I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord‏

Liebe Familie und Freunde,

     Dear Humidity, 

         I've had it with you. Feel free to go away, and not come back until I am back in America.

     Love, Sister Bice. 

     I honestly do not understand why people choose to live in such humid places. And I don't even think its THAT humid here. Just compared to what I am used to. At any rate, there is nothing worse than trying to study and having to free your sticky arms of paper every time you set them on your desk and pick them back up...sheesh!

     Wow what a week! We were in Stuttgart Monday, Tuesday, AND Wednesday. Zone Conference on Tuesday was simply wonderful. I love everything about Zone Conference.  I think one of my favorite parts of the whole conference was the testimony meeting at the end. I was so impressed by the testimonies of the new missionaries. And so touched by the testimonies of the Elders going home. I am just so amazed at what missions do for people. I feel like the experiences I am gathering on my mission are preparing me to go home and stand steadfast and unwavering in the face of the adversity and trials that lie ahead for all of us. Sometimes I feel like I'm not changing as much as those around me..but maybe it's just easier to see in others. At any rate, the gospel is amazing. And what it makes of people is even more amazing.

     After Zone Konferenz we had an austausch with the Pforzheim Sisters. I worked in Pforzheim with my would-be-companion Sister Smart. Annnnd I found out why Sister Smart and I weren't companions after all. It's because..we get along way too well! I felt like I'd found my long lost twin! At first we found all the little things we had in common amusing..then they kept  on popping up and it was just weird! In a cool way. :) She even stands like I do! Like a flamingo.:) And! She lived in St. George as a kid, and loves rock climbing, and peanut butter, and, and, and. I'd list them all, but I'd run out of room. :P Anywho we had a hoot together, and I learned so much from her. Her testimony and love for the gospel are amazing. I hope we really do end up being companions an some point! If not, we've already planned some fun activities for when we get home. :) Anywho, she is training next transfer! She is going to be a wonderful trainer. :) So I have been carrying a Russian BOM in my backpack for weeks right? I felt like I should put in in there once, and haven't been able to bring myself to take it out. Sister Smart and I were contacting and talked to a man, who sicked us on his wife. We found the hose and she was waiting for us. She wasn't German, and Sis smart asked what her mother tongue was. "Russian". Sister Smart was starting to say that we had the BOM in russian when it hit me, "oh! I have one!" We chatted for a bit, she took the book, and we set an appointment. They have seven kids. Hah. *fingers crossed!*

     ..........Ok mom calm down I am getting to the point with transfers...

     *clears throat and sings..* "I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord. Over mountain or plain or sea. I'll say what you want me to say dear Lord...I'll be who you want me to be." So! I woke up Friday morning, bright eyed and bushy tailed. (ok..that's a lie. I was real tired, and my abs were killing me from the ab workout Sister Smart and I did on our exchange on Wednesday..) Anywho, I was still in the process of becoming mentally awake when the phone rang and gave me a heart attack. 6:45am. It wasn't the Zone leaders, which ruled out the possibility that Sister Lina nd I would both be staying here in Göppingen. It was one of the Assistants. "Guten Morgen, Sister Bice, wie geht's Ihnen?" "...müde." "Hah. Are you ready?" "..bring it on.." "Sie werden versetzt. Nach Wels.." "...nach wo?" Hah. Wels, Austria. White washing. The area was actually closed this last transfer, and there were elders there before. So! My new companion, Sister Baxter, and I will be going in and "pink washing" the place. Sister Baxter has been serving the "black hole" for over a year. Switzerland. Appropriately named the black whole because once a missionary goes in, they hardly ever come back out because it's such a pain to get a visa there in the first place. Anywho, Sister Baxter just finished training too. I met her at the mission home when I picked up Sister Lin. She seemed cool. :) How do I feel?

........way excited. 

