Week #61 (7-27-09)

Well I got my golden, Sister Folsom...let´s just say my mission has changed a lot in the last few days. I always told people that Sister Sayson (my first golden) was  not really like a golden. She could speak the language already and I just had to show her around a bit and show her how I approach people and pretty much just how to do missionary work. People always told me that she was a real golden, but I didn´t agree. To me, a golden is someone who has no idea what is going on (cause they can´t understand the language or what people say to them), and who can´t say much except bear their memorized MTC testimony. Sister Sayson could say anything she wanted to, but my poor comp can´t. I feel so bad for her...I have completely forgotten what it was like to be new. I have come so far and I didn´t even give myself credit for it. I was always so critical of myself and the slow useless progress that I was making...I wanted it to be now and immediate. Well...now that the tables are turned and I see her at the point I was at, I have realized that I really have changed and progressed. It was just so slow that I couldn´t see it. I´m so grateful to the Lord for the blessings that he has given to me. I still have a long way to go and a lot to learn in the next 3 months, but I´m excited to learn what the Lord has in store for me. It will be hard, but totally worth it.

I don´t have too much to say because we did a lot of traveling this week and a lot of finding time. We had a few lessons and found a new investigator. This guy came up to us on the street a few weeks ago and asked for the address of our church then ran off. He then came to church last week. Then, through the persuasion of me and a member, he decided to meet with us this last week. Now we have another appointment for this coming week as well. The Lord blesses us every where we go. We also got a new missionary couple..they just got to Kiel yesterday. We met them and they are SUPER nice. They don´t speak any German, but will for sure work good with the young people. I´m excited to work with them.

 

love,

Sister Jones

Week #60 (7-20-09) 100th POST!

Well you know how I said last week was the best one ever?? Well I lied because this week tops all!! :o)

 

Well first to start off with the not so great part of the week. We had transfer calls again on Saturday morning and Sister Psota is being transfered and my new comp is a GOLDEN!! That means fresh from the Provo, MTC!! AHHHHHH!!! I know that I was already a trainer, but she was German...this is completely different!! I´m really nervous, but I know it will be fine!! I kind of wanted a Golden for my last couple transfers because I think that will help me keep going...she will have that new missionary excitement and I want to experience that again!! I will let you know more next week after I meet her and everything.

 

Well, so much happened this week and I don´t have time to tell all of the experiences, but the best experience I had this week was when we did a power hour with one of the members in the ward. (We did 4 this last week and saw a miracle each time.) We went to the members house and chatted for a few minutes and then we gave them a Spiritual thought about having the faith to find and the power of praying specifically. The Spirit was SO strong and then the member prayed before we left. That is when it happened. I was closing my eyes when she prayed...obviously...and I saw many streets in my head...it is hard to explain what it looked like, but it´s like I was driving through the city super fast and just saw a whole bunch of streets, but didn´t recognize anything. Then I saw this street really clearly. There were apartments on one side and grass on the other side of the street. I saw it so clearly and knew that we had to find that street. We then left the house I felt such a pumping and hurrying feeling in my heart. My heart was beating so fast and I knew that there was a woman who was waiting for us to give her the Book of Mormon with the testimony from this member in it. I told my comp what happened and she said that the same thing happened to her, but she didn´t see a specific street. I was explaining to her what it looked like and she told me the name of what she thought it was. Well we went there and when I walked around the corner it looked just like what I saw when the member prayed. During this hour we prayed like 4 times to know where this person was at. Right at the end of the hour we found her. We rang the bell and walked up the stairs and right when we saw her we both got the feeling that she was the one. We talked to her for a while and then gave her the book. She isn´t interested in meeting with us right now, but we are going to go back in a few weeks to see how she likes the book. Even though she wasn´t interested in meeting with us I know that we were lead to her. She needed that book and the Lord knew it. I have never had such an experience my whole mission. I have never had such a strong impression and urgency to find someone before. Man, the Lord really cares about His children...why can´t they see that?? Why can´t we remember that as members. We are so easy to forget what the Lord does for us. He loves us and I know that He is always there for us. I know He lives and that Christ is his son. This Gospel is true and will lead us to Eternal Life.

 

I love you and hope that you have a great week!!

Sister Jones

Even from Germany...

Teri,

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

 

I just wanted to send you a quick note to say hi and wish you all the best for your birthday!!

 

Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag!!

 

Love,

Sister Jones

(***sorry family...but she beat you all!  Thanks Chris!)

***And everyone better not forget...her birthday is quickly approaching...AUGUST 8th!

#59 (7-13-09)

This week was so full of MIRACLES!! We did this really cool thing with the RS sisters...well 6 of them. We got up last Sunday and said that we wanted to try something new for the week. I think I might have mentioned it last week, but anyway...we asked for one sister to pray for Sister Psota and I by name on a specific day. We got 6 people to volunteer and then they chose the day. We asked them to pray for us through out the day and then we would call them that night and tell them what happened!! Well last week we found 2 new investigators (a husband and wife) and a bunch of good contacts. We also had an appointment with Herr Wiese (a new investigator from 2 weeks ago) and he had already read 100 pages in the book of Mormon. He even told us the story about Nephi and Lehi and how great and righteous they are...he is 79 years old!! :o) We have another appt. this week. Then we also met with this other guy, Daniel, who was pretty contentious the first time we met with him...this last week he was completely different. He had read in the Book of Mormon and he really expressed a desire to find out the truth. He even prayed at the end of the lesson. It was a miracle. We also had little miracles along the way...it was so great!! I really have gained a testimony of how important it is to pray specifically for things. The Lord already knows our thoughts, but he wants us to ASK for what we need and want!! This week we are trying something else with the RS, but I will talk about it next week!!
Well, I hate to talk about the weather, but it kind of sucks up here in the north. It was really hot and sunny when I first got here and now for the last week or 2 it has rained EVERYDAY!! It will be sunny, cloudy, then rainy...then sunny, cloudy, then rainy...repeated the whole day!! It is hard to dress yourself when the temp changes so much!! Naja...it´s still beautiful here and I will just be praying for a little bit more stability!! :o)

Love,
Sister Jones

Week #58 (7-6-09)

This week we saw a lot of miracles. President called us on Thursday and told us that he was going to be praying for us specifically that day by name. He told us that we would see a lot of miracles that day. We were really excited and knew that that was true. So we only had 2 appts. planned for that day and ended up getting 2 more appts. with contacts and both of them became our new investigators. WAHOO!!! 2 new investigators!! We were so excited to call president that night and tell him our miracles. He was so excited for us. We then got another new investigator on Friday!! 3 in one week!! It was so amazing. We then decided that we would try something with the RS in our ward. On Sunday we asked specific people to pray for us by name this week. One Sister for each day of the week. We told them that we would also call them at the end of the day and tell them what happened. I´m so excited to see what happens this week!! I know we will see many miracles. We then decided that we would pray for the specific sisters as well on the days that they are praying for us. This ward is super cool and I´m excited to continue to get to know them and build friendships with them.

We also had a BBQ on Saturday for the fourth!! GO AMERICA!! It was totally American and we had a blast!! Hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, watermelon, potato salad....and a football...we had everything except for fireworks...but we are not allowed to have those anyways!! It was so great!! I love the fourth of July...that is my favorite holiday.

Well those are the highlights from my week. Sister Psota and I are having a ton of fun together. We understand each other really well and laugh a lot. She is really great to work with!!

Have a great week!!
Sister Jones

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