So our internet was out for an hour so we just did an hour of our work time, so that might be why this comes in a little bit later because we have an extra hour to write now!
Ahhhhhhhh I started to sign up for classes today! I'm mostly just looking and then I will actually do it next week. I'm going to take a German class with all of my RM sister friends, I'm super excited! I love German so much and I'm so glad that I was sent on my mission in this group because I'm surrounded by just super fantanstic sister missionaries (we are a group of 16!) and a lot of us are going to BYU. I hope that I'll do well in the classes, the reviews on this German class say the professor is a little tough! (but then again, I'm used to Germans by now so actually that's no biggie! ;)
Okay, I know you are the original Sister Ingalls but that is actually my name now! Seriously, NOBODY calls me Macey it seems so foreign to me haha.
Sara is sick on Mondays or what haha? I'm really sorry about her losing her job, let her know she is in my prayers and I hope things work out. God has a bigger better plan, maybe this is finally her chance to stay home with her kiddos.
Speaking of the dentist, may I go in December or something? :D I actually really want to, I feel like Europe was not friendly to my teeth. Oh Dad, such a baby. They always give us stickers afterward for not biting their fingers off, so that's a big perk to not forget!
That's so sad about Br. LaClaire. That all seemed to come so unexpected. They are really great people and God is watching over them.
Hey I feel with Grandma, we are in this little office at the church typing and the heater doesn't work! And I'm in a short sleeved dress, it's freezing in here! It's really hard to concentrate when you're cold! It's so cold in here I'm wearing a towel from the baptismal font on my head to keep warm haha!Grandma does seem as active as ever, I'll be surprised the day that life can catch up with her :)
That's so awesome that you got to do baptisms this time! That's funny how you described the water going up to your chest, I bet you barely had to go back into the water haha! Just like bend your knees a little bit! ;) Wow, that's quite a long time since youve done baptisms. Was this the first time that Dad baptized you then? I miss getting to do baptisms, I think they are so fun and they remind me of really good memories as a youth. That sentence just made me sound really old... But they were awesome and I was so blessed to have friends to go to the temple with me.
Speaking of which, do you have any idea what's up with Becca or Stacey? I haven't heard from Stacey at all and Becca stopped writing over a year ago. It's no big deal, I understand, but I hope that they are doing okay and are happy!
WHAT?! JASON IS IN CHINA?! Haha what in the world that's quite the surprising move. Jason was Ruth's main focus, I bet that must be really hard for her, especially not to be able to communicate very often. Is he still dating that one girl from the Phillipines like Hannah or something? Oh I'm glad you and Ruth are friends and can support each other, I think you are right that you are a good influence on her. She needs you :)
Hahahah your Halloween costume was awesome! It looks like you had a fun time together. Were there any other funny costumes there? I love that you ward members are friends with each other and have activities for fun!
Sally's dress was really pretty! I can't imagine wearing my Grandmas dress, I'd be a giant in either Gma Cherry's or Leta's hahah! But she looked really pretty in it. That poor guy! That's such bad luck to get hit in the face with a softball before the wedding. Note to self: don't play softball before weddings!
Speaking of lovebirds, thats exciting that Bri is coming to Minnesota! Oh I hope she falls in love with it, this is the best time of the year at home. I forget, have you met her? and has Dad met her? What are you planning on doing together? They should go on a little road trip to Taylor's Falls, it's so gorgeous there! Hint hint, great place to pop a ring and a question, am I right? ;)
So, now to tell you a bit about my week and life! I feel like my life was just flipped upside down! I haven't been transferred in so long, I was very comfortable where I was. I guess it was inspired because I don't think I realized how wonderful I had it in Neukölln. It's wonderful here too, but it's a lot different. I actually think I'm homesick for Berlin haha!
