Sister Bakker and I went to Nürnberg!!!!!!

Liebe Familie und Freunde,

This week, we did stuff. Namely, Christmas stuff. We went caroling with the Elders and the Zink's! We kidnapped a kid from the ward to come sing with us after we sang at his house! It was great! A great time was had by all! So obviously, no one took pictures. Schade. But it's okay! Because this week we went to Nürnberg for P-Day (yet again), and look who I found!!!!

 

SISTER BAKKER!!!!

Several dreams were fulfilled on this p-day. 

1. Sister Bakker was able to go to the city she has dreamed about since the MTC. 
2. Sister Bakker and I were TOGETHER in our beloved Nürnberg, and it was glorious. 
3. I bought a plant that is guaranteed to never die. No matter what. It's great. 

All-in-all, it was a great day. :)

As far as the week goes, that was also good. We went caroling and only sounded mildly terrible. We did take a kid named Leon with us once we went by his family. He definitely helped sound and tone-wise. I am constantly amazed with the youth here. Especially the Young Men. Everyone is practically brothers with each other and they are all best friends. It's cool to see how tight and family-like this ward is. It's even cooler to see how much they take care of each other. I really love the Erlangen Ward. I am so grateful that I get to serve here. :)

We have zone training tomorrow! I'm very excited to hear the Thema's that will be given. Sister Quain is going to be saying her first public prayer in German! She's going to do great, I just know it. :) We've been working a lot on pronunciation and reading skills this week. Sister Quain continues to astound me with how fast she learns. We'll practice a vowel combination and then she'll start to correct herself when we read together in German. It's really cool to see, and I'm excited to see how much she learns by the end of our time together. :)

This week, Sister Quain and I were asked to come up with a weekly challenge for the Zone that will help us work toward our zone baptismal date goal. We chose to have everyone do their best to show the Light the World video as much as possible before Christmas. It's the last week for the Christmas Initiative, and we want to push ourselves! I also want to invite you to share the video with someone you know this week. And when you share the video, bear your testimony of Jesus Christ as your Savior. Because a nice video is good and all, but it's the Spirit and the testimony behind it that make the difference, and it's a difference we all can make. :) So go share your testimonies and light the world around you!

I love you all! Sorry the last few weeks have been kind of sparse, but we haven't had a ton of time. But I want you to know that I KNOW that Jesus Christ is the living Son of the living God. He loves us, and He died for our sins. He gave us the greatest gift possible because we couldn't give it to ourselves. He wants he best for us, and He will help us through all of our trials. I know that, and I know that He loves each and every one of you. If you have doubts, please, just ask Him what He thinks. There is no such thing as "too far" or "too bad." He loves all of us, and He wants to help us. 

I love you. Have a great day, and an amazing week, and an absolutely lovely Christmas. :)

Liebe Grüße,

Sister John

Frohe Weihnachten!

We have the Area Book planner app..... but it's hard to use without wi-fi, and Sister Quain has been doing the planning for this week. So I made another planner cover. It's not finished yet, but hopefully by tomorrow. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We hiked up to the castle. It was a grand time. I have missed this Sister so much. :)

 

 

 

 

The BEST Lebkuchen in ALL of Germany. ;)

Street Displays and More Christmas Miracles

Liebe Familie und Freunde,

 

My hands are cold again. Motor skills are not at their finest. Please excuse me. 

 

This week was pretty great! We had a street display in Erlangen and it was way long, but way good! We spent five hours talking to people, and Sister Quain was way awesome! She only talked to four or five people on her own, but each of those people talked to her for 10 minutes (only one) or 30 or longer (everyone else)!!!! She did a great job, and she basically doesn't even need me anymore as a trainer. But she's stuck with me for the next seven weeks, so too bad. ;)

 

As far as the rest of the week goes, Sunday was definitely the highlight of the week. One of the people we talked to at the street display came to church! That was way cool! Also, Sister Quain and I saw a Miracle! We sat down for Sacrament Meeting, and a few minutes after the meeting started, this woman and man come in and sit right next to us. We don't recognize them, but we figure they're probably visiting or less-active so we'll talk to them after Sacrament. Well, the meeting ends, and we start talking to this woman. Turns out, she had met the Elders once before a couple months ago because they were visiting her friend and for reasons I still don't understand they had to meet at her house with her friend, her, and her husband. Well, her husband died a week ago, and she wanted to go to church (but not her church because she doesn't have friends there  and hasn't learned anything as well) so her friend who the Elders went to visit took her to our church. A ton of members came and shook her hand and welcomed her to church and she loved it! She kept telling us how she loved how everyone was so friendly, and it wasn't like other churches where you just have to go enough times to start recognizing faces. She was so nice and she wants to come back and learn more! So we tausched phone numbers and we're going to meet with her this week to help her learn more, and specifically learn about where her husband is and how she can be with him for eternity. Needless to say, we love her so much already and we're really excited to meet with her. :)

 

We had originally wanted to go to Regensburg today, but the Bayreuth Elder's train was delayed so we missed the train by LITERALLY five seconds. So we spent the day at the Nürnberg Christmas Market again. Totally not complaining about that. :)

 

I had my quarterly interview with President on Friday. I love my mission President so much. He is absolutely fantastic. Every time that I talk with President Stoddard I learn so much. And I know that he loves me. He loves every single one of us. Just like Christ does. 

