Monday January 5, 2015 Halle, Germany

One Month In Germany!

If this wasn't a mission I would totally say that a month in a country is the perfect vacation time! Just enough time to kind of get used to things, get to know the culture, get to see everything, etc....However! I'm SO excited that I get to stay here for longer than a month! SO excited! P.S. When I get home and travel the world, (I'm going to do it...someday!) I would really like to stay in the country for like a month! Anyway...totally off topic! You guys sound like you had a really fun Christmas break! Love hearing all your updates! New Year’s sounded like fun! Wish the kids luck going back to school, and wish Dad (and you mom) luck with going back to work! I always hated going back to school. I think I wore hoodies every day the couple weeks after Christmas break. (Which I really wish I could do here also, but its ok!) Also, Rivers coat is the cutest thing ever! And I'm glad to see mom, that my boots are getting used still! Also, Hadlie’s black boots are very cute! I'm sure Colten has some cool clothes too! And yes! I did in fact buy a coat! Because....It is FREEZING here! It was on sale from about 170 € to about 99 € so yes, $122 sounds about right! So, uh, Merry Christmas to me for the next two Christmas's I guess!

So, last Montag the Elders were complaining about their dryer not working! (The dryers here suck by the way) So I was asking them if they cleaned out the filter thing, they said yes. Then in our dryers it like sucks the water out and keeps it in this thing that we have to empty. So I asked them if they emptied the water thing...they hadn't, like ever. Typical Elders! So now their dryer works! Haha! I also bought my coat on this day! 

Dienstag we went grocery shopping for two less actives that really, physically can't shop for themselves. We counted it as our service for the week! Nothing too exciting happened this day. 

Mittwoch was New Year’s eve! We had two eating appointments one at the Wutzlers. They are kind of a less active family...all I know is that going over there feels a lot different than going over to any active members house! Plus the food is always interesting! Sister Lisonbee tried to ask them what the meat was that we were eating. Elder Silver stopped her quickly from doing that!  Then we went to the Burkhardts! They are my favorite! They have a 10 year old that is my height. Awesome. But she is fun! We played a board game with her. We ate some schnitzel and some really good mushroom sauce, and bread of all kinds! SOO good!  Then we did fireworks! Which, by the way there is like NO rule for how big, or how early, or how many days before or after a holiday you can set them off! SO...for the past two weeks fireworks have been going off! So fireworks and sparklers were fun. Then we went to bed at 10:30. I don't think there is any physical way I could stay up till 12 on a mission! 

Donnerstag New Years!! We had another eating appointment at the Ratzenburgs. She talks a lot, and very quickly! We all almost fell asleep! It was bad!

As a mission we started a Book of Mormon challenge! I'm reading it auf Deutsch (with a little help from the English scriptures to begin with) and I have a new way of marking which I'm really excited about! I have like 6 colors and the each represent something different. It's really cool! Ok, so this is what I want you to do! I'm going to send you a schedule of what chapters we are supposed to read, and I thought that It would be cool if you guys, either as a family (preferably as a family) or on your own would read it with me! It's like a chapter a day! Nothing too hard! And if anyone does it, it should be Colten! Because I think it will help with him preparing to go on his own mission!  

Freitag, we had a lesson with a new investigator David. He is about 20, and from some country in Africa, speaks French, doesn't speak English, speaks a little German, and he can't read any language. In other words...It's really hard to teach him! But he wants to be taught! He loved it when we showed him pictures of the first vision, and baptism! It’s kind of like teaching a primary kid! 

Samstag, we did finding for 6 hours and didn't find anyone! That was a little frustrating, but it happens sometimes! We accidently talked to some Jehovah Witnesses! They weren't wearing their skirts, and we talk to everyone we pass, so yep! We talked to them! They quizzed us pretty much and we invited them to our church and they invited us to their church (we were tempted to go, but we didn't). We also found a castle that’s a museum now! It's not open on Mondays though, so we will have to ask President if we can change some of our hours to go do that! 