When I got here to Plauen, we had pretty much a blank week ahead of us. The only thing scheduled was district meeting on Wednesday and teaching German class on Friday! Yeah, to sum it up, it was a very long week. It felt like 2! We did a lot of good, but I think I need to explain this area and I'll try to do my best.
Before I got here, I found out he branch president is actually from Zwickau (I know him!).. I also found out when I got here that we don't have any investigators, just half hearted contacts and eternal investigators (they've been investigating forever and never make progress). So the first thing I thought to do when we got my stuff into the apartment on Tuesday night was to call the branch president. After talking with him for about 5 minutes, it was very clear that the branch is struggling spiritually. So, our plan for the transfer is to build up this branch to be a little tiny farmland Zion haha! We focused a ton of time this week (well, we had a ton of time too haha) on serving the members and getting to know them. Sister Walker has only been here for 6 weeks so she doesn't know them well either, so it's a pretty good excuse to go visit all of them.
I feel like you would be so proud of my creativity this week! I got this idea back in Neukölln and I ran out of time there but it's perfect for this area too. We did a little photoshoot of us in service clothes holding cleaning supplies, and then went to Rossmans (it's like Walgreens probably) and used a template to make some funny little service coupons! We just wrote on there that we love to serve, put a scripture on there and then our names and number. We gave them out to the branch on Sunday and they loved them!! We already got a couple service projects this week, and I'm so excited! Germans love to help, not be helped. Unless we beg and make funny little cards for them. We also got the idea to make little Book of Mormon challenge cards like the ones we get in seminary to keep track of progress while reading. On Sunday we watched the women's sessions for the 2nd and 3rd hour and then gave them to all of the women. That also went over really well! Those 2 things took a lot of work, but it was so good I can already see how much little things make a difference in this ward!
Just a little side note, I talked with Sister Patterson last week before I left (she's like my best friend, she reminds me a lot of you. She came and said goodbye the morning I left, we have some pictures together) As we were working on her table refurbishing, I asked her what she could see me studying in college and then going on to do in life. She immediately said something creative! I was so surprised, I never thought that would be me! But it made me happy, I've definitely developed that talent a lot on my mission, and I love creating things! Hah, I'm still clueless as to what I should study in college, though.
Oh yes, I was answering your questions. My new comp is awesome! I love Sister Walker, and we get along so well! She's been out for a little over a year, and is from Perry Utah. It's by Brigham City. I will do another interview next week, but I can tell you a couple things now! She loves basketball and practically any sport (except at 6:30 in the morning, I usually just run around the field by our house by myself;) and looooooves her family. Her family is really tight knit and they own a few movie theater #freemoviessss!! and so she loves talking about them. Her family is super trunky, and so it's actually really good because I just kind of move the conversation to something about the work and it keeps me completely from feeling trunky haha. She even brought that up one night that she thinks I'm really focused because I'm always talking about the work or just generally life out here. That was really sweet of her, I promise I don't forget about you ever, but there is just too much to do here and we need to enjoy the here and now! So keeping her from getting trunky is basically my solution to not thinking about the fact that I only have 5 more weeks left.
I haven't heard from Maddie yet.
No lie, it was a hard adjustment and I miss the success I felt in Neukölln for a couple days. Then we started feeling our own types of successes here, especially with the ward. I LOVE the ward! They are sweet people. I think because we made such an effort to focus on them, they are really impressed. We have at least 4 member appointments so far this week! They are really kind welcoming people. It was really funny, they all ask me the typical question how long I have left on my mission and I always respond "I think that I'll stay here until the end of my mission!" I think it's really funny. I just don't want them to not bother with me because I'm kind of in and out (not here for very long) but that wasn't the case at all. The branch president wants to throw me a going away party and invite the Zwickau members too! Haha I think we won him over, he's a good guy. I think I'll be very happy here my last transfer. I know I'm doing what God wants me to, so that's enough to fulfill my happiness. It's definitely harder here, though. But I can take it and I'm glad that I'm the one here and not a younger missionary, I can handle them :)
The accent down here is not pretty though haha. I refuse to pick it up.
