Herbst

Hallo Leute!

Heading into my last week of being trained! Wow time goes fast..Deutschland gets even better everyday and the people get even more amazing! Happy Halloween also! 

Thanks mom for the Halloween package:) We had fun with the vampire teeth!

People

We were going to teach a man in Witten who ended up not being home so we went by another person who said she was busy and as we were walking back to the bus stop. We see a door that is covered with Halloween decorations and sister T said let's knock on that door! So we did and a woman answers and said "oh come on in!" We were a little surprised since most people tell us kein Interesse and close the door. But she let us in and asked us what makes us different from other churches. We spent the next hour talking to her a out the Book of Mormon, the Priesthood(power of God given to man) and about other Gospel topics. She was super cool and even though at the end she said she didn't want religion because she could believe stuff on her own, we gave her a Book of Mormon. A lot of people say they don't need church or religion. But we do! Our purpose is to learn and grow and one of the greatest commandments is to love others. So by going to church you exercise your belief and show your love to others by helping them build their faith too. Talking to her in Deutsch the whole time gave me a headache after but the words just flowed when I talked. So grateful for the gift of tongues!

Miracle

We were able to go to Münster on Wednesday to help out because one of the Sisters is sick and it was a miracle that we could even go considering how busy our weeks are. Just so happened that Wednesday was free. Münster is so beautiful!!!! It's known for all the bikes that are there and let me tell you, there were probably as many bikes as there were people there. All along the street were bikes and outside the Bahnhof had to be at least 1,000. Crazy!

Also they have a Catholic Church building that has cages up in the spire where they used to put people who didn't go to church. Pretty cool, probably not for the person that got put there. I taught the Restoration with Sister A and recited the first vision to this man named Bernard and it was a really cool moment because he wasn't distracted and listened intently as I recounted what Joseph Smith experienced. The rest of the time he would talk about his investments or other books, but in that moment I could tell he was feeling the Spirit. Really nice guy and offered to play a guitar in church on Sunday. Totally wish I was still in Münster for that! But Sister T and I headed back later that night. 

Word of the week: Herbst 

This is the word for Fall or Autumn. There are so many leaves covering the streets here and it's so beautiful! We played soccer today for p-day and it was amazing! I love Herbst! We live in such a beautiful world that a lot of times we take for granted. I invite you all to go outside and look around at the beauty!

Liebe Grüße 

Sister Farner

Freude

Hallo Leute! 

Diese Woche war ein bisschen komisch weil ich erinnern mich nicht Genau was hat passiert. Aber ich werde versuchen.

People

We taught in Spanish to a new convert! By teaching I mean using a lot of scriptures and google translate but lucky for us we have the gift of tongues which comes through Holy Ghost! This is absolutely vital in any lesson we teach because we don't know exactly what the person we are teaching is going through. Through the Holy Ghost we are prompted to share what will help them the most and gain an understanding of where they are at. The gift of tongues allows you to understand what they are saying and them to understand what we are saying. Something I am grateful for because I'm not perfect at speaking German or understanding German but through this gift I am able to understand what is needed and say what is needed. May not be perfect, but it's enough to help the other person understand the concept. Our Spanish lesson was a witness of that especially. We are going back this week too! Pretty weird transition but I'm praying a lot for help to remember my Spanish days at least a little bit.

We stopped by four member families this week also and each one strengthened my faith in the importance of working with members to bring others to the Truth. Two of the families we taught had pictures of ancestors on their walls and it was amazing to hear German history and what these people have overcome. Truly amazing getting to experience Germany from a non American history class in high school point of view. 

Food

I had fufu, I think that's how you spell it, it's an African dish that one of the Elder's investigators made for the young single adult night. We were able to be there also because our investigator made some Syrian food too! Both were so good. The fufu though made us cry because of how hot it was hahah; Sister Thurgood gave me her whole plate food because she can't do spicy. So here I am with this mound of food, straight up crying and my nose is running. Luckily the other people were experiencing the same around me but wow. 

Pday

We went hiking, more like exploring today and it was super fun and we found a huge abandoned building with graffiti so naturally we needed a picture. Deutschland is seriously so beautiful! Especially with all the rain we are getting now. Makes me so happy (and everyone else mad)! 

