July 27, 2010

LETTER #36 - NORDHAUSEN

 Family family,

Things here in Nordhausen are going pretty good! Pine valley looks like it was pretty fun. I don't remember the last time I saw Ammon reading though, must be a good book ha. This week went by pretty fast. And I'm afraid this coming week is going to go by even quicker. Just have to enjoy it though and use the time as good as I can.

Tuesday we did an exchange (we just say tausch, so I'm gonna say that because exchange sounds weird) with the Weimar Elders. I stayed here in Nordhausen with Elder Devonas. It was a good day and a fun tausch. Wednesday we went to Erfurt for our district meeting and when that finished we did a tausch with the Erfurt Elders. I stayed in Erfurt for that one with Elder Killpack. It was fun working with him again. Probably our last time working together on the mission since he goes home in a few weeks. Its pretty crazy thinking back to when we were together in Schwarzenberg. So Thursday morning we had a couple appointments in Erfurt then we were going to drive up to Nordhausen and tausch back. As we headed out of Erfurt though we realized we needed to get gas. (I have to explain this first. With the mission change and us becoming a part of Frankfurt they gave the people with cars Gas Cards that they use to get gas, but they can only be used at Shell gas stations. In Berlin we just paid for it then sent in the receipt and they reimbursed us. Usually E. Killpack is with Elder Malyon who has been a Frankfurt missionary his whole mission. So he always reminds him. On this day though I was with Elder Killpack, both of us former Berlin Missionaries and not used to the Gas Card system) So Elder Killpack and I pulled into some random gas station, got gas, and he went in to pay. As he came out and got in the car he just looked at me and said ''uh...we have a problem.'' ha its funny now but right then it wasn't. He explained to me about the gas card and how we weren't at a shell gas station ha. So he asked if I happened to have 55€ on me. I didn't. I had 4€ ha. He only had 20. The rest of my money was back home and so was his. And both of our cards were empty. So we called the mission office and asked if they could just wire money onto our accounts or something and if we could just pay with our normal card. They said ''This isn't Western credit union. Call a member or something.'' So we were on our own ha. So we parked the car and went in and told the people the story and that we would call someone and they'd come help us. We called a member but he was too far away, he texted us 3 other members numbers though. None of them answered. We were getting kind of nervous by this point. Then elder Killpack found a members number and said 'this guy will come no doubt!' He called him and he said yea no problem I'll be there in 20 minutes. We had been at the gas station for 1 hour now so that was nice to hear. Long story short, we waited, and waited, and called him over and over again, and then 2 hours later he made it!! Poor guy kept getting lost and couldn't find it. When he got there he himself had to fill up ha. The lady in the gas station was just laughing at us pretty much the whole time. So Thursday we spent 3 hours as prisoners of a gas station in a small village called Gebesee haha.

So Sunday we had planned to have quite a few investigators at church but during the week things didn't work out so when we got there Sunday we were kinda disappointed and didn't think anyone would be able to make it. Then during the opening song Hr. Stoye walked in! Came in grabbed a hymn book and joined everyone in the congregation. It was my turn to conduct the meeting, which I still think is weird ha but its cool at the same time. I just never thought I'd be conducting a sacrament meeting as a 20 yr. old. During the second hour of church Elder Gassman and I went with Hr. Stoye into a different room and taught him separately. We read in 2 Nephi 31, talked about baptism, and set a date with him for August 21st. It was so cool. The first time I met him was back with Elder Kearl one Sunday he just showed up to church! Now we've been able to meet with him more and now he has set a goal to be baptized. He's a good guy though. He was answering everything so cool and telling us how good he feels when he comes to church. It was a good way to end out our week.

Things have been going good! I've been studying and trying to learn more about prayer and the Holy Ghost. And mom like in that thing you sent today, the more I learn the more I feel like I know less ha. I've seen the power of pray so realistically though here. It is so cool that we can just start to speak with our Heavenly Father whenever and where ever. And with the help and guidance of the spirit we can understand what to pray for like it says in Romans 8, and we can receive our answers and know what to do through the Holy Ghost as well. Like Julie B. Beck said in her conference talk in April. "The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life." And in that video thing I told you guys about forever ago from F. Enzio Busche he says how important it is to be under the complete influence of the Holy Ghost. Revelation and the spirit and the gospel in general is so...fascinating. It’s like in Mosiah 4:9 we can't comprehend all things but we can begin to progress towards that. Learn as much as we can and never stop progressing in the gospel. Becoming closer to the spirit, recognizing and understanding the promptings we receive. 

It’s like soccer season ha. I want to get better and better and progress and I get excited about that. Excited to be getting better and improving. I'm developing that same excitement for progressing in the gospel. 

I'm not trying to brag or whatever ha, like Ammon says in Alma 26, I'm grateful for this and that God has helped me make this progress. We are forever in debt to him for all that he does for us. We never have any excuse to stop serving God; we can never pay him back. Which is also fascinating...lots to learn and study ha.

Well were going to go see if we can find kids to play soccer with. I love you all so much! Thank you for your letters and prayers and love. Have a good week.
Elder Puriri

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