Sister Elizabeth Winters: New Years and Incredible Blessings

Dear Mom and Daddy,

I can't believe it's 2014. My goodness. And so much has happened this week. It looks like you had a fun time with the cousins! That looks like a lot of fun. :) Is there still snow there? You've seen the forecast here---it is NOT cold at all.

Tuesday, we went to the H family for Silvester (New Year's Eve). :) We played Mexican train (with dominoes), the equivalent of Mormon bridge (I think?), Uno, and some other things. Austrians like to play card games. We got reeeally tired, but stayed until midnight or so, when all the fireworks went off. SO MANY. Also, they always play the Donau Walzer at midnight, so we danced around the Hladkys’ house. :) It was incredible. I LOVED it. Then, we played Uno after midnight, and Bishop had the TV going with a concert that is played in Berlin every year on Silvester. And guess what they played?!?!?! My Prokofiev concerto!!! I was SUPER excited that I knew it! OH, man. It was so great. Just a tender mercy.

Wednesday, we went to Baden (with what time we had) and went by on a potential family---a man and wife from Romania. They were SO nice. We just talked for an hour. They like to talk a lot---my goodness! And they are so open. And then, at Bahnhof, we met another Romanian woman, who said she'd like a Book of Mormon. It was so nice. :)

Friday was really interesting and wonderful. We tried to talk with people, but no one wanted to listen. There was one woman who told us we are so young and asked us if we're aware of what we're doing. It really hurt (the way she said it). Things were just hard. After lunch, we had a lesson with M (a former investigator). The lesson itself was kind of scattered---she had a lot of questions---but was really good. She's really cool. She's a nurse, so she's really busy, but she's very open. You can see that she feels---she knows the Church is true, but we just have to work it out of her. But she became a new investigator.

Yesterday. We went to the G family for lunch, which was really good (we need to build up a better relationship with them) and then went to B and L for dinner. It was so good. And my study was very guided by the Spirit.

I started reading the book, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Fielding Smith in German. Oh my goodness, I love it. It's wonderful. Also, I'm focusing on obedience this month. I'm going to be super extra obedient this month.

I love this work. My goodness. Life is so good. I love it here. I love speaking Spanish and teaching these people. I know Heavenly Father answers our prayers so much and so quickly and so often. He is here, He is listening, and He will not leave us alone. I KNOW it.

I love you SO much!!!

Love,

Sister Winters