I believe God is flooding Bremen..

I haven't seen the sun ONCE since I've been here..

Looks like we got some people to bring to 

REPENTANCE

On top of hurricane like weather

Blistering toes

No hot water

Hour long weekly injections for my health

Sinus infection

traveling 45 minutes in the WRONG direction
to an appointment.. getting off the bus
and being abandoned for a hour in a dorf with no residents
just cows and horse poop... in a hailstorm
Broken AC

Losing a 100 dollar train ticket

Running from Hobos
Someone dying downtown in front of us
and a parade from a.... well lets say a DISLIKED political group

This week went swimmingly... haha get it

cause of the rain.. naja

We had finally managed to make out a few appointments with people

we had found last week.

Only to find they gave us the wrong address, weren't home or didn't

have interest..

We felt God was really testing us.

I couldn't figure out what i was doing wrong!

I usually am not one to get discouraged or upset

but nothing seemed to make me smile!

This weekend we traveled to Oldenberg
for interviews with President Kosak..

In my interview he told me how proud
he was of me and the work i am doing..

He asked me to help the sisters in the surrounding
cities and to keep working hard until the end!

We talked about lots of other stuff on my mind
and i left the interview feeling so much more
confident then ever before..

As i was walking out he said

'' Sister Diederich.... CHANGE BREMEN''

I didn't quite understand what he meant by
that until i logged onto my email today and
saw an email from Elder Whittwer who
i served with in Leipzig telling me that..

Upon his departure home from the mission,
President Kosak told the finishers that he had BIG
plans for Bremen...

Sure enough, i also just got a postcard from Elder
Lloyd saying the exact same thing! That President

said he plans to keep his strongest missionaries
in the Bremen area to help build a STAKE!

I feel more than ever that i am here
for a reason having the hardships i am..

Bremen is a tough cookie but knowing
i have the Lords name right by mine
makes all the difference!

D&C 84:88

After interviews Sister Madsen and i came
back together and made a new game plan and
went back to work.


After interviews we dropped by on our last hope of an appointment
for the week..

She wasn't home..

This time we kept finding in the area and were 

NOT going to leave until we found out why we were there!

As we were walking i got the strongest feeling
to cross to the other side of the street and STOP

So... we creepily J-walked across the street

and stopped..

Then around the corner came a small woman
in a wheelchair.. We stopped her
and talked to her about who we are and she

agreed to let us meet with her.. She was so excited!

We dropped by the next afternoon and she was there!

She is so broken and loved hearing Gods plan for her..

When she was 22 years old, just after having
her first child.. she was in an automobile accident.

The accident killed her best friend, and left
her in a wheelchair, with needs of lots of plastic
surgery..

She believes in God.. but feels he doesn't love her.

By the end of the lesson her heart was really softened
as she understood that

SHE IS A DAUGHTER OF GOD

We made a return appointment and look forward to meeting with her!

As we were sitting in church yesterday amongst
all of the Elders and their investigators..
I felt once again that creeping feeling of discouragement
that we had noone there!

WHERE IS FRANCESCO? 

My phone buzzed and a name popped up that i didn't know

I stepped outside to take the call and found a man
in the lobby on the phone saying

'' Sister Diederich''

uhh... right behind you?

We didnt recognize who he was at first but then
i remembered him from a few weeks back for
trying to pick us up while we were out tracting.

confused.. yet happy we walked him into the chapel

I turned around to see if he was still behind me
and saw him in the arms of an older member here!

MORE CONFUSED THEN EVER BEFORE

I went back and asked what was going on..
The member explained that he knew this young man

because he grew up with his sons. They never 

thought to invite him to church and hadn't seen
each other in years!

We had an amazing lesson after church with the man
and he is incredibly prepared for the gospel!

THIS WEEK JUST GOES TO SHOW

1. You will NEVER know if you give up

2. Nothing goes to plan

3. Things fall apart so better things can fall together

4. Never to give up on loved ones that you feel
aren't prepared or wont accept your message!!

THE FLOOD IS WORKING

Line of the week:

Elder Santiago: Sister D i swear you know everyone

Me: No.. not true haha

Elder Santiago: FACT i guarantee you know at least
one of the three Nephites

**Below is a link I was forwarded from one of the sister missionaries serving here in Germany. This is her nephew. She asked if I would share his story. 

