Monday, September 15, 2014

Hallo Familie!!!
So I am in Germany and needless to say it is overwhelming.  Everything is new, and I don't understand a thing.  I am having the moment from the best 2 years when he says This isn't the language I learned in the MTC.  I recognize bits and pieces, but overall I just smile and nod when my companion nods.  It is a struggle.  My companion is really great though.  She is from Mongolia and she speaks really good German and English (thank goodness).  I am so grateful that we can communicate, although I would probably learn faster if she only spoke German to me.  But I still feel myself improving every day.  It is just a lot harder out in the field.  I am scarred to talk to people first of all because I don't want to disturb whatever they are doing, but then add to that that I understand almost nothing of what they say so then I really don't want to talk to people.  My companion always says, ok you are going to talk to this person coming toward you.  Or talk with this person on the bus.  I am getting better, but I still need that push every time.  And then after I start the conversation she takes over cuz I have no idea what they are saying.  It is my trial right now.  And we all know how patient I am.  But overall it really is great.
We had a referral this week who had ordered a book of Mormon online and so we went over to Nagold to take it to her.  When we got there we talked with her and asked if we could share a message.  we started with a prayer, and as soon as we finished the prayer we looked up and she had tears just streaming down her face.  She was crying through the whole lesson and said that she felt the spirit so strong.  She said she would read the Book Of Mormon and pray about it.  We asked her to come to church with us, but she has to work for the next few Sundays so that was really sad.  But we have stake conference this Saturday so we are hoping that she will come with us to that.  It was such a great experience.  I really hope she reads and prays and that she will receive an answer.  It would be so great if she would be baptized.  We asked her if she would if she came to know it was true and she said YES!  But sometimes people say that and then change their minds.  So pray that she doesn't.  My companion has been out for 9 months and hasn't had a baptism yet, and we are hoping that she will be her first.  It would be so great for her and for our investigator.  She said that she felt God had led us to her.  We are so excited!!  My companion really is great though cuz she gives me opportunities to bear my testimony or share about certain things that I can say.  She sets it up and then turns to me and says will you share about the book of Mormon or something like that.  
I also went to church yesterday and met the ward.  They are great.  I didn't understand really anything, so that was nice....  But it is amazing how the spirit is the same no matter where you are.  I may not have been able to understand, but I was so grateful for the calming and comforting spirit I could feel.  It just helps me to remember that the gospel really is true.  And when I feel the spirit in the lessons we teach, since my job is to help bring the spirit since I can't really help with lessons right now.  I now realize how important the spirit is and how much I need him.  There is no way that I can do this without God and the Holy Ghost.  And I know that they are right beside me every day.  
After church we went to eat at a members house and I had to prepare a spiritual thought to share.  In German.  It was ok, but it was really funny cuz I know that they all speak English too.  So I got stuck on a word that I didn't know and I turned to my companion and asked and the whole table told me what it was.  So that was strange.  But they all tell me my German is good.  I need to work on saying thank you to them instead of not believing them when they say it. But the food they gave us was so great!!  You have to eat a lot here so that you don't offend people, which is good and bad.  the food was but I have no idea what it was....  Then we had jello for dessert.  Yes jello is a dessert here.  Don't ask me how that works.  Lucky for me they asked if we liked ice cream and they gave me some of that as well.  I am defiantly going to gain weight here...  Then they also gave us some German chocolate, which is amazing by the way.  I will try to send some home, but my companion says it is a little expensive to receive and send packages, so don't worry about sending anything unless it is really important.  
Our address is
Sister Danielle Poll
Gartenstraße 9\1
72074 Tübingen
Germany
And letters would be greatly appreciated.  I miss you all a ton.  If any of you have any suggestions about how to get over fear of talking to people I could use any advice you could give.

I love you all so much and I appreciate all that you do for me.  I can feel your love and i appreciate the prayers that you send my way.  Ich weiß dass das Buch Mormon war ist.  Ich liebe meine Himmlische Vater und auch siene Sohn.  Ich weiß dass Jesus Christus für uns opfer.  Ich liebe euch.  
that is about all the German I know at this point.  Love you!!!
Sister Poll

And last but not least I need you to forward this to Grandpa cuz I really need his help.  
Grandpa, you will be so disappointed in me to know that I already don't know this information, but I know that you will know.  Where exactly in the world does our ancestry come from.  I have had a lot of people ask me and I didn't realize how important of a question this is.  Also if you could send me some information on how to begin family history work for beginners or tell me where to find it I would be so grateful.  Our investigator that we took the book of Mormon to is super interested in family history work and I want to be able to connect with her and help her this way, but I will admit that I am not so knowledgeable.  So i am grateful that I have you.  i wish you were here so you could help me and her, but I guess email will have to work.  I love you tons and I am so grateful for your support and love.
Sister Poll

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