Hello!

So on Monday evening it was -15 Celsius outside and our appointment fell through so we rode out to Alten Celle and did doors. Man it was REALLY cold! I asked Sister Stewart if we could stop at the McDonalds on our way home and warm up. She was cold too so we were both happy to stop and warm up. And we found out that the McDonalds had a cafe so we got some hot chocolate to warm up our insides too :) One lady we doored into asked us why we were out in the cold and that we should only go out in the summer. She was kind enough to let us come in for a few minutes to warm up, gave us some chocolate, and then sent us on our way again. Dad you mentioned that you were sorry when we have to spend time finding or going door to door but I really enjoy it. Or just when we get to talk to people on the street. Most people turn us down but as long as I tried to talk to them about the Gospel, then I've done my part. It's really fun going up to people on the street and when they don't speak German pulling out English. They think they can get away because they don't speak German. Speaking English is like a secret weapon here. When we tell them we speak English they're stuck! They have to talk to us :) We stopped an English man this past week on the street and he said ''Mein Deutsch ist nicht sehr gut'' but with a thick English accent so I said we speak English and he said, ''Oh buggar!''. He he, tricked him! :)

   Every Tuesday we work at the Tafel, a place that receives old food from grocery stores and gives to those who are refugees or very low income for free. We sort fruits and veggies there but we also have been making friends with some of the other workers. Since working there we have run into two other Tafel workers when we have been going door to door and it definitely helps us to make appointments when normally I don't think these people would have let us in. It's neat to see how one little thing like volunteering at the Tafel can open doors all over the place.

 

   Every Wednesday we have our district meeting. I really look forward to it because its a time where we can interact with other missionaries, get ideas on how to teach something better, and to uplift and edify one another. We got a new dristrict leader and he is just very excited to do missionary work and is very motivated. I really enjoy having him as our leader to help us all achieve the goals we set and to stay positive. I think many missionaries get into a groove and start to have a ba humbug attitude. I have been working very hard to stay positive through the cold and I think it has been paying off. When we can just look for the good or the things that are funny in situations it makes getting through maybe what would be a long day much easier. In our district meeting we decided to name this transfer ''The Big Picture'' so that we focus on the ultimate goal in the long run, to help eveyone get back to live with Heavenly Father. Then with each investigator we have to break it down to see what little things we can work on to build up to the bigger the things to help them return to live with Heavenly Father.

 

  So this week we had an AMAZING lesson with a girl that we have been teaching. We orinigally planned to teach her the Plan of Salvation but when we got caught up with one another she asked us the basics of what we believe and so Sister Stewart and I began on the Restoration lesson. We went really thoroughly and slowly. I think it is the best lesson we have ever taught together. She was so excited the whole time and just soaked everything up! At the end Sister Stewart and I both shared our testimonies of the Book of Mormon and the church with her. She told us that when Sister Stewart and I first knocked on her door she normally would have been afraid to talk to anyone but she felt something good when she saw us and knew she needed to talk to us. It is so amazing to teach her. She loves learning about this Gospel so much. At the end of the lesson I wasn't sure if I wanted to cry, scream, shout, laugh, jump up and down or what. It was just too amazing. The most amazing part for me is being able to look back in my journal to the 14th of January, when we talked to a man on the street for 45 minutes who ended up being interested in a Book of Mormon. He gave us his address, and the next day we dropped off a Book of Mormon and then klingeled or rang doors of the rest of his building. He lives in the same building as our investigator does. If we hadn't stopped to talk to this man we would have never found her. We definitely cannot judge what little actions will lead to we just need to make sure we take the oppportunity to talk to everyone.

 

   I ate my first döner this week. It's a big popular thing to eat here. It's a Turkish twist with a German twist on the Gyro. I'll be sure to send a picture of it later. There was enough food for a small nation. I'm not sure if I'll eat one of those again but it was fun to experience.

 

   Well I love you all! I hope you all are having a fabulously warm week. It's supposed to start getting warmer here, like 0 Celsius. Sister Stewart and I are very excited! :) Thanks for all your love and support! Remember to do good work and not to stress out too much! Love you!

 

-Ariel Nell