     We have a ward! A real live ward! And yes, I am excited to white wash. There are definite challenges that come with it, but I feel like that was the best thing that ever happened to Sister Schulze and I when we were working together. I love white washing because there are no pre-set opinions, politics, "set ways" or other things that sometimes sneak into missionary work. And it really requires unity from the companionship, because both companions are starting from the ground. Saying goodbye to Göppingen is proving to be hard though. Especially my less actives. I had a last appointment with Sister Claus last night. I have been meeting with her the last 6 months. She cried. Then I cried. And even Sister Lin cried. I have grown to love these people so much. Saying goodbye is never fun. But the beautiful thing about the gospel is that it's never really "goodbye", rather, "aufs Weidersehen". I am so grateful for the things I have learned and the friends I have made here in Göppingen. I pray that I never forget them. But! I plan to write:) Anywho, I must say...I have a transfer phobia. I always feel like I'm going to get a call from President the day before telling me I'm not actually getting transferred. But! Assuming that isn't the case and all goes as planned, I THINK my new address is:

     Kirche Jesu Christi

     Sister Natasha Bice

     Spöttlstr. 8/14

     AT-4600 Wels

     Austria

...but you might want to wait until I get there and make sure before you send anything? The AP's sent me that address but it seems a little off to me..we'll see...

     Sister Lin is pretty nervous about taking over Göppingen, but she doesn't need to be. She is going to be great. I keep telling her that, but I'm still working on getting her to believe it. Hah.

 So! My favorite scripture of the week is Ether 12:4. "Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God." I thought about this scripture a lot last week. A lot of people out here ask us how we can believe in God when the world is so awful sometimes. But this scripture doesn't say that "those who believe in God will be free from all their troubles and their cares" rather, that they "might with surety hope for a better world..." A ship doesn't need an anchor when the water is completely still. It needs an anchor for when the storms come. The same goes for us. If we never had any problems, we wouldn't need hope or faith. However, it is our responsibility to develop these Christ-like attributes in the times of stillness, that they may prove an anchor in the times of storm.

Anywho, I am out of time! We have a district p day today..we are going to see a Castle! Woo! I'll send pictures next week if it's cool:) I love you all! Bis nächste woche! :)
Love, Sister Bice

 

 

Hallo schon wieder!‏

Liebe Freunde und Familie,

"Sooo once upon a time, Sister Bice and Sister Lin had just finished personal study, when suddenly, the post man klingled at the door. Once, twice, three times. (They aren't the most patient people in the world..) Sister Lin was in the bathroom, so Sister Bice said " Sister Lin,  I'm going to leave the door open and run down realy quick. Be right back!" So Sister Bice flew down the stairs, and the post man was..gone. Oy. So she turned back up the stairs and met..Sister Lin. The selfsame Sister Lin that she thought was in the apartment still. Together they walked back up. They reached the top, and Sister Bice saw the apartment door...closed. Her heart sank and so did her knees as she was sure that Sister Lin hadn't thought to grab the key out of the door before leaving and closing it. Unfortunately, she was right..." ....and there I sat. On the floor in our hallway. No glasses. No shoes. No cell phone. No money. No keys. And no idea what to do. I sat and devised a plan. I knew a member had a key, but he was currently in Northern Germany. So we walked to the nearest members house...all the way across Göppingen so we could use her phone. We walked the back way as so avoid being seen by too many people. Me in my green blouse, grey sweatpants, and red polka-dotted socks. Ctue right? After a whole morning of fiasco, we finally called some members, who called some other members, who called our landlord, who had a key, that was picked up by some members, that was brought to us. Bah! But! We were grateful because everyone told us a locksmith could be anywhere from 150 to 400 euros. Gross! So! With spare key in hand, we walked back home, glad that the whole thing was over....or so we thought. We stuck the key in...didn't turn. Sooo we tracked down a man that had a master key. He kindly came over, stuck in HIS key and...nothing. He said "...girls...is there a key on the inside of this door..?" Mensch. Game over. He called a friend of his who was a locksmith, but told us they'd have to break the door. Another 200 euro. But! The man came. Was able to open the door in less than an hour without breaking it, and only charged us 45 euro. I guess there are advantages to looking so pathetic? Haha. It was an adventure that I hope I never have to experience again..

