeavenlyFather and your Savior
increases.
You meet the Jehovah Witnessmissionaries and missionaries
(30:13):
from other faiths.
And your discussions, again,pique your interest in your
Heavenly Father and in yourSavior.
And you're wondering more andmore about your purpose on this
earth.
You go home for Christmas.
One evening you tell your sisterabout reading the stories from
the Bible.
As you tell her this, you aretouched by the Holy Ghost and
(30:36):
brought to tears by thisspiritual experience.
To me, all this seems like apreparation ground for you to
receive a greater light andknowledge in the restored gospel
of Jesus Christ.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (30:53):
Yes, you are so right.
That's exactly how I, I see itnow.
And it's true.
that day it was June 30th.
that day my boss came up to mewhat day before, because I was
leaving the 30th, the 29th.
She came up to me and she said,we don't have workers.
And we were wondering if youcould go to ro.
(31:16):
It's a town which I've neverbeen before.
all you have to do is justdeliver the check, and that's
how we will purchase thecomputer.
And then they will send thecomputer.
Very different than these days.
Now you can just do transfermoney and then you're done.
Now I had to go with this checkand travel five hours to deliver
(31:38):
the check and then go home.
That was my job.
So I said, okay, I will.
so morning the June 30th, I wasworking on the platform.
train station.
And while I was walking, and itwas very early in the morning,
so you can see people like goingnot so happy.
And then I see those two youngmen walking, in front of me and
(32:01):
I knew there was somethingdifferent about them.
They did not look polish at all.
And so I passed them and thatwas pretty much it.
It's just the thought came,they're not Polish, there's
something intriguing about them.
that was all.
I went to the train.
I sat in the compartment and inPoland the trains have eight
(32:24):
seats compartments.
five of them were full.
I sat by a window by the door,and then two empty seats were in
front of me.
those two missionaries returnedand sat in front of me.
I was very intrigued to see whatthe name tags would saying Who
are those young men?
(32:45):
But I didn't talk to them untillater, one of the missionaries
was standing in a hall.
while I was coming back, from a,like a little cafe shop, I asked
him who, who were they?
he said, there are missionariesfrom the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter Day Saints.
I was like, whoa, that is a verylong name for a church.
(33:08):
he asked me, have you ever heardof the church?
I said, no, I've never heard ofthis church.
he asked me, have I ever heardof Mormons?
And I'm like, oh yes, I've heardthe Mormons.
They have lots of wives.
That's all I've heard of them.
he chuckled just like he did.
(33:29):
And he says, yes, everybody inPoland has the same answer.
We were not very educated onthat matter.
We didn't know, we just watcheda movie, some kind of series,
and there was, a story ofMormons who had bunch of wives
and they were travelingsomewhere west.
that was my knowledge about thechurch, about the Mormons.
(33:51):
Right.
But not the church itself, wetalked for a little bit, and
this is very important becausewhile I was talking to him, I
felt the same feeling that Ifelt during that Christmas time.
That was so powerful.
I didn't tell them that I,that's what I feel.
(34:13):
I just, I felt like I wanna talkto them more.
But of course it was time for usto go.
They went their way and I wentmy way.
They took my address and theygave me a pamphlet of Joseph
Smith story.
And that was it.
a few days later, I returnedhome to Wara.
And while I was, laying andpondering about that experience,
(34:34):
I took the pamphlet of JosephSmith and I read the pamphlet
and I read and I was, wow, thissounds so familiar to me.
I feel exactly like Joseph, somany churches who say, we have
the truth.
Come to our church.
when are you going to join us?
I was like, wow.
(34:55):
That's how I feel right now.
So many, so I remember I kneeleddown and I prayed, and I prayed
and I said, please, heavenlyfather, help me to understand
there are so many churches inthe Catholic church.
That's my tradition.
That's my family.
But there's this, what am Isupposed to do?
And I remember, I got up, myknees were so sore, and I went
(35:18):
to bed in the morning while Iwas getting ready for work.
I still thought of thatexperience and my prayer.
And on the way home from work, Isaw two other missionaries in
the bus.
Now I need to mention that the,during that time.
(35:41):
The missionaries, there was notreally a Poland mission, it was
Vienna mission.
so the missionaries wereactually called to Vienna, and
then they will be sent to Polandor Czech Republic or some other
places, and that's how theywould serve their mission.
So they were really not Polishsand missionaries.
(36:01):
they were just assigned to servein Poland.
at that time there was only fourmissionaries, young missionaries
and a one old couple elder andSister Ec, which, they were
wonderful people.
They taught us so much.
as I mentioned, there was onlyfour missionaries.
(36:21):
Two of them I met in a train andthen two others I met in the
bus.
that evening.
Like I said, I didn't talk tothem,
Hasha, I have to cut in here.
I see your point.
It is another one of yourmiracles.
you met two sets of missionariesindependently that were
(36:43):
originally called to Vienna.
In all of Poland, you met bothsets That's amazing!
yes, a miracle that led to other
miracles in life later
Oh, I'm glad you made thatconnection for us.
Okay.
Back to where you were.
It was that evening.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-20 (37:03):
Yes that evening those missionaries
came to my house and mygrandmother opened the door and
she had no idea who they were.
And I didn't know'cause I was inmy room.
And then she called me and said,there's young men here.
they came to see you.
And I'm like, young men, who arethey?
(37:24):
then I went, and there they are.
The missionaries that I met inthe bus were standing in front
of my grandmother from the bus.
Yeah.
They tall missionaries.
And me and my grandmother werejust like those little two
ladies.
so when they came in.
I already felt something sopowerful.
(37:45):
When they came into my room andI had my first discussion and I
told'em about my experiencesthat I had through those six
months and much I feel like Iwant to learn more about God.
I told them I wanna be Baptist,like Jesus, and I was just
talking and telling all thisamazing stuff that was
happening, and those twomissionaries just looked at me
(38:06):
and they're like, what ishappening?
the next conversation came, nextmeeting.
So this is like beginning ofJuly.
Next time when they came, we hadanother discussion and I told
him I wanna be baptized likeJesus.
And this one elder said, okay,so he gave me the date I said,
(38:30):
okay.
this one elder, he was greenie.
He just three months maybe hewas in Poland, he, you could see
his open mouth.
I was baptized on the 31st ofJuly But I knew what I knew.
it's like Joseph Smith, when heknew what he knew, you couldn't
deny it.
(38:50):
And that's how it was with me.
I knew, and my grandmother.
Was very supportive of that.
She never made me feel like youare doing a wrong thing.
it was like a miracle it wassupposed to be.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-1 (39:06):
Really?
That's, so amazing.
and you know what this goes backto is that decision of your
grandmother to you come ratherthan bayata to
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12- (39:18):
Yeah.
Yes.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-1 (39:19):
because your opportunity to meet the
missionaries came with herdecision to bring you.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (39:26):
yes.
yes.
You're so, so right, because mysister was not on this place in
her life to have even God thatway.
So yeah, I really do believe,like you were saying earlier,
the preparation, the seed, theall those was just preparing me
for something greater And sowith that.
(39:49):
Of course comes the joy and Ifelt like when I became a member
of the church of Jesus Christ, Ifelt like I was completed.
it's so powerful.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-2 (40:01):
like your home,
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (40:02):
yes.
yes though.
not long after when I joined thechurch, even though I didn't
have a lot of struggles with myfamily, but that's probably
because.
I learned July, and I gotbaptized in July.
So there was no time for them toreally talk to me and say
something wrong with you, whatare you doing?
(40:25):
But after my baptism, they, Iremember this one day, it was
August I came to Saot to see myfamily and my siblings sat in a
semicircle and they start askingme questions and they were like,
interrogating.
I said, when you know somethingand you just have to stay true
(40:46):
to it.
I told them, I don't have thekind of answer you want me to
tell you.
I don't know much about thischurch.
Like historically, I don't knowmuch about a lot of things, but
I know what I feel.
I know what was my witness and,that is enough for me because I
(41:06):
know who I am.
I know what is my purpose.
Where before I didn't and that'sall I could tell them.
so they never bothered me aboutit anymore.
But I think because I joined thechurch, there's just so many
things happened between myfamily.
