Sunday, January 12, 2014

Fröhliche Weihnachten! (sent 12/30/13)

Liebe Familie und Freunde!

Merry Christmas! I hope that you all found your Christmases to be wonderful and bright! I am sad and glad to see the holiday go. Sad because the Christmas spirit is so great in the air, and Glad because it means a new year and a fresh start . I am really really excited for this new year and for the clean slate that it brings. I am normally not this excited, but I think the prospects of me being in Germany for a full year is exciting but even more is how my knowledge has deepened of the Savior's Atonement and how I am seen as the clean and innocent one when I turn to Him and repent. SOO GREAT!! It makes me want to shout out loud! :D

So some quick news before I get to the meat of the email. 

Transfer calls will be this Saturday.... I wouldn't be surprised in the least if I left my sweet home of Kaiserslautern and my sweet mission mama of Sis. Prince. I also wouldn't be surprised in the least if I stayed and "killed" Sis. Prince (that is mission lingo meaning I am her last companion before she goes home). I really can see it either way. And I am not sure that I have a preference. I know that where I will stay or be transferred to is where I am needed. Those words before the mission were  just words but having been out and really seeing the miracles in your area, its like Heavenly Father is blessing you with a witness to the principle that He has a grand plan, that He is aware of the details in your life and in the lives of each person you encounters. I love when that happens when word become real to you. It so hard to describe, but soo amazing. I think that is how all of our testimonies grow. We experiment upon the "words" and then they become something almost tangible like a metaphorical tree. 

There has been a moment to remember this week. Sis. Prince and I had our first double eating appointment. It was intense and spare of the moment. The timing was miraculous because we needed all of the factors of trains, people giving rides, boiling water, lessons and conversation to go exactly according to plan and not a minute over. And it all worked out! It was on Monday. All the missionaries were doing service on base at the BX which is like a mall. We were wrapping gifts for 5 hours straight it was hardcore. but we also had lunch at american restaurants that we haven't eaten at in Months. So where did we all go... Taco bell. and we gorged ourselves. After our late lunch and more gift wrapping we went to Sis. Hudson's house to have a Christmas celebration with her. She is without doubt one of the very sweetest lady I have ever met. We also made "Christmas dinner" and had spaghetti with her, even though we were still stomach-extended full on taco bell. And Then we had yet another appointment with a part-member/recent reactivated family that we felt very strongly that we needed to go and see. This dinner was very last minute(as in 6 hours before it was set up) and we were already dying. We got a ride to this family's house from a different member. As we were sitting in the back, Sis. Prince turns to me and says, "I don't think that I can eat another bite, I was already gagging on getting spaghetti down." "Don't worry Sis. Prince I will pray for you" And so I did. I prayed that we would some how be able to eat an acceptable amount so that we weren't rude. That somehow our stomachs could be enlarged. We get to the appointment and they were feeding us enchiladas and rice and beans.... Our Eyes got large and we feared for the results. But God pulled through. And we ate a full dinner plate. and when seconds were forced upon us we ate those too. We were able to move around like normal being had a great DTR with the non-member and as soon as we were dropped off at the church and started walking home. We started to feel the effects of our elephant size consumption of food. Aber alles Gute!

Our Christmas Eve was basically Christmas. We had a big breakfast with our Senior couple missionaries and all the other missionaries that could make it out. We played a way fun game of uno where every round the winner added a rule. Some of my favorite rules were, You cant say "yes" or "no" or you get a card, you have to talk in an accent, and no german words (which wasn't to hard until the accent rule came into play and then I suddenly wanted to say every german word I knew). It was way way way fun.  We then had Christmas with the German sisters and opened up all of our gifts to one another, and from our parents. I made out like a bandit! Sis. Prince got me a very warm and beautiful scarf and a stein that I had been eyeing in the store below us for weeks. It is so beautiful! I also go a Papier-mâché dino, that has a lot of fun memories associated with it but I do not have the time or will power to write about, and a "make-your-own" calender for the next year since they knew how much I like to scrapbook. But among all the gifts from members, Missionaries and family members my favorite hands down is the new set of scriptures that I got from my parents. They are just beautiful! They sit on my desk gracing me with their presence. They are genuine leather and have the sweet homey touch of my engraved name and art work on them from my nephew. I have had a constant pecking almost pulling desire to just read my scriptures. I am excited to read them, every page. (it is actually my new years resolution)