     Well! Other than that, we had a little bit of a crazy week here in Göppingen. All of our appointments fell out except for two. Soo we did a lot of contacting to try and find some new potentials. We didn't have too much success in that boat, but we are pressing forward, ever forward. We DID get to meet with Frau Hausmann. Last week in Sunday School Br. Fromm mentioned that Jesus was Jehovah. That shook her world a little bit, so today that's what she wanted to talk about. So! I spent my week looking up scripture after scripture searching for a solid answer to her questions. Then, the moment of truth. Sister Lina dn I were certain that John 1:1-3; 14, Hebrews 1:2, Collosians 1:16-18 would be the golden ticket but..nope. So we began going through my list. And then? We found on. It was so neat to see her face. At first "No, that has to mean God. Wait..*mumbles to self*" And then the "ah-ha" moment. "....meine Güte! It IS Christ!" Haha. I love her.
     Both of our investigators, now new converts, got confirmed in Sacrament this week! Our branch had a couple of disorganization malfunctions the last weeks, but it finally all worked out. It was so great to see both of them receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. There was such a wonderful spirit in the room. This work is truly great and marvelous.
     I read a wonderful talk on the Book of Mormon this week called "Flooding the Earth with the Book of Mormon". It was so great, and really got me excited to use the Book of Mormon more/better in my personal life as well as my missionieren. The talk says "We have the Book of Mormon, we have the members, we have the missionaries, we have the resources, and the world has the need. The time is now!" So true! I think sometimes I think of all the talents and whatnot that I wish I had, and am trying to develop to make me a better servant in this, the Lord's vineyard. But! What I DON'T have is not nearly as important as what I DO have...what ALL of us as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have. We have the Gospel. We have the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. We have the authority to perform the saving ordinances that will bring us back home. And we have the Book of Mormon, the evidence, that all of it is true. "The Church is true, the Book is blue!" I used to think that was really cheesy but..it's true!

    I also learned something interesting at a member's house last week. Sister Böhm is an elderly lady in our ward, who eats, sleeps, and drinks geneology. I like visiting her, because no matter what lesson we prepare, she always turns in into whatever she needs, and I end up learning a lot. Haha. Anywho, she somehow ended up referencing to Isaiah 1:18:  "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." We talked about how Satan would always have us think that we can't be forgiven of mistakes we have made. That it's "too late". Then Sister Böhm said: "But what does Satan know of forgiveness?" That really struck a chord in me. I mean, why would we ever listen to Satan, the Father of all Lies, the Adversary, the King of Misery, etc. when it comes to matters of forgiveness? We are so much better off to turn to Christ. The Savior and Redeemer of our souls. Full of Love and Mercy. Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." (1 Peter 2:23-24). Christ has promised us forgiveness on conditions of repentance, and He WILL always forgive us. I think most of us just need to work on forgiving ourselves.
     I can't believe Sister Lin is now nearly finished with training. One week left! It has been such a wonderful blessing be a part of her first months in the mission field. It's been hard to see her struggle, but incredible to watch her grow. It was funny, last week I sat thinking a little bit about what I would-have-could-have-should-have done better to help her out a little more. But! In the end I realized that, despite my weaknesses or mistakes or inabilities, the Lord has helped her grow leaps and bounds. She still has hard times, as all of us, but she really is growing into a wonderful missionary. I have NO idea what to think about transfers. I try not to actually. There is a chance we both stay here. Or that one of us goes. But! I guess we will find out Friday huh? We are going to Stuttgart today for zone p-day. And tomorrow for Zone Conference. And Wednesday for and exchange. This week will fly by. So! Until next week!

Love,

Sister Bice

My Sweet Girl!

Liebe Familie und Freunde, 

     Guten Tag und Liebe Grüße aus Göppingen:) Sister Lin and I had a great last week. We were able to give away a lot of Book of Mormons as we really made it a focus point. Unfortunately we weren't able to get very many potential investigators. :\ But! We are working on it. That's our main goal right now because, as we all know, "In der missionsarbeit geschiet gar nichts, bis Sie jemand finden, die sie lehren können." Oder, "Nothing happens in missionary work until you find someone to teach." Or something along those lines. At any rate, it is so true!

