LIFE IS A GIFT - LANKWITZ [ BERLIN ]

February 10, 2014

News from Heidi :  a few short emails in answer to a some of my questions  and her weekly family email:

I received news that Eric, Ev**’s brother  who we had begun  teaching in Langenhorn, , was baptized yesterday!! Isn’t that so AMAZING!! He was so prepared for the gospel.

Sister Hansen and I are getting along really well. She is really sweet. And this week we had  such an amazing time!!!

I'm kind of  developing a love for EVERYTHING here.  Ha ha I have a growing growing growing list of things I want to study when I get home, things I want to do, etc. :)

 Liebe Familie,

I am sitting here struggling for words to type . . . Normally my fingers just fly across all the keys, and I just can't stop!  But today, I just want to say something that is really meaningful.  I almost feel like the prophets in the Book of Mormon . . . It was a hard process, but they reserved the limited space they had for the things of their heart.  The spiritual matters.  Their words are what we read today. The words that help us, motivate us, and give us opportunities to learn more about the world and about ourselves.  Words can be a very special thing.  Words can be simply spoken, written, or said, but depending on the heart and intent of the deliverer they could mean something completely different.  It is my goal to say things that I really do believe, things that I really mean, things that are really important for me, things that I hope will in some way help you.  

Here are some of the thoughts that have been on my mind this week.  

Life is a gift.  Take a second and close your eyes.  Open your eyes and try to look at EVERYTHING around you.  Think about what a miracle existence is.  Life is a gift.  I think about how wonderful it is to know pain so that I can know joy.  JOY.  In life we will find light and dark, happy and sad, and I am determined that the complexity and completeness of these emotions and experiences can be labeled by the umbrellaed  title of BEAUTY.  I think about how my Spirit responds to light, to good, to warmth.  We are spiritual beings having a physical experience.  God lives.  We can find him in our life.  The Spirit is real.  The Spirit testifies of truth. I have learned personally, that the Spirit can lead me to what is brighter, to what is warmer, to what is happier and better. 

Last night we sat in the kitchen at the university housing.  Mir***, our joint  teach,  had the idea that we could bear our testimonies to M***, that he might be able to feel the Spirit testify of our words.  It turned into a very personal, and touching situation.  M*** had felt the warmth of our words.  He had felt SOMETHING.  He pulled out a photo of himself when he was only five years old.  That was on his first trip to Mecca. In our meetings we often talk about feelings, about the Holy Ghost, about the reality of God touching people and touching hearts.  What feelings had he had as he had visited the holy city of Mecca?  What power had he felt as he had prayed five times a day his entire life, out of obedience, but also out of love for God?  

To be gathered together as believers is a powerful thing.  Allah?  Heavenly Father?  Somebody has to be right.  I wouldn't be here though, if I didn't know myself.  I know that God lives.  I know that Jesus Christ is the son of God.

Pages turn in German, English, and Arabic . . .

We read together . . . 

3 Nephi 11: 32 And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me.” 

As we sat together, we talked about our feelings.  Our Spirit responds to goodness, to light, to God.  We don't tell people that they are all wrong, that we are all right.  We tell people that God lives and loves them.  There is truth upon the entire earth.  But we are claiming to have a fullness of the truth, as it was restored to the earth through the prophet Joseph Smith.  We have a prophet today.  God is the same yesterday, today, and FOREVER.  He loves his children.  He wants them to be happy.

 Yesterday J*** came to church.  Man, I love this guy.  Here is the text we got from him in the evening after asking him about his church experience.

"I learned something new for me. First, I know the 16 prophets today. Three of them were Mr. Smith, one is Thomas, and Brigham Young. They looks upright! Second, I find I have overcome the indisposition of church when I saw some lovable faces. Third, I am happy all the day. Is that enough? I think you changed me somehow, and bring me to somewhere with brightness."

To watch somebody experience the joy of learning about the gospel for the first time is an incredible opportunity.  In the first couple visits we had had with him he literally had a glow about him.  Then, the doubt set in.  Did this really happen?  Is this really true?  I see what a destructive force fear is when battling against faith.  Yes, this really did happen.  Yes, this is really true.  But how can we KNOW?  We invited J*** to pray, we invited him to go to the source of all truth.  That is, let him ask of God.  

Turning pages in Chinese and English . . . 

James 1:5
 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth  not; and it shall be given him.”

I have a testimony.  I know that anybody who wants a testimony can also have a testimony.  I know that if we have questions that we can find answers.  I know that God lives.

J*** wore his suit to church yesterday, and he just had a smile on his face!  Did I change him somehow?  I think not.  But I believe that I helped him to find the way that he can change himself, or at least allow himself to be changed by believing in God.  To read somebodies own words telling me that I helped them come 'somewhere with brightness.'  That fills my heart.

I love being here.  I am grateful for my life.  I am grateful that I have this time to serve my God.

Love you,

Sister Heidi Elaine Shelley

That one Blondie in BERLIN.

Sister Hansen and me!! :D

          P.Day:  Visiting  Berliner Dom- The Cathedral church in Berlin  is the largest church in the city.

I stood  inside of the Church and looked upwards at one of the most beautiful artistic masterpieces.  So incredible!! 

We climbed  the stairs to the top  and looked out over the city of Berlin :)

What an incredible view of Berlin!!

This  painted building is  an apartment building in our area.  There are a whole bunch of apartments with the cutest murals. Berlin has a lot of history, so a lot of the city is really old but there is also a lot of modern influence.  LOVE IT :)

Me and the little  green man.  He is called the Berlin Ampel Man.  It's the little green guy that appears when you cross the street . . . 

               Me with the Berliner Bear.  There are so many of these fun guys everywhere in the city! 

 This one of me by the fitness bear . . . I was very enthusiastic and excited to be outside and talking to everybody                        . . . We made a joke that I was like a little puppy being let off my leash . . . :D 

                                                           Buildings near the Berliner Dom.

Standing on the line where the Berlin Wall once stood.

 My  package arrived!! That package was filled with so much love!!!! You should have seen how happy I was when I opened it :DDDDDD    I love the apron and the cook book!!  In this photo I had made some homemade spaghetti with smoked tofu with LOTS OF delicious vegetables and it was so delicious!! :D

                                        

                                    OH MEINE GUTE I GOT TO SEE SISTER NILSON!!!!!!!!!!! :D