I Just Knew That He Had Answered My Small Prayer -- Jan 30

Momma-dee!

I actually really liked your letter this week, it was funny for some reason! So never think that your emails are boring, I love 'em all!

I got the package you sent me, and I LOVE the skirt! I think I wore a bit of a weird outfit the day I wore it, but I took a picture to send to you. I'll put it on the drive! Thank you so much!!!! P.S. that chapstick smells like a super strong vanilla candle. I walk around thinking that there is a Yankee Candle burning somewhere!

I had a dream last night that Grandpa Dennis moved into our old neighbor Mark's old house. That was crazy. Then it turned out he had just offered to clean it and keep it going until it was sold. It was a very strange dream and idk why I remember it.

Hahaha you two are totally turning into cat people! I'm putting my money on there being a different cat when I get there.

Maddie hit 1 year on her mission this week! I hit 8 months on Wednesday! Where oh where does that time go?!

WOAH THIS WEEK WAS CRAZY! 

I pretty much summed up my entire week within my group email, but I definitely have to expand on some things.

P.S. The reason why these are sending so late is because I lost my tablet yesterday (Monday) and I had nothing to write on. Have no fear, I was able to find it again through a huge miracle! Also because of having to go get it last night in another city, I had no way of writing emails until like 9 pm. This might be a little short but I will try!

The week started off with an awesome Zoko. We had some really inspiring training and I just left resolved to step things up a notch! Actually, I think I started on the way there, because I decided when we were on the train with big groups of missionaries traveling there, I sat by other people, because I can talk to the others any other time! I had some really great conversations because of that, and I am definitely going to keep that one up!

That was mostly the theme of our goals, was finding new people. We've been doing great with that this transfer and are hitting all of our goals, but I just felt like I could be doing more. We made finding goals for the week, and really saw miracles because of it! It showed me that if I make a specific goal, and pray for guidance with it, Heavenly Father is going to help us find those people that are searching for the gospel!

Friday was a good experience. After feeling a lot of success throughout the past couple of days and really giving it our all, we were just so emotionally drained. Our morning was horribly slow and we felt no motivation to do weekly planning. I had the idea to just take a 15 minute walk to just get a little more exercise before planning. We ended up taking the  Adjusting to Missionary Life Booklet (aka how to deal with all sorts of stress in all sorts of categories) with us. We went to this "park" Sister Decker wanted to explore, and it turns out it was a massive cemetery! Graveyards here are different than America, its more like a forest. They plant everything, and all the graves are little gardens, so you almost don't notice if you don't pay attention!

We ended up spending a little over an hour there. We absolutely needed it. We talked about what we were doing that was wearing us down too much, and how we were to cope/fix them. I came to the conclusion that I needed to adjust my physical wellness. It's been a bit hard in this area with food. We have eating appts, which are good and nice, but they mess with my brain. I end up skipping meals or eating weird small things because I know most members expect us to eat a lot of food. It kinda ruined a part of my relationship with food, and I just don't even really like eating anymore, its just a chore... But I know that isn't good, and we made some awesome goals to help me! We also helped Sis. Decker with things that were hard for her, and to sum it up, we left that cemetery with an extra hop in our step, ready to go! I guess we could say we adjusted our lives among the lifeless??

SUNDAYYYYY was awesome!!! Having Pkay there was so nice, and we think he really enjoyed himself even though he was reeeeally skeptical. I was so determined to get him there even if I had to carry him on my back (okay that's a bit dramatic, the dude is HUGE) but I was so happy that we found him a ride! And I think Joseph was really excited to have another African man in the ward with him! He took him under his wing, and by the end they had a little English speaking friend group all hanging out after Priesthood session! Even Pkay was making jokes that he hoped someday he'd wear a suit and tie every Sunday! Ahhhh I'm just so excited for him, I hope that he can progress well! The best part really was Sunday school class with the investigators. Yes, Sister Decker and I study every day how we can better teach these people and improve and improve, but that doesn't override someone who can completely relate to an investigator. I didn't even know this, but there are a TON of churches in Kenya, and there is a lot of part truth, and a lot of people just trying to make money. Joseph taught Pkay why there were so many churches, and basically the whole great apostasy. Then he gave the most beautiful, sincere testimony about Joseph Smith restoring Christ's full gospel in the latter-days. Pkay said it was touching, and I just wanted to hug the dude straight to his soul!! I loved hearing Joseph bear his testimony, because it shows his progress, and how the Spirit really does teach someone. We never told him what to believe. We just gave the information, bore our own testimonies and read scriptures. That's all we can do in a lesson, and the Spirit does the converting! I'm more than excited for Joseph to be baptized on Sunday, he's so ready! I'm so grateful I got the chance to teach him the first time to the last time before he's baptized, that's a really special experience to be there the whole way.