     This week was really interesting. Sometimes I feel like Göppingen is a little bit at a stand still, but I am just not quite sure what to change to make it pick up again. I spent a LOT of time on my knees this week, counseling with my Father. But! That's how it should be. He's helped me out so much. I have been able to overcome and accomplish things I would have never done on my own. I've still got some figuring out to do but, between He and I, we'll figure it out somehow. :)

    Companionship inventory this week: first words out of Sister Lin's mouth, "I think...you're very selfish"

Sister Bice thought bubble: "..huh. well, she's starting things off boldly tonight.."

Sister Lin's face: *was that the right word? Yeah, I think so..*

...then I realized she'd meant to say "selfless".....and I couldn't help but laughing. Really hard. She was really confused until I let her in on her mix up. Then she was really embarrassed and started blushing. Oh, the joys of a non-native-english-speaking-companion. I love her. :)

    Sooo apparently all the people Sister Lin and I know have decided...to move. At the same time. We have had a lot of opportunities for service here the last week. But it's been great. Makes me feel at home to be workin on the house again! Putting up wallpaper is really fun. Taking down wallpaper? Not so fun. But! Es geht schon. :) Frau Hausmann is moving here soon, but just to Göppingen. Right now she lives in a little sub city. Speaking of Frau Hausmann...we have to postpone her baptisimal date. She still has a few concerns she needs to get through. But! She was at church on on Sunday, and we had a really wonderful conversation afterwards. We just..chatted. Like two old friends. About the gospel. About baptism. About her concerns. She pretty much just laid it all on the table. It was wonderful. I told her to take her time. The most important thing about this whole decision, is that she feels 100 percent good about it. And she will. It will take a little time, but she has a wonderful spirit yet. She knows it's true. She just isn't ready to change yet. But the day will come. Until then, we're gonna keep right along beside her and do our best to help the Lord work His miracles in her heart. :)

     So my theme for this week was "consecrate your fears". I thought about it a lot, and fear really does make NO sense! "Wir haben nur die Furcht und sonst nichts zu fürchten." "We have nothing to fear but fear itself." In ilfe, the only ting we should fear is..succombing to our fears. They don't enlighten us. They don't make us stronger. They bring us nothing. They slow us down and stunt our growth. They keep us from doing the good we might have done. Accomplishing what we might have accomplished. They blind our visions and sabotage our dreams, robbing us of our potential. Now that is something to fear. Fear is a weakness, and Ether tells us exactly what to do with our weaknesses. Bring them to the Lord, that they may become strengths. Ether 12:27.

    ANYwho...please excuse the "Journey of Sister Bice on the path of self discovery" rant. :P  In personal study this week, I came across something that I really liked. I was reading in Jesus the Christ, and came across the story about Jesus preaching to the multitude by the shore of a lake. At the end of His discourse, He tells Simon Peter, a fisherman, to cast his net into the lake. Peter answers, in Luke 5:5, "Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing. Nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net." That really struck a chord in me. I have felt a little like Peter the last few weeks. Like Sister Lin and I "toil all the night" and yet some days it feels like we "take nothing". We've really been trying to find new investigators the last few weeks, aber es klappt irgendwie nicht. But! The scripture goes on. "And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net abrake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink." They did as the Lord said. They may have had a little doubt, but they had at least enough faith to do as He asked. And what followed? That which often follows after faith. A miracle. Their nets are filled so full that they begin to break, and they need their partners to come and help them, and even between the TWO ships they can hardly hold all the fish. I think we all have something to learn from this story. Here in the Alpine Mission, we have been toiling all year. We have "taken" 76 wonderful souls back to the path that leads to their Father. But! We are fishers of men, and there are still lots of fish out there waiting for us! At least 224. The Lord has promised us. It really helps me to remember that we missionaries didn't set this goal, our mission president didn't set this goal, rather, this is the LORD'S goal for our mission. Which means? When we but do what He asks, and "let our net down" regardless of how weary or wary we might be, miracles will follow. First comes the faith, then the reward. So! I obviously have a ways to go on that one. During contacting last week, I hit a point where I just had to sit on a park bench and cry for a minute. I felt like I was giving all I had to give and still wasn't able to find anybody. But! I have learned a LOT of patience on my mission, and I'm not going to let it fail me now. This work is hard, but it's never ever too hard. Though I am still trying to figure out with the Lord exactly how I fit into this wonderful plan, it really was confirmed to me last week in that beautiful hour of personal study that we, the Alpine German Speaking Mission, as long as we remain motivated and full of faith, WILL find those 300+ children of God that are seeking their way back Home. We need only do everything the Lord asks-obey with exactness-and exercise our faith. Then, the miracle, for it truly will take a miracle, will come. Luke 1:37 "For with God nothing shall be impossible." This is God's work. And I am every day grateful to be a part of it.

