I love being a missionary way too much (June 10)

Well, what a week. We served a LOT! The flood was tragic and has disrupted the lives of many, but at the same time, we have also seen so many come to the aid of others. Truly impressive! If you think about it, not many missionaries get to see a community come together like this and have this kind of experience. From this perspective, it has been a way cool week! We weren’t able to teach much, but we served in other ways.

So last Monday was straight up hectic. After emails, we had to move. This consisted of throwing EVERYTHING into suitcases and in the pouring raining trekking it across town. 4 times..... It took all Pday. We didn't even get any Missionary work in... sad. But in the new apartment we had electricity! Plus it is SUPER SUPER nice. Probably the best missionary apartment out of every mission in the world. I will have to show a video. So we didn´t have water for a day. It was quite an adventure. Luckily we have the best branch pres. & wife and they brought us a ton of water that we could boil and drink or use for such purposes such as washing inch thick mud out of our hair ;) it was quite an interesting, wet, dirty experience. But what hasn't been this week? We were not the typical skirt-wearing, rainbowlike-smelling missionaries. We have been told to boil the water (for the next 3 weeks) from our tap for food and drink but I have actually been able to shower everyday.

Our district meeting was canceled this week, so we took the opportunity to find some kellers (cellars) and scoop out water and mud! We have helped many people, but surprisingly, the first 2 days were actually hard to help people. Weird right? We would walk around and just ask and 9/10 times the people would say no. So it was A LOT OF WALKING. And, no buses were running. Let me tell you, the cheapest rain boots we could find, were NOT nice to our feet. I have never been so tired those 2 nights, I slept like a baby. We even decided to make dinner in our rollychairs (we have wood floors and brand new desk chairs! What else is expected??)

Okay, so Wednesday afternoon, we found out about this "service center." It is so cool! You go and they have assignments for you. So no wasting time looking! It was so awesome and they provided tools. I have never seen such a well-ran program. Everyone was just working together, and it really was just such a happy thing. People that couldn't manually work made food for everyone! It was such a team effort. People going around handing out food and everyone just working together and doing whatever they could. (Plus I got to try some German snacks I probably would have never got the opportunity to, cool ja? My favorite ended up being called an "americaner," haha who would have guessed) So needless to say, we have basically used the center ever since, except unplanned service opportunities. We even saw the Sagmeisters there. We did a project with them cleaning out a keller, but I am actually pretty sure it was a night club. How many missionaries can say they have worked at a nightclub and a bar while on their mission.... hahaha.

I will talk about some of my favorites this week. So we had a finding day in Passau this week, but we turned it to a service day. So the elders in our district came and we did some work. As we were walking to an assignment, we came across an old man pushing a wheelbarrow from his keller. We asked him if he would like some help and he said yes.  I am SO glad we were able to help them. They are two elderly people with a keller FULL of tools (the reason why there are tools in my pictures), in high, unsafe places. The Elders were even having a hard time with some stuff. What took us 2 hours, would have taken them weeks. I have never been so grateful to help. They were so, so cute. They spoke in thick Bayerisch ( I REALLY want to learn bayerisch, but I figure I should learn German first :) ) We even got a picture with them. We are planning to print it out and give it to them next week. They were just ADORABLE.

Another cool opportunity was working side by side with the German Army (they were EVERYWHERE). This was also an unplanned service. It was really fun and we got REALLY dirty. Sister G has a picture of us after that, Ill have to get it from her. It was the biggest assembly line I have ever seen. Passing buckets of mud back and forth. It was REALLY fun. We also saw one of our Investigators there-So that was cool.

My 3rd favorite was this morning. There is this hotel on the Donau that looks really cool. This week when we saw it, 2 floors were underwater. I thought it would be an awesome place to help. Today we got to! ( the water level is CRAZY low today, almost back to normal!) We worked there with people that worked at the hotel, mainly a girl from Brazil (San Paulo), a lady from Spain, and a lady from Hungary. I've decided people NOT from Germany speak better German, because I can understand them better ;) We got to talk a lot and really get the place cleaned up. It was a really cool hotel. Kind of like a high quality hostel, and you know I have always wanted to stay in one of those! haha. I think the girl from Brazil may be interested in hearing about the gospel. We are going back Thursday to help some more.

Sunday, our stake had a "special stake conference" where Elder Nelson, his wife, President Miles, his wife, the Swiss temple president, and the stake president spoke. It was awesome! Elder Nelson really focused on children and what to teach your children. He had all the primary kids stand on their chairs and sing I am a child of God. SO cute. I miss my primary class! I really enjoyed everything he focused on. But the crazy thing is this. He said missionary work is going to change how it is done. The announcement will be made on June 23. Holy Cow. I am so nervous, excited, everything! I AM DYING TO KNOW. My companion and I have pretty much guessed everything it could be, now we just wait. AH! It is KILLING me. I hope we get to watch the broadcast. Of course, the Nelson's talks were auf English. However, he closed with his testimony, auf flawless Deutsch... it was so awesome. Apostles and Prophets are seriously the coolest.

