Dad,
That's a fancy toaster you got there. Thanks for all the pictures. I enjoy looking at pictures especially of the family. Y'alls week was super busy it sounds. Sister Dean and I were just as crazy running around. It seems that we are always literally running to catch trains or buses or other modes of transportation. Last night we had a hour layover for trains in Cuxhaven so we called an investigator that we haven't met with since October and he was home. So in our hour break we stopped by his house to have a quick discussion about the gospel and what has happened in his life. It was really a productive meeting and then we booked it to the Bahnhof. On our way a member happened to be driving by and yelled out his window if we needed a ride to Bremerhaven. We said yes, and he pulled over and jumped in his car. He and his wife were headed to Bremerhaven to do their home teaching. It was such a miracle. The members even told us that they thought about doing their home teaching at the end of the month and then instead decided to still go yesterday and they just happened to be driving by as we were running to catch our train. They brought us straight home in 40 minutes and that journey normally takes an hour and a half. It was such a wonderful little blessing that the Lord gave us. When the men in the ward aren't doing their home teaching earlier in the month you can share with them this story and let them know how if they go early that they could visit their teachees maybe even twice in the month and help the poor missionaries as they are running to catch trains.
We received a referral from the mission office for a man. I tried contacting him but his number listed was wrong so I called the office and got the right number. Our first appointment with him fell out because he had to work late and then this past week we were able to meet with him. We gave him a church tour and taught him about the restoration of the gospel. It was so amazing to see how open and ready he was for the gospel. Sister Dean noted that those who are most ready to be taught we barely have to do anything for. All we had to do was call a number and set up an appointment. It was such a neat appointment. He is really excited to meet with us again and to read in the Book of Mormon.
Tuesday night we were early to an appointment by thirty minutes so we decided to go do some doors. The first building we got to a lady let us in a once hearing who we were shut the door so we doored the door right next to hers. A younger guy answered the door. We started a normal conversation with him about Jesus Christ and then we asked him about the Book of Mormon. He had never heard about it so we pulled one out and began explaining it. His Dad came up behind him at this point and was listening and then told us to come inside and talk with them. We asked if a lady was home and he said his wife. We all then sat in their living room and taught them about the Book of Mormon. It was a whole family! The Mom had just had a baby 5 days earlier. We talked to them about their faith. They are from Egypt and have been Christians their whole life and have had to live with a lot of persecution in their lives for their faith. The Spirit was so strong and wonderful in their home. We offered to come back the next day and bring them a Book of Mormon in Arabic and they were really excited for it as were we. Well the next day we came by and they had visitors over so we exchanged books and then he said he would contact us. We were so bummed but we plan on going back in 3 weeks or so because they were just amazing. Very rarely do we meet a family who have such a strong faith in Christ. It was a neat experience for us to see that when we are being diligent in all our time the Lord will bless us to know where to go.
I'm glad that you and mum are feeling better. Don't forget to take some time and just put your feet up! I hope you have a fabulous week Dad. Love you! Thanks for all your support!
-Ariel Nell
Monday, January 7, 2013
Letter Mission President 6 January 2013, Book of Mormon
Germany
Berlin
Mission Book
of Mormon Study – Buch Mormon Studium 2013
It’s
so important that we learn together and that we acquire information and
knowledge in our personal study. It is critical to our success. We have
to fill the well so the Spirit
can draw from it. So it can, as Neal
A. Maxwell said, “take the lead of an already informed mind.”
We have to have studied and paid the price and acquired that knowledge, and then allow
the Spirit to direct us and guide us.
President Henry B. Eyring stressed
the crucial role the Holy Ghost has in spiritual learning when he taught: “Our [investigators
– added by President] cannot
know of God, and so love as they must love, unless they are taught by
the Holy Spirit. Only by the Spirit can they know that God loved us
enough to send His Son to be the propitiation
for our sins and that Jesus is the Son of God and that Christ paid the
price of their sins. Only by the Spirit can they know that Heavenly
Father and His resurrected and glorified Son appeared to Joseph
Smith. Only by the Spirit can they know that the Book of Mormon is the
true word of God. And only by inspiration can they feel the love of the
Father and the Son for them in giving us the ordinances necessary
to receive eternal life. Only by obtaining those
witnesses, placed deep into their hearts by the Holy Ghost, will they
be rooted on a sure foundation to stand steady through the temptations
and trials of their lives.”
