Nun status.

Dear Mom, Dad, and Caf,

Today is an Austrian holiday---not German, though. It's Mariä Empfängnis---essentially, the day Maria---ab, sorry----Mary conceived.

This week was funny. Ups and downs simultaneously. But it was cool seeing how God works things out. I don't have a ton of time so this might be a little shorter. 

Tuesday, we were watching a couple of Mormon messages with I. One of them was called "Missionary Work and the Atonement" by Elder Holland, and it's really powerful. I loved it, hearing it as a missionary. But then the Spirit talked with I and told her that that is why she needs to go to church---not just because it's something we should do. Salvation was never a cheap experience. And if it was never easy for Christ---through the Atonement---how should we expect it to be easy for us? And that was cool that she had that realization.

A really kind Muslim man showed us the way to the city library that night.  We were visiting someone in the area and didn't know exactly how to get there. We walked past a group of sketchy-looking youths and I was very grateful for that man who helped us.

On Wednesday, we taught the Restoration (again) to R---and he was of the Meinung that there are so many churches, and no one really knows which one is right and so we should all stay home and read the Bible. We were right in the middle of telling the story of the First Vision when he said that. And all of a sudden I got super bold (the Spirit was pushing me hard to do so), and I didn't get mad at him, but with a whole lot of energy, I finished telling the story, saying if he believes that God answers prayers, He will, because He did it for Joseph Smith, and He will do it for you. There IS one church of God on the earth and that was why Joseph Smith went and prayed and God answered him. 

Bold like Paul. Spirit is pretty incredible.

We had  lesson with the Hs---spontaneously. Miracle that they were home. They've been stressed about some money things. I got bold again and told Bruder H that if he stopped buying cigarettes he'd have more money. Hahahaha. It was good. Relatively well received except he said that's his first pleasure---stress reliever thing. Sigh. Second is the Book of Mormon.

But here was the beautiful of the day: we were riding towards the elders' apartment to pick up some pamphlets, and we talked to this wonderfully kind woman who was deaf on the bus. Getting off, we realized we had taken it too far. So maybe we needed to talk with her.

Member work is going well.  We're building good relationships. Trying to meet with as many people in the ward as possible. It's good.

Tender mercy yesterday: Talking with Bishop. Also playing The First Noel as an improv for Christmas Conference.

I was reading in Preach My Gospel yesterday about the Plan of Salvation (I wanted to study it again because I LOVE it...) and there was a part in the section of the pre-mortal life, and it said essentially that everyone must choose to follow Jesus Christ or Satan. And it was very clear to me that I need to choose Christ and always choose Christ and that this decision needs to be rooted so deeply and so firmly in me that I cannot be shaken. I hope I can---I hope I do enough.

Being a missionary is wonderful. I feel like I am appreciating it more now than I did last year---I understand more, it means more to me, I am different. And I love it. It's joyful. Full of light. I'm happy. :) But I feel really blessed to be able to a.) have another Christmas here, and b.) that this is the end of my mission. Working even harder, spreading light and the gospel and knowledge of Jesus Christ even more during this time.

I love you a whole lot!! I will talk with you next week!

Love,

Sister Beth Winters