The last big thing was losing and finding my tablet... I'm going to attempt to tell the whole story, and that's going to involve you realizing how imperfect and human I am (but that's okay, because I think that's pretty obvious!) So yeah, I left my bag on the bus. I realized it as we pulled into Elmshorn on another bus. I freaked out and got information from the bus driver, but ultimately I had no choice but to just wait it out and hope someone didn't steal it. I was upset with myself, I even kicked a puddle... I didn't really feel like talking because I didn't want to complain, but D ended up taking it personally. We got home and had a disagreement and I just went in the other room because it was just too much at a time. I kept thinking that God wouldn't care to help me find such a worldly thing, and he wouldn't help me find it. I didn't pray for a long time, I just thought. Then, I had a little flashback to when I was young. I remembered you telling me that I always found everything when I prayed and asked Heavenly Father. Young me replied, "Yeah, because I prayed!" I remember you teaching me that very valuable lesson that God cares about me, and righteous things that matter to me, matter to Him. I knew the lesson as an adult, but did I believe it? I'm grateful that the Spirit softened my heart, and I fell to my knees in prayer. I felt that I took a real leap of faith for me, even though to most it probably seems tiny. I asked Him to help me find it, and that it really mattered to me. I read my scriptures after that, and found them speaking to me. Somewhere in 2 Ne. 2, Nephi tells us that there is one person who knows and controls everything. We need to trust in Him. Then in 2 Ne. 4, I found the confirmation of what had happened earlier, in that God gives freely to them who just simply ask. I knew that I just needed to trust Him, and hope that I would find it. Hours later, after I called the company countless times, the guy said to call back in 5 minutes because he was just going to go check the bus himself because it was already back at the station. I sunk a bit, because I sat right next to the door, it would have been impossible for someone to have missed that bag. I called back, and sure enough, he found it in the corner! I could barely believe it, but at the same time, I just knew that God had taken care of me, and answered my small prayer.

I know that God cares about His children, and that I matter to Him! I'm not in Young Women anymore, but how grateful I am for all of those years that I learned that I am a daughter of God, who loves me and I love Him.

I love you mom! I love you a million valuable lessons that you taught me as a kid. You really have the most extraordinary job a daughter of God can have.

Alles Liebe, 

Sister Macey Ingalls

Pictures from Elshorn and Hamburg (Jan 30 - Week 34)

Have the Days of Miracles Ceased? (Jan 30 - Group Email)

Meine liebevollen Freunde!

Disclaimer: This email is way longer than normal, but I'll never do this week justice through email!! Just take my overall word for it, and know that I really saw God's hand in my life this week, and how grateful I am for Him!!

Miracle #1: Mike
After a very inspiring zone conference on Tuesday, we decided to set and follow a prayerful morning goal for contact/finding new people for the day. In order to achieve our goal of 3 new contacts on this particularly busy Wednesday, we would need to talk to everyone we possibly could between tasks! We found some GOLDEN people that day, one being Mike! I could barely believe it when he told us, but he met with the missionaries in Italy and loved it, but lost contact because of the elders transferring and he moved! I'm so excited to start working with him! #he'sabro

Miracle #2: Pkay
Pkay was also found on the street, and loved that we "preached Jesus". We met up with him at the library for a lesson (accidentally in the silent section at first, whoops!) He had little time but seemed to like the Book of Mormon and said he'd read it. Fast forward a day, we texted him with how it was going and he said "It's going very good, but I think people loot at me a lot when I read on the train, but I don't really care!" He sent us pictures of scriptures he marked. Oh it was so beautiful to see him learning through the Spirit

Miracle #3: Joseph
Okay this one probably isn't a miracle because we had no worries, but Joseph passed his baptismal interview!! AHHHHH oh my goodness, it's getting real and he is getting baptized on Sunday! He is so excited and so so so ready!

