OH, my goodness. This week was CRAZY. I have so much to tell you.
Liebe Mutter und Vater,
I love you so much!
Like I said, this week was absolutely insane. Last Monday, we had a lesson in the middle of P-day that was a wreck. We had this lesson scheduled with D, so we took a train out to Neunkirchen, then called her to say we were coming. With the train schedule, we would probably get to her house five or so minutes late, and she is pretty on top of things. So we called her, and the first thing she did was ask if we could go to the grocery store for her and pick up some things. She said she'd pay us back. So, we asked people where to find a Billa or Spar or some other store, and they directed us. We called her when we finally found a store, and she told us the things she needed. She was REALLY hard to understand on the phone, which isn't so normal. But we figured it out, bought the things, then went over to her house. She opened the door, and something was wrong. The Spirit was NOT there the minute we walked in. She asked me if I was from Germany, there were a TON more cigarettes on the table, it smelled like she'd been smoking more than the last time, and during the lesson, she just kept saying crazy, crazy things that didn’t make any sense at all. We finally said a prayer and left. We called the elders, then prayed again. It was terrifying. We don't know what's going to happen.
But Monday night was amazing. That’s one thing about this week---whenever we have really weird or really hard times, we see so many miracles. We had FHA (FHE) with A and Guillermo and their family. Guillermo is a member, A is basically atheist, and the Elders have been teaching her and their sons, S, M, and P. They're from Spain. Anyways. We did the spiritual thought....in Spanish. We talked about the Book of Mormon. And it was so good. Sister Scoggin said the Spirit was SO strong. I was sort of just concentrating on my Spanish that I didn't notice. But A (whom we are teaching now) said she would read Ether 3 and 1 Nephi 1. Sister Scoggin and I both felt so strongly that she was our investigator, and so we talked to the elders, who said that they thought the same thing from day one. So we have one new investigator, with whom we speak Spanish!
Tuesday was also crazy. We had a lesson with E, which was really good. We really need her getting into the Book of Mormon, so we read 1 Nephi 1 with her, which was so good. The Spirit is always very strong with her. She's so sweet. :) What was fun was that we saw her on our way to the church in the middle of the week, so we stopped and talked with her. :) After E, we went back and stopped by to see A, a potential that a member brought to church. We had made an appointment, but when we got there, it was pretty clear she didn't want us there, so we left and visited Sister H, a less active woman. This was really good, because she went on vacation for two weeks on Wednesday. But she loves having us over. :)
Tuesday night. We had a lesson with M, a less active member, and his family---P, his wife, L, her brother, and M, his wife. They're from Ecuador. So we taught the same sort of lesson with them about the Book of Mormon....again in Spanish. We sat and talked for a half hour or so, and got to know them, then shared this lesson. What was amazing was that during the time that we were just getting acquainted, we tried to speak in Spanish and they in German, but it was a bit rough. But immediately, when we started the lesson, the Spanish just came. And we had no more worries, and it was very infrequent that we couldn't remember a word. And just as soon as we were done, the Spanish dropped again. But they said they want to keep meeting with us......so we now have FOUR investigators who speak Spanish!!
Here's what's crazy. I had Spanish for 9 years: 1st grade through 9th grade. Sister Scoggin only had it for one year, in 9th grade. After that, we both learned German, practiced German, and have forgotten most of our Spanish. But now, in AUSTRIA of all places, we have more Spanish speaking investigators than German speaking, and our Spanish is miraculously coming back. It is nothing short of a miracle. I honestly believe that Heavenly Father is giving us or showing us the gift of tongues, because it is not my abilities that are allowing us to teach in Spanish. It is an absolute MIRACLE.
Wednesday was a bit slower, for which I was grateful. We had district meeting, which was great, then we went and visited Sister F, a less active woman. She is having a hard time. Her son was in the hospital for some time after an operation, and she doesn't know what to believe in any more. It was another miracle that we caught her---she was only home for a few minutes, about to dash away again. So we shared a message about hope, and then she invited us to go to the hospital in Baden to visit her son. So we did. It was good to build that relationship with her. After going to Baden, we went down to Gloggnitz and contacted a referral from Church HQ. She wasn't home at that time, but it was gorgeous and we had a good experience finding her on the way.
