Another Tender Mercy (March 24)

This week has been craziness! But isn’t it always so?

Monday, we soaked up the sun at schloßberg. Then had a Family Home Evening with a family in our ward. It was really fun. We talked about Prophets. We played telephone to show how distorted information can get, esp. when two Americans are playing. So funny :) But I think they really enjoyed it. I love working with the youth in the ward!

Tuesday, we had a great district meeting about my favorite topic, being organized :) then the week of tausches (splits) began!!!

My first tausch was with Sister Packer, we had a blast. She serves in an English ward. It was really weird to have ward council in English. It just feels so different. Sometimes I forget at home, we don’t speak German in church..... weird. haha. I met my BEST FRIEND on this tausch. We were sitting in a straßenbahn (tram) and a girl is reading a Nicolas Sparks book. Easy conversations starter :) I tell her he’s my favorite author and she tells me a bit about the book. Well I tell her I’m from California and she says she’s going there for her vet training. Then turns out she does hunter/jumper. We clicked so fast. We were having the best conversation saying we should stay in contact.... and then she had to hop out and I didn’t hop out with her since I was in Wien..... it was so sad. But yeah, Sister Packer and I had fun.

The next day began my tausch with Sister Garrett. What more do I even need to say? :)

Well, it started off stressful because since we had tausches back to back, we may have forgotten to switch train tickets AND keys...... yeah it was an adventure!! We were going to have a camping tausch at a members house, when a member called us saying the got some keys. So luckily, we got to sleep in our own beds. The weather was beautiful and we had a wonderful day contacting and finding. It was so great to be with her! We just contact really well together. I am so lucky I got to spend the day with her. We contacted at a castle and ended up meeting a young adult. He just moved to Graz and is looking for a church......... :) He came and played Frisbee with us and the JAEs (Ward Missionaries?) the next day. Anyway, wonderful tausch with Sister Garrett!

After the whole week of having different companions, Sister Allman and I got to do some weekly planning together. Well, I was really sad because we have not made contact with my favorite (that’s probably not allowed, but I have a favorite) less active. During the opening prayer, I prayed that we would be able to make contact with her. 3 minutes into the prayer, she called!!!!! I answered, and before I could say anything else, "MEINE LIEBEN, KÖNNEN WIR DIESE WOCHE TREFFEN?? (MY DEAR, WE CAN MEET THIS WEEK)" We only had one time slot open, and that was the day she didn’t have work..... It was a miracle.... a serious tender mercy.

Then we had finding day in Bruck. It was so good. Before we started, we stopped to get a dönner. The guy working there was asking why we are here in Austria. We were telling him what we were doing here and then we bore testimony of how the Book of Mormon changed our life. He looked us straight in the eye and said really? and then "DO you happen to have lots of those books, cause if you do, I would really love one." Well luckily, that’s exactly what we do! So we gave him a book and he was just so excited to read and then meet with the elders. We then were freaking out because we didn’t have someone to come with us for our lesson that night. You think I would learn never to freak out when you are doing the Lords work... But we called what seemed like everyone in the whole ward. We were debating what we should do and how we could still meet with this family, we were debating whether it would be okay because the 12-year-old girl would be home and decided to pray about it. We still felt like we needed to go, but didn’t feel good about going without a member to help us. Then out of nowhere, a member’s name popped into both of our heads, and she was able to come with only 45 minutes of notice. It was A MIRACLE. I love this work!

After the appointment, I got a call that I have been dreading for my whole mission.... It was the bishop, informing me that the speaker fell out for sacrament tomorrow and he would love to hear from me. By the time we got home, it was time to go to bed, so I prepared my talk the morning of. That is NOT something Sister Regnier likes to do. But I hope it went okay, when I get nervous, my German goes out the window... but it happens :) It didn’t really matter, because Pa__ WAS CONFIRMED A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST and now has the gift of the Holy Ghost! What a beautiful day.

I love this work.

This is the work of the Lord.

Have a great week!

Love ya

--

Sister Regnier

If that wasn't enough.....we got an email/photos from Sister Garrett:

Hey Sister Regnier, 

This is Sister Garrett, Sister Regnier's old companion. I just wanted to tell you how awesome of a missionary your daughter is. Last week I had the wonderful opportunity of having an exchange with her and worked with her in Graz. She is such a hard working missionary and she really takes what she is doing seriously and serves the Lord with all her heart. I have been able to learn so much from her. She is one of the most Charitable people that I know and shares her love with everyone that she meets. I know that she has blessed a lot of people’s lives with her example here and with her testimony. She has truly blessed my life! Just wanted to write real quick and send you a picture of last week, we were able to celebrate her yearmark together at a mexican restaraunt which was perfect! Well I hope you have a great week!

Alles Gute!

Sister Garrett

We had a beautiful baptism (March 17)

Well, this week was quite an interesting one. Most everything fell threw, except the baptism!!

So luckily, after a really hard week, we still saw blessings of the labor.

This week, Pa__ was baptized into the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints. and he was BEAMING. The baptism was beautiful.

This week we had zone training. It was a really cool zone training because I was so passionate about the topics. We talked about virtue, organization, not wasting time, and old investigators. It was really a great meeting. I feel that everyone truly gained something from it, I sure did. Esp. virtue, Sister Allman and I were in charge of presenting it and wow. I have never been so surprised with a Christ-like attribute and how little I know. I learned A TON.

