Liebe Familie und Freunde:
Summer is here! It is such a great time of year in Germany. It is so green and warm... today is hot, but beautiful! This last week was a whirlwind! Last last week, Elder Walker woke up in the night with some bad tooth pain, so we went to a dentist. He had a bad infection in his tooth from a root canal. They cleaned it out, and suggested that he get it removed. We went to Frankfurt on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week for Zone Leader training, and we went to the destist early. The dentist said they could save the tooth, but Elder Walker really felt they should just yank it out. So we went back on Wednesday, and when the dentist pulled out the tooth, they realised that the infection was a lot worse than was shown on the x-ray or they could see. It was really good that he got that tooth pulled when we did, so the infection didn't spread. Don't worry... I still have all my teeth :-) It was interesting to think and talk about this experience, that sometimes in life, there is a little bacteria that sits and festers (sin or bad habits)... and when we feel the pain, we can clean it out (repent), but sometimes, if we don`t pull out the tooth, we can never clean out the infection. And who knows, it may be doing more harm than we think. So it was a good lesson in pulling out spiritual teeth.
On Friday, we had Zone Conference. It was fun to see other missionaries, especially Elder Crosby and some others I have been in districts with. We all sang the mission song, and that was a great feeling to play the grand piano with all the missionaries singing. We talked to the missionareis about having a vision and direction for the work. Several companionships are working super hard all day, every day, but not seeing any success... We hid plastic cups around the room, and labeled them as new investigators from the university, from a service project, part-member family, ect. then we said for them to go find the people and build the kingdom... ie. build a plastic cup pyramid. It was exciting to see! They were building the great pyramids- the Kingdom of God in Dortmund and Düsseldorf- but then the opposition comes... rubber bands flying in from all directions... and the pyramid crashed down. "Whose investigators were these? who is responsible for the kingdom here in Dortmund and Düsseldrof areas? protect your kingdoms!" So they started thinking and staked the cups, used rubber bands to latch them together... and when the fiery darts of the adversary came, they could not fall! It was a great beginning to the time we spent as companionships to think about our areas and what we need to do to support and fortify our part of the Lord's kingdom.
Then Sunday happened... mercy! So At church, Fabian came. He is the friend of one of the sisters' investigators. He loves the church, but speaks no english and only a little german. After sacrament meeting, there was another african member of the ward. We asked him to come over and it so happens, that these two come from the same area of Togo and speak the same cultural language! We will all be meeting tonight at FHE. The Lord is the best organiser of this work- putting people here, people there, all so their paths can cross and experience the gospel in their own tongue. Then we went to the Petzold's house that evening. She is completely back and excited about the gospel! We were talking with her and her husband about the Gospel of Christ and how Faith leads to repentance which leads to baptism which leads to the gift of the holy ghost. She left for a minute and came back in for the baptism part. She interrupted and said "Baptism, what do you think, do you want to be baptised?" He thought, and said he had received an answer that the Book of Mormon was true, and he couldn`t see any reason not to be baptised. So he said yes, he wants to be baptised! His wife pulls out the calendar, and said, well, your work schedule is such that this coming weekend is the only time that works! So we will be planning a baptism for this Saturday! It was so exciting! He truly has made som great changes in his life, and this decision will bless their family forever. It has been such a great blessing to have met them and be with them on their learning and re-learning about the gospel. One of their daughters is 8, so we look forward for the next few weeks when her dad will be able to baptise her.
And that`s the week in a nutshell... isn't this work the greatest?! I learn so much every day. Recently, I have learned that Ether 12:27 is absolutely true... the closer I come to Christ, the more He shows me my weaknesses, and makes me humble. I can choose to make these humble weaknesses strong, or to remain weak and vulnerable to Satan. It's my choice.
I know God is there and hears my prayers.
Ich habe ein festes Zeugnis davon, dass God da ist, und meine Gebete erhört. Er kennt mich persönlich und möchte, dass ich meine Potentialle reichen. Ich weiß, dass Jesus der Christus ist, und dass sein Sühnopfer funktioniert.
Alles Gute! Ich hab' euch lieb!
