Monday, June 25, 2012

From Dad

Hey Dad!
Sorry you're feeling so alone without Mum there. No worries, she will be coming home soon! I'm glad Eli had so much fun at scout camp! He sounds like he is growing up fast. I'm bummed not to be there running around with him. I miss running errands with Eli. And I'm and SUPER jealous that you guys will be going to the crayola factory. Please please please take lots of pictures! Have fun with Eli this week in New York. I Hope you guys go visit Palmyra and the sacred grove. That would be a really neat experience. How come you guys changed from the west coast to the east coast? Is it better in price?

Good luck in the 4th of July Parade! It sounds like Jesse and Stephanie have done a great job organizing it! Will you and Eli be walking in it? I take the driving test again on tuesday. The driving school man that has been helping me through the whole process said good things come in threes right, so hopefully I get it this time. President Pimentel said that the first two times were just practice and now this is the real deal. I didn't realize that you had two mission Presidents too. I'm sad the Pimentels are leaving because they both mean so much to me but I'm excited to visit them after the mission. They only live an hour away from Sister Openshaw so we're planning a trip to visit each other and the Pimentels when we're both done. President and Sister Pimentel are both great examples of Sacrifice and hard workers. I'm excited for the new Mission President too. They're actually from Cottbus, a city that Sister Openshaw served in. It'll be interesting to learn from his guidance and teaching.

Wednesday we went to Hannover to say good bye to the Pimentels since we will be getting our new mission President this Friday. I've attached two pictures I took with them after the conference. I can't remember which one looked better.

Thats super cool that the Douglas' have been called as Mission Presidents! They will do a fabulous job. Who is going to take care of Becky's rising star outreach program while she is gone? Stefan would be the best Primary President, haha! Too bad it isn't a Priesthood calling.

I got my hair cut this week and it was a scary experience. I felt like I was going to get a tattoo or piercing or something. The whole time I was thinking of Geoff and Jen Frost. I can't wait to have them cut my hair again! Schwester Mußmann got her temple recommend yesterday! She cried when she realized what it was. Sister Openshaw and I are so excited for our Branch to go to the temple. Our temple trip on the 28th of July is buzzing news around here. I'm really looking forward to being with them all as they attend the temple. I know it will really strengthen our branch.

Dad, what does cieled (jeremiah 22:14) and bereave (jeremiah 15:7) mean?

Have a great week and fun time with Eli. I love and miss you!

New week, New experiences

Hey Dad!

 I take the driving test again on Tuesday. The driving school man that has been helping me through the whole process said good things come in threes right, so hopefully I get it this time. President Pimentel said that the first two times were just practice and now this is the real deal. I didn't realize that you had two mission Presidents too. I'm sad the Pimentels are leaving because they both mean so much to me but I'm excited to visit them after the mission. They only live an hour away from Sister Openshaw so we're planning a trip to visit each other and the Pimentels when we're both done. President and Sister Pimentel are both great examples of sacrifice and hard workers. I'm excited for the new Mission President too. They're actually from Cottbus, a city that Sister Openshaw served in here in Germany. It'll be interesting to learn from his guidance and teaching.  Wednesday we went to Hannover to say good bye to the Pimentels since we will be getting our new mission President this Friday.
Last week I spoke in church about repentance. Moroni describes repenting and putting off everything that is ungodly and loving God unconditionally. I taught that the way to do that is to make sure the desires of our hearts were focused on God and our ultimate goal, eternal life, and to be open to correction or chastisement. Well thing is the word for being addicted to drugs  (suchtig) is very similar to chastise (zuchtigt). So it turns out I was telling everyone to be addicted to drugs to repent instead of being willing to be chastised. Oh well... speaking German is a work in progress.
   I got my hair cut this week and it was a scary experience. I felt like I was going to get a tattoo or piercing or something. The whole time I was thinking of Geoff and Jen Frost. I can't wait to have them cut my hair again! 

Schwester Mußmann got her temple recommend yesterday! She cried when she realized what it was. Sister Openshaw and I are so excited for our Branch to go to the temple. Our temple trip at the end of July is buzzing news around here. I'm really looking forward to being with them all as they attend the temple. I know it will really strengthen our branch. 
 