(41:28):
The dynamics kind of startchanging my grandmother, she
would come to church every oncein a while.
She never joined the church whenshe was alive, but she wasn't
against and opposed to it when Iwould go.
I am very grateful for hersupport.
when I made a decision to go ona mission, she was totally okay
(41:50):
with that.
after my mission.
I returned to soot and I washelping my family.
I felt like that's where Ineeded to go.
I needed help the church in sootarea.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-20 (42:01):
had other members of your family
join the church?
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (42:04):
yes, I have a sister who has
epilepsy, She is a wonderfulperson.
She always loved God.
she joined the church.
then, in November on my birthdayactually, my mother and my
sister, the one who I hadexperience with during
Christmas, she joined the churchtoo.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-202 (42:22):
So Two.
sisters and your mother.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (42:24):
yes, two sisters, and my mother, Just
before I was living on mymission, I, told my brother, his
name is Rashad.
I just invited him and I said,just listen to the missionaries.
Listen to what they say.
I was already over a year amember of the church.
I asked him to just listen.
(42:44):
And so while I was in MTC,actually I got a letter from my
brother he was telling me thathe's going to be baptized in
March.
So two months later I went on mymission, he was baptized, and
then when I was on my missionstill, he received a call to
England to serve Mission.
(43:06):
So we didn't see each other foralmost two years.
after my mission because he wasstill serving his mission in
England.
then my sister served Mission inRussia, the one who was, who is
the younger One?
stephanie-eccles_1 (43:19):
Fascinating.
three of your parents' childrenserved missions.
That's amazing.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-20 (43:25):
And the brother who currently lives
in Salt Lake City.
His daughter is serving inLithuania right now.
And my daughter serves Missionin Utah
Muta.
Yes and her brother just got a call
to Hungarian.
So
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-202 (43:44):
Oh
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (43:45):
it's just a, a chain of
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12- (43:46):
yeah.
So chain of events.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12 (43:48):
That's why I feel like God he, meant
this to be, I needed to be bornso I can go to my grandmother,
the missionaries,
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-2 (43:58):
Yes.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (43:59):
some family members Got baptized
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12 (44:02):
right.
Your parents were greatlyblessed by allowing your birth,
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (44:06):
Yes.
Yes.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-202 (44:08):
so many other people were
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2024 (44:10):
I always, yes.
since I joined the church and Icame here to the States, I was
always interested in doinggenealogy work, but it felt
like.
I'm so limited.
I don't have records, I don'thave journals, I have no stories
that are recorded.
I just knew my grandma, grandpa,and just great-grandma and
(44:32):
great-grandpa.
That was the closest on my dad'sside.
I didn't even know much abouthis, only about his parents,
that's all.
one day I remember I was doinggenealogy work.
This is after my grandmotherpassed away.
So I was doing genealogy workand I found, I was thinking
about my great grandmother,which is my grandmother's
(44:54):
mother.
She was actually living at thesame time when I moved Wara.
So there was my grandma,grandpa, great-grandma, and then
me in Warsaw.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-2024 (45:07):
I see.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-202 (45:08):
my great-grandmother's name was
ska.
So I had this thought look forthe name ska, and so I put it in
my heritage.
I typed bonnet and I waslooking, and then I found a name
and I found the dates and I waslike, oh, this and this city,
the place where my grandmotherwas born.
(45:29):
I was like, oh, maybe this isconnection somehow maybe that's
my branch.
I was working deeper and I said,oh, but I don't know for sure.
then not long after I, Ireceived an email from a man
whose name was Bonky and he toldme that we are connected, that
(45:50):
he has this tree, he has thisfamily part that I was searching
for.
so we connected together.
And from just mygreat-grandmother, it went like
to 1600.
I was like, wow.
And this is my.
Yeah, so this is my grandmotherlineage, and I felt her
(46:11):
presence, I felt her, felt herwork, like guiding me and
bringing me those names andfamilies.
And so I felt really, reallystrong about it.
And so why am I bringing this?
I bringing this because Beata,she had a very good connection
with dad, with my father, andshe loved stories.
(46:37):
She loved listening to stories.
And she could write probably abook about my dad and some
stories that he shared with her.
So I always thought of her, itwould be wonderful if she would
be interested in genealogy workand maybe do something like
that.
she did show an interest indoing some kind of records and
(46:58):
stuff.
I.
Always felt to help my sistereven when I knew she's not gonna
come to and live with mygrandmother.
I felt bad in some way that Iwas the one who was going, not
her.
I wanted to help her.
when I lived already here in theStates and I was married, I
heard stories about her,unfortunate events.
(47:21):
She had to work, and take careof herself and this little boy.
I talked to my husband and wethought we could help her if I
can give her some opportunity soshe could come to the States.
at that time, this little boywas a little boy and took.
About 20 years we were doingthis whole process.
Many years.
(47:42):
six years ago that they finallygot Visa to be able to come to
the States.
so she's been here for sixyears.
but I wanted to bring this nowto six years later.
I will always be grateful to mygrandmother that she was in tune
to have me.
It was like a divineintervention.
(48:02):
Maybe grandma understoodsomething that we all didn't,
it's hard to say now becauseshe's gone, but someday I would
like to ask her.
But I do believe she was in tuneand I am grateful that I was
able to be with her and then beled to the missionaries and all
the stories that I just shared.
(48:23):
Because today my sister, she'sin America, her son has a very
good job.
But my sister, she's beenstruggling a lot with her
physical and mental, Health.
This few months ago sheexperienced some heavy,
depression, anxiety, and, nauseaand all those different symptoms
(48:46):
that we didn't know what wasgoing on.
I took her to different doctorsand she had a very bad
experience in one of thehospitals in the emergency room.
a very challenging three months,recently, my nephew called me
and he said, I don't know whatto do with my mom anymore.
we met and she was like, notherself.
(49:07):
Wobbly on her feet.
She couldn't stand up still.
she sounded so loopy and justnot her.
two days later, he took her toemergency room and in one of the
hospitals.
And in two minutes theysubmitted her, and they found
out that she had a brain tumorall those times she was
(49:29):
struggling.
We didn't understand all thesymptoms, what they meant.
we are grateful for the doctorwho was there because, two days
later she had a surgery done andthey removed the brain tumor.
sadly, it is a cancerous.
We don't know yet.
What kind of tumor is that fromthe biopsy, but.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-20 (49:54):
but it is cancerous.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12- (49:56):
Yeah.
So when I found out, all thosethoughts came to my mind, us as
little girls and we loved layingdown on grass and look at the
clouds, looking at differentshapes.
That was our favorite thing todo when we were kids.
so I just had different picturesof the time with her, and I
(50:19):
thought, how much time do I havewith her?
I don't know.
But I was so grateful that thesurgeon did amazing job.
she doesn't have the tumor.
It's all removed.
Right now she's recovering andshe's doing very well.
then on Sunday, she wanted to goto church.
She actually said right aftersurgery, I feel like I want to
(50:44):
be close to God.
I pray to him.
I pray that I will have faithlike you do.
I want to feel God's love.
I want to trust him.
then she said, I feel his power.
I feel him.
during that time when she wasgoing through that surgery, I
(51:06):
sent the message to my childrenand my family members.
so many, so many peopleresponded and said, we are
praying for her.
And she says, I do feel theprayer.
she said, I am going to church.
and she went to church She's Isaid, she's not a member.
(51:28):
she said, I feel like I want tovisit with sister missionaries.
I don't wanna see elders.
but I want to see themissionaries, sister,
missionaries.
I was driving and I prayed how Ican connect her with the sister
missionaries.
I go to the church and as soonas I open the door, two sister
(51:51):
missionaries are standing therejust they were waiting for me.
No kidding.
I look at them and I said, areyou in this ward?
And they said, yes.
And I told them about my sister.
But the interesting thing wasthat the sisters were in this
ward, but that's not the wordthat my sister supposed to be
(52:14):
going the war that this was 12o'clock.
The war that she really supposedto be going was at nine o'clock
in the morning.
And we didn't know because the,the rectory showed that that's
the 12 o'clock.
And so it was like it meant tobe that we will be there with
the sisters.
