Week #57 (6-29-09)

My comp and I and the Elders at the Schweiz Night that we had!!



This week was another hard week, but we saw miracles and we didn´t have as many appointments fall out...well, also because we didn´t have as many scheduled!

Last Sunday we had found a guy on the street who was Muslim and he told us we could bring him a book of Mormon. So we set up an appointment to meet at his house and got his address and phone number. Well, on Tuesday we went to the appointment and his name was not on any of the doors bells. (He told us it would be). So we decided there had to be a reason why we were sent here to this place at this time and we were determined to find someone. So we started doing doors. We did the building that this guy told us..where he was supposed to be living and didn´t find anyone interested...so we went on to the building next to it. We rang the bells and the third one let us in the building. We walked up so many stairs and then there he was...the guy we were supposed to have an appointment with. I thought that we had written down the wrong number or something when we first talked to him. Well, he let us in and we prayed and started talking. He told us the whole appointment that he was Muslim and that he doesn´t want to change, but he was excited when we gave him a book of Mormon in his language!! He said that he would be interested in reading it. We didn´t set up another appointment because he didn´t want to, but he did agree to let us come back in a few weeks and see how he likes the book. Ok, now comes the funny part. Right at the end of the appointment he asked us how we found him...we looked at him a little strange and reminded him that we had met him on the street and we had set up an appointment, then he asked us again, but how did you find me. He knew that he had given us the wrong number (the phone number was also wrong that he gave us) and thought that since he gave us a different name then was on the doorbell and the wrong building that we wouldn´t be able to find him...he didn´t say that, but it was clear from how the appointment went and how he asked that question that he didn´t want us to come in the first place. Well...the Lord really wanted us to meet with him and to find him..again!! We did and did our best to bring him the truth..isn´t that a funny story??

On Friday we had our Schweizer Abend (Swizerland night) put on by my very own Sister Psota. She was super stressed out, but it went great. The games and info was fun and the food was great as well!! We have such cool YSA´s in this ward!! I love having activities with them..and they also are SO willing to come on Joint Teaches. I really like it here in Kiel. I know that as I get used to being here that I will love it just as much at Bremen and Bielefeld. I really enjoyed church on Sunday as well and we had a cool eating appointment with a family after who has 6 kids!! That is REALLY rare for Germany...even Germans in the church normally only have 3-4 kids!! They are a cool family, but it really helped me be thankful that I´m here on a mission and not married at home with a bunch of little boys running around and beating each other up!! They were cute, but NO thank you!! lol!!

We did some more street contacting with Anna on Sunday night and it was SO wonderful. The people we talked to were pretty nice and we had some great conversations. She wants to do a mini mission with us for a week, but we still have to get permission from pres. I think it would be good for all of us. She knows the city really well and has some great ideas of where we can work. She also has a new member excitement for missionary work and that would help us too. Her family are non members and I think that would also help her to know how to talk to them about the gospel...practice makes perfect!!
Sorry if this letter sucks!! I really am doing fine, but I feel my energy and excitement being pulled out of me...the end is coming and I hate that feeling!! I want to work really hard till the end....something needs to change so that I can keep going. I´m so tired that I almost fell asleep in church on Sunday...I´ve never done that on my mission...not even at the beginning when I had jet lag!! Just pray for me and I will be fine!! I really do love it here and there is nothing I would rather be doing with my life!! I´m in the right place and I´m with the right person and we can find the people who are ready...they are there just waiting for us!! Thanks for your love and support. Have a great week!!

I love you,
Sister Jones

Week #56 (6-22-09)

Well I hope that you had a great week last week!! My week was hard. I love my comp and my area, the ward and the members, but starting the transfer with a new comp in a new area always brings the same thing....NOTHING!! We had 8 appointments fall out and 2 people told us that they don´t want to meet with us anymore. Every time I have gotten a new comp everything that you had spent so much time building up falls down, but you want to know a miracle that happened?? We didn´t get discouraged. Even though everything was falling out and we have really only 1 investigator now...we still kept going and were still really cheerful!! Cool huh?? The Lord LOVES us and wants us to succeed, but people have free agency and if they choose not to listen or meet with us then the Lord will bless us in other ways.

