Monday December 14, 2015 Hamburg, Germany

Moin Moin Landsleute!! ha! Just kidding! But Hallo!! Sounds like everyone is full of Christmas cheer and ready to be out of school! 

Random facts: 

We are in the Stake center for Hamburg
There are about 400 people on the ward list, but only 80 active
We live like 2 mins away from the church
I have yet to see the actual city
Hamburg reminds me of Salt Lake. Not very busy on the outside but really busy in the inside of the city.
We use subways to get everywhere so I haven't seen any of the city yet really. 

This week was AWESOME!!! 

Montag: was just craziness...went to bed at 1 I think! 

Dienstag: Took a train, and then a BUS to Leipzig!! Which SUCKED! I have 3 suitcases that weigh more than I do and one is broken. But, we made it! I said goodbye to Sister Bills and I was off on my 3 hour train ride!! It was really cool, I got on the train and I heard someone in a very American accent speaking German. I turned around and asked if she was from America. She was. I invited her to come sit by me and we talked for a good hour! She even started the conversation with the perfect question! "What brings you to Leipzig?" It was really cool and exciting for me to share the gospel in English in a casual way! I made it safely to Hamburg and Sister Sorensen and I lugged my 3 suitcases up our 75 stairs to the smallest apartment I have ever seen! I unpacked and rested because I was also sick! 

Mittwoch: We visited a less active named Comfort. She’s African and immediately gave me the nick name of Sister John the Baptist! Awesome!! haha! We then helped the Elders who are the Zone leaders plan a Zone training meeting for next week. It's weird to be involved with stuff like that and I kind of feel like the Bishop’s wife. We went to institute and had a REALLY good joint teach with an investigator. 3 of the RM's there just asked if they could come teach with us! So they did and we hardly had to say anything! It was awesome! They committed Ken to pray about being baptized. Hopefully this week we will find out what his answer was! 

Donnerstag: We had Distrikt meeting and then ate all together at some HUGE mall down the street from the church. Then we taught this little 5 year old English. She goes to a bi-lingual school. Then, to a member to do a Christmas program thing. Sis. Sorensen plays the guitar and so we take it to ward members and we read scriptures and sing Christmas songs! Very cool! And fun! (except for when you are sick!)

Freitag: We taught Reane who is another awesome investigator! We had a joint teach with our GML who is American. It was a good lesson about prophets. We then had to run a cell phone that Elder Winter accidently took from Hannover to an Elder coming through Hamburg on a train. Weekly planning! Then a less active. 

Samstag: Service project!!! Helped someone move! It was actually organized this time!! Who knew that could happen? We also moved our study room around cause there was NO room! I always organize the apartments that I come to. They are always dirty and not organized. It bugs me! Then...we had our Ward Christmas party!! I got to know the ward and Reane came! He was SO social and we hardly had to introduce him to anyone. He also helped to clean up for an extra hour and a half! He's golden! I also made friends with Bishops youngest daughter who is 15 almost 16. He pulled me aside and asked if while I’m here in Hamburg I could be friends with her and involve her in our missionary work! Yep! Can do!! 

Sontag: Good church! We got 4 referrals from the ward! AWESOME!! And we watched the 1st presidency Christmas program!! 

I'm doing fantastic!! Going to the city now and I will take lots of pics!! 

Love you all! Have a great week! 

Love, Sister St. John

 Schwester Dorlitz and me

 Suitcases and my favorite bahnhof!

It was raining. It's my only picture of Sister Sorensen! I'll get better pics this week!

Monday December 7, 2015 Gera, Germany

The growth spurt I never had…

Well guys…It's time...Drum roll please…I have been transferred to HAMBURG!!! Wahoo! My gosh am I excited! But that means that I'm really busy today so...I'm writing this email on a bus on the way to Werdau! Also...

Montag- we met with the Meckels. Talked to Nele. Then had a long talk with Sch. Meckel. I was pretty bold but also loving. I talked to her about living the gospel at home. It's amazing the influence parents have on their children. I know if they were just to do those simple things like pray, scripture reading, come to church, they would receive blessings. They just don't see it! All in all, there will be no baptism on the 6th or the 12th. It will come someday though!

