Woche 20: NEW COMPANION!

Can we not appreciate that our very business in life is not to get ahead of others, but to get ahead of ourselves? To break our own records, to outstrip our yesterdays by our todays, to bear our trials more beautifully than we ever dreamed we could, to give as we have never given, to do our work with more force and a finer finish than ever--this is the true idea: to get ahead of ourselves. -President Thomas S. Monson 

  

In studying the Living Christ, I really enjoyed the emphasis they place on that He lives! His life and ministry didn't start here and didn't end at Calvary. So many focus just on His death but there's so much more. 

'-we offer our testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice. None other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived and will yet live upon the earth.' -The Living Christ

We shared a section from The Family : A Proclamation to the World a couple times this week. And with each family, we asked them about their experiences with and thoughts about the following section:

Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.

For each family it was the same. They all brought up forgiveness. Either how difficult it has been or how best to do it. But what I loved was that each experience shared was followed by a testimony of the peace they felt afterward. Forgiveness is a simple truth and a key part of our relationships with others, especially within our families.

Highlights and whatnot:

-New companion!! Sister Bates is incredible.
She's exactly obedient and ready to the work here! We speak German all the time and I'm loving it! She's got a love for this work and is all about making her fourth quarter count! 

She told me that for ten minutes a day, you just have to have an ego. Just taking ten minutes and saying hey you're awesome, I like you. Then go on with your day. 

Praying for strength to help us change expectations and behavior to better do His will.

-Halloween came and went without incident. I even forgot to wear my jack o lantern socks. Whoops.

-I'm coming up on month six and starting to notice the sleep deficit building up hahah but thats why we have lunch for naps.

-yesterday's Gemiko! We planned for upcoming missionary activities and it was great!! I haven't seen our GML so excited in a while! New transfer, new start whooooo!!!!

We've had the opportunity to work with a lot of less actives this past week and have enjoyed seeing a rediscovery of testimony in people that we've met with. I'm grateful that others are willing to share parts of their lives and experiences with us :) 

I feel like I don't know where time is going! Weeks are passing me by! I know that the Lord has blessed with time to do His work a


nd I hope that we can do all we can do what He needs in the time He's given us. 

My scripture to ponderize this week is D&C 9:6 ☺

Liebe Grüße, Sister Riser

Last District Lunch! 

Blurry selfie of our last appointment together! 

Woche 19: Making Eye Contact

In teaching Frau Lange this week, we talked about repentance and how we recognize that we need to repent. Because the mistakes they make aren't always huge or breaking the Ten Commandments, we don't always take the time to ask for forgiveness. We compared it to the straight line of Gods will and we're often the toddler tracing the line. Sometimes it's spot on but a lot of the time, we're right next to the line with a little gap. Repentance helps us move our life and choices directly in accordance with His will. I'm still studying about charity and how most of the sins we commit are sins against charity. Pride, jealousy, overlooking a need etc. Repentance is baby steps to overcoming the natural man and obtaining Christlike attributes. 

I've thought a lot about study habits this week. I didn't have horrible study habits in college but it was definitely sometimes half hearted or distracted. The scriptures are something I can't afford to even think about studying that way. They've become such a guide for me. We had two days this week where we had only hour or none of our studies. Those days were different, we were missing our daily bread. My delicious Sonnenkorn Brot of the scriptures. I grow more and more grateful for the stories I read and particularly how people refer to and talk about Christ in the scriptures. I still think about the quote on my wall every day - You can know about Christ without knowing Christ. Find the difference. 

Transfer calls was hilarious. Sister Godwin got called to serve as a sister training leader a whole 40 minutes away. She's never leaving the Frankfurt zone hahaha but it means we get to split every transfer!! She was on edge the entire call as they announced each set of STLs but they left Frankfurt zone for last so she knew by then and just couldn't believe it haha

At our last zone training, Elder White talked about Thanksgiving and the things we fill our selves up on. The mashed potatoes of the scriptures and the rolls of prayer with the butter of fasting etc I've thought about it this week in comparison to time. Is our time just being filled? Are we spending too much time doing service that won't lead us to more teaching opportunities or having appointments with members without uplifting them? I'm excited for this next transfer, trying new things and FINDING!!! 