(President Henry B. Eyring, To Know and to Love God, address to CES Religious Educators, Feb 26, 2010)
Dear Elders and Sisters,
Therefore I’d like to introduce our united Book of Mormon Study in the first three months in 2013,
starting 6 January up to the General Conference, 6 April 2013. As
an introduction, you might study first the talk by Elder Neal A. Maxwell,
“Teaching by the Spirit—‘The Language of Inspiration,’” (CES Symposium on the Old Testament, Aug. 15, 1991).
Then, I’d like to ask you to start with a new “economy” Book of Mormon or your current one and
to study and to mark it, in the language you understand best,
with the following questions –
- • What role does the Holy Ghost have in teaching our investigators, members, and in teaching myself?
- • How can we know if the Holy Ghost is working in our teaching?
Below you'll see the mission wide BoM study plan that we’ll be able
tobe united in our study. Please, give me report about your study in your weekly letters. Also all Senior
missionaries are invited to do the same!
|
Weeks/Wochen
|
Book of
Mormon
|
Page
finished by end of week
|
Seite am Ende der Woche
|
|
|
UNTIL/BIS
|
UNTIL
|
BIS
|
|
6--12 January
2013
|
1 Nephi 18
|
43
|
55
|
|
13--19 January
2013
|
2 Nephi 14
|
84
|
108
|
|
20--26 January
2013
|
Jacob 4
|
125
|
163
|
|
27 Jan – 2 Feb 2013
|
Mosiah 9
|
165
|
215
|
|
3--9 Feb 2013
|
Mosiah 29
|
207
|
269
|
|
10--16 Feb 2013
|
Alma 15
|
248
|
324
|
|
17--23 Feb 2013
|
Alma 31
|
287
|
378
|
|
24 Feb – 2 Mar 2013
|
Alma 48
|
330
|
435
|
|
3--9 Mar 2013
|
Helaman 2
|
371
|
492
|
|
10--16 Mar 2013
|
3 Nephi 3
|
410
|
547
|
|
17--23 Mar 2013
|
3 Nephi 21
|
452
|
597
|
|
24--30 Mar 2013
|
Ether 3
|
494
|
652
|
|
31 Mar
– 6 Apr 2013
|
Moroni 10
|
531
|
702
|
May the Lord bless you that you might feel the strength of the
most powerful instrument, together with the Spirit, for conversion – the
Book of Mormon.
Warmest Regards,
President Kosak
Bring It On!
Mumma!
Your new calling sounds way cool! Are you excited for it? That new member Dominique sounds like she would be great to work with too. You guys will be great in the class. Are you still a Relief society teacher?
Mmm papousas with the Albanes sounds wonderful! That's so neat that you got to meet Adriana's boyfriend. I'm so glad she has found someone who is so supportive of her. I hope he continues with the lessons and begins to grow a testimony of the church. That would be way cool. That Elder who ate 11 papousas must not feel so great now. Haha!
Two wedding receptions in one weekend sounds way busy. Dad said that you and him got to dance lots at Diana's. I hope you had fun. I'm glad you got to see Britnee and Jared and baby Stella. How are they all doing? Helgoland was very beautiful. The wind and weather reminded me of Scotland. It was very cold but that is to be expected coming from a baby island in the middle of the north sea.
There is an island off the coast of Helgoland were you can take a little boat and go camping. How fun would that be? Not in the winter but definitely in the summer. My new red coat is perfect for layering so I was really warm. The hood also stays on a lot better which I like to use when it's really windy or raining. My knee is getting better. The bruise is diminishing but I still haven't the nerve to kneel on it. It is still sore but I think that's just cause I wacked it really hard. It should be gone by this next week I hope.
I think a gift card for Aaron and Anna is a great idea. A gift card anywhere would be great for them but particularly something fun to do since they are newlyweds they probably don't have a budget of doing fun things often. I only know Downtown Abbey because all the family talks about it in their emails. I don't think I ever watched it before I left. Was it even around before I left? Thanks for contacting LSU this week. I hope everything goes well. I feel a little nervous that something crazy will have happened with school. I'm probably just being a worry wart.