We had District meeting last week and my comp and I had a part of it. We decided to talk about miracles. So we sang them a song about miracles and and then talked about how miracles only come when we have faith and believe that they are possible. We then commited them to look for miracles everyday and to write them in their planners (inspired by Elder Turvey like 2 transfers ago and yes I have written one down everyday for 2 transfers and will continue to the end of my mission!!) and then also to fast once a week this transfer to show the Lord that we will sacrafice for Him to find those who are prepared and then we even made them glasses..."Miracle Glasses" and told them that if they are having a hard time finding miracles then they just need to put on their miracle glasses and they will find them!! It was super cool and they all agreed to our commitments!! It will be a great transfer, but it will also be really hard. The biggest miracles I have seen on my mission came after MUCH trial and tribulation!!

We got to go back to Bremen this last week. I had planned a music night and President let me go back for it!! It was SO wonderful to see the members that I love!! Serously...I noticed something really cool. The new Elder in Bremen told me that he didn´t like one of the members in the ward already and asked if anyone liked him. I raised my hand proud and said that I don´t only like him, but I love him. I struggled with this member as well at the beginning, but I really tried to understand him and I truly came to love him. It was the greatest feeling really...to know that I really did something in that ward...I made a difference. Maybe just a small one, but I learned to love every single member and I showed that love. This member even told me that when my mom comes to pick me up that if we need a place to stay I could stay with him and his wife!! It just felt so good to be back in my ward...so many members told me that they missed me and that it was great to see me again!! I miss them SO much...maybe even more then Bielefeld and Bielefeld was my favorite place for so long!! Any way...The concert went well and we had fun together. There weren´t that many people there, but it was still great!!

Well I think that is all the new stuff!!
Have a great week!!
Sister Jones

Week #55 (6-15-09)

Well...So much has happened this week...I really feel like this one week has been 2 weeks. Especially since I didn´t write much last week.

 

Before I went to Kiel we had to visit a lot mission people before I left! On Monday we visited Olga and I was SO sad!! She kind of "tschüß"ed us. She still wants to meet with the sisters, but she is struggling with depression and needs a little break!! I have met SO many people that have depression...it is so crazy!! When we finally said goodbye she hugged me forever and told me a bunch of stuff. Then right before she let go she thanked me for all that I taught her. I was immediately humbled. Me?? I taught someone something?? I try to teach through the Spirit when I'm at a lesson, but sometimes I´m not sure if they have fully understood because of the language barrier, but she understood me...or I should say she understood the spirit and learned from me through the spirit!! SO COOL!! I can be an effective teacher in German!! I was so thankful for all of my experiences with her. As I rode away on my bike I started to cry a bit. This has happened so much on my mission. I want to baptize, but it is SO hard because most of the people here choose not to. I mean I know that we are not working in vain. No effort is wasted...maybe they will join later. But I want to be there. I want to see them in white walking into the baptismal font. I want to see them make a sacred covenant with God and change their life not only here, but eternally!! It just hurts my little heart sometimes. I want to see the success of my labors, but sometimes that is just not how it is and I understand that. It doesn´t matter if I see her get baptized or if someone else does. The most important thing is that she does it someday. I just want to keep in contact with her and others so that I know when it happens!! I will miss her so much...I already do!!!

I also visited Rosa Barufe, Sch. Lütjen, Familie Rust and Familie Uhlenberg. I´m going to miss them all. The ward was also hard to say goodbye too. OOOHHHH.....I want to go back!! It is so hard to leave a place where you know everyone and feel so comfortable with the people...I have really learned to love them. I will remember so many people in that ward. I also had to say goodbye to Barbara...the one that was on baptismal date. We ate breakfast with her and chatted a bit, but lately I have just had a different feeling by her. She gave us a letter before we left and I was really nervous what it said. We went home, grabbed our bags and read it in the train to Hamburg. She pretty much told us that we are going in different directions and that she believes different then us and that she is not going to change. The weird thing is that she even made out an appointment with sister Sayson before we left. I just think she is scared. She doesn´t read in the book of mormon any more and when she prays she doesn´t want to pray to god..she has issues with guys!! I was so sure that she was the one...that she was ready. We even reminded her a few weeks ago how we found her and what a miracle that was and she even agreed, but she chose a different path!! I really hope that the sisters can get her to come back onto our path, but we shall see. It just hurt my heart to say goodbye and then to read that letter.

