Blondie in Berlin: " THERE IS SUNSHINE IN MY SOUL TODAY..." LANKWITZ [ BERLIN ]

May 19, 2014

Liebe Familie,

Ah, it has seriously been such an amazing week.

I feel like I have found my other half in Sister Cluff. She is the best thing ever. Ha ha we seriously are so similar and are always making each other laugh. It is so wonderful. We have had such a fun time together and have stayed positive through everything, and I think the people on the streets can really notice the difference. People notice how happy we are and they are naturally more interested to talk to us. Really Sister Cluff, Sister Bronson, and I have become great friends. I LOVE THEM :)

We just got called into a surprise interview with President earlier in the week, eek we were so scared . . . Ha ha bad thing about living so close to the office . . . But we got the news that Sister Bronson will be transferred to Tiergarten and Sister Cameron will be coming here TODAY. It was a big shock. But we will make this work. ( She has been comps with Sister Darrington . She is wonderful. She has a lot of health problems now though and can't continue as sister training leader ;( I really want to help her feel at home here though and serve her the best I can. )

Since Sister Bronson is leaving and she is the only other one who knows the area, I will probably stay here for a while longer I guess. That would honestly be no problem for me though, BECAUSE I LOVE IT HERE :D.

Wow, okay, so miracles and cool things that happened this week.

For the past few months we have met frequently on Monday nights with a family from our ward. The mother is actually working to get rebaptized and the daughter is not yet baptized, and it is often a little crazy when we go there because Schwester K*** is raising five little kids all on her own now. But wow, I LOVE THIS FAMILY. Ha ha there are a couple of photos I sent . . . The young girl and the baby. I just love how simple everything is when we teach them (We can't hold their attention for very long), and we always sing a primary song with them. It makes me excited to have a family one day . . . :)

Somedays when Sister Cluff isn't doing well, Sister Bronson and I go out to work and Sister Cluff has other arrangements to be at the office. On one of these days this past week Sister Bronson and I went to the Auslandersheim. Ah, I love this place!! We met with the familie T*** and they had a couple friends who were there. (Also, a plus that the other two women also spoke German even though they also come from Serbia!). We ended up teaching and testifying of God and Jesus Christ and teaching them about the restoration. We testified of the Book of Mormon. I wish you could have been there and just felt the peace that I felt. It was so cool just watching them gradually come to an understanding of what we said. The younger of the two women was a little skeptical of what we said, especially of the Book of Mormon, but then M*** T** gave her testimony of the book herself. She hasn't read that much yet, but she looked at her friends and told them very confidently that she felt something very powerful when she read and she believes the book comes from God. That was incredible. We will be going back this Saturday. Before leaving I went up personally to M*** and I took the little hand of her baby girl. M*** looked almost like she was in tears, and she asked me when we could come back. She said that her and her husband had actually talked about us a couple times that week and had missed our visits. They really help her strengthen her faith, especially when things are so uncertain concerning the future. I love them so much, and I promised them we would come back.

We went to do some doors (Tür zu Tür) at a Studentenwohnheim. We didn't have much time to stay but we decided we would at least start on one of the floors and we could come back later. Normally we start at the top floor and go down, but we all just went to the ground floor and rang the first door. The man opened the door, and he is from Vietnam. He already believes in God and Jesus Christ, but he wants to learn more. He was so interested when we told him about the Book of Mormon. Another Testimony of JESUS CHRIST. I really felt the Spirit as we bore our testimonies. Ein Neuer Untersucher! A New investigator!

Unfortunately our appointment with P*** fell out, but he called us and wanted to talk to each one of us on the phone to apologize and see how we were doing. The next day he can meet is in two weeks, but he really appreciates our efforts and wants us to keep in contact with him until then by calling him and sending him periodic texts. He seems to be really solid, but being away from home now is hard, especially when it comes to his faith. We will help him out!

We met with M***! It turns out he is only 17 which was a crazy surprise. He is such a sweet and sensitive guy and he really just has an innocent desire to find out who he is and what life is all about. He had already started reading in the Book of Mormon in English but we also gave him one in Arabic. He was so excited! I think one of the most admirable things is his open heart and mind. Even though he was raised Muslim and has his own way of thinking, he is willing to open up his heart and mind to new ideas. Again, we bore testimony of the things we said and taught, but still encouraged him to go to the source of all truth. Pray about the things that he reads in the scriptures, pray about what we say. You can know the truth of all things through the power of the Holy Ghost.

We met with a woman named *** who we met last week. She has such a kind and warm personality. She commented on how so many people here in Germany are so closed off to religion and spirituality, but that she was so happy to meet us since we were also believers! I am a strong believer that it is better to believe in something than to believe in nothing. And as you seek for truth, be willing to change your beliefs in accordance to what you learn, receive, and experience. We bore our testimonies of God and of Jesus Christ and then on the Book of Mormon. She told us, "I want this book!" And we gave it to her, and she was very grateful.

Yesterday in the church I was very content to be there. I love the time I have to think and ponder about things. I am especially grateful for the sacrament.

One of my favorite scriptures that I have gone back to several times this week is in Alma 37.

"cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.

Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day."

I love that so much. I know that that is true that when we really turn to God and really counsel with him about anything and everything, He WILL lead us along. I experienced that this week.

I love you all! It sounds like the home repair adventures continue, and I hope everything goes well with that!

Bis nächste Woche!! :)

Sister Heidi Elaine Shelley