This week we got to meet with our new district in Bremen. The Bremen ward building is GIANT! It was built to be a stake center but it looks like an American ward building. We have had a lot of great appointments this week. We met with XXXXXXX and her parents and they were way interested. XXXXXXX's Mum had already read the plan of salvation pamphlet. Her Dad is a lot more skeptical just because of all the horrific things he lived through in conjunction with WWII. He told us stories of buying loafs of bread and taking them to the edge of the concentration camp and throwing them over the fence so that they could have bread. XXXXXXX's parents both wanted us to come back soon and even go with them to their other daughters restaurant and teach her. XXXXXXX is a really wonderful joint teach. She has such a strong testimony that God answers her prayers. When she prays it is the most sincere prayer I've ever heard. She talks to Heavenly Father like he is her father and not like she is talking to a wall or thin air. She is a really great example of how to pray. She calls me Sister Mafiosi because of the Italian last name and because we are related to the mafia somewhere. It's super funny. Today we will help her take down her Christmas decorations and eat Abend brot (supper) with her.
We did a lot of running around this week too contacting referrals and doing finding. We were able to have a really wonderful lesson with a friend of our branch president. She let us in a we had an hour long discussion about the gospel and her faith. She had such a high opinion for the church already because of our branch president and his family's example to her. She was excited to get a Book of Mormon and read it. I hope she does! President Kosak wants us to be become a ''Book of Mormon mission'' and so we have all started a project of reading the Book of Mormon through from January 6th to April 6th. You are welcome to join in too if you'd like!
I hope you have a great week Mumma. I love and miss you! Get better soon!
-Ariel Nell
Your new calling sounds way cool! Are you excited for it? That new member Dominique sounds like she would be great to work with too. You guys will be great in the class. Are you still a Relief society teacher?
Mmm papousas with the Albanes sounds wonderful! That's so neat that you got to meet Adriana's boyfriend. I'm so glad she has found someone who is so supportive of her. I hope he continues with the lessons and begins to grow a testimony of the church. That would be way cool. That Elder who ate 11 papousas must not feel so great now. Haha!
Two wedding receptions in one weekend sounds way busy. Dad said that you and him got to dance lots at Diana's. I hope you had fun. I'm glad you got to see Britnee and Jared and baby Stella. How are they all doing? Helgoland was very beautiful. The wind and weather reminded me of Scotland. It was very cold but that is to be expected coming from a baby island in the middle of the north sea.
There is an island off the coast of Helgoland were you can take a little boat and go camping. How fun would that be? Not in the winter but definitely in the summer. My new red coat is perfect for layering so I was really warm. The hood also stays on a lot better which I like to use when it's really windy or raining. My knee is getting better. The bruise is diminishing but I still haven't the nerve to kneel on it. It is still sore but I think that's just cause I wacked it really hard. It should be gone by this next week I hope.
I think a gift card for Aaron and Anna is a great idea. A gift card anywhere would be great for them but particularly something fun to do since they are newlyweds they probably don't have a budget of doing fun things often. I only know Downtown Abbey because all the family talks about it in their emails. I don't think I ever watched it before I left. Was it even around before I left? Thanks for contacting LSU this week. I hope everything goes well. I feel a little nervous that something crazy will have happened with school. I'm probably just being a worry wart.
This week we got to meet with our new district in Bremen. The Bremen ward building is GIANT! It was built to be a stake center but it looks like an American ward building. We have had a lot of great appointments this week. We met with XXXXXXX and her parents and they were way interested. XXXXXXX's Mum had already read the plan of salvation pamphlet. Her Dad is a lot more skeptical just because of all the horrific things he lived through in conjunction with WWII. He told us stories of buying loafs of bread and taking them to the edge of the concentration camp and throwing them over the fence so that they could have bread. XXXXXXX's parents both wanted us to come back soon and even go with them to their other daughters restaurant and teach her. XXXXXXX is a really wonderful joint teach. She has such a strong testimony that God answers her prayers. When she prays it is the most sincere prayer I've ever heard. She talks to Heavenly Father like he is her father and not like she is talking to a wall or thin air. She is a really great example of how to pray. She calls me Sister Mafiosi because of the Italian last name and because we are related to the mafia somewhere. It's super funny. Today we will help her take down her Christmas decorations and eat Abend brot (supper) with her.