Were, because the area that mysister lives in, actually elders
(52:37):
are covering.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-20 (52:38):
Oh, and she wants the sisters.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (52:41):
yes, I was already emotional about
this.
I just felt wow, This is a giftfrom God at this moment.
cause we, we missed the churchthe time that she's supposed to
be.
We came to a different ward andthey're sister missionaries.
And so I introduced the sistersto my sister and my sister.
(53:03):
She saw them and she lost it.
She cried.
she told them how much shewanted the sisters.
It was a tender mercy.
That's what comes to mind.
she was so grateful.
my daughter who serves Missionin Utah, she said, I ask my
mission to pray for her.
(53:24):
And they did.
I was going home and I felt likeGod is real.
God loves us.
He's mindful of each one of us.
And sometimes when we feel like.
God doesn't care for me.
He does.
You're right.
Kasha God does care.
(53:45):
He cares for all of us.
What an incredible story, Kasha.
right up through the very endwhen you went to the later
church time and came upon thesister missionaries, which is
just what Beata needed.
Yes.
Yes, that's true.
(54:05):
Kasha, it's been so amazing tosee your life's purpose unfold
as you shared your life stories.
It's left me with this feelingof wonderment in God's plan and
joyfulness in my heart.
Thank you, Kasia.
Thank you.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-20 (54:24):
you are so Welcome you are so
Welcome
Kasia, as I said in thebeginning of our podcast, you
are a talented musician andyou've written many pieces of
music, but one in particular weget to highlight in this episode
is called Little Dove.
I'm going to have you share withus how these lyrics came to you
(54:48):
and then have you say the lyricsbefore we play the song at the
end of the podcast as ourclosing number.
Before we get into that, I'dlike to remind all of our
listeners how they can find you.
Kasha has a podcast.
It's called ASHA's FaithJourney.
(55:08):
Be sure to tune in to hear moreof her beautiful stories like
the one she shared with ustoday.
You can find herwebsites@www.kashasmusic.com and
ASHA's faith journey.com.
Kasha, tell us about Little DoveAnd how did you create these
lyrics?
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (55:29):
Yes.
the song is called Little Dove Iexperienced few people who
passed on very close and dear tome.
One of them was my brother, myoldest brother, when I was just
a new member of the church.
It was a, I would say, a test offaith.
Experience.
then I had, when I was incollege here in the States I
(55:52):
learned about my cousin alsovery close.
He passed away.
He had some, addiction withdrugs and affected his health.
So when I learned about himpassing, I sat to the piano and
this, the song came to mind.
(56:13):
It's called Little Dove.
it represented this white doveof connection to God.
these are the lyrics.
Fly little dove, fly above thestar.
Bring me peace from above to myheart.
I wish to fly like you.
To have wings, to have freedom,to see those who I love to find
(56:38):
those who are gone.
Somewhere up there somewhere,white little dove fly above this
world, bring us the joy of purelove from above.
I know it's not for me to havewings and be like, you are.
(56:58):
I have to stay on earth withoutwings.
I will start to learn how to befree.
So basically I thought of thosepeople who are free from all
those different struggles thatthey had here.
And then they're moved, theypassed on, and I wanna fly to
(57:18):
them and feel that freedom.
But I understand that that's notmy.
Time, my time to be here tolearn how to be free, having
different challenges andstruggles or joy experiences,
and learn how to be free bytrusting God and have that
(57:42):
inside remembrance that I can beif I the knowledge of Christ,
because someday I will meetthem, I live here and that's
when I need to learn thatfreedom.
I hope this makes sense.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-20 (58:00):
Oh, yes, Yes.
A very, eternal perspective.
The idea of wanting to be liftedfrom these earthly chains, these
earthly hardships, thesicknesses, both emotional,
mental, and physical of thisearth, but also realizing it's
(58:21):
not time yet
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12- (58:24):
Yes,,
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-202 (58:25):
In the meantime, my freedom will
come from, like you said, frommy faith and my savior, Jesus
Christ.
and I'll have that freedom fornow.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (58:37):
Yes, Yes.
I
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12 (58:39):
Right?
Right.
squadcaster-43df_1_02 (58:40):
together.
Yes, that's true.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12- (58:43):
Thank you.
Stephanie test (58:44):
I want to thank Kasha Harreldson for sharing her
story with us today.
It has been a delight having herwith us.
Thank you, Kasha.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-20 (58:55):
you are so Welcome
Do you have a story where youhave seen the Lord's hand in
your life or a family member'slife?
I would like to help you tellyour story.
We could do it in a couple ofdifferent ways.
We could do it in the form of aninterview, or I could tell the
story for you, whichever youprefer.
Reach out to me atdeardaughtersofgod at gmail.
(59:16):
com.
That's deardaughtersofgod atgmail.
com.
I want to thank you, ourlisteners, for tuning in today.
I feel so special when you sendme messages.
It makes me feel connected withall of you.
Some of you reach out to me inperson and I appreciate that.
(59:36):
Others leave reviews and let meknow what you think of the
episode that way.
I'm so grateful for that.
Some of you leave me directmessages and others leave me
emails.
Whichever way you like tocommunicate with me.
I'm thrilled when you stayconnected with me.
Thank you for communicating withme.
(59:58):
I will create a videogram aboutthis episode with Kasha
Haraldson and I'll place it onInstagram and Facebook, the Dear
Daughters of God pages, and thenyou can see a picture of Kasha
and her family members.
Looking for that videogram.
Little Dove is next.
(01:00:19):
For now, I will say farewell,until we meet again.
(01:01:08):
Fly, little dove, fly above thestar.
Bring me a peace from above tomy heart.
I wish to fly like you, to havewings, to have freedom.
(01:01:36):
To see.
(01:03:08):
Without we will start to learnhow to
I am Stephanie Eccles.
This is Dear Daughters of God,Episode 13, Finding your
purpose.
We are inspired by the true lifeexperiences of those around us.
My name is Stephanie Eccles.
I'm an educator, counselor,school administrator, and
natural storyteller.
From my perspective as a memberof The Church of Jesus Christ of
(00:21):
Latter day Saints, I share avariety of life experiences
Bring us hope and joy in oursavior.
Jesus Christ.
Welcome.
Dear daughters of God.
I address you that way becausethat's what you are to him.
To our Heavenly Father, you aredear.
Today, I'm going to start with ashort story of my own.
(00:44):
Then we're going to hear aseries of stories that culminate
into one end from a specialguest, I'll introduce her in
just a moment.
I'm sure you've noticed we eachhave different personalities,
aspirations, inclinations, andappetites.
Well, there's a divine purposein these differences.
(01:07):
As my patriarchal blessingreminds me, it becomes a
requirement to find that purposeand fulfill the measure of our
creation.
Our theme today is finding thatpurpose.
Have you ever had one of thosetimes when you're trying to read
the scriptures and you justcannot focus?
I've had that happen plenty oftimes.
(01:27):
One in particular was this lastsummer.
I was reading the Book ofMormon.
I was having one distractingthought after another.
I almost gave up on reading as Irealized I was picking up the
phone to follow through on oneof these distracting thoughts.
Then I said to myself, Are yougoing to let the adversary take
the scripture time away fromyou?
(01:49):
And I answered back out loud,because I was alone, with a no,
I'm not.
I grabbed this piece of paperand I wrote down the distracting
task that I wanted to complete,that I thought, this is the same
intervention that I would havegiven a student at school who
couldn't pay attention.
(02:10):
I was embarrassed that at myage, I needed an intervention.
I felt so terribly mature at thesame time.
I knew I had trouble payingattention.
It wasn't something new.
I just it was hard to face rightnow.
It seemed like.
In the workplace, it suited meas a leader to complete many
(02:32):
tasks, but sitting in front ofscriptures with no title as
executive director, thisdeficiency It was just nothing
but annoying and evenembarrassing to me.
I finished writing down thedistracting task that I would do
after I read scriptures.
I told myself that I couldconcentrate and then I knelt
(02:54):
down and I prayed to my HeavenlyFather for help.
I asked that the Spirit wouldspeak to me through the
scriptures.
I sat up again and I got thehighlighter marker.
I was ready to mark the passagesthat mentioned our Savior Jesus
Christ, and I began to readagain.