Down Under


  Good news: I got my hair cut last Monday. Bad news: it was the scariest experience of my life! The lady asked me if I normally had a scared look on my face, Ha! I felt like I was getting a piercing or tattoo or something. She asked Sister Openshaw if she was next and she said she was thinking in her head,''NO! Look what you're doing to my friend!'' It's more chunky and not very even but from far away it looks good.
  On Tuesday we explained to Scwester Mußmann about our ward temple trip. She started crying when she realized that 4 people were going to go to the temple. She said ''Mensch ist das toll!''(Roughly translates to "Man is great!") It was precious. She got her own temple recommend yesterday and will be going to receive her own endowment soon. She was so happy to tears again yesterday. We went to Hannover on Wednesday to say good bye to the Pimentels. They leave on Friday when our new mission president and wife come in. I've attached a picture of me and the Pimentels. I then gave Sister Openshaw a trim for her hair and it's looking good. I just got rid of the nasty ends.
  One of our members is really concerned for our 4th of July plans and has made sure that we will celebrate. It's kind of funny because we would both love to celebrate but we're German now. I think it's rude to celebrate here. So Sister Openshaw and I decided we would roast marshmellows and eat watermelon with our FHE group.
  Our stake president came to visit yesterday and so did a few other members from our stake. Sacrament meeting was so amazing! Our Stake President, President Langer, kind of looks like President Uchtdorf. He talked about how when we choose to be happy and want to the live the gospel can the church grow stronger. Another man, Bruder Schulzer talked about missionary work. He explained the story of the man throwing star-fish into the sea after a storm and someone telling him he couldn't make a difference since the shore was covered in Starfish. He then responded and said, " Ask the starfish I threw in if it made a difference or not". Its important to not get focused on the number we get but that we help one soul come unto Christ. I really loved it and I think it really was inspired for our ward to hear.
  Yesterday we doored a small dorf called Emersleben and the last man we talked to said he was really interested and we set up a return appointment! I am really excited to go back to talk to him! I'll let you know how it goes. I take the driving test again tomorrow so try and throw a prayer in there for me please! Have a fabulous week and tell everyone hello and I love them and tell Khat that I'm thinking of her and hope that she has a fabulous sealing! I'm so excited for them. Have fun Mumma. Love you!
Ariel Nell

My haircut

Me and President & Sister Pimentel

Me in Emersleben dooring

Sister Openshaw in Emersleben

Summer thunderstorms

Lyndel wrote the following to Ariel : It's Friday evening at 7:14pm, I just came home from a short run. Sitting on the white rocking chair on my front porch listening to the fat rain drops as they fill my nose with their usual scent and sharp, angry claps of thunder. This is the first summer thunderstorm. Just wanted to tell you so you wouldn't miss out.

Ariel's response:
Thanks soooooooooooooo much! I want to cry!  I miss the summer thunder storms so very much! I think I have heard thunder clap twice since I've been in Germany. Sounds magnificent!!!

Hi ya!

Lyndel,
  ASB ladies are the bomb! I love visiting them. Frau Ulrich and Frau Kluger sort of got in a fight this past Friday. Frau Ulrich was being mean again and Frau Kluger told her to shut her mouth, haha! Its fun to visit with them and to hear whats been going on in their week. They get so excited to see us, its cute. 
 
   We did have luck this past week looking for new people. We spent a lot of time dooring and there was just a lot of not very friendly people open or ready to talk to us. Yesterday after our eating appointment with our Branch President and his wife we decided to door his dorf and there were a lot of people that were willing to talk to us.  At the last man we doored into, we introduced ourselves and the Book of Mormon and explained a little about it and told him that we invited people to read it and pray to find out if its true. We then asked if he was interested in having a Book of Mormon and meeting with us so that we could explain a little more and he said that he actually was interested!! So cool. I'm looking forward to going to visit/teach him next Sunday. I'll let you know how it goes. 
 
  The Investigators we have been working with are all progressing which is really good. Some are having commitment issues and others are having testimony issues. We've been preparing baptism calendars for the ones with baptismal dates this past week. It gives them something to do each day leading up to their baptism and then a little after. Our next transfer will start July 16th and we will find out on the 14th if we stay or not. I have no idea what will happen. I hope we both can stay together.
 