Zone training

We had our zone training on Tuesday which is all the missionaries in the Dortmund stake. Our focus is on the Atonement this month so all of the lessons were about it. What really stood out to me was a video we watch that is called "Missionary work and the Atonement". It had part of a talk by Elder Holland in it and he spoke about how missions are supposed to be hard because when Christ was on the earth He didn't have it easy either when he shared His Gospel. As missionaries we are now sharing the same Gospel, Jesus Christ taught on the earth and we will have to suffer because He suffered too. It's not always easy but it is worth it. There are times of discouragement and sadness but it is worth it. There are times when you miss home but it is worth it. It is worth every minute being here because I will never be able to repay Christ for what He has done for me, but I can take 18 months of my life and dedicate it to Him. Dedicate it and use it to help others see what Joy really is and help them turn their lives in the right direction. 

Word of the week: Freude

This word means Joy! I was reading a talk by Elder Richard G Scott from the April 1996 General Conference and he said "You are here on earth for a divine purpose. It is not to be endlessly entertained or to be constantly in full pursuit of pleasure. You are here to be tried, to prove yourself so that you can receive the additional blessings God has for you. The tempering effect of patience is required. Some blessings will be delivered here in this life; others will come beyond the veil" and he goes on to say that we can find joy in any trial. Just look at the trees or the sky or chocolate and think about all Heavenly Father has done for you, not what He hasn't. There is always a reason for things and there is no point of wallowing in self pity when you can find the more joyful things in life like serving others! I'd like to ask you all to do that this week, find joy even at the most difficult times, especially the most difficult times!

Liebe Grüße 

Sister Farner

Unbedingt

Hallo Leute!

Halfway done with this transfer which means only 3 more weeks until I'm done being trained!! Yay! Though I will still be being trained for the rest of my mission, it will be nicer not to have the label on me.

This week we did a split with the Sister Training Leaders, so that meant that Sister T went to Hamm with Sister Alves and Sister Litster came to Dortmund with me! I took over the area for the first time. Which basically resulted in me having to navigate all of Dortmund and make sure we were following our schedule, lead the lesson, and be in charge of our 10000000 year-old phone. But surprisingly we didn't get lost once (I always get lost) and we followed our schedule exactly. I'm convinced that was because I prayed probably more than I have ever before in my life and God made sure I didn't lose my mind! But it was a great experience because it showed me that I can take over the area if needed and gave me more confidence in myself, that I can Deutsch.

Miracle

When I was with Sister Litster we knocked on some apartment doors and we asked one man if he knew someone who would have more interest in learning about Christ. He pointed across the hallway and said "maybe my neighbor" so we walked over and knocked and heard keys shaking and a key scratching the door and knew the door opened and an old woman opened. She had to be around 90 years old and was hunched over. Cutest old woman ever. She was almost all the way blind and told us that she was in a lot of pain. We bore our testimonies that Christ knows what she is feeling and that He is right beside her. We shared a video, only two minutes, that spoke of Christ and who He is for us. She started crying right there on the doorstep and the Holy Ghost was so powerful. I started tearing up and asked her if we could pray and so I said a prayer and before we left she grabbed both of our hands and said thank you with tears in her eyes. Wow. To think all we did was ask the man across the hall if he knew anyone and he was led to tell us to speak to her. I'm forever amazed  by how well God knows us because we are His children and how well Christ knows us because of His sacrifice. But it's a lot more than knowing, They love us with a perfect love and want what is best for us always.

Food

So we decided it'd be a fun idea to put Nutella in pillsbury croissants in the oven and well hey would've have tasted even more amazing if we didn't burn them...but nevertheless they were Heavenly. We've gotten a lot better with making sure we have good food to eat, so tortillas and beans and rice...the Elders tell us we eat like poor people, but hey we got to save the money to buy Schokolade! 

Word of the week: unbedingt 

This word means absolutely. I absolutely know that I'm supposed to be here in Deutschland. The more I learn about the ward I'm in and the people around me the more I fall in love with this place and the people. The language I absolutely want to learn, yes it is hard, but I'm starting to like it:)

I absolutely think that there is nothing better I can do with my time than dedicate it to serving the Lord. Grateful jeden Tag for my Savior and for the relationship I have built upon with Him. He knows you all and I hope you can feel His love. I love how the Book of Mormon testifies of Him.