 

http://www.gofundme.com/teamderek

On May 8, 2013 doctors found a tumor the size of a grape fruit attached to Derek's kidney. The doctors in American Fork rushed him up to Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City. The tumor is pressing on other organs and making it inoperable for the time being. Friday May 10, 2013 The doctors began chemo therapy on this two-year old baby boy to shrink the tumor. Derek's fight has just begun but his herculean effort will be second to none! Your donation of any size helps to ensure that Derek's life is not permanently marred by this cancer. Please help in anyway you can. God bless and much love to you from the Fugal family!

snap yo fingers.

Opening a city

Building a Program

Training a new missionary
requires a soundtrack..

So i have taken the responsibility to create a missionary playlist:

A song for finding:

Nevermind ill FIND someone like you - Adele

A song for your teaching pool:

If your scared go to church - Ice C.

A song for your companion:

I wont give up... on us.. even when the times get rough - Jason Mraz

A song for stalking/tracting

One way... or another... im gonna FIND ya... im gonna get ya get ya get ya - ( insert oldies band idk )

A song for the non- progressing investigator:

Cause you're hot then your cold, you're yes than you're no.. you're in then you're out.. you're up then you're down - Katy Perry

A song for the Greenie:

I wanna know.. can you show me.. i wanna know about these strangers like me - Tarzan

A special Bonus Track for South America Missionaries:

Snap YO Fingers - Lil J

hahahahahahaha.

This week was AMAZING

got a referral from the Elders to visit a college student on campus

who lived in building #4..

Sister Madsen and i went to campus which was an hour out of town.

our trusty map in hand, began to attempt to find building #4..

found the street and began walking up... and down... and up.. and down

then up.... and down... and up again

appointment was in 5 minutes and we STILL had not found the address we

were looking for..

the whole street was buildings labeled from A-Z!!!!

We began to frantically ask students where building #4 was..

They pointed to the opposite end of the long street..

Once on the other end of the street we asked again..

where building #4 was..

They pointed to the other side of the

long street.

Everyone eventually told us.. that building doesn't exist!!!

AFTER 45 MINUTES OF THIS NONSENSE

We found building #4..

smack dab in the middle of J-K.. no kidding.. it went

abcdefghij4k........

We ran up to the clingel and saw she lived on the 28th floor..

WE GOT TO HURRY I SAID!!

I ran through the door and just began hauling it up the flights of

stairs.. Sister Madsen laughing her head off behind me said..

'' Are we sure there isnt an elevator''

I'm positive! we gotta keep going..

Our pace slowed by floor 15 and we just sortof crawled up

the rest of the way..

We made it after a century only to find a dorm filled with throw-up

by the mat... and noone home..

Too tired and grossed out to be discouraged we just laughed

and as we turned the corner we saw it..

the elevator..

life is not fair..we will return and use the elevator next attempt.

I cannot believe this week i hit my ONE YEAR MARK!!

One year without a washer, dryer, heat, sonic diet coke, movies, music, snugglin

and all my favorite things

OK... story of the year!!!

As a ward we decided to pair up one missionary with one member

and TAG TEAM visit all of the less active young adults in our ward

( there are well over 100 )

I was paired up with Sara (name changed). A newlywed from 

Utah.. who is living in Germany with her non-member husband.

REWIND:

The Sunday prior when they asked for volunteers to assist the missionaries

Sara misunderstood, that she would be just driving us to an appointment and

volunteered.

In she walked with a big sweater, cheetah leggins and dirt on her hands from yard work.

She just about died when she realized what she would really be doing..

We were given our list of whom we would be visiting.. We were assigned

the Family Schmidt ( change of name )..

The mother and daughter were the only members.. both inactive.

Under the name was a small note for us.. it said...

( beware of the dad... he hates you)

awesome.

We arrived at the door and sure enough.. a large troll looking man answered the door and SLAMMED it

We waited for a second... me meanwhile trying to lower my blood pressure

Then a few minutes later the mother came to the door and invited us inside.

She walked up to ask the daughter if she would like to meet with us and she declined.

So the mother came and sat with us and we instead gave her our spiritual thought.

After getting to know Sister Schmidt she began to open up and explaining to us why she is in-active.

She began to tell us that because of her husbands dislike for the church, financial

trouble and living more than an hour away.. It is difficult for her to attend church more

than 2 times a year..

She told us that the Lord knows her heart and her desire to attend church and understands..

She told us that every Sunday she holds a small meeting in her home alone..

