Hello!

Hello Family!

So I really hope this email works today. Three weeks without emails to the family or being able to read emails is a little ridiculous. I am even writting the email in a program like Microsoft Word so that I can just copy, paste and send the email. Cross your fingers! (well, if you're readign this there is no need to cross your fingers because that means that it went through. I'm crossing my fingers)

This week was good. Nothin too exciting happened. But here are a few of the exciting things that did happen.

Monday for Pday we were invitied over to lunch at a members house who also was going to led us a bike until we can get mission bikes. While there and after sharing a spiritual though, they gave us a whole list of referrals! A LIST! There were about 10 names on it. So cool. We made plans how the family could help prepare them for us, such as inviting them for a Family Night or to the Ward Party we have coming up. We are excited to work with them. We've actually received lists of names from two other families as well. This little branch wants to grow so badly. And every family tells us of the Less Active work they do. What a good Branch.

On Tuesday we had an appointment with one of our investigators, his name is Andi, and it was horrible. He was rude to the member we brought with us, he wouldn't listen to our answers to our questions, and he was just trying to fight. At one point of the lesson he was just being so bad that I started inwardly praying to ask God for help to drop him. But as I was Praying, a feeling came over me that was „Just give him a little time, listen to him, and teach him.“ To be honest I was kind of upset and very confused, I didn't know really how to help him but I knew that God knew so I listened. Then we made a new appointment out. After the appoingtment I was talking to Sister Hinkle and the same thing happend for her! About the same part of the lesson as I prayed, she did too. And got the same answer. But both of us didn't know how to help Andi. In between the appointment days, we had District Meeting and we asked our District for help. They gave us good advice and suggested we just work on one small point each lesson, not to try to teach quickly or a whole lesson in one appointment. So we tried it. The next lesson all we talked about was how God loves Andi. Going back to this basic principle and staying with it till he reall yunderstood (not just said he understood) was a wonderful idea. Now he is making progress and we can see his life changing little by little.

We also have been doing a lot of work with the Less Active members. This week we went by on all the less actives that the Bishop or Ward mission leader or other members told us about. It was so fun. We were let in more that we expected when i am being completely honest. And we made out return appointments with some! Yay for bringing the sheep back into the fold :] If I take anything back with me from my mission, I think it will we to help the less actives. To be honest I never really thought much about them before. I knew they were there but I always thought, „O It's their decision, no one can really help them if they won't help themselves.“ But that is wrong. They need our help and we need to give it to them.

While we were on Tausch (exchanges) a new missionary came to me in Bergedorf and we went to a Relief Society activity night with my Branch. It was really cute. There were 4 Sisters there and us 2 and we had a Jazzercise Activity. We were lifting water bottles and jumping jacks to music. We got the the activity a little early and one of the Sisters, Schw. Nitschmann, was cleaning the building so we helped her. She is a convert of a few years with twin 3 year old boys. After cleaning with her we made an appointment out with her to visit and get to know her and her family bette. We went and helped prepare white asparagus (don't know how to spell that) and met her non member husband and played with her boys. We taught a lesson on families and what it means to have God's Plan and the husband listened and answered questions, it was really good. I think he has a testimony and just doesn't want to admit it for some reason.

On Sunday Sister Hinkle and I had the entire Sacrament meeting to speak. She went first and talked for about 10 minutes (which is more than double her last talk length) but then that meant that I had the whole rest of the time. But it wasn't a problem and I filled the time. It was like 35 minutes. I felt I was giving a BYU devotional not a Sacrament Meeting talk. Our Topic was Missionary Work.

I started by reading 2 Nephi 25:20 to answer the question why am I on a mission. Because baptism is not optional, everyone needs it. There is no other name, not even our own, in which we can be saved or in which we can receive eternal and never ending happiness. Everyone needs the chance to accept or deny it.

I read in D&C 4 verses 3 and 4 and expouonded on those parts.

First- a desire. How I received a desire when I was 11 when Heather was on her mission. And from then I could see missionary experiences, like telling Mrs. Klinovski why I wouldn't trink tea or giving her good music to listen to, inviting Sharayah to seminary, bringing Alec to General Conference at our house, and giving Ryely a „For the Strength of Youth“ Pamphlet. I also emphasised that just because people don't jump into the baptismal font after we invite them it doesn't mean that we did something wrong or that we can stop trying. I read John 4:35-37 and explained that the sowers are just as important as the reapers if not more so. The only wrong way to do missionary work is if we don't open our mouths. If we don't invite, then we don't give them the chance to receive everlasting happiness. I recited the missionary purpose „invite others to come untoChrist...“

Second- called to the work. Here I emphasised the differenece between member missionaries and full time missionaries. Member missionaries receive a call as soon as they are baptised and it never expired. Full time missionaries receive inspired calls. But together is the only way the work will go anywhere.

Next- the field is white. Here I started focusing on helping the less actives. In the April 2011 General Conference there was a poem read by Elder Richard Maynes about the lost sheep that I read ( I love this poem) and then also a quote from Pres Lee that „Missionary work is nothing more than hometeaching to people not yet members of the Church and hometeaching is nothing more than missionary work among the members of the Chruch.“ After talking a little mroe I read Luke 22:32 the call from Jesus to strenthen our brethren.

By then my time was up so I bore testimony and said amen. Our investigator Mike was at church and he liked it and he siad that while we were giving our talks, he felt good which we told him was the Spirit.

I hope your week was good as well and that this coming one will be great as well! I love you :]

Love,

Sister Walker