We did a lot of running around this week too contacting referrals and doing finding. We were able to have a really wonderful lesson with a friend of our branch president. She let us in a we had an hour long discussion about the gospel and her faith. She had such a high opinion for the church already because of our branch president and his family's example to her. She was excited to get a Book of Mormon and read it. I hope she does! President Kosak wants us to be become a ''Book of Mormon mission'' and so we have all started a project of reading the Book of Mormon through from January 6th to April 6th. You are welcome to join in too if you'd like!
I hope you have a great week Mumma. I love and miss you! Get better soon!
-Ariel Nell
James 5:16 ''The effectual fervant prayer of a righteous man availeth much.''
Hey Andre!
I'm glad that you loved all your birthday gifts. I'll be sure to buy the other two packs to ligretto before I come home so that we can all play together. Otherwise it's on Amazon I believe. But its probably easier for me to find it than you guys :) I can't believe all the traveling that you guys do. Its exciting that you and Ellen will get to spend time with Tyrone and Char. I didn't know the Seckman's moved? When did that happen? Are Jake and Grace getting excited for their wedding coming up. How are they doing? Is Jake back in school doing a masters or doctorate? I actually was telling an investigator about him the other day and how great an influence his parents had on him.
Our week has been really busy and good. We are trying to make the best use of our time always and just going going going. Yesterday it seemed we had to run to catch all our tains. At one point I just took my shoes of and booked it to the Bahnhof because my shoes were holding me up. In the winter my feet don't get hot and so all my shoes are way big for me. Na ja (no worries), I only got to keep wearing them for a little longer :) We have zone training meeting on Thursday. I'm excited to meet as a zone. Its always a way uplifting experience. We met our new district this past week in Bremen. The ward building in Bremen is like the size of one in America. I have to take a picture some day soon. The Elders told us we would ride past it on the bus and then have to walk back to it. Most German church buildings don't look like one so I figured we needed to keep our eyes peeled. Oh no we didn't, that thing is so ginormous ain't nobody could miss it.
We got a new investigator this week. His name is XXXX and he is so ready for the Gospel. Some missionaries contacted into him in another area and then he moved to Bremerhaven. Our first appointment with him fell out but then this past week we actually got to meet with him. It was just incredible. We gave him a church tour and then taught him the ENTIRE restoration lesson. That barely ever happens. But he is so smart, and down to earth, and normal , and just ready for the gospel. All three of us are excited to meet again. We have been receiving referrals like crazy. We had nine to contact this past week. We got five done and have four more to go. Its great to see this ward so enthusiastic about missionary work. We contacted a friend of the branch president's this past week and she let us in and we had an hour long discussion about the church and her faith. It was so awesome. She had such a high respect for the church just because of the branch president and his family and the way they live their lives. We hardly ever realize just how much of an example we are to others. Don't forget that.
I found a scripture I really like yesterday in James 5:16 ''The effectual fervant prayer of a righteous man availeth much.'' I like that. Oh , there will be 19 sisters arriving for next transfer so perhaps next transfer I will be training.
I hope you have a great week Andre! Love you!
-Ariel Nell
I'm glad that you loved all your birthday gifts. I'll be sure to buy the other two packs to ligretto before I come home so that we can all play together. Otherwise it's on Amazon I believe. But its probably easier for me to find it than you guys :) I can't believe all the traveling that you guys do. Its exciting that you and Ellen will get to spend time with Tyrone and Char. I didn't know the Seckman's moved? When did that happen? Are Jake and Grace getting excited for their wedding coming up. How are they doing? Is Jake back in school doing a masters or doctorate? I actually was telling an investigator about him the other day and how great an influence his parents had on him.