Where she sings, prays and prepares a small spiritual thought for herself..

It absolutely broke my heart to hear this distressed member attempt to explain her

shortcomings and to hear the pain in her voice.. I cannot believe how lucky we are

to live just seconds from the church at home..

After a few moments of just sitting in silence.. I reviewed with Sara what the situation was

and then..

Sara chimed in...

'' Ill pick you up''

Sister Schmidt.. '' Excuse me?''

Sara.... '' Yes.. id be happy to pick you up every week for church..

Sister Schmidts eyes filled with tears and she was speechless..

Sara began to explain that her current car is a work vehicle,

and all expenses are paid for.. She told her that since her husband

sometimes doesn't attend church with her.. she would love the company..

Sister Schmidt broke down.. She began to bawl

The spirit was stronger than anytime I've experienced my entire mission..

We sat there in complete silence all with tears in our eyes completely

in shock for what had just happened..

Can you imagine praying EVERY DAY for 20 years for an opportunity to attend church..

and within a few unexpected seconds have your prayers answered??

Sister Schmidt was speechless.. She couldn't believe it and then asked

5 or 6 more times if Sara was being serious.. Sara told her that

it was only 30 minutes out of the way and that it would be no problem

( note: it is longer than 30 minutes.. but Sara is just a gem )

By this time the daughter had come into the room and tears were also in her eyes

and she had been listening from the other room and was truly touched by the spirit to see her mother so happy..

Its amazing to witness how the Lord works in such mysterious ways..

First, Sara misunderstanding the situation.. If she would've understood it was a visit and not a carpool.. she wouldn't of come

Second, Sister Schmidt praying for 20 YEARS for someone to answer her prayers

Third, that the daughter at first wouldn't hear our message, but later was touched

so much more by the message and answer her mother received

Last, As Sara and i sat in the parked car in front of the house after in AWE..

tears were in her eyes and she told me that

upon her move to Germany she had been praying to God

to find someway to serve and have a missionary opportunity here in Germany.

The most humbling part of it all was to see that Sister Schmidt has multiple
names she has prepared for temple work.. Names she couldnt
do because of her inactivity.. She is endowed and just cannot
go to the temple because of the inability to get to church.

She will now be attending every week thanks to Sara. 

Now because of this miracle.. she can do those names..
bring people unto Christ and fulfill all her promises and covenants..

This week i learned so much about the importance of focusing not only on new sheep..

but the lost ones as well..

God is SO mindful of us..

Never give up hope on the loved ones that have strayed..

If we prepare ourselves he will place these prepared people in our paths!

Line of the Week:

Me: so Sara.. you lived in Australia?!...
i love discovery channel and love the stories about people

who get eaten by the alligators and sharks in their swimming pools

Sara: that doesn't happen

Me: Ya it does... saw it on the Discovery Channel

Sara: Ya... but like what kindof an idiot would walk

outside and see a shark in the pool and say

'' hmm... maybe ill just check the chlorine levels real quick..''

I was shocked. I am never watching Discovery Channel again...

i donno who in the world max is.. but i do know diederich..

new kid on the block.

Our purpose states:

Being new in a ward in Germany entails one of two things

1. stack on stacks eating appointments

2. earning your rightful place on the block through doing service for every old widow

Or in our case. Both.

This week meant yard work with the lady who put the G" in Grandma

Sister MÜLLER

The Elders went to work moving trees, rocks and shoveling big clumps of dirt... Ya know.. elder like things

Excited and eager to do some dirty work we awaited our assignment..

Sister Müller then handed Sister Madsen and i both a small pick, and pointed to what appeared to be a football field of dandelions.

Awesome...

As old as she is..she is a quick little bugger.

I got in trouble well over 5 times for things like improperly disposing of the weeds, missing some, ripping out a flower accidentally and " forgetting" to put on the ugly gloves she gave us. hahaha

My personal favorite.. Me accidentally wandering into a patch of stinging nettle and having to spend the rest of the time with Sis.MÜLLER while she rubbed weird leaves all over me

Nothing like a long days work in the garden and coming home to a long nice shower

Oh wait.

I forgot...we don't have one

Ohhh... The day I thought I'd ever see myself showering via bucket and hose..

There is a REASON I was not born to be a pioneer..it just wouldn't of worked out for my party. They would have had to bury me.

This week, i felt adventurous and I decided to try out the prehistoric box in our kitchen labeled " washing machine".

