witchcraft.
ugh I don't like pdays. blah.
Well let's just start from the top shall we..
Monday after emails I went to buy a new study journal seeing as how I've lost mine from my mission. TOTAL BUMMER.
However, on the bright side..whoever finds it will be nice and inspired with my thoughts, testimony, doodles and flip book when bored in zone conferences.
We went and got some Schnitzel at our favorite little hole in the wall restaurant and then it POURED. So it gave a minute to catch up on my letter writing.
annnnd be in heaven for an hour or two
note: sorry if I haven't responded right away to anyone whose written. Being transferred 3 times in a matter of months..mail is still trying to catch up to me.
I am pleased to say that KASSEL is where I will be remaining till the end...which is very very very very far away and I refuse to think otherwise about it.
i don't want to come home.
I'm just waiting for Tommy Monson to pull out the big guns and extend Sisters service to 2 years. I did the math. Fall conference is 1 week before I come home. This could totally work
With summer coming to an end it's really helped fill our planners with people! They've run out of excuses and HAVE to meet with us now!
Buuuut we still get these little treasures..
Real Life: on the phone with a lady this week
" we were wondering if we could come by this Thursday"
-" oh Thursday.. I'll still be out of town..
" this is your house number we reached you on......."
-" Ill be sick"
Perhaps even more exhausting than that phone call is the DISTRICT UNITY were under going.
The legendary Elder Christopher LLoyd's cousin is serving in our district fresh from America! He is an awesome elder himself and was in the Air Force before his mission.
So to bring some unity were all currently participating in a District push-up contest under his direction.
Elder Lloyd is ranking in at 500+ a day. Buuuut we being the only sisters in the district/zone have a secret weapon and will take the district by surprise and be in the lead soon.
Hahaha on top of push ups. Elder LLoyd is our new personal trainer. He's keepin tabs on us and were all working on our fitness.
I will admit it finally and complain for once. I HATE not having control over what and how much I eat on a mission.
No matter how hard you try to say no. These German ladies won't give up! It's a cultural thing here to eat EVERYTHING that is prepared. at least.. or so they force you to believe that. Or you offend em...and there is nothing worse than an offended German...
" when I was a kid during the war we had no food... So you need to be thankful for what you have"
" there are starving children in Africa that would be happy to have what you have"
" I enjoy watching you eat.. you missionaries must be starving from working all day"
So... how does me stuffing my face help these African children in any way?
There are many techniques I've acquired to discard unwanted food:
The Ziploc baggy
Taking very very small portions
Dumping it on the Elders plate
Feeding it to house hold pets
Dumping it out windows
Eating very slow, in hopes the other missionaries will finish off their 3rds while I'm on my firsts.
Last.. I don't know if it's from all the tea from 16 months that burnt my tongue. Or from missionary blessings but i can hold down just about annnnnnyyyttthhiiiiing.
nothing like some healthy competition and a military crackdown to bring people together..
This week we had exchanges. Which means traveling hours on end to see the life form of other sisters..
YOU THREW OFF MY GROOVE
But i got to go see Sister Fugal.. I was super excited to see her again. She joined me here in Kassel and Sister Tolman my lovely daughter went up to Hannover.
We were just suuuppper busy catching up on life, finding techniques ya know the usual.
We were cruising along the beautiful southern hills of Germany on our train.. passing all sorts of villages and castles I hadn't seen before...
ooohhhhh ahhhhhhhh
The train pulled into a Station and conductor then said " last stop.. everyone off"
o_O
crap.
Sure enough we took a train 1 hour in the OPPOSITE direction. hahaha no idea where we were.
That wasn't the only road-trip encounter this week. We had an eating appointment with a member who lives in the Frankfurt mission boundaries!!
We got permission to go out there. Haha I was panicking the whole time crossin that border
YOLO
Felt good to be a little bit closer to my MTC crew and cross to the dark side. rebel.
Not to mention we got to go on the autobahn.
WHERE THERE IS NO SPEED LIMIT
Going from a year and a half where your adrenaline HIGH is running away from hobos or stray dogs or getting let in while dooring.. to going well over 130 mph. Panic was an understatement.
Cars. Scare me. I'll be mooching off rides from Mitchell for the next year till I feel ready to drive again.
TOTAL MIRACLE OF THE WEEK
We have been fasting and praying for people to teach for the last few weeks.
Sunday after my talk I gave to the members about doing missionary work, I felt I might have been TOO bold.
I mean... Their German.. I'm German. BOLD usually isn't a problem. But concerning such a topic... sometimes doesn't tend to rub members the right way..
But after lots of faith and what I believe to be pixie dust..
We got a call Saturday morning from a member inviting us to a barbecue to meet with her best friend and family.. The family had felt the spirit from my talk and was ready to invite us to teach her neighbors and closest friends.
The night went soooo well. It was amazing to see how the Lord had prepared everyone involved..
It was amazing to be apart of such an experience. We left a spiritual thought about Gods plan for the family and got out a return appointment.
note to readers: referrals..are like striking gold here.. getting joint teaches is like winning the lottery. The work is progressing in Germany.. however, it is still different from the typical poster mission.
We work hard for what we have and when we have it.. we take dang good care of it.
but since when have I ever been a poster-child for the church?
naja
WERE CHANGIN THAT GERMAN REPUTATION
I wouldn't have it any other way here.