My Friday night was made multiple times over. After our weekly planning session, (during which Sister Godwin got her call from President Stoddard and we had a mini pause for a bit  ausflippen of course) we headed to our appointment with Cleide, the less active mother of a family that we're working with. She wasn't home me we couldn't reach her so we doored a couple houses and took a bus to Bahnhof. Our train didn't leave for a while so we decided to stop by their clothing store. She was there!! She had tried to call but had an old number for the missionaries- oh missionary cell phones. I don't even know what to say about the lesson we had with her but we came away with a great hope for her and her family :) On the train home, we sat across from a girl with beautiful earrings. Bingo, conversation starter. I commented on them and asked where she got them. She was explaining how she made them when she took them out and gave them to me! She order the pieces abound put her own design in, really cool. We had a great talk with her and I was reminded of how much I love it when people don't avoid eye contact with you on trains haha Please flick me in the forehead if I ever pay more attention to my phone than the people around me ever again. Biggest pet peeve here haha

But they also knew that “many of the things you can count, do not count. Many of the things you cannot count, really do count.” - Präsident Dieter Uchtdorf

Just an all around good week :) 

Liebe Grüße, Sister Riser

Woche 18: Happiness is...

Whoever you are and wherever you may be, you hold in your hands the happiness of more people than you can now imagine. Every day and every hour you can choose to make or keep a covenant with God. - President Henry B. Eyring 

🎶Gotta find to teach

Gotta teach to find 

Tell you all about when I got the time 🎶

Saturday was my miracle day this week. We had lunch with Schwester Harder and her 'sister'. They eat together every Saturday at 12pm.  Her friend is Catholic and with Schwester Harder as a friend, has had lots of contact with the church. She believes that we all have the same goal and however we get there with our individual faith is our personal choice. We shared about how the Bible and Book of Mormon work together. We read about Christ being baptized in the Bible and why He did in the Book of Mormon. Afterwards she asked us the difference that we see in us now versus before becoming a full time missionary. That was one of the sweetest moments I've had. I hadn't really thought about the difference, mostly because the changes come in the everyday and aren't always something you notice. Being able to not just bear testimony of the importance of the Atonement but how it's changed my life was a testimony builder for me. I feel Heavenly Father changing me to be who I need to be. Listening to my companion talk about how a mission was something that was completely new for her helps me understand her better too. 

Desiree got a calling this week!! She's the secretary in FHV! And her daughter turned 7 last week :) 

We found an old record of someone in our member book that wasn't even on our Ward list and decided to go by. Cleide Dias' family is all active in Brazil but she hasn't been to church since moving to Germany. She has two children-Nicole just turned 8! She wants to understand baptism and we hope that her uncle will be able to baptism her later this year :)

Talking with Cleide was so interesting. Everything she said had a gospel answer. I felt like it was an MTC role play transcript haha But she recognizes that without the church, she's not happy. She worries about her family and what she should do to teach her children what's right. They're a golden family and I'm so excited to see the ways that loving and living gospel will change them for the better. 

There have been days where the whole day seems unproductive and slow and just bad. I come home expecting to feel discouraged and less than excited for the coming day. But as I write about the things that have happened, it seems easier and easier to find the miracles, blessings, and good things each day. EVERY single time I'm happy and excited to do this work, were blessed. No exceptions. The Lord measures our success by how quickly and willingly we do His will. 

We were grateful for the challenge given to us by the Assistants this past week to find three new potentials. A few days were a little slow for finding and Sunday morning, though we'd had some great conversations and met interested people, we weren't able to get any contact information. After church we were contacting-streets and doors. People were either uninterested or were irritated that we were interrupting their Sunday. But just as we were about to be done and head home, we stopped to talk to one more person. It's funny how much time we spend practicing new approaches and questions and then end up using the simple ones we normally do haha We asked her if she had heard of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Not only were we able to get her information and set a new appointment but she committed herself to church and we taught a full lesson on the street! We are ridiculously excited about our newest investigator and have been seeing the blessings of using all the time we're given. 