Our week has been really busy and good. We are trying to make the best use of our time always and just going going going. Yesterday it seemed we had to run to catch all our tains. At one point I just took my shoes of and booked it to the Bahnhof because my shoes were holding me up. In the winter my feet don't get hot and so all my shoes are way big for me. Na ja (no worries), I only got to keep wearing them for a little longer :) We have zone training meeting on Thursday. I'm excited to meet as a zone. Its always a way uplifting experience. We met our new district this past week in Bremen. The ward building in Bremen is like the size of one in America. I have to take a picture some day soon. The Elders told us we would ride past it on the bus and then have to walk back to it. Most German church buildings don't look like one so I figured we needed to keep our eyes peeled. Oh no we didn't, that thing is so ginormous ain't nobody could miss it.
We got a new investigator this week. His name is XXXX and he is so ready for the Gospel. Some missionaries contacted into him in another area and then he moved to Bremerhaven. Our first appointment with him fell out but then this past week we actually got to meet with him. It was just incredible. We gave him a church tour and then taught him the ENTIRE restoration lesson. That barely ever happens. But he is so smart, and down to earth, and normal , and just ready for the gospel. All three of us are excited to meet again. We have been receiving referrals like crazy. We had nine to contact this past week. We got five done and have four more to go. Its great to see this ward so enthusiastic about missionary work. We contacted a friend of the branch president's this past week and she let us in and we had an hour long discussion about the church and her faith. It was so awesome. She had such a high respect for the church just because of the branch president and his family and the way they live their lives. We hardly ever realize just how much of an example we are to others. Don't forget that.
I found a scripture I really like yesterday in James 5:16 ''The effectual fervant prayer of a righteous man availeth much.'' I like that. Oh , there will be 19 sisters arriving for next transfer so perhaps next transfer I will be training.
I hope you have a great week Andre! Love you!
-Ariel Nell
Week two of January!
Hey Lyndel!
I love that you can remember all the people we teach. You're doing a better job than some other people who are in the field! We had an amazing appointment with XXXXXXX and her Mum and Dad this past week. XXXXXXX is the best joint teach except that she isn't baptized yet. We have an appointment to eat Abend Brot (supper) with her tonight and help her take all her Christmas decorations down because she can only raise one arm. The other one was injured really bad in an accident she had when she was younger. Her Dad is skeptical but it s a great start to get him open to the gospel. Her Mom loves the plan of salvation pamphlet as well. Her parents even told us that we should all go to the restaurant that their other daughter owns, have lunch there and teach their daughter and her family. We are really making a difference in this family's life. It's so neat! XXXXXXX is probably my favorite person in all of Germany.
XXXXXX is doing good. We have been calling each other back and forth but he hasn't set up a time with us so that we can meet again. We keep trying. It's hard because when he was in the Christmas market he couldn't go anywhere so our appointments were always fest (fixed) but now he doesn't have to work there and he is back to being a normal person. I'll keep you posted.
The weather in Bremerhaven is great. The north sea really is a miracle worker for keeping the weather here normal. On friday we did ride our bikes all over captivity (Dorum to Midlum then Midlum to Wremen) and of course we were always riding against the wind. It was so strong I felt like a dog could have walked faster than we were riding it. It made for some good exercise though.
Yes, I come home to Atlanta May 1st. I will be getting your Christmas package on the 10th if it has already arrived at the office because we have zone training meeting. We have started a project in our mission to read the Book of Mormon from January 6th to April 6th all the way through. Want to do it with us? I'll be sure to send you the schedule. President Kosak wants to become a ''Book of Mormon mission'' and so we will all be reading it together. I'm excited to do it as an entire mission. You can really notice the difference it makes in the work.
I'm so glad that you got to be there for Diana's Sealing. What a neat experience. No, I haven't been to the temple since last December. I'm kind of going crazy. You are only allowed to go to the temple when you serve in an area close to the temple. There was a rule with President Pimentel that if it got to your last transfer and you still had not been you were allowed to go so hopefully sooner than later I will get to go again. I did go in July with the Halberstadt branch for Baptisms but I did not do an endowment session. I have no idea what will happen. One of us (Sister Dean or myself) are bound to move because 19 sisters are coming in next transfer and basically that means everyone has to train. Our area is so ginormous though we are hoping that maybe we will be able to split the area and both train here. We will see.
