Week 73

 

Well. Last but by no means least week! I can’t believe how fast it’s flown by. As I sat trying to figure out what I wanted to say I had that phrase come into my head, I remember mum and dad quoting what Heavenly Father says, what Christ says: “I never said it would be easy, only that it would be worth it”. I don’t have so much time with all the things that needed to be done today but I do want to say that one thing, it has not been easy, but eternally worth it. I wouldn’t change a single day, I don’t regret a single day. I know I wasn’t perfect, I know I can be better, but I know now that although we are commanded to be perfect we are not commanded to be perfect alone. That really we are not even supposed to do it alone, that’s not His plan. He sent a Savior so that we don’t have to do it alone. And then it’s our job to use that, to apply that, to convert ourselves to him, to dedicate, consecrate, sanctify ourselves. I love that in German conversion is a reflexive verb, so whenever you say it you say I convert yourself. Because although the power to do so comes through the atonement we have to take the first step. The decision and the desire comes from us. I love my mission. Words are not enough to describe all I have learnt, experienced, felt. The tears, the laughs, every single crazy emotion that came with being a full time set apart representative of the Lord. Luckily I get to represent Him for the rest of my life as I no our my covenant to always remember Him and take His name upon me. See you all soon !!

 

Week 72

helloooooooooo sorry this will probably be a short one. this week we were reading with an investigator in the book of mormon and phrase stood out to me “they are in the hands of the lord of the harvest and they are his” it just gave me so much comfort, this reminder that we are all in His hands. This week i was able to have exchanges in my first area and meet with the man and his son who got baptised there, that i found and taught with my first two companions. He is having such a hard time at the moment but it was so wonderful to see and hear him bear his testimony and know that it is helping him and giving him strength. i know that this is so worth it, this work. i love it so much! its amazing to see what a difference the gospel makes in people’s lives, and to see the difference it has made and is making for me. i love it. and i love you all so much!

Week 71

Hey there loved ones!!! So today we had district p day so I don’t have so much time to email, but it was so great. We went to Meersburg Schloss!! Castle 🙂 it was sooo pretty! So first we caught the train to Konstanz and then we got on a boat to cross the Bodensee – the really big lake here to get to Meersburg,an little town on the edge of the lake and walked through the old city to get to this castle where we find out that it’s apparently the oldest castle in Germany and it was so cool! There was these beautiful gardens looking over the Bodensee so we took some pictures- oh and we were all in Trachten! So that’s the traditional dress- Lederhosen for the guys and Dirndls for the girls. So it was way fun. And other than that the week has also been good. It’s been a hard one but it’s been good. I think I’m finally learning that it’s through the hardest times that we grow the most. Took me long enough 🙂 So in a weird way I’m grateful for this week, don’t know if I’d want to do it again haha but glad I could have it. I realized, or maybe re-realized that what I have been teaching people my whole mission I should really remember and apply to myself- I mean I teach that God has a plan for us, a merciful plan, a plan for our salvation, for our happiness. I figure I should really apply that to me! And remember that whatever happens it’s part of Gods plan. He really has it all together. We sang a song at church on Sunday and I don’t remember exactly the wording but roughly translated it’s like a prayer speaking to Heavenly Father and saying: yes, you have everything in your hands and you know what I lack.  And I realized, again, it’s so true! He is literally the most powerful, loving being in the universe. And He is our Father. And He wants the best for us. So yes. That was this weeks inspiration. Also. This week someone tried to make us take our name tags off. So we were meant to have an appointment with a less active but she saw us in the bus and said she just had to go pick something up from someone but that it was just around the corner and we could come too. So we are walking and we get to this place, don’t even really know what it was, some sort of meeting place or social meeting thing. I don’t know.. But there was two people standing outside and they look us up and down and then at the tags. Tell us promptly and not so nicely that they don’t want any of us sort anywhere near them and that we may not stay. In fact we need to immediately remove our tags. We look at each other. They look at each other and start whispering the various possibilities… Jehovas Wittnesses? Adventists? Some cult? No.. We a little more loudly that a normal tone politely interrupt.. As you can read here we are the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. A Christian church. Are you sure you’re not a cult? Yup. Pretty sure. Well… You still have to leave. And remove your tags. We politely but point blankly refuse and wish then a lovely day and go to sit on the pile of dirt to wait for our less active. I have had my share of doors slammed and my share of people who have rejected the message I love to share, but this was the first time I have literally been cast out. And it really hurt. It hurt that someone would judge so fast who I am, what I believe. But as we sat there and as we prayed I had the scripture pop into my head in doctrine and covenants: “the Son of Man hath descended below them all, art thou greater than he?” I am not. The Saviour suffered so much more, so so so much infinitely more that I ever can or will, and because of that He can help me, He knows how it is. “Oh sweet joy this sentence gives. I know that my Redeemer lives” time is almost up but I love you all and hope you have a great week! 🙂