We may not have tens of millions of investigators, stake centers to fill hundreds of people with or even numbers enough to add up to 20 at the end of each week.
But it is not about the numbers. That is the most important thing I have learned so far.
Doesn't matter where you serve, what your numbers are or the baptisms you have.
This work is NOT about you. Its about God and Children. Were lucky to be apart of it. Germany is changing.. hearts are being softened and the Lord has his hand in our work.
I am going to miss seeing miracles every minute of the day. It will be hard not having the spirit so strong as it is here on a mission.
But one thing I've recently studied as well had to began to accept is. My full time service may be ending in 8 weeks..but if I've truly applied the principles I've learned these last 16 months. Is that
My mission never really will end. As members we are all missionaries. I can continue preaching the gospel in all that I do and as I continue to live worthy of his spirit.. my father in heaven will continue to be a killer joint teach.
But i got to go see Sister Fugal.. I was super excited to see her again. She joined me here in Kassel and Sister Tolman my lovely daughter went up to Hannover.
We were just suuuppper busy catching up on life, finding techniques ya know the usual.
We were cruising along the beautiful southern hills of Germany on our train.. passing all sorts of villages and castles I hadn't seen before...
ooohhhhh ahhhhhhhh
The train pulled into a Station and conductor then said " last stop.. everyone off"
o_O
crap.
Sure enough we took a train 1 hour in the OPPOSITE direction. hahaha no idea where we were.
That wasn't the only road-trip encounter this week. We had an eating appointment with a member who lives in the Frankfurt mission boundaries!!
We got permission to go out there. Haha I was panicking the whole time crossin that border
YOLO
Felt good to be a little bit closer to my MTC crew and cross to the dark side. rebel.
Not to mention we got to go on the autobahn.
WHERE THERE IS NO SPEED LIMIT
Going from a year and a half where your adrenaline HIGH is running away from hobos or stray dogs or getting let in while dooring.. to going well over 130 mph. Panic was an understatement.
Cars. Scare me. I'll be mooching off rides from Mitchell for the next year till I feel ready to drive again.
TOTAL MIRACLE OF THE WEEK
We have been fasting and praying for people to teach for the last few weeks.
Sunday after my talk I gave to the members about doing missionary work, I felt I might have been TOO bold.
I mean... Their German.. I'm German. BOLD usually isn't a problem. But concerning such a topic... sometimes doesn't tend to rub members the right way..
But after lots of faith and what I believe to be pixie dust..
We got a call Saturday morning from a member inviting us to a barbecue to meet with her best friend and family.. The family had felt the spirit from my talk and was ready to invite us to teach her neighbors and closest friends.
The night went soooo well. It was amazing to see how the Lord had prepared everyone involved..
It was amazing to be apart of such an experience. We left a spiritual thought about Gods plan for the family and got out a return appointment.
note to readers: referrals..are like striking gold here.. getting joint teaches is like winning the lottery. The work is progressing in Germany.. however, it is still different from the typical poster mission.
We work hard for what we have and when we have it.. we take dang good care of it.
but since when have I ever been a poster-child for the church?
naja
WERE CHANGIN THAT GERMAN REPUTATION
I wouldn't have it any other way here.
We may not have tens of millions of investigators, stake centers to fill hundreds of people with or even numbers enough to add up to 20 at the end of each week.
But it is not about the numbers. That is the most important thing I have learned so far.
Doesn't matter where you serve, what your numbers are or the baptisms you have.
This work is NOT about you. Its about God and Children. Were lucky to be apart of it. Germany is changing.. hearts are being softened and the Lord has his hand in our work.
I am going to miss seeing miracles every minute of the day. It will be hard not having the spirit so strong as it is here on a mission.
But one thing I've recently studied as well had to began to accept is. My full time service may be ending in 8 weeks..but if I've truly applied the principles I've learned these last 16 months. Is that
My mission never really will end. As members we are all missionaries. I can continue preaching the gospel in all that I do and as I continue to live worthy of his spirit.. my father in heaven will continue to be a killer joint teach.
Awkward eating appointment of the year award..
( all 4 missionaries invited to eat waffles....yes... just waffles at the Elders investigators house )
Lady: OOOKK thank you for coming.. Now let's pray and bless the waffles
She then reaches out her hands and asked us all to join her by holding hands... Look to my left.. Sister Fugal ( still on exchanges at the time ) Look to the right... Elder.
awkward.
uhh.. didn't realize till that special moment how AWKWARD I am. I was shaking hahaha so uncomfortable.
abort abort abort abort
and I don't even like waffles
FAIL
Lady: OOOKK thank you for coming.. Now let's pray and bless the waffles
She then reaches out her hands and asked us all to join her by holding hands... Look to my left.. Sister Fugal ( still on exchanges at the time ) Look to the right... Elder.
awkward.
uhh.. didn't realize till that special moment how AWKWARD I am. I was shaking hahaha so uncomfortable.
abort abort abort abort
and I don't even like waffles
FAIL
Line of the Week:
( taking lunch break... at an ice cream cafe)
Man: What ya got there??
Me: uhmm strawberry?
Man: No.. in your water bottle
Me:............... water
Man: No... those are the tears of Satan's angels
JUST LIKE YOU
o_oGod Bless Germany
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