Liebe Familie und Freunde,
So! You are probably all wondering about transfer calls. Or more likely than not, you have better things to wonder about, and you forgot that last week was transfer calls until reading this sentence just now...but! At any rate...transfer calls..Whenever we get transfers, I can't help but think of the song, "I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord.." Or, in my case, "I'll stay where you want me to stay.."
That's right! I, Sister Bice, have the privilege of staying another 5 weeks here in Wels, Austria. And!
I couldn't be happier.
I will be honest, I didn't ever really think I was going anywhere. I just..don't feel like I'm done yet? Either I need Wels or Wels needs me a little longer. My only fear? I am already too attached to these people. Another 5 weeks isn't going to help my case...
So! While I didn't really see myself going, I didn't really see what was coming either. I kinda figured sister Drury and I would stay for another round here together. But! Surprise! On Thursday, Sister Drury will be packing out and heading to Vienna to work with....Sister Schulze. My dear Sister Schulze! Mensch! I am so excited. Sister Schulze is one of my favorite people in the world. They'll take good care of each other. :) It's pretty funny. She'll send my trainer home..crazy.
As for me? Well, I'm not getting a new companion.
.....I'm getting two.
Yep! Ready or not wels, here we come! I don't actually know either of them. Sister Judd (Who by the way was also trained by Sister Schulze..cool) is from Las Vegas and currently serving with my Mission Twin, Sister Smart. I have no doubt that I will lvoe her. :) And Sister Leben is definitely..german! She is actually going on a mission somewhere in the states, but is serving with us until her Visa is approved. I am excited to have a german comp again! I have no idea how long she will get to stay with us, but I will love her for as long as she does! At any rate, we have a lot to do to get the apartment ready for 3 sisters but..it'll be great. And of course working as a threesome will be..different. But! Change is good. It usually hurts, but it's for the best. IT is the change in our lives that keeps us on our toes and makes us grow. I will certainly miss Sister Drury, but! The Lord knows best. I hope that Sister Leben and Sister Judd are excited to come and serve in Wels. I am sure they will grow to love it just as much as I have.:)
So! The work in Wels is just trucking along. Slowly, but surely. Sister Drury and I have really been searching for new investigators lately, and have really enjoyed teaching the ones that we have found. Danny is doing great and progressing, we just can't seem to get him to come to church. He says every week that he is coming but alas, he hasn't yet. But! We are certainly working on it. He did however say that if he felt that what we are teaching him is true, he would get baptized. We are excited about his progress and praying that the spirit continues to testify to him of the truthfulness of our message and the joy that comes from it. :) Other than that we had a crazy (aka normal) week. Tuesday we were in Salzburg for another GREAT zone meeting.Thursday we were in Schärding for finding day. We had to eat blood sausage...again. I gave a talk in sacrament. We found a lot of potential investigators! And we laughed lots. :)
Last week I hit my "one year in the field mark" and did a lot of reflecting. Sister Schulze sent me a letter last week with a quote that I loved: "Missions don't change you, they shape you." I love that.I fell like in the last year, I have been pulled, pinched, stretched..shaped. And yet, I am still little old me. I am myself, but a better self. When I think back on the people I've met and the lessons I have learned the last year, I can't even imagine not having spent it here in Germany and Austria. I guess of all that I have learned, I have learned the most about..myself. Yep, the whole deal has been more or less a giant "journey of self". When I was in Göppingen I got a blessing from my district leader in which he said, "Your mission is there to show you all the things you can do, and not the things you can't do because/though others can.." I am really grateful for that lesson. I have learned so much about my abilities, my capabilities, my relationship with the Lord, about love, about, well, a lot of things. My mission has helped me discover myself, through serving others. My talents, personality, strengths, weaknesses...me. It has also taught me to love all of those things. To love myself for the things I am and also for the things I'm not. To love myself and others as Christ loves each one of us. And most importantly? My mission has taught me that we can change. My mission experiences have shaped me and helped me start the foundations of conversion that will undoubtedly help me throughout my whole life and in the eternities. And the best part? It's not over yet! I still have 4 whole months. :)
I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Soo I know this is already long, but I have to share my favorite take-aways from Zone training! Our zone leader, Elder Szvoboda, said something I found to be profound. He said "Try to find out who you are, and really radiate that." I feel like so much of our lives are wasted in trying to become something we're not. Which is a pity. If we all spenta little more time and energy trying to becomes our best selves and stopped worrying about becoming a mediocre version of somebody else's self, just think of the good we could accomplish.
Annd I am sure a lot of you have heard this, but Elder Weidman shared a cute little saying about TRIUMPH. Notice the first 3 letters...Try! But it doesn't end there. We need something else. We need a little UMPH! He compared it to James 1:5-6. James 1:5 is the try, but James 1:6 is the umph! Yes, we can always ask of God, and yes, He will always answer. But we need to ask in faith, nothing wavering! We need a little umph! So! Fear not to do good! And if at first you don't succeed, just try giving it a little "umph". :)
Ok I know I know this is long..don't worry, I'm finished. ;) I love you all! I hope you all have a wonderful week! Bis nächste Woche!
Love,
Sister Bice
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