Week 70

Heyyy heyy my lovelies! hope you are all doing well 🙂 we had a good week, i am almost out of time. so here’s a miracle, monday night, sat waiting for the bus where we have wifi to check if president emailed us and we realise that the lady sat on the bench over looks so sad. we smiled and said hello as we sat down but felt we should do more. so we started speaking with her and  gave her a book of mormon. she took is and she ended up talling us how her dad went into hospital that afternoon after having a stroke and that she is the only one of her family here because the rest of her family is in italy and she feels so alone and doesn’t know what to do. we spoke about Gods love, the plan of salvation and lots of things. at the end she told us we were sent from God. and as i think about it we really were. we were called by a prophet of God to come here and represent Christ. it is such a privileged to be a tool in his hands to bless the loves of His children. i love it so much. i love you all! i know He has a plan for everyone of us and that He and His plans are perfect. love youuuuuuu!!

Week 69

hey! so this week was goooooood!!! it was just really made clear to me again just how powerful prayer is. we went finding this week and we didnt know where to go in the little town we were at. so we sat down and prayed, i had had the feeling before one direction and still had the feeling but we almost had the but first this way- the opposite way. so we just got up and started walking and we passed this man with a cute little kid on his shoulders and we were like awww and then just felt like wait we cant let him pass us by. so we turned around and started talking. in the beginning he was like no i don’t believe there could be a prophet today and then asked us if we are a sect. so.. we were able to explain and ask him if we could share our message sometime, or even now if he had a few minutes.. turns out he did so we all sit ourselves down and we share the message of the restoration. he took the book, and promised to read and pray about it. then he gave us his address and told us to come back this week! it was amazing to see how the lord will show us where to go as we ask for his help. also this week one morning i was totally freaking out about something and i didn even know what. i just couldnt sit still, my tummy was all upset, something just felt way off,way wron. i had no idea.. but as soon as i prayed for peace i was fine. i still dont know why, it was just your normal saturday morning. but i know that whatever the problem prayer will help. even in the little things! like just now we lost the key to the garage and i prayed and i found it. i am so grateful for the knowledge that heavenly father loves me, that he really listens and really actually cares. just think about that! the most almighty, powerful, omnipotent being in the entire universe cares so much that it is literally his work and his glory to help me to reach eternal life and immortality. and not just me but every one of you too! i love the message of the gospel! also funny moment: i litrally brushed my teeth with my eyes closed because Iwas so tired hahaha. i love being a missionary.