This week I had a tausch (splits) with Sister Green. The tausch was fun, except that literally everything fell out. But we finally had some time to get some of the stuff that’s been put off done. That included going by on a referral from mormon.org "Some of my Christian friends and I would like some bibles.” So we went to the outskirts of Graz and brought some Books of Mormon :) So, his House ended up being a church. The owner, I guess you would call it, has dedicated his life to Africans. He calls himself a missionary and is just way cool! So asylum seekers can come live there and have a happy life. Its pretty dang cool. He had a lot of questions for us. One of the members of the household asked us if the book we were holding was the word of God. And then asked if we could come preach to him sometime. Man, I know I say this every week. But if I serve another mission, I gotta go to Africa!!!!

When Sister Allman and I were reunited, everything still fell threw..... sadly. but it gave us time to go back to the basics of finding. We had some great lessons on the Atonement and the Sacrament this week. So many members of the church don’t understand how important and how big the Sacrament is. I’m guilty of it before my mission. But I am just so grateful that we have the chance to partake of it every week!

Saturday was so stinken fun!

It started off with some fußball with a less active. It was pretty fun. Then a member picked us up in town and took us to their House. It’s so magical. I LOVE AUSTRIA. Well, we got to help them work on their house that they are building. I LOVE IT. I want to live out in the land of Austria, and build my own wood house. It’s the best thing. We got to work a bit with some animals, and when I say animals, I mean sheep and goats. It was so much fun. The little girls fell in love with us and we just felt like part of the family. Also, power tools are always fun :)

Then came SUNDAY. Sunday was obviously amazing. We had a beautiful baptism and then a great time with bishop then did our weekly planning on a castle overlooking Graz. no big deal :)

-- love ya!

Have a great week!

Sister Regnier

Fasching -Carnival (March 10)

This week was so fun! It was faschingszeit. I don’t know what its called in English, but it’s celebrating the end of winter. It was so crazy. Floats and costumes everywhere!

We had a ward party, it was really fun we helped with a booth for the primary kids. Everyone dressed up, since we didn’t have much, we dressed up in our dirdles (German dresses)... haha but it was a blast. Austrians get a little crazy about holidays.

Today we went hiking with the elders and a member. It was so much fun, Austria is the prettiest thing ever!

This week we had a lot of appointments and had to accommodate a trip to Munich. It was craziness. Munich was really great though. The Christ-like attribute for this month is Virtue. I was blown away by the things Sister Miles talked about. We talked a lot about our thoughts. When I hear virtue, my mind goes to chastity linked things. However, we talked a lot about idle thoughts. It really stood out to me because I don’t really have a problem with poor thoughts, but sometimes I will just sit and give my mind a break. It sounds crazy, but what a waste of time! I could be doing so much more. It sounds so crazy but it was really what I needed. I should spend more time thinking about German, or a lesson, or my investigators, or things of better value. Tomorrow, Sister Allman and I will be talking about it with the rest of the zone, I am pretty excited. We talked a lot about our Area books. Idk, it was just really good and what I needed to get another wave of motivation. Well, I might start rambling because I forgot what I did this week and don’t have my planner..... haha see, bad memory.

We were by two members this week.... haha that makes a lot more sense in German. It was great. One was the Kn__ family, seriously the best family. I love them so, so much. I feel like my journal is filled on wanting to be just like them. Anyway, we had a blast, like always. They converted their keller (basement) into a band room,,,, that’s right, I rocked the drums for a whole minute... haha But it rekindled my desire to learn guitar! It was so great. I love seeing how members are here. They are just so, so cool and strong in the faith.

This week we got to visit a couple less actives. Man, it’s such an important part of this work. I love seeing them and reminding them of what they already know. Well that’s actually what we do with investigators too :)

P___ is doing so great! He will be getting baptized this Sunday. He is really excited.

Ha___ is having a hard time believing in God. He is praying this week. It’s so great to know, that if he prays with an open heart, he will get an answer!

Ph__ and Da__ are just the best. When we first showed up, Da__ (the 10 year old son) was trying to make an appointment for next time. He’s so cool! They read in the book of Mormon together. We taught praying and they both said a closing prayer. Da__ laughed a bit, but it was SO COOL to see two children of God talk to their Heavenly Father, in proper prayer, for the first time. They are so excited to continue reading in the Book of Mormon and meet with us and start coming to church.

All else I can say about investigators is that I HATE SMOKING. It's straight from the Devil. I hate it. Today we were talking about how we don’t even notice the smell anymore. It’s everywhere. And it's keeping people from the Gospel.  Addiction is awful. I think often of that video I sent home a couple months ago with the dad and the split screen of his life options. So good!

Also, SO two weeks ago, we went by a less active who had no desire and was afflicted by severe depression. This week we brought a member with us who gave her a priesthood blessing! SHE WAS SO HAPPY it was seriously great. Everything about her changed and she said she’d pray this week. The light was in her eyes. ah, missionary work is the coolest. Also, there is this less active 16 year old. Well, we started teacher her mom this week. It’s going to be great! I’m really excited for Graz right now. There is so much going on. I can’t get transferred. This transfer is just shooting by!

Well I had a crazy week. Another good thing is that I finally got caught up in my journal, it took the whole 6-hour train ride home from Munchen (Munich), but I did it! :) haha

Have a super week!

Love you tons!

Schwester Regnier