Salut from Stadhagen Week 29!

We took a Book of Mormon to a Spanish woman we met a while ago. She
wasn't home, so we (Sister Koch) wrote her a note in Spanish and we
left it in her mailbox.  Thank you high school Spanish.

We found guitar Popsicle molds. So we made OJ Popsicles

Sister Hammer and I at Zoko (ft. Elder Larson in the background- he
was in Stadthagen right before we came in)

Was für eine Woche! It was crazy busy and it's only going to get
crazier. So, last week I was confused: transfer calls and temple
callings were completely separate. Every sister gets to serve in the
temple. So on Thursday, we go to the temple for 10 days. Woot woot! We
will be staying in the Freiberg Elders apartment (clarification: I do
not know where they are going, but they will not be there) and our
daily schedule will be from 5-21 instead of normal mission schedule
from 6:30-22:30 (the other sisters shift schedule is from 8:30-00:30).
Sister Koch and I are super excited. I LOVE the temple.

We also went to Hamburg for Zone Conference with the west half of the
mission. It was like coming home. (An elder asked me the other day
where I would live if I could live anywhere in the world. The answer
is Hamburg. :) We slept over at Altona with Sisters Fulton and Diaz
and a few others. Elder and Sister Charles (of the Seventy) were there
from England, and it was fantastic. They focused a lot on the Holy
Ghost and how important it is that we are worthy to have him as our
constant companion.

We had lots of appointments this week. We did a family home evening
lesson with a member family on Monday, whose kids just got back from
FSY (German EFY, a church camp for youth). It was cool to hear what
they learned. We also met with Schwester Heumann. She is the German
equivalent of a CNA and her work schedule is crazy so she hasn't been
able to come to church since she was confirmed, but she's doing pretty
well. We went with 2 sisters in our ward who visit teach her, and it
was very cool to hear how the scriptures have blessed their lives. We
had a lesson with Herr Nolte and talked about Jospeh Smith and the
Restoration of Christ's church. He listened to the Book of Mormon on
YouTube (he doesn't like reading) before we came because we reminded
him, but I don't know how interested he actually is. One of our ward
missionaries was there and she shared her conversion story and the
spirit was very strong and he related it to his work woes.. We had a
first lesson with Herr Nicola (with the senior couple, the Gills).
He's from Romania, but his German is very good. He is humble and has
very strong faith, and right now wants to know what the difference is
between our church and his church. I really like him. He couldn't find
his Book of Mormon, but we were talking and all of a sudden, I saw it
under his table. So now he has no excuse not to read haha. Of the
three investigators the Elders left us, one was baptized our first
week (Schw. Heumann), one is very shy and doesn't want to meet with
us, and the other (Martin) has been super busy. But we finally met
with Martin and his wife, Anya, at our Bishop's house. They picked us
up at the Bahnhof and we recognized them because Anya was holding the
Book of Mormon. I love them so much! They are the cutest. We ate
dinner at Bishop Schwing's and then taught them also about the
Restoration. Martin has met with the missionaries a few times before,
but Anya is basically brand new to religion. Schw. Schwing told us
that she thinks that Stadthagen got sisters for Anya. And finally, on
Sunday, we went by on a less-active woman who we've been trying to
contact for quite a while. And she was home and visited with us. She
told us about how she and her husband joined the church. And we are
going back on Tuesday to help her wash her windows. It was a busy
week, but those are always the best.

A brother in our Gemeinde shared an experience he had as he was hiking
a mountain in his mission in Switzerland. We are all hiking the
mountain (or mountains) of life, and we all want to get to the top and
live with Heavenly Father forever with our families. Sometimes it is
easy to forget about the other people on the trail and just get
ourselves and our families to the top, but that's not the point. We
can't make it on our own. We have all received help in one way or
another from someone else (especially Jesus Christ). We can't pass by
the people on our way. Christ always took time to heal and bless "the
one". I love the story in Mark 5, when the woman who had a blood
problem reached out to be healed, and Christ stopped and talked to
her. He found her amidst a great crowd of people. Because He loves
each of us individually, He takes the time to find "the one". If He is
our ultimate example, shouldn't we do the same? There is always
someone to love, someone to serve, someone to encourage or befriend.
Everything we do, everything we believe is nothing without charity.
Charity changes our hearts and changes our nature. We can study the
life and teachings of the Savior all we want, but unless we follow His
example and love and serve the people around us, we will never truly
come to know who Jesus Christ really is. "Wherefore, my beloved
brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye
may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are
true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons
of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall
see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified
even as he is pure." (Moroni 7:48) I know that love is the greatest
commandment. We will find true fulfillment as we strive to love Our
Heavenly Father, our Savior Jesus Christ, and our neighbor. "He that
findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my
sake shall find it." (Matt 10:39) I feel incredibly blessed to be
here. My German is far from perfect, I am awkward and not a very good
teacher, but I can love these people because I know that Jesus Christ
does. So doors may slam in our faces, lessons might be frustrating,
and days may seem never ending, but it is all worth it to find and
help that one soul. I believe in Christ, who ransoms me. Therefore, I
am here sharing that with my brothers and sisters that God has given
me the opportunity to. I know His plan is perfect. I have had many
experiences that have shown me that this is exactly where God wants me
to be. I am incredibly grateful to represent Jesus Christ and love and
teach God's children about His plan.

Love you all. I pray for you.
Sister Simpson

P.S. One of the girls in our ward got her mission call to New Zealand. So cool.
P.P.S. When will the Meridian Temple be finished?
P.P.S.S. I tried making bread again.. Good heavens, I must be doing
something wrong. Did I still eat it? You bet.