I'm sorry to hear that the school board is dumb. I wish people would understand the importance of education. They want good leaders well they should focus more on the education of the little people. Your trip sounded lovely! This past week it was extremely hot everyday. It was just wonderful! Because no one has air conditioning, Sister Tidwell and I moved our mattresses to our living room and slept on the floor in there all week because that room has three windows and our bedroom is a stuff little closet with a hole in the ceiling for a window. It's been fun camping on the floor. Cold showers have also become a must and I have to say they can be quite enjoyable. I was never able to take cold showers and I think its cause of the air conditioning. Take air conditioning out of the equation (I'm not sure if that's how you spell it. I can't spell in English anymore) and all things are possible.
Let me know how Eli's evaluations go for football. I'm so excited that he will be playing! This week seemed to fly by. It came to Sunday evening and I couldn't have told you where our week went. So how about all about Saturday? We went home early from our eating appointment with Schwester Munke Friday night so that Sister Tidwell and I could make the lunch that we were going to bring with us so we would have something to eat afterwards. We made a bowtie pasta with chicken, zucchini, bell peppers, onion, and pesto and mixed it all together. It was something that could be eaten cold and still taste okay. We also brought some watermelon, some apples, water, and Sister Openshaw was in charge of cookies. Saturday morning we woke up at 5:30am to get everything in order and be out the door by 6:30am. We met up with Bruder Lau at 6:45am and picked up Schwester Munke and then President Pawelke picked up Thomas and Gernot and then we were on the road. Minus a few accidental detours we got to the temple pretty smoothly. It took two and a half hours to drive there. It was nice to not have to drive, to just sit in the back an relax. When we got to the temple Sister Bush (a sister that finished her mission a couple weeks ago who has been touring around with her family) was there at the temple with her family. They were able to take some pictures for us before we went into our session. When we got inside I told the reception desk man we were there to do a baptismal session and that we brought family names. He sent the group to the waiting room and scanned Sister Tidwells and my temple recommends so we could go back to the büro (office) to pick up the names. When we got into the waiting room Sister Openshaw was there and we sat for the temple man to come check everyone's recommends. He asked what we three missionaries were doing and we explained that we came with our group as support for their first time in the temple. He said that we wouldn't be allowed into the session because those were the rules but that we could talk to the Temple Matron. So we went and talked to her I believe and she said that only one of us was allowed to stay and be in the session and that the other two had to go. We explained our situation to her as well but I'm afraid they didn't quite understand the importance of why we came. She told us it wasn't a film, that we couldn't just sit and watch. So we deliberated and I was the one who ended up staying. Sister Tidwell left with Sister Openshaw and did an Endowment session. That was upsetting. In our Baptismal Session Schwester Munke did the women family names for Schwester Mußmann. As I saw Schwester Mußmann's mothers name come up on the screen I got up and whispered in her ear that that name and baptism was for her mom. She got very emotional and choked up. Later I went into the confirmation room with Schwesters Mußmann and Munke for Schwester Mußmann to do the confirmations for her family. I noticed the man saying the prayers getting choked up. The Spirit was very strong in the room. After the confirmations he asked whose names they were and then told Schwester Mußmann that those women were really happy and that they had just been freed. Schwester Mußmann kept giving me hugs and thanked Schwester Munke from the bottom of her heart for doing the Baptisms. It was really neat to see the effect it had on Schwester Mußmann. I didn't get to see Gernot, Thomas, or President Pawelke get baptized because I was helping in the changing room.
After our session it was pouring rain. We were going to eat our lunch in the parking lot under some trees where we wouldn't get so wet but luckily a lady told us there were some table and chairs in another building across the way. We went there and began eating lunch. Sister Tidwell joined us about 10 minutes later and said that the temple wouldn't allow Sister Openshaw or her companion to come and eat with us. We just finished telling the group and they were all sad when Sister Openshaw and her companion walked into the room we were eating in. Come to find out that room is connected by a tunnel to the temple. It was really a joyous experience to be there with all of them and Sister Openshaw and her companion. I asked Thomas how his experience was and he said it was like his own baptism but better and when I asked Bruder Lau he said it was really interesting and he was enlightened and had a lot of questions more about the temple and other things we can do there.
Yesterday Thomas got up and shared his testimony of his experience in Church. President Pawelke thanked us for putting everything together. This will only be the beginning of everyone receiving their own ordinances and going to the Temple often. I felt very privileged to be there with the group.
Oh Mumma, I got my Fourth of July pillow case on the 27th in the mail. For some reason it had to sit in customs for a long while. The sticker on the outside said it had been ''freed'' from customs. I also got a package from Claudia and it said the same thing. Crazy customs. I don't know why they think it's necessary to hold my things for a month. Dad mailed it on the 26 of June! But so you know it got here safely and I've been happily sleeping on some American pride :) Thanks for making it for me!
Have a great week and fun on Tuesday going back to school! Love you! Thanks for all your support!
-Ariel Nell
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| the Temple |
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| translated: Holiness to the lord, the house of the Lord |
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| Us outside the Temple |
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