I came to this verse in Mosiahrather quickly.
(03:17):
It was in chapter 26, verse 20.
It says, quote, Thou art myservant, and I covenant with
thee that thou shalt haveeternal life, and thou shalt
serve me.
And go forth in my name, andthou shalt gather together my
sheep.
When I read these words, andthou shalt serve me, and go
(03:38):
forth in my name, and shallgather together my sheep, I knew
that this phrase was for me andspoke to me.
I thank the Lord for remindingme of my purpose.
A memory of an experience I hadhad three years earlier while
driving to work came into mymind.
(04:00):
I'm on the freeway on my way towork early in the morning.
I find myself caught up in avision in my mind.
There I was sharing stories in apodcast called Dear Daughters.
I knew the stories I was toshare.
I felt guided by the Spirit ofthe Lord.
(04:22):
It felt imminent.
It was uplifting, a powerful andbeautiful experience.
I felt as if that is what Ishould be doing.
Afterward, I was in a place ofawe.
I thanked the Lord for thevision I, I shed silent tears.
(04:43):
As I got closer to work, realityset in.
I wondered, how would I possiblyfulfill that vision while
holding my current position?
It must be for when I retire,and that won't happen for a very
long time.
But now, when I was recallingthis memory, now, I had the rest
(05:07):
of the name of that podcast.
It was Dear Daughters of God andhad completed four episodes.
But even so, I wonder, did Ihave what I needed to go on?
considering my chronic migrainesand human frailties, like the
ones I mentioned.
And the Lord reminded me againthrough scripture of my call To
(05:35):
hear the rest of thatexperience, listen to Episode 7
Now, I want to introduce ourguest, Hasha Haraldson, who is
coming to us from WashingtonState, but was born and raised
in communist Poland.
As we hear Kasia's stories, keepin mind how her life experiences
(05:57):
have helped her find her lifepurpose while on this earth.
I'll bring her on now.
Hello, Kasia.
Welcome.
Thank you for joining us.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12- (06:09):
Thank you for having me to be here.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-202 (06:11):
We are happy to have you.
Kasha and I met in December.
kasha was sharing a story abouther father who was raised in
communist Poland, I was sotouched by that story.
And we've become friends.
today she's going to shareanother story with us about her
grandmother and her sister, Butbefore we get into that story, I
(06:35):
would like to give ASHA's formalbiography.
ASHA's journey started in Polandwhere she grew up with six
siblings in a small town, sootby the Baltic Sea.
As a teenager, she left herchildhood home and family and
moved to Warsaw where she livedwith her grandparents.
(06:56):
While adjusting to a new part ofher journey, she attended school
and worked.
During her spare time, she wouldplay and create music expressing
her feelings through lyrics andmusic.
In her early adult years, shemet missionaries from the Church
of Jesus Christ of Leonard, aSaints who introduced her to the
(07:17):
gospel of Jesus Christ.
She was always a believer inGod, but through the
missionaries she learned moreabout the purpose and meaning of
life.
She desired to serve God, And ayear after joining the church,
she was called to serve amission In the Utah Provo
mission, while serving hermission, she was able to share
(07:39):
her music and meet manywonderful people, which
ultimately opened the door forher to return to America and
start her education at SouthernUtah University.
Majoring in music.
Kasha currently lives inWashington state.
She's a wife, a mother, and agrandmother.
She teaches music in her studioand loves spending time with her
(08:01):
family.
She also loves to share hertestimony and experiences from
her life's journey throughinspiring messages and music.
If you want to know more aboutKasha and her journey, please
visit her website at www dotASHA's faith journey.com and
ASHA's music.com and listen toher messages and music on ASHA's
(08:27):
Faith Journey podcast.
Kasha, you're gonna tell us astory about your grandmother and
your sister decisions that yourgrandmother made, and how they
affected your life.
right?
do you wanna start with yourgrandmother.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2024 (08:40):
I will start with my grandmother.
my grandmother was born nearbyWarsaw.
She was only 18 years old whenshe got married.
and very petite, verystrong-willed and very driven
since very early in her yearsshe had four children, three
(09:02):
boys and one girl, which thegirl is my mother.
Her first boy passed away whenhe was about a month old.
He was born in December and inJanuary he passed away because
it was so cold.
What they were living in thisvery small little house.
I had two uncles and my mother.
(09:24):
I had an uncle who was bornduring World War ii, So my
mother actually is the secondchild.
She's second, the oldest.
And then my younger uncle wasborn 10 years after my mother.
they grew up in nearby Warsaw ina little village, called Sad
(09:45):
Dova.
My grandmother was verydedicated to taking care of her
children.
there's one situation duringWorld War II, it My grandmother
had difficulties with deliveringbabies.
my uncle, who was going to beborn in 1942.
Had some complications.
(10:06):
So my grandpa had to go toWarsaw.
That was the closest place thathe get a doctor.
And while he arrived to Wara, heand some other people that were
on the street in Warsaw werecaught by the Germans.
They call it waki, which meansthe trucks will come to the city
(10:30):
and then they will catch whoeverwas on the street.
Didn't matter what they weredoing, they would just grab
them.
And usually they would put'em ina truck and take them to,
concentration camps, or theywill just put them by the wall
and They will execute them onthe spot.
It was very hard.
(10:50):
Many people died that way.
But my grandpa was caught and hewas placed in front of the wall.
so he was the one of them whothey were put in front of the
wall and then execute them so hedidn't go on a track.
Which in some way was, ablessing.
(11:11):
That doesn't sound like ablessing, but it was because
while he was standing there andthe line.
He was able to use his Germanand talk to his, this German
soldier, and he asked him if hewould let him go.
And he explained to him what thesituation was.
And I tell you, God was watchingover him because this German let
(11:32):
him go and he was able to getthe doctor, and my grandmother
was able to deliver her littleboy.
it was a miracle.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-2 (11:42):
That is a miracle.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (11:44):
yes, a miracle that led to other
miracles in life later.
one of them was, my mother wasmarried when she was 22, and my
dad was nine years older thanher.
during communism.
he believed in freedom and hewas outspoken.
(12:05):
And because he was outspoken,that didn't serve him very well.
He was, sentenced.
to death.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-202 (12:13):
Oh my goodness.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (12:14):
Yes.
And then they changed hissentence to life.
which meant either way he woulddie.
Just longer, experience in theprison, this is all during
communism.
So at that time was, allaffected by Russian leaders.
but because of styling died,they changed and there was an
(12:38):
amnesty.
So my dad was, released earlier,which means he was only in
prison for about four or fiveyears.
And one of the year he was in asolitary confinement, not
talking to anybody.
One year, one full year.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-20 (12:58):
For one year.
in solitary confinement.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (13:00):
Yes.
So that's why when he came outof the prison, he was already
like close to 30.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-202 (13:09):
Oh my goodness.
what a terrible experience.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (13:12):
Yes.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-202 (13:13):
He made it through a life.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-202 (13:14):
He may I know.
It was like, wow.
God saved him because he neededto have a family.
he met my mother, they startedfamily and they had seven
children.
And I am one of the familychildren
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-2 (13:32):
Yes.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2024 (13:34):
I also have a story of, life
events that, I was not going tolive, and yet I am alive.
And, it's a blessing because ofmany events that took place.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-202 (13:50):
do you, wanna tell us what you mean
by that?
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12- (13:54):
Yeah.
my parents, they had sevenchildren altogether, but I am
number five and my mom gotpregnant right after my brother.
My brother was born not longafter.
And so between me and him, it'slike about, 16 months or so.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-20 (14:13):
And this is from number four to
five.
The
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (14:15):
four
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-202 (14:16):
To the fifth child.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (14:17):
Yes.
So my.
My mother and my dad wereconsidering my mother didn't
really want to do it, but my dadwas, I, think he was just very
overwhelmed.
I dunno exactly what happened,but they just considered
abortion.
And, my mother did not wanna dothis, but it was like, what to
(14:40):
do question.
And she decided to go to thechurch.
And she prayed and prayed andthat's what she told me, the
story.
And she said, when I prayed, Ihad such a strong feeling not to
do this.
this was just before she wasgoing to the clinic to do the
procedure.