In Mosiah 14:3-5 it says

3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

  5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Remember this when you are overwhelmed, when you are hurting, when you don't think anyone understands. He does! I know it for a fact! He has been through it all and is there for us at all times, we just need to reach out.

Andere Dinge

Sister T fell down the stairs, I mean like slid on her knees down the stairs, like she was playing an air guitar. We don't really know how it happened and her shoes were just chilling on the top stair. She's good now but does have some pretty gnarly bruises.

We walked 13 miles in 3 days.

The ward mission leader's daughter is really good with hair and did mine and sister T's on Sunday!

Liebe Grüße!

Sister Farner

Hallo Leute!

I've been on my mission for 3 months....what the? So crazy!! Learning more and more each day!

And Sister T and I literally think the same now and it's freaky. It's like we're twins but she's short and has blonde hair and blue eyes and ya. But just now I was like "don't forget to write about this thing that happened this week and she was like, I'm literally writing that right now!" Hahahah sehr lustig.

 

People

- One of our investigators literally blew our minds this week, we met with him for the second time and at the end of the lesson he talked about how there are two paths in life, one that is seemingly hard and the other that is seemingly beautiful, that has horses and flowers, etc. then he compared it to the gospel. He said that God's way is hard at first but when you are on the path it gets easier, it doesn't mean that everything is perfect after we follow Him, but it's enough to bear.  Then he said the devil's way is the one that's seemingly beautiful, but as you go down that path you start to realize you aren't as happy as you could be and you make decisions that affect you so much and make you feel awful inside. He said this and I was like wow, you are awesome! He knows so much already and he's ready and willing to be baptized because he knows as we follow Christ, we will return to God. The devil's way doesn't bring everlasting joy, only temporary happiness at most.

 

- We had stopped by an old folks home to talk to a less active and we got in there (met with her 5 times at least) and she thought I was new missionary and then when I talked to her she said she couldn't understand me. I felt like I hit a wall. After that appointment we were walking down the street and I stopped a woman and she didn't understand me, even after repeating myself. Then Sister T said the same thing and she understood her. After we got to the bahn and I was pretty freaked out because I thought somehow I got sent back to my first week being here and couldn't speak German. I prayed in my head to Heavenly Father for peace and to help me overcome this obstacle and to keep helping others come unto Christ and to forget myself and go to work. We get off the bahn and I see this woman coming towards me and I feel in my heart, I need to stop her, but I paused because I was afraid she wouldn't understand, but I shook that thought off and went up to her and asked her if she knew about the Book of Mormon.  She had heard about it, and so I bore testimony of the truthfulness of it and I don't remember what else I had said, but she accepted a copy of it and we got her number to set up an appointment! Wow she was so excited about it too! This was a real testimony builder to me because it's easy to think about yourself and what you lack and what stinks and ya. But when you truly set your problems aside and do what the Lord wants you to do, you see miracles, you are happier and it all works out in the end when you trust in Him.

 

Miracle

- This was crazy. So we had just finished a meeting with the Elders and the zone leaders asked us to give a miracle story in zone training in 2 weeks. We have miracle stories but nothing really stuck out. So we got home and I had found these two hideous and 10x too big dresses that I thought would be fun to try on during our getting ready for bed time. So we tried them on and literally died from laughter, as we were laughing, the phone rings and it's from an unknown number. Sister T answered and this woman said she had found our card when she was moving her ex boyfriend's stuff out of her house, she had been looking at a bible and moved it and the card was in her lap. She picked it up and said she felt like it was a sign to call the number and that is why she was talking to us. Her ex had found the card in the street outside the apartment and kept it. Wow. We have a lesson with her this week and I'm so excited. To think that at that time were trying on ugly dresses made me wonder if they are lucky. But miracles exist.

Word of the week: Salami

It means Salami, surprise! This was more of a funny story... Sister T und ich habe pizza night every Freitag and our pizza was pretty hot, so she thought it'd be a good idea to hang the pizza outside the window, well let's just say the toppings may have slipped off..and Salami was the topping. I looked out and since we are on the 3rd floor, there were a few places it could have landed. And well let's just say it landed on our neighbors window sill with a splat haha so for a few days there was a piece of Salami chilling outside their window aber now there is just a red spot of where it landed....moral of the story don't hang your pizza out the window...