Week 68

Hope you are all well and happy 🙂 this week, oh I don’t even think I could pick a word to describe it haha except for maybe rollercoaster but I think I’ve used that way too many times already anyways… Hahaha but that’s just how it is! This week we had the awesome opportunity to see MOTAB!! It was amaaaaaazing!!!!! And they sung Battle Hymn of the republic and it was sooooo good! And also come thou fount and this African song and so much more and oh my goodness it was just so great!!!! We also locked out selves out of our apartment and broke in again (thanks to a handy old train card hahaha) got dropped (investigator doesn’t want to meet) and then picked up again (wants to meet again). We had a finding day and street display where it seemed hardly anyone wanted to listen, but those who did were so prepared. The very last person we spoke to was the one with real genuine interest. A lesson in enduring haha. We also were able to teach a new investigator how to pray and listen as he spoke with his Heavenly Father for the first time. At the beginning of church we had only one person there out of all the people we had invited and hoped that would come. And by the end we had almost all of them there. I love our gospel principles class- we spoke about who we are and we went around saying where we are all from. Me… Well born in South Africa, raised in the UK and now living in Australia, then there was America, England, Germany, Nigeria, Gambia, Romania, Albania, Nigeria again, half Mexico half American, Iran and Laos. It was so cool to have them all come! It’s like, I’m already so happy to be at church- I love it, and then every time someone comes that I also love it’s like my happiness just gets doubled and tripled and so on until I basically can’t just stop smiling. When I walked into the class and saw all these people that we are so privileged to know and to teach it just ah it just made my heart so happy. We met one of our investigators this week and had an experience that really touch me, this lady is such a huge example to me. She is a refugee from Iraq, they left because people we threatening to kill her and her family and threw them out of their house. She is so grateful to be here and not have to worry about her family. She describes them coming here on a boat, her daughter crying the baby of one of her other daughters crying, not knowing if they would all make it. She describes this fear so vividly. And now they are here she and her family are doing their best to fit into this culture. They are learning German- she can already also speak English. They are taking Maths and computer courses. She helps out in the office at the refugee home where they live, all 8 of them in a room the size of our lounge. Separated from the next room by a polystyrene wall. It’s hot, humid, and not the cleanest place. But they are so happy and so grateful. So so grateful. On top of that she has health problems and was even in hospital up until the day before we saw her. She also now has problems with other people in the home as she and her family were chosen to be the ones to do an interview for a news thing and now all the others are jealous. And after all this she tells us how she took the photo of Christ with her to the hospital to give her comfort. And how she reads the Book of Mormon and it helps her with her children and her life. And “it makes her heart quiet”. This lady is a hero. One of those “unsung heroes”. I am so grateful that we could be a part of her finding this peace, the kind of peace that only comes through the Saviour. The peace He promised His disciples when he said “my peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth give I unto you, let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”. I am so grateful for his! I love Him, I love you! I hope and pray you all feel of this peace:) love youuuuuu!!!

Week 67

helloooooo. so i dont have so much time. but i wanted to tell you all something i realised as i was stood at a bus stop one evening this week. i was sooo tired and the thought crossed my mind. only a few more hours till bed! and then i remembered something in preach my gosepl and the handbook where it talks about how short our time to serve the Lord full time is.. and i realsied just how grateful i am for this oppertunity. and i realised that while appointments might have fallen out,and people were not at home, and no one wanted to listen to us i had just spent my whole day trying to help people. trying my best in the Lords work. and that that is enough. i love it so much! other than that i had exchanges this week which was way fun, we helped out at the old age home, we ate indian and they gave us a while bunch of free food… hehe. we celebrated the fouth of july in a centrury old ruined castle and roasted marchmellows. we met some really cool people in the trains, two new people came to church, one who we have been teaching in our german class and the other who is a refugee and they really liked it. we also had trasnfer calls and i stay here woooooooooo. i love it! this week we had so many miracles. big ones, small ones, in between ones. i love it so much. i love how muhc Heavenly Father and our Saviour love us. they are so aware of us. i love them and i love you!!!