Miracle #4: Always Act on Promptings
After church, we had lunch with an awesome part member family. Towards the end, I got the prompting to invite the husband to meet with us. I worried about not asking the member first, but the prompting just grew to strong for me to ignore. I asked, and it went well! Afterward, I apologized to the member for not asking her first, and she shocked me by saying, "Why?! I prayed the ENTIRE time that you would say that!" As Pres. Monson teaches, one of the best feelings is to act on a prompting only to learn later you answered someones prayer.

Miracle #5: Tablet
Yesterday, on the way home from an appt. I happened to leave my tablet on the bus... I was really frustrated with myself, because that has basically everything I need on it. I'm human, I turned inward and did not want to pray and ask God to help me with something so worldy and in the long run, not a big deal. I turned to my scriptures, and found the words speaking to, telling me that God would give freely if I'd just simply ask. For me, it was a leap of faith, and I put all of my trust in him. Shortly after, the bus company notified me that they found my bag in a corner on the bus, untouched. A sweet answer to a prayer, and a sweet missionary moment that came from it (no doubt I shared this story with the office dude, along with the marked Book of Mormon scriptures and my testimony inside!)

I definitely don't know it all, but I know that God lives, and cares about His children individually. I'm grateful for a patient, loving Heavenly Father!

Alles Liebe! 

Sister Macey Ingalls

Accidentally adjusted our lives in the cemetery.

Sis. Decker thought was a "pretty park" haha #ironic

District pday visiting a German art museum in Hamburg!

This Week in Pictures (Jan 22 -- Week 33)

Caught in a snowstorm, in skirts, on bikes and loving it! True Minnesota girl right here!

Service with a smile! (and a selfie!)

Making African food with Marcia

Learning to make Chapati (sp?)

African Aprons

God Has Hope for His Children, You are Not Alone -- Jan 22

Mama!! 
Alright, sit back relax and enjoy because I’m going to try to send you a nice long one today! It was a pretty normal week, with quite a few fun interesting twists! Okay I think that might be totally false... It was a FANTASTIC week!! A bunch of little funny things happened, and tbh, I’m grateful for a bit of rest today haha!

Okay I’m still wondering why you have the cat?! I thought they were taking it back after Christmas and it was staying with Dallin and Emily? Smart move to keep the cat though, so that Conner comes for a visit to pick her up ;-)

Sooooo this week... Zone pday last Monday was really fun!! That’s what those pictures with the games are from. We didn’t want to just sit around and play games, so we turned it around, made them active and had "team building games!" There was one point where my team was way ahead, but the last challenge was to eat an Oreo starting from your forehead and not using your hands... IT WAS SO HARD! I was the last one, and everyone’s like, “oh you’re fine, there are still like 5 people on the other team that aren’t done”! It got down to me and Sister Roach and we were trying to do it for a solid 3 more embarrassing minutes and finally each team picked someone to take our spots! We ended up winning, so that saved just a bit of embarrassment, but it was still so funny! I really had a good time and could just be myself, I like our small zone of just 16 missionaries :)

Right afterward, we had exchanges with the STL's! But get this: everyone came to Elmshorn! Oh man, that was a non-party! (When I say nonparty, I totally mean a party!) We'd double booked ourselves for a couple things that night, so it was a blessing we did what we did. I was with Sis Barker the first night, and I just LOVE her! She was in my MTC group, and she just made a really powerful impact on me when she taught Relief Society one time and based a significant part of her lesson off of just one scripture: 1 Nephi 7:19. That woman, who wasn't even named, had AMAZING faith and courage, standing up to much bigger men willing to kill. I don’t want to give away too much more, because if I do this, then you'll be curious and study it :)))) #usingmymissionarytacticsonyou #becauseiloveyou #andthescripturesarereallycool