I will try my best to take better pictures this next week! I was so focused on making sure we got places or we were out finding that I didn't take the typical new area pictures. Or I'm just lazy haha. We only have one phone here and I don't always carry my camera because my bag is like 8 lbs already. I'm just making excuses. The members told us about some really pretty hiking here so I want to do a little bit of that!
Okay, the dirndl thing was all in God's plan! We just found out we are in charge of the Hof area now, which is the most southern part of the mission and it's actually in Bayern. Everyone says thats the best place to get a dirndl! Plus, next week we will get a car, so we will definitely be going down there more often. We might actually go down next week! They are the real dirndls, so I hope I can get a cute one! I don't necessarily want a really expensive one or anything, though.
Do you want anything from Germany? I need to start gathering some things if you want it! I could get you some house shoes or a German license plate or I dont know, a shirt?! Most of the cool things were in Berlin, but there are some really pretty Christmas decorations and ornaments in this region. It's the type of stuff I sent home last Christmas!
I hope that answered all of your questions!
As I was listening to the women's session again on Sunday, this time in German, I noticed different things and learned even more. Most of all, I just got this huge longing to see you again. Everything they talked about I just imagined you watching the same session and probably liking a lot of the same parts I did. Oh I love you so much and miss you like crazy. It is starting to feel like a really long time. I hope to never be away from you this long ever again. I need my Mom!! But don't worry, I'm good for another 5 weeks or so, but after that I hope you have lots of time for me!!!
I love that you're reading through the Book of Mormon, I'm plowing through it too! Isn't it awesome?! I just got to 3rd Nephi this morning so I'm excited! What's your favorite scripture story in the Book of Mormon? Where are you reading right now?
I wrote down 2 thoughts in the week that I'll end my letter on:
1. I cannot thank you enough for doing Family Home Evening with our family over the years. I've found out that a lot of people (especially my companions) never had it and feel the missing piece in their life. I know it didn't seem like much, or it felt like way too much some weeks, but thank you for being our warrior mom that kept doing it. It made a huge difference for me, and because of your example I know that I can do that with my family.
2. You must be really in tune with the spirit because you saved me this week! I think it was wednesday, you sent me an inspirational quote. Well, let me tell you about the 20 minutes before that happened. We had lots of time that day so we had a big chunk of finding time (something that rarely happened in Berlin but I love finding so I didn't mind). The day was generally slow (maybe this was Thursday? Both days were slow). We went to a members house and chatted for a few minutes and then asked them to say a prayer with us before we went out finding. That was a relly good idea! We started finding and the very first person waved me off and shook their head before I could even finish "hallo!" ouch, that didn't feel good. Well, that happened over and over again! In that first 15 or so minutes, we were just cold shoulder rejected. I couldn't even believe it, that never happened in Berlin! Everyone is so liberal they at least chat for a couple seconds or are a little polite. Oh that hurt so bad, finally I saw a guy with a little girl and thought for sure I could at least say hallo. Again, rejected. I couldn't even believe it and I probably wore the emotion on my face because I then called back "it's nothing against you I promise!" I was just like noooo you reject me, you reject Jesus and you make him sad therefore I am also sad!!!! That one brought tears to my eyes. I saw a little public book lending thing and distracted myself for a second with it to not cry. I said a little prayer and the spirit helped me to keep going. The next people that we talked to were awesome and such a tender mercy and we had an awesome conversation. I know God blessed us because we kept going. A minute later I checked the phone and saw that you sent that little quote. Normally I don't open emails during the day just to stay focused, but I opened this one because I knew it was a little quote. Ohhhh that was so sweet and I just felt so blessed. Thank you for that little big difference you made for me!
I love you a million little picture quotes during the week! You are the best. I hope you have a wonderful wonderful week with Logan and Bri.
Love Sister Ingalls Jr.
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