Cassidy Nichole: Monday October 5, 2015 Gera, Germany

Well...Hi! October is here already! Gosh. Time goes fast! So...a few exciting things that I wanted to reply to. Mom saw (former) President and Sister Kosak at Utah State! I serve in Pres. Kosak’s home ward with his brothers, sister and dad. I got to show them the pic of mom and them! They were all so excited and thought mom was my sister. Germans don't lie mom... :) And you got to go to conference! That's always a really cool experience! I can't believe that I got to go just last October to conference. Sometimes I feel like I’ve been gone for way more than a year!

Unser Woche (our week)…

Montag: We did a family home evening scavenger hunt with Lucy. We love FHE with her! We chose some places and then some scriptures to go with them and she had to guess where we were going next. It was fun!

Dienstag: We taught Frau Dhillion. Nothing new there. Except that she's now gone on a trip and I have to take care of her devil bunny once a day. Then, we got to meet with Fynnlay. He is now 8 and could be baptized anytime. Bishop asked us to teach him a few more things before he is ready. So we taught him about Joseph smith and who exactly God is. He's a sweet kid and calls me "Kleine Sister" (little/small sister) because he can't say my name. Then we had Gemeinde Abend and then Gemi-Co.

Mittwoch: District meeting. That was fun! I love our district right now! We have fun every week! But don't worry, we also learn a lot. That’s what makes it fun;) Then we did studies and also ate a bratwurst with Lucy! Then we had Gemeinde Rat (ward counsel) in Werdau. I like going to meetings like that and being involved in the ward. It makes me feel like I’m actually doing something here!

Donnerstag: This day was cool! We had a joint teach with a lady that we found last week! She has 5 kids! Antiona came with us. She’s 22 and lives here in Gera. She served her mission in the Ukraine and that’s where this lady comes from. So, they got to speak Russian with each other and that was really cool! The Spirit is so strong when people speak their native language. It's hard to explain, but just believe me on this one! We then went and visited Bruder Serfling in the old folk’s home. We were for sure the youngest ones there. In the elevator an old lady looked at us, got some tears in her eyes, said (in German) "they told us we had to live here..." she pushed her walker bitterly away, and touched Sister Medley’s cheek. She said, "Be grateful that you both are still so young." It was one of the saddest moments of my mission. Gosh! I've never felt so guilty for being young! Then we had a lesson with Claudia. She told us that she actually wanted to be baptized on the 29th of September... however…that had already passed. But, she wants to get baptized! WAHOO!! We gave her the 28th of November to pray over! She’s a golden one!

Freitag: Oh this day was fun! We did some weekly planning (that was not fun...) But then, we got to go help Sch. Sorge in her garden! It is harvest time! The Elders and Bruder Krause were there. We did a lot and they don't have rototillers here so the Elders started doing to the ground what the rototiller would do. Hard work! But it was fun! Then...there was a medieval fest going on here in Gera right on markt below our house! It is the anniversary of Germany becoming one again this weekend, so they obviously had to have a huge 3 day celebration! It was kind of like a Christmas markt but just with bagpipe music and people dressed up as knights and stuff instead of Christmas music and Santa! It was really good! And...there were these fried balls of dough that were Oh, SO good! (that one’s for you dad) They are called Quarkbällchen. They were kind of like the beignets that we get every time we go to Disneyland!

Samstag: We got to meet with Lucy again. We talked about the importance of latter day prophets, and conference! Then, we got to go to Werdau and watch the Women’s session, then the Sat. Morning session live. I got to watch the Sat. morning session in English, but the rest was in German.

Sonntag: Finished up weekly planning and then headed out to Werdau for the Sat. afternoon session and the live Sunday morning. We watched both in German! Michael came with us this day. He...is a crier. He cried in almost every talk. It is amazing to watch someone watch conference for the first time and feel that special spirit for the first time! I hope this really helps him finally realize that these prophets and apostles are true! And that Joseph smith was a true prophet! I don’t know how you can go through a conference without feeling so strongly that it is true.

So, this week I read a devotional and a part of it made me think of the Brad Paisley song "If I could write a letter to me." If you could write a letter to yourself from any point in eternity and receive it now, when would you write it? I decided that I would write a letter from my pre-earth life self. Sounds kind of weird right? However, think about it for a sec. I knew in the pre-earth life who I wanted to become. I had goals for myself there. I knew my potential. I knew without a doubt that I could reach all of those goals! Sadly...I have forgotten all of those goals and have to re-find them here in this life. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a little encouragement from your pre-earth life self? I think so!

Also, Conference! Ah! Conference!! I came to conference with a question. And I got a lot of answers. I would like to share it. So, my question..."What can I do in my last 4 transfers to be as (or more) enthusiastic and motivated about missionary work as I was at the beginning of my mission?" here are some answers....

1. Be healthier, eat better, go running (ugh....)

2. Learn some life lessons from the old people!
3. Develop stronger faith through prayer
4. Focus on the things that matter and simplify
5. Center my life daily on Christ
6. Stop being selfish (that was my answer to Larry R. Lawrence's challenge)
7. Take a few seconds to listen to the spirit after I pray
8. Thank the women in my life more. Especially my mom
9. Smile and laugh more often! :)
10. Apply the atonement in my life every day!
11. Read my patriarchal blessing every week
12. Remember my temple covenants
13. Speak what's in my heart
14. Pray with full faith!

I know that all these things are kind of random, and I'm also not quite sure HOW they will really help me. However, I know that they will. I know that when I better myself by just one percent that it will make all the difference in the end! To God, our direction is more important than our speed. I loved conference and I got many many more answers to a lot of my worries. Especially about money and college. I know that God answers prayers. He's answered way too many of mine to ever deny that. Rely on him and trust in his way for you. It won't be as you planned it. But if you follow him, it will be BETTER than you planned it!

I love you all! Have a great week!!

Ich Weiß dass mein Erlöser Lebt! (I know that my Redeemer lives!)

Sister St. John