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| Angel Baby Gift from Peggy |
I made a list of highlights from this week so we can skip the boring things. So here you go:
We watched the Face to Face with Elder Holland. It was really good. My favorite part was his testimony at the end about Jesus Christ and his favorite titles of Christ. And also 'Rock of Ages' at the very beginning. If you look up the program and watch only the first 7 minutes, it will totally be worth it. We are a little obsessed. Don't ask how many times we have listened to that song. Sister Porter poetically analyzed it, and it is also our alarm in the morning. So so good!
Quote of the week: (well, technically last week, but it's a good one). In Altona, they have these weird distorted metal human statues everywhere (there's only 3, I think), and we passed one in particular that had a big belly and was wearing a diaper thing. Haha. Aiden, the 5 year old child of a investigator and a member, on the bus on the way to church saw this statue and said, 'Look! A human man baby!' Uhhh....
We visited with Peggy, and she made coffee cake and we drank peppermint tea and it was super fancy. She lives in this BEAUTIFUL part of Altona. She told us basically everything she's ever gone through in her life, and we listened and talked to her about it and tried to teach principles of the gospel that will help her. She is incredible. Her faith is basically the only thing she's had through her whole life. We introduced the Book of Mormon to her and explained that God loves all of His children, that it is a record of Christ coming to the Ancient Americas, and that it helps us to understand the Bible and teaches us the gospel of Jesus Christ. She was so cute, she said, 'This is kindof like a miracle'. We haven't been able to meet with her since then, but she is so so liebe and we are hoping that she will be able to recognize the truth in the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. At the end of our visit, she gave us a wax angelbaby (we called people angelbabies in the MTC, which is why I was so excited) that an Austrian nun made and gave to her and it is really old. We hung it up in our apartment. We are going to hear Peggy sing in a Catholic mass on next Monday.
Also, this week , I've realized how I have had specific trials and things that have happened in my life and the life of people I know that can bless other people. I can testify of things I believe with all of my heart because of things that I have gone through. The gospel gives us healing and the strength to endure any trial. I know that. I know how much it can help us.
Last P-day we went to IKEA (for 4 hours). We ate meatballs and schnitzel, then walked around the ENTIRE store. It is deceptively bigger than it seems and it seemed pretty big. Anyway, 3 of the 4 of us didn't feel so great the next day. Or any type of great. It was not fun. I am calling it the devil schnitzel. We were out all day and I found a public bathroom that cost money.. Everything was automatic and the door didn't shut all the way. It was a little sketchy. But a blessing nevertheless. I'll stop now.
On Monday night, we went grocery shopping. We got off the bus and some guy started yelling, 'Sisters! sisters!' He was a guy who Sister Porter and Sister hendricks had had contact with before, but couldn't get ahold of him. He wants to learn english, so I think we'll start doing an english class. It was a cool miracle.
We went contacting/finding a lot, but one day we were trying to find someone but we didn't have his last name. So we klingled the whole building, and this lady buzzed us in. She had like 5 kids in her apartment, and this little boy (18 months?) came running into the hall with the biggest smile/his mouth wide open in amazement. He was SO cute. And then another little boy about the same age did the same thing. Haha. If only I had that effect on boys my age (JUST KIDDING). It wasn't the apartment of the man we were looking for, and the lady was babysitting and only some of the kids were hers, but we might try to go back because she was really nice.
We volunteer at the international school, and the last hour we help in the library. We were checking to make sure all the books were in order and I saw Anne of Green Gables and pulled it out for a minute. A little 6 year old girl saw me do that and grabbed it when I put it back, looked at it for a few minutes, then put it back. Cute cute. Mostly, service reminds me that the real world exists. And by that I mean elementary school world. We get to talk to the teachers in the preschool because we serve them lunch, so that is pretty cool.
Thursday we did an English fast all day. It was hard, but really good. We've been using more Deutsch ever since. Yay for progress. Yesterday, at church, I realized my frustration with the language is less because I don't understand anything and more because I can understand if I had time to think it through and if I could recognize all the words, but people speak too fast and I get behind and lost. But it is coming.
The other day, I saw a lady around our age crying on the bus. So being the awkward person I am, I wrote, 'I hope your day gets better..' on a sitcky note and something about if she wanted to talk to someone, she could call us, then put that sticky note on a pass-along card and gave it to her when I got off the bus. But she didn't really take it and just looked at it, so I set it on her arm and got off the bus. And then felt really stupid. Probably shouldn't do that again. I was just trying to be nice.
This week, I studied the Atonement of Jesus Christ a lot. We've been sharing the Easter video with basically everyone who will meet with us. The 1st counselor in the mission presidency had a lesson with the Persian Pals and us last week and he talked about Moses 1:39. Christ's work is our immortality, the promise to every person that we will live again. It is what we think about and remember when we take the bread of the sacrament. Christ's glory is when we work with him to repent and work towards eternal life. We remember the blood he shed in the Garden of Gethsemane when he atoned for the sins of the world. He paid the price for all of our weaknesses and shortcomings. He knows perfectly how to help us. (One of my favorite scriptures is Isaiah 53:3-5) I love the titles of Christ throughout the scriptures. I loved the 3 Elder Holland shared: The bright and morning star, the high priest of good things to come, and the alpha and omega/beginning and the end. Christ is the hope of a new day, then sun that ALWAYS follows and drives away the darkest night. He is the source of all the good things in our lives. He loves us so much and wants to help us. He has a bigger end goal full of great things than we could ever imagine. And he is the beginning of our lives, he gives our spirits and our bodies new life, now and after we die. He is there at all points in our lives. I know He lives. I know He loves us. I know God loves all His children and that we can learn of Him as we study the example and life of Jesus Christ, who in all things strove to emulate the Father. God is so good. I hope you all have a great Easter! (Quote from a baptist church one of Sister Porter's friends on a mission in tennessee: It's not about the bunny, it's about the lamb.)
Sister Simpson
p.s. Deutsch goof: 'Was sollen wir essen? Wir haben Auge...' (translation: What should we eat? We have eyes.) I meant to say Eier, which means eggs.
other weird things for brothers: You've heard of the man bun, but have you heard of the Man scooter? Literally, man with grey hair and serious clothes riding a scooter. Weird. Also, General Conference is like the Mormon Superbowl, but better. Woot Woot, go team!
Mom questions:
Do you go to member's houses, a library, or do you have an ipad?
We go to a church building that has 2 computers. I get my Ipad a week from thursday. When I have my ipad, I can get emails when we have wifi and read them throughout the week, but can't reply until Pday.
If so, do you write letters from home, or do you have to take it to a place with wifi? Can you read your letters during the week, or just on pday? Did you get the letter i wrote yet?
Haven't gotten it yet. Anxiously waiting. :) I sent Lizzy a postcard. I will send the boys some today (or once I buy stamps). I hope your spring break it good! I am jealous/not jealous. Have fun!!!! I love you guys!
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| Sister Porter with the Angel Baby |
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| We found a leaf while contacting |
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| we played on this saucer thing on a playground one night while we were contacting and it was a little scary. (I promise we do work, and we are working hard.) |
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