Last PDay our district went to Oppenheim. Google it, beautiful beautiful place. There's a cathedral and ruins with a view over the whole town. On some days the organ player is there and you can hear it played streets away. They also have a series of tunnels underneath all of Oppenheim. They give tours and lead you with torches, super excited for next time! And today we were apple picking with the Hirsch and Fugal families and Denise. It was such a great day! I love the mix of fall colors in the leaves and how open it is in Sitters. 

Discovering true happiness. Happiness is finding someone willing to talk to you when it's freezing outside. Happiness is homemade applesauce. Happiness is smiling kids that are excited that missionaries are here to play kicker with them. Happiness is 'Our Search For Happiness' ;). Happiness is finding an outfit that isn't dorky and still keeps you warm-score. Happiness is having a companion that makes you laugh with mustaches her family sent her and never stops taking pictures. Ever. Happiness can be found every single day and I'm pretty dang happy here in Mainz :) 

I come to you with a question about eternal memories you are building in your lives. Are they followed by the comment “I wish I had,” or can you say, “I’m glad I did”? - Elder L. Tom Perry

My scripture to ponderize this week is D&C 84:88 

Transfer calls on Saturday!! Can't believe we're on the last week of the transfer! 

Liebe Grüße, 

Sister Riser 

Picture Highlights

Pday Scavenger Hunt:  Ninja by the Rhein

NINJA! 

No one else would dip their toes in the Rhein. That was probably wise of them.

Scavenger hunt: take photo captioned ' I can't believe we all fit in here! '

I love this district!! 

Sleeping on trains comfortably is a challenge

Icelandic horse 

View from Bach Arach

Bach Arach

Rain, Rain GO AWAY!

Woche 10

I know not by what methods rare,

But this I know, God answers prayer.

I know that He has given His Word,

Which tells me prayer is always heard,

And will be answered, soon or late.

And so I pray and calmly wait.

I know not if the blessing sought

Will come in just the way I thought;

But leave my prayers with Him alone,

Whose will is wiser than my own,

Assured that He will grant my quest,

Or send some answer far more blest.

                                                                                                 Shared by Ezra Taft Benson 

We love Saulheim. Two of our investigators live there and another was

born there. Theres magic here

We had an exciting Tuesday this past week. We had a packed day so we decided to take the bikes to make connections a little quicker. We spent Morgen Sport fixing them up and testing them out. We headed out to catch a train for zone training in Frankfurt and two appointments in Saulheim directly afterwards. I was pedaling over the crosswalk when I noticed that my bike wasn't propelling me forward like bikes are generally designed to do. I looked back to see my chain about 20 meters behind me. Good times good times haha It was definitely a blessing to have it break then rather than later biking up a hill in Nieder Saulheim haha

Desiree has been praying about a baptismal date and asked her friend who was just baptized in Friedrichsdorf to baptize her! We walked into our appointment on Friday and as soon as we sat down she said 'September 12 at 15.00'. Made my week :) we've never had the spirit more strongly with her than when we taught that lesson. We went over the first three baptismal interview questions and she KNOWS that the gospel is a new beginning and that Christ is our Savior. Her smile lights up her face when she talks about being baptized. I'm so grateful for the chance that we've had to teach her and I look forward to many more lessons with her :) 

Last temple trip for 15 months! 

Sometimes planning goes until 22:15. Did not know this. 

You would think with three different alarms, it would be impossible to not hear them. Last Saturday proved otherwise. We woke up at 7:48 and had Gemico at 8. That was rather close. I've never gotten ready faster in my life!! Of course the first time we sleep is the only day we have to be somewhere early hahaha Definitely learned from that experience 

Expect as much work from your investigators' study as you put into yours. Study with the spirit and with purpose. 

Michelle was in church with her son! And Suellen came for sacrament for the first time in about 4 months! 

On Saturday we discussed the importance of the sacrament with Frau Lange and how we can better prepare ourselves for each Sunday. We normally struggle to find something new to share with her and this lesson was something that she was able to contribute to and learn from. 

