June 23, 2014

Beautiful Heidelberg...I'm going to miss you!

Picturesque Heidelberg

Hey Familie! 

First things first…I got my birthday package!  Thank you so much for all of the stuff!  That was really nice of you…so thank you. 

Oh how beautiful...

Second off, I am officially in Münster.  Not going to lie, it was really hard leaving Heidelberg and saying bye to everyone, but now that I am here, I feel like I have been here forever.  It feels like home.  I LOVE my new companion.  It is amazing how a companion can make or break an area / transfer / everything.  Sister Busath is great.  It’s good to hear that practically all of you Facebook stalked her.  We get along really well.  She has been out on her mission a long time, so no I am not the senior comp.  She actually goes home in a transfer and a half (She’s going home early to go to school) and so I will probably be her last comp on the mission.  But it is going to be a good transfer and a half. 

I climbed the top of that mountain.
What a view

Saying goodbye to Jessie and Brian

Saying goodbye to Kristen

It’s weird to think that just a week ago, I was in Heidelberg.  That seems like forever ago.  But the beginning of this week was filled pretty much with goodbye appointments.  On Tuesday, we had our last DDM, and then afterwards, we met with Jessie and Brian and Kristin and went to Gelato2go, the best Gelato place ever.  Afterwards, we ended up walking around for a while with Kristin and just talked about her experiences and how far she has come and what she still needs.  We told her straight up that she just needs to go to church.  We asked her how she could know that a church is true if she doesn’t go to church.  She said that that was a good point, and that she knew she needed to.  So hopefully she does.  I told her to write me when she gets an answer, and she said she would.  I love that girl so much.  I just want her to realize how much she already believes and knows, and to finally get an answer.  It will come.  One day. 

Our Heidelberg District

That night, we went to Frau Breitenhubers, and bishop came along with us, which was really good.  About a month ago, she told us that when she was active, and the missionaries would get transferred, they would give her a dollar bill with their face on it, and she would hang them up.  I thought it was hilarious, so I made one for her too.  She got SO excited, and hung it up straight away.  It was great.  After, bishop did a really good job talking about repentance, and I feel like it helped her a lot.  I was so glad that he came with us.

Damian and his family...

The next day was insane.  We went down with Jessie to visit Lindsey, who had her baby about 6 weeks ago.  That baby has some serious cheeks!  He is so cute though.  I told her I was coming back after my mission so that I could hold him, so that has to happen.  

After that, we went and had a great appointment with Monika, and Anna came with us.  We taught the Restoration, and showed the DVD, and she said after that she believed that he had seen this vision.  She also read in the Book of Mormon!  We talked a lot and asked her if she would be baptized on the 19th of July.  She said she didn’t know, but would pray about it, and so hopefully next week, the Sisters will be setting a date with her.  I really think that she will say yes. 

Sister Breitenhuber with her dollar...

Afterwards, we say Danielle and Martin.  Danielle is doing better.  She was at church on Sunday!  And she now has visiting teachers, which is so nice.  That night we also went to Damian's family.  Oh man, I cannot say how much I will miss that family.  They are just too great.

And then I was in Münster.  Goodbye Heidelberg!  But guess what, this week, I SAW MY FIRST BAPTISM.  Do I feel like I cheated a little bit?  Yes.  But, Anna was baptized here in Münster.  I would say that it was a pretty good welcoming.  I may not know her too well, but I already love this girl.  Her family is investigating right now, and she is 16, and she decided to be baptized, even though the rest of the family wasn’t ready yet.  That takes guts.  

Leaving Heidelberg...

The morning of her baptism, the step dad came to her and told her that if she would actually be baptized, he wouldn’t speak to her anymore.  And so we were really nervous that entire day that she would call it off.  We were all praying our hearts out that day that it would go smoothly.  She met us at the train station and just started crying, but then as the train started going, it got better.  Once we got to the church and she saw her mom and every one else, she was like a different person.  She just did it!  Despite the opposition, she knew it was right, and so she did it. 

Anna on her baptism day...

We're beaming with happiness for Anna!

Sister Busath asked her why she wanted to get baptized, and she just said, "Because I know it is true".  If you could’ve only seen her face as she walked out of that baptismal font.  THAT is what this is all about.  All of the door slamming and rude comments, the tears, everything.  It’s all worth it to see a face like that.  We asked her how she felt, and she just said, "Voll kühl!" (Totally cool!) Oh man.  And then the next day she was confirmed, and received the Holy Ghost.  You should have seen her try to describe her feelings.  It was great. She and her family are amazing.  Her mom and aunt both loved the baptism, and the confirmation.  They are absolutely hilarious.  They are from Georgia, the country, and are just a hoot.  They are crazy!  But they are a good family.  I can’t wait to work with them even more. 

My new apartment...interesting...

I am really going to like Münster.  I have only been here 4 days, and I already feel like I am home.  The branch is small, but it is growing like crazy.  They have a ton of nonmembers and less actives at church every week.  This week, 47 people were there.  Apparently that is a record.  Sister Busath said that the highest was 41 and that usually there are 20 to 30 people there, so that is really cool!  Sister Busath and I are going to be master finders, we decided.  We went dooring on Sunday in a student apartment, and found this guy from Colombia, who’s grandpa just past away.  We gave him a Spanish Book of Mormon and talked a little bit about prayer and the Plan of Salvation.  We are going back this week to follow up.  So that was pretty neat! 

Well, I am pretty sure that I will like Münster.  It is small, but big things are happening, and we are going to make even more things happen.  Sister Busath and I will do work together.  It really is like a breath of fresh air being with her.  It will be great.

Präs was right.  He’s always right.  Heavenly Father has a plan for me, and that is that I am happy.  He wants me to be happy and will give me things to be happy.  I kind of feel like this past transfer or so was like a slingshot.  He was pulling me back and now that I am here, he has shot me out, and great things will happen.

I love you all, and hope that you all have a FANTASTIC week. 

 Love, Savannah

P.S.  President gave us permission to watch a World Cup game!  We are doing everything in our power to find a family to watch the Deutschland vs. USA game.  Things are going to be CRAZY.