Willst Du Eine Schneemann Bauen?! (Do you want to build a snowman?)
Hallo!! Fall break! Sounds like it was a lot of fun! That
was always one of my favorite breaks! Mostly because I had time to go out and
take pictures. And Penny! I want to meet her so bad!! And, James and Sadie have
another boy? I knew that she was pregnant, just not that she had him yet. That’s
so exciting!
I decided as I was reading my last week’s email...that I'm
SO boring. And also not just boring, but the things I write don't really portray
how I feel about the work, or how much I've really changed here. But I decided
that I need to write better emails! I've been getting lazy. And not just with
my emails. But with everything else too. It’s just a routine now, but it needs
not to be!
So, here we go! Hopefully this email will be better! Also, I
hope that my friends excuse me for not writing them as much, because with a
good email comes time!;)
Montag: We got to cook Klöße and Rotkohl! It was SO fun! It
was with my favorite (even though you shouldn't have favorites) couple! Urlich
and Astrid (like from How to Train Your Dragon!) Kosak! They are SO nice and SO
funny! Dad and Bruder Kosak would get along very well... if only they could
communicate with one another! But yes, I took lots of pictures and wrote down
the recipe. I can make it when I get home. That will be fun to do for a FHE or
something!
Dienstag: I'm not going to lie...Dienstag is always the
hardest for me. I let myself think a lot about home on Monday because if I
don't then it comes out all during the week and that’s a mess. So, getting
refocused on Dienstag is always the hardest. Plus it’s like our Monday as
missionaries. Na ja, We did some finding...I was not in a good mood, and it was
cold. Someone told us that the wind was being blown in from Siberia and I believed
them. It was SOO cold! I complained a lot actually and was just not happy. Then
we came back and ate. Then, we went to Frau Dhillions house. Her house smells
like bunny. Kind of really gross. She also gave us food (the problem is that it’s
REALLY rude to say no when they offer you something). Then, we did a little bit
more finding. We were actually going to try to go over to the Meckels, but they
didn't have time. Then...we went to Gemeinde abend. Then to Gemi-co. Then, we
walked home in the dark. Also not my favorite. It gets dark way early! And the
27th we have daylight savings time! Awful!
Mittwoch: We were just done with Morgen Sport (which for me
consists of at least 40 pushups, and either arms, abs, or legs. This day it was
abs. Probably just did some sit-ups or something. Not like that does much for
me. I kind of miss the gym...na, ja! Moving on...) but we looked at the window
as it started getting lighter and guess what? (You will never guess) There was
SNOW!!! Like real snow! And it was still snowing! There were like 2 inches!!
What the heck?! It’s only the middle of Oktober! Awful! So...we got dressed for
the occasion. Luckily I had just bought some really thick tights and the
biggest, warmest scarf there ever was! So I was prepared! We then took a
bus to Werdau, while the soundtrack from Frozen was playing through my mind in
German. The Sisters were stuck in Zwickau because their train fell out. We
tried to go pick them up with the car, but the police were sending everyone
back because there were trees fallen all over the road. So we waited and
started late. Had District meeting. Then tried to go back home so I could grab
all my clothes and stuff so that I could go on exchanges to Chemnitz! But...all
the trains back to Gera were falling out. SO, we decided to go with the Sisters
back to their apartment and do some studies. We also ate some food. I made kind
of an open sandwich thing and I had mayo for the first time in a long time. It
was better than I remember it being! Then, we went to Chemnitz! I was with
sister Toma for tausch! She goes home in like 2 weeks! Weird! We went and
taught English class and then did choir practice. I haven't done that in a
while!
Donnerstag: Well, Chemnitz is not the prettiest city of them
all. It’s also called the Carl Marks stadt. He was a big communist influencer
and there’s a statue of his head there. Anyways...we taught one of their
investigators who is going to be baptized next week! We also taught a less
active and we got to share my favorite video because she hasn't seen it yet!
Then, we took a train back to Gera. Because I didn't have any stuff with me I
had no makeup on. So we went back, I changed my clothes that I had been wearing
in the snow for 2 days straight! Oh! And while in Chemnitz, I lost the bottom
thing of my boot heal. I bought these boots last winter...so I guess it’s about
time they break. But they are still wearable. Sister M thought it was funny because
I had already glued it on before! Then we literally ran (well I ran, Sister M
fast walked) to Hauptbahnhof and we caught a train with Lucy to go to
institute! We learned about Jehovah and Jesus that they were the same person
and why it was important to know that. You know, every time I go to Institute…I
just realize that I don’t know ANYTHING!! I have SO much more to learn! When I
get back I'll be really excited to go to Institute! We got home late and I was
very very tired.
