Ariel On A Mission!: Leaving on a Jet Plane

Hey Mumma!

Sounds like your time with Jean and Gavin went well. I'm glad to hear that you and Jean sat around knitting and eating chocolate. That sounds like heaven for the two of you! The next driving test, the praxis will be on Wednesday so hopefully I can pass it. Our lesson at zone conference went really well. We only had 15 minutes but I think it was plenty of time to help all the other missionaries understand how they can connect the restoration of the gospel to everyone. Our new mission Presidents, the Kosaks are wonderful. They're similar and a bit different to the Pimentels and we love them. They are both very involved, teach wonderful lessons about the gospel, and really feel like our parents out here in the field. President Kosak was excited to hear I wasn't from Utah. Haha! They are really wonderful people and will do a great job.

This Thursday, Sister Openshaw and I were able to go to the note change at the Burchardi Kloster for the John Cage orgel projekt. It was so surreal to hear the sustained note change. They said the first note we heard will not be played for another 400 years! It was really neat and I loved being able to be part of it. I took some pictures of the crowd waiting to go inside before the change.

Tuesday we had a tausch and I had Sister Thornton and Sister Child here in Halberstadt with me. For our lunch break I took them to H&M so that they could have a little fun shopping. It was too cute. They really enjoyed being here and the ward just loved them at FHE. Hopefully one day both of them will be able to serve in Halberstadt.

Thomas and Bruder Lau received their patriarchal blessings yesterday and it was AMAZING! Bruder Lau asked us to sit in with him. It was a really wonderful experience and really touched both of them. We've been teaching Herr XXXXXX since April. He is a little different and we just found out that he was an alcoholic which is why he is really slow sometimes. Anyways, we've been working since April to get him to pray and it started with us kneeling him saying "Dear Heavenly Father", 15 minutes of silence, "In the name of Jesus Christ Amen". And that was it. This past Saturday he said the entire prayer in two minutes and said thanks for the day, that he could talk with us, and that he was able to learn something new. It was really neat to see how far he has progressed and continues to progress.

I hope you fly home safely. Love you Mumma! Thanks for all your love and support!

-Ariel Nell