LETTER #84 - NURNBERG

Hi!

 

This past week was a pretty surreal week. It was a good week just kind of strange. There was a zone conference and also a little meeting in Frankfurt we had as well. Some the Nürnberg and Erfurt zones have zone conference together here so the Nordhausen elders came a day early since its so far. So they came down Tuesday and we tausched with them and went off into Nürnberg. I worked with Elder Lewis who was actually trained in Nürnberg during the winter and who has now been in Nordhausen for a couple weeks. It was fun though, he knew a lot about Nürnberg that he shared with me and I was able to tell him lots about Nordhausen. 

Its so weird to think about Nordhausen now. I feel like that place was a dream. Elder Lewis told me though that Daniel and Evelyn are now preparing for the temple and have a goal to go towards the end of this year. I was so happy when we told me that! I would love to go through with them but I'm pretty sure they would go to the Freiberg temple since thats a little closer. That temple is no longer in my mission so I wouldn't be able to go with them. Thats alright though, as long as they go!

The rest of the week went by really quick after that since we had a full day of zoko stuff and then went to Frankfurt the next day and all. It was weird though because it was the Ninow's last one. A year ago we said bye to President Pimentel, now to President Ninow. I remember thinking back then how far away it still was until President Ninow would have to go and we'd get a new mission president. Its happening though this week! 

We had a really good, spiritual zone conference. They shared their testimonies and each gave a little lesson as well. I really learned a lot from them in the last year. Zone Conference was sad,  we sang God Be with You Till We Meet Again and everyone was having a tough time singing through tears. I was glad to know I was going to see them the next day too though in Frankfurt. During that smaller meeting though half way through Sister Ninow had to leave to go help their kids with something. She finished her spiritual thought after lunch, gave her testimony, gathered her stuff up and left. It was strange everyone just sitting there quietly as she packed her stuff together and walked out the door. Who knows when we'll see her again. Then as she left we all just sat there still with a blank look on our faces and President Ninow just goes ''Alright! so....'' and continued on. It was strange but at that moment I noticed as well how the Lord's church is so organized. She left, and was gone. But we didn't just sit around sad or clueless, President moved forward immediately after. I realized he is going to go to, but there will be no pause or break or sitting clueless or anything. He leaves, President Schwarz comes. Things move forward without ever being interrupted. 

It is an amazing thing how this church can continually move forward without total reliance on anyone but God. God leads this church, no man, we therefore will never pause or stop. God is Eternal, never ending. His Church will never stop moving forward either, not for a moment. It was a cool thing to see. As the meeting ended though and we said bye it was just strange. Also on the other hand strange to realize how it doesn't stop or anything. He will go but it will be as if nothing ever happened. We aren't going to all the sudden stop and be confused because President Ninow is gone. President Schwarz will be here and he will be the Lord's tool in leading this mission just as Presidnet Ninow was. The revelation to lead this mission will not stop, simply the mouthpiece through which it comes changes. It builds my testimony to see this and to know that Jesus Christ really does lead this church through worthy, reliable people who have allowed themselves to become tools in his hands. It is an exciting thing, just a bit sad that the Ninow's are now leaving.

I feel I was able to learn and develop myself to be of greater benefit for everyone else in so many ways in this last year. Many of the things I learned and experienced would not have happened had I stayed in the Berlin Mission. I do know that I am here where I am because that is how God wants it to be. I know the mission presidents I have had, have relied on God with deciding where I need to be or go. I am really grateful to them for doing this. I learned many important lessons through the things I've experienced in the last year with President Ninow and will forever think through them to further to learn and progress.

Sorry I don't really have much time today, we had to do a preach my gospel survey when we first got to the computers because President Schwarz would like it filled out so he can better gauge where to go once he gets here this week.

Things here are going well though. I really do love this time. I am really grateful for the spirit and know that we can learn so many amazing things through the spirit. The spirit opens our minds and can lay out the mysteries of God for us line upon line. This happens only as we desire and work to receive the spirit. I love learning through the spirit. It is an experience that I hope to have over and over again. One of the more sweeter experiences in life.

