Week #42 (3-16-09)

Last Monday we got to do some service for a woman in the ward. She has just moved into a new apartment and needed some help cleaning some stuff. I love doing service and being able to see other people happy because of it. We are planning on helping her paint her kitchen this week...that should be fun.

Tuesday we had an appointment with the inactive woman that came to church last week, but sadly she was relly sick. She babysits her grandchild a lot and he was supposed to be picked up last saturday (the 8th) but he was still there when we came. She was so sick that she wasn´t able to carry him down the stairs and go to the doctor...she lives on the 6th floor without an elevator. So we took her (my comp, me and schwester Fritzsch) to the doctor and then got her some meds. We then called her home teacher and they came over on thursday to give her a blessing...her grandson was still there. She didn´t come to church, but we are going to call her today and see if she is doing better.

Wednesday we had zone conference and it was so wonderful. I love being so uplifted and spiritually strengthened. We talked about member missionary work and how we can do that better. That is a really hard thing to do, but I do my best to work with members. They gave us some really good ideas and I´m hoping this next transfer to be able to try them out.

Thursday we went to the Pugmires so I could practice my song for sunday. They are a family from america, but they have lived here for a really long time. The husband was the bishop at some point, but is now completely inactive...there are a lot of those in this ward. We also met with our main investigators in Delmenhorst. We haven´t met with them for a few weeks because Herr Frizler´s sister died. She was actually killed by her exhusband. It was really sad. We taught them the plan of salvation and they had a lot of questions. Frau Frizler accepted it really well, but Herr Frizler is having a hard time believing in God. I used my talent to teach them though...my comp and I sang them a hymn before we started the lesson. It really invited the spirit. I think I will try that more often. We commited them to pray about the plan and to read in the book of mormon. Frau Frizler agreed, but herr Frizler didn´t. It is a little chalenging to teach to people when they are on different levels, but it will work out. They are really cool. We have a really good feeling about them.

Friday was amazing. We went out to talk to people in the morning before we did weekly planning and we met this woman in the park. She looked really rocker...red hair, lots and lots of piercing in her ears and smoking. She had a baby carriage with her and so we started to talk to her about families. I only got to say 2 sentences and then she asked us if we were mormons. We said yes and she started to get teary eyed. She said that her great Aunt is a member of our church and has been praying that she would meet the missionaries. She then wiped tears out of her eyes. I asked if she wanted to meet with us so we could teach her about eternal families. She said yes and we made an appointment. She lives right by us in our new place. It was such a miracle. God does answer prayers!! WOW!! We also had an appointment with the Meister Family again. We taught them about prayer and then played hide and seek with the kids (8 and 12). It was so funny. It was just in the living room with the lights off and there was not many places to hide. At one point I just layed on the couch and put the pillows on top of me. He then climbed up on me and taged sister Sayson who was behind the couch. I started laughing and then he started laughing and appologizing, pretending that he didn´t know that I was there...oh, he knew!! :o) Then I was really out of places to hide and he only gave us 10 seconds this time...well he opened the door and I still wasn´t hidden. I was right by the back glass door and saw the curtain, so I grabed it to hide behind it, but realized that it was shear....well I was out of time. I jumped behind it and tried to move as far away from the light of the glass door as possible. Well...he could not find me. :o) He looked everywhere. I was laughing so hard that I was shaking trying to keep the sound in. Even my comp saw me. I mean the room was a little dark, but I was pretty obvious...too obvious I guess. He finally found me and I just let out the biggest laugh...well lets just say he didn´t want to play anymore. I guess my spot was too good. :o) It was fun. We then left with a prayer and invited the kids to join us. The little 12 year old said that he doesn´t believe in God. He prayed with us anyway, but I thought that that was so sad. The mom and dad were offended and now their kids don´t have a faith. It´s really sad what parents teach their kids these days...or what they don´t teach them.

