Tolle Woche [Great Week!] : Wetzlar Week 13

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.

Miracles: Wetzlar Week 12

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

Prepared people: Wetzlar Week 11

October 19, 2015

Subject: Prepared people

Hallo Familie,

Solid update. Austin, Way to go with Soccer out there. Did you play keeper a bit out there too? The family mission plan looks great! Our mini missionary comes to us next week. Unfortunately Mr S did not make it, last minute call and he had changed his mind. The baptism was awesome though, Titze Family. Sister Titze is originally from Ohio, speaks amazing German and English her husband also speaks English.

Reading Austin´s quote from my email that he used in a talk, [DadN: Austin gave a talk in Church last week on Christ like attributes and he focused on Service and quoted one of Hayden’s past letters] I realize how much less exciting my emails sound right now than they probably did when I started or closer to when I started my mission. I love my ward here in Wetzlar too, the area, the people we teach, companions I´ve had. I´m still loving my mission, excited about the work, happy, enjoying German, eating too much with members, and all of those good things.

In this past week we had two more fun splits with Hanau missionaries [DN: Split is where Missionaries from different areas switch Companions for a day or “split” up and each goes out with another person. Ie split up the companionship], had a zone training and did some finding on our own. Cool story (hoping it continues to get cooler and I may have already told part of it) Elder Domine and I talked with a man walking down the street, I complimented his dog (Austin, the German people have such well taken care of, beautiful dogs, it´s great) and started a conversation about the gospel. One thing led to another, he wasn´t really interested but he invited us into his drink store and gave us some free drinks and we gave him a Book of Mormon. A few weeks later one of my Zone leaders [DN: Mission areas organized geographically – Mission whole area, Zone subsection of Mission, District subsection of Zone, Companionship area subsection of district – Each area has Leadership at that level] and I went back on a split to check on him and he´d read a bit. We scheduled an appointment (which semi fell through, his coworker didn´t show up to cover him at work but we had a chat at the register, and have since visited him two more times. He´s read the restoration pamphlet twice and is loves it. He is understanding how loving God is and how important the family is. We haven´t even had a sit down lesson to really share things and invite but he is already doing so much! When people come to know God and his truth, repentance- a change of heart leading to a change of behavior because of, through, and with Jesus Christ, occurs naturally. So exciting. We´re visiting him tonight :)

Those are some good things going on. And it´s really cold, but I have a coat now so it´s all good.

Till next week! Love,

Hayden

reminder that I´ve been sending the mission address wrong. President said to send letters packages and stuff in General only through the office.

Elder Hayden Blanchard

Kirche Jesu Christ 

Corneliusstrasse 18
60325 Frankfurt am Main
Germany/Deutschland