Bis nächste Woche:)

Love, Sister Bice

 

 

 

Sister lin in her natural habitat

Göppingen ist unsere Stadt! Ja wohl. :)

....this one is just to assure you that I have indeed not lost my weirdness here on my mission. Sometimes sister lin cooks strange things. This is hamburger mixed with flour and cabbage, boiled in soy sauce. Annd sometimes I take weird pictures still. Yes, you did raise me. :)

 

Guten Morgen und es regnet schon wieder!‏

little baby linchen taking a nap.

look! I finally took a picture of me and my companion!

Me and my mum! It was so fun to see her again:)

Me and sarah again. Sarah being sassy..again.

Sister Lin, Julia, Andreas, Sister Bice :)

Sister Schulze, Me, Sarah, Sister Lin :)

Sleepover! So fun:)

andreas and his fiancé, Julia

Some of the members after the baptism..

Me and Sarah. She is so sassy. Haha.

Liebe Familie und Freunde,

This last weekend, Göppingen had two baptisms. And today, it's raining in honor of the occasion.

 

"I like to look for rainbows whenever there is rain

and ponder on the beauty of an earth made clean again

I want my life to be as clean as earth right after rain

I want to be the best I can to live with God again.

I know when I am baptized my wrongs are washed away

And I can be forgiven and improve myself each day.

I want my life to be as clean as earth right after rain

I want to be the best I can to live with God again."

 

We sang this song at Sarah's baptism on Sunday, and I realized how much I love it. The Primary songs are golden! They are so simple. And simply beautiful. I especially like the second verse. Sometimes when we talked about getting baptized we make it all too complicated. But! When we are baptized, our wrongs are washed away. We are forgiven. A door is opened and we take our first steps on the path of becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. We are given the chance to improve ourselves each day. What an opportunity!! Anywho, what a wonderful sight it was to see Andreas and Sarah all dressed in white! They are both beautiful children of God, who are now one step closer to returning to live with Him again. But of course, this is only the beginning! :) Both of the baptisimal services were well supported by the branch, which was wonderful. And! I played the piano, so I got a nice front row seat;) There was such a special spirit present at each of the services. I think seeing others make convenants with God makes us reflect on our own covenants that we've made. Teaching both Andreas and Sarah has really strengthened my testimony of the fact that we are not here to prepare people. Rather, they are coming to us prepared. I feel like the Lord has been busy the last couple of months here in Göppingen, and it's been all Sister Lin and I could do just to keep up with Him! As missionaries, we really are just tools in His hands. We are His servants. This is His work. And what a marvelous work it is. :)

 

As for the rest of the Week? Sister Lin and I continue to struggle to find new investigators in our area. It's not a particular strong point for either of us. But! I am really trying to rely on the Lord and the counsel of Ether bringing my weaknesses to Him so that together we can work through them and make them strengths. I guess I'm a slow learner but, He's patient with me.

