this isn't about you

I am writing this email from an Internet laden.. sweating to death.. while a large

homeless man smacks his lips at us.. naja

I am melllltttinnngggg in Germany right now

This week the winds picked up the air from AFRICA

and brought it up to Germany.. 

Not too bad right?.... wrong

Mixed with the Smog and German thick Humidity.. Its almost unbearable

outside..

Aside from my excitement to be sharing something with my friend 

elder dale.. I AM DYING

It has NEVER been this hot in German History..

If this air would have been around during the war... America

would've won ALOT quicker.. Every German woulda quit

and given up and gone inside to cool down..

Most germans have been hiding out inside..

but others just come outside half naked to party..

We have had to really change up what streets we walk down

oh the people you meet

This week we got a EMERGENCY call from a lady in our ward 

to quickly come over and help her..

( side note ) she is a little... interesting?

After arriving and taking off our shoes,

she hands Sister Fugel and I the vacuum and says

THERE IS A HUGE BLACK SPEEDY SPIDER HIDING

GO FIND HIM

-_- 

called to serve.

To reward us later for our efforts.. she dishes us up some 

already melted ice cream.. I was super hot so i just began to

eat it..

AND SHE FLIPPED OUT ON ME.. She apparently wasn't done

dishing up the ice cream and wanted to make sure everyone

had an even number of scoops.. #teamgermany

This week we had a little bit of down time so we decided to 

go visit a Less Active Sister in her Old Folks home..

She was SO excited to see us and before even getting a 

chance to pray she whipped out a board game and began

handing us the dice.. 

The game seemed ENDLESS..

Right when your about to win..

Someone can kill you.. so this took place for what felt like

FOREVER..

After 45 minutes of this nonsense Sister Fugel and i looked

at each other and decided to play dummmbbb and let the granny

win.. Every time we had a chance to kill someone.. We didn't..

So that SOMEONE could finally win..

She just sat there in her wheelchair giggling thinking we were 

just actually stupid and didn't know how to play the game..

We made her day to say the least.. I love them senior citizens

. . . . . . . . . . .

This week i had an opportunity to talk

with some sisters while we were on exchanges..

They had been down about the work and not seeing the progress

they thought they deserved to be making..

One sister was even complaining about how the current small city

she was serving in felt wrong to her and she felt like she should

be serving somewhere else.. somewhere bigger or prettier

Not knowing what to say or how to lighten their mood..

I told them..

Missions are not Study-abroads.. 

You cannot pick where you go..

Who you serve with..

and that shouldn't be WHY you go.. 

To see a cool place.. or for yourself..

President Gorden B Hinckley said it perfectly when he said

This isn't about you.. Its about the Lord and His Children

It doesn't matter where we go..

If we have a willing heart and mind..

I will go wherever you want dear lord..

Before arriving in Germany.. EVERYONE told

me to prepare to see NO success.. NO baptisms

and NO progress with people or ward members..

So i asked those people..

what exactly measures success? baptisms?

referrals? lessons taught??

I think the greatest success a missionary can plan

and should hope to see.. is within themselves and 

their testimony..

If you do help bring someone unto Christ.. That is AMAZING

And if that one person happens to even be you.. a companion

or a friend back home.. 

You've fulfilled your purpose..

Whether we are planting seeds

or harvesting the work from missionaries before us..

ALL MISSIONARIES are successful..

When you stop focusing on numbers.. the numbers come

I haven't had a progressing investigator in a LONG time..

Ever since i was back in Leipzig.. The work has been SLOW

Refusing to get upset or measure myself up or down..

Sister Fugel and i have been working hard..

This week we got word of a man who wanted a copy of the Book of Mormon..

I was on exchanges here in Hannover with another Sister..

We had just a few minutes to spare before our Train to Bielefeld..

so we decided to drop by and give this man a book of mormon..

We ran over to his house and climbed the 16 flights of stairs

and he was HOME!

When he saw our name-tags this German man was ECSTATIC!

He began to tell us that he lost his copy he found years ago..

We couldn't step inside.. (seeing as how we had no joint teach.)

So we stood on his porch and began to quickly teach him..

HE ALREADY KNEW!

He bore his testimony about the divinity of the Book and how

he had prayed about its truth and received an answer..

He had studied it out for the last few months.. On our website,

in the book and wikipedia..( although i don't recommend that one )

He said:

'' The MORMON is for me.. I know this church is TRUE!!!

You have the same organization as Christs TRUE CHURCH!!''

This book is Gods word.. Joseph Smith was a PROPHET of GOD''

He talked about the Priesthood, Restoration, God head and

many more important topics..

HE IS THE MOST PREPARED PERSON I HAVE EVER MET

We invited him to church the next day and he was there..

Glowing throughout the whole service..

He leaned over to me and said 

'' Its true... i finally found it... This is CHRISTS CHURCH''

He stayed after church to attend a baptism of an 8 year old member..

He loveddddddd it! 

He was right up front kneeling with all of the

children ha..

After we were settling back down in the chapel i was flipping

through my scriptures hoping to find one to share with him

In one of my folded pages he saw the picture of my family and i in front of the temple.

He said.. '' Though i am not yet a member.. I know

and i hope to go inside that specific Temple in Salt Lake City one day..''

I was confused as to how he knew about the Temple and the sacredness

therein..

So without question or words..

I leaned over to him and said

'' Brother Dirk... will you prepare yourself to be baptized in two weeks?''

His eyes filled with tears and he said

YES.. I thought you would never ask..

God has prepared people.. Even in the most unlikely of places.

When we focus on the people and not on ourselves or the numbers

The numbers come.. The people will be placed before us

I am so excited to help Dirk these next few weeks as he

finishes his life long search for the Truth.. 

I cannot take credit or pride myself or Sister Fugel on the

success we have finally got to see from the hard work..

My mission has taught me so much about turning outwards.

This isn't OUR baptism.. But the Lords.. and one of Gods children..

We are just a vessel and a tool that Christ can work through

to further help these people..

My mission has been the hardest time of my entire life.

I've faced more trial, sadness, heart ache and disappointment

then ever before.. I've never been so physically, mentally

and emotionally exhausted before..

yet I've never been so happy

The work goes on.. I have so much more to learn and to do..

There are mountains to climb

But i know all things are possible through Christ who Strengthens me..

Bis Auswiedersehn..

I love this video.. Enjoy

Line of the Week:

Me: Geez these skirts and walking shoes sure 

are getting to me and 

i just feel UGG

Sister Fugal: Ya..I know what your saying.. ESP in summer..

When everyones looks pretty and tanned and what not

Me: YAAA and to make it worse.. all the beautiful people

seem to be out chillin today. I just keep seeing pretty

girls and am like '' wow im strugglin and have hit my

missionary rock bottom''

( pause )

Me: Just GIVE UP SATAN you don't even have a body!!!!!!

Please watch the youtube video I have linked below. One of my favorites.

I love this video.. Enjoy