   I take the driving test again tomorrow. Third times the charm right? I hope so! Here is one of the questions that is on the test ( I have a program that I've been using to practice with): Driving at night to the next Discotheque is a car, a group of young men and women want to keep spirits high during the journey. They thus sing exuberantly, laugh, and turn up the volume on the car radio. How should the driver of the car react in such a situation? I thought this one was funny so I wrote it down. That's one of the easier questions. 
 
   So recently we've noticed we've been leaving our house on time to get somewhere and then as we're on our way we always have like 5 minutes to get there. Yesterday we figured out the Phenomenon. It's called: the clock on our wall was 25 minutes slow! Our job for today is to get a new clock because the one on our wall keeps getting slower and slower even though we reset it. 
  Love you bunches!
-Ariel Nell

Hi there!


Excerpt from Ariel's email to Andre

Andre, I scared the willies out of Sister Openshaw when you started talking, she was writing a letter and then when your voice came on she jumped and scribbled all over her paper! I want to wet my pants it was soo funny!
 
Oh man!! 90°F I'm jealous! I keep telling the members I want to sweat and miss the heat. Thanks Andre, I'm telling people to do drugs. I get the ''she don't make sense'' look a lot or maybe sister Openshaw gets it more and she tells me about it.
   
 Our Branch is doing well. Schwester Mußmann got her temple recommend to receive her endowment yesterday and she cried with joy when she realized what it was. The other three members are SUPER excited and two will be getting their Patriarchal blessings on the 8th of July. Our temple trip is buzzing news around here and everyone is really looking forward to it. It only takes 2 hours to get to the freiberg or Frankfurt temple. Since Frankfurt isn't in our mission we asked everyone if they wouldn't mind going to the Freiberg temple so we could come along. So we will be able to do it in one day. We plan to do the 10 am baptismal session and then have a picnic outsides afterwards. 
  
 The temple in the Amazon sounds wonderful. Is it Beautiful? How many temples does Brazil have?
   Is tripper going to start staying with you when Ellens parents come again and bring the dogs?
 
Yesterday we were dooring in a dorf and there was this one dog that ran out to meet us and didn't start barking at us until his owner came out. He was all smack and not bite. It made me think of your dog friend you had on your mission. There are two doggy friends I have here. They're super sweet. I miss playing with Darcy. 
 
  Our Stake President visited our Branch yesterday. He had a really wonderful message to share with everyone and he kind of looked like President Uchtdorf. I got my hair cut on monday. That was scary. Did you cut your own hair on your mission? We will be getting a new mission president on Friday. I'm sad to say good bye to the pimentels but excited to visit them after the mission. They live an hour from Sister Openshaw so we have been planning a fun trip for after the mission :) 
 

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Monday, June 18, 2012

Happy Father's Day!

Dad! HAPPY FATHERS DAY!

Thanks so much for the pictures!! I can't believe how big Eli is! And his 12 year old trip sounds like so much fun! Will you guys visit any friends when you're in LA? Sister Openshaw says those cities are really fun and that there are lots of things to do there as I'm sure you already know. I'm glad you like my letter! Sounds like you all had a busy week with people moving and funerals and things.

Your anniversary activities sounded fun! Did you enjoy seeing Casa Blanca in the Fox? That's neat you were able to get a wheel chair for Margaret from the company that you helped out these past years.

It's so neat you got to baptize Eli since you didn't baptize him when he was 8. I'm really glad that you and Mum went with him to the temple and got to share that experience with him.

Yesterday I spoke in church about repentance. Moroni describes repenting and putting off everything that is ungodly and loving God unconditionally. I taught that the way to do that is to make sure the desires of our hearts were focused on God and our ultimate goal, eternal life, and to be open to correction or chastisement. Well thing is the word for being addicted to drugs (Suchtig) is very similar to chastise (Zuchtigt). So it turns out I was telling everyone to be addicted to drugs to repent instead of being willing to be chastised. Oh well... speaking German is a work in progress.