Week 66

Helloooooooo. Schon wieder… Crazy how time is just flying by. But we don’t need to talk about that ahaha. Let’s talk about last week! It was in 20th to the 27th… I asked sister Lang what the last week was and that was the answer… Hahahaha yea I don’t even know anymore. My favorite line of the week was a throwback from when I was with sister Hancock but a little bit edited by us. You see, as a missionary sometimes your brain is just so full of a million things you need to do and say and remember that it just momentarily ceases to function. Also with two languages sometimes your brain just gets really confused and will speak German grammar with English words or vice versa… Anyways. With that in mind the sentence of the week is: “I don’t speak English or German, I speak awkward noises and sometimes I wear makeup” I feel like that’s the perfect title for a blog. Or book. Or just life in general haha. So yes. My brain is basically mush and my body is falling apart. BUT I am lovinggggg it hahaha. So we had some really awesome things happen this week!! We went to see a lady who used to be an investigator but is always so busy it’s so hard to make appointments, but we finally got one that worked and we went to this tiny little village built right on a hill by the Bodensee- the HUGE lake here. It’s called Ludwigshafen and it’s so dang beautiful. And we would always look up at the huge houses on the hill and think how great it would be to be rich enough to live there haha. And then we get out at the train station and she has come to meet us! She tells us to hop in and begins to drive us in her nice big white car up the hill, and up and up till we get to this long driveway. She pulls up and we get out.. Wow a house! Haha so basically everyone here lives in apartments so getting to be in a house is a rare experience. So we walk in the front door to this gorgeously decorated room and the cutest pictures of her and her family on the walls. She then asks if we would like breakfast, stating that we can read and eat on the balcony. So she shows us through and tells us to make ourselves comfortable. She’ll go make the berry smoothie and fetch the croissants. So then we sit down, look out and behold…. There is the hill down to the lake, there is the blue water, the blue sky, the green hills and trees on the other side. Oh and did I mention the alps?! So yes. We ate croissants and drank freshly made berry smoothie and discussed the family a proclamation to the world in conjunction with Gods plan for us whilst looking out at one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen. And this lady is gold! Seriously one of the nicest people. We went to do service with her afterwards at this old age home where she goes every week and takes the elderly in wheelchairs for a walk down to the lake front. And it was so much fun! And afterwards we had a lesson with another invstigator- he’s the African member who was baptized in Nigeria I think but then had to flee and lost the church but has found it again! So yea we’re teaching him all the lessons again. So we get there late because we missed a train and they don’t go so often so this lovely lady drove us! We get there and at the end we were talking about how God answers prayers and he starts telling how he got to the church early amd because of an operation he is almost blind so he couldn’t see if anyone was here and couldn’t call and didn’t know what to do. So he prayed, and he said he knew God would help him. Not a couple of minutes later we called and organized everything with him. This call we made as we were walking with the elderly, we knew it wasn’t maybe so proper but we just had the feeling to, but didn’t think anymore until we heard this. It’s amazing what even just a small thing can do! And last lesson he found out for the first time about temple work and his response? “Wow. My grandmother has a chance!’ It was so beautiful! I am so grateful for the temple and for second and third and fourth chances! And speaking of second chances we literally just had the most wonderful miracle! So this morning we were on our way to Sipplingen- a little village also by the Bodensee to go to our favorite cafe and we had just updated our email so we were reading and I was just starting this email and this man sits down opposite us, looks like the big scary guy from all those stories- huge, dressed in black, chain around his neck, tattoos the works. And so we keep on writing and reading- thinking this is our time now on p day. I thought, maybe we should talk to this guy… But ignored it. We got out to change train and sister Lang turns to me and asks if I also felt like we should talk to that guy? And oh my I can not even describe the feeling of knowing that we both ignored that prompting. We literally stood there right at the train station and prayed- for forgiveness number one and also that we would be able to see him again.. Then we kept walking, then we just still felt so awful and prayed again. Feeling a little better we carried on through our day, but talking to just about everyone we could… The nice girl at the ice cream shop, the English people over the other side of the grass by the lake, the nice lady in the train… It felt better, but still not good, he was still on our mind. Then we get in the train to come back, sit down where there were four seats empty and just as we are taking off our bags THE SAME MAN comes and sits by us! We start talking, he doesn’t like how much church has to do with money here and because he doesn’t pay the church tax he is literally not allowed to marry in the church… And his son, who will be born in a few months he was saying will not be allowed to be baptized there and all these things! So sad. But we were able to talk about temples and we ended up swapping numbers and we can call to meet!!!!!!!!!!!! Literally. That should not have happened. We nearly missed one train, nearly didn’t go, nearly sat somewhere else and oh my there can be miracles, when you believe!!!!! I love my mission, I love my Saviour, and I love you all! 

 

Week 65

Hello!! I hope you are all doing well 🙂 the weather here by the way is psycho… Haha we have 26 degree days and it’s sooo humid and then the next day it pours with rain.. And it’s fetching cold… Haha. Good job I already love this country or I wouldn’t be so happy with it haha. We have had such a full crazy week but it’s been awesome. We had some really wonderful things happen this week. Also so,e really sad things. But thanks to all our ‘rain’ we can appreciate our ‘rainbows’ all the more. So let me tell you a little about some of our ‘rain’ so you guys can appreciate our ‘rainbows’ all the more 🙂 so we got dropped by an investigator that I really loved 😦 (the person doesn’t want to meet with us anymore) then our investigator who was going to be baptized this week came clean and said that he actually hasn’t been honest about quitting smoking- he still is….. and so we changed the date but then he said he was done with God and church and life…. What else. Oh we missed a train… And because of that an appointment. And pouring rain or burning heat haha. But hey the rainbows…. We were able to give a bible and Book of Mormon to this girl who proceeded to hug them and then ask how she should read them and want to meet with us! To another girl who has had such a hard time but just wants us to help her find her faith, from the bottom up in her words. And then just being in the right place to talk to this lady and she says she already knows about salt lake etc but she didn’t know we had a prophet on earth today! So as we are talking about that and our ward mission leader comes walking up and greets us and then her too! Turns out it’s his neighbor and we had the most awesome talk with her!!!! And then we were fasting this weekend obviously for Markus and just oh praying so hard that he would get an answer not to drop us at church and then he comes, dressed in a suit and a tie for the first time ever!!!!!! And he bore his testimony, of hard times, of hope and of the Atonment and really i almost cried. He is so wonderful. Amd he came and sat down just smiling so big!!! And then we gave him finding faith in Christ to watch and he tells us it almost made him cry, this big 6ft5 man. And now he isn’t going to drop us!!!! And I am sooooo happyyyyyyyyyy :)))))))) being a missionary is the best. The hardest but the best and I just love it sooooo much!!!!!!!  And I love you all so much!!!!!!

