Saturday, November 30, 2013

November 25, 2013

District Lunch at an Italian Restaurant!
FAMILLIIEE….and Friends!!!
So glad that life is going well back in the States.  I am glad that all of you have a break this week!  I will miss all of that good turkey action, so make sure to eat some of it for me.  Thanks for sending the Christmas package!  I feel bad, because it was probably a FORTUNE to send it off, but I am also super excited to see what is in it!  Yay Christmas.  Speaking of Christmas, THE MARKETS OPEN THIS FRIDAY!  And what is more...ICH BLEIBE!  ICH BLEIBE IM NÜRNBERG FÜR WEINACHTS!  I am so excited.  We had transfer calls on Saturday, and I found out that Sister Weber and I will be staying together in Nürnberg for Christmas.  Which means I get to be in the area with the world’s largest Christmas market, and I get to go to the opening.  Last night we texted President for permission for our district to go to the opening, and he responded "Was für eine frage"—which basically was him telling us, "Well, that was a dumb question.  I would be mad if you didn’t go."  President is awesome, and hilarious.  So be prepared for some awesome pictures.  I get to be in Nürnberg’s main square when they light all the lights and raise the big angel, and open the little markets.  My new favorite things right now are lebkuchen and Gewürtz Spekulatius.  I have been eating so much of it, and it is pretty much amazing, and a Christmas special.  I am thinking about sending some home to you.  We will see.

Mom, I am so excited about the letters.  I am bringing them to Heim Abend tonight to see if Schwester Grabatz will help me translate them.  Pretty much, Sister Weber and my goal this transfer is to get those letters translated, and go and find my family.  We are going to go find and convert them all, okay?  So keep sending in those letters, because it is like a puzzle, and we are going to figure it out!

It was another good week!  Once again, like always, I learned a ton.  On Tuesday, we went and visited a less active family, the Fosters.  I think I have talked about them before, but they are still my favorite less actives.  They are so ready to come back to church.  They just need to do it.  The only thing is that Sister Foster is really sick right now.  They love the missionaries and so we are able to go over there a lot and share a message with them.  We also went by an old potential on Tuesday.  I felt like I was back to Week One again because I couldn’t understand anything.  She mumbled and had a super thick accent.  It was painful—haha. 

Wednesday was by far the best day.  We were able to go to the Haid’s home again for service!  I hadn’t been there since the first transfer!  We went with two of the elders, and we cleaned their bunny cages for two and a half hours.  I never realized how much bunnies poop.  There were at least 20 rabbits in those cages (yes, they eat them) and they hadn’t been cleaned in six weeks.  RABBITS POOP SO MUCH IN SIX WEEKS.  Somehow it was still fun.  Probably because we were just laughing at how disgusting it was.  As Elder Allen was scooping out the poop, one of the bunnies got loose and the elders had to run after it.  Then the turkeys got in the fun and started chasing the elders, and the chickens followed.  It was so funny!  Just imagine…bunny, elders, two giant turkeys, and chickens.  Too priceless!  For lunch, we had fresh lamb, noodles, and carrot salad...  yummy.  Actually, it was really good.  That lady knows how to cook. 

On Thursday, we went to meet with Debbie again, and it made me appreciative for my life.  Debbie has had a hard life.  She doesn’t have really good friends and her mom and her barely speak.  She just wants to move back to America, but she can’t afford it.  This week, we went over and she just broke down crying.  She said she was out of money for the month and she didn’t has any food.  What are you supposed to do about that?  It’s not like we can go and buy her a ton of food.  It’s easy to say that it will all work out, but I don't know that for sure.  I have never been in a situation where I have to struggle to get by on food, and where I don't know if I will survive.  All we could do was promise her that this gospel would help her more that she could ever realized.  We bore testimony so much that lesson.  But it’s true…I never realized how much the gospel has helped me.  It not only helps people spiritually, but financially, and socially.  The prophets have encouraged us to budget, and have back up food for emergency.  I just hope that Debbie will decide to change and realize how much it can help her too!

