Missionsarbeit!!! Servus!

Picture explanation: here is the "run-off crew," who ran down the gleis

as the people on trains left :) The advantage of a train station!

 

 

Schönen guten Tag miteinand! 

 

So, Dad asked if I had ever received Justin´s package, and the answer is yes. That was like 8 weeks ago, and I swear I sent an email to Justin saying thanks. If it didn´t get to him, tell him sorry for me. :/ Crazy that they only have one more month in England! How will I ever get there?...

 

Anyway, I will let you know what is going on with our investigators. We met with D_____ and L_____ again for the first time in 2 weeks, and bascially D_____ just prached to us the whole time. We agreed with what he said of course, and tried to show him something cool called the Book of Mormon, which also contains the word of God, but he just wouldn't stop talking. So we are not going to keep going, unless we can meet with L_____ alone or unless they have a big eye-opening moment and realize that the Book of Mormon teaches the same gospel as the Bible. Read 2 Nephi 3:12, people! Haha. M_____ texted us and told us she had no time this week to meet with us. Except we ran into her at a subway stop with some friends... She also didn't come to church. K_____ texted us last Monday and said he was just too overwhelmed and everyone expected him to do everything right, and so we didn't see him this week either. And he skipped out on church again. Still haven't heard anything from D_____ (not same as "D" above) for weeks. We gave quite a few people to the International ward elders, like I said. Saturday night we called basically everyone and tried to remind them about church, and no one answered. Therefore no one came. Except, Elder Hansen from International gave a card to an older lady on the Bahn who later called him, and they brought her to our ward. She was way nice, and we have an appointment on Wednesday, but then she called Elder Hansen and asked if he was going to be at the appointment, and she said if he wasn't then she was going to cancel our appointment and find out when Elder Hansen could do it. So now we have to try and figure out how to teach someone who may or may not just like a missionary who is there. Tis frustrating work. As well with all the potentials that we found last transfer, we call them pretty often and try to set things up, but no one answers their phones. Doof. 

 

BUT!!!! Let me tell you a cool story now :) Opposition in all things, ge? On Wednesday we were on an sbahn and headed somewhere, and there was a guy that sat down next to Elder Horlacher. He was reading a magazine with a guitar on the front, and I thought, "I would totally ask him about guitars." But he was too far away from me to start a "normal" conversation (or any conversation at all). Then Elder Horlacher asked the same question, do you play the guitar? And we started talking. We walked with him up some stairs and talked about what we do--and then who do we see but N_____, the nice mom who helped us out a couple weeks ago and invited us for dinner! So we stopped her, and Elder Horlacher talked to her and I continued talking to R_____ (this man) and then we made out an appointment for Friday and he said thanks, took a BoM and left. So, we went by on Friday and had a great discussion with him! He had an awesome picture depicting the battle between good and evil, with the forces of bad in the waves of a storm-tossed sea and the forces of good in the heavens. HE thinks it is awesome, and I do too. :) He knows so much truth, he is a son of God! He just needs the restored gospel! He was raised athiest, but has long been on the search because he knows there is more there. He is actually a tattoo artist on the side, and he told us some stories behind some of his tattoos, which mostly symbolized God and His allseeing eye and also his light, in the form of a lighthouse. He even told us that yeah, the body is a temple, and he knows he has partially destroyed his already. First step, recognizing :) He is so cool. At the end we said a prayer. And after the prayer, he told us, " I want you guys to know that you are a sign for me. I´ve prayed on a few different occasions in my life for guidance from God in finding the right path. I also prayed again a couple weeks ago, and now you are here!" So Elder Horlacher and I look at each other and are amazed! We talked so much about that afterward, about how that has never happened to us before. Normally we hear someone´s story about how they came to their faith, and then we know the story about how he missionaries met them or found them, and WE know that God had His hand in it, but the person doesn''t. But this time, this man was telling us that! I like it :) We are meeting again this week. Cool thing, he is married with small daughter! Familie! :) Yay. We were very happy. And even though the weather literally rained on our parade, and we got soaked all the way through, we were happy :) Being happy is fun. 

 

We said goodbye to all the departing missionaries on Thursday. It was a weird feeling, sending some of what I look at as my "flock" away. Hope to see them again. I spent the entire day on Thursday on Banhhof, sending out pick-up parties and making sure that everyone got on their trains. And the best part was, I woke up that morning with tons of phlegm in my throat. My voice got deeper and deeper as the day went on haha. So all the goldens show up at Hbf and find one of their zone leaders who sounds like a weirdo. It´s okay, they were totally out of it. Guess what? 3 of the 5 new goldens in Stuttgart zone are from Canada. That means that all of the Canadians in the mission are in Stuttgart zone. As far as I know. Pretty cool, eh? ;) But they are all awesome. 

 

So this week, we are really looking to start getting the members involved in our work. We have tried many different things in the last few weeks to try and get the work going even faster, but we can´t do it without the members. We have been pretty slow the last few weeks, and we are tired of it. So the only way to go is up! 

 

Hey, today I want to go buy a shoulder bag, just a smaller one, because they are encouraging those now more than ever with the new dress code. Elder Nelson doesn´t like the backpack look, Sister Miles has told us. We look like students, I guess, haha. But I wanted to let you know, so you know it is me. 

 

Hey, ich hab jetzt, uh, I have a request for you! Could you send me pictures of all my friends who are on missions, so I can download them onto my thumbdrive? It is so cool to see them all wearing the same badge :) Maybe one day I will make a collage out of it. Just came to my mind. 

 

Anyway, what more can I say today? The work is true. Faith is a real power. Jesus Christ is the only sure foundation. Life is wonderful, even when it isn´t always rainbows and butterflies. Can´t buy happiness. Happiness is found in living the gospel of Jesus Christ. Of that I testify. 

 

Thanks for writing me so loyally every week! :) It gives me strength and I feel your love. Mine is coming right back at you! Thanks for all you do, and forgive me when I don´t express my gratitude and feelings as well as I should/would/could. I love you all, though! Have a great week! Keep smiling :)

 

Elder "Brother of Tyson" Gibbons ;)