So, we got the lucky chance to go visit Schw. Raeska, our normal Monday night FHE mom! Sadly, we found out she was in the hospital and we wouldn't be able to go over. On Sunday, someone quickly told us they'd love to have us for dinner, but we really felt it was important to still visit Sch Raeska! She has had the missionaries over every Monday night for 13 years, and I sure did not want her to be alone for the first time in 13 years on a Monday night, let alone in the hospital!! So, the Torke's picked us up, and we got a treat from the store and some chocolate (because there is a specific schedule to our FHE, and at the end, she always gives us chocolate!), so we wanted to give that to her. We even went to her house to pick up the game we always play, and we accidentally rang the doorbell of the neighbor! And even worse, we were somehow ringing his doorbell from his garden, totally trespassing! Hahaha it was super awkward, and we booked it out of there! The Torkes were just laughing at us from the car.....

That was a really sweet time with her. We surprised her, and she was so happy!! Like Pres Monson would say, "I think we've done a little good today!" The part that is even more vivid and will stay in my memory was meeting her roommate in the hospital. We shared cookies with her and asked her questions, but she didn’t talk too much. She looked sad. We found out the she was just told that day that she had Ovarian cancer. Oh, my heart just sunk... That was really sad.

Well, we talked and laughed and even sang with Schw. Raeska, shared a spiritual thought and then got ready to go. I looked over at the lady and told her we hope things turn out good and positive. She sunk and just said, "I have no hope for myself." I looked her square in the face and said something like, "Well that doesn't matter, because there is someone who has enough hope for the both of you! God has hope for His children, you are not alone at all." Reuben (Br. Torke but he refuses to let us call him that) told me as we walked out that she had huge hears in her eyes as I said that. It was a sweet moment to confirm the testimony I have, that God loves His children, us. He hopes the best for us to happen, even if we don't see it as the very best most wonderful thing to happen. Through trial and adversity, I really feel God's love. Of course, I feel it most always, but it seems most tangible when I need it.

Sadly Sch. Raeska is still in the hospital (it’s just minor, something with her foot!), but that means we can visit her again there tonight! So, we are going again with Reuben and Jenny. I hope that lady will still be in her room!

So somehow, we got on the topic of music videos with Jenny and she bribed us into making a music video while we had 4 sisters in the apartment... we did... It’s very, very, very interesting because we were so tired, but I'll try to attach it to the google drive today. If not today, tomorrow. Disclaimer, if I send you this, it doesn’t go on the internet!!! ;-) hahaha

I had to look back on what the heck the Elder Watts thing meant!! That was Elder Cowley I think trying to be funny. Of course, he doesn’t hate you, it was weird elder humor I guess. TNO, because you are loveable and impossible to hate :))

I’m sorry you are sick! That's cute, you and dad get to take a little sick day together! That’s true, we rarely get sick. I agree with you when you say that freezing all the time is the key to good health!

Okay highlight of the week, making African food with Marcia! She invited us over for lunch on Friday, but we begged for her to teach us how to make chapati, which is what we ate last time! I'll tell you, it was an experience like no other!! Before we even set foot into the kitchen, she had us put on basically African aprons. I have no idea what they are called, but because of these things, my life will be changed forever with how I wrap a towel around my waist at the beach!! Once we put those on, she's like "welcome... to Africaaa!!" Goodness I love her. She took some hilarious videos of it and I’m so glad; I honestly will cherish that video forever! It was so fun, we were just dancing and laughing and listening to MoTab all at once! Conveniently, right when we sat down to eat, Alex Boye started singing the Lion King song with MoTab and she’s like, “Who is he?” and “That’s insane, that’s Swahili”!! She understood the words in the Lion King! Did you know that Simba is just "lion" in Swahili?! Needless to say, it was a really good time, and nice to spend some good time with Marcia, because most of the time we are pretty focused on helping Joseph.