I'm way proud of you for doing so well at work. Keep it up. Make sure you and Michael go ahead and plan dates to go to the temple because other things are sure to pop up if you don't set the dates in stone yet. I love and miss you! Have a great week!
-Ariel Nell
I love that you can remember all the people we teach. You're doing a better job than some other people who are in the field! We had an amazing appointment with XXXXXXX and her Mum and Dad this past week. XXXXXXX is the best joint teach except that she isn't baptized yet. We have an appointment to eat Abend Brot (supper) with her tonight and help her take all her Christmas decorations down because she can only raise one arm. The other one was injured really bad in an accident she had when she was younger. Her Dad is skeptical but it s a great start to get him open to the gospel. Her Mom loves the plan of salvation pamphlet as well. Her parents even told us that we should all go to the restaurant that their other daughter owns, have lunch there and teach their daughter and her family. We are really making a difference in this family's life. It's so neat! XXXXXXX is probably my favorite person in all of Germany.
XXXXXX is doing good. We have been calling each other back and forth but he hasn't set up a time with us so that we can meet again. We keep trying. It's hard because when he was in the Christmas market he couldn't go anywhere so our appointments were always fest (fixed) but now he doesn't have to work there and he is back to being a normal person. I'll keep you posted.
The weather in Bremerhaven is great. The north sea really is a miracle worker for keeping the weather here normal. On friday we did ride our bikes all over captivity (Dorum to Midlum then Midlum to Wremen) and of course we were always riding against the wind. It was so strong I felt like a dog could have walked faster than we were riding it. It made for some good exercise though.
Yes, I come home to Atlanta May 1st. I will be getting your Christmas package on the 10th if it has already arrived at the office because we have zone training meeting. We have started a project in our mission to read the Book of Mormon from January 6th to April 6th all the way through. Want to do it with us? I'll be sure to send you the schedule. President Kosak wants to become a ''Book of Mormon mission'' and so we will all be reading it together. I'm excited to do it as an entire mission. You can really notice the difference it makes in the work.
I'm so glad that you got to be there for Diana's Sealing. What a neat experience. No, I haven't been to the temple since last December. I'm kind of going crazy. You are only allowed to go to the temple when you serve in an area close to the temple. There was a rule with President Pimentel that if it got to your last transfer and you still had not been you were allowed to go so hopefully sooner than later I will get to go again. I did go in July with the Halberstadt branch for Baptisms but I did not do an endowment session. I have no idea what will happen. One of us (Sister Dean or myself) are bound to move because 19 sisters are coming in next transfer and basically that means everyone has to train. Our area is so ginormous though we are hoping that maybe we will be able to split the area and both train here. We will see.
I'm way proud of you for doing so well at work. Keep it up. Make sure you and Michael go ahead and plan dates to go to the temple because other things are sure to pop up if you don't set the dates in stone yet. I love and miss you! Have a great week!
-Ariel Nell
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Sick as a Dog
Hey Mumma,
Sorry you're not feeling well. I'm glad that Andre and Dad were able to help you and give you a blessing. I thought it was funny too what we all ended up talking about when we finally got to talk. I had been thinking of everything I wanted to tell you all and then when it finally came I couldn't remember anything. I'm excited to hear that Les Mis was so wonderful. I am really looking forward to see it when I come home. You're right I do need to remember those words: start right, work hard, and finish strong. Something I try to do each day.
At church on Sunday there were two women that Sister Dean and I had both never seen so she talked to one and I talked to the other. Both were inactive ladies who for whatever reason chose to come back to church that day. One was sitting alone and so we sat with her. She ended up leaving part way through sacrament meeting. The other got up after Sunday school and handed me a piece of paper on it that had her name, phone number, and address. I spoke to her after church and asked if we could visit her and she said for sure we could. It was so neat because this lady lives in the same dorf as does Manuel, the man who ran the Christmas hut. Heavenly Father just set up a perfect joint teach.
