Dani - Alpine German-Speaking Mission

Help We Are Lost!!!

So family sounds like you had a great week.  Wow.  I really missed out on Easter this year....  It is not a thing here to search for eggs.  So that is something I haven't seen or anything.  They have no idea what they even are unless they have been to America.  But that's ok.  We haven't really done anything exciting for Easter yet, but I know that we are going to have conference next weekend which will be amazing.  I can't wait for conference!!  It will be amazing.  PREPARE YOURSELF!!!  It is coming!!  Spiritual enlightenment coming your way!!!  We are so excited. 

Some random moment, we just received a referral right now.... We get referrals over text and email now, and I just got one while I am talking to you!!!  Super exciting.!!  Can't wait to check that out. :)

Haven't been able to see the woman's conference yet.  We are going to watch it before the Saturday session because here everything is delayed.  We will watch the woman session at around 4 our time here and then at 6 we watch the Saturday morning session.  Then on Sunday is the priesthood session around 11 or so and then the Saturday afternoon session at 2ish and then the elders have their baptism!!! then the Sunday morning at 6.  We won't get to see the Sunday afternoon session until who knows when.  When we make time for it.  But We are really excited. :)

This last week was really great.  I was on exchanges in Vienna.  I was with a missionary in her first transfer.  She speaks only a  little bit of German and let me just tell you I feel for her.  I remember back to that time and how hard it was to talk to people when you have no idea what they are saying.  But she does great.  She really has no fear to talk to people, she just looks at me to translate.  :) it was really quite fun actually.  Even though we were finding most of the day.  :) And for sport in the morning we went running.  I am so out of shape, but as we were running I had this crazy thought.  "I am running through Vienna, Austria right now... Who would have ever thought I could say that?"  Cross that off the bucket list!!  But then the next day when we went running we got lost for about 20 minutes.  It was really good that we had the phone with us cuz we had to call the elders to find where we were to get back to our house... Embarrassing but also so so funny.  Love being a missionary.  Tried to ask some people on the street, but they didn't know where the street was we were looking for, plus they probably saw how red my face was and thought I was a crazy person.  We ran for about an hour.  About 3-4 miles we think... So needless to say I am sore.  Then we played Frisbee with the young single adults this week for a couple hours.  That also made me sore.  So my body is taking a beating.  I really need to start getting serious about morning sport...

That was the biggest thing about this week.  I was really excited to be in Vienna.  I like to visit, but I would be happy to never serve there.  It is a huge city with a lot of people and just kind of dirty.  I would love to come back and see it one day and all the tourist things that you don't have time to do as a missionary, but I never want to live there.  Kind of like New York.  Fun to see, but not fun to stay.  In my mind anyway.  :)

This next week will be really fun.  We have some great appointments set up with members.  We really don't have any investigators right now... We are doing a lot of finding. The only person we really teach is an awesome girl from Hungry, named Kira.  And we are just teaching her English right now.  But we are talking more and more about the gospel every time we meet.  So that is nice.  :) Just pray that the people here will soften their hearts.  :)
This saturday before conference is transfer calls.  We think we are getting separated, but you never know.  I will let you know next Monday for sure what is happening.  Most likely I will stay in Graz and Sister B will head somewhere else.  But really at this point we don't know.  But we are meeting with members this week in preparation for her leaving.  We won't have time to say goodbye to people really next week because we have to go back to Vienna on Tuesday and Monday is p-day and everything.  So ja.  But other than that nothing too exciting this week. 

I really want you all to look at the new Easter video.  You may have seen it already.  It just came out on the 28th.  It is fantastic.  Watch it and share it with someone.  It really puts into perspective what Easter is all about and what we celebrate.  Sometimes I find myself getting caught up in Holidays and forgetting why we have them in the first place.  Remember to keep God first in your thoughts.  He loves you and is there with you every step of the way.  Jesus Christ went through the Atonement so that we can live with Heavenly Father again.  Don't let that gift go to waste.  Use it.  None of us are perfect.  I really know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true.  I know the Book of Mormon is true and it brings us closer to God and our Savior Jesus Christ.  Remember to keep God first in your life.  He is the most important thing. I love you all.  Thank you for your strong example.  You all really mean the most to me.  I really love that I have the opportunity to be here and serve a mission.  This gospel changes peoples lives.  Never forget that.  I love you all and pray for you always.  Thanks for all that you do!!