I took my driving test again last Tuesday and again I got 12 negative points. I will be taking the test again on the 26th, the day before my 6 months in Germany are up. Throw some prayers in for me this week! President said the first two times were just practice rounds this next time is the real thing.

 We're headed to Hannover this week for zone conference since President and Sister Pimentel leave next week I believe. It's sad to have them go. I'm excited to visit them after the mission. I really respect both of them.

Have a fabulous week dad! I love you!

We got a house!!!

Excerpt from Ariel's email to Andre

Andre!
Your house looks so pretty! And big! How many bedrooms, bath, etc?? Are you pooped from moving? Way to go Ellen for fixing up the cabinets! That sounds like way too much work!! Sorry I wasn't there to help.Do you guys have a basement? You and Jeff are like two kids at school eating your lunches together. Too cute! Poor Darcy!!!! Awww that sounds horrible! You're too good to him.
Thats cool that President Sullivan served his mission in Brazil! Did you speak portugese with him?
 
Weather is starting to warm up but its not going to get any better than it already has been since its pratically july. Wearing boots and tights in june is disconcerting. I've resigned myself to the idea I won't be warm until I come home. We had a really great week. Right now Sister Openshaw and I are in the midst of putting together Tauf calendars or baptismal packets that people do something each day to help them prepare and be focused on their baptism. We have three set for baptism, two in august, one in september. We are also preparing our ward for a temple trip that is set for July 28th. We are so excited and so is everyone else! Its so neat to see how prepared everyone is to go. Our district leader told us last night that in a ward that he served in they planned a temple trip and then held a testimony meeting afterwards. At that meeting the stake president came to shut down the branch since it was so little. When he got up to talk he said there was no way he could shut down a branch with the testimony they all had of temple work. I know that by getting everyone to the temple we can really help them strenghten their testimony of this gospel. 
  
 I gave a talk in church yesterday and ended up telling everyone to be addicted to drugs instead of being willing to be chastised. Oops. We were dooring a building this week and saw a lady lean out her window and dust her socks with a paint brush kind of like they did in the old days with rugs and a whip thingy but it was her sock. It was funny.
  We had a really great lesson with Herr XXXX. He is an investigator who is not all there. Its been difficult to know what or how to teach him. Last week we left him 7 chapters to read and we came back this week and he had read them all, understood them, and had lots of questions. It was really cool!

Anyways, Have a great week! I love you both and enjoy moving in more. Keep taking pictures please!
-Ariel Nell

Excerpt in Lyndel's letter

... We've been meeting with a lot of less actives. With on of them we gave her a new church date kind of like baptismal date for when she will come back to church to help her prepare to do it. She keeps saying she is too stressed. I think its hard for people to recognize that they're stressed because they don't have the peace of the gospel in their lives. When you don't take the sacrament each week it will make anyone feel burdened down. She is excited to come back though. Frau XXXXXXX came back into town this week and we got to meet with her twice and bring her to church. She was participating in Sunday School like she has been doing it her whole life. When she found out it is possible one of us could be transferred in July she started praying in German, English and tongues that we would both stay. She also heard the announcements about our temple trip and she prayed that everything would work out well for it. She is too cute.

Father's Day weekend

Mumma!

 I remember Bishop Sullivan from when I spoke with Harold Carlson in the Atlanta ward right before I left.  I don't know him too well But from the little experience I have had with him I thought he was a great man. I thought Jack Biels might be called to the presidency again. That's funny. Does the new stake president pick his counselors or does the general authorities? What is Stefan going to do now? How did President Parker seem?

  Thanks for clearing up the baby name mess for me. I am not jealous of you having to fly for so long but you get to be there for Khats sealing and that is a thing to be jealous of. Make sure you take pictures! And take a good book so you can be entertained! And say hello to everyone for me!! I'm glad that you and Dad went to the temple with Eli. I was thinking of him on Wednesday. I'm excited to come home and hopefully go with him. I think that would be really neat.

