Hello from Ponte Vedra, Florida

Hey Mum,

Thanks for all the details on traveling and apartments and getting released from my mission. I don't know why but it's more distracting to me when I don't know whats going on. Thanks for putting my mind at ease. I did enjoy the missionary spring break. I felt like every talk was specifically for me. Elder Packers poem was lovely and I was struck with Elder Perrys talk when he explained how the world has quite literally thrown 6 commandments out the window. I am really excited to watch the last session, Sunday afternoon. I have no idea what new responsibilities Sisters will have but Sister Jensen said President talks about it in his email so I'm excited to read what it's about.

I'm glad you enjoyed finishing the Book of Mormon. I was also disgusted with reading what a horrible people they turned into and how lost and fallen they really became. I started reading Doctrine and Covenants and plan to be finished before I come home. I really like a verse in section 24 I found. Christ explains to Oliver Cowdry that he was called to prune in the vineyard. The more I have been out the more I have seen that it really takes a whole crew of people to do the Lords work. Like that phrase it takes a village to raise a child. It's takes a workforce to raise Zion. Each one of us is called to do the work and depending where we are working in the vineyard depends on the different tasks at hand that we have ( planting, grinding up soil, watering, pruning, and harvesting). And not every plant grows at the same time and is ready to be picked or harvested at the same time. Everything and everyone has their time and season. We just need to make sure that we are helping and inviting them to grow in the right direction, towards the sun/son.

I'm excited to see Lara and Greg and Julia and the entire family! I had dreams of the family last night and kept waking up wondering if I was at home or in Bremerhaven.

This week I will be conducting an exchange to Osnabrück and then on Wednesday we are having a zone training meeting. Sister Jensen and I will get to teach a 40 minute lesson together in front of our zone on German. This will be a really neat opportunity for her to use her German. She can speak it really well but just doesn't trust herself and so sometimes struggles to speak in every lesson. I'm excited to teach this lesson with her and to really help her see how well she really is doing.
What's going on with North Korea? We went to an old ladies house in our branch and she explained that North Korea wanted to unify with South and then South said they were friends with America and so then North Korea wants to bomb the two of us. Yeah, that sounds smart. I ask Schwester XXXXX why North Korea was being mean and she said they were communists and confused. Ha. I like that. Certainly the signs of the times.

I've made it a goal to testify more this past transfer and the one before and it's neat how the Lord really provides the opportunity to do that. We were talking to a man, XXXX, this week and he was so curious how we came to know that God exists, that prayer works, etc. And we got to explain and testify to gim how we know and what we know. I life testifying. When we have testimony meetings as a mission its really hard to limit the time because as missionaries we all have the same hobby of testifying.

Thanks for the continued prayers and support. We are working hard and looking for the miracles each day because they are there. I'm grateful to be here. Have a great week at the beach. Love you!
-Ariel Nell