Thoughts from a rock.

Things I love about Germany:

-IT'S SO GREEN. And rainy and gorgeous. 

-The U-bahns have poems. I love them. Some are funny, some are really sweet, and they're just fun to read because I'm learning German. But the great thing is that I understand them. :)

-When the sun is out, all the Eis (ice cream) shops are open. Egal if it's 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit outside.

-My companion.

-My district.

-Speaking German.

-The market that we go to, right around the corner from our house.

-Just really everything. The only thing that could make it better is if you all were here. We could totally live in Germany. Oh, man. How much I would LOVE to do that.

Well, hi!

To the best parents in the world:

AH! This week was so good. And I'm so happy. :)

So Monday, after dashing out to get groceries, we went to Killesberg with the elders (all four), which really looks over all of Stuttgart. So that was cool. :) We were going to go bike riding (rent some bikes and go!), but they didn't have helmets, so I couldn't do that. :( Mm. Oh, well. I'll send you pictures. We're actually going back today to play some games in the big park right next to the tower. :)

Monday night, we went to FHA with X and E. It was funny---we hadn't heard from X, so we figured she wasn't going to FHA. We were kind of at a loss for things to do (our backup plan was to ride Bahns, so we were about to do that), partially also because our lesson with E2 (less active) fell out, so we were a little stuck. But then we pulled up to Königstrasse, and there was X, walking down towards the U-bahn stairs. So we jumped out and chased after her, and she told us she was going to FHA! It was really good. Harold gave the thought, and we talked a lot. Besides FHA being a lot of fun, with the JAEs (young adults) and E and X and the Bensons, we learn a lot of things about the JAEs and can help them a lot. It's really good. I love it.

Tuesday. It rained. It was GORGEOUS. We opened our windows and studied not in the rain, but quasi right next to it. AH. I was LOVING it. So healthy for the soul. :)  We did our normal things---district meeting, lunch, Basteln, then came home, had dinner, then went to Institute with Erin.

Wednesday was a day of helping people. We sat and talked with E/had brunch with E. We just talked and talked about different things in her life. And it was so good. And therapeutic (I hope) for her.

Then we went and met with A. She's 12, and super cute. Her family is from Utah, but they're living here....until August.  She's had some questions, so we sat down at a bakery (I love that about Germany---there are SO MANY on every corner, it seems like) and talked, which really helped her, I think.

During that conversation, there was a man, maybe in his 60s, who stood up and walked past our table three or four times. It really confused me, so I asked him if I could help him. He had his key out, and pointed (really close to me) at my nametag and asked if he could read it. (Weird. I thought he was going to jab my shoulder with it.) But we talked with him a little bit and he wanted to meet with us and talk about what we do. Mm, okay.

That night we had Gemeinderat (ward mission council), which was really good. We talked about a lot of people, which I love doing.

Thursday was a bit rough. We met with the elders and their investigator, D. I really like her. But she's tough. She has some tricky questions that ultimately don't really matter to her salvation. But I felt so strongly that she needed to know that God loves her. So I told her and emphasized it so much that she is a daughter of God who loves her and even through the mistakes she makes, that He loves her just the same and He is always there for her. Romans 8. The rest of the lesson was pretty rough. Well, it all was pretty rough. 

We ended up taking A contacting with us (which was really fun) and going down to Jake's, this place with American burgers, dropped a personal touch off with X, then we took her home. The women couldn't come this week to English class, so we went home and did German study.

Friday was great. :) We planned a lot. And planned a lot about the people that Gemeinderat told us to work with. We went to go get a planning treat from the market and see our new best friend, Frau Z, who sells bread at the market. The first time we met her, she pretty rude because we're missionaries, religion, etc. But since then, we have been going back and she's SUPER nice, and she always gives us something extra---two pretzels, a couple cookies---to go along with what we buy. Which she did this time. Then we bought some flowers for our kitchen (I love Gerbera daisies......) and the "netter Jung" gave us an extra flower. :) We came back and kept planning.

That night we went to S and J's and had dinner and dyed Easter eggs. Super good. They really help us a TON. I think we're over there every single week, usually with an investigator.

I'd been feeling like a rock for everyone the entire week---trying to help and take care of a number of people. Not a huge group, but some people, and at the end of each day, I was exhausted. And I kept feeling like it was because all of my energy was concentrated on helping people---E, Sister Gilmour, A, just helping. And by Saturday, I was pretty tired. And Sister Gilmour could tell, so for comp study, we just painted and talked and talked and talked. I love this girl so much. She's good at getting the right things out of me and she's good at helping me and figuring me out.  AH. This companionship, I tell you. It's SO good. I have the best companion ever.

Sunday was really good. Lots and lots of good things. We decided to go to the international ward (actually, we're going to start doing that every two weeks) to go with S, but she was coming back from the Netherlands. But E came! It was really weird being in a very American ward. There's a different feeling between the two wards. Oh, man. I'm so used to going to church with Germans/Europeans. It was weird. But good. But still a weird experience. E had a good time and totally commented in Relief Society.

Then German church! I talked with a LOT of people, made out appointments, people set up appointments with us, I knew the name of every person who bore their testimony (it was Fast Sunday), and I felt SO GOOD. And we TOTALLY made crock pot chicken, pork chop style. :) So we browned the chicken a tiny bit, then mixed Greek yogurt with a bit of our mushroom soup mix (dry), added mustard, green peppers, an onion, and some red peppers. It was SO GOOD. Snap. What sister missionaries do you know who make crock pot chicken?? :D (Yes, we have a crock pot.) We do. :)

And my study kick right now (started yesterday) is about justice and mercy and grace. Ah. I love it. I love the Atonement. Heavenly Father has so much love for us. So much. I'm understanding it more. I love it. SO MUCH.

I love YOU so much. You all are wonderful! Thank you for your support, your love, your prayers, everything. You're wonderful.

Love,

Sister Elizabeth Winters