Deinstag- the usual Frau Dillion. We did some finding and talked about Christmas with people. It's actually my favorite type of finding! Then gemeinde abend, where we talked about Christmas in Germany! Learned a lot! Then we ate some of my favorite food during Christmas time here!
Lebkuchen! Mmmmmm:) I'll try to send some home!

Mitwoch- our last district meeting. Sister Daniels goes home so she shared some of the most important things that's she's learned on her mission! Very cool! Then we ate with Sch. Barthel and Bru. Kosak (the 90 year old one. Pres. Kosak’s dad:) they always give us good life advice and make sure to tell us that every sacrifice will be worth it for the Church. Then, back to Gera. Studies. Sch. Kretchmar! She's also awesome! For dessert we had pumpkin soaked in vinegar and sugar. Interesting but good!

Donnerstag- Frau Dillion cooked a new recipe for us! It was good. Had fish and Brussel sprouts in it. We did a few other things this day....But I can't really remember. We were at the Meckel’s this night eating something called Tode Oma. It's basically potatoes sauerkraut, mush those up, then put cooked blood sauce over it and mix it all together. Don't let it fool you! It's really good! After we ate, we were cleaning up and an AP called us and he asked for me specifically. I almost threw up my Tode Oma. President wanted me at the MLC (mission leadership counsel) the next day. I said ok and we left and bought a 230€ ticket to Berlin the next morning. I also had a very sore throat this day.

Freitag- had even worse sore throat this day. Left the apartment at 5:30am got in Berlin at 8. Ate at a bakery. Bread for 19 cents is pretty good! Went to the church and Sister Bills left to work with someone else that day in Berlin. I was there at the church with the zone leaders and sister training leaders and then...Sister Medley walks in!!! I was SO happy to see her! We sat through meetings, lunch, 10 mins of soccer, meetings, until 4 pm! Then interview with President. He said I will be going to Hamburg and will be a Sister Training Leader. I will be with Sister Sorensen! She's from my MTC group! We are over 4 sister companionships in the Hamburg area. We go on exchanges with all of them. That's about all I know! :)

Samstag- we had to overnight with the Leipzig sisters Freitag night. Took a train back to Gera and then went to Lucy's to bake! She's awesome and we had a lot of fun! Found out I'm not very good at cooking and I bring bad luck.... But it was fun! We did weekly planning and that's about it. I started having a cough this day!

Sontag- church! Said goodbye to people. It's hard, but it's time. Ate with the Elders at Sch. Dorlitz’s! Last eating appointment with her was great! This day I also said goodbye to the Meckel’s which was like the saddest thing ever! But, I made it through and went over to
Toni's! She's so great! She gave me a scarf and put a lot of music on my flash drive for me. One album is the new Fray Christmas album! :)

Today has been crazy! Running to and fro eating, saying goodbyes. Coughing, blowing my nose, having a crying headache. Ya know...The usual! We get to have FHE by the Kosak’s tonight! Ulrich and Astrid! They are like my favorite members!

I'm really excited for this change in my life! It will stretch me. Responsibility makes me nervous. But being able to learn how to rely on the lord will help me grow! He's called me to a big city, and to help these sisters. I keep telling people that my mission is my life growth spurt. It hurts, but it stretches me.

Love you all so much! Have a great week! And pray that I don't get lost in Hamburg!

Liebe Grüße, Sister St. John

 District meeting. Nerf guns and light sabers! We aren't supposed to have these in our apartments, but for some reason we did. So we decided to get rid of them, but first we all took a picture.

 The Gedankens Kirche in Berlin!

 Berlin hauptbahnhof and the giant Christmas tree!

 At Mission Leadership Counsel - reunited with my favorite first friends on the mission! Elder Gurlach, Elder Silver, me and Sister Lisonbee! We are all Sister Training Leaders or Zoner Leaders!

Mission Leadership Counsel

 Baking with Lucy!

 Last minute drop by on Toni. She gave me a scarf! Love her!

The beautiful sunrise on the way to church yesterday!