 

The amount of love that I have felt on my mission is incredible. And whenever I try to think of the amount of love that Christ has for us, for EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US, I can't even comprehend it. He suffered the pains of our sins for us so we don't have to. He helps us with our problems and helps us erase our mistakes. It's hard, but He does it because He loves us. The Atonement is real, and it's powerful. And it starts this month with the birth of a little baby. That is incredible. That is the real miracle of Christmas. 

 

I love you all, so much. Thank you for trying to find ways to serve others, and listening to the Spirit as you serve. Friends have been helped, and lives have been lifted because of your efforts. Thank you for showing the Light of Christ within you. 

 

I love you. Have a great day, and an amazing week!

 

Liebe Grüße,

Sister John

 

Frohe Weihnachten!

 

One of the Christmas markets in Erlangen. It's a bit older and medieval themed, so it's pretty cool. Ellie would like it a lot. :)

 

 

 

 The lighting was perfect the other day on our way home from church. I only had my iPad dabei, but it was beautiful, I promise!

 

                                           There were SO MANY ducks!!!

A Slow Week, but Christmas is Coming!

Lieber Familie und Freunde,

Today we are in Nürnberg for the Christkindlesmarkt and it is absolutely FREEZING. It didn't actually snow, but this morning there were ice crystals floating in the air that kind of looked like snow. Maybe we can get some more people to let us in their homes at least for a few minutes to warm up. And share a message about the Gospel. ;)

This week we didn't have a lot happen work-wise, but it was still a really good week. We had a lesson with our miracle man from last week with a member of our ward dabei and that was pretty cool. He mostly just wanted to discuss about different religions and the similarities and differences and what we can do to respect each other more. It was a good conversation, and we were able to work parts of the Restoration into what we talked about, so it worked out pretty well. We just need to meet with him again to finish it the whole story. :)

Our church meetings this week were fantastic. This ward keeps surprising me with the amount of love and care that they keep showing us. After Sacrament meeting, a woman from the ward came up to us and said, "Tuesday is Saint Nikolaus day and I wanted to make sure that you have something." And then she gave us chocolate bears. It was way sweet. Both literally and figuratively. I love how the ward keeps looking out for us. It is a great feeling, and a great thing in general. I hope you all are making sure that your missionaries in your wards feel loved! Because missionaries are people too, and sometimes we need a bit of extra love. 

This Saturday we have transfer calls. It feels like those were just a week ago, really. Five week transfers are weird. But it will be fun. We're getting at least one new district member because Elder Barnhill is going home. That will be sad, because he's a great Elder. He was district leader in Michelstadt when I was in Frankfurt and it was so much fun to be in the same district this transfer. But yeah. Everyone goes home eventually. 

Sorry for the sparseness of this letter. My fingers are cold and typing is slow going. 

The Sister Training Leaders came to our district meeting last week, and our Ehepaar, Sister and Elder Green, made us a funfetti cake. You know, the white cake with the sprinkles in it that looks really yummy but it is actually just pure sugar and really gross? Yeah, we had that and it was good, but WAY too sweet. Sister Young told me that I've become a German because I don't like anything too sweet or American. I personally don't see anything wrong with that. But as Sister Quain and I went through the rest of the week, we kept finding more and more ways I've become German. I even look German! But then I open my mouth and everyone hears how American I actually am. To be fair, the German accent is hard. At least no one thinks I'm from England anymore. That was just embarrassing. :P

As far as spiritual stuff for the week, it was a great week for studies. I've actually been studying the Isaiah chapters found in 2 Nephi and it's been really great. I've learned a lot about how the Lord helps us with our fears and our challenges. He never leaves us alone, and He always gives us exactly what we need. There's a Mormon Message called, 'The Refiner's Fire' and I would recommend that you all watch it. In it, a woman talks about her experience with cancer in her family and how she was given help and strengthened through the challenges of supporting her family go through their various forms of treatment. It's a great testament to me that the Lord gives us what we need, when we need it. We don't always want or understand it when we receive the challenges and trials He gives us, but it always helps us become more loving and Christ-like. 

In this Christmas season, I'd like to invite you all to do an act of absolute Christ-like service. It doesn't have to be big or especially special. It can be something small, like helping someone with their groceries. But help someone this week purely because you want to help them. Not because it's an organized service project, or your parents told you to, or because you might get something in return. Just do it because they need help, and you are able to help. I promise that you will feel God's love for them, and for you as you do so with an open heart. And if you need ideas on what to do, there's 25 of them on Mormon.org right now for the Christmas Initiative. If you're feeling extra motivated, you could do one every single day and bring the light of Christ into the lives of even more people, and strengthen your own light in the process. You know, if you're feeling up to the challenge. ;)

I love you all! I hope you're having a great day, and a fantastic week! If not, I wish you both of those things!

Liebe Grüße,

Sister John

These are the only two photos I got from today.... But it was so cool to be back in Nürnberg for Christmas. If y'all ever get the chance to go to Germany for Christmas, don't even think, just do it! It will be the best decision you ever make. I promise. :)