2 new investigators this week!! We've been instructed to tell all members of our Ward that Michel, one of the last of the Egyptian pharaohs will be coming to church! He's Russian orthodox and has so many stories to share about his home in Egypt. 

Mom- I would love to hear about some of your favorite mission experiences :) 

Sister Hirsch taught FHE this week and played assorted hymns with country roads by John Denver in the middle. On the recorder!

Music transports the spirit into our hearts. It speaks what we can't. 

Gemico at the Fugels isn't complete with waffles

Dancing without Music of the gospel : we're missing out on the joy! 

This week just started and it's already crazy!! 

Loving every minute of it!!

❤️ Sister Riser 

Woche 9

Total SCHWARZ outfit. I forgot my change of shoes for after our PDay AND Sister Godwin has been having shoulder trouble so the only bag that fit both of our things was this backpack hahaha 

We had a lesson and Abendbrot at the Marx's with Desiree this week. We talked about living prophets and revelation again and went over the commandments and afterwards she told us about how she left the Catholic church and what she wanted for her daughter. Bruder Marx just started talking and eventually asked her if there was anything that she found odd or strange about the church or its teachings. This is where I love members. The things that he was able to share with her were much more helpful than anything we could have said. She expressed concern about seeing only one kind of 'perfect' family in the church. Heavenly Father expects our best but if we were perfect, we wouldn't be here. I loved the willingness to share that this family has. Their house rules for guests are as follows: Serve yourself. If you go home hungry, it's your own fault. And feel and at home but don't act like you do at home. 

"In moments of fear or doubt or troubling times, hold the ground you have already won, even if that ground is limited." -Jeffrey R Holland

While teaching English class this week Sister Godwin couldn't believe that yall could be replaced with you when referring to a large group  I haven't laughed that hard in a long time hahaha

I'm sure that many of you have read the talk 'The Fourth Missionary'. I'd invite you to read it again. Look for the traits you have and the traits you want. Then look at the consequences of both. 

Seek to be the Fourth Missionary in all aspects of life. 

Life is hard, not the gospel. 

The Fourth Missionary's dominant desire is to do what the Lord wants him to do. 

Your greatest work: your most important creation is and will ever be you. 

Because we have our agency, every day brings more choices for us to make. Are we just taking the decisions as we go and hoping it's right? We're responsible for who we become and what we do in this life. My greatest creation is something I know I have to plan for. I want to believe that I can change through my Savior. I want to have a vision of what characteristics and qualities I want and then work towards them. I can't want and hope to become the missionary Heavenly Father sees if I don't plan and make changes. 

Some of the new companionship goals we set this past week are: 

- learning a new hymn each week in German

- memorizing the Glaubens Artikel (one each week) (Articles of Faith) 

- seeking to have the Spirit more strongly in our apartment so we can have more focused studies and be more prepared for lessons 

- talk to everyone! ** this is a continuous goal. Forgetting myself and just opening my mouth can be so hard when you think about it. So mostly I don't think haha I'd rather be embarrassed multiple times then miss the one person that was ready to talk to us 

- healthy= happy Sister Godwin plans to run again when she goes home so we've been doing 2-3 miles everyday. I enjoy it more than trying to workout inside where both of us end up falling asleep in child's pose. Yoga is not for the sleepy. 

We accidentally had a dinner appointment with our Mainz elders this week.  Whoops. The members wrote an appointment on the sign up sheet under the wrong column and the husband & wife spoke to both sets of missionaries separately so we ended up all grilling together! They have a swing with a fifteen foot rope attached and Waldmeister juice (green syrup mixed with water... Italian soda-like) = wonderful evening.

 

The elders shared thoughts about Christlike attributes and how taking on Christ makes us better missionaries. 

I also learned that yo mama jokes aren't any funnier in German but apparently it was worth a try hahah

Another principle is to be cautious with humor. Loud, inappropriate laughter will offend the Spirit. A good sense of humor helps revelation; loud laughter does not. A sense of humor is an escape valve for the pressures of life.