Funny story, on the way to our 6 o’clock train Sunday morning, we figured out we forgot our nametags.... (they were caked with dirt waiting in the bathroom to be cleaned off....) It felt SO WEIRD. I can’t even imagine what it will feel like when I am no longer a missionary. I felt different. We called the München sisters, who let us borrow theirs for the meeting, but the train ride was just weird. I love being a missionary way too much :)

Our untersucher mit ein Taufttermine (investigator planning to be baptized) is doing GREAT! We hadn't met with him at all for 2 weeks ago and he hasn’t been to church in 2 weeks. I did wonder if he was OK, however, we finally met with him. He is so excited about the Gospel and his baptism! I am so excited for him I have never met someone so new to the Book of Mormon and who just absorbs it like he does. He loves it, we barely get any lessons in because he just wants to read it with us and get our interpretations. It is so fun. We had 2 lessons with him this week (hence the 2 sonstige haha). During the first one we had quite a weird experience. A guy came up to us and asked what we were reading. We told him, then he asked if we were God. After saying no, he went on to tell us he was God. He was obviously not all there mentally, but it was definitely a Spirit killer. Teaching outside in public is difficult, but at least this week, it was sunny!!

Also, we stopped by on Maria (the lady who was so excited we were giving her the Book Of Mormon for free and asked us to stop by the next week). It was interesting because her son answered the door. He said that she is too old and that she doesn't need it. He shut the door but we heard her arguing that she wants to listen to us. After the flood issues calm down, there will be opportunities to see her. Patience. I think we will teach her! I am so excited for that! I am also excited to that we will now get Elders in Passau! It will be nice because we can use them to be able to teach inside if we have a single male investigator! I am also excited for Tuesday, Elder Nelson is specifically talking to the missionaries!

Anyway, I just have really been impressed by how all of Passau and neighboring cities have come together to help complete strangers. It has been an awesome experience. It has also been cool talking to people who wouldn’t show much interest in us when we wore our missionary clothes. We actually had a lady pass us on the street and exclaim, HEY YOU ARE AMERICAN. We stopped and talked and she said, " It's nice to see you get out of your suits and ties and get dirty at a time like this." I think it really opened a lot of people’s eyes to what we are about. toll.

Well that is enough rambling for now.

Bis spatter (until later)

Sister Regnier

Serving others with the Sagmeister Family

Matchy boots!

Passau declared a state of emergency -Pray for my sweetie and her city! (June 3)

 PASSAU, Germany — Swollen rivers gushed into the old section of Passau in southeast Germany on Monday, as water rose in the city to levels not seen in more than five centuries.

The city was one of the worst hit by flooding that has spread across a large area of central Europe following heavy rainfall in recent days. At least eight people were reported to have died and nine were missing due to floods in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Czech Republic.

An aerial view of the flooding in Passau, Germany, photographed Monday June 3, 2013. Heavy rainfalls cause flooding along rivers and lakes in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Czech Republic.

People stand in the flooded centre of Passau, southern Germany, Monday, June 3, 2013. Raging waters from three rivers have flooded large parts of the southeast German city following days of heavy rainfall in central Europe. A spokesman for the cityís crisis center said Monday that the situation was ìextremely dramaticî and waters are expected to rise further by midday to their level highest in 70 years 

Much of the city was inaccessible on foot and the electricity supply was shut down as a precaution, he said. Rescuers were using boats to evacuate residents from flooded parts of the city. Authorities in the afternoon evacuated a prison that was in danger of being flooded, moving 60 inmates to two other nearby facilities on higher ground.

But with water from the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers relentlessly pouring into the city, water was advancing into previously dry streets — in one case going from dry to ankle-deep within half an hour. Markers set in 1954, when the city suffered its worst flooding in living memory, have disappeared beneath the rising water.

Onlookers watch the rising river Danube in the historic city center on June 3, 2013 in Passau, Germany. Heavy rains are pounding southern and eastern Germany, causing wide-spread flooding and ruining crops. At least two people are missing and feared dead in what is evolving into the most serious flood levels since the so-called 100-year flood of 2002. Portions of Austria and the Czech Republic are also inundated

The German news agency dpa said the water levels were the highest recorded since 1501 in Passau, a city that dates from before Roman times.

The German army said it has sent 1,760 soldiers to help local authorities and volunteers reinforce flood defences, particularly in the south and east of the country.