 

Annnd of course Saturday night, I got to see Sister Schulze! She and Sister Funk stayed the night at our place. It was so good to see her again! We went on splits and did some contacting. It was so weird to be walking around with Sister Schulze in Göppingen again! Anywho, we talked to a man who made both of us think a little bit. He used to be catholic, but said that life had dealed him some bad cards and he just couldn't believe in God anymore. Really sad. But at the end he said something interesting. He said he thought it was neat that there were young girls like us who could believe. He said "Ihr mädchen seid wirklich reich. Reich ins Herz." Oder, "You girls are really rich. Rich in the heart." Hmm. I think we forget that sometimes. No matter what our external circumstances might be, the gospel makes us rich. We really do have a treasure. But do we cherish it as much as we should? Or take it for granted? In the world it's so easy to notice the things that we don't have, that sometimes we get caught up and forget to take time to appreciate the things that we do have. The knowledge of the gospel and the Plan of Happiness are priceless! We are rich! Because when we truly live what we believe, our hearts are full. 

 

Annd last but not least. Yesterday was fast and testimony meeting! Yay! As I sat pondering during sacrament (..I didn't have to translate for the first time in a couple of months..it was kind of nice..) I thought back on a talk I read last week about becoming a disciple of Christ. That is a topic that has really interested me on my mission, and I've thought a lot about it actually means to be a disciple. I mean, I always think of the word "disciple" and think of the Bible and all of the Lord's disciples, and what wonderful examples they are. Then I think "mensch! I don't think I can ever be like that!" But! I read once in the Bible Dictionary that the word "disciple" means "pupil" or "learner". I really like that, because that means we are not disciples in that we are perfect, rather, in that we try to learn of Jesus. And we can ALL do that. We aren't perfect, but that's not expected of us. What is expected of us is that we give our best and don't give up. The path of a disciple isn't easy. We make mistakes. We fall. And sometimes we lay there on the ground and think "I'm done. I can't do this anymore.." But we pick ourselves up, or rather, the Lord picks us up, and we go on. "Fall seven times, get up 8!"  I've been in the field 6 months now, and what a 6 months they've been! I've learned a lot, cried a lot, grown a lot, and I wouldn't take back any of it. I am just grateful that every day is a new day with new opportunities to become something better as we serve the Lord. In distrikt meeting last week Elder Chapman shared something that I really liked. He said "Be the missionary you want to be TODAY"..I feel like sometimes I see missionaries at the end of their missions and think "wow. Now THERE is a great missionary. I hope someday I'll be that kind of missionary too.." But! Who is stopping me from being that kind of missionary today? Nobody but myself. Of course we become better servants as we gather experience and learn and grow which all comes with time, but we still have the opportunity EVERY day to be the kind of missionary we want to be. To be the kind of father we want to be. The kind of mother. The kind of friend. The kind of *insert here whatever it is you want to be*. My parents always taught me that I can do anything I set my mind to. I could be whatever I wanted to be. And so it is. The Lord gives us each and every day so many opportunities to learn and grow! It's up to us to use them well. So! My challenge to all of you is to start TODAY to be the person you want to be. If you're not sure what you want to be, get on your knees and ask your Father. He has a vision for all of us. He'll help you out. :)

Ich habe euch alle sehr Lieb! Danke sehr for your prayers, love, and support. May you all have a wonderful week!

Love, 

Sister Bice

 

 

oh hey! It's me again!‏

Meine LIEBE Freunde und Familie,

...So I was writing in my journal last night and thought....AH! Where did July go?? Sheesh! The time sure does fly..

Bahaha. So I was having personal study this morning when the handy rang. It was a number I didn't know so I answered it...

"Hallo..this is Bruder (no idea..) and I am a member too...I heard that Jesus Christ was coming on August 4th and just wanted to ask if it was true??"

...the man was talking to fast and mumbling that I had to ask him a good 4 times to repeat himself. I thought I must be understanding him wrong, but time and again I kept hearing the same thing. So, I put his concerns at ease and told him that, to my knowledge, Jesus Christ was indeed not coming on the 4th of August......some people are just strange.