And she said instead going tothat clinic, I just went to the
(15:03):
store and I bought baby clothes.
And that's how I was born.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-20 (15:07):
Oh, what a shift from the abortion
clinic to going to buy babyclothes.
what a sweet end.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12 (15:16):
Right.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-20 (15:17):
Oh, and here you are.
to tell your story.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-20 (15:20):
And here I'm, I have to tell you
this story,
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-2 (15:23):
What a blessed end for, for you and
your family.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12 (15:27):
right?
Right.
Because so much happened becauseI was born and I really do feel
God's power and directionthrough all this years of my
life.
Like even thinking about, justmyself, how I always felt God's
present in my life in differentsituations.
(15:51):
But that's what another story, Iwanted to say.
What happened after thisexperience?
we end up being a big family,but because of that, we did not
have many things.
And we struggled, especiallyduring communism when we had
(16:11):
those orations cards and we hadto share small meals.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-20 (16:16):
Oh, there were ration cards.
Were there.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-1 (16:19):
Russian cards.
Mm-Hmm.
During communism?
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12- (16:24):
Okay.
and this was in the eighties.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (16:27):
Yes.
This is in eighties.
Mm-Hmm.
Early eighties.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12- (16:31):
okay, so, your family was probably
much larger than the most.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (16:35):
Yes.
That's exactly so very uncommonduring that time in Poland to
have seven children.
Usually people will have two,maybe one, maybe three the most.
So we were this big family thatpeople knew was everywhere,
school and music school, theyalways remember this ska family.
(16:59):
Lots of kids.
Sometimes they will tease us andmake some comments, but I, we
just, we just lived
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-2 (17:10):
Yes, yes,
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-20 (17:12):
so,
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-2 (17:13):
yes.
I can see why families were,were considerably smaller.
Birth control was, very heavilyinto
squadcaster-43df_1_02-1 (17:20):
Mm-Hmm.
Right, Right, Because we weresuch a big family.
My grandmother, she wanted tohelp us.
She was, wanted to help mymother with the children.
so she had a plan that they, ofcourse, decided together that
one of us could come to Warsaw.
(17:40):
'cause that's where mygrandmother lived.
And we would live with mygrandparents.
she chose my sister, the Attaand she's three years older than
me.
But the atta first of all, shedidn't wanna go.
And also because she did notmake very good choices at that
time as a teenager, almost a, Iwould say young adult by then.
(18:06):
So my grandmother decided shedoesn't want my sister to come
at the time.
And I was just finishing myschool, which is kind of like,
you have it here K through 12.
So it's like one, one buildingthat you go for from when you
kindergarten to, you 15 and it'swhen you graduate.
(18:31):
I was just finishing that schooland my grandmother and my
parents decided that would be agood time to shift from this
school to the other school inWarsaw, and I could start new
school in Warsaw.
And so when I was 15, I moved toWara and start my life.
(18:54):
A new chapter began for me.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-20 (18:56):
How did you feel about going?
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-202 (18:59):
I, I did not wanna go to my
grandmother because like, mysister, we were afraid of a
grandmother'cause she was verystrict and she had rules and we
had to follow those rulesbecause she was not happy if we
didn't follow the rule.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-20 (19:18):
mm, I see.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-202 (19:20):
we were rambunctious came from
seven kids, from the big family,so it was always busy, busy in
the house.
here I come to this lonely placewith three older folks as a
15-year-old.
So that wasn't very exciting forme, but I accepted what needed
to be done.
(19:41):
now when I look from perspectivetoday, I see that it was good
for me.
Living with my grandmother wasvery good experience, a blessing
and an opportunity to learn, togrow, to understand things that
I didn't understand growing upat my home with some many of us.
(20:03):
But I did miss my family.
I did miss playing musictogether and goof around and
just doing things that we did asa family.
So I was afraid, but Living withmy grandmother helped me to see
her from a differentperspective, not just this
grandmother who is strict withus, but a woman who once upon a
(20:26):
time was a young woman and maybeshe had some dreams that were
not fulfilled.
being 18 and start family andthen war started and all those
experiences that were happeningand health issues, pregnancies
that were difficult.
I have a great respect for mygrandmother and her wisdom.
she passed away, in 2001 I livedwith her, as a 15-year-old
(20:50):
through the teenage years.
then.
And I was about 21.
Something was going on in mypersonal life.
it's been for a while, I alwaysfelt like there was a direction
that God is watching over me.
Like there was a bigger purposemaybe that my mother, when she
(21:11):
was praying for this abortions,to do this procedure, and she
felt strongly not to do it.
Maybe not, maybe I just know nowthat God had a better picture
for me better purpose.
And I needed to come to thisearth.
now with looking at the eventsof life, which I share about on
(21:32):
my podcast, more details, but Isee God's hand.
Masha, tell us how you see God'shand play out in your life.
so how do I see this?
when.
I lived in Warsaw.
There was things already that Ifelt like there's something
more, but I didn't haveunderstanding.
I always believe in God.
(21:53):
So I attended, a Catholic churchand I did all those things that
were required.
And you did the mass and you dothe Fridays, confessions.
There are all those traditionsthat we've done, but I felt like
there was something missing inmy life and I didn't know not
that I was looking for somereligions or something, it's
(22:15):
just that it was somethingmissing.
And so when I was 20, this isalso the time when, The der wall
came down and, not yet, didn'tcome yet when I was 20, but when
I was 22.
But this was a period of timethat there was just so many
(22:36):
things were happening.
The leg leg vaa and thecommunism was going down and
just shifting, shifting in ourcountry.
And borders were open and otherchurches were able to come.
that was the period of time thatI met so many different people
from different churches and hadsome questions myself.
(23:00):
But before that, I was workingin the office doing a paperwork
that was my financial section.
Totally different than today.
The work looked like.
We had big sheets of papers thatwe were writing with pen, the
numbers for every worker, andthat was their payments.
(23:23):
So no computers, everything wasdone by hand.
that was my job.
So one day, I met this younggirl who we were the only one
who were young.
Rest of them was like mothers,grandmothers working in that
office.
so sometimes we would have alunch together.
(23:44):
one day she gave me a Bible andI started to read the Bible and
we would talk about God, and wewill talk about different
experiences in life and we'llshare some little insights.
And that was so, interestingbecause.
I didn't have that in theCatholic church.
Like you go to church, you havea mass, and people go there for
(24:05):
one hour and then you go homeand usually it's of course the
priest reading the scripturesand we just listen.
And then we go home.
And at home we didn't do like afamily scripture study or
anything like that.
It's so unfamiliar to us.
so, but I did start reading andI had some questions and then I
(24:25):
read story of, a musician, cliffRichard, he's a British
musician, and he was writing hiskind of like a conversion story,
putting scriptures and hisstory.
And I read that and I thought,oh, I, that's so amazing.
That Christmas I went home and Iexperienced something.
(24:47):
Incredible.
It was me and my sister in bed,in the room and we were talking,
and then suddenly I shared withher my stories of scriptures and
the journey that I had with myfriend.
and then suddenly I saw a lightand I felt such a warmth in my
heart.
And as I was talking, it waslike emotional.
(25:08):
My whole body was feeling it.
And I said to my sister, do you,do you see this?
Do you feel this?
And she's see what, what?
I don't, I don't know, are youtalking about?
And I didn't know how to explainit better than what I
experienced, the light, the, thewarmth feeling, but.
(25:33):
She experienced some ownpersonal experience that she
said, I feel something too.
And she was crying.
So it was just like a amazingexperience that, a wonderful
feeling that I did notexperience that before.
It's such a joy and all mixedtogether now.
(25:53):
I didn't know what that was atthat time.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-202 (25:57):
so you were both, experiencing the
spirit of God, but not realizingwhat it was.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12 (26:04):
Right, right.
we didn't know how to name itand what was happening.
It's just that most amazingfeeling.
So this is my younger sister.
I just wanna clarify that hername is Magda.
But Atta at this time was busywith her friends and still not
making maybe the best choices.
(26:27):
She was doing her own things.
That's what I would say.
So I was not connected with mysister, but atta.
So the next day I woke up and ofcourse shared with my mom about
this experience was six monthslater.
