Frühling liegt in der Luft!

Hallo Leute,

This week was great and the weather helped! The sun is shining, I don't need to wear tights, the church is true, what isn't there to love?

We had a missionary leadership counsel meeting on Friday for like 6 hours so we traveled down to Offenbach from Dortmund, which was 2 hours. We needed to wake up at 6 am in order to catch a bahn at 6:30 to the main station to catch our other bahn at 6:53 and we woke up at 6:23.... and sprinted around our apartment haha Sis Williams said "just grab a dress and go" we didn't haha we changed and got ready in like 30 seconds and raced out the door to the train station. The station is normally 10 minutes away but we made it there in 3 and ended up catching a different train that got us to the main station at 6:50 and we caught our train!!! That was a wild morning..never been more awake in my life. But I did learn that praying before you leave is really important because we did that and Sis W prayed that we'd make it on time and we did! Simple testimony build right there:) The meeting was good. I felt pretty out of place considering I've only served in Dortmund and so I didn't know like any of the other sister training leaders or zone leaders haha but there were a lot of people from my old Distrikt way back when, Elder Regehr and Elder Ault! It was cool to catch up with them! We got a picture of all the people who serve or served in Dortmund(the best place ever).

We went on Sunday, to pick up one of our investigators, Sussan. She forgot to turn her clock forward an hour so we ended waking her up haha whoops and she got ready real fast and we made it to church only 15 min late! Not too shabby. She is seriously a wonderful person and we taught her about prophets the other day and how we have General Conference coming up and she was like "when and where!?!" She also just said the prayer to start the lesson instead of us asking to do so and she has a huge desire to be baptized on the 15th. The gospel really changes people and I have seen it change her as she comes to church, as she prays, as she reads in the scriptures, etc. President Stoddard told us that we can tell if someone is converted by their actions and what they do with what we teach. She has invited multiple friends to join in lessons and has asked super great questions on what she can improve on. Ah it's so cool! She really wants to follow Christ and do what she needs to do to return to live with God again. I'm grateful that I have the opportunity to teach her and, through the Spirit, let her know what she needs to do to become what God wants her to be:)

We stopped by a family that consists of the parents who only speak Arabic and their 5 daughters all under the age of 11. Seriously this family is adorable. We were blessed to run into one of the elders investigators who can speak Arabic, German and English and asked him on the fly if he could come with us and translate and he said he could! It was seriously so helpful! We start the lesson and the father was pretty set on his belief that there is no Christ and then as we went through the Atonement more he changed.  We shared Alma 7:11-13:

11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his

people.

12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to

the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.

And that's when his demeanor changed. At the end of the lesson we asked if we could come by another time to talk more about the Atonement and he said we could! The Atonement is real. Without it we would be suffering with all our sins, sorrows, grief, etc. But because of Christ and what he accomplished, we can be happy! We can be free from that which pulls us down. I know that I'm here to bring people to this knowledge, to bring people to Christ as they believe in Him, as

they exercise that faith through repenting and being baptized and by receiving the Holy Ghost to direct them back to their Heavenly home. What a joy it is to bring souls to Christ! I'm grateful for this work for the opportunity to serve the Lord every day!

Ah! So happy and blessed to be in Deutschland!

Liebe Grüße,

Sister Farner

Das Evangelium Jesu Christi macht mich glücklich

Hallo Leute,

This week was interesting. I had my first split as a STL and didn't blow it! I went with Sis Spaeth from my MTC group and we split after Zone Conference. Zone conference was awesome! We rolled in 30 min late because of my sad attempt of clicking the button for the train and the door not opening and Sis Williams and I sadly watching the train drive off. Ahhh good times...that happens way too much! 

Zone conference. I saw so many people from my MTC group and I can't believe it has been 8 months since the last time I saw them...time! It goes tooo fast! We watched the new Easter initiative and got super excited for Easter! I can't believe it's already that time of the year...blows my mind!

On the way back from Düsseldorf, Sis Spaeth and I talked to a man about the church and he was pretty adamant on saying that Christ didn't die for our sins and how impossible that was and it was a

perfect place to tell him my testimony of Christ. It didn't change his mind or anything but I think sometimes when we are out here bearing our testimonies every day we get in a routine and sometimes don't say it from the heart. But when we do speak from the heart there is so much power behind it. During this conversation I noticed another man that kept looking over at us and so I asked him if he believed in Christ and he ended up being interested in meeting with us! He said he had seen me earlier with Sister Williams and was surprised to see me again #weweremeanttocontacthim. It's amazing to see how God works among his children. He places the prepared people in our path and we

just need the courage to open our mouth and preach the good word! I'm constantly learning how important it is to be obedient to the spiritual promptings He gives us and have seen so many miracles from doing that!

Grateful to be here, grateful to serve the Lord and I'm grateful that I have the knowledge of the gospel and that I can share it with others!

Liebe Grüße

Sister Farner

Dortmund ist meine zweite Heimat

Hallo Leute!

Lots of change this week! Sister Kleiner's visa didn't come so she got sent to Darmstadt and I'm still in Dortmund for my 6th transfer! Aw..I'm so happy I'm still here I love this place so much and there are so many wonderful people we are working with I'm thankful that God let me stay a little bit longer!

