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 :)