Sonntag, I got my hair stuck in Sister Lisonbee's blow dryer! It was only a little bit! Sister Lisonbee had to help me cut it off! Ha! But don't worry Brooke, I don't even know where it happened, so no, you can't tell! And guess what?! David came to church!! Oh we were SO excited!! We had him sit next to me and another lady in our ward who speaks French! It was awesome and she is a life saver! It's soooo sad because I want to teach him the gospel so so badly! But it’s so so hard! We really have to rely on the spirit for this one! I know he is looking for something! And I know that we have it! I just hope he can feel the Spirit when we teach him and when he comes to church! 

Today we are going to the Chocolate factory! One of the oldest ones in Germany I think! So that will be cool!! Love you guys so so much! Let me know if there’s anything I can do for you! Also (mom), Sister Lisonbee told me to have you read Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale! 

Love, Sister St. John

 I cook! 

 Us at the Burkhardt's

 We did sparklers! Don't mind the snow flake in my face!

 This is part of the castle that we found! 

 During our day of finding for 6 hours! 

 This is a cool friedhof! (cemetery) 

 This was our favorite thing there! we don't really know what it is, but It's cool! 

 Am Leipziger Turm! (at the Leipzig tower)

Happy 13th birthday to my sister Hadlie!

 My coat is SO warm! Can you tell?

Monday December 29, 2014 Halle, Germany

Willkommen (welcome) Winter! 

Well, Even though it’s only been a couple days since I emailed you, a lot has happened...

Samstag, we discovered that we have fruit flies in our kitchen. We had 1 one day, and the next day like 20! Awesome! If you could look up how to kill those for me, that would be great! Also, the weather decided to drop like 20 degrees and stay that way, so now I'm freezing! However...I wore Brittney's thermals that are like an inch thick and they were glorious! Tell her thanks for me! We had an investigator tüsch us (tell us he didn't want to meet) this day. He just wants peace for his country (Iran) and he said we can’t give that to him. So we just told him that if he had interest again he was welcome to meet with us again. I'm almost thankful that he did this, because why waste our time with people who aren't progressing and interested! He's awesome, and of course I'm sad, but I'm glad we aren't wasting our time anymore. We do still have someone on baptism date! We meet with him again this week!  I also have written down on here that I made mashed potatoes...which I did! And they were SOO good! Thanks dad for teaching me how to make those. Usually my companion cooks (because she likes it) and I do the dishes (because it was a compromise and I would rather do that than cook). But I do cook sometimes! I cook breakfast...like a piece of toast with peanut butter on it like every day! So, to say the least I can cook...I just don't like to! 

Sonstag, again was SOO cold! My hands were FROZEN! People should hibernate during the winter!!! We also had some microwave popcorn that Joni (member of the ward) gave us, and we watched one of two movies that we are allowed to watch, so Legacy or The Testament in German for language study. We do this every Sunday! So pretty much I have carried on the movie tradition! Those movies are soo funny especially in German! The words and the voices don't match up at all and it’s SO funny! We also went through our area book because it was a mess! There were dead records in there from like a year ago that people hadn't moved over! People are lazy sometimes! 

Montag, heute, we got up, worked out, studied, cleaned and organized! Which was AWESOME! We got rid of SO much unneeded stuff! Oh our apartment is SOO clean! By the way, I do not know how me or my companion still have hair on our heads, because when we clean it’s like piles and piles of hair! Like what the heck?! How in one week do we lose that much hair! Oh, also, it snowed about 3 inches today! Everything looks SO much prettier! But now we have to trudge through the snow for the rest of the winter...so that awesome! I'm just glad that we don't have to drive in it! Especially up by our house at home! 

Well, not much more to update you on! Love you guys so much! I will send some pictures! 

Love you! 

Me and a bunch of food that we got for Christmas! Look at the HUGE chocolate bar that I'm holding! It has an sheet of oreos inside of it!

A member also gave us umbrellas! Or a regen schem!  (something like that, it means rain shield though!) We have about 12 in our apartment now!