  So this week for FHE we made soft hearts out of play dough that Sister Openshaw made. We taught about why it is important to have a soft heart and used the example of Nephi praying to Heavenly Father that his heart would be softened so that he could understand the words of Lehi. Afterwards we shared pictures of our families and Thomas said I got my hair from dad and everything from you :)

   We visited XXXXXX on Tuesday and told him that when we came back on Thursday we wanted to hear the plan that he and his wife made to help him quit smoking. On Thursday he and his wife had worked together and he has a goal and now we're all working together to help him. I was so proud of him for finally setting a goal and a plan especially with his wife. It's not easy to quit an addiction like that alone. He needs the help of his wife to be responsible to someone.

   Our trip to the temple is going to work! I'm not sure if I told you guys already but we're helping four people prepare to go to the temple for temple baptisms and two to receive their patriarchal blessings. It's so fun to see how excited everyone else is. Going to the temple I think will help all of them individually but also help our little branch's testimony be strengthened. This week was a lot harder for me to be patient with Bruder XXXXXX. It is always a work in progress. I think the most frustrating this is that he labels people from their past actions and doesn't allow them to change in his mind. Don't label people. Everyone can change.

  On Friday we went to ASB to play with the old ladies. Frau Kluger was there. She kept petting my face and just being silly and another older lady was getting so frustrated with her telling her she had nothing in her head anymore. Old dementia ladies can be snotty. OH!!! We had a lesson with Herr XXXXX! It was really impressive to me to see how much he digressed because he hadn't been meeting with us or doing those things he is supposed to do like praying or reading his scriptures. We read one chapter in the Book of Mormon with him and when we were done he said it was such a long chapter! Herr XXXXX would read and study for hours at a time before and ten minutes was too long for him. It was really the first time I ever actually called someone to repentance. He knows what is true and what he should be doing and he hasn't. We told him plainly why he feels stressed and that he knows the only way to happiness. By the end he knew what he needed to do and agreed to start taking the Book of Mormon to work with him again. It gave me a little taste of what Heavenly Father feels like. He tells us plainly how to succeed and then when we don't do what he says we get stressed and frustrated and ask him why we're feeling that way. Silly.

  Frau XXXXXXX came to church yesterday and loved it as usual. She is so cool! Well I love you! Have a great week! Pictures are of our FHE activity :) Fly safely!
Love you!
-Ariel Nell

FHE making soft hearts

Ariel making a play dough soft heart at FHE

Schwester Mußmann at FHE

Thomas at FHE

Monday, June 11, 2012

New week New experiences!

Dad!
I haven't heard any Germans talk about D-Day but the attitude toward the war here in Halberstadt is not happy (why would it be?). Halberstadt was severely affected by the war with 82% of the city being destroyed two days before the war was over. When we contact people on the street and ask them if they believe in God they usually respond with, ''If there was a God where was he during the war and there would have been no war.'' It seems difficult for others to understand that God was always right there beside him and that he never told us to fight with each other, that war is a result of the natural man. Sometimes when offering us food people will say they wished they had so much food on their tables before or after the war or when they were little they only dreamed of having so much.  Bitterness is the best way to describe it. Serving here in Halberstadt I've really been able to see how Satan played a role in the war in ruining peoples faith.
   Stake conference was always fun. My favorite part was when President Parker announced the missionaries and how long they had left and where they were serving. Make sure you stand tall and proud for me! :)
 
   I haven't sat my driving test yet. Hopefully this week. I didn't think I needed to reorder it but now thinking about it yesterday I think I need to. So sometime this week. I'm a little worried. Hopefully all will go well. I'm really excited for Eli to go to the temple for the first time. Are you and Mum going to go with him? I think you should if you weren't planning on it. Sister Openshaw and I are working on getting four members who have never been to the temple to go for baptisms for the dead. President gave us permission to go with them if we can get them already. We're both really excited. I had been wondering about Eli and if he had gone or not. Someone should go. 
  I think a relaxed couple of days at home will be a really nice anniversary. Way to go on 30 years!! I like all the random stuff you bought at the antique action. I miss antiquing :)

