Week one of being an STL!!!!! AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!
Seriously. What did we even do this week? I honestly can't remember. We met with some people, talked about the Gospel, did some REALLY awkward role plays. We were basically missionaries. We did call-in's for the first time yesterday. That was fun. We have call-in's every Sunday night where we talk to our Disteict Leader, STL's, and the Zone Leaders if you have a baptismal date set. Now that we're the STL's though, we have to call all the sisters (which is only two companionships so it's not too bad), the district leaders of the sisters, our District Leader, and the Zone Leaders. IT IS SO MANY PEOPLE. Actually not, but it definitely seemed like a lot. But I didn't even participate in half of the calls because Frau Bezold came up to our apartment and asked us to help her read her electricity meter thing because she's too short to read it but it took her an hour for her to actually ask us because she talks for FOREVER. But she's cute and we're friends and she agreed to let us bring a Book of Mormon to her! Finding through serving tiny old ladies. It's great. :) So, the beautiful Sister Clifford is training. Her New Missionary is actually German, and she is fantastic! She get's to come to Nürnberg on her first split, and it's going to be great.
Zone Training is Friday Sis. Riser and I are giving a Thema on Emotional Stress. We're still not entirely sure what we're going to do for it. It's fine. We'll figure it out. Hopefully before Thursday night/Fridayy morning. We'll see.
....I really have nothing. This is so bad! I promise we did stuff! Even proper missionary stuff!!! I just can't remember..... It has been pretty rainy this week. We went by on a less-active member and it started raining, but it was an awesome, spring rain that wasn't too cold. We had no umbrellas and were appropriately soaked. It was so much fun. :)
OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ZEYNEP IS GETTING BAPTIZED TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How could I forget that!?!?!?!?!? Oh my gosh! I have not been this excited since EVER. Zeynep has not been this excited since ever!!!! It is tomorrow!!!!!!!! Oh my gosh. We still have so much to do, but EVERYONE is super excited. Zeynep has been so ready for this since long before I got to Nürnberg and I can't even tell you how happy I am for her that she's finally made this decision. She is so incredibly excited and she KNOWS she is making the right choice. It's hard for her, because everything in her life isn't perfect and the reasons that kept her from being baptized last year aren't entirely resolved, but she is committed. Her testimony is strong, and she is ready to receive the Holy Ghost and start preparing to go to the temple next year. By the way, I will be home by the time she goes to the temple. And she wants to go to the Salt Lake Temple. Elder Clawson and I might have already planned her temple tour of Utah..... It's going to be fantastic.
Friends, family, random acquaintances who really are just not friends yet, I really can't explain how ecstatic I am for tomorrow. Zeynep is making the first covenant that will put her on the path to Eternal Life. She is going to be cleansed of all her sins, and receive the Holy Ghost through the proper priesthood authority of God. How incredible is that? This beautiful Daughter of God has been waiting for over a year to receive this ordinance, and then 23 years before that wondering who God was and if He really cared about her. Tomorrow she gets to take her first big step back to Him. The Gospel is a beautiful thing.
Well, I think that's it. Really, my mind is totally blank because I can't stop thinking about Zeynep. It's going to be so great. I am so excited. I KNOW that this Gospel is true. The last few weeks I got slammed with this wave of depression that was not fun, but I know that I am only going to be stronger because of it. There's a quote from Jeffrey R. Holland that I read during personal study his morning that I really liked. He said that when life gets tough, just remember that we have help from both sides of the veil. If we could see the Angels with their chariots of Fire racing to our rescue, we would never be worried about anything (I would quote it exactly, but I don't have the quote on me). It just really made me think about how much I think about the help we have from Heaven every day. It's incredible, and it just strengthens my faith and encourages me to continue to make my prayers to Father in Heaven more meaningful and to have the courage and faith to ask for bold things for my investigators. Because really, they are His children that we have been allowed to teach and when we ask for the things that will help them progress and come to recognize the truth of the Restored Gospel, those prayers WILL be answered. That is truly incredible.
I love you all! Have a fantastic day, and a wonder-filled week!Liebe Grüße,Sister John
To be quite honest, I am convinced I will never have a normal transfer on my mission.This is week one of my fifth transfer, and the only "normal" transfer I've had was the very first one, and even that doesn't really count because I kind of changed countries that first transfer. Anyways, not to keep y'all in suspense for too long, but there has literally been something super crazy happen every transfer of my mission. Changing countries, sending two companions home, taking over two areas and being in a drit, and now this! We had transfer calls on Saturday and we all got a text saying at President Stoddard would be doing the leadership calls starting at 14:00 and then the Assistants would do transfer calls at 17:00. We were doing district finding in Regensberg, and it was like, 13:30. And then we got a call from President. Sis. Clifford answered and promptly got called to be a Trainer! She is going to be so great. I'm so excited to see her work with her new missionary. She'll be great. So yeah. That was all well and exciting. Until President Stoddard said he needed to talk to her companion. "Oh yeah? Which one?" "Both of them, actually."
WAT.
