Sunday, November 3, 2013

October 29. 2013

Caroline...I plan to go with her
to Kenya someday!
Hallo meine wunderbar Familie!  Why is my familie so cool?  Your letters I received made my day…especially Taryn’s letter.  That Harry Potter party sounds like the most epic party ever.  I want to live there just so that I can be a part of it…and the pictures?  I got so excited that I think Sister Weber thinks I am a little crazy (not that she didn’t before).  Troy.  I am so jealous of you!  You got to go see Walk the Moon.  That is sick!  I bet that was such a good concert.  I guess it is pretty cool that you were able to see Mom and Dad, too—haha.  Troy and Alyssa…your primary class sounds awesome.  I just love little kids so much.  There is some really cool children in my ward here.  Dad and Mom, sounds like life is going well, too.  Mom, don’t work so much.  I’m sure your school won’t burn down if you decide to go home before midnight.  Dad, hopefully all goes well in your search for a job.  I have been praying and I know that the Lord will provide a way for things to work out. 

Well, that being said, can I just say that this week was amazing?  Seriously such a good week.  On Monday, I think I had the coolest personal study I have ever had.  I really don't know why I got so excited about it, but it was just so cool for me.  We had Heim Abend that night for all the old single people in our ward, which we do ever Monday night.  Last week we decided to talk about temples, so I studied in D&C 128 and 138.  They are probably some of the best chapters I have ever read.  I love 128:9, because the Heavenly Father says straight out…yes, this is bold doctrine we speak about (baptism for the dead), but we have the authority, and because of this, we have the ability to do such a work.  In verse 15, it talks about how we cannot be perfect unless we complete work for those that have passed on.  Mom, it is so cool that you have been doing family history because that is a big topic right now in Nürnberg.  The missionaries are doing a huge ausstellung (street display), actually three more displays are in preparation for our fireside that we have coming up.  It is all about family history and the new family search site.  We want to make it HUGE.  As one reads further, verse 22 is sweet.  Such a pumped up verse.  We have the ability to set these people free.  We have the keys to prepare the way for them to enter into the Kingdom of God.  So take advantage of that, and go to the temple!  Go change lives.  And then in Section 138, verse 38 and on, the scriptures share that one of the coolest army of people assembled in Heaven has been set forth to go preach the gospel to our ancestors—Adam and Eve, Seth, Abel, Noah, Isaiah, Moses, Daniel, Malachi, Joseph Smith, prophets from the Book of Mormon, etc.  We also have an awesome army here on earth with the thousands of missionaries and members.  Think about how much of a difference we can make.  Elder Ballard said in General Conference that if each member would only reach out to one other person between now and Christmas, 15 million lives would be brought closer to Christ.  15 MILLION.
After a long missionary day, all I want
to do is sleep on the long train ride home!

We had an awesome lesson with our investigator Debbie.  We talked about the Book of Mormon and she had a million questions.  We were able to answer them all using the Book of Mormon.  Seriously, every question you have in life, the answer can be found in one book.  It is all there, and it has been written for us.  One question stuck with me.  It was "Why do such bad things happen to the best people?"  We gave a mediocre answer and then I went home and studied it.  I read the talk "Personal Peace: Reward for the Righteous."  Sister Weber and I together were able to come up with the perfect lesson for Debbie.  We were supposed to have a lesson on Thursday, but she wasn’t there.  We called her yesterday and now we have one set up for tomorrow, and I am so excited to go and teach her.  It all comes down to the gift of agency.  That is it.  I have learned so much, especially when studying for my investigators and their needs.  I asked her if she had been reading in the Book of Mormon and she has!  She has been keeping her commitments this time around and I am so excited.  Go Debbie!

We also found a legit girl on the U-Bahn.  She was reading Calvin and Hobbs so we started talking to her.  It turns out she is from Ukraine and she is trying to learn German by reading it.  We had a great conversation with her, and invited her to Institute!  She came on Wednesday and got to meet a bunch of YSAs (Young Single Adults) and then we talked about the Book of Mormon and gave her one in Ukrainian.  She came to German class the next day and said she had read in it!  Sadly, she will be gone the next two weeks, but we hope to meet with her again when she gets back. 

Friday, we helped set up for Evelyn’s wedding.  She is a less active we are trying to help out, and she is awesome.  Her cousin is LEGIT.  He lives in Sweden and he was baptized about three months ago.  The first thing he said to us was "Are you Mormon, because I am too!"  He just loves talking to us about the gospel.  He said, "Mormon life has treated me well."  He has a nice girlfriend that he met as a member—haha.  I wish he lived here because he is awesome.  Sadly he doesn’t.  We were able to go to the reception on Saturday too, which was fun.  Evelyn and her family are from Uganda, so Sister Weber and I were the only white people there.  The only people from the ward that came were Africans, so it was a party.  The food was amazing, and they were all in their traditional African robes going crazy.  It was sooo cool…something I will never see again. 