   Rejection isn't bad. We normally get that on a daily basis. The thing to remember about rejection is that we're giving people the opportunity to hear the gospel. If they're not ready they won't be interested and we're only helping them to prepare for when someone else approaches them. Schwester Munke was approached by missionaries before but she told them she didn't have time. Then another set talked to her and she was ready and now she is super active in the church. It all has to be on their time with their agency. Pushing people to accept it won't help them to retain their testimonies. 
   On Friday we went to a zone leader counsel that President invited us to. It was really neat to see the behind workings of the mission and how we work to get problems fixed or to put something new into action. It also gave us the chance to get to know President a little better. Our cat planners were a hit with all the Elders. One Elder told me it made him miss his cat, haha! We also kind of felt like Santa Claus. Everyone had to say hi to us and then they didn't talk to us.
   I got my package after that meeting! Thanks so much! I really like the necklace charm you got made for me in Mexico. Thanks sooooo much for the toothpaste. As soon as we got home Sister Openshaw and I brushed our teeth. It was a magical experience. I really liked Dads note and Eli's. Tell Eli thank you very much for my bracelet! I love it! Best two colors ever :)   (Eli made a bracelet for Ariel with purple and gold - LSU colors) 
   We got into contact with Herr XXXX! We have another lesson with him this week coming so I'll let you know how that all goes. I was supposed to give a talk in Church yesterday but when we got there they told me I didn't need to anymore. So I'll give it next week.  This week we had a lot of finding time but not so much success in getting return appointments. Hopefully this week will be different.
   I didn't take any pictures this week. I'll be better next week. OH! Mum, I almost forgot, I saw the movie ''What's Eating Gilbert Grape'' in the store last Monday. The translation in German is ''Gilbert Grape Anywhere in Iowa'' I thought it was pretty funny. Love you!

Closing Time!

Excerpt from Ariel's email to Andre

 That's really fun that you got to be the recorder for the baptisms on Saturday. I like the ''you don't have to be clean shaven to work in the baptistry'' slogan. You're a witness for the baptisms and you have to physically check it off. Yeah! Exactly! You just said that :) We're so smart. You're always a full-time missionary. Missionary work is temple work. The missionary work I do is for all the living people but there's a lot more dead.
Sister Openshaw said I say all the time if you want to talk to God Pray, if you want him to talk to you read the scriptures. I LOVE our study times too!! That's like my favorite time of each day.
No its not warm, I wore tights in church on Sunday I'm wearing a long-sleeve shirt right now.
German food that I can cook.... nada. I can make a bowl of GERMAN cereal with GERMAN milk, a pan of GERMAN scrambled eggs (they're orange inside) with GERMAN toast, on GERMAN bread. Basically everything we eat  or make is German :) HAHAHA! But really I can't make anything traditional. I can make abend brot if I wanted but I don't.
You two are too funny! I'm really excited about your house. I think its strange I'll come home and everyone will be grown up and in a house like a big person. I try to be bold often and not beat around the bush. It seems though its hard for people to sometimes be honest with us back or just that comfortable.
Anyways, this week was good. I'm hoping this next week will be better. We are working hard to find some new investigators. There are several less actives that have kids who aren't members so we're working with them to get them involved with church and activities here. Sister Openshaw and I are working on putting a youth night together so hopefully we can help them all want to take those steps to come closer to Christ.
I love y'all!! Have a fabulous work week and closing on your house and moving in and just being grown ups!
Love you
Ariel Nell

Friday, June 8, 2012

Zone Leader Council in Hannover

This is pulled from the Germany Berlin Mission blog. Ariel and Sister Openshaw attended Zone Leader Council last week...
 
Back: Elders Staheli, Henderson, Lloyd, Cottrell, Angerhoffer, Riesen
Nethercott, G. Davis, N. Johnson, Healey, Turney, Shepherd
Front: Elders McCann (Assistant), Künzli (Assistant)
Sisters Openshaw, Abamonte
Elders Locher, Koppe, J. Baker, Jackson

Zone Leader Council (with Sister representatives), is a time to
discuss what is going on in the mission and what we can do
to meet the needs of the missionaries. Sharing successes helps the
work move forward.

