Yes, so
crazy things happening this week! Even though Sister Decker has been here
longer, I'm getting transferred! That was a really big surprise! I'll bring you
through what happened. Ok let’s go: Last week was a weird, weird week. We were
pretty positive that D would leave so at night we were like stalking the whole
mission map, how long people have been in places and guessing where she'd go.
It was pretty fun! But the whole time, a thought kept coming to my mind that it
actually was going to be me leaving! I had a dream that night that my brother
Conner (I don’t like that I need to specify that lol) and my zone leader Elder
Drake were missionary comps and were joint teaching a man named Br. Lindemann
with us at our house! We were finally making progress, and I was so excited and
talking to Conner about it, and he's like "Well, don’t get too excited, my
magic 8 ball told me that you're getting transferred!" Then I woke up in
the morning and looked at my tablet and I got the weather for the place I'm
going on it?! I don’t even have wifi in our apartment, so I have no idea how
that happened! Well, anyway, I shrugged it off, but sure enough, I got a call
from the AP bright and early on Thursday morning, and he invited me to Mission
Leadership Conference! I was like WHAAAAAT?!?!!? I was being called to be an
Sister Training Leader! We had to cancel our plans for Friday, and I headed to
Berlin for the day! Normally our companions go with and go finding with the
other companions, but the other one was sick, so Sister Decker didn’t get to go
and she stayed in Hamburg for the day. She was really sad, it’s pretty special
to get to go to Berlin, it doesn’t happen often.
The
conference was amazing! At first, I was super intimidated because I didn’t have
a companion there and I didn’t know all of them! It’s all good though, I made
some new friends and had a really good time. The talks were really inspired,
and I just want to become all that God wants me to be! (p.s. I saw E.M. there
and my STLs were there that know my tiny secret, so they made it super embarrassing!
Like when I excused myself during lunch, while we were talking, to go to the
bathroom, Sister Freeman shouts "She’s gotta potty!" Oh, my goodness
it was horrifying haha)
Anyway,
after the conference, President does this cool thing and tells all of the new
leaders where they are going to serve and with who and gives them a little
advice. I was still kind of in denial that I was going to be an STL, so I couldn’t
even begin to guess where I was going to serve. He calls me in, and we just
chatted for a few minutes. He said some things that really helped me, and I
really love him! I wrote it down and want to share it with you! (I sadly couldn’t
remember all of it, but there was lots of good stuff) He thanked me for the
last 3 transfers and how he asked me to do something very important. I didn’t
say much about it other than thanking him for the opportunity and how much I
love Sister Decker and she is seriously a huge role model for me! She’s pulled
herself out of SO much and come out with much stronger faith. I totally love
her and she’s always going to be a super good friend. But we had a conversation
without words, and he knew it was hard and he really showed his appreciation. I
really do love him, he cares about us so much and understands and sympathizes
with us!
He also
said:
-Brush
your hair before you brush your kids’ hair. Aka, make sure that you are taken
care of so that you can better help the sisters you are taking care of. I
thought that was really cute :)
-He
said that I have a huge influence to stop gossip. I’ve found out that the zone
I am going to, because it has a lot of missionaries (aren’t you just dying by
now to figure out where I’m going? ;) gossip and rumors are a really hard
thing. I refuse to talk negatively about others, and I especially don’t want to
hear negative things about people because they could be my future companion or
in my district and I don’t want a bad image of them before I meet them. Gossip
is bad!
-haha He
said I'm super happy and joyful all the time, and he said that is going to
affect the people so much! It’s amazing how just friendliness and being
genuinely interested in people’s lives makes a difference! I really learned
that in Zwickau, and I’m grateful for the God-given gift to really care about
people. President said I’m a big people person and he’s totally right.
-I
found it interesting how he said that my home (apartment) should be a place of
refuge for my sisters. He said that they should be able to come over at any
time they need and be able to feel the spirit and be welcomed! This is good
practice for creating a home in my life! Any suggestions how you did it?
- I was
surprised when he said this, but he looked me straight in the eyes and said
that I am a natural leader. I mean yeah, I’ve led some things but I’m not
anything extraordinary! But it does say in my patriarchal blessing that I’ll
have many opportunities to develop those skills. I’m grateful for this one!
Okay so
are you ready to hear where I’m going?! At the end of my interview President
told me the news: I'm going to Neukölln to be with Sister Hansen! That is
downtown Berlin! WOW! I did NOT see that one coming! I'm really excited, that
culture is yet again completely different than anything I’ve had so far! I cannot
tell you how excited I am to serve with Sister Hansen! She was in my MTC group
and she is AWESOME!! We talked to each other on the phone and we are both super,
super excited for this transfer, we are going to work our shoes off! (Speaking
of which, yes, I did get new shoes hee hee! Pictures to come... Those old boots
were so nasty) So yes! I go there on Wednesday! I’ll get there around noon so
that I can help other sisters coming through. We also have the best sisters!!! So,
the Neukölln program used to have 2 wards: the Neukölln one and the English
ward in Berlin! Now they released us, and they created a new program in Berlin
just over the English ward and Sister Wood is coming to Berlin!! I’m so
excited, that means Sister Wood, Sister Thorpe and I will all be in Berlin- all
Arabic sisters! We are going to find teach and baptize all of these ready
people!
So,
about the Arabic, yes it has been going, but it’s gotten really frustrating. I
feel like I could be learning more, but the class is REALLY hard to learn in.
Its 2 hours long on a Sunday night, and there are like 12 of us in there! Its
over Facebook video, so the quality isn’t always so good, and I just feel
frustrated by the end of the class. Well this happened again last night, and I
just left class 30 minutes early because I just felt like we were wasting time.
