Dani - Alpine German-Speaking Mission

Catching Up

November 24
Last Monday we had a great p-day.  One of the members had a birthday so we went to a buffet to eat.  It was Chinese.  It tasted not so good, but we had a fun time.  We also had a family home evening appointment where we had an awesome time with this family.  We were there with the Elders and we learned a lot about the family and we ate some great food.  I am so grateful that we don't have to eat too crazy things here in Germany.

Last Tuesday after District meeting we went on exchanges with the Sister in Tübingen.  Sister Cook went there and I stayed here and Sister Gardner came to be with me here.  It is so nice to see past companions and we had a blast.  We even took some photos here together.  We now have pictures of us in 3 areas together even though we only served together in 1.  Super funny.  But she is doing really well and like I said we had a blast. We had an appointment that night with a less active and we took our new member with us as well.  We had a good lesson and they connected really well.  They both have babies that are 6 and 7 months.  They are really cute.  We enjoyed ourselves.

On Wednesday we went and say Frau B.  She is really struggling with her family right now and told us that she doesn't really want us to keep coming anymore due to the stress that it is putting on her family.  It is really sad because she really loves us and wants us to come, but because her family is really against is she has asked us not to come anymore.  We are going back one more time this week so Sister Cook can say goodbye since we were on exchanges.  We really love her, but sometimes you just have to respect people.  She is still reading in the Book of Mormon and doing well with it.  But all we can do is pray for her right now.  One day she will come back in contact with Missionaries and it will be wonderful.  

We also went and met with L who is 9 and really wants to be baptized, but due to some things going on it has been pushed back and back and back.  So we are working on getting her a date set up that will hopefully be before the end of the year.  She comes to church every Sunday with her Grandma.  She is really ready, it is just getting everything set up with the family and all.  But it will happen hopefully before I go home.  She really wants it so we are going to make it happen.  

On Thursday we came back together and we went to the M family.  They are doing sooooo good. We are really proud of them.  They are a part member family who was also a bit inactive when we got here. Now they have been coming every week for the past 5 weeks.  This past Sunday they didn't have a ride and they woke up early and took the train.  It was so wonderful. The husband is interested in the church he just wants to move slow.  Something really cool happened though.  We asked if we could help them with anything and they told us that we could come back on Friday for breakfast to eat with the husbands daughter.  So we did and now we are teaching her.  She is really interested and really sweet.  We were so excited.  It was a miracle. 

We have also been taking around invitations to the Ward Christmas party to less actives and we had a really great experience.  We called a less active a few weeks ago and she said she was busy and not sure if we could come by.  We decided to just go by even though they live far away so that we could deliver the invitation.  The husband answered the door and was really nice.  He was really excited to receive the invitation and said that he hopes they can come.  We talked a little about the area where he lives and he said that he would love to drive us to the two castles that are around where he lives (which we really want to go to ) and we were so excited.  He said to call and in the next few weeks we can all go together.  It was so amazing that they went from not really being friendly to inviting us to go on a p-day to do something with them.  That will help us make a relationship and then we can help them feel the love of the ward as well.  It was amazing.  

On Sunday was the Primary Program.  It was such a great experience.  I loved it.  We have a lot of primary kids as well.  So it was so good.  I also got to see some people from home on Sunday. Crazy who you meet.  They have family in our ward and he picked Elder Gray up from his mission and then came to visit the family before flying home.  Crazy who you see.  It was weird to have my two worlds colliding though.  Home and mission life come together. Kind of funny. 

I hope you all have a very happy Thanksgiving!!!  It should be so wonderful to come together and thank God for all that He has given us!!!  I love you all!!

Sister Poll

 

 

Nov 30

 Hallo Liebe Familie!!!

 

Monday was wonderful.  We had interviews with President and got to talk to him.  It was really nice.  We talked a little about all of you at home and I showed him some pictures.  It is always really nice to talk with President.  We then had a great Family home evening with a family and sang some songs.  It is so great to be able to spend some time with members.  

Wednesday we were back on exchange with the Stuttgart Sisters.  So we were there again.  We had a really great time.
Thursday was Thanksgiving and I did manage to get some pumpkin pie.  :)  Wonderful missionary senior couples made a huge thanksgiving lunch for us and they have access to the military base so it was just like home.  Super good food.  Unfortunately our dinner appointment for that evening fell out due to the trains not running.  I hate when that happens.  So we had to cancel and then we were out on the streets instead.  But we had a good time nonetheless.  We were actually a little glad we couldn't go because we were not hungry since we had Thanksgiving.  It was a good day.

