Hello Family!
OK, first to explain the pictures-
Mom, I did get your package thank you very much! It made me smile and now our window looks very cute. Sister Neukomm and I are excited to put up the Santa Claus one!
The smilie face sign was at the end of a road construction section of the Autobahn and says "You did it! Thank you." I thought it was so cute! We drove with a member family to Dresden for Stake Conference on Sunday and there was a 10km stretch of road construction where we had to all drive in single file. Now the Autobahn is the road with no speed limit and telling people they had to drive single file at 60km per hour was just about too much for the good people of Germany. There were signs at 6km to go with a red frowny face saying "Another 6km" then a yellow nutral face saying "Only 2km more!" and then this green one. It was cute and I think it did help. at lease the green sign meant they could go fast again, it was like a race! I haven't been in a car going so fast since I drove :] It was great. I want to take the Prius on the Autobahn hehe...
The funky looking squiggly lines is the Book of Mormon written in a language I didn't know existed. It is the language Sihala. I think the symbols look like fruit. The one on the end of the first rwo looks like a chili pepper, then the second row has an apple and an orange... I have a new goal to learn this language. With that goal I need to figureout first where they speak it. My guess is somewhere in Asia.
I saw a California license plate! Made me feel a little at home :]
We had Exchanges this week and our exchange groups changed. We now exchange with the Sisters in Tiergarten-Berlin and Frankfurt(oder)-Eisenhüttenstadt. I went to Frankfurt(oder)-Eisenhüttenstadt, with the smallest Branch in our Mission, only 10 members! It was so fun though. My exchange comapnion was Sister Nielson and we taught a few lessons together and found such a sweet lady on the street that we could see the light in her eyes getting brighter and brighter the more we talked. It was amazing!
Sister Neukomm used to serve here and loved it so I had heard lots about it. Our point of meeting was in FoE and we, the Cottbus Sisters, only had 4 minutes to board our train. Well... we missed it :] we were talking too much with the other sisters that it started pulling away as we walked up to it. That meant we had another hour in the city. We went with the Sisters there to a member lesson who happened to be some of Sister Neukomm's favorite people. She surprized the woman so much that she started crying! It was really cute. Sister Neukomm really is trying her best and is touching lives even if she can't keep the same schedual as other missionaries. The man is a less-active member and at the lesson he was asking the questions that had brought him to inactivity. I had just met him so I kind of sat back and let the other 3 Sisters teach but then at one of his questions I felt like I needed to jump in, so I did. He go really quiet after I talked and then said "Sister Walker, that was the answer I needed to hear. Thank you." That was a big humbler right there! Even though I was a little irked that we missed our train I pushed the thought from my head to go to this lesson with a good spirit. At the beginning of my mission I would not have done that. I would have been grumpy and sulky for missing the train and therefore would not have heard the prompting to say what I did. How many other promptings have I missed because of frustration or anger or negative thoughts? What President Monson said about blinding ourselves really was meant for me.
In my personal study this week I have also receivd a few hits to the head saying I need to be better than I am. I have been a little disgruntled this week and have been letting low numbers make me upset. When looking for a way to feel better a lot of times I would blame Sister Neukomm's slow pace or short schedule. A few slaps in the face from the scriptures this week have been-
John 13:17 "If ye know these things [serving others as Christ would], happy are ye if ye do them."
and Moroni 7:8 "For behold, if a man being evil giveth a gift, he doeth it grudgingly ; wherefore it is counted unto him the same as if he had retained the gift; wherefore he is counted evil before God."
I need to serve my companion more, and think of new ways to do so (if you have ideas I would be open to them!), and do so with an happy attitude. If I just serve her out of frustration and trying to get things to go faster (such as cooking so she doesn't spend too long in the kitchen) then it really is helping no one. If I serve her more willingly, I will have a happier attitude and will be more receptive to the Spirit so I will not miss promptings that come. Every missionary has a limited ammount of time to work. Just because ours is shorter doesn't mean I should try to cram everything others do into our day. I need to remember this when I get stressed. Numbers don't equal success, helping others come nearer to God equals success.
Any tips on how I can remember this when I am stressed? I found a quote in an Ensign from Mother Teresa that I put on my wall that is helping a little "I was not called to be successful, I was called to be faithful." While success is expected of me, this puts things in a good perspective I think. Faithful and true to the Lord comes first, then success.
Want to hear (read) a weird thing? Next week is my 6 month mark. I will be one third of the way done with my mission. How does that work? The days seem so long but the weeks so short? I don't get it. This time next year I will be coming home. OK. Time to not think about that. But this week has had me thinking about it. Dad, you said that everyday this week has been something to do with missionary work for you [(by the way please tell Rachel congrats for me! That is so exciting, Nauvoo!! I'm jealous a little. and Also to Chandler! Good job Dad for getting that right! My guess for Nathan is the Germany Berlin Mission or Maine. And when he comes here you can tell Darcy I will take good care of him.) ((by the way, what is the Italy Rome Mission address? I have something to send to Anziano Walker there but I need an address and can't find one))] this week has been all about coming home and families for me. Everyday this week I have heard something or read something that made me start thinking of my future family. The entire Stake Conference, for example, was on building strong families. So I have been setting goals and making plans for my future family. I'm trying not to think about it but it keeps on coming! Guess I need to start planning already. Not that bad though becuase I alwasy felt coming on a mission will help me be a better mom someday. Learning patience definately was needed... as well as other things that I am very grateful for.
I love you all and hope you have a wonderful day and a marvelous week! I'm praying for you all.
Love,
Sister Walker
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