On the other hand, we went to a baptism with Joseph, Marcia and their two boys in Kiel on Saturday!! It was such a good experience, and I’m so glad we made it happen!! Their family is so cute. It must be really hard for Joseph because he’s learning German, but the boys only speak German, so their relationship is growing really, really slowly. He really does everything he can to be a good dad and I think that they are seeing it. But even so, how hard would it be to live with kids who are suddenly partly yours and you can barely even talk to them?! He is a strong guy!

That was the first real baptismal service that I've seen on my mission so far! Yeah there was the lakeside one, but that was really spontaneous! This was beautiful. I really felt the spirit strongly, and the guy getting baptized looked so nervous!!! The dude was huge, and his baptizer was a good foot shorter than him, so I can imagine why he had a bit of anxiety! But the moment the prayer was said, he went down and then came back up, his countenance literally changed. He smiled immediately and looked so at peace! Joseph saw this (score!) and actually went up and talked to him afterward. Through apparently broken English and I think denglish, the man told him how wonderful it felt and that it was a good experience. Joseph was seriously so happy the whole way home and he just kept telling us how excited he is to be baptized! 2 weeks!

Oh P.S. Joseph is getting dresses made for us in Kenya. I’M SO EXCITED, and it’s even funnier how excited he is!!! We have matching ones apparently, and he wants us to wear them to his baptism! Haha oh I just can’t wait!

Church yesterday was soooo good. To be completely honest, both of us woke up exhausted from the day before (but hey, still on time!) and quite frankly, not in the best mood. D said that she actually didn’t even want to go to church, and I didn’t blame her. Even 4 investigators texted us that morning saying they wouldn’t be able to make it (we were planning on 8!). We went, and this just goes to show that Satan tries to tempt you the most when its important. This was the most spiritually uplifting Sunday I have had so far! I learned something in every single hour, and it was awesome! Sunday was great, and we both just felt the spirit back and our worries and even our resentment fade away. I'm so grateful for church and how spiritually uplifting it is, especially when you open your heart and just listen to the spirit! I'm so happy I've gotten to be uplifted by church my whole life! Thank you for giving me this opportunity, it’s made an eternity of an impact. :)

To answer your question about the whether there are free public restrooms and are we able to find them, I haven’t had too many problems! When you aren't a tourist, it’s easy to find the free bathrooms! Plus, the places we spend time at the most are home, the church, people’s homes and on the trains (which also have bathrooms!), so we are set. Yes, they also have toilet paper :) That did make me think of water... D bought a water at some point this week and I was really thirsty so I drank some, and I about spit it out! It was ICE COLD! That was so dang cold! My throat and my stomach felt frozen for like 5 minutes it was the weirdest feeling! So yes, now I’m not used to cold water...?!

I sent Becca something :) Where does she even live anymore?

Hey, have you been doing Girl’s Night lately? I want to see snapchats or pictures of you ladies together! I kick my butt to get pictures during the week and still focus, and also use lots of nap and study time today to write you, I totally want pictures of the girls next week :)

I love you a million mom! I’m grateful for you, and Heavenly Fathers eternal plan of happiness that puts our little family right in the center of importance to us. Family is everything!!

I love you a million Chapati! (I'll cook it in my African clothes for you, don’t worry!) 

luvvvv
Sister Macey Ingalls

P.S. Sorry I'd always wrestle and beat you up, I’ll be a nice sweet kid now, promise :)

A Snow Storm, Yummy African Food and a Baptism (Jan 22 - Group Email)

Hey all! Sorry I don't have a ton of time sooooo this will probably have 23% of the organization I usually like to have!

We had a CRAZY snow storm last week! We went for a run in the morning and it was perfectly fine, then BOOM, two hours later it was like the sky decided to give us everything it's got! I gotta tell you, I never realized that going on a mission in northern Germany signed me up for extreme snow biking, but it is FUN! Okay, if I would have fallen, I probably would have thought otherwise, but I could NOT stop laughing at how funny it was that we were biking around in skirts in basically a whiteout snow storm!! It was a good, successful (exhausting!) day, and I'm so happy we FINALLY got snow!!!