I got a call from one of the Arabic Elders this morning, saying that he is
the new group leader and wants to change some things. He asked for my feedback
and suggestions and I gave them! Oh, I’m kidding, I was nice about it and I’m
really grateful for the work they all put in to teach us, but I’m really
excited to have Elder Smartt as our new group leader. The changes he wants to
make are so good, and I feel like I’ll be able to progress better. I really
really love it though! There are so many people everywhere that speak it, and
especially in Berlin! Being an Arabic sister pretty much doesn’t limit me at
all to where I’ll go, they are everywhere. It would be cool to be with an Arabic
sister in the future, but yeah, everything is open, and I could go anywhere and
be with anyone. I think I’ll probably stay in Neukölln for quite a while
though! I’m really excited for it, no more bikes, I get to walk tons and NO
MORE BUNKBEDS!!!!! :D :D :D
I did
like the dress, I just thought it’d be nice to pick it out in person! I dunno,
we shall see! Thanks for all of the beautiful words on the temple, I love that
you are growing in love for the temple! I knew you loved it before, but this is
definitely something more now that you are an ordinance worker! I agree, things
should definitely be discussed in the temple. The member might have told me a
little too much and it probably would have been better to be in the temple to
talk about them. But I’m going to take your words to heart and hold my covenants
sacred and keep sacred things sacred!
I’m
glad you got kicks out of my story hahah! You know me too well. I really try to
keep emails spiritual because that is the focus of my time and that is the most
important thing to me! But you know, the funny stories are good too ;) LOL I
KNEW YOU WOULD FACEBOOK STALK THEM ahhhhh its all good I’m basically a
spiritual stalker in Germany so I gotcha. [I always
look up everyone you mention so I can put a face with the people you are
talking about! – Note from MOM]
I loved
loved loved that paragraph on how you are developing your faith. I totally get
what you are saying! I can’t even believe how well you put up with us kids for
all of these years (I mean c’mon, the boys would sled off of the house and spit
red koolaid to make you think they coughed up blood!). You taught us so many
important lessons, ones that I’m beginning to understand and definitely grasp
on to. I refuse to go back to the person I was before Mom! I know I’m not perfect
and never will be, but just like how you guided us through growing up, the
Savior will guide us through our lives! We don’t want life to be hard, but that’s
what makes us grow! I want to share a little story I read in my friend Nick’s
weekly email this week!
Something that stood
out to me this week was an experience we had talking about a lesson with an
investigator the other Anziani [Elder, in Italian] just had. So the other
Anziani had a long lesson with a guy who is really logical and wants to prove
stuff. Pretty much he gave them an ultimatum that if they didn't answer his
questions next lesson, then he wasnt going to meet with them again. One of the
questions was why are some people put in hard situations and others not? It
made me think immediately to a story one of my MTC teachers, Sorella [Sister,
in Italian] Griffin gave. It was an example of a girl who asked that same
question. This girl’s parents were killed, and a lot of other really bad things
happen and wanted to know how come her life was so hard while Sorella Griffins
was so much easier. Sorella Griffin didn't know what to say, but she eventually
had something come to her mind... take a cactus right? It thrives in the
desert. It's meant to live there. The desert is harsh and brutal and hard to
live in, but that's where it grows the most. Well, then take that cactus and
put it in the rainforest, a place where it’s really easy for plants to survive
and there are lots of them. If you do that it will probably die. Why? Because
it's not meant to be there. God puts us in the places where we can grow the
most in the way we need it. A cactus needs a place with not a lot of water and
the rainforest has way too much. It would kill it and it wouldn't grow very
well. We are the same way. God knows what we need and what helps us the most!
All the experiences we have are preparing us for something greater, a life
living back with Him.
I love
that! We aren't meant to compare ourselves with others because God created us
uniquely to overcome our own circumstances and GROW!
Ahh, I
knew that Austin was on a mission but that’s so good to hear that his
girlfriend is also going! Missionaries that are recent converts are such
powerful missionaries, she is going to change lives there. They have a pretty
cute story together! She’s gonna get some poofy hair in Georgia!
How is the
song Scripture Power [Mom’s favorite Primary song] not
in the primary hymnbook?! I sang that a million times as a kid! I love singing
songs and praying through music!
That’s
awesome Brianna liked the dress, of course she can borrow whatever she wants! I’m
glad other people are getting uses out of those dresses, they are so beautiful!
That’s funny you say she’s bustier, I feel like I never got my fair share...
Thanks mom
AHHHHH
I want videos of the sweet new baby!! [Nash Parker
Alexander – Sara’s baby] Thank you for all of the pictures over
messenger, THANK YOU! He’s so cute and chunky! I laughed out loud when you told
me about baby smells, that’s right, you just love those! Does he smell good? Is
he sweet? Man, that little boy is going to wait his whole life to meet his
cousin! Weird huh? He will be like 8 months old! Are you excited to get to
watch him? I hope you are still watching him when I come back, I want some good
baby snuggle time! I miss babies so much, that is like the hardest thing!!!! I
hope that Sara is feeling better soon, that sounds really uncomfortable. Why
were Nash's hands so blue?!?!?!?! Hee hee I guess when they said they had a
rough night, there was a lot of "weeping, and wailing and NASHing of
teeth"! ;) hahahahahh I’m so funny!
Oh, I’m
doing good on garments! Silk is freezing in the winter, so I’ve been wearing Caranessa
or whatever that’s called. I’ll just switch to silk again when I don’t have to
wear tights! I’m so sick of those things!! Butttttt they are necessary, this
week was SO cold!
I love
you a million interviews with Präsident Fingerle! They are just as positive and
uplifting as you are!
Love, Macey
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