Sis. Riser went first, and she got called to be a Sister Training Leader!!! She is going to be the best STL. Really. Her leadership skills are phenomenal, and she loves the people she works with. She will be so awesome.
Anyways, after Sis. Riser talks to President she gives me the phone. Keep in mind that I have been convinced this entire transfer that I would be leaving Nürnberg. It was bad. I have been very, very sad about that because the last thing I want to do is leave Nürnberg. I was super sad and now President wanted to talk to me, and I was freaking out. When President does leadership calls, if you're a sister you're either getting called as a Trainer, or a Sister Training Leader. I kind of don't want to be a Trainer right now, and there is NO WAY I could get called as an STL. Right? WRONG.
They have re-opened the Coburg sisters area, and we now have STL's in Nürnberg! Of which I am one. Which is kind of overwhelming. But I get to stay! And it's great! Never mind the fact that neither I, or Sis. Riser know what we're doing!!! Yay for adventure!!!! Anyways, that was the crazy thing for this transfer. At least, I hope that it's the only crazy thing for the transfer. With the whole added responsibility and lack of training and all that, I am ready for a normal(ish) transfer. We'll see if that actually happens.
Well, we don't have a lot of time for emails this week. Ugh. What even happened? We found two SUPER FANTASTIC potential investigators in Regensberg (which is BEAUTIFUL by the way), had a surprise birthday party for Sis. Clifford, and visited this AWESOME family in Feucht. They're from Russia. I love them a lot.
ALSO!!!!! Two of the Elder's investigators got baptized and it was SO COOL!!!!!!!! Their names are Rick and Thomas, and they are incredible. I love them both so much. After church on Sunday, we went and had a barbecue at their house. It was delicious. There was much happiness. Anyways, it was a cool week. The church is true, and I know that with all of my being. Our Heavenly Father is God Almighty. How cool is that?I love you all! Have an awesome day, and a wonderful week!Liebe Grüße,Sister John
Okay, actual weekly email!!!!General Conference was amazing!!!! We watched it in English, but it was so cool! Also, we still haven't watched the Sunday afternoon session, but we'll do that Sunday during Relief Society. It will be awesome. :)
Also, can we just appreciate Elder Ballard's talk? It was so good. I really liked the emphasis on talking as a family and just being loving and giving correction in a loving manner and having love as the motive for aforementioned correction. I know it's definitely something I want to apply to my future family. That won't be for a long time though, so I'm excited for the practice with my future roommates in college. :) As for Präsident Uchtdorf's ansprache.... You all heard it from a General Authority. German is the Celestial language. So you'd better start studying. ;) But really, I love German. It is a beautiful language and the more I learn the more I love it. Also, the more I love the people, the more I love the language and vice versa. It is fantastic, and basically I just really love Germany. :)
We haven't had to wear tights the past three days. It has been heavenly. We're going to Bamberg today. I've never been, but it's supposed to be really pretty. Hopefully I will get some good pictures to send to y'all. Other than that, it's been a pretty calm week. By calm, I mean super crazy with lots of traveling between cities, but it's been great. :) Oh, and we also set a baptismal date this week. No big deal. ;) But really, Conference brings miracles!!! One of the investigators from Feucht said that he was going to come to General Conference on Sunday. Then Sunday morning he texted us and said he wouldn't come after all. We texted him back saying, "God will bless you if you come to General Conference today." He did not reply.... :( Then, one hour before conference is scheduled to start, he calls us and says that he's coming!!!! And he came!!!!!!!!! It was super cool. We sat and watched conference together and he was kind of confused because we watched Saturday Afternoon and the sustaining of general authorities is kind of confusing if you don't understand what's going on, but then we got into the talks and he was okay, but not blown-out-of-the-water okay, which is what we had been hoping for. BUT THEN. The choir sang Israel, Israel, God is Calling and SOMETHING HAPPENED. He said, "I love that song! I want to be a part of Isarael! I know I missed the last baptismal service, but can you tell me when the next one is? I want to be baptized." IT WAS SO COOL!!!!
This man had denied a baptismal invitation two weeks earlier, and had discontinued meeting with us, and now he's getting baptized. If that's not the power of the Holy Ghost unto conversion, I don't know what is. I cannot even begin to tell you about all of the miracles that happen every week. Being in a drit has been tough sometimes, but we've been able to balance two areas, two investigator pools, and two wards. We're going to transform the Nürnberg ward, and work even harder than ever. It has been such a blessing. We've had to work for these miracles, but every moment has been worth it. I am happy. :) I love you. Ea ch and every one of you. I don't know all of you personally, but I want you to know how grateful I am that you take the time to read these emails. I know I'm just a punk 21 year old in Germany, but I'm also a missionary for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Your support means the WORLD to me. Even if all you do is feel good while reading an email. That makes a difference. And that good feeling? I'm pretty sure that's the Spirit. I hope it's the Spirit. And I hope you pursue that feeling and try and keep it with you all the time. Because it's really cool when you can. Maybe you can ask your local, lovable, LDS missionaries to help you out. ;)
I love you all! Have a fantastic day, and a herrlich week!!!!Liebe Grüße,Sister John