5 minutes into the snow storm (there was literally no point of blow drying my hair that morning!)

Marcia invited us over for lunch on Friday, and to our delight, she taught us how to make some good old African chapati (forgive me if I spelled that wrong?!). We experienced the full cutural effect with african aprons, singing, laughing and of course some MoTab featuring Alex Boye haha. Ohhh, I love their culture!

2.45 seconds before I burned my fingers and screamed way too loud.

We visited a baptism in Kiel with Joseph and the whole family on Saturday! It was really a beautiful program, and Joseph is SO excited for his baptism in 2 weeks! Man, I can hardly wait either! He is so ready, it's been amazing to see his progress, especially through his love for the scriptures! He was just all smiles on Saturday, and it was contagious!!

Joseph and Mikey at the baptism and they are just buds I love it!

Ohhh this is really random but I took a German test on Saturday with my mission presidents wife and passed! So, that means I'll officially start learning Arabic in 2 weeks! AHHH Crazy, huh?! I've kept this a secret for awhile because I wanted to make sure this is actually what I should do, but now it's happening! I have so much love for those people, and I'm excited to learn their language.

...and oh yeah we might have had the Delingsdorf sisters over after pday for exchanges and we may have made another music video uhh

I love the Lord, I love you all!

Sister Macey Ingalls

It’s Good to Take a Moment to Recharge -- Jan 15

Hey Mom!!!
I’ve heard that it’s been unusually cold, but that sounds about normal! Maybe I’m just going off of the temperature at 6 am when I'd be driving to seminary! Haha that was COLD! Strangely I miss it anyway. Seminary was a really great experience. I just really don’t think that you need to worry, you are totally going to have family living in Minnesota. I mean I might not end up there right after school or for a few years, but I definitely will end up there in the end! How else would I be able to have girl’s night every Sunday? I ain’t skyping in!

Okay yes, I saw that Dallin and Emily went to Vegas! That’s so cool, I'm happy for them. That’s a long way for only 3 days, nah?

UHHHHHHH I am actually jealous of your online shopping trip. I’m going to say the unthinkable... I miss shopping. Like we will walk through H&M and a couple other stores on pday, but it just isn’t the same. It has been really fun though, and I think I might be a changed daughter when I come back! I totally sign up to be a Barbie all over again! :) Those boots are ADORABLE, I’m totally trying not to be jealous! I’m just saying, you could order those for me online and send them to my home address here ;) oh p.s. about the dress, it’s still pretty big and a belt and cardigan look kind of funny together, so I'll wait until spring oops I have the wioorrssst diosiiruuruuyyctrtb inbthe worldrtrt (our district is traveling to Kiel right now for zone pday and I’m writing on a train so yes they are messing with me as I’m typing this).

hi this is elder cowley right now chiming in to wish you a good day. um right now we are on the train up to kiel . i stole sister ingalls keyboard. elder watts exclaims he loves pig lard and he hates food. but thats not very nice of him. um im not sure what else to write about so i will give back this keyboard in a second. but first i want to say elder watts is a very nice guy in real life so forgive me for saying mean things about him. well this is elder cowley signing out till next time enjoy reading more about whatever sister ingalls was writing about.

Yes. That was Elder Cowley.

Okay anyway! It kind of sounds that you need a kitty of your own! You know that hypoallergenic ones are available, right? But please, please, please don’t get the creepy bald cats. Eek. Those are disturbing. I wouldn’t mind a cute little friend roaming around the house. How does Dad feel about the cat? I know he was always a cat guy, but he doesn’t say much about it!