For Christmas day we spent it at one members after the others. The first being President Adams, then Brother Petersen our Ward mission Leaders house, then Bishop Moran's home with his sweet daughters. And the day after we spent it at legit families homes, the Websters (Fun fact: who were my very first appointment as a missionary) and then the Pead family who are so sweet. So if you ever have wondered what Christmas is like for a missionary. It means a lot a lot of food. and a lot of family time with other families and some rocking game playing and watching the same Mormon messages 4 times a day for days on end. It is basically the second best way to spend Christmas, second only to your own family. :)
Speaking of by lovely family, I skyped with them! It was so so great to see them all again. It is a weird experience if i can be very honest for a paragraph or two. It is weird because 1. As a missionary it is as though we function on a different time table then the rest of the world. Time slows down and speeds up at the same time. So being able to see my beautiful parents and siblings and nephews, it was almost as if it had only been a month and not 5. But at the same time and in the same way that you can see the small differences in a growing child more strongly after not seeing them for a week or two. all of my families differences, all the little changes were so obviously changed after it being so long since I have seen them last. I think the weirdest difference was the change I was able to see in myself. (not to turn my skype with my family all about me or anything ;)) Change can be so subtle it is hard to detect. The very act of changing who you are is a slow process. We need it to be someone slow if we want to the change to last. The act of changing our direction is very quick, All it takes is one prayer to Heavenly Father and a sincere desire to change and we can head in the right direction. But the up hill climb, or the path along the iron rod can seem long and daunting. It is here where we are truly becoming. "We must not give up hope. We must not stop striving. We are children of God, and it is possible for us to become what our Heavenly Father would have us become....The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become." -Elder Oaks 
I am not sure how I can convey this correctly. So please be patient with me as I try. But when I saw my family and remembered them and how they move and sound like, I was able to remember me, in my 5 month previous state. And for one of the first times I was able to see how I have Become a different person. How I have started the process of conversion. How I no longer see the gospel as a good idea, or theory. or even something the I believe in but by living the gospel every day from 6:30am to 10:30pm and seeing it on others I have caught a glimpse of what it is like to become one with its teachings and principles. In no way am I a close to perfect example, and thats okay. I, like everyone else has to hike this climb and walk this path to true conversion. I just love how I can see how every little thing is in direct relation with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. How EVERYTHING is a part of his plan. It makes the days brighter and the sun warmer. I am starting to see the words of my testimony come to life, and be filled with emotion and feeling. And it is just the coolest thing ever. 

A comment came up in one of my conversations that in my emails that they wanted to hear more about what was going on with me in my life. I was a little caught off guard and tried to stumble out an answer. But after thinking about it more I just want to say that these "spiritual thoughts" and "churchy comments" in my email are never because I feel compelled as one with the title of Missionary to give to all of you but that they are the very core of what I am doing, and thinking. They are the what to how I am doing and what is going on with me in my life. These are the lessons that I am trying to learn, they are what I am trying to become. 

I am ever amazed at how adaptable and maluable we are as humans. How we can change so quickly and so dramatically. I found a scripture randomly when I was watching mormon messages during our media hour and at the end it had a scripture at the end of it. Alma 33:23 "And now, my brethren, I desire that ye shall plant this word in your hearts, and as it beginneth to swell even so nourish it by your faith. And behold, it will become a tree, springing up in you unto everlasting life. And then may God grant unto you that your burdens may be light, through the joy of his Son. And even all this can ye do if ye will. Amen." And even all this can I do, can you do if ye will. All we have to do is want the change and God will work with us and help us.

I love you all and hope that this email finds you well and enjoying your holiday break. :) I wish yall a great new year and a new change.

Bis nächste Woche!

Sister Wadsworth

One of sis. hudson in her new chair 

my dino :)

christmas at the petersens

No comments:

Post a Comment