I Don't Speak English

There's no more awkward of a feeling then going out tracting and speaking to someone on the street who speaks 

no German, no English or any other neighboring language. 

But Spanish..

And your german companion rather fluently shows a hidden freak talent, and gives the 1st lesson in Spanish and you just sit there..

Smiling

Nodding

Saying "SI" when I felt it was necessary to contribute....

Well on the bright side. If anybody asks what the theme song for TRIX cereal is or wants to know the American Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish. I got em. 

Team America

Thanks for nothing High School Spanish education program 

Well I do take fault... You do have to go to class in order to learn yayayaaaaaaa whatevvva


Moving forward.

This week it was an Elders Birthday and to celebrate on pday we all went to an old castle looking place and ate at a cool medieval cellar.  

The menu was in old German which made it hard to read... So I just pointed and ordered. 

Only to find out I ordered and ate......baby cow. Crap. 

So sad. 
Well It could've been worse. I realized the other one I would've picked would've been liver..

A small ice age hit Germany! So cold outside.. 

Tracting is kindof hysterical.. People look at us like were crazy people when we stop them on the street... just wanting to chit chat about God. 
I can only imagine how weird I look with only my eyes visible, walking backwards to avoid wind chill, 
jumping up and down to find circulation in my feet and waddling like a duck because I have so many layers on. 

I had to resort to wearing sweatpants under a skirt this week!! 

Who am I?
I'm a freak I'm a weirdooo

I'm shoving hand warmerse.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e

Francesco and Xin are both happier than ever as new members of the church! 

Yesterday Francesco received the priesthood in church and one hour later he passed the sacrament!! and lemme tell ya...

Oh. My. Gosh. 

Best thing I've ever seen. Francesco wouldn't let go of the tray! No one told him otherwise. So row by row he would squeeze past people and individually give it to everyone on the bench. 
Ahhhhh best thing ever..
so proud he killed it!  

We begun teaching his brother Ari ( pronounced in a french accent: awwwwrreee ) this week. 
In the middle of a lesson Francesco stops and looks at me and goes..

Sister Diederich......do you know who the singer 50 cent is?

Uhmm....of course but Francesco let's go back to the lesson. 

Francesco then proceeds to rap the words:
GO
GO
GO
GO
GO
SHAWTY IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY
Well I completely lost it. 

My companion having never heard the song and being confused whether or not it was my birthday or not just sat there as I struggled to pull myself back together. Ahhh I love Francesco.

Seeing as how we baptized our only progressing investigators. Right now were in a crazy building phase.  
( Like wandering the streets, stalking members for referrals, or saying "ok well come back tomorrow when you think of someone"  hahaha )

Where's Waldo at its finest
This week we had zone training and interviews with the President Kosak.. He is such an amazing guy I always get super nervous and shaky when I'm around him and stutter in German. 

During our interview he asked the usual questions. How I'm doing?...what I'm studying?.. How's the work?... 
Then he asked me a personal question concerning how I keep motivated and what I do to strive to accomplish one baptism a transfer. 

Well.. I cannot remember what it was that I said..or how I said it. But he just sat there...staring.. Circled my name a few times and put some exclamation marks down by my name in his notebook
...( not that I was peeking )

Later when he gave his message to all of the missionaries he quoted me twice and asked me to share what I taught him. 

I was dumbstruck. 

Uhm... If anyone knows who my mission president is they know he's like the smartest gospel wiz known to mankind. 
This is like teaching yoda something! 

I was on cloud 9 all week after that! To know that something I said meant enough to him to be shared. 

After a day like that and hearing that my blog was shared with so many and enjoyed makes me know i am making a difference somehow.

That's what is beautiful about this work.. 
You may never know who your testimony influenced, or where that one Book of Mormon ended up.
But also as long as your sharing both.. There is not a single day that goes to waste when your on a misson! 

Missions and life in general have sooooo many trials and heartache.. Sometimes when we are facing
what seems to be overbearing we feel lostand on our own..

Remember.. We are never alone.. 

The Teacher is always silent during a test..


Line of the week:

Me: ( in german )
Hello were talking to people about the Book of Mormon we were wondering if you would like to learn more about the truth and message this book has to offer. 

Man: sorry I don't speak English

Me: good, that's why i just said it in German. -_-

hahaha real quick
gotta share the best quote I've heard in a long time:

" tell someone you love them today, because life is short. But shout it at them in German, because life is also terrifying and confusing"