I got called as an STL(Sister Training Leader) which means I will be going on splits with all the sisters in our zone and helping them out! I'm super excited:) I miss Sister Kleiner a lot!

But I got an awesome new companion too, so I can't complain. Sister Williams is my new companion and she's from Texas, she's super chill and such an amazing missionary! I've already learned so much from her. She has been out for a year!

Goodbye Sister Kleiner

Hello Sister Williams

I received some sad news about one of my friends who passed away this week. Christine was such a nice person and super funny too! I have great memories of her in Young Woman's and my love goes out to her families and friends. It really struck me how unpredictable life is and how short it is.

We've been talking to people a lot this week about the Plan of Salvation and what a wonderful plan it is! My good friend Richard is preparing to be baptized in the beginning of April and we were talking to him and his friend about the Plan of Salvation. We told him about the celestial kingdom and compared it to this nice big beautiful and delicious cake. He told us he wants to eat that cake haha but his friend was like, well I think I'd be fine in the Terrestrial kingdom with Christ. Then Richard told him "I want to eat my cake beside you in the celestial kingdom, not give you the scraps in the terrestrial" hahah..I died laughing. True any of the kingdoms are great but we all want to be with God and with Christ not just with one. It really made me so excited for Richard! He loves the Plan of Salvation and that he can see his mom again! And it really is such a beautiful plan and a happy plan and when we lose our loved ones so soon we have the knowledge that we can see them again! How great is that!? Sure we need to wait some time. But we will have the opportunity to see them! I know that!

There's been lots of change in our district too and we got two new Elders, Elder Lewis from Orten and Elder Williams(yes another Williams) from Australia! They are both awesome! So excited for this next Transfer and to helping people come closer to Christ! Plus the sun is out and I don't have to wear tights or boots anymore so I'm a pretty happy missionary!

Liebe Grüße

Sister Farner

Geduld...

Hallo Leute,

Yes so...my companion is still here!!! Yay and nein. She was supposed to leave on Monday and Sister Williams was supposed to come on Tuesday but Sis K's visa didn't come on Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday or Thursday and today we found out it's back at the consulate so maybe Sis K will leave tomorrow. Keine Ahnung but this week was interesting because we couldn't have our plans too set.

Saturday was a miracle, we set two baptismal dates and I recited the First Vision in English twice...man, I had some help there because wow, my English is rusty. But I'm so excited for Richard and Suzan and we talked to president that night and he said Sis K and I are a dynamite team. So maybe she will stay with me another Transfer...:))) who knows.  

Life is crazy at the moment. Sunday a man came to church who got a card from us a month ago and then decided to come to the address. Now the elders are teaching him! The little things really do make a big difference. You never know what will happen when you hand out a pass along card, but when you put that effort out there God has room to work miracles. 

Tuesday was spent helping the twins with their English homework. I mean I tried helping. Let's be honest;  I learned more about English than she did hahaha but it was so cool! Never imagined I'd be doing that ever in my life!

Missions are so amazing!!! Ah! Life is good and the Church is true! Never been so happy in my life! Ya it's hard sometimes, but hey that's what chocolate is for;)

Liebe Grüße

Sister Farner

bis später

Hallo Leute!

Ja this week...
Monday we went to Frankfurt to get Sister K's Visa and well ja haha our train was detoured another hour so we were on it for 3 hours going along the Rhein river and wow Germany is beautiful! There are a lot of little Dorfs in the hills by the river and ah I love this place! When we got to Frankfurt we went to the American consulate where I sat outside as sis K entered into Amerika. I'm not totally positive if I was on American soil but I heard a lot of English coming from Amerikan people and it weirded me out...I was like wait. I'm in Germany! Who are these people? Haha needless to say I was happy to leave. But ja Sis K got her Visa! And no. She may be leaving next week for Amerika and we both are really sad about it:( But hey my friends living in Utah, you can say hi to her on Temple Square in like 2 months!!

We met with Hannah on Friday and wow she is awesome! She's around our age and really wants to follow Christ. She asked us if her baptism is still valid that she had when she was 3 and we said no because the authority wasn't there and she said well then I need to get baptized again then right? We were like uhhh Ja!! Sis K extends a baptismal date on April 8th and she said yes! She really wants to become more like Christ and to serve others like He did and knows that by being baptized she can be free from her guilt and follow the Savior. Then we found out that she doesn't live in our area...and now the Hamm sisters will be teaching her. It kind of crushed us because we found her and have taught her a few times and she is progressing so much and we want to be there every step for her. She's so cool and one of our really good friends. But we know the Hamm sisters will help her out! Ah so excited for her!!!:)

Today we washed dishes in a bath tub at a less actives house for an hour and a half. Her sink was broken haha and boy what a stack of dishes...let's just say we almost threw up a couple of times because of the smell but it was fun! I love service! We have washed so many dishes, Dad you would be proud:) I've made up for all the times I haven't cleaned my dishes...

Anyway Dortmund is great. The people are wonderful. The church is true. I love being a missionary and bis später!
Liebe Grüße
Sister Farner