So we went finding in the HUGE park, kind of like central park, except not that huge. Anyways, there were tons of ducks and swans!

 Also, in the Peißnitz there is this bridge! 

 

The trees lit up! Horrible picture, and it wont let me send videos...so that sucks.

 This says kiss me, I'm a want-a-be Porsche! Just notice that its a Kia! SO funny!! 

Problem...solved! 

This is my favorite sign in Halle!

 This is our Walmart! It's awesome! 

This is me by this tree by our chruch! I really like it!

Friday December 26, 2014 Halle, Germany

I'm so glad that we got to talk yesterday! Talking on the phone was maybe a little better for me than Skype. I would have been too emotional on Skype, being able to see you guys! But it was so good! I hope that I gave you guys some fun facts and answers to questions. Christmas sounds like it was great there! It's weird that I'm not there to watch all the new movies and see all your stuff that you got, but I'm having the adventure of a lifetime here!

So last time I wrote you for real I was going on tausch (exchanges) to Chemnitz with one of the sister training leaders. It was fun to be with a different sister and see how she does things! Chemnitz is even more East than Halle. To say the least I love Halle! 

Mittwoch of last week we discovered that Biscoff and apples are amazing together! And no one here knows what Biscoff is...which I thought was strange because it’s from Europe! We found a new investigator when we were teaching a less active. Her name is Awa (ava) and she is so interested in the Book Of Mormon! We will see how things turn out with her! 

Donnertags- We met with a less active African lady named Comfort! She says the most awesome prayers like, "send down your mighty angels with the spirit of healing" type of stuff! So I laughed during one of her prayers and she got mad at me! So that was funny! We did finding (like we do every day!) and we do a survey, and a lot of people say they will listen to a prophet, and say yes to a lot of our other questions so then we testify of it and they don’t believe us, or even seem to have interest. It's interesting. 

Freitag we had a lesson with a new investigator. We taught him the first lesson and I extended the invitation to be baptized and he said that he will work towards it! We have a date set for Jan. 24th. But it doesn't mean much until he actually goes through with it! We will see! Sister Lisonbee said that the lesson with him was the best lesson that she has ever had on her mission. I thought we could improve...I had better lessons teaching-wise in the MTC! But yeah, all in all it was really good! OH! This day it rained super hard for the first time when we were out finding, and I feel like a real missionary now that I have trudged through the rain! 

Samstag we had the soup kitchen, had an eating appointment and ate hot dogs, but WAY better than American hot dogs! 

Sonntag we had church, then we went to an eating appointment with the Bishops family! The Jentzch's! SO fun! They had kids that were about our age and it just felt like a normal Mormon family! And we had normal chicken, like boneless! AWESOME!!! Later that night we also found a semi-old contact that we before couldn't find her house! So we finally found her house after wandering and walking for like 1 hour! And she wasn't home, so we sat down and wrote her a note! As soon as we were leaving she walked around the corner! So we got to talk to her and set up an appointment! Serious miracles happen here every day! 

Montag, we went caroling after we did finding! We went with the elders to this nicer part of Halle with real houses! I guess people here don't do caroling....because everyone tried to give us money! Ha! But, we talked to this super cool old guy who was a Nazi! He was so proud that young people like us would want to come spread joy and share what we believe about Christ to others! He said to keep doing what we were doing and to always live the way the lord wants us to live! 

Dienstag We found a contact, and gave away a Book Of Mormon on the street which is a big deal because we don't usually do that! And we also got a referral for another area in our mission! 

Mittwoch Christmas EVE!! We had district meeting and also had dinner over at the Burkharts house! He’s our GLM (ward mission leader) and the kids opened up their presents on this day! Crazy! But fun! We also got to play board games which was awesome! 

Well, we have another eating appointment today because Christmas here is 3 days long! SO many eating appointments!!! I'm doing great! Love you!! 

 

Our District! The two Elders we don't work as much with are Elder Barton and Elder Gunter.