ElderGarlick
Summer is here! It is such a great time of year in Germany. It is so green and warm... today is hot, but beautiful! This last week was a whirlwind! Last last week, Elder Walker woke up in the night with some bad tooth pain, so we went to a dentist. He had a bad infection in his tooth from a root canal. They cleaned it out, and suggested that he get it removed. We went to Frankfurt on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week for Zone Leader training, and we went to the destist early. The dentist said they could save the tooth, but Elder Walker really felt they should just yank it out. So we went back on Wednesday, and when the dentist pulled out the tooth, they realised that the infection was a lot worse than was shown on the x-ray or they could see. It was really good that he got that tooth pulled when we did, so the infection didn't spread. Don't worry... I still have all my teeth :-) It was interesting to think and talk about this experience, that sometimes in life, there is a little bacteria that sits and festers (sin or bad habits)... and when we feel the pain, we can clean it out (repent), but sometimes, if we don`t pull out the tooth, we can never clean out the infection. And who knows, it may be doing more harm than we think. So it was a good lesson in pulling out spiritual teeth.
On Friday, we had Zone Conference. It was fun to see other missionaries, especially Elder Crosby and some others I have been in districts with. We all sang the mission song, and that was a great feeling to play the grand piano with all the missionaries singing. We talked to the missionareis about having a vision and direction for the work. Several companionships are working super hard all day, every day, but not seeing any success... We hid plastic cups around the room, and labeled them as new investigators from the university, from a service project, part-member family, ect. then we said for them to go find the people and build the kingdom... ie. build a plastic cup pyramid. It was exciting to see! They were building the great pyramids- the Kingdom of God in Dortmund and Düsseldorf- but then the opposition comes... rubber bands flying in from all directions... and the pyramid crashed down. "Whose investigators were these? who is responsible for the kingdom here in Dortmund and Düsseldrof areas? protect your kingdoms!" So they started thinking and staked the cups, used rubber bands to latch them together... and when the fiery darts of the adversary came, they could not fall! It was a great beginning to the time we spent as companionships to think about our areas and what we need to do to support and fortify our part of the Lord's kingdom.
Then Sunday happened... mercy! So At church, Fabian came. He is the friend of one of the sisters' investigators. He loves the church, but speaks no english and only a little german. After sacrament meeting, there was another african member of the ward. We asked him to come over and it so happens, that these two come from the same area of Togo and speak the same cultural language! We will all be meeting tonight at FHE. The Lord is the best organiser of this work- putting people here, people there, all so their paths can cross and experience the gospel in their own tongue. Then we went to the Petzold's house that evening. She is completely back and excited about the gospel! We were talking with her and her husband about the Gospel of Christ and how Faith leads to repentance which leads to baptism which leads to the gift of the holy ghost. She left for a minute and came back in for the baptism part. She interrupted and said "Baptism, what do you think, do you want to be baptised?" He thought, and said he had received an answer that the Book of Mormon was true, and he couldn`t see any reason not to be baptised. So he said yes, he wants to be baptised! His wife pulls out the calendar, and said, well, your work schedule is such that this coming weekend is the only time that works! So we will be planning a baptism for this Saturday! It was so exciting! He truly has made som great changes in his life, and this decision will bless their family forever. It has been such a great blessing to have met them and be with them on their learning and re-learning about the gospel. One of their daughters is 8, so we look forward for the next few weeks when her dad will be able to baptise her.
And that`s the week in a nutshell... isn't this work the greatest?! I learn so much every day. Recently, I have learned that Ether 12:27 is absolutely true... the closer I come to Christ, the more He shows me my weaknesses, and makes me humble. I can choose to make these humble weaknesses strong, or to remain weak and vulnerable to Satan. It's my choice.
I know God is there and hears my prayers.
Ich habe ein festes Zeugnis davon, dass God da ist, und meine Gebete erhört. Er kennt mich persönlich und möchte, dass ich meine Potentialle reichen. Ich weiß, dass Jesus der Christus ist, und dass sein Sühnopfer funktioniert.
Alles Gute! Ich hab' euch lieb!
ElderGarlick
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