Well anyway...we rode up to Hamburg with an Elder who was going to be in Kiel with me. So it was just sister Sayson and an Elder...he was our comp!! That was interesting. I remember when that happened to me when I went to get sister Sayson at the mission home...it was such a weird feeling. So we all met in Hamburg and then I had to say goodbye to My daughter Sister Sayson. 3 transfers is a LONG time, but it was so wonderful I love her SO much and miss her. We worked good together and had a lot of fun too!! My new comp is SO great!! She is a lot like me...which could cause problems, but we know that already so we are prepared. So far we are having a great time!! She is loud like me, but I still beat her and she is pretty out going and really funny!! I just hope that we don´t have too much fun!! I never thought that having too much fun with a comp could be a bad thing, but if it gets distracting then yeah!! We work good together already...we found a new investigator on Friday already!! I also got to meet a new member...she just got baptized last week and she is so cool. We are friends already!! I also got to meet the ward and that was hard for me. I had forgotten how hard it is to be the new one. The Elder that came up from Bremen with me (he was in oldenburg) is my district leader and in my ward, so I wasn´t the only new one, but it is just hard not knowing anyone. It will get better as I make friends. I tried to learn a few names, but they have some WEIRD last names in this ward...every time someone said there name I had to ask to repeat it!! lol!! It was funny!! The ward is a lot smaller then Bremen...a lot!! They seem really cool though and I´m still excited to work here. The city is a lot smaller too. I mean...it is still big, but they only have busses and not bahns...I have always had bahns!! So weird. We use bikes a lot more here then in Bremen, but the city is a lot more hilly then Bremen, so that is hard. Bremen was like the flattest city every...except for Bremerhaven (where my old district leader lives). This city has more hills, but is not as pretty as Bremen, but still beautiful. I mean, I´m in Germany!! Pretty much every city is beautiful.

 

Well I better go.

Love you,

Sister Jones

Week #54 (6-8-09)

This last Saturday morning was transfer calls and guess what?? I´m going to Kiel. It´s far north by the water. I have heard it is very pretty, but very cold!! I´m glad that I will be there for the summer and not the winter. My comp´s name is Sister Psota and she is from Swizerland!! I´ve seen her at the train station in amburg before and she is really small...short and skinny!! I´m going to feel like a giant!! :o) She sounds really nice and I´m pretty sure that we will have a good time together. I will miss sister Sayson...I love her so much!! We have done so much together, but I´m excited to move on and see another city, meet a new ward, and have a new comp. I´m pretty sure I will die in Kiel. (that´s mission talk for ending your mission). I´m excited to go!!

I had to say goodbye to my ward yesterday and I was so sad. So many people came up to me to say goodbye. It made me feel so good. I have made so many friends in this ward. I love them and will miss them!!

I don´t have much time to write today because it is my last pday in Bremen and I want to see some sights!! I love you!

Sister Jones

Streets of Germany...

Week #53 (6-1-09)

We have transfer calls this week so we will see what happens. I´m pretty sure that Sister sayson and I are not going to be together next transfer. I mean it is possible, but 3 transfers is a lot of time together...4 would be really long!! I love her so much, but I think we are both looking forward to something new!!

We visited Olga this week. She is not doing very good. She has going back into depression and does not feel stable enough to continue meeting with us. She said that she wants to again someday soon, but she is afraid that we will be gone. She likes us a lot. We offered to help her this week in her Garden. Sis Sayson and I both think that serving her will help her feel the love of the Lord. It was cool though because even though she told us she doesn´t want to meet with us any more she still said that we could read in the scriptures together. So we followed the Spirit and read about prayer and then bore really good testimony about the power of prayer and how she can always gain strength through prayer. It was a good lesson with her. I love her so much and will really miss teaching her!!

We also had Zone Conference this last week. They talked a lot about having joy and sharing that joy with the members and investigators. Some´General Authority said about Germany, "the church here will grow when the members become more happy." We need to share that joy and happiness with them and be a "torch bearer". Like in the olympics when they pass the torch around the world. We need to pass our joy our torch to the members so that their torch can also shine bright so that other people can see it!! It was so powerful!! I loved it and am excited to continue to hold my torch high and share it with others!!

Barbara is about the same. She read and prayed like we had asked her, but she was then lead to this weird book. She has some weird beliefs sometimes and she is not progressing spiritually any more. We have an appointment this week with a convert member and hopefully that will help her!! Please pray for her. She needs to recognize the truth. We even reminded her of the miracle of how we met and then at the end of the appointment she said that she is not sure if she needs a church!! She is confused still!!

Well my time is up...we have to run off to an eating appointment!!

Love you!!
Sister Jones