Saturday was transfer calls and was the last day to fix up our old appartment. Sister Sayson and I are still together and are so happy. We were praying that we would stay together. We are really excited for this next transfer and all the wonderful things to come in the area!! Then the appartment thing...We have lived in the new one for a little over a week, but we had to finish moving stuff out and painting the old one. Well last sunday they asked in priesthood who could come and help and NO ONE raised their hand. NO ONE!! I couldn´t believe it. We would do anything for the ward...we are always there to help them. I was a little sad because that is one of their priesthood responsibilities...to help and strengthen the ward members. Maybe they all just happened to be busy on that day!! Anyway, our GML (who is only 19yrs old) was there, the Elders from Bremen, Elders Robb and Brink (senior missionaries serving in Hamburg) and Katharina (a girl who has been a member for only a year.) Oh and her 3 kids (all under the age of 8)!! We had a lot of people, but all but 2 (not including the kids) were all missionaries. We thought it would only take a few hours, but we were actually there for almost 8 hours!! It looks good though and we had fun. Our GML is cool and will be a great missionary. He would do anything to help us!!

Sunday was also wonderful and funny!! First of all Tobias (the man we gave to the elders) came to church!! WAHOO!! He is so wonderful!! I sang my song and it went ok...I´m just glad that I can still sound decent even though I can´t practice everyday. What a blessing. The last speaker was a member of the stake presidency and he talked about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. It was very simple, but very very good. It was perfect and clear for Tobias. After the meeting he said I did a great job singing and that he really enjoyed the meeting. He wasn´t able to stay for the rest of church, but I´m just glad that he came!! I really wish I could teach him, but the Elders will take good care of him!! Later that day we went and met with Barbara (the woman we met in the park) She was still not able to talk to her aunt, but she was really excited to have us there. We taught her the plan of salvation, but it was hard because her son is 6 and kept making a lot of noise. The Spirit was not as strong as we had hoped, but she agreed to meet with us 3 times a week for 30 minutes and she committed to read in the book of mormon. Sister Sayson and I talked a lot after about why the Spirit had left and we both felt that it was for 2 reasons. Her son started playing some really loud music in another room and also...we had planned to talk about Families, Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, but she asked us what we believe come after this life. Well we just jumped into the 2.Lektion and then commited he to read. When we left we both left knowing that the Spirit wasn´t there. I think that we should have stuck to our plan....answered her question really quick, but then get back to the lesson. We plan through the Spirit to know what to teach and sometimes he tells us to change our plan, but when we don´t have a feeling or know what to do we should just stick to the plan. Let the Spirit lead the lesson and the not investigator. It was still a good lesson, but we have learned a lot from this experience and are going to make the next lesson really spiritual. :o)

Ok...so this day was funny because of this next story. So we had to go to our landlord's house to give her our keys and let her know what we left behind. In Gemany they usually take everything with them...including the kitchen sink!! So we walked up the stairs to their door and rang the bell. Well she opened the door to the cellar and called us to come down there. So we turned around and walked down the stairs. Well it had been raining the last couple days here and was really wet. We walked down the first few steps and then turned to walk down to the cellar...well, I'm a clutz and slipped down the stairs. I slipped right past my comp and ended up at the bottom with my foot behind me on the stairs. I couldn´t believe it. I tried to stand up and couldn´t for a few seconds and then when I tried to walk that hurt really bad. I hoped into her kitchen and she gave me some ice. I tried to tell her I was fine, but it hurt so bad that if I opened my mouth to talked I would have cried. I finally got control of my emotions and told her I was fine. My ankle hurt, but with the ice it was better. My tights got 2 holes in them, but I was still alive and had no broken bones. We talked about the appartment for a little bit and then left...and I was walking fine by then. Miracles are all around us. I think I will get a little blue, but so far today it is still flesh colored...just a little tender when I touch it. It was so funny. I was so embarressed, but we are still laughing about it today!! :o)

It was a good week!! I´m excited to start this new transfer...we have already started making goals for how we can do better and work harder. It will be great! I love this work and I love seeing miracles everyday. I think that I can really say that now...that I love this work. Not everyday...but I love seeing the light come into the eyes of the people I teach. We have some great investigators and we are going to do all we can to get them baptized. The Lord is really blessing us!!

My new address is Augsburgerstr 55 28215 Bremen.

I love you and hope you have a great week!!
Sister Jones