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
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| Sister lin in her natural habitat |
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| Göppingen ist unsere Stadt! Ja wohl. :) |
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| ....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. :) |
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