So from December to June, I hadsome experiences, like I met
(26:52):
different churches and peoplewould invite me to their
meetings.
And I was in the process.
I dunno if it's a process, theright word, a stage of my life
that I wanna know more like whatis my purpose?
Where am I going, what am Idoing in this life?
(27:13):
And.
All those things that I felt atthat point about my life.
Who am I, why I feel sodifferent with the people that
I'm surrounded with.
It made more sense.
I felt like there's higher powerof understanding, not just going
to church.
There must be something more.
(27:34):
So I continued to read the Bibleand my grandmother was
interesting.
At the same time she wasvisiting with Jehovah Witnesses.
Not that she wanted to changereligion, but she was just
curious.
And this is also a period oftime where, political changes
(27:54):
were occurring in Poland.
you would go to church and a lotof priests would talk about
politics, and I think peoplewere tired of that.
They just wanna have someSpiritual messages.
I think we all felt that.
we had politics in tv and thenyou go to church and then priest
would talk about politics.
(28:15):
I think my grandmother was justenjoying talking about God with
the Jehovah Witness.
what I'm thinking.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-202 (28:22):
it sounds like she was missing that
spiritual edification
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12 (28:25):
Right.
She,
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-2 (28:26):
used to having at church because she
certainly, was a very devotedCatholic,
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-20 (28:32):
she was, very Catholic, strong
Catholic, very traditional and,very, active in her church
helping the preachers and thepriests and volunteering if
there was a need.
So yes, she was very active.
that's why I was very surprisedwhen I saw her, having the
Jehovah Witness.
(28:52):
Coming.
But sometimes I would listen towhat they would say and then I
would have a thought, oh, I willgo and check.
They were just sharing about theBible.
I will go and check and read myBible.
And oftentimes I would find thatthis is not what I I understand
from what they would say.
(29:14):
So it was very intriguing it wasa beginning for me to, be more
interested in reading thescriptures, the Bible, and I
loved reading about Jesus.
I loved the New Testament and I,cried when I read the stories of
his crucifixion and that really,I was touched by the spirit, we
(29:35):
all have a light of God in us.
so I had glimpses of it, I wouldsay that led me to where I meant
to be, after meeting so manychurches, I met another one
Stephanie test (29:51):
Hasha, I would summarize your experience that
you've described to us as apreparation time.
You're given a Bible by afriend.
You start to have discussionswith her and your interest in
the scriptures and your HeavenlyFather and your Savior
increases.
You meet the Jehovah Witnessmissionaries and missionaries
(30:13):
from other faiths.
And your discussions, again,pique your interest in your
Heavenly Father and in yourSavior.
And you're wondering more andmore about your purpose on this
earth.
You go home for Christmas.
One evening you tell your sisterabout reading the stories from
the Bible.
As you tell her this, you aretouched by the Holy Ghost and
(30:36):
brought to tears by thisspiritual experience.
To me, all this seems like apreparation ground for you to
receive a greater light andknowledge in the restored gospel
of Jesus Christ.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (30:53):
Yes, you are so right.
That's exactly how I, I see itnow.
And it's true.
that day it was June 30th.
that day my boss came up to mewhat day before, because I was
leaving the 30th, the 29th.
She came up to me and she said,we don't have workers.
And we were wondering if youcould go to ro.
(31:16):
It's a town which I've neverbeen before.
all you have to do is justdeliver the check, and that's
how we will purchase thecomputer.
And then they will send thecomputer.
Very different than these days.
Now you can just do transfermoney and then you're done.
Now I had to go with this checkand travel five hours to deliver
(31:38):
the check and then go home.
That was my job.
So I said, okay, I will.
so morning the June 30th, I wasworking on the platform.
train station.
And while I was walking, and itwas very early in the morning,
so you can see people like goingnot so happy.
And then I see those two youngmen walking, in front of me and
(32:01):
I knew there was somethingdifferent about them.
They did not look polish at all.
And so I passed them and thatwas pretty much it.
It's just the thought came,they're not Polish, there's
something intriguing about them.
that was all.
I went to the train.
I sat in the compartment and inPoland the trains have eight
(32:24):
seats compartments.
five of them were full.
I sat by a window by the door,and then two empty seats were in
front of me.
those two missionaries returnedand sat in front of me.
I was very intrigued to see whatthe name tags would saying Who
are those young men?
(32:45):
But I didn't talk to them untillater, one of the missionaries
was standing in a hall.
while I was coming back, from a,like a little cafe shop, I asked
him who, who were they?
he said, there are missionariesfrom the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter Day Saints.
I was like, whoa, that is a verylong name for a church.
(33:08):
he asked me, have you ever heardof the church?
I said, no, I've never heard ofthis church.
he asked me, have I ever heardof Mormons?
And I'm like, oh yes, I've heardthe Mormons.
They have lots of wives.
That's all I've heard of them.
he chuckled just like he did.
(33:29):
And he says, yes, everybody inPoland has the same answer.
We were not very educated onthat matter.
We didn't know, we just watcheda movie, some kind of series,
and there was, a story ofMormons who had bunch of wives
and they were travelingsomewhere west.
that was my knowledge about thechurch, about the Mormons.
(33:51):
Right.
But not the church itself, wetalked for a little bit, and
this is very important becausewhile I was talking to him, I
felt the same feeling that Ifelt during that Christmas time.
That was so powerful.
I didn't tell them that I,that's what I feel.
(34:13):
I just, I felt like I wanna talkto them more.
But of course it was time for usto go.
They went their way and I wentmy way.
They took my address and theygave me a pamphlet of Joseph
Smith story.
And that was it.
a few days later, I returnedhome to Wara.
And while I was, laying andpondering about that experience,
(34:34):
I took the pamphlet of JosephSmith and I read the pamphlet
and I read and I was, wow, thissounds so familiar to me.
I feel exactly like Joseph, somany churches who say, we have
the truth.
Come to our church.
when are you going to join us?
I was like, wow.
(34:55):
That's how I feel right now.
So many, so I remember I kneeleddown and I prayed, and I prayed
and I said, please, heavenlyfather, help me to understand
there are so many churches inthe Catholic church.
That's my tradition.
That's my family.
But there's this, what am Isupposed to do?
And I remember, I got up, myknees were so sore, and I went
(35:18):
to bed in the morning while Iwas getting ready for work.
I still thought of thatexperience and my prayer.
And on the way home from work, Isaw two other missionaries in
the bus.
Now I need to mention that the,during that time.
(35:41):
The missionaries, there was notreally a Poland mission, it was
Vienna mission.
so the missionaries wereactually called to Vienna, and
then they will be sent to Polandor Czech Republic or some other
places, and that's how theywould serve their mission.
So they were really not Polishsand missionaries.
(36:01):
they were just assigned to servein Poland.
at that time there was only fourmissionaries, young missionaries
and a one old couple elder andSister Ec, which, they were
wonderful people.
They taught us so much.
as I mentioned, there was onlyfour missionaries.
(36:21):
Two of them I met in a train andthen two others I met in the
bus.
that evening.
Like I said, I didn't talk tothem,
Hasha, I have to cut in here.
I see your point.
It is another one of yourmiracles.
you met two sets of missionariesindependently that were
(36:43):
originally called to Vienna.
In all of Poland, you met bothsets That's amazing!
yes, a miracle that led to other
miracles in life later
Oh, I'm glad you made thatconnection for us.
Okay.
Back to where you were.
It was that evening.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-20 (37:03):
Yes that evening those missionaries
came to my house and mygrandmother opened the door and
she had no idea who they were.
And I didn't know'cause I was inmy room.
And then she called me and said,there's young men here.
they came to see you.
And I'm like, young men, who arethey?
(37:24):
then I went, and there they are.
The missionaries that I met inthe bus were standing in front
of my grandmother from the bus.
Yeah.
They tall missionaries.
And me and my grandmother werejust like those little two
ladies.
so when they came in.
I already felt something sopowerful.
(37:45):
When they came into my room andI had my first discussion and I
told'em about my experiencesthat I had through those six
months and much I feel like Iwant to learn more about God.
