Finding Missing Members

That was basically our goal this week.

Things I love about Germany (or, well, Europe):

- Tea

- Fresh fruit

- That all the streets are named "strasse" or "gasse" (I guess that's a German-speaking realm thing überhaupt....but still.)

- Riding Bahns

- Listening to everything in German. (The German is so clear!)

- Speaking German.

- Everyone wears scarves here. EVERYONE. I'm very conscious that I look like a foreigner if I'm not wearing a scarf. We wear scarves every single day. No joke. It's so great. But that, really, is just a German thing. Not Austrian. German. To be very German, you wear a scarf. Even in the summer. We don't care if it matches. Mismatching patterns make it match.

Liebe Mutter und Vater,

I love it here in Germany. I love, love, love it.  Again, I love, love, love Austria for its own reasons. I love Germany for different memories, different feelings. I sometimes really forget that I'm on the other side of the world. And then I think, "I'm in Germany." How crazy is that?

Also. Crazy note that I'm not thinking about. Tomorrow is my 8 month mark. A less active said to me yesterday, "So, you're about halfway done with your mission?" NO. No, I am not. What are you talking about? I'm still really new on my mission. Nowhere close to halfway.

Our week was a little crazy. Well, some days were.

Last Monday, we went to FHE (well, FHA) with X. It was fun. But that was the last time we would see her before she left for China. :( But when we were on opposite sides of the Gleise (tracks), we called things across to her ("Don't forget to read das Buch Mormon!" "We love you!" "Keep praying!" etc.) until the Bahns came. :) She's SO sweet. Oh my goodness. She's wonderful. She's making so much progress....and we want her to keep making progress, even in China.

Tuesday was....good. We were going to go to Basteln, but then we found out that Sr. M was in the hospital, so we went to visit her. (P.S. I LOVE being in hospitals---especially on my mission. Oh my goodness, it makes me so happy.) Which was wonderful. She's so great. We just stayed and talked with her.

Afterwards, we went to find some of our missing members. And two of the three addresses didn't exist! (There's a number 30 on this side of the street, and across the street, there's 36........where's 34??) (Or, the street starts with 27, but we need number 23, but there's no continuation of the street anywhere. If anyone knows how to solve this problem, bitte bei mir melden.....) But when we were both mentally exhausted, we started heading home, and ran into a man from India, whom we tried to contact in German, but then switched to English. (Note: That is SO HARD. :) Try saying, "Das Buch Mormon wurde zu der selbe Zeit geschreiben als die Bibel..." a thousand times, then switch to, "The Book of Mormon was written to the same time as the Bible...." It doesn't work.) And then we also met his really nice woman on the Bahn who lives right across from the church.

Wednesday was CRAZY. We didn't have studies in the morning; we had to go on base (as in, the military base) to teach a German class to this group of moms who are friends with a member in the international ward. Then, a member was sick and needed a blessing---a woman, so we needed to be there so that the elders could, too.  Afterwards, we went to our Bahn stop (barely missed the Bahn), and talked to this wonderfully sweet man in his 80s, E.  (Miracle #1.) We then visited a sweet, sweet less active whom we knew nothing about. She said we came at just the right time. (Miracle #2.) There were some gorgeous flowers on the side of the road. (Miracle #3.) The weather was gorgeous. (#4.) We went back down to Bahnhof (Hauptbahnhof) to meet the international elders for a lesson they had with a potential.......who didn't show up. So we finally went back, did our computer time, and then went home and made soup. Delicious soup. And then did personal study and 30 minutes of comp study before we planned.

Whew! We were extremely mentally and physically exhausted by the end of the day. 

But that study was one of the highlights---well, miracles---of the day. I read 3 Nephi 17, and then started reading a lot of things about healing. And it was incredible. It just makes me SO excited to be a nurse. It is so special to me, because it is what the Savior did. It was all about how Christ heals us, both physically, as well as spiritually. He accomplished that through the Atonement---by taking on both our physical pains and sicknesses and infirmities, as well as our sins and weaknesses, or the things that make us sick spiritually.

And the wonderful thing is, it's not just for nursing, and it doesn't just apply to after my mission. As a missionary, I am here to represent Christ in helping others become cleansed from their sins by having faith, repenting, being baptized, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. And that is spiritual healing. That is exactly why I came on a mission---to help people and serve them and help them find that healing that Christ gives.

Saturday, we were planning on going and helping the Hs paint their old apartment, but they'd cancelled it and forgot to tell us...... so we went by on a lot of people---a lot of our missing members. Which was really, really good, because though one person was home, and the rest of them either weren't or didn't live there, we accomplished a lot.

Yesterday was good. Church was fun; I'm getting to know the ward better. Still working on it. It's a little overwhelming coming in to Sacrament Meeting and realizing that there are so many faces, and I don't know them. But, it's coming. I conducted the music. Afterwards, we went and visited Sr. M (still in the hospital, but could potentially be out today!), then came home and had dinner and planned.

The miracle of yesterday: E2 prayed. She has a hard time trusting and believing. It's something she wanted as a child, but it's more difficult now. But she prayed!!! Which is wonderful.

I love this so much! I'm so happy here. Sister Gilmour is absolutely incredible. It is SO MUCH FUN to work with her. We do a lot of good together. :)

And I love you so much! You're wonderful! Thank you for your prayers and love and support.

Love, love, love,

Sister Beth Winters

Us two, sopping wet missionaries. :)

We made a quiche!  We actually were kneeling in this one..... Our faces are kinda weird. Oh, well.