I love Elder Richard G Scott. Finding the balance between acting in a way that's worthy of my calling and still being myself is sometimes tricky. But when sometimes I get too serious, this is a good reminder for me. I wish people laughed more. I wish more people knew how much it helps every single day. I know a good day for me is being obedient and laughing. Those two things guarantee happiness for me :) 

Because I'm trying to have more positive humor, puns have become a go to. I wouldn't say they're my forte, more of my fortissimo. 

Der Man denkt und Gott schenkt. (Man thinks and God gives)

Just ask and Heavenly Father is ready to give. Believe that He not only can, but that He will. 

Quiet Zone

Liebe Grüße

Sister Riser ❤️

Woche 8 Pictures: Burg Frankenstien

The hills are alive.... with the sound of Elders running screaming down the mountain

Rise and Win! 

Frankenstein's Castle

Best Doner place ever

Woche 8

Who cares if the back fender's held on by zip ties, this sisters got a bike!!

Life is Good!

This week has been so packed with appointments that we almost never cook at home and we're becoming pros at unterwegs (on the way) contacting :) We've gotten to know a lot of our members better, especially those that live farther away. Missionaries in the past didn't really visit the members that far out but we've been able to work with them and get rides or go home with them after church and it's been a serious blessing to know their families better. 

This past P Day might have been the best one yet! 

Fact: castles in Germany are a major tourist attraction. 

Fact: it took us over two hours to find Burg Frankenstein, instead of the recommended 15 minutes. 

Possible conclusions: we're all incredibly directionally challenged OR we should petition for better road signs hahaha 

The only guides we had were little castles painted on random trees on the 'trail'. Towards the end of we just hiked straight up the mountain instead of taking time with switchbacks. But it was beautiful! Germany is just so GREEN. 

So it seems the more I try to persuade Sister Godwin that her fear of flying things is irrational, the more I prove her point. Exhibit B: (the bird mistaking my hair for a nest being exhibit A) we were eating dinner with Schwester Dahlke and I crossed my legs. Due to my valiant effort to be ladylike, I smashed a bee on my leg, resulting in it leaving a nice little bee sting on my calf. Naja alles gut (Well, all is good) :)

At our last district meeting together, we talked about the differences we've seen throughout the past weeks and what we felt we should continue to work on. I've felt that while we plan and work and expect miracles everyday, we still sometimes put a cap on our potential. We seem to have a hard time setting achievable goals that still push us. As much as I'd love to get 3 new investigators everyday, we try to set goals within our capabilities. So it's a learning process :) seeing what we're capable of and ways we can improve. Our new transfer goals are exciting and this past week has been a great start! Our ward has been fasting and praying for missionary work and we've felt their efforts every day. Teaching with members is fantastic. They share something that we can't. They can relate to those we're teaching on a different level because sometimes it's hard to see past the missionary tag. Having members with us at appointments makes the church more personal and the gospel more real when they can see its effects in someone else's life.

"Has God not endowed you with the gift of speech? ... If you are endowed with the Spirit of God, mo matter how simple your thoughts maybe, they will be edifying to those who hear you."
-Eliza R. Snow

It's not our method of teaching that will change and inspire people, it's the message. The truths are powerful enough that no matter how simply they're spoken, the Spirit delivers the same feelings. I think how often I want to bear my testimony, share more experiences, or just explain a little more but my Deutsch doesn't quite allow for that yet haha  There's a notecard on my desk that reminds me- confidence in the truths of the gospel = confidence in German. 

Approaching the Throne of God With Confidence - I could read this talk everyday for the rest of my life! (Thank you Brother Chidester) 

I can't be reminded enough times of how the Atonement should be used every single day! The Atonement is 24/7 made just for us. 

We fasted with Suellen again this past week! She's still loving that golden feeling :) we're talking with her about being proactive! And setting goals for herself because it's not enough just to know that it's true. It becomes easier to prioritize other wants and fears over decisions that bring us farther down the road to eternal life. We've shared talks and scriptures with her about Christ making up the difference and that HE can make us enough and ready to go forward. I'm looking forward to seeing what decisions she makes and how we can continue to help her. 