I told them I wanna be Baptist,like Jesus, and I was just
talking and telling all thisamazing stuff that was
happening, and those twomissionaries just looked at me
(38:06):
and they're like, what ishappening?
the next conversation came, nextmeeting.
So this is like beginning ofJuly.
Next time when they came, we hadanother discussion and I told
him I wanna be baptized likeJesus.
And this one elder said, okay,so he gave me the date I said,
(38:30):
okay.
this one elder, he was greenie.
He just three months maybe hewas in Poland, he, you could see
his open mouth.
I was baptized on the 31st ofJuly But I knew what I knew.
it's like Joseph Smith, when heknew what he knew, you couldn't
deny it.
(38:50):
And that's how it was with me.
I knew, and my grandmother.
Was very supportive of that.
She never made me feel like youare doing a wrong thing.
it was like a miracle it wassupposed to be.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-1 (39:06):
Really?
That's, so amazing.
and you know what this goes backto is that decision of your
grandmother to you come ratherthan bayata to
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12- (39:18):
Yeah.
Yes.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-1 (39:19):
because your opportunity to meet the
missionaries came with herdecision to bring you.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (39:26):
yes.
yes.
You're so, so right, because mysister was not on this place in
her life to have even God thatway.
So yeah, I really do believe,like you were saying earlier,
the preparation, the seed, theall those was just preparing me
for something greater And sowith that.
(39:49):
Of course comes the joy and Ifelt like when I became a member
of the church of Jesus Christ, Ifelt like I was completed.
it's so powerful.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-2 (40:01):
like your home,
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (40:02):
yes.
yes though.
not long after when I joined thechurch, even though I didn't
have a lot of struggles with myfamily, but that's probably
because.
I learned July, and I gotbaptized in July.
So there was no time for them toreally talk to me and say
something wrong with you, whatare you doing?
(40:25):
But after my baptism, they, Iremember this one day, it was
August I came to Saot to see myfamily and my siblings sat in a
semicircle and they start askingme questions and they were like,
interrogating.
I said, when you know somethingand you just have to stay true
(40:46):
to it.
I told them, I don't have thekind of answer you want me to
tell you.
I don't know much about thischurch.
Like historically, I don't knowmuch about a lot of things, but
I know what I feel.
I know what was my witness and,that is enough for me because I
(41:06):
know who I am.
I know what is my purpose.
Where before I didn't and that'sall I could tell them.
so they never bothered me aboutit anymore.
But I think because I joined thechurch, there's just so many
things happened between myfamily.
(41:28):
The dynamics kind of startchanging my grandmother, she
would come to church every oncein a while.
She never joined the church whenshe was alive, but she wasn't
against and opposed to it when Iwould go.
I am very grateful for hersupport.
when I made a decision to go ona mission, she was totally okay
(41:50):
with that.
after my mission.
I returned to soot and I washelping my family.
I felt like that's where Ineeded to go.
I needed help the church in sootarea.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-20 (42:01):
had other members of your family
join the church?
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (42:04):
yes, I have a sister who has
epilepsy, She is a wonderfulperson.
She always loved God.
she joined the church.
then, in November on my birthdayactually, my mother and my
sister, the one who I hadexperience with during
Christmas, she joined the churchtoo.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-202 (42:22):
So Two.
sisters and your mother.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (42:24):
yes, two sisters, and my mother, Just
before I was living on mymission, I, told my brother, his
name is Rashad.
I just invited him and I said,just listen to the missionaries.
Listen to what they say.
I was already over a year amember of the church.
I asked him to just listen.
(42:44):
And so while I was in MTC,actually I got a letter from my
brother he was telling me thathe's going to be baptized in
March.
So two months later I went on mymission, he was baptized, and
then when I was on my missionstill, he received a call to
England to serve Mission.
(43:06):
So we didn't see each other foralmost two years.
after my mission because he wasstill serving his mission in
England.
then my sister served Mission inRussia, the one who was, who is
the younger One?
stephanie-eccles_1 (43:19):
Fascinating.
three of your parents' childrenserved missions.
That's amazing.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-20 (43:25):
And the brother who currently lives
in Salt Lake City.
His daughter is serving inLithuania right now.
And my daughter serves Missionin Utah
Muta.
Yes and her brother just got a call
to Hungarian.
So
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-202 (43:44):
Oh
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (43:45):
it's just a, a chain of
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12- (43:46):
yeah.
So chain of events.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12 (43:48):
That's why I feel like God he, meant
this to be, I needed to be bornso I can go to my grandmother,
the missionaries,
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-2 (43:58):
Yes.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (43:59):
some family members Got baptized
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12 (44:02):
right.
Your parents were greatlyblessed by allowing your birth,
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (44:06):
Yes.
Yes.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-202 (44:08):
so many other people were
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2024 (44:10):
I always, yes.
since I joined the church and Icame here to the States, I was
always interested in doinggenealogy work, but it felt
like.
I'm so limited.
I don't have records, I don'thave journals, I have no stories
that are recorded.
I just knew my grandma, grandpa,and just great-grandma and
(44:32):
great-grandpa.
That was the closest on my dad'sside.
I didn't even know much abouthis, only about his parents,
that's all.
one day I remember I was doinggenealogy work.
This is after my grandmotherpassed away.
So I was doing genealogy workand I found, I was thinking
about my great grandmother,which is my grandmother's
(44:54):
mother.
She was actually living at thesame time when I moved Wara.
So there was my grandma,grandpa, great-grandma, and then
me in Warsaw.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-2024 (45:07):
I see.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-202 (45:08):
my great-grandmother's name was
ska.
So I had this thought look forthe name ska, and so I put it in
my heritage.
I typed bonnet and I waslooking, and then I found a name
and I found the dates and I waslike, oh, this and this city,
the place where my grandmotherwas born.
(45:29):
I was like, oh, maybe this isconnection somehow maybe that's
my branch.
I was working deeper and I said,oh, but I don't know for sure.
then not long after I, Ireceived an email from a man
whose name was Bonky and he toldme that we are connected, that
(45:50):
he has this tree, he has thisfamily part that I was searching
for.
so we connected together.
And from just mygreat-grandmother, it went like
to 1600.
I was like, wow.
And this is my.
Yeah, so this is my grandmotherlineage, and I felt her
(46:11):
presence, I felt her, felt herwork, like guiding me and
bringing me those names andfamilies.
And so I felt really, reallystrong about it.
And so why am I bringing this?
I bringing this because Beata,she had a very good connection
with dad, with my father, andshe loved stories.
(46:37):
She loved listening to stories.
And she could write probably abook about my dad and some
stories that he shared with her.
So I always thought of her, itwould be wonderful if she would
be interested in genealogy workand maybe do something like
that.
she did show an interest indoing some kind of records and
(46:58):
stuff.
I.
Always felt to help my sistereven when I knew she's not gonna
come to and live with mygrandmother.
I felt bad in some way that Iwas the one who was going, not
her.
I wanted to help her.
when I lived already here in theStates and I was married, I
heard stories about her,unfortunate events.
(47:21):
She had to work, and take careof herself and this little boy.
I talked to my husband and wethought we could help her if I
can give her some opportunity soshe could come to the States.
at that time, this little boywas a little boy and took.
About 20 years we were doingthis whole process.
Many years.
(47:42):
six years ago that they finallygot Visa to be able to come to
the States.
so she's been here for sixyears.
but I wanted to bring this nowto six years later.
I will always be grateful to mygrandmother that she was in tune
to have me.
It was like a divineintervention.
(48:02):
Maybe grandma understoodsomething that we all didn't,
it's hard to say now becauseshe's gone, but someday I would
like to ask her.
But I do believe she was in tuneand I am grateful that I was
able to be with her and then beled to the missionaries and all
the stories that I just shared.
(48:23):
Because today my sister, she'sin America, her son has a very
good job.
But my sister, she's beenstruggling a lot with her
physical and mental, Health.
This few months ago sheexperienced some heavy,
depression, anxiety, and, nauseaand all those different symptoms
(48:46):
that we didn't know what wasgoing on.
I took her to different doctorsand she had a very bad
experience in one of thehospitals in the emergency room.
a very challenging three months,recently, my nephew called me
and he said, I don't know whatto do with my mom anymore.
we met and she was like, notherself.
