October 26, 2015
Subject: Miracles
Family!
I´m going to start by
answering questions, this is going to be a longer email.
Too bad about Mr S not
making the baptism. The Titze family sounds nice. How did they meet and end up
in Germany? Tell us more about some of the members and investigators. Any
service lifting lately? Does this area do street displays? How is the
companion's German coming. are you being a good teacher?
Is that [Hanau] in your
district or Zone?
Hey how about a picture
of you and that new coat?
Did you get your package
yet?
Answers: Sister Titze´s
family actually moved to Germany from Ohio when she was 4 years old.
Investigators, that will come soon in this email. Service lifting. I told
Austin a story last week, on a split in Hanau we stacked logs for close to 2
hours in the rain and that was a lot of fun, I was sore. We did a lot of biking
last week and I was sore from that. This area doesn´t do street displays yet
but that´s because we haven´t planned any yet. His German is improving well, I think
most people improve more and faster than they think they do, it´s just the
confidence to speak more is what I think holds most people back in language
learning. Elder Regehr is doing awesome though. I hope I´m a good teacher haha,
I just try to speak a lot of German and he picks it up fast. Hanau is part of
my district, it´s a big district, 10 missionaries overall. Here are two
pictures of me in my new coat. I have pictures on my iPad but try to take more
with the camera. Last week I started to load them onto the cannon website but after
30 minutes only had 10 done so decided to do it another time. I´ve been working
on taking more pictures, the uploading just takes a while and is really
inconvenient since it takes like 40 minute to get to church and we send emails
with our iPads and wifi. I promise I´ll get you all of the pictures I have
before Christmas though, hopefully earlier. I have not received the package
yet, although they probably have it at the mission office. I´ll get it at the
next zone training most likely.
The past week was full
miracles. We set 3 baptismal dates and have 7 new investigators. When we called
president to let him know about one of the baptismal dates and shared the story
with him he asked us to type it up for the mission newsletter. I did that in my
slightly formal writing style so I´ll copy and past that down here.
This past Friday the
23rd of October was a beautiful testimony of how God's plan is a lot better
than ours, miracles fall from heaven and God works through small and simple
means to let great things come to pass. However, to be more complete, we'll
start on Saturday October 17th. We found ourselves on this beautiful afternoon
walking down the Füßgänger [sidewalk/walkway] here in Gießen, on the search for
God's prepared children. During one of these street conversations, a friendly
woman called to us from a cafe. Mrs C (our new friend) originally assumed
that we were Jehovah's witnesses and she herself is a former Jehovah's witness.
She discovered that we are actually missionaries from the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter Day Saints (surprise) and recognized the name mormons from her
younger days living in Ohio. At this point we exchanged contact information and
planned to meet in the coming week, at this point without a firmly set
appointment. A few days pass and we try to get in contact to arrange an
appointment but without success.
Friday morning comes and we call again. Mrs C
called us back- having received the call but from an unknown number- and said,
"Oh! The missionaries! Jehovah's witnesses are standing at my door now but
I'll give you a call back later."
Night time. We had had an appointment
scheduled for 6 O'clock but unfortunately it fell out. We proceed to a 'go by',
visiting another potential, who we hoped would then become an investigator, but
unfortunately was not there yet. Back up plan, we start again towards the
Füßgänger Zone [direct translation Füßgänger = pedestrian]. Steps away and
Elder Regehr slows down, "Elder Blanchard, wait", he calls. Elder
Regehr spotted Mrs C and a friend of hers and engaged them in conversation.
Mr A, an energetic man likely in his 50s,
began aggressively. He thought that we were teaching bad things but of course
didn't know for himself. In the course of our conversation, we bore testimony
of Jesus Christ. He pulled out a pass along card sort of thing with a picture of
Jesus and as we reacted positively to that, his heart was softened. Together we
walked to a nearby Cafe and sat down for some Peppermint tea on this cold fall
night. We discussed the
restoration. We shared the Book of Mormon. Because Mrs C is from Ohio and
preferred English, we ended up breaking off at the end of the lesson. Elder Regehr
discussing and introducing the Book of Mormon in English and Elder Blanchard
with Mr A in German. Mrs Cis scheduled to be baptized on the 19th of
December. Alfred accepted a 'soft invitation' to be baptized and is excited to
read the Book of Mormon.
Mrs Calso made two noteworthy comments after making this life-changing decision. 1
I'll need to quit smoking then, 2 I don't even want to drink (that beer) now.
People naturally desire repentance when they come closer to God. This day was
perfectly planned, but it wasn't our plan, it was God's. We were in the exact
place at the exact time we needed to be there to meet Claudia and Alfred this
night. Miracles are real. God is hastening his work. It is a joy and excitement
to be tools in His hands and take part in this divine cause.
Saturday was also
amazing, we set another baptismal date with a new investigator named Mr J. We
taught him the
restoration and the spirit was so strong. We went into more depth than
usual and he really understood, enjoyed and accepted what we shared. Next week
we´re going to help him build a pond which will be a lot of fun.
God is the same
yesterday, today and forever. He is a God of miracles. From some of the end of
the Book of Mormon
Moroni 9:7
And again I speak unto you who deny the revelations of God, and say that they
are done away, that there are no revelations, nor prophecies, nor gifts, nor
healing, nor speaking with tongues, and the interpretation of tongues;
8 Behold I say unto you,
he that denieth these things knoweth not the gospel of Christ; yea, he has not
read the scriptures; if so, he does not understand them.
9 For do we not read
that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no
variableness neither shadow of changing?
10 And now, if ye have
imagined up unto yourselves a god who doth vary, and in whom there is shadow of
changing, then have ye imagined up unto yourselves a god who is not a God of
miracles. 11 But behold, I will show unto you a God of miracles, even the God
of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and it is that same God
who created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are.
I love it, I love
miracles :)
Cary on at home! I love
you!
Hayden
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