One of our investigators, Desiree, has been praying for a baptismal date and we hope that she finds a peaceful answer soon. Michelle has been sick this past week so we didn't get to see her but next week we hope to finish the Commandments with her! The love that Desiree and Michelle have for Christ and their search for happiness and truth is inspiring. Desiree invited her daughter to our last lesson and was so open to the changes that the gospel is going to make in her life. 

I've thought a lot about scripture study and the attitude I approach it with. To think that we hold the words of God specifically for us in our hands! And yet sometimes we spend only a few minutes studying this chapters that can better our lives and make us happier than we can imagine. The Book of Mormon contains eternal truths that help us become changed through Jesus Christ. I know that my day and expectations change as I read; it's like having a golden ticket in your pocket :) 

Remember the
blessings of the gospel in your life as you study. Think of the times that the scriptures have guided you and remember the mini miracles of everyday :) 

Viele Grüße auch von Sister Godwin (Greetings also from Sister Godwin)

Alles gute!

Sister Riser

Woche 7: The Birds. Maybe Hitchcock was onto something

1 transfer down! Holy mackerel 

How do you get to love so many people in a month and a half?? 

This week a bird landed on my head in the middle of Hauptbahnhof square. Don't asked me why, though I'm secretly convinced that people are putting crumbs in my bag to attract them or something. Sister Godwin and I were waiting in front of the Strassenbahn when she screamed and backed away. I know that logic suggests that at this point, I should have done something.  But as this happens on a daily basis, I figured it was a bumblebee and her voice would return to its normal pitch momentarily. Unfortunately I soon found that this was not the case as I felt claws on my head, gripped ready to carry me off to a pigeon cavern or something. I shampooed my hair twice but somehow still feel marked, like at any moment a hoard will come and take me away. Maybe I should learn some bird calls. 

First Mainz street display was a hit! We set up in Schillerplatz and it was amazing to see people's responses. I honestly don't know how I would respond to some of the questions that we ask if I wasn't a member. But so many people were so open and if there's one thing I like about people here is that they don't lead you on- if they're not interested, you'll know it hahaha :) our whole district was there and we hit up the famous Eis shop afterwards. :)

Survived transfer calls and it looks like we have two new elders in our district and a new district leader! This P Day will be our last together. AND there are ZERO sisters coming in this transfer from the U.S.! There's one sister from Switzerland waiting on her visa that will join our mission for a while but the MTC teacher that we email sometimes said that there are no sisters in for the Germany Frankfurt Mission right now!! Crazy stuff, they've been having more leaving than coming home and a lot of people anticipate a pretty major mission boundary change soon. 

The past week I've had the chance to put a general authority quote to the test. Which I highly recommend, they never disappoint :)

A testimony is found in the bearing of it. ("The Candle of the Lord" by President Boyd K. Packer)

I know that Christ is my Savior and I know that this is His gospel. But if I didn't have to tell people what I believe and how I came to have a testimony of das Evangelium (the gospel), then I wouldn't know. I have a testimony of the church and modern revelation and I come to understand more and realize the difference that it makes in my life when I share it with others. I know that the feelings and experiences I've had with the Book of Mormon build on each other the more I read and my testimony of scripture study & prayer is strengthened every time we invite someone to read and pray because I absolutely know the difference that it can make in their lives. Promising someone something that the gospel of Jesus Christ will bring them doesn't make a lot of sense if I don't have a testimony of it. It's like handing someone a recipe you've never tried and saying its your favorite. 

The more we share of the gospel and teach by example, the more we'll see its influence in our lives and gain a greater personal testimony of it. 

I'll finish with sharing something that probably shouldn't have made me laugh as hard as I did. 

Did you know that Ireland is the richest country in the world?

Yeah their capital has been dublin every year. 

Self Proclaimed Peddling Bar! 

Liebe Grüße

Sister Riser

PS- This week we didn't have as much time because we're headed to a Castle in Darmstadt! Have a lovely week!!