"Therefore, strengthen your brethren in all your conversation, in all your prayers, in all your exhortations, and in all your doings." D&C 108:7

Ariel & Sister Openshaw

Monday, June 4, 2012

From Dad

Hey Dad!
Sorry you were up so late responding but I'm glad that you were able to still write me! Your adventures of trying to find doors sounds like fun. I miss going around to all the antique places in Atlanta. It sounds like you guys have the sisters over often! That's super cool. Are you enjoying working with them? The new Sister sounds like she'll be a hard worker! Keep up the good work Dad, you're doing a great job as bishop and feeding all the sheep that you're in charge of! I'm glad Mum is going to the wedding. I didn't get the package yet because it was sent to the office so we only get it at zone conferences or presidents interviews. Our next zone conference is June 20th so I'll get it then. Thanks for sending it! I can't think of anything I need right now but thanks for asking!

So on Tuesday I took my driving test. You are allowed to get 10 negative points and I got 12 (which means I missed 3 questions) so I didn't pass. I called President to let him know and he said I'd know on Saturday if I needed to take it again. On Saturday we had our transfer call and Sister Openshaw and I will both be staying in Halberstadt for our fourth transfer together. That's unheard of in our mission to stay with the same companion that long! We are both really excited and so is our branch. So that means on the 12th of June I'll be going to take the driving test again. Some prayers to help me study would be helpful!

Sister Openshaw and I are working really hard to get the less actives at church or just involved in church again. There is one lady, Schwester XXXXXXXX, who hasn't been to church in 18 years since she had her last child, Maria. Last week, Maria and Schwester XXXXXXXX came to the ward activity and we were able to meet with them on Saturday and teach them how to make brownies, had a spiritual thought with them, and then played a card game together. There is another lady we're working with who seems to think that no one does anything for her (not true). I think showing her some love and inviting her to activities and church more often will help her get back into the swing of things.

We have sort of lost contact with Herr XXXXX :( He cancelled for an appointment 3 weeks ago. We tried to reschedule and call him, text him, and even stop by his house but we haven't been able to get into contact with him. Our district leader told us to give him a week of no contact from us and then try again after a week. So our week ends Wednesday. Its probably the hardest thing trying to not contact someone who was so on the ball and so excited about everything. I know he knows the church is true. I've heard it from his mouth multiple times. I'll let you know what happens with that.

I love you Dad! Thanks for all your love and support! Have a great week at work and try not to get too stressed with anything! Love you!
-Ariel Nell

Post Memorial Day Blues

Excerpts from Ariel's email to Andre
  Work for us...its going. We're working hard on getting less actives to church. We are in the process of putting together a youth night for all our youth aged investigators since we don't have any young men or women in our branch. We also go and visit one less active lady pretty often. She doesn't think anyone does anything for her so we're working on just giving her some love and inviting her to church and activities.
 XXXX is doing good. We're trying to make church more interesting for him. He's 16 and seems to be distracted by things that 16 year olds are distracted by. He still hasn't come to church. But we committed him and his dad to pray every evening together and they actually have been consistent about doing it! His baptismal date is still set for August 26th. We need to make him a baptismal calendar this week so he does something in the scriptures everyday until he is baptized. On Tuesday we had a lesson about the armor of god and dressed him up in home made armor out of cardboard and tinfoil. It was funny :) He enjoyed it.
 
P-day today. We plan on going grocery shopping and eating lunch and probably writing some more letters.  We haven't gone to any museums here but we made it as a transfer goal to visit all the old things in Halberstadt like the Dom, Buchardi kirche, etc.
 
I feel bad for the birdies that Darcy just ruined their little family!
Its still cold here and has been raining lots. I finally understand why you can buy a cardigan here year round because it doesn't get warm enough to sweat yet. So enjoy sweating for me.
I hope you have a great week at work and doing some more fun activities together. You and Ellen seem to go on bunches of adventures! I love you two and will talk to you next week :)
love, Ariel Nell

Hi sister! letter to Lyndel



Hi!
Have fun at girls camp getting sweaty!! I'm super jealous that you guys get to sweat. So on June 1st this is what I wore: long socks, pioneer skirt (the black anthro one), undershirt, long sleeved-shirt, hoodie, scarf, and a coat. It was super cold and rainy. Welcome to summer! I miss you bunches Lyndel. I miss just running around doing things with you or have a sleep over and watching pride and prejudice. The good thing is is that this mission is moving fast! I'll see you before you know it! I'm glad that you can recognize the blessings of my service in your family. Sometimes its hard to see the blessings your family receives as you are serving. Other missionaries talk about their families being blessed since they were gone and I was never able to put my finger on how you all were being blessed. Keep reaping those blessings!