Passau is sinking! (June 3)

Thanks so much for the package! I told my companion, I bet you there are dried apricots in there, of course, thanks for always knowing what I want! (someone made us this really yummy homemade thing with dried apricots in it and gave us the apple thing, but we really wanted apricots to go with it, so it was PERFECT. Plus its super healthy! )

I am so excited for Collette! That is amazing! I wish I could be there! Send lots of pictures and let her know that I know she is making the best decision of her life!

Let me catch you up on Passau.

So Saturday morning, as we were walking across the Donau bridge (as we do about 4 - 6 times a day) we noticed that the river has flown over the river-walking path! Crazy! It has been raining, a lot. After a restless night of hearing ambulances ALL NIGHT, we walked to church. Let me tell you. European emergency vehicles DO NOT sound like America’s. They are the most annoying things ever. Anyways, walking to church. The river had overflown! Into hotels, houses, and parking garages. It was eye opening. Throughout the day, it got worse and worse. Schwester Lippman, who lives near another river, showed us pictures that morning of how the water was a foot away from the bridge. Everyone is a little worried. We went to bed with the water not even close to reaching our street, so we were not too worried. However, nothing compares to waking up this morning. We had planned to do a district PDAY and go to Landshut. However, we looked out the window and knew we had to stay. The water had completely gone over both streets/driving ramps in front of our house. The water level is slowly creeping up to our apartment complex. People are trapped in their houses everywhere. We see stranded cars and floating furniture. I can't even describe it. I have NEVER seen anything like this. It is a natural disaster, and it took me awhile to understand that it is happening to me! Luckily we are friends with a girl that lives below us. She txt us telling us that we are not to drink the water from the tap. So after getting some calls done. We frantically started to pack just incase. We are supposed to be moving into a new apartment by the next transfer (here in Passau) so we are trying to move today, but phone calls are not currently going through. :( We will see what happens. We knew we better get some food supplies plus our weekly shopping. However, turns out our grocery store is also flooded... so we had to go to one near the church (super expensive, unfortunately) and get some food stock and water. I've never seen so many people buying groceries and big things of water. On the way to the bus, we found out downtown is flooded. Everyone has spent the last two days walking around viewing everything that is happening (unfortunately, they are not in the mood to talk about the gospel.. haha). I am hoping this will provide Sister Garrett and I with some service experiences. We are trying to figure out how we can help. I've seen a couple people walking, or swimming, to get out of their house. Some places are trapped because they can't get to a bridge. It is weird this all happened in 3 days. I feel bad for anyone that was on vacation (as it was just 2 weeks off of school) and came back to this.

I'm betting we will be on some news things, we are always walking around :)

We are supposed to be teaching about Mormon faith in a school class on Wednesday. Turns out school is canceled this week, the school is partly underwater. I was rather excited for that, but we will do that next week.

"Passau-living on three rivers" is really now just one. haha

On Sunday, we were dooring and I heard an evacuation siren. I've heard these things in movies, but I think that is what made me realize that this is serious. We heard another one while giving a lesson. But they were both far away from our living area.

The picture with two red cars is taken from standing right in front of my apartment

In the other one you can see someone walking through the water (same area, just closer up)

Anyways, enough of the weather. Haha

So this week has been a hard one. On Thursday, all three of our appointments didn't show up... It was pretty sad. Dad, you asked how many teaching appointments we do a week. Our average right now is 4 or 5. We had some awesome finding opportunities this week. One that I am VERY curious about- we were klingiling and we said we're missionaries and such. And he responded he would like to talk to us but he is alone. This was weird. Sister missionaries have not been in this area long (never been to this side of Passau), and we have no idea why he would say he was alone other then if he knew our rules. I am quite excited to revisit (we did the next day, but no answer). We also went to an area where elders previously had a lot of success. We got a couple potentials. Yesterday, we hiked up this MOUNTAIN. Okay, not really, but it was the biggest thing I have walked up since being at BYU. Out of breath, we finally got to an old untersucher's house. It was so pretty! I believe I have a picture I will attach. However, he no longer lived there. But many neighbors would say, oh yeah, 2 men in black suits showed us that book before. haha, Little do they know, we know that. So yeah, we have done quite a bit of finding.

A fun lesson we had this week was our dinner appointment with the Sagmeisters. (To answer your question we usually go to their house once a week, so one dinner appointment a week.) We taught them about the Articles of Faith. We decided to make a challenge. So we are all trying to memorize them and have a competition next week. Sister Garrett and I are on a SLIGHT disadvantage.... But it's crazy. Because memorizing these things shows Heavenly Father is helping me. Everyone knows how bad I am at memorization and spelling. I mean I have been trying to memorize DC4 my whole mission and I only have the first 3 verses. However, I asked for help from our Father in Heaven, and I am getting one down for a portion of my study, or even on a train ride. It's so cool! But, others would say competition drives me... haha. But I am way to busy to care. haha. Fun fact from that. Bru. Sag. gave the first hour lesson. What did he do it on? The articles of faith! and ways to remember them! so cool right?