Friday, we had the coolest lesson with one of our investigators, Frau Perez.  We taught her the Plan of Salvation and by the end of it, she looked at us and told us that she loved when we came, because she always felt so much peace and joy.  She told us that she never wants us to leave when we come.  WOW!  We bore testimony that the peace and joy that she felt was not us, but that it was the Holy Ghost testifying of the truthfulness of our message.  We told her that she could feel that all the time if she would be baptized and have the Holy Ghost for herself.  She had some questions about baptism, because she was already baptized in the Catholic church.  Next time we are going over the Restoration and proper priesthood.  She is so prepared though!  She came to church on Sunday, and she loved it. 

Saturday, we had an appointment with Lisa.  Good old Lisa.  We taught her a lesson that she had questions about.  I am really glad that we brought a member along.  She was able to answer questions quickly and in much better German than we could.  Yay for members!  Lisa is one more step closer to baptism.

Afterwards, we had dinner at Laura's home.  She had all eight of the missionaries over, plus her brother and his wife.  His wife is the one from Peru.  It was crazy, and there were so many people in a small area, but it was so fun.  She made Italian pasta, and bread and dessert and it was delicious.  I was able to talk to Giovanna in Spanish so that was fun too.  That was also the day that I found out I am staying in Nürnberg.  Three of my friends are leaving me.  Elder Guyman, Baker, and Lassley.  I am really going to miss them.  We have one new elder coming in, so we will only have six missionaries in our ward for the next transfer...haha!  Do you like how I said “only?”  Could you ever imagine having six missionaries in one ward in the states?  That would not work.  That is why Germany is special! 

Sunday was the primary program.  Oh my gosh…it was so cute…little German kids singing German primary songs and talking about Jesus.  Sister Schulz's little boy went up there, said his little part, and then as he was leaving, ran back up to the podium and just yelled TSCHÜß!!  (which means Bye!)  The whole ward lost it.  Sara Schultz was so embarrassed and couldn’t stop laughing.  It made it even better that her other little boy was picking his nose the whole program.  Oh man, I love little kids.  Frau Perez loved it too. 
We also went and stopped by to visit a less active that no one knew anything about.  We klingled her and she answered.  She was really friendly until she found out who it was...  and then the kingled hung up remarkably quickly.  Oh well, we tried. 

We found this entrance to a church one day.
Not a warm, inviting feeling...hmmm...
I had some really cool personal study this week.  I read a lot in Moses from the Pearl of Great Price.  I can't believe I have never studied the Pearl of Great Price before...  It is SO COOL.  My favorite section was in Chapter 7.  The Lord was talking to Enoch, and they were both looking down at all of the people, in all of their wickedness.  The Lord started crying, and Enoch looked at him and basically asked, "Why are you crying?  You have everything.  You have power to create worlds; you have all power and have created everything.  You are merciful.  Why are you weeping?"

Christ's answer really hit me.  He said, "Behold, these thy brethren.  They are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency; and unto thy brethren, have I said, and also given commandment that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father, but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood"

Heavenly Father created us.  He gave us knowledge.  He gave us agency.  That was all part of the Great Plan.  But he loves us so much, that when He sees us use that agency against him, it pains him.  He wants us to choose Him.  He wants us to return to Him, but we have to make that choice for ourselves.  It causes Him to weep when we choose wrong.  It was such a testimony builder to me of the love that Christ and our Vater im Himmel have for us.  Und ich bin ganz dankbar darfür. 

I love this gospel.  I love this mission with all of my heart.  Even though it may be hard, and even though I may be missing some really good food this week, I wouldn’t trade this for anything.  I am so excited  for the coming week.  Sister Weber and I looked up all of our potentials that live in Fürth and we dedicated Saturday to "Super Fürth Finding Saturday.”  We are going to go find every one that is ready! 

I love you all, and I hope that you all have a great break this week.  Guess what?  TODAY MARKS THE ONE MONTH MARK FROM WHEN I GET TO CALL HOME.  Someone even mentioned skyping...  which would be even cooler.  But we will see! 

Bis nächte woche!

Savannah  

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