Mmmm..Wonderful moments

Dear Mom, Dad, and Caf,

Things ARE a bit slow, investigator-wise, here in Stuttgart. BUT. We're turning Stuttgart around this week.

Last Monday, I found that the best thing to help my stress about time and how I feel like I have little time left was to just focus on other people. :) Good, right?  Sister Arnold taught me that. 

Teaching German grammar to new missionaries

Wednesday was the start of funniness. We were going to have a SUPER productive day---contact a referral, meet with R (member), U!!, and R. We were able to do the first two things. Met the referral! and then went and had Milch Reis with R. She's from Spain, and she's wonderful. She's going through kind of a rough---very rough---situation right now and she just invited us over to visit. And we just talked, which really helped her.

We were heading back to Bahnhof, when the International Elders called us and said DB (Deutsche Bahn) was doing a strike ab 14 Uhr. So S-bahns and up---bigger trains---weren't running after 2 p.m. AHH! This meant we couldn't meet with U and R couldn't get down from Bietigheim. So we went and did emails, then the elders called us again and said that President said we needed to stay close to our apartment and away from basically any public transportation. (U-bahns were unaffected, thankfully.) So we went home, and tried to figure out something to do, because all of our backup plans required the S-bahns, and we decided to major clean our apartment. Hahahaha. It actually was really, really good because it needed to be done. We organized everything, got rid of junk, and just cleaned. It looks smashing. :)

Afterwards, we were joint teaches for the international elders for S. SO FUN. I loved it. Hahaha. We also got soaked because it rained........and we weren't planning on rain. Sigh.

That night, there was a Vortrag? Not really sure. But a fireside of sorts about power of attorney and wills and death- and sickness-precautions, I think is what it was called. Br. G asked us if we would go, given that there may be nonmembers there, as they had invited the public to come. We went............no nonmembers. Alas. It was interesting.......as far as I understand. Biiiiiig German words........

Friday night, we had a lesson with S at the Ns (Int'l ward GML). It went a bit long but it was SO GOOD. We had dinner, and then had the lesson. We talked about the Restoration and focused on priesthood power being restored. S didn't seem to understand the point that priesthood power isn't only there to give priesthood blessings, but it is also the authority to do things in God's name. At the end, J got back from work and joined the conversation. He is SO SOLID—rock solid—and said all the right things. And I got pretty bold with S---which felt so good. Not in a push-back-against-her way, but I just explained things very clearly and very directly kind of way. Her concern is that energy work gives her the same feeling as priesthood blessings so she doesn't understand the point---since I've been here in Stuttgart. So I explained it to her and J supported and so much. I was praying so much in that lesson that she would feel the power of the Restoration. I hope she does now, better. She NEEDS to ACT. She knows the Book of Mormon is true. But we're working on it.

Saturday was cool. We met with A, who is making slow, slow bits of progress. We were trying to figure out a lesson for her. Our last lesson, we'd talked about the Book of Mormon, but she was wary to accept one---she didn't feel ready yet. So we were a little conflicted, because we wanted to talk about the Book of Mormon---she needs to know it---but without being pushy or overbearing. She'd asked to read in the Bible with us this next time. So we planned a lesson to talk about prophets and apostles, and tie that in with the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Well, we got into the lesson, and the Spirit said it wasn't right to talk about apostles and prophets, but instead we showed her a couple scriptures in the Book of Mormon and she, of her own, asked if there was a part in the Book of Mormon that was similar to the Sermon on the Mount. So we talked about that and about 3rd Nephi and the whole discussion was really incredible, because we were able to bear lots of testimony about how the Bible and the Book of Mormon strengthen and support each other and testify of Christ. It was incredible.