I thought it would be a great thing for family home evening and to help Cali! So I'll share!

1- God, Jesus, and Holy Ghost(ha, when I first wrote that, it was auf Deutsch!) are 1 in purpose

2- Adam and Eve, 2 people

3- atonement- 3 crosses on a hill

4- there are 4 laws

5- there are 5 fingers on the hand-handauflegen

6- the word used in German is Urkirche- I think primitive church in English- and Ur sound like the word for hour. On the old churches they have clocks on them, and the picture is 6oclock.

7- a gift for each day

8 if you stack your BOM and bible on top of each other, it looks like an 8

9- looks esp. like a German showerhead. the revelation comes from above, like a shower

10-  10 tribes

11- German ones (dad can probably show you) look like two little buildings, a church- you can worship where you want

12- the king is 1 and the little number two is someone bowing to them

13- mentions 13 things and there are 13 commas ( well at least in German)

We just got a txt from our neighbor! they cut the electricity and water! Oh man, we need to get home soon. haha, we have the washer running, I wonder what happened.

So best thing that happened this week!

A less active, which I have spoke of before (ran away from us etc.) let us in. We talked about her family. However, then she asked if we could talk on spiritual things. She has said she got baptized because her husband. But she really wants a testimony. So I am so so so excited to start teaching her! Unfortunately, she is gone for the next three weeks. But when she returns, it will be awesome!

Another wonderful thing! We were dooring and met this cute lady! She is catholic, but was so excited to take a BOM and couldn't believe we were giving it to her for free. We told her we would come back next week to talk about it. I am really excited! I will finally give a lesson in German! Other than talking to the members I have yet to give a lesson in German because all the people we teach are auslanders (foreigners), and don't know German.

Also, the random lady that showed up at church with her dog? She came again, we finally got her phone number and will be visiting her this week, if the trains allow..... that could be a problem.

So for your questions.

No, we ate normally, the sausage was just REALLY good. haha, maybe it's in the air. Or Sch. Sagmeister is just the best cook ever.

I will be giving my talk later this month. We pick the topic. Mine is on the action of faith. Sister Garretts was on peace and hope (That I was asked to bear my testimony on)

Austausch usually lasts for 24 hours. However, because we are now supposed to exchange with the coordinating sisters (new sister missionary leadership position) and the closest ones are far away. So I spent a lot of time on the train so ours lasted over 3 days. But I was only really there doing work for one, the others were morning routines or traveling. I was in Neumarkt. or something spelled similar. I have no idea where that is :)

I don't really feel that my German is improving. However, I can understand a lot more. But some people talk so differently. I met someone from north Germany, she was SO EASY to understand! haha I am in one of the hardest accent places though. Sister Garrett says I am improving... but I mean, I was asked to read something at church, and it sounded awful. haha I am pretty sure no one even knew what I said. It's really hard not to get mad at myself-especially when people say they can't understand me, or their favorite phrase " I didn't understand a word you said" haha. But I just got to keep going along. Hopefully it will come! I got a letter from Sister Peterson, she pretty much feels the same way. It was nice to hear that how I am feeling isn't any different then other new missionaries.

I am getting to know the members better. They are warming up to me and being a little more understanding of my German. I think only one other missionary was ever "born" here.

Sister Garrett and I are getting along great. It is crazy how similar we are.

Good job for feeding both of the missionaries ;) My mouth was watering.  It's crazy how much I crave Mexican food. I wish they had something up here! Just the turkey döners, which are more popular in Germany anyway haha. BTW, I know I shouldn't have a business mindset while I am on my mission. But if I opened up a food shop it would totally be that. Everyone LOVES them. I wonder why no RMs have done it. I wonder how you get the meat.... hmm. Maybe, I'll eventually look into that ;)

Anyways, We just got ahold of Sch. Heumos so we are moving into the new apartment today! Perfect timing! haha but I still think we wont be able to drink the water, it's not that much higher than downtown. But everything is fine. I am safe. We have the senior couple calling us and keeping us updated making sure we are safe. They are SO cute!

As always, I hope this makes sense. I don't really go over and re read it, but I think you would understand. Also I am getting more used to this keyboard which is nice so I can type faster.

I love you very, very much!

Soak up some sun for me, cause you know, this rain is not for me. I bundle up more than anyone... haha some Germans just go around in leather jackets. Crazy? yes. but they also don't stay out all day.

Sister Regnier

Ps, if there are interesting things on the Passau news, I would love to hear it. We are so out of the loop! Even though we live right on the river!

Miranda is standing in front of her apartment-the flooding is THAT close!

13 Articles of Faith "Helps"