I hope everyone back home is doing well! Its warming up here so its probably pretty warm where your all at. Be happy! Look to help and serve. Think of others and what good you can do for them, then do it. Your worries and struggles with fade, you will receive the spirit and a true peace that comes from nothing else. Your heart will be filled and the spirit will allow you to calmy and correctly navigate through your life.

I love you all!!! Thanks for all you do!

Elder Puriri  

 

LETTER #83 - NURNBERG

Hello hello,

 

First happy fathers day dad, sorry we don't get to phone on that day too ha. Sounds like it was a cool day though. I would like to see those pictures of the boys cliff jumping if you could do that somehow? 

Our past week was good though. It was the first week of the new transfer. Elder Durrant went to Frankfurt on Wednesday with the group of Elders in the zone getting transferred and came back in the afternoon with the new Elders coming in to the zone. So I spent that day with Elder Wilde here in Nürnberg. Then Wednesday night right after Elder Durrant got back we went straight to a couple appointments then tausched that night with the Elders in Erlangen. So that day went quick and the next day too. I think tausches make weeks go by really quick.

It was fun though I worked on Thursday with Elder Gautreaux from Texas. I was in Frankfurt back in January or so when he first got into the field. Every transfer when new missionaries come in there is a little thing we do downtown Frankfurt in the walking only shopping area. Missionaries from the zone that are close enough would come and then all the new ones and we'd sing and talk to people. It was always fun with the new missionaries their first time talking to people and all. I worked with Elder Gautreaux for a bit though when he first came in, now I was able to work with him for real on tausch. Nows he's been out here like over 5 months I think. Crazy how fast that went by. Its really cool to see the development of the missionaries and how they all progress. So much happens in all that time. Days are packed with different things then those days fill the weeks then those weeks fill those months and things go before you know it.

Elder Durrant knows how to read music and all so he's been showing me how to sing different parts of songs. We've been practicing  O My Father, if thats what its called in english, and got it down pretty good. We made a little spiritual thought around it and have been visiting members and investigators and doing it for them. Then one of the members in the bishopric heard we sang from a member and now we are supposed to do a musical number thing in sacrament next week ha. Its cool though I'm pretty sure right now we have about a 90% cry rate. So this transfer we are going to try to learn as many as we can and arrange them cool and sing them for people. I basically leave the arranging and showing me how to Elder Durrant then I just do my part and it seems to work well ha. Music is an awesome way to bring the spirit and share powerful messages with people.

Throughout my mission I have come to realize and understand how true the law of the harvest is. You reap what you sow. Elder Scott talked about it a little in his talk called The Transforming Power of Faith and Character. He talks about the 'axiom' we know, you get what you pay for. He says ''this is also true in spiritual matters as well. You get what you pay for in obedience, in faith in Jesus Christ, in diligent application of the truths you learn.'' Its now is more clear to me and seems like common sense. If you want something you do something for it. In the spiritual sense as well. If you want to have a spiritual experience or learn something from a Sacrament meeting or from General Conference, then you must prepare for it. Put something into it on your part and you will get something out. I do not believe we can rightfully expect to get anything out of it without doing our part first. Elder Bednar also says something related to this. He said in April conference 2010 ''The spiritual understanding you and I have been blessed to receive, and which has been confirmed as true in our hearts, simply cannot be given to our children. The tuition of diligence and of learning by study and also by faith must be paid to obtain and personally ''own'' such knowledge.'' Take your claim on the things God has prepared for you by doing something for them. 

Elder N. Eldon Tanner in 1975 said ''Remember also that nature never pays an unearned account and she never fails to pay one that has been earned.'' You could not earn it and perhaps benefit from something for a while, for the things to be permanent however you must earn it. Then you can obtain it and ''own'' it as Elder Bednar says. In Alma 41:15 it says ''...that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored...'' What we pay for and what we earn will rightfully be ours, whether now or later. That is an eternal law. If we sit around and expect to somehow receive a testimony from God it will probably not come. If we are light minded and not focused and enter a Sacrament meeting then expect to be spiritually uplifted and to learn it will not be very likely. If you enter a class having not prepared and are not focused, but expect somehow the teacher to spiritually touch you and teach you; you are expecting a very hard thing from the teacher, for a teacher cannot teach a testimony. They may simplify gospel truths and make things understandable but you alone can plant them in your heart, act on them, and give them the chance to grow. 