We had transfer call on Saturday and Sister Dean and I are both staying in Bremerhaven. The next transfer call will be February 9th. I kind of don't ever want to transfer again. Transferring is just too stressful. Well this week we called a man that had told us two weeks ago that the church wasn't for him and that the Book of Mormon was similar to other literature produced by another church. When we talked to him this time he asked us how much it cost to join the church if he wanted to be baptized. He is super excited to meet with us this week and so are we! Hopefully we can help him prepare to accept Christ and the church in his life and be baptized.
We visited with XXXXXXX this week and she is just wonderful! I love visiting with her and teaching her about the gospel because everything we say she already knows is true. She is so connected to who she once was in the pre-earth life, it's wonderful. Sister Dean and I are going to invite her to be baptized this week. Maybe today! We will see how things go. I finished the Bible on Christmas day and started reading Jesus the Christ. Have you ever read it? It is just wonderful. The Spirit bears witness of so many things as I read in the book. We visited with another investigator this week and watched Finding Faith in Christ with her and it was just another confirmation to me that Jesus is the Christ. I can't tell you how many times I have watched that film but this time it was different and really moving. I was just filled with so much joy I wanted to yell. Have you ever experienced that? It's neat.
We went to Helgoland this week and it was way fun minus the very nauseating ride from Cuxhaven to Helgoland by boat. I thought I was for sure going to puke but didn't. Helgoland is in the middle of the North Sea and as you can imagine very cold and windy. It has beautiful rock coasts and randomly free roaming sheep. It was so fun to visit and to leave our card everywhere. Sister Dean said she felt a little like Alma and Amulek going to the wicked people who knew nothing of the gospel. We aren't sure when the last time was that missionaries visited the island.
Have a great week Mumma. I love you and miss you! Feel better okay?
- Ariel Nell
Sorry you're not feeling well. I'm glad that Andre and Dad were able to help you and give you a blessing. I thought it was funny too what we all ended up talking about when we finally got to talk. I had been thinking of everything I wanted to tell you all and then when it finally came I couldn't remember anything. I'm excited to hear that Les Mis was so wonderful. I am really looking forward to see it when I come home. You're right I do need to remember those words: start right, work hard, and finish strong. Something I try to do each day.
At church on Sunday there were two women that Sister Dean and I had both never seen so she talked to one and I talked to the other. Both were inactive ladies who for whatever reason chose to come back to church that day. One was sitting alone and so we sat with her. She ended up leaving part way through sacrament meeting. The other got up after Sunday school and handed me a piece of paper on it that had her name, phone number, and address. I spoke to her after church and asked if we could visit her and she said for sure we could. It was so neat because this lady lives in the same dorf as does Manuel, the man who ran the Christmas hut. Heavenly Father just set up a perfect joint teach.
We had transfer call on Saturday and Sister Dean and I are both staying in Bremerhaven. The next transfer call will be February 9th. I kind of don't ever want to transfer again. Transferring is just too stressful. Well this week we called a man that had told us two weeks ago that the church wasn't for him and that the Book of Mormon was similar to other literature produced by another church. When we talked to him this time he asked us how much it cost to join the church if he wanted to be baptized. He is super excited to meet with us this week and so are we! Hopefully we can help him prepare to accept Christ and the church in his life and be baptized.
We visited with XXXXXXX this week and she is just wonderful! I love visiting with her and teaching her about the gospel because everything we say she already knows is true. She is so connected to who she once was in the pre-earth life, it's wonderful. Sister Dean and I are going to invite her to be baptized this week. Maybe today! We will see how things go. I finished the Bible on Christmas day and started reading Jesus the Christ. Have you ever read it? It is just wonderful. The Spirit bears witness of so many things as I read in the book. We visited with another investigator this week and watched Finding Faith in Christ with her and it was just another confirmation to me that Jesus is the Christ. I can't tell you how many times I have watched that film but this time it was different and really moving. I was just filled with so much joy I wanted to yell. Have you ever experienced that? It's neat.
We went to Helgoland this week and it was way fun minus the very nauseating ride from Cuxhaven to Helgoland by boat. I thought I was for sure going to puke but didn't. Helgoland is in the middle of the North Sea and as you can imagine very cold and windy. It has beautiful rock coasts and randomly free roaming sheep. It was so fun to visit and to leave our card everywhere. Sister Dean said she felt a little like Alma and Amulek going to the wicked people who knew nothing of the gospel. We aren't sure when the last time was that missionaries visited the island.