Week 63

Well once again,hello my dears, here I am again…  So this week we had transfer calls….. Sister Hancock will be leaving me to go to reinach Switzerland and I will be staying here and getting sister Lang 🙂 I think she is almost a year on her mission, no idea where she comes from… America? Haha. So that’s big news for this week. Other than that I don’t know. Actually now I think about it sooo much happened his week haha. So Tuesday we had such a miracle!!! Our investigator who will be getting baptized in a couple of weeks has had a bit of a hard time with the commandments and also with loving God- in his words, he likes him sometimes but sometimes he just wants to yell. Then… We get a call that evening at 20:21 and we tells us ich liebe Gott!!!!!!!?? I love God!!! A hundred times over- he then wrote it down literally 201 times.. He showed us, and then his testimony- how he can show God he loves him- through keeping the commandments and praying and oh my goodness it was so amazing. He never thought he would make it this far, he is just so amazing though!!!!! And Wednesday was also great, we were able to meet with that girl we told you about- the one who was searching. She is so cool!!! She has had such a hard time 😦 but she is so sweet. And that evening sister Hancock was able to sing with out ward mission leader and so many people came up to us saying how she had touched them. This missionary spirit man! It’s contagious 🙂 Thursday we got to go to the temple. Oh how I have missed being able to go every transfer. It was beautiful and we saw the alps and drove past Burgdorf- my last area which was so cool!! Friday. Also great. Able to meet with a couple of really awesome new investigators and teach them about the Book of Mormon. I love the Book of Mormon. In the evening we were able to teach an investigator from my last area, there are currently no missionaries there and it was so nice to be able to see her again! Saturday also good, Sunday also. I really just love being a missionary, it’s really just something I can’t explain in words. While talking with Rita we decided on the following. Sorgen haben ist okay, sorgen machen nicht? So that kind of roughly translated means that it’s okay to have worries we all have them, but it’s not okay to to keep on thinking about them and not letting go and making it worse. We are all human and we live in a very imperfect world, we will have worries but it is not good to hold onto them! We can lay them upon the Savior- he has already taken the, upon Him actually, we just need to give them up to him, trust him! And I mean that all sounds super great. Oh yea all these worries? I can just give them up? Great! So like, I just snap my fingers and they’re gone or what? I e really been thinking about this, how it really works. And I think it’s like like president Uchtdorf said. Like I’ve already talked about I think- steps of obedience are faith. So in our small steps of obedience we are able to lay it upon the Lord. But I also really think it comes in prayer. In really going to our knees before the Lord and pouring out our souls. It’s not easy, it’s not the kind of prayer that can be done in a few seconds so that we can jump into a nice toasty bed…. It’s a struggle! It’s hard! We really do have to cry unto the Lord. But there is no better feeling. As I try to do this and apply this in my life I really can quite literally feel the burdens being lifted. This really goes for all negative aspects of life. Trials, temptations, sins, worries, regrets. All can be lifted by the Savior who was lifted upon the cross! He knows how it is, when we really show Him we want Him, we need Him, we love Him, He is able to help us. He loves us, unconditionally. I try to ask myself sometimes, rather than just asking how do I know He loves me, but how does he know I love him? “If ye love me keep my commandments” and why does that show our love? Because we show we trust His role as our Father. That He knows best. I love Him,I try show Him, I’m not perfect and I am so so grateful that o can always have a new beginning and for the Atonment that makes that possible. Love you all!!!