We cannot go through our lives expecting things to come from nothing. No matter what area of our lives it may be. We must be proactive and take initiative to do our part in order to affect results positively that will come in the future. We will have an affect on what happens. Whether we do something or do not do something will simply determine what we get back. It literally is on you. You determine whether or not you receive the many wonderful blessings your Heavenly Father is holding ready for you. If we do not feel we have felt his influence much in our lives lately or the influence of the spirit, then we would be smart to first see what WE have been doing lately. Not to simply become bitter at God for something of which we are actually the root cause. This will blind and numb us, and continue to blind us and numb us and it will become more dangerous the longer we allow this to continue. It will also become harder and harder to open our eyes and see clearly, to open our hearts humbly and feel clearly. We will begin to rationalize and justify our actions incorrectly because of our fogged perception of what is actually going on. If we would step back out of the fog by humbling ourselves and turning to God for a clear view, we would see what we now can do to fix these things and clear the fog causing us to stumble through life. Making the right decisions and taking the right action will lead us up out of the fog to the peaks of the mountains where we have a beautiful and clear view. 

I am grateful God is our Heavenly Father. That he wishes the best for us, and that he understands the eternal goals so much better then we do. So that with his perspective he can guide us through the spirit in our lives. Everyone of us can choose how our relationship to the one with the clear view will be. We will also choose the clarity and amount of guidance that comes into our lives. I hope we will all do our part, pay as much as we can, and thereby receive the blessings of the greatest worth.

I hope you are all doing well. Continue moving forward, serving and loving. enjoy the week and make the most out of your time. love you all,

Elder Puriri

LETTER #82 - NURNBERG

Hello hello!

Another transfer is gone and Elder Durrant and I will be staying together in Nürnberg! Pretty cool, I haven't stayed 2 transfers with a companion since Elder Gassman last August. Its cool getting lots of new companions but its also cool being able to stay 2 transfers with someone. You already know each other pretty well and you can just head right into the new transfer no worries. We have good plans and goals for the transfer though so its going to be good.

The past week was pretty cool. We taught a new young couple. Probably in their mid 20s or so. They were in America for 3 weeks and were in SLC at temple square and asked to learn more about the Book of Mormon. When they get peoples info there it gets sent to us here by text. So we just got a text with their names and address and that they wanted a Book of Mormon. We got that text a few weeks ago. The week we got it Elder Durrant and I headed out there (its in a small village outside of Nürnberg). As we got off the train and started walking there we realized we would be cutting everything really close if we tried to get to their house and back to the train and to our next appointment. So we decided we would just have to go by on them another time and headed back to Nürnberg. Then when we found time again a couple weeks later we went out there and knocked on their door. The guy opened the door and behind him I could see suitcases and clothes and other things. He got a surprised look on his face and goes ''wo...you are already here? crazy!'' then he called his wife and said ''Hey come look, the gentlemen are already here!'' Then he looked back at us with a big smile and surprised look. They explained they had been in America and hadn't even been home for an hour. They were excited to see us and asked if we could make out an appointment for another time, so we did. We thought that was cool though that we happened to show up like right when they got home. Then we had a good appointment with them, they had lots of cool questions. They are sadly really busy this week and can't meet until next week but we're excited to continue teaching them.

Then on Friday we had another cool experience. During study in the morning a member called us. He is from LA and was in Nürnberg for work and asked if we could meet later that night and give him a blessing. We went by to his hotel that night and were able to do that then he took us out to dinner. He was a really solid guy. Down to earth and had a fiery testimony. He told us of his conversion story 4 years ago and other experiences he has had with God in the last while. As often happens, we were asked to go help him and in the process we were helped a ton. I learned a lot from him and consider it a blessing we were able to meet him and have that experience. That picture is of us all again yesterday. He was heading out to Hamburg and we met him at the train station really quick to talk again and say bye.