Friday and Saturday nothing too exciting happened.  We had a great time with some members and we were out finding quite a lot this week.  But it was a great experience.  We loved it.
Cool story from Sunday.  A family came in that we had never seen before.  After the first hour (they came a little late and snuck in) we went up to them and started talking with them.  It was really hard because they speak basically only Portuguese....  Their grandson was with them and translating as best he knew how.  During Sunday school I basically just talked with them through Google Translate. (What a blessing that thing is)  And found out that they are actually members and have been wanting to come to church.  We are going to start helping them learn German and it will be a fun and interesting experience.  But it was really awesome that they just showed up to church and they seem like a really cool family.  They stayed for all three hours even though they don't understand anything.  And they invited us over to eat on Thursday....  It will be really interesting.  Sometimes I just hate that language barrier.  But what can you do.  Open google translate and say a prayer.  :)

Later that evening we went and did some genealogy with someone that we doored the other day.  She loves genealogy and we were helping her.  Unfortunately we also have a language barrier with her and we were really trying to help her, but She speaks only a little German and Russian....  So ja.  Sometimes difficult.  But you just smile and keep on using hand signals.  That is always the way to go.  :)  I learned this week how much I would love it if we could all just communicate with one another.  One day it will happen. 

Love 

Sister Poll

 

 

 

Dec 7

Well hello there everyone.  I hope you have had a wonderful week.  Ours has been so full and crazy but we have loved it.  It is a riot.  Let me run you through what happened.  Try to keep up with me.  :)

Monday we went to one of the best Christmas Markets (Weihnachtsmarkt) that I have ever been to in my life.   We then went and had a wonderful family home evening with a cute older couple and the elders in our ward.  It was wonderful and so spiritual.  They are a rocking family.  And he was driving us home and one of our other members called us asked for a blessing.  So we pulled an emergency and he drove us all there and then after drove us home.  We got home late, but it was such a blessing that he was driving us.  Otherwise it would have been impossible.  And they really needed a blessing.  It was so good.  We are so grateful to the Weber family.  I love them.  

Tuesday we had some great appointments.  We didn't have our district meeting because we had our zone conference this week for Christmas.  I will tell you more about that.  But we went and saw our investigator who has been reading the book of Mormon so well.  She is at the end of Alma.  Unfortunately her family is really against her meeting with us and she asked up this time not to come back.  It is causing a lot of strain in the family and she doesn't want it.  Plus she feels like she knows the bible really well and is learning on her own and that we should use our time to help others who aren't as far along as she is....  We tried to tell her that we want to help her too, but we have to respect her decision as well.  It broke our hearts though.  She is like our grandma and she loves when we come over.  And we love going.  But we can't do anything but pray now.  She is still reading the Book of Mormon so hopefully she sees the truth when she comes to the end and she will have the courage to do something about it.  We also met with some other wonderful people.  

We did some Genealogy with I this week in Russian and German.  It was interesting.  But we made it.  It was super fun.  We were also able to share the new Christmas video with her and talk about God a little through Google Translate.  It was interesting.  But we love her.  It was really good.  On Wednesday we had an awesome day.  It was so great.  And we talked about the new Christmas video and how we can use it better in our work.  If you haven't seen it, watch it.  It is really great.  It is on Christmas.mormon.org.  It is really good.  I challenge you to share it with a friend.  We also watched Silent Night.  It was so great to see where that song comes from.  But it was really strange to watch a normal person movie while being a missionary....  Sister Cook and I got a little ancy.  So funny.  

Thursday was also really busy.  We had some great appointments and Friday was also really good.  We have been really busy all week.  It is the best problem to have as a missionary.  :)  We got to see S this week and he is doing good.  Just really busy.  He wants to learn more before he commits to being baptized.  Hopefully he will make time to meet with us more so he can learn more.  haha.  But he is doing really good.  N is also doing amazing.  She is wonderful.  She emailed us and said she has gotten a call for a job here in Germany and she will hear more later.  Keep her in your prayers that she gets the job!!  And she loves the ring that you sent and we sent her a true to the faith as well.  She reads it every day on the train.  And she is sharing the gospel with all her friends.  She is amazing.  

Saturday was really warm. So Sister Cook took her Viola out and she played by the Weihnachtsmarkt and I talked to people.  We found a really cool guy that we are going to meet with this week.  It was so much fun!!!  I am glad that Sister Cook had the idea.  

Sunday was emotional and crazy.  We had so many people ask us if we had time to come over and meet with them this week.  It was crazy.  We just can't fit everyone in.  They all want to say goodbye to Sister Cook.  We are booked until she leaves.  We don't even need to buy groceries this week because we also have an eating appointment on Thursday and Friday.  But Sunday was really great.  We also got to go over and eat with the Bishops family and they are wonderful.  I love them a lot.  They are really funny.  We were happy to have an appointment after fast Sunday.  And it was so good.  We had a great day.  We were really busy.  We also met with a new person who we are hoping will keep meeting with us.  She is really cool.  We found her going through our area book a few weeks ago.  She is super awesome and we are excited to start teaching her.  It will be awesome.  

So as you can see our week was totally jam packed and this week is even more so.  We love it.  It will be a crazy and wonderful week.  The Christmas season is starting.  I love it.  People are more open to talk about the Gospel and we are able to help people come closer to Christ.  Share the video with someone and help them see what Christmas is all about.  I love you all and hope that you have a wonderful week!!!

Love Sister Poll