Freitag: Did some weekly planning after studies (by the way,
the snow was melted by now, but it was still cold) then we went and ate lunch
with Schwester Dörlitz. That’s always fun! She likes it when we sing songs, so
we sang and had a spiritual thought afterwards. Then, we visited Schwester
Kretchmar. She is 83 and still is just all go go go! She came back from a trip
to Hamburg! Which is all the way across the country! Gees! So she told us all
about that and showed us some more old pictures. I would LOVE to go to Hamburg someday!
Then, we went over to the Meckels. Had a lesson with Aja and Fynnlay. Fynnlay won’t
be baptized until November. His mom didn't want it so soon. It's complicated
with this family. They make me exercise my patience sometimes. But they also
have my heart!
Samstag: We studied, then helped Schwester Brome and her husband
move. Moving in Germany...if I could teach people one thing...just one thing on
my mission, I wish I could teach them how to organize a move. But, it worked
out ok! The Elders helped out, and the Jena Elders came and helped too. That
was good because the Jena Elders are pretty tall and sporty and could lift all
the heavy stuff! So we did that and it was actually really fun. Putting things
into the elevator, into the truck, drive the truck, stuff out of the truck, up
the stairs, into the elevator, into the apartment. Lots of work! And then we
taught Sandy. I would have been terrified to talk to him on the street! (Luckily
another investigator referred us to him!) I’ll get a picture of him
sometime. He looks pretty scary. But those are the people who really need the
gospel! Then, we taught Lucy! We watched a video about the current bush and the
gardener. How God cuts us down because he knows our potential. I feel like that
current bush sometimes...being so cut down that I ask God why. Why would you do
that to me? And God answers back every time... "I’m the gardener here, and
you are supposed to be something greater." God loves us, and he knows what
we need to be, and so he cuts us down. We have trials. It’s part of life. He's
the gardener, trust in him!
Sonntag: Church! I managed to quietly handle Fynnlay today during
church. Then we ate with the Bishoprich and ate the normal, meat (they got me
all excited and said it was red meat! but, it was actually red pork meat. Whatever,
meat all the same!) Klöße, and Rotkohl! Then, we drove an hour to an
appointment with a lady that we found in June! She cried on the street when we
talked to her and wanted us to come over. She lives in a tiny town that was so
cute! With perfect little German houses! Ah! She let us in, fed us (of course)
and then told a very very very sad story about how her husband died. I cried
through the whole thing. However, she had looked our church up on the internet
and had read a little in the Book Of Mormon. We got to talk about the blessings
of the temple and about the plan of salvation. Bearing my testimony about these
two things are my favorite! Sadly, she is very very Lutheran. But she invited
us back next month.
You know, Sometimes I’m just exhausted. Just tired,
physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And sometimes I wonder why. Because
from day to day, I feel like I do hardly anything. Like I don't help anyone.
But then...I just have to remember my favorite scripture. Alma 37:6-7. “Through
small and simple things are great things come to pass” I maybe like this
scripture because I'm small...but it’s true. Every little thing that we do in
life will add up to something great! I was reading my patriarchal blessing this
week (I try to do it every week) and I noticed that it said that I wanted to
come down to this earth! Why in the world would I WANT this life?! Like was I
crazy? Did I know what was down here?! Actually, yes. I did. I knew exactly
what I was in for. And I knew that It was worth it. It IS worth it! I testify of
it! I know it! What we have after this life is beyond comprehension! I know
that it’s true!
I hope that you have a great week! Wish me luck here!
Hopefully Germany doesn't become too cold like Siberia! Love you all!
Alles Liebe, Sister St. John
A cool bridge that is actually pretty normal here.
Tausch with Sister Toma.
All bundled up with Sister Sibley! She's in our district.
Sister Sibley and me on a train.
Sister Medley and me. And my big scarf...don't judge. People wear them here!
The sign says, "Welcome to the longest train platform in Germany." We have to RUN it to catch trains!
Happy birthday Dad & River (I promise I didn't forget, Dad!)