Thursday, we got Austrian visas! :) We had GMR, which was good. And hilarious. OH man. For our opening song, José (our GML) wanted to sing "An Angel from on High," which none of us really know that well and Jose only had one English hymnbook. I don't know what was so funny about that, but I just started laughing and couldn't stop. We just had a hard time. :) And then he wanted to sing Christmas, which was even funnier, but we finally landed on "Angels We Have Heard on High." And so we started singing it......to the tune of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," and when we got to the chorus, the glorias, it just didn't work anymore. We just DIED laughing. I'd realized at the beginning of the song that we were singing the wrong tune, but didn't say anything because I was a) laughing and b) didn't want to offend anyone, but then we all realized what was going on and just died. It was HILARIOUS. I have not laughed so much in a looong time. We were all crying because it was so funny. We finally caught our breath and decided to sing with the right tune, but I had to try so hard not to keep laughing the whole way through, because then I know everyone else would collapse and we would not be able to sing. OH man.......
We had a lesson with E right before Gemeinderat (ward council). And it was so good. She's been a member for about a year and a half, and we have been getting to know her and practicing teaching the lessons to her. So we were going to do the Plan of Salvation, but we just ended up talking about trials and how Heavenly Father will help us through them and why we have trials. Honestly though, that IS the Plan of Salvation. And it was exactly what she needed to hear and what we needed to talk about. That quote from President Snow, Mom, that you sent me this week, I shared that with her and it fit quite perfectly. It was so good. (“The sacrifices that are required of us are of that nature that no man or woman could make them, unless aided by a supernatural power; and the Lord, in proposing these conditions never intended that his people should ever be required to comply with them unless by supernatural aid...He has promised this aid.” Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, chapter 14)
Friday, we got a zillion new things for our apartment! The Thurns are leaving today :(, so we inherited everything that they had in their apartment, which is cool. We went driving ALL over Austria---well, our area---with Sister Hornek, and we contacted people in the little towns that have never seen missionaries before (or at least, not for YEARS). It was cool. Nothing evident came of it, so basically we were just planting seeds. :) But it was good and it was GORGEOUS. I tell you, I am living in a dream.....I am living in the dream I always had. Heavenly Father sure has spoiled me.
Saturday, we went back down to Gloggnitz to talk with the woman, the referral from the Church. And she has interest! She was on Temple Square a bit ago, and so we went by, and she really is interested! I'm super excited. :) We have an appointment in a couple weeks.
We had another lesson with just P and M. Again, the Spanish just flowed. It was absolutely unbelievable. Oh my goodness. I honestly think that part of my job here is to speak Spanish, something that I never thought. It never crossed my mind. But the lesson was so good and the Spirit was so sweet.
Sister Scoggin and I talked about how many logistical nightmares Heavenly Father has to organize to make things all go just right. For me, I had to have nine years of Spanish, then have the whole family history project intervene in my life (which is another complicated web of logistics in and of itself), and then take German, and then get out to this mission. And Sister Scoggin, who only took one year of Spanish and many more of German, has some stories about getting out on a mission. And of the maybe three people who speak any Spanish in the mission (at least, that's what Sister Scoggin thinks), the two of us are together here in Wiener Neustadt. And then this family went from Ecuador to Spain and finally to Germany, they are in such conditions that they are so open and willing to hear the gospel. And now....we're all here together! Teaching the gospel in SPANISH.
Sunday, we saw more miracles. I translated for G and A into Spanish during Gospel Principles, and took over for José as well during Sacrament Meeting, when Jose's daughter Michelle starting crying. (She's two and the CUTEST thing that could be.) That translation, that Spanish, was a miracle. Another: Claudia and Cornel came to church! OH! I forgot. So back on Tuesday, Cl called us. They now have an apartment in Felixdorf! What was cool was that on Saturday, we saw her in Hauptplatz, and so we went and prayed with her. We were pretty close to dropping her, because we don't really meet with them, and she said she might be going back to Romania. But then on Sunday, they found and apartment, so she connected the two things: us praying with her and then finding it. Which was amazing.
Yep. So I'm learning the lessons from my Principios del Evangelio book and Libro de Mormon, and practicing Spanish almost more than German. But not really. But we really have four investigators who speak Spanish. Oh man.
Heavenly Father is taking care of us. He loves us, He is aware of us, He knows us. I keep seeing it over and over and over in my life. :) I really am learning how to trust in the Lord, especially this week. It was hard because the only mail we got was that referral, so I didn't get any of your letters last week. That was hard, but I knew it was part of the trial, and I really am learning how to rely on the Lord and know that He will take care of me. And it's strengthening me a TON.
I love you so much! Thank you for still writing me, for helping me, for supporting and praying for me. I know you love me, and I am so grateful for that. :) I hope you know that I love you, too!
Love, love, love, Sister Elizabeth Winters
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