November 3, 2015
Subject: Tolle Woche [Great
Week!]
I thought I sent this,
was not in the drafts either. Luckily I save these to the notes on my iPad. [Dad Note: Yeah this came a day late]
Hello!
Another awesome week
over here :) Our mini missionary, EJ, was a lot of fun. Here our some pictures
of us too. Quick answers: I´m staying here and really happy about it. Getting
to know the ward even better, spending my birthday and maybe Christmas with
here too. We set another baptismal date this week (yay! Mr N!) And we really
want to help all of these people make it to the font and further so I hope I get
to stay a while for that too. It would be really cool to learn Spanish in
Heidelberg, of course I´ll go where I´m needed, but learning Spanish on my
mission is a trial and blessing that I´ve asked for. [DN: apparently there is a set of Spanish Speaking Missionaries in the
Heidelberg area] Your package is here and I´m getting it today [DN: we sent him a Birthday package a few
weeks ago]! We´re spending p-day with the Zone leaders, going to go buy
some white shirts and ties and stuff like that.
Yeah, the Family T are
awesome. We´re going to have Thanksgiving dinner with them and perhaps
Christmas phone call there too, then you would get to meet them too. We had
dinner with the Family F on Sunday and it was so much fun. Reminded me of home,
their kid s are close to our ages (me, Taylor, Emily and Austin, sorry you´re
last Austin, just cause you´re the youngest).
Way to Go with school
too, Austin, you champion. Carry on :) Family scripture study too! Good to
hear. How long has Elder Mann been with you now?
This
week for me.... It was so much fun to have EJ with us in lots of ways. German
help, lots of laughs, person number 3. Also kind of different talking to people
on the street. I realized and learned a lot of things this week (some with him
and some just in the normal course of life and learning, getting off track
though..) 2 things that stick out to me thinking of our mini missionary are 1. Preach
my Gospel is amazing, still wishing that I´d followed the council of young
men´s leaders throughout the years and done more with that pre mission. Preach
my Gospel really keeps you focused on the foundational, simple, pure doctrine of
the gospel, helps you as a missionary and helps to teach clearly and with the
spirit. Read preach my gospel. 2, another reminder that was again very apparent
was the blessing that it is to teach and share in a foreign language. Yes, we teach
and share in English a decent amount too (really cool because so many people
who speak no German can speak at least a little English, so many refugees can´t
speak either though. That´s gotta be hard. Teaching in German and needing to
think more about what you say (it´s not Really hard and I don´t stumble on my
words, I have good grammar etc., but it´s not my mother language, I don´t fly
like I could with English if I wanted to). So not only is it a wonderful
blessing that we learn a new language, but it also helps to put the breaks on
in speaking, and really think about what people need to hear. I love it. Teaching
in English is awesome too and we still do our best to teach simply and clearly
of course.
I
hope that made sense, I was kind of all over the place :)
I
close with my ponderizing [DN:
combination of the words Ponder and Memorizing] scripture of the week and
some thoughts from the past few days. I´ve been thinking a lot in the past few
days about humility. One of the Elders in the district loves to study humility
and shares what he learns so I end up on the subject often enough myself. A mix
of sunday school, personal reflection and a Nelson Mandela quote that Elder
Regehr showed me have as well have led me to ponder the balance between
humility and self undervaluing (Demut und Unterwürfigkeit... ich weiß es nicht)
humility is not about being or appearing to be less than what you are. Humility
is about gratitude and love, seeing and recognizing God´s hand, His mercy,
grace, and love. Recognizing that your gifts and talents come from above (James 1:17,
classic, love that scripture) In doing this we don´t compare to others, assume
ourselves to be somehow more than them, but rather lovingly uplift and
gratefully praise others in their talents and efforts as well. Matthew 5:16
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works,
and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Let your light shine and
don´t bury it! Don´t wave it around and flash it in your friends´ eyes though
or it will get dim. Let your light shine!
I
love you!
Hayden
I´m
"ponderizing" Ether 12:27
this week.- And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I
give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for
all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before
me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.
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