That was a really sweet story you shared with me, thank you for being so honest and open about that, I just love that about you! You already know I think you're amazing :) I think I may relate to you well. It seems ironic because my patriarchal blessing tells me that I have the talent for teaching. I'm really trying to work on my teaching skills right now though, because I just don't think I'm the best I can and should be (yes, I know I’m hard on myself, but I want to get better!) I've tried picking up things I like about my companions teaching styles, and making my own. I totally agree, preparing a lesson can be difficult, especially if you feel like there are a certain amount of points and things and ideas that the children need to understand. I've found that by preparing myself with the Spirit, no matter where the Spirit leads the lesson (even completely off topic!) my goal is just to help these people feel. It’s that feeling they get that leads them to change. That’s what helps them be sincere and in the end, learn way more than I ever could have just told them. I'll take Joseph for example. This week, the scriptures he read throughout the week focused on the Holy Ghost. The lesson we had on Saturday was about receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost. He led the entire lesson from what he learned from his reading! All we really did was ask him questions to get him to think. So, in a very long winded crazy way, I think you are doing a phenomenal job and Heavenly Father thinks so as well. Just because you don't get through the whole lesson sometimes doesn’t mean anything negative at all. In fact, I think that’s a pat on the back kind of moment, because you followed the spirit and taught people, not lessons! I know it can be hard, but you are definitely called for a reason. It sounds like there are 3 little children who are watching your example of how you treat the 4th with love and patience, and they will in turn do that as well! What a wonderful mommy I have!!:)

As for sitting alone in church, I just want to give you the biggest hug and snuggle up to you in church like I used to do! Sitting like a responsible grown up isn't as fun, but it’s okay because I’m learning more and helping people learn more right now. But don’t worry, the time will come when you get all your hair ripped out and can’t feel your arm because a 20 year old girl just can’t sit by herself next to you haha. And also she will probably be sucking up for mints and after-sacrament treats :D

This week was yet again a wonderful experience. We worked hard, and we enjoyed it! No lie, I have been running on fumes for the last 2 weeks. I was crazy stressed a while ago because there was just so much to do, and we needed to do things that were most important, and I just don’t think that I recovered from that. Sister D. did a routine call with the mission mental health advisor on Friday (she does this every week since like December when it was really bad, but she is doing so good now and our relationship is really growing because of it as well! I just LOVE her!) But anyway, without being prompted, he read her a scripture about not doing more than we can handle. He says that we need to take mental breaks and go on a walk or play the piano or just sit still every once in a while or else we will completely burn out. Well, we needed this advice! He gave us the task to plan "fun" into our week, and make sure we do it. Well, we haven’t done it yet, but I took a bath! Haha it was the most relaxing 14 minutes of my LIFE! (you know how I am with baths, I only stay in max of 20 minutes I don’t like pruney toes yuck) That was seriously the most relaxed that I’ve been in who knows how long, I had completely forgot the feeling. I couldn’t do anything but just lay on the floor for the last little while before I went to bed, it was AWESOME! But I’m agreeing now, it’s good to take a moment to recharge and be more effective throughout the rest of the day rather than just pushing through on fumes.

We had some beautiful teaching experiences this week. We met up with a new lady named Filiz on Tuesday. She is somewhat interested but a referral from a member! It’s so cool, in the last 10 or so investigators that we've gotten, at least 6 (or 7?) are referrals from members or related to members! They are so important for the work, and I’m so glad that we have taken the time to get to know them and gain their trust. I just love them so much!  But anyway, long story short, because of this lady, we are putting together a musical night on Feb. 17^th, its official! Our district leader studies piano and is super talented, and we have a few more we are going to rope in and we are going to put on a musical night at the church building in Elmshorn! If it goes really well, we might do more, but for now, we need to go to work with this project! It is going to be so good, and such a good opportunity for members to introduce friends to the church through music, and a good way for our investigators to feel the spirit! Music is the BEST! I actually might even try to sing, isn’t that crazy?!