To sum up that experience..

I believe I may have sent every senior citizen living here beneath us into post traumatic war stress from all of the BOOMS and BANGS coming from that machine

-_- ma bad.

On top of that.. What once was a few bees turned into them calling in for back-up.

We are running a BEE FARM

Instead of killing them or trying to get rid of them we decided go give them purpose

So we named them:

Harold BEE Lee

Henry BEE Eyring

Gordon BEE Hinckley

I mean, I thought my video I made of MTC CRIBS at the MTC (reenactment of MTV cribs) was exciting.

Just you wait for part 2. attic edition

This week we took a train East to help some other Elders with a street display. All together there were 16 missionaries!

They had decided to all sing together in hopes to attract people in towards our booth.

I offered myself as the sacrifice to be put out to dry by trying to do the speaking.

As much as I love singing...mom invested all our talent funds into dance and im gonna stick with what I got..

During the time we spent there I noticed a man in his mid 50's standing a ways away in the distance with his eyes fixed upon our stand.

I made my way through the crowds of people towards him and introduced myself as a missionary and asked him if he had interest to come closer and learn about our message

"I know" he said..

I was super caught off guard and asked him " well have you ever had a copy of the book of Mormon? we'd love to give you one"

"I've read it" he said..

I asked him about his experience and if he had prayed about it

"I prayed... I knew" he said...

Completely shocked and stumped, I asked him to please come with me back to the stand so I could introduce him to a few members and talk some more, but he refused.

I drew blank and just began to bear my testimony about the Book of Mormon and how much it's blesses my life. I told him how my faith is always being tested but strengthened daily through the Lord. Even sometimes unnoticeably.

He clasped my hands in his and told me

"I knew, I always knew, I hold the aaronic priesthood"

I was speechless.

Not knowing what to say.. I got an overwhelming impression to tell him that God loves him and is waiting for him to come back to him..

Without another word this stranger smiled with tears in his eyes and nodded his head and disappeared back into the mass of people

 

For once I understood first hand how God must feel when his children go astray.

 

To know we are literaaly sons and daughters of our father in heaven is the most high honor and pleasing thing to be known as.

 

I am a firm believer that missionaries are not just here to find new sheep but the ones lost as well.

Our purpose states:

"invite OTHERS to come unto Christ"

Not just investigators. But members, strangers, friends at home, even your companion.

I may not have been able to bring him back, to get him to give me his name or make him change his mind.

But I know that by simply letting that man know that his father in heaven loves him and is waiting anxiously for him made some sort of an impact.

If every person that knows someone that has perhaps wandered off the path just took 30 seconds to remind them of their worth in our heavenly fathers eyes.

The impact would be overwhelming!

Opening a new area is hard. It requires lots and lots of work, contacting, work with members, food, planning, contacts and sanity.

The Lord really has his hand in our work.

This week we found 6 new investigators!! I am so excited and anxious, we are receiving the blessings from hard work..

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY

I cannot believe it has to end..

This week a sister who "dies" right after me said she just began her " six months to sexy" program.

Didn't know that existed.

I'm too far behind now sooooo imma keep playing dumb and

eat what I want.

YOLO

Line of the week:( Internet Cafe encounter with a large stranger named Carlos, from Africa last P-Day after logging off )

Carlos: I want to follow you

Me: Me? What?.. Where?

Carlos: I want to follow you

Me: I understand that but where??

Carlos: anywhere.... Africa, America, Germany. Zimbabwe.. anywhere I WILL follow you

( meanwhile sister madsen is grabbing the elders )

Me: ha... uhm i promise im not that exciting there's better people to follow

Elder Santiago: whats goin on here??

Carlos: I want to follow HER

Elder Santiago: Ya see, we actually help people follow CHRIST..

(saved by the elders)

Kasseler Street... my dream city (I hope Sister Madsen isn't shooting me)

P-day Pigs

Elder Santiago and Aaron

My adorable Mothers Day surprise

Taking Sister Madsen to do her FIRST DOOR!

Right in my backyard.

west side, west side.

alabama arkansas WEST SIDE of the german wall

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!?

im in west Germany again! eek.. never thought id see the day

Leaving Leipzig made me more nervous then when i left for my mission.

I spent 7 months there and cannot function without it! I miss it so much..

the night before i left Francesco called and sang me a goodbye song..kindof

it consisted of the following sounds:

dunnnnn dunnn dahhh dunn dunn deeee daaaaa

i cried..