 I think this is supposed to be Händel. He is from Halle.

 Me and Sister Lisonbee.

The Elders! 

 Besides us in this picture this is the Christmas market Ferris wheel!

 Leipzig train station.

Here's a yellow house that I like! 

Me with a dough tower! SO good!

 This is Paul Jentzsch with their old Deutsch bible from 1720.

Here's some of these old guitars that I was telling dad about! (The Bishop (Jentzsch) of their ward collects and restores old guitars. Cassidy knew Randy would appreciate pictures of that!) 

Our trek through the forest! Christmas Day to go to the member's house to try to Skype! 

​My favorite picture of the week. We were led through the forest by our fearless leader, Marco (Elder Silver) Polo. Surprisingly, we arrived at our destination safely.

Monday December 15, 2014 Halle, Germany

Ok, first thing first! I'm SO SO SO sorry for my last email! Last week was a mess and I didn't write down things I was going to email about. We also had to cut our P-day down 2 hours because of a concert we went to, and I had to take a survey. Anyway...this email should be better! Oh! Also, thanks to Brooke and Karron for packages in the last days at the MTC! I loved them so much! Really I am so blessed to have so many people who love me, and who were willing to send me things! 

OK, so on Monday last week, we did some finding after we did emailing. Finding is hard because it’s so weird to talk to each other here in Germany. It's so quiet everywhere! Komisch (funny)....anyway...we ate food at the Christmas mart! It's awesome and like Fiesta Days but all month! We got fries and Bratwursts! Which were both great! We then were in charge of the ward FHE (Family Home Evening), which we really shouldn't be in charge of as missionaries. But the problem in this ward is that everyone that is worthy to have a calling has a calling. So...we take over the other things, like we also teach Relief Society sometimes. Things are weird here! Anyway, at FHE they had tea...I honestly hate it. I’ve tried like 5 different kinds and hate them all. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to live with it! 

Dienstag (Tuesday) we had a lesson with a less active, which is pretty much all we do. Visit with less actives and go finding. But, Karla, this less active let us know that she actually has a desire to go to the temple and get married to her husband! So cool! Also so weird to think that a lot of these people have never even seen a temple in person. We are so blessed! Take advantage of it! Then that night we went over to the Mitta couple’s house for dinner. It was spaghetti and the most normal meal and conversation that I have had since I got here. I don't know if it’s just who we teach, or if it’s Germany, but we teach a lot of people who are just socially awkward! But I love them, so it's ok! Oh, and while we were at the Mitta's, their dog got into my bag and ate our chocolate! (I’ve had my fair share of chocolate since I’ve been here!) We weren't too happy about it, however, it reminded me of Brownie (our dog) a little bit! 

Mittwoch (Wednesday) we went and got groceries for Sisters Shrütar and Comfort, who are both less actives, and they are both sick so they couldn't go get their own groceries. But this day was weird! NO ONE would talk to us! SO weird! Because usually we will say hello and ask them some question about Christmas or their family or something, but this day no one would even acknowledge that we were there. And...it was the coldest day that I’ve had since I’ve been here!

Ok, so there is a little bit of a difference between the cold here and the cold in Utah. It is more wet, but not too bad. My scarf is always kind of damp. I don’t know, it's hard to explain. But it's cold, especially when the wind blows! So just imagine walking around in 30 degree weather....but in a skirt...yeah...it's awesome! Ha! But my coat is doing great! I don’t think I’ll buy one unless it starts getting really cold! I do wear a scarf every day, and I’m glad I brought my two heaviest ones! It's weird because here, everyone wears a scarf and a huge coat everywhere, and when they go inside they hang them up, all in one spot. Like at church, they actually use the hanger things! It's funny!

Ok, so this night we actually almost got a new little kid investigator! His mom is a member, and he is not, and he is nine! We have an appointment with both of them this next week. Hopefully he has a desire and hopefully his mom will let him make the decision for himself! 