(49:07):
Wobbly on her feet.
She couldn't stand up still.
she sounded so loopy and justnot her.
two days later, he took her toemergency room and in one of the
hospitals.
And in two minutes theysubmitted her, and they found
out that she had a brain tumorall those times she was
(49:29):
struggling.
We didn't understand all thesymptoms, what they meant.
we are grateful for the doctorwho was there because, two days
later she had a surgery done andthey removed the brain tumor.
sadly, it is a cancerous.
We don't know yet.
What kind of tumor is that fromthe biopsy, but.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-20 (49:54):
but it is cancerous.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12- (49:56):
Yeah.
So when I found out, all thosethoughts came to my mind, us as
little girls and we loved layingdown on grass and look at the
clouds, looking at differentshapes.
That was our favorite thing todo when we were kids.
so I just had different picturesof the time with her, and I
(50:19):
thought, how much time do I havewith her?
I don't know.
But I was so grateful that thesurgeon did amazing job.
she doesn't have the tumor.
It's all removed.
Right now she's recovering andshe's doing very well.
then on Sunday, she wanted to goto church.
She actually said right aftersurgery, I feel like I want to
(50:44):
be close to God.
I pray to him.
I pray that I will have faithlike you do.
I want to feel God's love.
I want to trust him.
then she said, I feel his power.
I feel him.
during that time when she wasgoing through that surgery, I
(51:06):
sent the message to my childrenand my family members.
so many, so many peopleresponded and said, we are
praying for her.
And she says, I do feel theprayer.
she said, I am going to church.
and she went to church She's Isaid, she's not a member.
(51:28):
she said, I feel like I want tovisit with sister missionaries.
I don't wanna see elders.
but I want to see themissionaries, sister,
missionaries.
I was driving and I prayed how Ican connect her with the sister
missionaries.
I go to the church and as soonas I open the door, two sister
(51:51):
missionaries are standing therejust they were waiting for me.
No kidding.
I look at them and I said, areyou in this ward?
And they said, yes.
And I told them about my sister.
But the interesting thing wasthat the sisters were in this
ward, but that's not the wordthat my sister supposed to be
(52:14):
going the war that this was 12o'clock.
The war that she really supposedto be going was at nine o'clock
in the morning.
And we didn't know because the,the rectory showed that that's
the 12 o'clock.
And so it was like it meant tobe that we will be there with
the sisters.
Were, because the area that mysister lives in, actually elders
(52:37):
are covering.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-20 (52:38):
Oh, and she wants the sisters.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (52:41):
yes, I was already emotional about
this.
I just felt wow, This is a giftfrom God at this moment.
cause we, we missed the churchthe time that she's supposed to
be.
We came to a different ward andthey're sister missionaries.
And so I introduced the sistersto my sister and my sister.
(53:03):
She saw them and she lost it.
She cried.
she told them how much shewanted the sisters.
It was a tender mercy.
That's what comes to mind.
she was so grateful.
my daughter who serves Missionin Utah, she said, I ask my
mission to pray for her.
(53:24):
And they did.
I was going home and I felt likeGod is real.
God loves us.
He's mindful of each one of us.
And sometimes when we feel like.
God doesn't care for me.
He does.
You're right.
Kasha God does care.
(53:45):
He cares for all of us.
What an incredible story, Kasha.
right up through the very endwhen you went to the later
church time and came upon thesister missionaries, which is
just what Beata needed.
Yes.
Yes, that's true.
(54:05):
Kasha, it's been so amazing tosee your life's purpose unfold
as you shared your life stories.
It's left me with this feelingof wonderment in God's plan and
joyfulness in my heart.
Thank you, Kasia.
Thank you.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-20 (54:24):
you are so Welcome you are so
Welcome
Kasia, as I said in thebeginning of our podcast, you
are a talented musician andyou've written many pieces of
music, but one in particular weget to highlight in this episode
is called Little Dove.
I'm going to have you share withus how these lyrics came to you
(54:48):
and then have you say the lyricsbefore we play the song at the
end of the podcast as ourclosing number.
Before we get into that, I'dlike to remind all of our
listeners how they can find you.
Kasha has a podcast.
It's called ASHA's FaithJourney.
(55:08):
Be sure to tune in to hear moreof her beautiful stories like
the one she shared with ustoday.
You can find herwebsites@www.kashasmusic.com and
ASHA's faith journey.com.
Kasha, tell us about Little DoveAnd how did you create these
lyrics?
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (55:29):
Yes.
the song is called Little Dove Iexperienced few people who
passed on very close and dear tome.
One of them was my brother, myoldest brother, when I was just
a new member of the church.
It was a, I would say, a test offaith.
Experience.
then I had, when I was incollege here in the States I
(55:52):
learned about my cousin alsovery close.
He passed away.
He had some, addiction withdrugs and affected his health.
So when I learned about himpassing, I sat to the piano and
this, the song came to mind.
(56:13):
It's called Little Dove.
it represented this white doveof connection to God.
these are the lyrics.
Fly little dove, fly above thestar.
Bring me peace from above to myheart.
I wish to fly like you.
To have wings, to have freedom,to see those who I love to find
(56:38):
those who are gone.
Somewhere up there somewhere,white little dove fly above this
world, bring us the joy of purelove from above.
I know it's not for me to havewings and be like, you are.
(56:58):
I have to stay on earth withoutwings.
I will start to learn how to befree.
So basically I thought of thosepeople who are free from all
those different struggles thatthey had here.
And then they're moved, theypassed on, and I wanna fly to
(57:18):
them and feel that freedom.
But I understand that that's notmy.
Time, my time to be here tolearn how to be free, having
different challenges andstruggles or joy experiences,
and learn how to be free bytrusting God and have that
(57:42):
inside remembrance that I can beif I the knowledge of Christ,
because someday I will meetthem, I live here and that's
when I need to learn thatfreedom.
I hope this makes sense.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-20 (58:00):
Oh, yes, Yes.
A very, eternal perspective.
The idea of wanting to be liftedfrom these earthly chains, these
earthly hardships, thesicknesses, both emotional,
mental, and physical of thisearth, but also realizing it's
(58:21):
not time yet
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12- (58:24):
Yes,,
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12-202 (58:25):
In the meantime, my freedom will
come from, like you said, frommy faith and my savior, Jesus
Christ.
and I'll have that freedom fornow.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-2 (58:37):
Yes, Yes.
I
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12 (58:39):
Right?
Right.
squadcaster-43df_1_02 (58:40):
together.
Yes, that's true.
stephanie-eccles_1_02-12- (58:43):
Thank you.
Stephanie test (58:44):
I want to thank Kasha Harreldson for sharing her
story with us today.
It has been a delight having herwith us.
Thank you, Kasha.
squadcaster-43df_1_02-12-20 (58:55):
you are so Welcome
Do you have a story where youhave seen the Lord's hand in
your life or a family member'slife?
I would like to help you tellyour story.
We could do it in a couple ofdifferent ways.
We could do it in the form of aninterview, or I could tell the
story for you, whichever youprefer.
Reach out to me atdeardaughtersofgod at gmail.
(59:16):
com.
That's deardaughtersofgod atgmail.
com.
I want to thank you, ourlisteners, for tuning in today.
I feel so special when you sendme messages.
It makes me feel connected withall of you.
Some of you reach out to me inperson and I appreciate that.
(59:36):
Others leave reviews and let meknow what you think of the
episode that way.
I'm so grateful for that.
Some of you leave me directmessages and others leave me
emails.
Whichever way you like tocommunicate with me.
I'm thrilled when you stayconnected with me.
Thank you for communicating withme.
(59:58):
I will create a videogram aboutthis episode with Kasha
Haraldson and I'll place it onInstagram and Facebook, the Dear
Daughters of God pages, and thenyou can see a picture of Kasha
and her family members.
Looking for that videogram.
Little Dove is next.
(01:00:19):
For now, I will say farewell,until we meet again.
(01:01:08):
Fly, little dove, fly above thestar.
Bring me a peace from above tomy heart.
I wish to fly like you, to havewings, to have freedom.
(01:01:36):
To see.
(01:03:08):
Without we will start to learnhow to
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