We also had a great lesson with Kathrin.  We really want her to take the next step and be baptized.  She has had all the lessons.  She does Personal Progress, goes to church every week, reads her scriptures, and prays.  She is basically a dry Mormon, and we don’t know why she won’t set a date.  She says she just needs time.  We read part from JSH and compared it to her.  They were both 14, and both had questions.  Joseph Smith had never prayed aloud before, and Kathrin is too afraid to do so in front of us.  We don’t know why and she doesn’t know either.  We asked a lot of thought probing and deep questions and all she could say was "I don’t know!"  There were a lot of quiet moments where the spirit was really strong, though, and I think it caused her to think a lot about where she is at right now.  We challenged her to begin praying aloud, by herself, in hopes that it will be easier to do it with us.  Kathrin just needs to be baptized already!

And now to end with a funny story.  We were making phone calls yesterday during weekly planning.  It was Sister Weber’s turn to make the call.  We were tired and no one was answering his/her phone.  Then she called Sister Hertel (the cats and tuna lady) and this old raspy man voice answered the phone.  Sister Weber’s face was pure confusion and she was trying to explain how she had gotten the wrong number.  Then we just hear this raspy “DOCH!  DOCH!” on the other side and I just lost it.  It was Sister Hertel.  She was so sick that she sounded like an old man.  Her voice was so bad, and I just couldn’t stop laughing at sister Weber’s reaction.  I had to leave the room because I was laughing so hard, which made Sister Weber laugh.  Most painful phone call ever.  Poor Sister Hertel. 

On that note, I should go.  But, just so that you are all so impressed with my German, here is a copy of my letter that I sent to Präsident.  It is so bad and he is going to cringe at my grammar...  naja.

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Hallo Präsident!

Ich hoffe ihr woche ist ganz gut, viel meine war.  Wir haben mit viele leute gesprochen und eins war Iryna.  Sie war im bahn und Sister Weber hat mit ihr gesprochen.  Und dann sie hat zu uns ihr handi number gegeben und zu institute und Deutch class gegangen (sie kommt aus Ukraine).  Und es war ganz kühl.  Wir haben ein Das Buch Mormon zu ihr gegeben und sie hat en es gelesen.  Jetzt, sie is nicht hier für zwei woche aber hoffentlich wir können mit ihr treffin in zwei woche und hoffentlich sie wird en das Buch Mormon lesen. 

Auch, wir haben viele progress gemacht mit unser Untersuchers.  Lisa war in Heidelburg für der Woche, aber wir haben mit Debbie und Kathrin treffin.  Unser termin mit Debbie war ganz gut.  Wir haben über das Buch Mormon gesprochen und sie hat viele frages gehabt.  Wir haben ihr frages antvorten und gestern ich habe sie angeruft und sie hat gesagt dass sie en Das Buch Mormon gelesen hat.  Wir werden mit ihr treffin en Dienstag wieder.  Auch, gestern wir haben ein sehr gut termin mit Kathrin.  Sie ist nicht bereit für ein taufetermin zu ausmachen, aber wir haben viele gesprochen darüber und auch über gebete.  Sie wird nicht aus loud beten und wir wissen nicht warum.  We haben zu ihr gasagt dass diese woche, wir wollen das sie aus loud beten wird, und sie wird ein antworten bekommen für ihr nächste step.  Wir haben die Joseph Smith geschiekte gelesen und compared it mit ihr viele die beide sind 14 jare und sie hat nicht bevor gebetet aus loud.  Es war ein ganz gut termin, und wir hoffen mit ihr zu treffin diese woche. 

Aber, es war eine gutte woche.  Sister Weber und ich arbeiten gut zuzammen.  Ich weiß dass wir viele wunders sehen werden en der nächste drei woches.  Wir haben schon viele gesehen.

Bis nexte woche!
Sister Teeples
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Yay!  I know a little German!  Well, have a great week.  I miss you all, but just know I am having the time of my life.  It is hard work, but the moments when I realize I am changing someone else’s life, makes it all worth it.  I love it so much, and I can’t wait to see what happens.  This gospel is true!  I know it is.  Ich liebe euch so viel und ich hoffe dass alles gehts gut diese woche.  Bis nächste woche, meine familie!!
Savannah Teeples

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