December from Dad

Hey Dad!

I love how you all seem to manage to get the strange missionaries. It just made Sister Dean and I laugh :) I'm doing very well health wise and so is Sister Dean so no worries there.

Bruder XXXXXX had a rough week at the beginning but we ended well, with him picking out who was going to baptize him and be witnesses and the hymns for his baptism. He is so very excited. We started a little project in the ward to get the members to invite him to lunch appointments instead of us so that he can get to know them and start developing relationships with them. The Branch President met with him yesterday and as I left church yesterday the Branch President had his arm around him as they stood with a few more members and talked excitedly about how he is going to be baptized and how he looks already like a ''Brother''.  Bruder XXXXXX came with us to a lunch appointment yesterday and he had an amazing time. I think it helped him to see that we are all normal people working together to live the gospel. Bruder XXXXXX told me that he is trying to find a new apartment so he doesn't have to live so far away from the church. He is ready for this step and I'm excited for him. The ward is doing a great job taking him over so he doesn't rely so hard on us.

I haven't gotten the packages yet but I still have to call the office today. I told the secretary already to forward a little package from you to me because it has my debit card in it. I will get my Christmas package on the 12th when we all come together as half a mission to meet with Elder Richards.

I'm way proud of Darcy that he figured out how to open the door. Way cool! I'm glad Margaret got my letter too. I had been thinking of her and felt to write her one. It's good to hear she is doing well. Here is an amazing experience that happened to us this week: This week was amazing! So probably the most amazing experience of my mission happened this week that just showed me that I really have been an instrument in the hands of the lord and that he really does answer prayers. So on November 13th Sister Dean and I were dooring and the last door of the night we met XXXXXXX. She immediately invited us in and we got to know her. She is super friendly, probably the funniest German I know, and very humble. She shared with us that she didn't know why she was here, so what her purpose on earth was. We shared with her a brief introduction of the plan of salvation and left her with the pamphlet. She was terrified that the world is going to end on the 21st of December so we told her we would come back the 22nd. She doesn't like fest appointments at all so we were careful not to push our luck thats why we said we would come back December 22nd. Well I couldn't stop thinking about her and have just been really excited to be able to go back to her. On the 26th, so last Monday. All our set appointments fell out that normally don't so Sister Dean turned to me and asked me what we should do. I thought about the area for a second and then said we should stop by XXXXXXX's so we did. We klingeled and she answered the door and again told us immediately that we should come inside. She said she had to tell us something as soon as we sat down. The evening of the 12th, XXXXXXX prayed for the first time in a long time to God that he would help her know what her plan is in life. She told him that she felt as if she had no plan or direction, and she asked him to send his angels to her to help her find her way. Well we showed up the next day and talked to her about ''the plan'' and she told us she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her when she read the word ''plan'' on the front of the brochure. We left and she said she read the pamphlet EVERYDAY since we left. She said everything she read was things that she just knew to be right and she had thought her whole life but other people had said she was crazy and had devil ideas. Well she loved the brochure so much she let her Mom read it but her Mom never returned it to her. She knew her Mom would never give it back so the evening of the 25th she prayed again that God would send us to her again to give her another plan of salvation pamphlet and that if we were the right church to send us. And when her door bell went off the evening of the 26th and she opened it to see us standing there in the rain she about had a heart attack. She said it was too crazy and couldn't be a coincidence and that the Lord really does listen to her prayers. She told us that she had to have every book that we have and she has to listen to what we have to say. She is so ready for the gospel.

 I had recently been feeling down because my spiritual promptings come differently than other missionaries and so sometimes it just makes me feel like either I'm not paying attention or I'm just not receiving any. Well I prayed the night of the 25th that I could really be an instrument in the hands of the Lord. That he would show me that I really am doing good and helping and the fact that XXXXXXX prayed us there twice was the biggest answer to my prayers that I do follow the promptings the Lord sends me and I really have been an instrument in the hands of the Lord to bring perhaps one soul to repentance. And let me tell you, it has been my greatest joy. I shared the story with President Kosak and he had tears in his eyes and said I had to send it to him today so he could send it to the area presidency. We met with XXXXXXX again on Saturday morning because she had to cancel our Friday evening appointment so she invited us over for breakfast because she just couldn't wait to meet with us.

I love you Dad! Stay warm and safe! Be good!
-Ariel Nell