On a more spiritual thought to end the update, General Konferenz talks are up online and I seriously am so happy that I can read them! One that stood out to me even more was the Prophet, Thomas S Monsons talk on the Plan of Happiness. My favorite part was where he says 

"Essential to the plan is our Savior, Jesus Christ. Without His atoning sacrifice, all would be lost. It is not enough, however, merely to believe in Him and His mission. We need to work and learn, search and pray, repent and improve. We need to know God’s laws and live them. We need to receive His saving ordinances. Only by so doing will we obtain true, eternal happiness" Faith requires action! If we truly want to return to Heavenly Father, we need to make the effort to do so! 

 

Love you all lots! Bis nächste Woche!

Sister Farner

Veränderung

First week done of the 2nd transfer! Let's just say so much happened this week that I'm still processing it all. But hopefully I get the good things written! So transfers happened and the new Elders came in! I was thinking, yay I won't be the new missionary anymore considering Elder Ault is now training a new Elder. But of course the new Elder, Elder Apel happens to be from East Germany, fluent in German and can't speak English. So yep I'm still the new one. Elder Regehrs new companion, Elder Rowe, is from Cali and has been out for a while, he has 2 more transfers after this one, so he's old too. But now our district meetings are all auf Deutsch and I get to practice German so much more with Elder Apel and he corrects me every time which is helpful even though he corrects basically every sentence...hahaha Deutsch.

 

People

So we went on a bus, like everyday, but Sis F sat next to someone who she was talking to and there wasn't a seat for me so I went and sat by myself, then an old woman came on with a walker and sat in front of me. I talked to her and told her I liked her scarf and then we talked about what I was doing here and where she was from and before she got off she takes her scarf off and hands it to me and says "ein geschenk" which means a present and I was so shocked and she left it in my lap so I gave her a pass along card and she got off and she waved to me with the pass along card in hand. Such a cute old woman and wow I teared up to be honest..people here are so nice and genuine! 

 

General Conference

Wow. General Conference was spectacular. We got to watch all of the sessions beside the Sunday Evening one. But in every talk I was like hey this is directed at missionaries or this is for sure in Preach my Gospel and I was so surprised on how it had to do with missionary work, then I realized missionary work has to do with teaching the Gospel and General Conference has talks that talk about the Gospel so...hahaha of course they'd go hand in hand. Anyways my Lieblings anspracht was Elder Dallin H. Oaks talk about the ways we can better share the Gospel. What stood out to me in particular is when he said that we should first bring others to Christ and their testimony of the Church will come. That totally was an Aha moment because our purpose as missionaries to invite others to come unto Christ and yet I had not really focused as much on that when I went and talked to people about the Church. I would say that "what we do as missionaries is teach people what we believe and help them strengthen their relationship in God"  but that isn't the whole thing that we as missionaries do. Jesus Christ is at the Center and I know that He has made the way for us to return to God, to become better and to be free from the guilt and pain that sin and sorrow brings. He is my best friend and no matter what I go through each day He is always by my side. I want everyone to know that and I'm trying harder each day to bring people to Him. Knowing He is our Redeemer paves the way to repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost and enduring to the End, some of the essentials in order to have Eternal joy!

Ich liebe dies Evangelium! 

 

German Things 

Oktober fest! I mean only the one in Hörde, but nevertheless it was so cool! We pet sheep, threw ninja stars and knives, ate churros with Nutella and cheese and noodles(the German word for this is way too hard to spell...) super fun though and wow so cool! Ich liebe Deutschland!

 

 

Sister T and I also happened to walk by corn fields which was pretty cool and it was awesome until it got dark and Sister T started talking about horror movies and ya not a good idea..

 

I got a package from my mom and it was awesome and came just in time for General Conference! I brought sour patch kids to the Church and gave some to some Native German missionaries who could barely handle the sourness hahaha sehr lustig hahahaha

 

Word of the week: 

Veränderung which means change

Just because our district is a lot different and General Conference leads me to change a lot of who I am now and to make me a better missionary. I hope everyone got to see Conference, I went in with questions and all of them were answered. Such a cool thing! 

 

Have a fantabulous week!

 

Liebe große

Sister Farner