He said don't worry sister diederich.. ill come visit you next summer in America

next summer!!

i just have one question.... do they have showers in America?

concerned..

Yes. Francesco.. you'll be able to shower

OK ill come..

Thursday was transfer day..

It took 3 elders to haul alllllll my luggage up and down those stairs

in and out of train stations...sorry not sorry

The only thing more beautiful then this amazing city BREMEN

is my companion Sister Madsen..

oh. my. gosh.. i adore her. NEVER have i laughed soooo hard in myentire

life than these 5 days together.. love at first sight.

Opening a brand new program on a mission is pretty hard work. It requires

LOTS of member work and just tearing about the city and finding until your feet

fall off..

Our new apartment.. excuse me... correction

OLD APARTMENT

(We are currently living in the attic of a senior citizen home..)

awesome.

they've never seen so much action before we got here.

if you looked up the word Ghetto in the dictionary it may possibly say..

Ghetto: Violin Straße 39 (my address)

we don't have a shower... we have a bucket and a hose..

shout-out to all those madagascar missionaries i feel your pains..

most comical thing ever trying to bathe while kneeling down and dumping

cold buckets on your head..

im cleeaannnnnn im cleaaannnnnn - name that movie

I truly feel like im serving in a tropical jungle seeing as how half of my

personal study time is spent killing insects in our apartment.

This week Sister Madsen got to experience her first legit.. eating appointment.

This sweet old grandma made sooooooo much stinking ROTKOHL for us.. (red cabbage)

The elders were going pale from the buckets she fed each of us..

When we all felt like giving up the sweet old half blind lady said:

'' You better eat all of this.. there are starving children in Africa who would be thankful

to have what you have ''

She then proceeded to dish us all up another heaping serving.

Elder Santiago looked at us and said:

'' We do this as a DISTRICT''

ahhhh.. everyone ate another plate and was extremely confused and proud to

see that i was also able to do it..

well... as you can see in the attached photo i found a way to get rid of it

get on my level.

This week was spent wandering and exploring trying to hopefully find

some new investigators..

My favorite way to get germans to open up

is to ask for directions. it.. works

This week we talked to a man named GERDI..

I asked him where the nearest Apotheke (pharmacy) was and he

pointed... wandered...pointed... turned around and then wandered some more

It soon became very apparent he had NO CLUE.. where one was..

So he decided to walk with us..

We spent a whole hour walking around the streets of Bremen along the water

with Gerdi, listening to him about his life, the war, his loss of his wife and his story..

Our discussion turned to the gospel and really opened him up..

He has actually read the Book of Mormon..really enjoyed it

But as many people who have seen tragedy in their lives.. he cannotbelieve in a God

that allowed the war to happen..

When we finally stumbled along an apotheke he turned to me and said

'' i haven't had a conversation like that for over 20 years.. thank you for that ''

He committed to come to church and we said our goodbyes..

This experience made me realize how much  I LOVE MISSIONARY WORK....

Some people have a skewed vision of missionary work..

They envision pounding the pavement, knocking down doors and constantly

being burnt out and toooo serious..

If only everyone could take the time to slow down and realize the biggest

difference you can make is in the lives of everyone you come in contact with..

even the GERDIs on the street..

Take the time to slow down.. serve those around you..

My focus lately has not only been on finding new random people and tearing the

old dead area book apart..

I realized to serve the Lord not only means these people.. but the sheep he already has found

What is finding.. if you don't take the time to keep

In the last months we cleaned the home of a new mother, helped garden for a widow, met Gerdi and took the time to just listen..

I never want this experience to end..

having the Lords name right along side of mine gives me a courage to speak to

everyone i come in contact with...to open up and just love them selflessly..

I hope i can always have this missionary spirit with me and that the Lord will continue

blessing my life and putting such amazing people in my life

line of the week:

Me: Elder Carter... what do you think our first names are

Elder Carter: Rachel Diederich... and Monica Madsen..

Me: your cheating.. your just naming the cast of friends

journey to africa.. in remembrance of my love elder dale

my genius secret for conquering the german widows (rotkohl spooned into the water bottle)

my goodbye to my daughter sister woodward, her father elder baker and my son

elder lyon at the train station

hahahahahah thank me later for my toe picture.. you know you love it- result of many hours stalking

sister madsen and my.. first engagement photo