Thursday, we had our Christmas Zone Conference in Dresden! We had to be there by 9:30 am and it’s about 3 hours away. So we had to get up early and take a couple of trains to get there! It's nice because the Elders here in Halle get to travel with us, and we see them like every day! Its fun and we are pretty good friends with them! Ok, so this Zone Conference was AWESOME! I love our AP's and President! And I got to see people from the MTC! There’s like 3 kids I knew from high school that were there! I think there is 5 of us in this mission that went to MMHS! Crazy! Also, I'm the only one that didn't take German at MMHS before coming here. OH! I got to see Sister Hill! Man I love her! We did also get our Christmas packages! We opened them later that night!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! Man that really meant the world to me to get that package! I LOVED everything that was in it! So creative mom! Tell the family thank you! Also, tell the Young Women thank you! The notes were much needed and so cute! Thank you! 

Freitag (Friday), the first thing I have written down here is that the bread is SO good here! Which is so true! My companion wants to always get American style bread, but last week I talked her into getting some other wheat bread that is amazing! I eat a piece of toast with peanut butter every day pretty much! They have peanut butter here! We went to Beesen today, just a city outside of Halle like 5 minutes. It was sooo windy, and not many people out. BUT.... in the last 10 minutes we prayed that we were going to talk to one more person, and to have us know what to say. So, there was a lady in a purple coat that was down the path a little ways coming towards us, we felt like we needed to go talk to her. She was carrying groceries so I asked if we could help her, she said no, but then saw my name tag and said (in German) "Hey! About 20 years ago I met with some Elders from your church...." and it went off from there! We have an appointment with her tomorrow! Except I can’t go because I will be on an exchange with the sister training leaders tonight and tomorrow! So also, on Fridays we have German study with a new member named Enrico. He's awesome, but one of those kind of socially awkward people I was telling you about! Anyway, we also do that with the Elders, and Enrico said he was very impressed with elder Gurlach’s Deutsch... Aber (but), he looked at me and said that I need a little practice. Yeah... I know! It's hard! And I'm not catching on as fast as I would like! But that’s ok! I will keep studying and God will help me!

Ok, on Samstag (Saturday) we volunteer at a soup kitchen at a Catholic church with REAL Nuns!!! I didn't know people actually still did that! Anyway, several people there kept saying that I looked like an angel...funny! Also, I had the most delicious thing at the market! It’s this cylinder that they wrap dough around and bake it quickly, then put butter on it and roll it in whatever you want! We got zimt (cinnamon) and sugar! And it’s still kind of doughy on the inside when you eat it! MAN, it is SO GOOD! You would love it mom! Also, we helped sister Shütar put up her Christmas tree! I have pics of that I will send! 

Sunday, normal, except for we only have 2 hours of church, they don't have Sunday school! Weird. And we watched the first Presidency Christmas devotional for Sacrament, which was also weird...whatever! We had an eating appointment and I didn't have to eat as much this time! It was mashed potatoes with Goulash, so meat sauce. They put stew stuff on top of everything! Oh, and then we went finding in Neustatt, and there was guy peeing in the bush to the side of the path hahaha! Welcome to Neustatt! 

K, so some fun facts. The strollers here are really cool! And everyone has them because everyone walks everywhere! Tons of people have twins...kind of really weird. No drinking fountains or public bathrooms. The streets are really dirty! The only animals I’ve seen is pigeons and a couple rats... yeah, that was gross... the police sirens here sound weird, like classic England sirens that would be in the old movies. Also, tons of PDA, also weird, and I think public transportation is weird also! Ok, so I’m in an East German city, so Neustatt basically means new part or new city. So it was built by communists, so all the buildings look the same, except for they’ve tried to fix and paint them...but they are still the same. And everyone’s apartments look the same. Laid out the EXACT same! It’s weird! 

