LETTER #11 - SCHWARZENBERG/ANNABERG-BUCHHOLZ

Hi everyone!
This last week was a way good week. We got a lot done and saturday night we got transfer calls. Elder Killpack and I are staying together in Schwarzenberg/Annaberg for another transfer! Its going to be a good transfer. We also found out that President Uchtdorf is coming to Berlin to hold a Priesthood meeting for all the memebers here. President Pimentel talked to him and worked out a meeting for the missionaries too! On Feb. 20 all the missionaries in the Berlin mission will be in Berlin for a meeting with President Uchtdorf. I'm so excited, its going to be awesome. I've never even heard him speak German, it'll be so cool to hear him talk to us as missionaries. Killpack and I were pretty excited when we heard about that!

I'm really glad to hear Eric is doing good. We were pretty shocked when we heard about the earthquake. Of course we heard about it like a week or so after it happened from a member but still. I'm glad to hear Eric and all the missionaries over there are ok.

Last week on wednesday we got to go to the Freiberg Temple! If you are in the Dresden Zone, then once a transfer you get to go to the temple. It was such a cool experience. After the temple Killpack and I did splits with the Freiberg Elders. Elder Livingston went back to Schwarzenberg with Elder Killpack and I stayed in Freiberg with Elder Taylor. I worked the rest of that day with Elder Taylor, stayed the night in Freiberg, then Killpack and Livingston came back and we switched back that afternoon. It was cool working with Elder Taylor. Pretty funny too. We used to be in the same ward, had some of the same classes together school, now we just worked together as missionaries in Freiberg. Pretty crazy.

On friday Elder Killpack and I got to go to a school and talk a little bit! Thats not even legal in Germany. This investigator was doing a presentation on the differences between the LDS Church and the Lutheren Church, and she asked us to come. She talked to her teacher and the principal or whoever and they said it was ok if we came. As long as we didn't try to start teaching or anything. The class was all kids pretty our age, and we had no idea what to expect. So at first we were just like show and tell, then she had us introduce ourselves and tell a little bit about what we do. Then at the end of her presentation she said the class could ask us questions. Then everything just went from there! All the students started asking all kinds of questions, even the teacher was asking questions. Then the teacher had to cut the thing off and all the kids kept saying they needed another hour to talk to us. Then one of the students said we should stay for the next class, then the teacher said that was fine with her. So we stayed for the class then they had like a 30 minute break after that before their next class. During that break all the kids gathered around us and started asking questions again. We taught as much as we were allowed to in that setting and just talked with them. A few other teachers came in and asked what were we doing there and looked kind of mad. Then after we talked to them for a little they liked us too. It was such a cool experience. As we were leaving all the students told us to come back when we could it was cool. We are going to see if we can get them to come to an english class we help with at the church, then invite them to church! Elder Killpack said he had never done anything like that his whole mission.
Missionaries aren't allowed to go into schools but everyone seemed to like us and they all invited us back! One of the kids even asked where the church was, what time it was at, and if he could come! Hopefully we can get more then just one out of all of them to come though. It was really cool. The lord creates so many different ways for us to share the gospel. We couldn't really teach in that setting, but it felt like we were teaching by just being there. People can see the light in a person and they recognize something is different about them.

While Elder Taylor and I were walking around Freiberg talking to people we started talking to this student at the university there. He was walking back to his house so we were walking with him and mostly just listened to what he was saying. After we had shared a quick message with him he said 'I see you guys walking around the streets all the time. Nobody walks around anymore with a smile on, nobody seems to be happy. Every time I see you guys you are always happy and smiling. Even when someone just yelled at you on the street, you keep going being happy. I don't get it, but I really like it.' We explained to him why we are so happy and that that is another reason we are here, is to share this joy with everyone else. I've always been told me whole life 'be a good example, everyones watching'. I never really thought about it though or really took it seriously, until this guy said that to me on the street. People are always watching and always notice. I am grateful to be able to share this gospel and this real joy with everyone I talk to. Even with those I don't talk to. Everyone can share the gospel simply be their example.

Thanks everyone for the letters, love, and prayers. They always help out. I hope everybody is going good. Have a good week and be happy! Love you all so much!
Elder Puriri