Woche 13: Desiree's Baptism and Transfer Calls

Desiree is baptized!! 

She was just glowing! She looked so beautiful and happy. She has such an amazing support system already and her introduction to the ward and FHV was so simple. We love you, we're all different and we help each other. She's already planning on going with the ward on their temple trip to Switzerland next month! 

Sister Godwin and I had the serious blessing of meeting with Schwester Zdunkowski this week. She's an inactive member because she isn't able to come to church each week. We've been trying to meet with her for the past two transfers but she is the busiest almost 92 year old woman I have ever met. She and her husband moved to Salt Lake, back to Germany, moved again to a tiny dorf, back to Salt Lake and finally moved to Ober-Olm. 

She met her husband when she was serving a 28 month mission in the Berlin mission office the year after World War II ended. Her husband was called up into the German army two days before he turned 16. And soon thereafter was captured as the Russians swept through parts of Germany. He escaped and made his made through Russian territory to Berlin to find his family, who had already fled before the invasion. As soon as her mission ended, he got called to serve in East Germany. Spending any time in East Germany would require them to wait even longer before they were allowed to immigrate to the United States. 

We talked together about hope and how it works with other Christlike attributes. She spoke about remembering times in testimony meeting where people said that they KNEW that Heavenly Father was there and that they KNEW the gospel was true. She talked about having a strong belief and testimony but to her, knowing was something that was evidence and something you saw. It wasn't until later in life that she felt that faith was knowing because there is no other way. Her beliefs are so tightly wound and apart of who she is and what she does that she KNOWS that Heavenly Father is there. She is one incredible lady. 

Some gardening before the Low Country Boil

We had our youth activity!! For those interested, it was comprised of three parts. Gaining the spirit, getting ready, and finding! American youth are great and have fantastic energy but I definitely didn't miss hearing swag and yolo these past few months hahah

We spoke about sacrifice in Gospel Principles and someone brought up Malachi 3 when speaking about tithing. The translation of 'the windows of heaven' into German is interesting to me. The word used -die Schleusen, makes me picture water being poured out the moment the shutters open. With such force that the window can barely hold it in. Obedience brings blessings and be if mindful of Gods will can bring us so much more that we can ever imagine. 

That night we had a Low Country Boil in the Fugals garden to celebrate Sister Fugals birthday. We made apple crisp (turns out there are perks to buying 5 kilos of apples from a Tuekish laden haha) and We had Frogmorestew. Marvelous. I'm making this a tradition. Suellen and David, two investigators, came as well. It started raining so we all ate inside the garden house which doesn't have electricity. So we had candles and jazz music- I had flashbacks to group dates... weird. 

We're going three (transfers) together!! There was some serious anxiety during transfer calls but we're in Mainz for one more!!! So ridiculously excited!!! 

This week is going to be great!! 

Love you all!

Sister Riser ❤️

Woche 12: Maintaining an Eternal Perspective & the FAR Formula

Don't let the label fool you, we made this applesauce. And it's delicious.

To quote my favorite Õde (Sister) Hilton :) 

If we are serious about our desire for greater faith, nothing less than maintaining a constant eternal perspective will do. If we place any condition on our willingness to serve the Lord with all our hearts, we diminish our faith. 

Second, pray for the missionaries serving in your area and their investigators by name every day. The only way to do this is to greet them, look at their badge, call them by name, and ask them who they are teaching. Elder Russell M. Nelson wisely contributed, “Until you know a person’s name and face, the Lord cannot help you know his or her heart.”

-Hastening The Lords Game Plan 

Get to know your missionaries! Know who they're working with! These are future members of the church and people that you should know! Use the skills, quirky habits and hobbies that you have to connect with others! 

Fast Sunday's are just great days. To quote a grand Institute teacher- our bodies need food every day. And our Spirits need food every day. So Fast Sunday's are like Thanksgiving 😊

Especially in preparation for our last street display, I've been focusing on what defines the gospel for me. In simple terms, how can I share what the gospel is to me? In reading an address by Merlin Fish, he mentioned the FAR formula out forward in the Ensign. 

F is for family. We are a family church. 

A is for answers. To questions of the soul and the great questions of life.

R is for restoration. This IS the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. 

It sounds impossible to share all that I think is important about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but this is what's necessary for people to know about what the gospel can do for their lives. I love that each testimony is individual and shows how the they've let faith change their lives. 

Making pumpkin soup with Suellen!

Suellen was in church yesterday! Each time she prioritized coming to church, she's so happy!! We talked about fasting in Gospel Principles and what we make it with our attitude. Then we broke our fast at her house last night and made pumpkin soup! Apparently the secret is coconut milk :)  

On Saturday night after our street preach (second one in Mainz woot woot!) we went with the Jarrards and Mainz Elders to Suellen's brothers Mexican restaurant. Best Mexican food in Germany guaranteed 

#texanslovemex

Afterwards the Jarrards were driving us to visit a less active about an hour away when Desiree called. She had just gotten out of the hospital and was calling to let us know that she wouldn't be in church. Sister Godwin asked if she would like a priesthood blessing and she said yes. So the Elders met us out in Saulheim and were able to give her a beautiful blessing. It's been fantastic to see how she's overcome so much to be able to be baptized. We're praying for her in the last week leading up to her baptism. Not today Satan! She's entering into the waters of baptism in 6 days!! 