So, really we have been focusing a lot on Christmas and that Christ is the gift! We finally got cards that we get to pass out to people that say that on them! Also, in our Christmas devotional sister Kosak said that the Shepherds came with HASTE to Christ! And I thought that was interesting! They came with haste to him, and so should we! I've also been thinking....what can I give Christ for Christmas this year? I think that is a good question, and I would encourage everyone to think and do whatever you think of! Christ is the ultimate gift. He lives and loves each one of us! 18 months really isn't that long to give to Christ for all he has done for me. 

I love you guys so much! Have a good week!! 

Love, Sister St. John

Our bunk beds

Our kitchen! Which actually is pretty good.

Bathroom and also our laundry room. No complaints because there are way way worse apartments that I go in every day! 

Our desks, how we decorate.

The tree you sent and some more things on our wall.

 Pretty much how I look every day. I've never loved tights so much in my life. I wear my grey jacket when its raining, and my red one when its not!

A horrible picture, but the four of us, Sister Lisonbee, me, Elder Silver, and Elder Gurlach on the way home from Dresden!

 Us and Sister Shütar! No Germans smile in pictures, so there is that.

The fan thingy is cool! Look it up! Its a Christmas pyramid I think....

The huge Christmas tree at the Christmas mart! 

Food from the Christmas mart! it was delicious! Can you believe those Bratwursts!

Monday December 8, 2014 Halle, Germany

Wow, just wow....I don't know where to begin! It seems like I just got here yesterday, but I'm glad I didn't because that day was a little stressful! So I talked to you right before our plane to Amsterdam took off…It was a huge flight and totally full! I think as missionaries we gave out 3 or 4 Books of Mormon and got 2 or 3 referrals! So that was awesome! I slept for a total of like 7 hours I think, which was pretty good for a 10 hour flight! We flew kind of over Canada and Greenland. I got to see the Northern Lights!!! Ah soooo cool! They look like they do in Polar Express a little bit, except for I haven't seen Polar Express for a while so maybe not! But they were pretty and yellow! So that flight was good.

We got off in Amsterdam and it was so dark, so we couldn't see anything cool. We all went to the bathroom in the airport and Elder Woodside comes out and says, "so we were all going to the bathroom and the cleaning lady just comes in and starts sweeping away....welcome to Europe I guess!” SOOO funny! All the boys were freaking out! By the way, the toilets there and here are all circular, and I feel like I'm going to fall in every time! Crazy! There were also huge pictures of ladies not dressed appropriately, we were definitely not in the MTC anymore! Oh! I did love that airport though! Everything looked like it came straight out of Ikea!

So then we had a short flight to Berlin. I slept. We got out of the plane on the cement like in the movies! So that was weird. It’s a really small airport. President, and the AP's met us there. So nice and they are so funny! We went back to the Berlin chapel, and had Dominos pizza, and did some finding and sat in classes. We then went to a hotel and slept, for a really long time! We were able to sleep in! YES!!! We slept until like 9:00! We got all ready and went downstairs for breakfast. It was SOOO good! Bread, cheese, ham, but no water, just orange juice and milk! Anyway, way better than the MTC! Then we went back to the chapel and met our new companions! It was terribly sad and it was all I could do to not cry! (I did still cry...) I'm going to be honest and say that I miss my companion Sister Isrealsen, but I love sister Lisonbee! Her first name is Sydney.

So, as you know, we are serving in Halle (Hall-ah). It’s about as big as Salt Lake City, but doesn't really feel like it. We took 2 different trains to Halle and it took us like 2 1/2 hours. With my luggage it was awful! Horrible! But I made it. Oh! Elder Gurlach and Elder Silver are with us in Halle and we serve together in the same ward! We see them about every day and it’s AWESOME! I am so glad I'm not the only new one in the area! Ok, so we got to Halle and had a lesson with a newly baptized guy. We teach him in English because he wants to learn more of it! All the lessons I have been to so far in are English because we have a lot of foreigners. It’s cool, but my German hasn't really progressed. It’s hard to pay attention to people when I don't understand them, and when they aren't talking to me. But I'm trying! 

