LETTER #48 - HEIDELBERG

Family!!!
We had a pretty cool week this last week. I'm seeing parts of Germany that  when I got my call, I never thought I'd see! This week I was in Darmstadt and then in Karlsruhe. Darmstadt is actually the home ward from Pres. Uchtdorf, its a pretty big ward. One of the biggest in Europe actually. While I was there I was with Elder Damstedt. Its pretty funny his name is 2 letters different from the name of his city he is serving in. He has been in Germany for about 8 weeks now but also did an exchange in Germany before his mission so his German is pretty good. It was one of the more random days on my mission ha. 

After lunch we went back out and were walking to the church for an appointment and talked to a kid in his early 20s, after we had talked for a little he goes 'So I'm really interested and would like to hear more and I have time right now, do you guys want to go sit down on that bench right there?' I kind of just stood there in shock for a second and just said 'Sorry what?' and he repeated and I was like 'yea of course! Lets go sit down!' It was sweet, so we sat down, prayed and taught him about the restoration! He switched contact information with Elder Damstedt and will meet with the elders there. It was cool! Then we got up and hurried to the church. That appointment sadly fell out, so we decided to go do doors in the near. I dont know if you actually say that stuff in english but I dont feel like holding delete and going back and fixing that sentence. So went to go do doors and on the way we talked to a man who was muslim, as we were talking to him I saw a lady riding her bike towards us and so I stepped to the side to let her go by. Then she stopped right next to us and starting shaking all 3 of our hands and just said 'jesus?' and started telling us about how Jesus lives and she was kind of shouting halleluja and amen a lot. Then she started basically tearing the muslim man apart saying that she was told by Christ to be a missionary and trying to tell him how it is. We probably could have just kept walking since they were in a heated conversation about religion and it wasn't accomplishing much. But I found it kind of entertaining so I stood and just listened to her and was trying to keep from laughing. Then the man got mad said something and walked off. Then she turned to us and started telling us we need to find the truth and was telling us about a prophet she met the other day. And other miracles and stuff she has experienced. It was kind of crazy/funny/ultimately sad. Then she prayed for us right there and rode off on her bike! I dont know if she took a breath the whole time she was talking to us then she just said bye and left! I was kind of confused. 

We continued on our way to do doors at place that should have taken 15 minutes to get to but instead took 45. While doing doors we started at the top of this apartment building and worked our way down and we were about at the 3 floor now with like 8 or so behind us. Up until now we had just gotten a lot of closed doors. Then as we walked down the stairs to the 3rd floor I asked how much time we had left and Elder Damstedt said 15 minutes and that we could probably just finish the building and I said "well I hope we dont finish the building in 15 minutes." And I said a little prayer hoping that we would find someone. Then on that floor we were only able to do 3 doors! because each one wanted to hear more so we talked for a bit at the door and made out appointments for later in the week. I called the elders in Darmstadt yesterday to find out how those appointments went and they said all 3 went good and that they will continue teaching them! It was such a cool miracle. Its funny how things like that happen. 8 previous floors nothing at all, then on one floor just 3 back to back. We learn to wait and be patient and to expect that blessings and results will come.

 
Then we had this lady named Marion call us my first day here in Heidelberg and make out an appointment for Tuesday night last week. We met her at the church with a cool member there and were able to teach her. She told us that she was in a clothing store waiting in line and Hans Peter(a member here) just started talking to her and they ended up talking about the church and he gave her a Book of Mormon, invited her to read Moroni 10:3-6 and to meet with us. And she did both! Its so awesome when the members do missionary work. They always find the coolest people. We then met with Marion again Saturday night and taught her about the restoration. It was a very spiritual lesson. The Missionary Couple here was with us and Marion was way open and ready to listen. She is already very faithful and is Christian and everything. But as we taught her I could see her eyes like lighting up. From her comments and questions throughout the lesson you could see that what we were telling her was filling in holes in her beliefs and what she knows. 

The restored gospel is such a blessing. We are not left with doubts, or holes, and when we have questions we are invited to ask and seek and promised we will find. I've put it to the test continually throughout my mission and have been blessed to see that God fulfills his promises to us. I have seen many people who I've had the privilege to teach put this to the test and who have been blessed to receive the answers they were looking for. Marion is one included. At the end of the lesson we asked her if when God answers her prayers and lets her know that our message is true, if she would be baptized. And she said, yes of course. It was a really cool thing to experience. We invited her to church and she came. She loved it! In Sunday School I was sitting next to her and she was taking notes throughout the whole thing and asking me to write down the scriptures for her that were being quoted so she could read them later. She is a really cool lady.

 
I am really grateful for the people that I have been blessed to meet on my mission. I learn so much and they motivate me even more to be better. They're desire and wish to come closer to God is contagious and rubs off. In all honestly that is one of the best things we can do. To inspire others to want to come closer to God. I read a verse this morning that made me think a lot about this. Moroni 7:13 ''But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.'' We must be 'of God'. Giving others the desire to do good, to love God, and then serve him. I've always read this verse and thought about the scriptures, prayer, and other things we have to remind us to do good. Today though I thought that can mean people to! In order to invite and entice to do good continually we must do this ourselves. So my commitment to you all this week is to be 'of God'. I hope to hear how it goes!

 
The gospel of Christ is a blessing. I know because of this that God is our Heavenly Father. That he sent his son Jesus Christ to atone for us. Therefore making it possible for us to be perfect. And because God loves us and this knowledge of what Christ did is so important, it was restored to us through Joseph Smith. I am far from perfect, but I'm trying to get there, as we all are. Because of my Love for God I will try to share this message with everyone I can, and I hope you will all do the same.I love you all so much! Have a good week. Be of God, and be happy.
Elder Puriri