Blondie in Berlin: COLDEST WEEK OF MY MISSION YET... AND PICTURES!!! :D:D LANKWITZ (BERLIN)

January 27, 2014

Liebe Familie,

This week was the COLDEST of my mission yet, and to be quite honest I am surprised I am still alive. We had been having weather around 5, 6 Celsius and then it dropped to about -20.( -4 Fahrenheit) Let's just say I made some people smile as I took some serious measures to ensure my personal survival . . .

I cracked and wore the Schwester Timm "Princess Coat." MMM hmm. It's pretty much like wearing a feminine sleeping bag that is decorated with flowers around the skirt part of it. Then Sister Hansen, Meine liebe Mitarbeiterin, donated a knitted hat her grandmother had sent her . . . So I had a lovely magenta, turquoise cap on with a large flower off to the side . . . Add to that cheetah print ear muffs . . . And my enormous bright red mittens that are so big they could be hot pads . . . Buahahahaha. We didn't find any "Neue Untersucher" on this day.

I think everybody needs to have at least one disastrous law of chastity lesson on their mission. We had ours this week. (Sister Hansen didn't mention to me that she has never taught his lesson before.. She opened areas her first two transfers and has had really hard areas which means not that many progressing investigators.) We like to make fun of "The District" movies sometimes, and we are proud to say that we used the classic "Er hat es gebrochen" or "He broke it" line. (I feel like this will only be funny if you are a missionary, but I will share it nonetheless ;)).

This entire week I feel been thinking about the temple a lot. I had some questions on my mind, and I just wished I could go to this holy place to think and ponder. It's crazy how the desires of our hearts can be influenced over time . . . Honestly, before I came on my mission I didn't really understand the temple that much nor did I have that much of a personal appreciation. I finished reading the Doctrine and Covenants this week and perhaps it has also affected me in some way. I have such a deep gratitude for the saints that came before us, who began the work of building temples that we might help with the salvation of others. I am grateful for the opportunity that we have to go to the temple for ourselves as well. I also have such gratitude for Joseph Smith and for his sacrifices and conviction. I think it was in Doctrine and Covenants 135 that I read earlier this week and I concluded my personal study almost in tears because of the feelings I had in my heart regarding the Prophet of the Restoration.

Sweet Y** Y** agreed to a baptism date for the 15th of March. SHE DESIRES TO BE BAPTIZED. She's different from anybody I have ever met or taught on my mission yet. She has such a strong faith that has developed so quickly. I was sitting next to her in sacrament meeting yesterday and at one point she just pulled out her Book of Mormon and began studying in 2 Nephi 31 again (The same chapter we had studied together the night before). She asked me in a whisper what it meant to "feast upon the words of Christ." She had the whole two pages marked up with a pen, with notes and thoughts written in the margins. I was very filled with joy. Y** Y**, she is already feasting! Please pray for her though. She may need to return to China. Even though the church is getting a lot stronger in China, there are no missionaries there. I have never seen somebody so HAPPY and seen the gospel make such a difference in somebody's life.

We met with Mo** last night and had another man from our ward present at the lesson. The other man converted to the Church in 2001, and his own personal conversion story touched all of us. Mo**wants to believe us, he wants to believe that Christ is the son of God, not just a prophet, he wants to believe that we have a living prophet on the earth today. But he is scared. It's like an internal battle within him. A battle of feelings. He just wants evidence. At the conclusion of the lesson I began to speak and I know that the Spirit was with me. I took my little pocket Book of Mormon in my hands (That book has become so precious to me!), and I told him to take his into his hands as well. "Mo**. You are holding in your hands the evidence. This is the evidence that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. This is the evidence that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, that we now have a prophet on the earth. This is evidence that what we have taught you is TRUE." He's so worried about overcoming this inner obstacle of feeling within him, but I told him that through the power of the Book of Mormon, he doesn't have to change his heart, his desires, or his feelings. The Spirit will touch his heart, change his heart, and influence his desires and feelings. I know because I have experienced this. He has only been reading a little bit here and there every week, but if we really study, and search, and give the attention to the Book of Mormon that we should, we WILL find out for ourselves through God's Spirit that it is true.

I am so incredibly happy and content as a missionary. I LOVE this work. It has been so cold, but we like to say that the Spirit keeps us warm!

Thank you for all of your love and support. I love you all so much. Thank you for your prayers.

Love,

Sister Heidi Elaine Shelley