 We did go to Scwester Munkes last night for lunch and it was probably the yummiest German lunch I've had yet! Boiled potatoes, veggies, and some kind of meat with sauce. I told Schwester Munke that ya'll were all fascinated by her cake and she said you could have the recipe. It made her happy :)

   Transfers were on Saturday and Sister Openshaw and I will both be staying in Halberstadt. We are really excited and so is our ward! We told our ward mission leader that we were both going to stay before our transfer call and then after our transfer call we called him to let him know the results and he goes,''Man, what is it with your revelation, you're always right!'' I told him its because we have the spirit with us :) It is not common for missionaries to stay with one companion for 4 transfers so we're really excited. We're hoping we can go 5 or 6!
   We taught Frau XXXX this past week by reading Jacob 1-4. We asked her about her feelings and thoughts on what we just read and she said the spirit was telling her that she is coming into the light. That was super cool. On Sunday she came to church and loved fast and testimony meeting. She clapped after my testimony, Haha! And then she said, ''I have a testimony too!'' and then just stood up right there and bore her testimony. It was really neat!

 Well, I love you tons! Thanks for all your love and support and emails. Have a fun week at girls camp!
-Love ya, Ariel Nell

Letter to Mum

Mumma!

You are hilarious!!! The pictures I sent last week were taken from a funny angle so I promise I'm not getting too skinny. Sister Openshaw and I are working hard to eat everything we need to. We eat a lot of eggs and cheese and Schwester Munke gives us Yogurts. I've been drinking a V8 veggie juice like what you used to drink. I started that in the MTC cause we weren't getting the veggies we needed there either. 
 
   The relief society lesson you had sounds really interesting. My Patriarchal blessing talks about me being blessed with the gift of the interpretation of tongues. I have definitely seen its effects in my missionary work. Speaking German is still difficult but I can understand so much more than I can say. It helps in understanding peoples concerns and answering questions. Its true, seeking after the gifts of the spirit can be hard. I sometimes and stumped with which one do I ask for. Like which one do I need the most to use but we all need all of them or at least work to develop all of them.
   Sister Openshaw and I are both staying in Halberstadt. We are super excited! Its not normal for missionaries to stay so long with one companion. We feel very blessed. We have a lot of projects that we're working on now to get the ward to be sustaining and get less actives back to church. It also means I HAVE to pass the driving test on June 12th. I got 12 negative points and you are only allowed 10. So I can take the test again on June 12th. President said I did a really good job compared to other missionaries that have taken the test. I got three questions wrong and since they're all different points they added up to 12.
   I'm not a figment of your imagination or a dream. I'm real, I'm just on another continent. Promise :)
   So Frau XXXX came to church yesterday and after listening to everyone's testimonies she goes,''I have a testimony too'' and then just stood up right there and bore her testimony. After every experience she would share where she saw the Lords hand in her life she would say ''Pries den Herrn!'' which is Praise the Lord. She is such a great example of how we all need to be. When we recognize the Lords hand in our life we do need to give praises unto him and thank him for all that he has given us. She clapped after my testimony and then at the end of the meeting she gave me the biggest hug ever. It was so sweet. Bruder Lau also gave his testimony which he has never done and he passed the sacrament! Its really wonderful to see these little mile stones for everyone.
   On Thursday we had a lesson with XXXX and Thomas and talked about the armor of God. We built armor for XXXX and dressed him up. Bruder Schwabe brought the seminary video of the kid who takes his armor off and then gets hurt. It really helped XXXX to make the connection between the analogy and real life.
  We went to ASB, the home for people with dementia, on Friday and I saw Frau Kluger! I asked her how she was doing and she said the southern Germans were coming. I asked her why and she said she wanted to know too. Then she grabbed my face and goes ''look at that face!'' Haha, it was funny. 
  Sister Openshaw and I have dubbed this transfer the transfer of the cat planners. I made us cat planner covers. Mine is the green one, and sister Openshaw has the two orange cats.
Love you,
-Ariel Nell

Me and my armor!

My cat planner for this transfer :)

Sis. Openshaws cat planner