Liebe Familie und Freunde,
Happy April everyone! I can hardly wrap my brain around the fact that März ist schon fertig! And! This week marks my 4 month anniversary in the mission field. Insanity.
This last week was good. We are still mostly trying to figure out the ropes here in Göppingen. And we've been busy making rounds trying to visit all the members and inactive people in there area. There are..a lot of inactives here. And lots of part member families. I honestly think the key to getting the work moving in this part of the Lord's vineyard is through the members. So we are really trying to build good relationships with them and whatnot. So! Yeah. We've stayed busy. And! We have a new investigator! Which is great because..the Elders didn't really leave us with any. His name is Joachim. He is a little older, a bus driver, and I honestly have no idea where it will go. Up to now religion has played relatively no part in his life, but he is really open, which is a great start. We've only met with him once, but we have another appointment this weekend so..hopefully!
I learned something really interesting in a lesson this week. We were speaking with a woman name Frau Seyock. She is what they call an "ewige untersucher" or, eternal investigator. She has been meeting with missionaries for 8 years, and says she will get baptized when God gives her a sign. At any rate, she is really religious, and really bright. As we spoke, she said that "there are only really 2 reasons for which we do anything in life. Love, or fear. Everything we do is motivated by one of those two things." Which! I found interesting. Mostly because, as far as I've been able to conclude, it's true. We do most all of what we do as a result of love or fear. An interesting thought...
Also! I was reading in an old conference ensign this week and found a talk on change. It said "the Lord gives us the power to change." In my life, I've prayed a lot for the Lord to help me change. But what have I been doing about it? Sometimes not as much as I could be. God gives US the power to change. But WE must do something about it. And as WE do all we can to change our lives to be more in tune with His will, HE will change our hearts. That's a pretty great promise.
And of course! General conference!!! I sincerely hope you all had the chance to listen to it. It was so wonderful! Sadly, we didn't get to hear ALL the sessions due to the time difference here, but I am ever so grateful for the inspired talks I heard, and I am anxiously awaiting the Liahona next month! I won't go into too much detail, (because I'm assuming you all heard the talks already..) but! I think the main theme that struck a chord in me from conference was: love. That's really the biggest thing I've learned on my mission I think. How to really love others, and also how the love manifested through the Atonement changes our lives. In this life, we have been commanded to love. To love everyone. And as we serve others, out of love, we will have more bounce in our step, more meaning in out lives, more sincerity in our smiles, and more light in our eyes.
As for the work? Göppingen is proving to be a bit of a challenge. Contacting is more difficult here. I don't remember if I said this in my last email but...there have been zero baptisms here for over 3 years. But, as President Eyring said in his conference address last weekend, "great challenges=giant opportunities to be met." I think maybe the work here in Göppingen is one of those "great challenges". But, we are hitting the streets and trying to find ways to..find. Because as we all know, we can't teach the Lord's elect until we find them.
In my BOM reading this week was one of my favorite scriptures. 3 Nephi 5:13. It's actually my "mission scripture". I thought a bit this week about what it means to be a "disciple". I found in the bible dictionary that "disciple" is "a pupil or learner". I really liked that. I think about this scripture often, and have at times been a little overwhelmed with the thought that I must live up to the standards set by all of the disciples we read about in the scriptures. But this week I realized: we are all learning. Even the Apostles and Prophets had to work for their testimonies in the same way we all do. I like that. I am not a perfect missionary, but I wasn't called to be. I was called to give my best. To LEARN to BECOME a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Anywho! Happy Easter! I love easter time. I think I have been gifted more chocolate here in Germany than I've eaten in my whole life but..hah. But, as great as c chocolate and bunnies and colored eggs are, we all know that that isn't the reason we celebrate Easter. Easter is about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. One of my favorite talks is by Elder Holland and is called "missionary work and the Atonement." The first line states "all things 'which pertain to our religion are only appendages' to the Atonement of Jesus Christ." It is this culminating end of Christ's divine mission that gives us any meaning at all to our lives. Without Jesus Christ and His Atonement, we would all be lost. But Christ loves us more than that. He was lifted up upon the hill of Calvary, that He might draw all men unto Him. I think sometimes we forget the Saviors great suffering in our behalf when we get caught up in our own suffering. Elder Holland said "If you wonder if there isn't an easier way, you should remember you are not the first one to ask that. Someone a lot greater and a lot grander asked a long time ago if there wasn't an easier way." We all know that salvation is not a cheap experience. It cost the Savior His life. But "because He lives, so will we. The only way to salvation is through Gethsemane and on to Calvary. The only way to eternity is through Him--the Way, the Truth, and the Life." I would like you all to know that, I know that my Redeemer lives. But those precious words would mean nothing if He had not once been dead. The Savior gave His life for us, but He miraculously took it up again. The Atonement is real. It is powerful. We are never beyond the reach of His mercy. The Savior once suffered, utterly alone, so that we don't have to, if we come unto Him. I am so grateful for this Easter time to reflect on my Savior, and all that He does for me, and I pray that all of you will take a few moments to do the same. :)
Sorry this is long! But fear not, I'm out of time:) I love you all! Thank you for your continued thoughts, prayers, letters, and support:) Mag Gott sei mit euch!
Love,
Sister Bice
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