Have a great week Mumma. I love you and miss you! Feel better okay?
- Ariel Nell
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| My knee this morning |
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| My pretty ring! |
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| Me in Helgoland |
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| Helgoland coast |
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| What [my knee] looked like after my accident |
Happy New Year!
Hey Lyndel,
We fo sho' have lists of members, I even made one in Halberstadt. The things missionaries know about the wards and the members is a little disgusting and ridiculous. The Elders in Halberstadt have even called me to get advice on what to do in certain situations and have asked me about the background of a lot of members there. The background of members and investigators can be really helpful in getting people to progress though so its good and bad. Did Michael ever get his birthday card?
We visited XXXXXXX yesterday actually. She had recently watched a very dramatized version of the story of Noah and the ark that Hollywood took extremely liberties on. So Sister Dean and I read with her and XXXXXXX's mom about Noah and the ark and cleared up some misconceptions. XXXXXXX has been handing out the plan of salvation pamphlet at work to her friends and asked us for some more in other languages because she has friends that have different native languages instead of German. She is being a wonderful missionary. Her mom asked us if we would come over to her house and have tea and cookies with her. We gave her mom a Book of Mormon a little while ago and explained it so it'll be way cool to start actively teaching her mom. We have been going through the restoration with XXXXXXX and plan on inviting her to be baptized. I think she will do it she just has to develop the courage.
XXXXXX really did get bapitzed on December 6th. The Elders said it was a great service and that after his baptism XXXXXX got up and shared his testimony about how he knows the church is true and that he is going to do all that he can to support it. His wife, XXXXX has been coming to church with him each week and to all the ward activities. The Elders said in their last lesson they talked about missionary work and XXXXXX made plans with them to help XXXXX come to know that the gospel is true and restored. How cool!? Last I heard he was preparing to receive the priesthood.
We just had the last transfer call. Sister Dean and I are staying together in Bremerhaven. The next ( and my second to last transfer) starts February 11th. It is just going by so fast!
I hope you have a magical week and enjoy doing all the fun little projects around your house. Love you
-Ariel Nell
We fo sho' have lists of members, I even made one in Halberstadt. The things missionaries know about the wards and the members is a little disgusting and ridiculous. The Elders in Halberstadt have even called me to get advice on what to do in certain situations and have asked me about the background of a lot of members there. The background of members and investigators can be really helpful in getting people to progress though so its good and bad. Did Michael ever get his birthday card?
We visited XXXXXXX yesterday actually. She had recently watched a very dramatized version of the story of Noah and the ark that Hollywood took extremely liberties on. So Sister Dean and I read with her and XXXXXXX's mom about Noah and the ark and cleared up some misconceptions. XXXXXXX has been handing out the plan of salvation pamphlet at work to her friends and asked us for some more in other languages because she has friends that have different native languages instead of German. She is being a wonderful missionary. Her mom asked us if we would come over to her house and have tea and cookies with her. We gave her mom a Book of Mormon a little while ago and explained it so it'll be way cool to start actively teaching her mom. We have been going through the restoration with XXXXXXX and plan on inviting her to be baptized. I think she will do it she just has to develop the courage.
XXXXXX really did get bapitzed on December 6th. The Elders said it was a great service and that after his baptism XXXXXX got up and shared his testimony about how he knows the church is true and that he is going to do all that he can to support it. His wife, XXXXX has been coming to church with him each week and to all the ward activities. The Elders said in their last lesson they talked about missionary work and XXXXXX made plans with them to help XXXXX come to know that the gospel is true and restored. How cool!? Last I heard he was preparing to receive the priesthood.
We just had the last transfer call. Sister Dean and I are staying together in Bremerhaven. The next ( and my second to last transfer) starts February 11th. It is just going by so fast!
I hope you have a magical week and enjoy doing all the fun little projects around your house. Love you
-Ariel Nell
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| Me this past week on Christmas Eve |
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| In Helgoland ( it was super windy) |
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| Helgoland |
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| My knee this morning |
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| My planner cover for this transfer (pictures are from Andre) |
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