August 7, 2013

It's official!

HALLO!!

Danke, danke, danke for all of the letters!  Seriously, it was the best thing EVER.  I got so many letters.  Thank you Megan, and Tori, and Jacob, Sarah, Katelyn, Chloe, and Natalie Brown!  You guys are awesome.  I have either written you back and or will write you back, so look for your letters!  Sarah…I don't have your address.

Family, you are awesome.  Troy, I loved all six of your letters.  You are so komish, but I love you anyways.  Your German is just amazing.  Wow, Google Translate is just awesome, isn't it?  And I love the poem.  Also, I couldn't open the talk, so would you be willing to mail it to me?  I want to read it if it is that awesome.  Taryn, I miss you too!  Thailand sounds awesome though.  Pig blood and frogs?  Yummmmyyyyy.  And I'm glad you rode an elephant.  So much cooler than just petting it.  Mom and Dad, you two are awesome.  Thank you for everything that you do for me.  My district loves the food and everything.  They say Danke Muttie T.  Can you call and tell them I leave for Germany Sep 3?  Also, that hail storm in Windsor was CRAZY….I showed my whole district the pictures. So komish, but toll!  Also, the letters are all sooooooooo great, but you have the wrong address.  My address is Box 240, not Box 242.  Elder Nelson is getting sick of all my letters—haha.

The scripture of the Week is 2 Nephi 5:27.  Go look it up.  I love it because it shows very simply how God wants us to live…”after the manner of happiness.”  Short and sweet and awesome.  So be happy!

All of the Sister Missionaries
going to Frankfurt, Germany

German is coming along.  It is such a cool language.  I feel like a four-year-old, but for only being here two weeks, I am impressed with my progress.  I bore my testimony on Sunday for Fast Sunday in German, and I felt like such a boss.  This Church is true, and I am so glad if there is only one thing I can say, it is that.  The coolest thing I learned this week about German was that there are two words for promise.  One is “versprehung,” which is just a common use of the word promise, but then there is “verheissung,” which is only used by God and Christ.  It is a holy promise, and as representatives of Christ, I have the power to use it and to promise things from God.  Seriously, how toll is that?  What other language can you do that in?

We finished teaching Thorston this week.  Oh man, my companion and I struggled through that and we were kind of relieved when we were done.  Much to our surprise, we walk in to class the next day to find that he is our new teacher.  AWESOME.  He just started laughing at all of our expressions, because we were all so embarrassed.  At least he doesn't have too high of expectations now.  He is awesome, though…and patient, so that is good.  He has the funniest laugh ever.  Our other new teacher is hilarious, too.  Class flies by, which is good…I swear I am developing ADD sitting in class all day. We got two new “investigators” this week.  They help us practice.  I learned that these “investigators” are actually real people that our teachers taught on their missions, so they know help us to be prepared for typical interactions, questions, and how to respond.  How cool is that?  Yesterday, we finished the message of the Restoration and bore our testimonies on the power of the Book of Mormon.  We read in 3 Nephi where Christ visited the Nephites.  Who would have thought after just two weeks of learning German, I'd be able to teach the whole first discussion?  Thank goodness for the gift of tongues, recht?

So, the mission has really changed my definition of what is funny.  It has not helped that my whole zone got sick this week and we have all been loopy of off medicine, but I am finding the most random things hilarious.  Here's what's funny after being in the MTC for 2 weeks.

First off, learning a new language is hilarious.  We all try to speak the language really well, but in reality, we have no clue what we are saying.  Auch, when we have our investigators read scriptures, we really have no clue if they are right.  We just hope and pray they are reading the right verse.  And then in our lesson, I was bearing my testimony of the Book of Mormon, my mitarbeiterin gets ADD and just yells out "Konnen wir spechen sie Bruder Rich!?!”  Seriously, just blurts it out.  It was awesome German, saying, "Can we speak you Brother Rich?”  (Didn't even know how to say "call")  Then she tried to explain why.  I've never seen a person try not to laugh so hard in their life.  Those teachers have to hear the craziest things.  I don't think you will find this as funny as I do, but my definition of funny has seriously changed.  And at the moment, they are hilarious.

We lost Sister Fuller this week.  We were her companions for the day because her companion was in a meeting, and she was so drugged on cough medicine that we went into the room for a minute and she just ran off.  We assumed that she saw Sister Erickson, but she didn't.  We found her after like 2 hours.  We are going to buy her a child's leash or something.

Well, now time for my cool thoughts of the week.

• On Sunday, we have to watch the video of the Restoration.  It was so powerful.  It really made me think about why a man would give up so much if he did not know that it was true.  Joseph Smith really did see God and Christ and through them, restored the true gospel on the earth.  The early saints would not have gone through so much persecution if they did not know without a doubt of the truthfulness.  I know I sure wouldn't go through all of this, if I didn't have a testimony.  What courage that must have taken to stand strong in the face of so much adversity.  It really makes me want to read Holland's talk on the Book of Mormon, so feel free to send me it to me.

• I started reading Jesus the Christ this week.  If you haven't read it, go buy it and start reading it.  Everything you have ever / will ever want to know about Christ's life is contained in that book.  I have only read the first two chapters, but I have already learned so much.  I've never wanted to read a church book so badly.  What is happening to me?  But it has really strengthened my testimony of Christ.  I love that book.

• I read something this week about the gospel and the Church of Jesus Christ was either true or it was not.  Millions have proclaimed of its truthfulness, and I want to add my testimony and say that I KNOW IT IS TRUE.  I know that God lives and loves us.  Christ is unser Erloser und Erretter.  I know it's true.  My companion and I try to bear our testimonies about this in German every night to people.  Every time I share my testimony, I feel the Holy Ghost echo what I say.  It confirms to me that it is right.

• I read something cool.  To pray with real intent means that whatever answer we receive, we must be willing to act on it.  It really made me think.  God will answer our prayers, but it might not be what we want.  We have to have faith that He knows what is best and follow the answer we get.

• I know that I am a daughter of God and that he has given me this gospel in my life.  I have been called to be a representative in his name, and I can't wait to go and teach everyone about it.

I love you all, and I am so grateful for everything that you do for me.  Keep the letters coming and make sure you change my address! 

Tschussi Bussi Papa!! (That's how they say bye in Austria)

Ich liebe euch!!

Love,

Sister Savannah Teeples