Hoi Zämme!
This week has been really good :)
Still no one to teach. But lots of good conversations and hopefully a lot of potential investigators. If these people would just stop listening to Satan, that'd be really helpful. And if they spoke German. There are a lot of refugees here. Yeah, everyone needs the Gospel, but we can't teach it to them here. Ugh.
Just a few random/cool/small things before I get into the meat of the week:
Freitag Bags- Dad, Matt Cox was right. They are EVERYWHERE and everyone has one. It is soooo funny! I still don't have much of a desire to have one. Maybe at the end of my mission.
Lori McBride- I was scrolling through Mormon Messages on Thursday, and I saw Lori! I was like "I know her! She's a beast and way cool!" Then we watched it and I cried cause it was so good. Small world in the Church, eh??
Elder Gilmour- Everyone calls me "Elder" here. Dad, apparently you left an imprint on people you didn't even teach, in a country you've never even visited. Cool ;)
Now for the good stuff.
So, like I said, still no one to teach. But we had really good contacts this week. We're really hoping that the Lord sees how ready and willing and desirable we are to start teaching and really finding (Sorry for my English).
We had a really good lesson/ vorbei on Schwester Gianatti. She is from the Italian part of Switzerland and she told us all about her war stories from when she was a little girl. She remembers having to go to school with a gas mask tied to her bag. Can you imagine? I can't. It was really cool, cause then I just mentioned something about how comforting it was to read in the Book of Mormon and to see that they already knew there would be these wars and bad times in these days. Then she started asking us all about the Book of Mormon. She's a convert to the Church, been through the Temple, and done everything, but she really doesn't know the Book of Mormon so well. So we got to talk to her about her worries and her doubts and really share our simple, but true testimonies about the Book of Mormon and that it IS the word of God. She said she didn't feel worthy to go to the Temple anymore and had only been twice in her life due to these feelings. We told her it was Satan getting to her. He doesn't want us to go somewhere so holy and perform sacred ordinances, so he tempts us and tells us that we aren't good enough and that we aren't worthy to be in such places. She had never heard that :) It was really fascinating to see the look on her face when she made the connection and understood that that was really what was going on :) She's going to get a temple recommend next Sunday :)
We then went to the Bishops house... again. They are wonderful people. But we had to cut the visit really short cause we totally forgot we had GMR (Ward council meeting, I think it's called in English). We went and it was really good. They even spoke in High German so that I could understand :) Which was really nice... cause I have NO clue what they're saying when they speak Swiss German. It's annoying. I will be giving the Spiritual Thought in the next council. Ich freue mich darauf :)
Now. Anita Küntzli. The coolest Sister in the ward. She served her mission in Las Vegas and is just a peach. I love her! She told us all about her mission and we helped her hang pictures and stuff. She just moved into the cutest and nicest apartment. That was cool. It's always really fun to see the members in a really normal environment and for them to get to know us better. I love these moments. (BG: I cant agree more, the missionaries need to be in our homes)
We ended up doing a double fast this weekend. My advice: Don't ever do it. It was rough. On Sunday... We literally had nothing left.
But it was actually also really worth it cause I had the best time in the Temple!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, I went back for the first time in 7 months :) :) :) :) :) You could say I was pretty happy :) It was packed! I did the session in English, but it was funny cause I had to wear the headset that translates. But then I realized that I can speak German and I actually understood pretty much everything. So I just listened in German. Next time, I'll do it all in German. I just wanted to really understand everything I was doing again now that I've learned so much about the Temple after being her on my mission.
The Temple is the most gorgeous place on this earth. The most important thing we can do here in our earthly life and make and KEEP our Temple Covenants. I am so LUCKY to be 19 and to have made these sacred promises with my Heavenly Father :) And to live pretty much at the Temple all day, every day :) it's pretty special. I guess we are also like the "temple Sisters". So we're working on a visitor center here in Zollikofen :)
We ended up getting lost on Saturday night and taking a lot of back paths and discovered a few really cool things. We were trying to find a less- active, but were unsuccessful. We will try again tonight.
It's really weird here. I never, EVER had to schedule in time to just "contact" in Stuttgart, but here... that's like... half our day. And after 3, everyone is in their houses. It's the STRANGEST thing. So... we made goals to find reasons to knock on peoples doors. We don't want to look like Jehovah Witnesses, so if you have any ideas of how we can make this fun, let us know. We aren't exactly excited to knock doors. Especially after last weeks fiasco. (BG: Good thing she didn't get sent to England, she would have knocked on thousands of doors by now)
So this week, I will be saying good bye to my Mission President and his wife. We see them for the last time tomorrow. I will be doing an exchange with Sister Cooper, yes, we will take pictures. (BG: Sis Cooper is from Scotland, and I'm friends with her parents-we hoped this would happen) We're working on making our apartment a little cuter, so we will maybe find time after planning a few times this week. We've been invited to a Philippian BBQ. And President Uchtdorf comes on Sunday :) So, it should be a good week :)
I just really want you all to know how specific our trials are! I think I say this every week- but really! I have helped Sister Wüst in very specific and personal ways that I know no one else could. And she is helping me with so much, naturally :) I made the goal that this transfer/ area would be for my companion. (BG: What a great idea, wish i had done that) I showed her that, and she just smiled and shook her head :) We are really good friends. I love her!! And keep her family in your prayers. We are thinking about referring them to the missionaries in Frankfurt/ Heidelberg. She's a convert of 2 years, in case I didn't tell you already. Yeah, she's amazing. She GETS the Gospel. I have so much to learn from her. We have a lot to learn from each other :)
That's the week that I had :) I'm really happy here in Zollikofen. Our numbers are mega rubbish, but I don't feel like the worst missionary here, which is a really nice difference from Stuttgart. There are so many ready and prepared people here.. I KNOW IT. We just haven't found them yet :) I'm looking for those who need me here, and I think they are looking for me as well. I just always need to remember that it doesn't matter how bad my German is or what I say. If they are ready, they will accept what I say, no matter how I say it. We are not in charge here. He is :) And He's teaching us something right now, not sure what it is, but we are certainly learning :)
I love my mission. I love my Savior. I love the people. I love life :) I love what I am here to learn.
Verpflichtung: Read "The Fourth Missionary". It'll change your life like it's changing mine :)
Also, a year ago today I was on a plane to Germany :)
Second year in a row that I've missed my daddy's birthday.
Congrats to my awesome sister Brooklyn who graduated from high school last week.XXXX
All my love,
SISTER Gilmour
xx
"When we kneel down, I know He'll answer back"
No comments:
Post a Comment