    Anywho! We had a great, crazy, busy last week here in Göppingen! Ich bin K.O! But, at the same time, I've never been better:) On a quick side note, we had our first district meeting of the new transfer on Tuesday and it hit me that...I am now "Distrikt Oma!" Mensch! I am the missionary that has been in our district the longest. Go figure..it's been nearly 6 months! I guess it's an..honor? Haha. Anywho, beside District Meeting, we also had Leadership Training in Stuttgart with President and Sister Miles. It was SO great! Sister Lin and I got an assignment to speak to everybody. When the zone leaders called and told me what it was, the both of us had to laugh. "How to ask good questions." That is something that Sister Lin and I have definitely had to work on. Not our forté. But! With the help of the Lord and Preach my Gospel, we pulled it off. :) Hmm..oh! We also had dinner with our branch president this week! in my 5 months here, we hadn't yet been able to pull that off. It just never worked out. So! It was a small kind of accomplishment:9 It was super great to get to know Pres. and his family a little better. We are really trying to work with the members more here, and the best place to start is with the bishop! Or in our case, branch president:)

     So! Even though last week was pretty great, this week is going to be even better! Let's see..what do we have planned...hmm..Monday-Friday? Life as normal. Then on Saturday? Baptism of Andreas Schöbel! And Sunday? Baptism of Sarah Agbonbaye! Meine Güte. I tell you what, I have experienced some MIRACLES here in Göppingen the last 5 months. Absolute miracles. It has been so neat to see the Lord's hand in the work here. He has taken our little area and made it begin to blossom:) I am so grateful to be able to be His servant here at this time where His angels are really preparing  people to hear our wonderful message. At any rate, this weekend is going to be busy for sure. Our Ward Mission Leader has been absolutely great to work with us and really take the lead on planning the services, which has been really helpful. Br. Fromm is a gem. It's great to work with him:) I am just so excited for Andreas and Sarah! What a wonderful and life changing step they will be taking this weekend as they enter into a covenant with God through the waters of baptism.  They are both really happy wonderful people, but what they probably don't fully comprehend is that they are about to get a whole lot happier. This is, after all, a gospel of joy:)  

     Also! This weekend we get to have....a sleepover! So we have a rule in our mission that when an investigator gets baptized and the missionaries who originally started teaching them are still in the mission, they can, when possible, attend the baptisimal service. Annd since Sister Schulze and I are the ones who started teaching Sarah, I called and invited her, and she got permission from President, but the trains on Sunday don't ride as often so! She and Sister Funk have to come on Saturday and spend the night at our place! Schade. ;)

        As for little old me, I've been doing just dandy:) I tell you what, having patience with yourself sure does make a difference when working to overcome weaknesses! I've been studying ch. 6 in VME lately, and patience was something I decided I needed to work on. Patience has never been my forté and I've really come a long ways in being patient with other people, but a lot of the times I forget to be patient with myself. The mission field is a great environment to learn such an attribute:) I'm so grateful to be on a mission. I heard or read somewhere the other day that WE didn't choose to be here on a mission. We decided we WANTED to go, and then God decided to allow us to come here. I'd never thought about it that way before but I suppose it's true. I am day after day filled with gratitude that God allowed me to come here to this mission to serve Him for a short 18 months. The time is going by so fast, and I feel like I am always running to keep up with it, but these last 8 months have been the most wonderful of my life. Even and especially the hard times. I wouldn't take those ones back for anything. My sister Teila sent me a talk about faith the other week and Richard C. Edgley says "And because of my faith--even in the seemingly worst of times--I recognize with peace and gratitude that in reality it is the best of times." That is something I have really realized here on my mission. To be honest, my eyes have really been opened to how much wickedness and sadness there is in the world. But even despite it all, I have no doubt that these really are the best of times. The time when the fulness of the gospel is here on the earth. What a marvelous time to live. What a marvelous time to be on a mission.

    Anywho! My time is once again spent! Ich habe dich alle sehr Lieb! Danke sehr für euer Gebete und Gedanken!

Love,

Sister Bice