It was a good week, now we have a busy one ahead of us with transfers and making sure everything runs smoothly with everyone getting where they need to be. It will be a crazy transfer with President Ninow going and President Schwarz coming in. The organization of the church though is truly inspired and a blessing. Its awesome to me that there are so many solid members all over doing their best to live a righteous life and spread the gospel. It motivates me more to do my part here. I'm excited for whats to come and to move forward in faith.

I hope everyone is doing well back there. Look for opportunities to improve and be better. Make it a good week and be happy!

Love you all!!

Elder Puriri

LETTER #81 - NURNBERG

Hello family,

 

Yes mother we've heard about this weird breakout and have been advised on how to avoid getting affected. Apparently its called Shigga or something. But we are being careful don't worry. How was the trek for Asa? What are everyones plans for the summer now?

I'll probably do that application thing next week because we dont really have a lot of time right now. We had a deep clean day last week and we didn't finish in our appartment so we took pretty much all of today to finish now we have to rush through the rest of our pday activites. That's alright though because now we have a clean apartment.

Our past week was pretty good. We were supposed to go to Frankfurt last Thursday but that meeting got cancelled. Which gave us another day to work here but I was kind of sad because I was looking forward to going back to Frankfurt for a day. That's alright though I'll be there another time for one reason or another. We got a new bishop last week as well. That hasn't happened in any of the wards I've been in yet on my mission. It's kind of cool though it gives us a chance to kind of start new with the bishopric and working with the members. 

The new bishops daughter got baptized last Saturday though. It was really cool. The wife comes from England so there was family there from England and the other side of the family from the Hannover area. So I was able to talk to them about my exchange and stuff. The baptism was really cool though. We were able to have two of our investigators there who really enjoyed it. They had never seen a baptism like that and it was a really spiritual one to be at. I was really glad they could both be there. Hopefully they will both continue to progress towards baptism.

The area presidency has asked the members to do a special fast during June. They have asked them to fast for the missionary work and also asked that every member invite and bring someone with them to church each Sunday throughout the month. They can invite and bring friends or members that may not be so active. But that is the invitation or challenge from the area presidency this month. We obviously think its pretty cool. I dont know if we would have enough time to work with all the different people if each member brought somebody each week this month. We are way excited for this month though. There is always lots to do. It's also strange to think this transfer is almost done and that President Ninow will be leaving soon as well. There will be lots of changes happening in the next little while. It will be exciting though to see how everything is going to work out.

I've been studying and thinking a lot lately about how we learn and teach through the spirit. It is interesting to see that everything we do is to help us have the spirit which enables us to be better in every way. Not just as missionaries but as members of the church. The commandments are there to help us be more receptive to the spirit. Having the spirit improves all aspects of our lives and it enables us to be able to serve others better. If we think about all those things as a help and comprehend this at least a little, keeping the commandments becomes much easier. If we stop looking at things from a negative prospective and stop thinking 'don't do this` 'shouldn't do this' 'not allowed to do this' and think of it like 'do this' or 'should do this' or allowed to do this' so that I can have the spirit, being obedient becomes much easier. All commandments are spiritual, many also affect us physically as well though. 

God knows us better then we know us, he knows what will come better then we do. And he knows best how to prepare us for those things. The commandments are given to us to help us set our lives in line with the gospel, so that we may be receptive to the spirit. Being spiritually receptive changes our whole lives. As we receive the spirit, and act according to it, our life will change. Everyone will experience this as they are obedient to the commandments and to the spiritual impressions they receive. I hope we all will experience and continue to experience this as we humble ourselves and follow our perfect example, Jesus Christ.

Hope everyone is doing well. Thank you all for everything, enjoy the week. Look to serve, and be happy.

love you all

Elder Puriri