...and the beat goes on..‏

me and baxter. pretty much defines our relationship. i miss her!‏

Liebe Familie und Freunde!

..Don't ask about the title of the email...I think it is a song..at any rate, it just popped into my head...ANYwho!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I just love Thanksgiving, because it is all about being GRATEFUL! Which is something that I don't do often enough sometimes! But when I really stop and think about all of the blessings Heavenly Father has given me....WOW! I could fill a book and then some with all of the things I am grateful for in my life. But! I will put that on my "to-do" list and spare you all the time...hah. But! I DO hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoyed spending some time with your families:) I spent Thanksgiving...on a train. But! We celebrated it on Sunday with some of our American members, so I did in fact get to eat some turkey. We didn't have any pie, but I guess that just means I will have to make up for it next year. ;) And for all of you wondering if they have Black Friday here? They don't. Thank goodness. I have always admired those that are brave enough to leave the house on Black Friday. My sense of self preservation never did let me do that...

Anywho! Let's see where to begin with last week? Monday? Monday sounds logical...so! Monday! Monday was lovely. Sister Baxter and I hopped on the train out to Linz and met up with Laura and the Elders for...the Christmas Market! It was a grand old time. The Christmas markets here are adorable. As well as a little guady and overpriced...but! It just brings a fun little atmosphere to the air. Yesterday we went contacting near the Christmas market in Wels and mensch! I have ever seen so many people in one spot in this place since I got here! Unfortunately amidst the "hustle and bustle" it wasn't a great atmosphere for people to want to give us the time of day..but! We will keep on keeping on until we find the One!

Annnd besides Monday, the rest of the week was more or less a blur. Tuesday was Sister Baxter and I's last real day in Wels together. Annd we actually ended up spending most of it in Ried helping the Elders. But! It was good. And Wednesday we headed out to Munich. It was the weirdest feeling knowing that both of us were riding out there, and only one of us was coming back....oh, Sister Baxter. I may or may not have cried after she left. Hmph. It's so crazy to think that she is HOME! And what's crazier? That's gonna be me in just 6  months...

So! fast forwarding a little bit...."The verdict" with the new companion? First off, do you know what never ceases to amaze me about the mission? How dramatically our lives sometimes change at the transfer, and yet how quickly our new situation becomes completely "normal." I love Sister Baxter so much and have missed her like crazy, but already it feels like Sister Drury has been at my side for months. Crazy!  Speaking of Sister Drury, she is just a gem! Wow! Her German is already great, and she has a wonderful "go, go, go!" attitude! Sometimes I feel like I am running to keep up with her! But I have just loved her excitement, her energy, and her sincere desire to share the gospel with everybody! I am doing all I can to make sure that excitement doesn't diminish. Just think how great it would be if EVERY missionary had the "golden spirit" their WHOLE mission! Sister Drury has inspired me to unbury my own Golden Spirit. After our second day here in Wels we came home for the night and she said "Sister Bice...I am a little confused. I always heard that missions were "the hardest thing ever" but...I'm having fun....am I doing something wrong?" I must admit, I couldn't help but laugh a little, because it reminded me of myself at our interview last transfer. I assured her that if she was having fun, she was doing something RIGHT and encouraged her to hang on to that the rest of her mission. Because we are engaged in a great and marvelous AND Joyful work! On a side note, she is from Idaho (which means I have yet to ahve a comp from Utah), has red hair, AND is skinnier than me. For all you doubting Thomas's out there, I am being serious! She also brought exclusively pencil skirts on her mission, which has been a beast with the bikes (..have YOU ever ridden a bike in a pencil skirt? Well, I haven't..but sister Baxter did once, and she said it was hard too!) But! She is a great missionary and is only going to get better with time. :)
As for myself, I am also doing just dandy! I have been once again amazed at the help that the Lord has given me already in the last couple of days. Sometimes I think to myself "What? I can't do that!" But when I trust in the Lord, go forward with faith...well, He has yet to let me fall. Which doesn't necessarily mean He has yet to let me fail. But I am convinced He allows us those experiences just for the sake of our personal growth. :) Lately I have just been concentrating on trying to make my prayers more personal and my study time more meaningful. My mission is just absolutely flying by, and I know I will never get this time back, nor have another time like it in my life. I feel like I mostly have been just tapping into the wonderful resources available to me out here, so I have been trying to figure out how to make better use of them. Which! Is a little tricky but..es geht:)

Mensch. I am out of time. We have lots to do today. But! I hope you all know how much I love you! And how much I love being a missionary! What a blessing. Ich wünche euch alle eine Woche mit dem Herrn!

Until next week und mit lieben Grüßen,

Sister Bice