Afterwards, we went to Vs' for S's birthday and his baptism! And the APs came and did Tausch here with the ZLs, so Elders B and N were here as well. The whole day was wonderful. We helped get the church ready for the baptism, then just seeing how joyful S was during and after his baptism was won-der-ful. He's SO COOL. Part of the craziness of the week was that we made "death slice" (very sweet......I don't know how to describe it) and trifle, as well as bought ties for all the elders+S+R and stitched their initials onto the back of them. So we were doing that in all the spare time we could find. But we SCHAFFT it.

I played piano at the baptism, and during the part when he was changing, we sang hymns. It was beautiful. And healing. There is nothing better about life unless you're singing along with the congregation. Singing wonderful, beautiful hymns. I'm weird, I know. :) I get so excited about hymns and primary songs and things. But I LOVE it. It is so ME. :D

Sunday was really wonderful. There were SO MANY things. I wrote them all down during studies today and it's crazy. Here we go. 

• During Sacrament meeting, we sang "All Creatures of Our God and King." I sang soprano at full voice. Hahahahaha. It felt so good. I LOVE that song. And it does no good to only sing it half-heartedly, so I sang it VERY well. :D
• I learned the verb capire in Italian. (To understand.) Io capisco, Tu capisci, Lui/Lei capisce, Noi capiamo, voi capite, Loro/essi capiscono. That's where Kapish comes from---tu capisci (capischi is how it's pronounced.) HAH. I need to learn Italian.
• The sacrament is beautiful. I loved it. I felt such relief. 
• Steven was confirmed---the Spirit was so strong.
• Talking with R down to the U-bahn. He'd had a rough week, and so had I, and we talked about a lot of things. It was really, really good.
• We went to Schwester L's for dinner, and brought S and J with us. Helping her in the kitchen. She was so stressed. But it was beautiful.  She told her conversion story, and she has such a strong testimony. Man, she's an ANGEL.
• During a part of the story, she said, "The sister missionaries stood in front of me and I thought that angels were standing before me." And I had a strong feeling--which I'd actually had earlier in the day---that we as missionaries, but especially as sisters, are angels in people's lives. I don't realize it. I sometimes do and sometimes don't feel the power of the Spirit that we bring into people's homes, but it is a blessing and a privilege to be able to do so. I'm so grateful that I can. That I am doing what I need to to be able to bring that to other people. And I want to do all I can to be that angel for other people, that Heavenly Father can work through me to help and serve and bless other people's lives.
• Watching S talk with Schwester L. He is SUCH a good listener. He showed so much respect for her (Germans are really good at that, which I love) and listened very actively and hung on every word she said. He was so gracious and kind. But the great thing was, he also made a couple of jokes about the elders and she laughed. "He has humor," she said. "That is good." :) It was SO SWEET. My goodness. And powerful listening. 
• When we were going to sing one more song and then pray, everyone started pointing at Elder Hunter to say the prayer. I just watched and smiled along. Then Sister L said, "The one who didn't point at someone can pray,” which was me. S then said right afterwards, "And that is an honor." I felt special. It was so kind of her, of him. 
• We snuck into her kitchen and washed the dishes, even though she said she would do them later. And she was so excited when we did them and put them away without her knowing.
• When we were leaving, she said, "Himmel verabschiedet sich von mir. Aber ein Teil bleibt noch." Heaven is leaving me, but a piece is staying. I thought, Oh, dear Schwester Leyensätter---I felt like we were leaving heaven. 

But the Spirit is so good. Heavenly Father is so good. We were talking about family history---Sr. L was---and I thought, it is exactly BECAUSE of family history that I am here in this mission, and am allowed to meet these people who are WONDERFUL and who have blessed my life. I honestly left that apartment grinning and laughing. I was so full of love and of joy.  But feeling that love and that Spirit made me absolutely blissful. Selig. Meine Güte. I could have floated off the ground.

I hope you're not fed up with my very long week.........but I hope you enjoyed it. Have a wonderful week! I'll let you know what happens with transfer calls.
Love, love, love, love,
Sister Bethieroo Winters, who loves life.