Ok, I really don't have a lot of time! It’s cold. I wear a scarf everywhere. Everyone does! The Christmas market is cool! It’s like Fiesta Days, rides included, but just in the winter and Christmas themed! Our ward is about 50 members. We have no investigators. We spend a lot of time finding. It’s kind of fun! We are trying to have it be more effective!

Ok, so we ate at a member’s house yesterday and I’ve never eaten so much in my entire life! Super good tomato soup! Then red cabbage, and klosse, those are potato ball things that are boiled and everyone makes, but I didn't like them...awesome! But we had this really good meat! We eat with the Elders also! Elder Gurlach is awesome and kept making fun of me from across the table because honestly I was about to explode with eating so much. I didn't eat dinner last night, or breakfast this morning! It's pretty here! And...I had a Doner on Friday! So cool! And, there is stuff growing here still! Weird! I'm cold all time!

I need to make a more organized list! I really don't have any more time because we had to take a survey. Also, jet lag, not so much! I did pretty well because I slept on the plane. I'll write you guys a letter soon! You sound like you are doing great! The members make fun of me because I’m so tiny! Plus, I got told I look Russian, and that I look 15. Awesome! Really, all is going well, I'm living! And the food is pretty good! And no one talks to people, or smiles, and everyone looks older than they really are. We are in East Germany and you can really tell. Apartments are run down! 

Love you soooo soooo much! I'm doing great and will be better next week with emailing! 

Love – Sister St. John

 MTC District before splitting into new companionships.

Last picture with Sister Isrealsen.

  Pictures are worth a thousand words, right? This is our city!!!

Sister Lisonbee is very nice. And she knows German, so you know, that's a plus!

First Doner! Sooo good!



Doner!

Sister St. John arrives in Germany!

(from Mom)

Sister St. John left the MTC on Tuesday December 2nd. We got to speak with her for about an hour or so while she was in the Salt Lake City, UT airport. She sounded good but also nervous and anxious for her journey to "really begin." I was also able to talk with her after she boarded the plane in Seattle, just before taking off for Amsterdam. We're assuming all went well and she arrived in Berlin on Wednesday December 3rd around 10:30am Berlin time.

Thursday December 4th we were able to see a couple of pictures on the Germany, Berlin mission blog...

This great group of missionaries got to make their journey all together from Provo to Berlin!

This is from Thursday December 4th. Cassidy with her new companion (who is TALL) Sister Lisonbee along with their Mission President and wife the Kosak's.

On Friday December 5th we received this email from President Kosak...

 

Dear Brother and Sister St. John ,

 

We are pleased to announce that your daughter, Sister Cassidy Nichole St. John, is safely

with us in the Berlin Mission. We have had the opportunity to get to know her, and she

is ready and excited to be here. Sister Kosak and I look forward to working with her and

will do all that we can to help her serve a happy and successful mission. Sister St. John’s

first companion will be Sister Lisonbee, and they will work together in Halle for the next

several weeks. If you would like to send letters to your missionary, please send them to

the mission office address:

 

Sister St. John

Kirche Jesu Christi HLT

Zerbsterstrasse 42

12209 Berlin

Germany

 

We have all discussed the mission goals and agreed that we will start right, work hard, and

finish strong in order to fulfill our purpose to invite others to come unto Christ.

We, along with your daughter, appreciate the support which you give through your weekly

letters and daily prayers in her behalf. Thank you for raising your daughter so that she can

be part of this amazing work.

 

For a glimpse inside the mission, including occasional pictures of your missionary, you

can check the blog we maintain at http://germanyberlinmission2012-15.blogspot.com. If

you ever have questions, you are welcome to e-mail me at: 2010879@ldschurch.org. I’ve

included a picture of Sister St. John, her companion, Sister Lisonbee, Sister Kosak, and

me.

 

May the Lord bless you in all that you do.

Sincerely,

Henry W. Kosak, President

Germany Berlin Mission

We have of course have looked up all sorts of information about the city of Halle where Cassidy is starting out. It looks like a beautiful place and we can't wait to hear from her, hopefully on Monday!