This is random, but I’ve had dreams the past couple of nights about going home. Its seriously the worst! Every time I am on a train and on the phone with you, and you’re so excited but I’m just like "ah there’s no way I’m done! I haven’t learned enough! This can’t possibly be over no!!" and I just wake up with the weirdest feeling. Maybe that’s my inner me telling me I have a lot left to learn, and its right I do! I’ve been taught that I learn and become the most by just losing myself in the work, and that is what I’m trying to do. I think I’ve come a long way, but I’m sure glad I have a long way to go. I read a conference talk a couple days ago given by President Jeffery R. Holland. It’s the one where he showed the picture of the dinosaur chasing the children, I think April 2015 idk. But he said that Heavenly Father knows our desires. That means that even the desire to do good and be good, he will bless us. I have no doubt that more blessings come from perfect obedience and becoming better and better, but I think that our desires to do good will be rewarded. For example, one-day last week I just woke up with NO motivation. We had a long day ahead of us and I felt tired before I even woke up. I did a half-hearted morning exercise and trudged through the morning. We were both tired, and it wasn’t too motivating! I decided to just keep this prayer in my heart telling Heavenly Father I want to be a good strong obedient sister missionary, and I want to just be on His errand. It ended up being one of the best days of the week! We had to travel far to this new Arabic families house, and we missed a bus halfway and contacted in the area. We met some amazing people, yeah, not all interested in the gospel, but it just lifted me up so much to talk with them and meet them. I love new people!
Okay this is getting crazy long, I'll split some of the info into Dad’s email :)

Excerpt from Dad's email:

Oh, I just thought of a really cool thing that happened this week. We were biking up to the church early Tuesday morning for a Facebook lesson, and I was just so tired. I tend to pray when we are biking and just kind of talk to God. About half way, I started thinking about a contact that we had made a couple of weeks ago named Maha. She’s 13 years old and she has the most beautiful family. Her family ran from Iraq to escape the war a couple of years ago, and they are just the most loving accepting people I’ve ever met. Their culture is something of just making all guests and everyone they meet feel loved and welcomed. Arabic people, in general, will pretty much always let you inside even just to chat! But anyway, I was praying and thought about her and prayed "Heavenly Father, I really want to see Maha again." Not even 30 seconds later, 3 people walking on the side of the street started waving at us like crazy. It was MAHA and her family!! It was the biggest miracle, and it made my entire day! She invited us over later that night and we totally moved things around, so we could do it. Sis Decker always says she can see Maha's family in white at the temple. I’ll keep you updated on them :)

I had another amazing experience with Arabic this week. We taught our investigator family that lives out in boonies this past Thursday. Hazem, the boy about our age asked us the question "Wie kann ich Christ werden?" or how can I become Christian. The obvious answer is the doctrine of Christ, and that’s what we planned to teach their family. After about an hour lesson, we really only got real understanding in Faith in Jesus Christ. They honestly didn’t even know who Jesus Christ is! They have heard of him, but unlike me, they weren’t taught from the time they were babies that they had a Savior who will bring them back into the presence of the Father. At one point, the spirit moved me to show them the video "Thank Him" (I think that should be it? Its Dank Ihm in German) I felt the Spirit SO strongly as I showed this video, I was shaking and just about to tears! Why? I realized that I was doing exactly what I came out here to do- to teach people about Christ. What a glorious joyous message that is! We have a SAVIOR! We don’t need to be worried standing in front of God at the last day if we try our best, we have a SAVIOR! Don't you just want to shout that from the rooftops, because I sure do!!! Oh, I love him. I felt this unimaginable love for these people who are trying so hard to learn the gospel through a second language and a 9-year-old translator (she’s adorable too, she’s the one I said in my group email said her first prayer!). I want to learn Arabic. I want to teach these people about Jesus Christ in their own language, and I'm ready to start going with it! My German isn’t perfect, but I’m going to give my all to learn Arabic beginning next transfer. That would mean I’m the only sister starting Arabic (unless someone else would join, that would be good), but I really feel it’s right. With the time I have left on my mission, I'll probably only learn gospel Arabic and a couple other phrases, but if that is something I can do to help more people learn about Christ, I'm going to do it! Ahhh I just have a smile on my face as I’m typing this, I hope with all my heart I can do this!

I love you a million zone pday activities! (It was fun to be with the zone and play funny team building games with them today!)
Love, Sister Macey Ingalls