This just in, from Frankfurt!!!
Hey fam damily! I still am pretty sensitive about the fact that you're in Disneyland without me, but I'll get over it. Hahahaha I can't believe Indiana Jones is closed down AGAIN. Syd, have you ever in your life been on it? It's only the best on there! Mom, I know how ya feel about long drives, but way to take one for the team. Your singing totally reminds me of a story Mr. Saxton told us in his Junior English class about how he and his companion would go on their missions to donate blood, and while they and all the other people were strapped down, they would share what they learned in studies that morning with each other all the way from the other side of the room, so that no one could run and they all had to listen to them talk about the Book of Mormon.
Dad, you gotta send me a picture of these techno-spire things! They sound pretty crazy. When I picture them I think of the Frankfurt skyline and the huge "Europa Turm" that's not too far from our window!
Speaking of Frankfurt...I love it. I honestly had no idea missionary work could be like this. We literally live 10 meters from the Headquarters and the Stake Center in a giant apartment complex that has four different elder companionships and like 6 or 7 senior couple companionships in it! The mission office is right around the corner, and every morning for morgen sport we play basketball in the church with us, the Zone Leaders, the Tech Elders, and the International Uni companionship. There is so much going on here! Unlike being in Narnia Karlsruhe where everything has to get shipped to us, we just walk five minutes to the mission office and pick up all the supplies we want. We have resources and plenty of man power, and it's awesome.
My new companion is Elder Matthew Chicky, from Greenville, South Carolina! He is in transfer 15 out of 16, so we're expecting that I'll "kill" him (he'll finish with me.) He is a VERY experienced missionary who is very dedicated to his mission and has incredible German. He has been in this same ward for a year now, and is well loved and respected by the members and missionaries of this area. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to serve and learn from him! Aside from the Uni Coordinator responsibility, Elder Chicky is the "Mini-Mission Coordinator". In the near future our mission is holding a "Mini-Mission" type deal, where the youth here in Germany can sign up to go on a mission for a week or two with a companionship of real missionaries, just to prepare them and get them excited for their missions! Elder Chicky is in charge of setting all that up, mission wide. So we may or may not be spending quite a while in the near future touring around the mission to get everything set up....we'll see. We're pretty excited. This week has been flying by though. We are committed to working as hard and as fast and as efficiently as possible, because Elder Chicky is aware that he only has 10 weeks left, and we're gonna work so hard that he passes out onto the plane. So wish us luck!
And how great was conference?! Killer. We all know that our favorite talks were from Priesthood session, like always. :) I especially liked President Uchtdorf's talk on not sleeping through the Restoration, because it's true! So many people in the church are stuck in this awkward situation where they feel like "k, the Church has been restored.....but the Savior hasn't returned yet....sooo....." Yes, the Church has been restored. But that doesn't mean the restoration is complete! In Jacob 5 it talks about laboring with all of our might WITH the master of the vineyard until the end. The harvest is not complete, so come work with the Lord! I can assure you that He is working with us. I have no doubt in my mind, I see evidence of it every day. He leads and guides us as missionaries, in our thoughts, words, and actions, and people are open to the gospel. If you maybe aren't sure how you can help out and work with us, I'll do what almost all missionaries do, and invite you to pray and ask where you can help! Ask to be able to recognize situations in which you could bring someone closer to Christ or the Church. They are all around us. They just need our love. And as President Monson said, "love is the very essence of the Gospel." It's true. The Church has been restored today. President Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God who receives revelation to lead His Church in these last days. Follow his counsel. I know the Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of the world, and that He loves us so much. He is working with us. Help out and you'll see. The Book of Mormon is true. It's comforting and assuring influence is needed in every corner of the world, and also right next door. I love this Church, I love this Gospel. People need it, and I feel so blessed to be able to cherish the blessings it brings to my life every day. Stay happy, stay positive, and stay strong, and rely on the Lord.
I love you all, and hope you have the best week ever! I'll get some more pictures this week and from later today as we're at Königstein, a sick castle, and I'll send you them sometime soon! Don't have too much fun in Cali without me!
No comments:
Post a Comment