Oh my gosh.
General Conference...
Its like the SUPERBOWL for missionaries..
You got your favorite players.. (My personal is President Uchtdorf)
#celebritycrush
Deutschland we go hard.
You got your BIG plays ( when the apostles makes Satan tremble.. Goosebumps every time )
The halftime show ( the beloved Motab choir )
The kiss cam ( Oh come on don't tell me I'm the only one who notices evvvverytime they do the audience scan outside that they happen to just show all the mushy newlyweds )
Makes myself feel super neat.. solo dolo.. 22.. wearing pioneer clothing..
servin the lord...proud of it
oh man.. conference as a missionary is just.. different. No words.
It's just aaaaaamazing. <3
Before Conference began, the missionaries I was with posed the question:
" sister diederich... you go home in a week.. what would you do if they announced Sisters could serve a 2 year mission..?"
I told them..
" I've thought long and hard about that one. Waiting for the Prophet to pull out the big guns.. And i can promise you that if it were to be true.. Mark my words.. I would be on the phone with President canceling my flight home.. There is not a doubt in my heart that i would do it.. Not a doubt in my mind. "
Not because I do not feel ready to come home or because i feel that I haven't accomplished what I wished to in these 18 months.. but because this work has brought me more happiness than I ever thought possible. Because I know this is the work of God..and we are truly his hands and his feet.. And if I be so lucky to have an opportunity to do it even for just a day longer.. i would stay.
We actually got one of our investigators to watch conference at the church with us.. Uchtdorf was an amazing joint teach
He asked her not once but about 13 times to join us.. and she said she would! But it'll be a process but she is willing to do it
Vorwärts
Fall is here and I am on cloud 9.
Boots, scarfs, burning your tongue with hot german chocolate, jumping from crunchy leaf to crunchy leaf on the sidewalk to take out your frustration after a bad appointment. So wonderful and convenient.
Now only that but the castle behind our apartment looks 100x prettier with the fall leaves on it
( now how many times will i ever be able to say that again? ).
the castle behind our apartment looks 100x prettier with the fall leaves on it
I had to just do it one more time for kicks.
I can't believe it's October. Time for harvesting!
People that is..
haha could you see me as a farmer? hahahahahahahaha joke of the day.
The Lord is TRULY hastening his work. Every. Single. Day we find someone new and ready for the gospel, somebody will talk to us.. This is the hastening!!
This week was beautiful. how could it not be when your a representative of Jesus Christ. I mean...
Thought of the week
Germany is such a different world. The food, the culture, the history and the chocolate.. I feel right at home..
Yet, It's been hard to find a balance of being myself an forming to the German way of life.
For example: riding the street trains. In America ( for those awesome citizens who still ride trax and such forms of transportation ) everyone is chatting, laughing, making new BFF's
You sit on a train in Germany.
crickets.
No no... no wait even crickets feel too awkward to chitchat or chirp or whatever crickets do
Everyone.. is ghost faced. wide eyes.. deathly silent.. contemplating what appears to be how to solve world hunger or solving math equations in their heads
Then you got yours truly contemplating my deepest non gospel related question of the week:
" how much self control do you think it takes to work in a bubble wrap factory?"
food for thought.
I find myself as " that American" always smiling, chatting about the weather, complimenting them, talking about prophets.. makin friends.. the usual.
However.. I've come to learn.
Smiling at strangers or for no reason all is taken one of four ways in Germany..
To them when you smile.. You either:
1. you know one another. ( if I smile at someone they'll always ask if we know each other..)
2. your crazy and are socially.... special.
3. your hitting on them
4. you are intoxicated and/or stoned
Every. Single. Time I've smiled at someone it gets taken wrong. I get shot glares... get called a JDUBB or worse than that if it's a guy they'll walk up and start trying to hit on you..
THESE ARE THE TIMES I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR THE DUMB AMERICAN CARD.
the dumb American card:
making the universal baseball strike hand signal, and shaking your head, while saying realllllly slowly " Me..... NO..... German ".
#lifesaver
Sister Tolman and I have planned a musical fireside for Saturday the 12th. It's been soooo amazing to plan for the ward..
We decided to do an entire First Lesson but with music numbers and small talks in between clips of the Joseph Smith prophet of the Restoration film.
It'll be a beautiful low key concert that teaches the lesson EVERY member wants to teach, but doesn't because they either don't know how, or don't want a sit down " lesson ".
It's going to be fool proof...except for the fact I'm singing a duet. Uhhh if anyone knows me they know I don't sing in public.
I'm way to shy.
I can dance in front of a packed stadium of 15,000+ people. #goutes...
But the minute I need to speak none the less sing. too scared
well ill let you know how that one goes. If all else fails.. eh I'm coming home next week right?
Ah its difficult trying to sum up my week. Due to complications were not allowed to discuss in detail names of people etc for privacy purposes.
But our PEEPS are doing great. Slow and steady but making progress. We've truly seen lives change this transfer. I may not be able to be here for the baptisms we had planned due to conference ( investigators must attend sacrament a few times)
But that is not important.. I do NOT matter.. for it is not MY baptism. I am just so thankful for the opportunity I've been given to assist in the work in Kassel.
I am going to share my favorite little thought from conference..
I haven't seen the Sunday afternoon session... thanks time zone change..
but i truly did LOVE President Monsons talk in the Sunday Morning Session..
Perhaps it could be because my mission is coming to a close or because i will
soon be moving forward to a new chapter where ill be needing now more than
ever to ENDURING TO THE END..
should i falter or finish?
That question truly does apply to us in E.V.E.R.Y situation in our lives..
His message gave me so much hope for tomorrow and the reassurance i needed
to KNOW that this gospel can be if we let it.. the anchor of our souls
9 days till I'm home?!
Well that's seems about as realistic to me as BUMP IT hair extenders
who you tryna fool?
Ask me how I'm feeling next week.. ttyl
Line of the Week:
( this one happened last transfer but I saw in my journal I never emailed it)
Man: now where are you from?
Me: I'm from America
Man: where?
Me: I am from Utah..
Man: I've seen a tag like that before
Me: yes sir.. do yo know much about us LDS missionaries
Man: two young fellows wearing that same tag were around when I was a young boy after the War.. they brought many of my neighbors with them home including my favorite play mate. I have a theory they were kidnapped by those Americans.
Me: Well i can assuredly tell you they were not kidnapped.. but perhaps willingly moved to Utah.
Man: no no... not Utah.. Zion. They said they were going to Zion. But I have looked for that... all that I've found is a National Park.
Me: well sir.. Zion means "top of the mountains".. and that is Utah.. where I am from. The missionaries didn't kidnap your friend.. they brought them to gather with their fellow saints and find peace and rest and freedom to worship.
the mans eyes were filled with tears.
He said " I will not join your church or let you take me too.. I may never see my friend again.. but I know he must be happy, if there are good people like you there.. I will never forget the last thing my playmate said... " if not in Zion.. wir sehen uns in himmel"
if not in Zion.. we will meet in heaven.
HAGS
SISTER DIEDERICH
the old sister missionary dinosaurs are about to be extinct.
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