Hello!
It has been a quick week! We got a ward mission leader a couple weeks ago so we're starting to integrate him more into the work and its way cool. We had a tausch and a Meet President and Sister Schwartz meeting. The weather was sunny at the start of the week but got surprisingly cold and rainy over the weekend. Today is a bit warmer but still not so much sun. It'll come though.
On Monday last week we got a call with a name and number of a lady that was in our area and wanted a blessing. We called her and organized going to where she was. She is an investigator from Elders in a city by Stuttgart, so not in our mission. She was coming here to a hospital place and had to leave on short notice so she asked the Elders in that city if the Nürnberg Elders could go give her a blessing. and thats us!! It was cool. We went out and talked with her, taught her a bit about the plan of salvation and were able to give her a blessing.
It was just kind of cool like to see the unity in the church. Like we know and here about it all the time. We know all the other missionaries out there are also working to spread the gospel. But to kind of be able to work with the Elders from another mission and help them out was cool. Its the same important message everywhere. We know that of course. As we went though and talked about her she told us about what the Elders had been teaching her and everything and we just basically picked up and taught further from where they left off. Now she'll go back, tell them what she learned and what we taught, and they will continue from there. It is so easy to work in unity when we are working with truth. Its not just opinions or suggestions we are working with but true doctrine. So that was a cool opportunity.
Then I was able to do an austausch with Elder Damstedt which was sweet. I tausched with him when he was still pretty new back when I was in Heidelberg and he was in Darmstadt. Now almost 8 months later we had the opportunity to work together again. Its always a blessing when you have that opportunity.
On Saturday was our meeting here in Nürnberg to meet President and Sister Schwartz. It was pretty cool! They are German so the meet was pretty much all in German. I think its such a cool opportunity to have a German mission President. Many things are going to be in German now and it will give us all a better chance to practice and better our German. They are awesome people though. Full of love and the desire to serve.
After the meeting Elder Durrant and I each had an interview with President Schwartz so he could get to know us a bit and the stuff going on in the zone. Before my interview though I sat down on a couch in the institute center with President Schwartz and we had a bit of time just to talk. So he said Elder I would like to take this time to get to know your family. So I pulled out the photo album I always have with me and showed him the family and told him a bit about us. It was really cool. He then asked me why I believe I am in Germany right now. I thought a bit and told him about my exchange and mission so far and stuff. Then he shared some of his thoughts with me. I learned a lot and got some good thoughts to go a bit deeper on. Then we went up stairs and started the actual interview which ended up being pretty long. I learned a ton though it was cool. Then Elder Durrant had his interview which also lasted longer then planned. So I just kind of cleaned up the church since we were the last ones and all. Then we had 10 minutes to get to an appointment that was a least 30 minutes away so President Schwartz just goes, 'Alright Elders lets go I'll just drive you'. So we got in the car and he drove us over there. It was another chance to just talk a bit it was cool. He is actually from a ward in the Nürnberg stake. So he's mission president of his home mission. He was or is...the stake patriarch so he was in Nürnberg often since thats where the stake center is. Plus he's lived in this area for a really long time. So he knew right where to go when we told him where our appointment was. We talked about the members in the ward and he told us how we can work with them better. It was way cool, especially since he knows them all personally. I'm excited to have the opportunity to serve with him.
I've been amazed with my 3 mission presidents. Each one I learn very important specific things from. Each inspired and called of God for that specific mission at that time. It has been a blessing to serve with all of them. I'm excited for what is still to come in the time thats left.
I am really grateful for our family! As I pulled out the pictures and started to show President Schwartz and talk about all of you I felt a very strong connection and love for each of you. President Schwartz looked at me when I was finished and said how he could feel the love of our family as I showed him. It is a special connection we have. I treasure all the times and memories we have together. This connection we have would not been the same were we not sealed together through the ordinances of the Temple. The Temple binds us together for eternity and gives us the possibility of being together forever if each of us individually lives worthily. It is my hearts desire to achieve this and my motivation to do my best. I am grateful for each of you and for the many things I've learned from you all.
I watched this short video on lds.org, https://lds.org/youth/video/laie-hawaii-temple-youth-cultural-celebration?lang=eng. Which made me think even more of this. Remember our heritage. From Mom's side and Dad's. What was important to our ancestors and what they went through. What they did so that we could have what we have today and be where we are now. Where or in what they took root and began to grow. I feel I owe a great deal to them for the lives they lived. Remember that temples bind us together. Live a life that would be pleasing to them and to our Heavenly Father. As we do, the love and desire to be together that connects us will drive deeper and deeper into our hearts. Like a tree we must have strong roots to hold us. The higher we stretch our branches up the deeper our roots must go to sustain us. Allowing us to stand tall in the world today. We can intertwine our roots with those of our family members, giving us extra strength and support. As we do our part to strengthen our roots and allow them to go deeper our love for each other will also grow.
A strong feeling filled me as I watched that video and thought of our family and the temple. It was a full feeling, I don't know how to better describe it. The gospel and ordinances thereof can complete our family. It is a very real blessing given to us. Thank you all for everything. Make the most of all the time you have together. I hope you have a good week, be happy!
Love you all,
Elder Puriri
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