I've seen our time be filled by what the Lord wants us to be doing. Each day is completely packed with teaching and finding and I absolutely love it! I feel like I have the best job ever!! This work excites and teaches. It's an experience like nothing else and challenges me in ways that I haven't been before. 

I hope each of you will take time to hear what the Lord wants. I know you'll see yourself develop in change as He refines you through the experiences you have and decisions you make. 

Liebe Grüße

Sister Riser

Woche 11: Do you feel like a missionary?

 1 Peter 3:15

Be always ready! Have your testimony ready to share when people ask you why you're different!  Let them see the reason and hope behind your actions.

This week we went to the temple for the last time! It was packed with missionaries and other patrons and we missed the first session and were early for the next one but they told us to change and meet in the chapel and they would work something out. We were waiting there deciding whether to spend three hours until the next session there when the temple president walked in. He welcomed us to the temple and began to talk to us about missionary service and the miracles we would see. It was a wonderful experience to have him speaking to just six missionaries so personally. He cautioned us to not let opportunities pass and reminded us of the great wonders we're capable of being apart of when we listen to the Spirit. Afterwards I remember looking around the celestial room and seeing so many missionaries and feeling so grateful to be here. The Lord trusts us with His children and it's a privilege to serve as one of His missionaries.

High Points of the Week

-Service at the Hirsch farm was so much fun and I loved being out of the city! They have beautiful Icelandic horses and miniature ponies and sheep that attack freshly cut bushes like toddlers to fruit snacks.

-Splits with the sister training leaders! Loved every minute. It's a nice change and fresh perspective that makes you excited to try new things in your area.

-Dinner with the Copeland family and the Jarrards. We shared about prayer and Schwester Copeland talked about the first time she heard about the church compared to the time later when she accepted it. It wasn't until she was open to change that she could accept the gospel. It's an almost visible difference in the people we talk to every day- those that want more and are ready and those closed off the change.

-I'm not sure if you should count disobedience as a high point but we definitely accidentally left our area and zone this past week. The Jarrards got lost on our way back from a dinner appointment and we ended up in Weisbaden. On the plus side, we saw a monster truck rally advertised there and we now know what we are doing next PDay ;)

-DESIREE. This woman makes my day everyday. She's getting baptized in less that two weeks!! I can't believe it's only been a month since we met her!

-German. I love this language. It's changed the way I bear my testimony and share what I've learned. It flows and expresses differently than English and it's grand.

-Being tired! The absolute only reason this is enjoyable is because we're so busy!! We've never been so busy finding and teaching and studying and eating hahah

-Painting at the Fugals. They took on a mass redecorating project while Bruder Fugal was gone and painted two rooms and rearranged a whole bunch. My favorite part was in Naomi's room where we painted a seashore and mountains. We went over twice to help and I told them that the only payment I wanted was to see his face when he walked in. They said I could if I could manage it without being seen. So if anyone knows where I could find a nifty looking spider, I'm looking for Spider-Man like grips to hang from the ceiling.

I've decided that the highest compliment given is that you have a good accent. Unless people start complimenting adjective endings, then I may change my mind.

We're gearing up for our youth activity next week- A Day in the Life of a Missionary! It's going to be the best!! It's a combined activity for two German wards and one American ward :)

Desiree is back in town!! She was asked to stand up in sacrament meeting and she stood up all smiles and waved to everyone her happiness is so contagious!! The ward hasn't had baptism in about a year so it's fun to see them get excited about missionary work!

For the fifth Sunday we gathered together to talk about the sabbath. It's times like these that I love how small our Ward is. It allows for everyone to speak and share. Our bishop, who taught, described an experience he had as a teenager. He wanted to be a profie Fußball player- don't we all (professional soccer). And he joined a league that would play and practice on the Sabbath. It took a while but he decided that he shouldn't play football on Sunday. Not two weeks later, the stake president shared a story where he and his sons were playing football on Sunday. After sitting fuming for a while in sacrament meeting, he came to see the difference. How do we think of the activities we do on the Sabbath? Do we play football for winners, losers, got to get better, practice practice? Or are we spending time with family?

I love that commandments are personal. They're followed differently for each person and the Lord knows that.

One of the greatest pieces of advice I've heard was from one of my sister training leaders this week. I asked her what has been helpful to her in being a successful and happy missionary. She said knowing that she's doing exactly what the Lord wants will make her happy and that leads to success. She said that she can judge every action, word, or activity by asking herself- Do I feel like a missionary doing this? Anything that doesn't make her the representative of Christ that she wants to be isn't something that she wants to do. I thought about it in other situations- Do I feel like a Latter Day Saint doing this? Do I feel like a good example doing this? Our actions and words define us and shape who we are. I would want to do what's going do to work towards that person I'm trying to become. 

Happy birthday to my beautiful mother! I'm happy to have you as an example and friend- I love you!! ❤❤❤

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