Germany is going good. You ask about my language... well. My
companion says I sound a lot better. And I am not as slow as I was when I
read the BOM out loud. But people often can't understand me. Which makes no sense
because I will say something and they will look at me as if I just spoke
Polish. Then my companion will say the exact same thing I just said and they
understand it... oh brother.
So this week has been quite an interesting one. It started off with
a zone training instead of our weekly district meeting so we had to go all the
way to München. They have decided to do this new thing where whenever someone
gets a baptismal date they text all of us. That's great. It really is. But when
we are working so hard and not even getting close, it's hard to get 4 of those
messages in a day. But I learned a HUGE lesson this week. I was busy trying to
make miracles happen. We called every single inactive and mapped out all our
previous potentials and worked our tails off contacting them. Nothing came from
this. It is a Holiday weekend, but still... No one was home, no one answered,
and the few that did didn't have interest. So we were a bit down because we for
sure thought something would come of it. But here's what I learned. While
trying to make something big happen I didn't focus on all the little things.
My little, yet still HUGE miracles:
On the way home from München, we saw Marcus on the train! We had
found him on a train about a week ago, and he soaked up everything, I am sure I
told you about him. We were able to pretty much give a whole lesson. He says we
still have to wait for next month to contact him, but that is coming! And both
times, he came to us. (another huge lesson I am learning)
There is a lady from the Philippines that Sister Garrett found
before I got here. She finally answered our call and invited us over. She was
AWESOME! We gave her a BOM and read the intro with her. She had much to say
about it. She then said "Great, next time we meet, we can talk about what
I read next" haha she's doing our job for us! She not only set up another
appointment but said she'd read a couple chapters by then. BAM. She speaks the
best danglish I've ever heard. She speaks English better but because she works,
she’s learning German. It's completely my style- I understand everything. She
also wants to invite her German boyfriend to our next meeting. She also gave us
cookies, and that's always nice.
Friday we were on a bus talking to some guy about language. It's
always a good conversational opener that leads them to ask what we are doing!
Anyway, he had to get off, but said hey, can I get your number and maybe we can
talk for a few hours about your church..... Um, I think that would be all right
;) haha it was awesome. Seriously, most of the success we have is people that
overhear us or they show interest first. It's great.
Then Sister Miles and President Miles came! They have never been to
Passau, so they decided to come talk to our branch and do a joint teach with us
Saturday night ( also a reason we were trying SO hard to get another lesson
last minute). Well we had 3 appointments on Saturday. However, as we were
calling to see if we could just move one back so they could at least teach,
even if it was auf English, with us, we found out their house burned down.
After remembering they all live together, we called to see if everyone was
okay. They all lost a majority of their stuff and a less active broke his leg
because he was the first to jump out the window (afterwards they threw a mattress
down and no one else got seriously hurt). Everything’s okay now though! They
moved to a better place, closer to church too!! Sadly we were thinking we were
going to have to find all day. But the last of the 3 said he still wanted to
meet for our first appointment. So we did. It was AMAZING. We asked him if he
would pray about the BOM. He said, "Why? I already know it's true." I
know that he was prepared because he has told us he wants to change and have
his life more centered on God. Plus he asked TONS of questions and he was
picking up things as we read in 1st Nephi that I had never thought about. So he
committed to read more, come to church tomorrow, and another lesson before
church.
The Miles' took us out to dinner, where we excitedly told them we
had an appointment for them to come to before church tomorrow. They went home
with us and planned. It was quite fun having them around, we loved
it (esp. his advice on contacting the potentials!). They also made me see
how Beautiful Passau is. Like I know it is, but I never really paid attention.
They said it might be the prettiest area ;) The next morning we had planned to
meet our untersucher at the bus for church. It was one minute until the bus was
about to leave. We decided to call Pres Miles, but then there he was, he barely
made it! But he did.
For the lesson, we went over his reading, which he did. :) He was
astonished that Nephi's older brothers could be so stupid. haha. We had a great
lesson. And at the end I gave a soft Baptismal question!!! wahoo! oh, and his
answer was yes. :)
So I don't even know how many miracles that makes but there's one
big last one! As we were teaching before church a dog comes in the room....
what the heck. Pres Miles goes out to meet a little old woman. Turns out this
woman had investigated the church 10 years ago. She wants to come back. She's
THE CUTEST. She holds the hymn book 2 centimeters from her face as she sings,
and because of my German, she decided to try and speak English... which was
worse then my deutsch but it was so cute! So what a miracle yeah?
I had a great week.
But here is a funny story-
On Thursday, we got called to repentance. A lady had walked passed
as we were talking to someone on the street about prophets. Later,
we caught up to her and simply asked her if she knew where a street was. No
church talk. Then she started speaking auf English saying that the last days
are near. (we excitedly were nodding) Then she said that we need to bow down on
our knees and repent for following a book written from a man who was possessed
by devils. She started yelling, "repent, repent and go read the bible!
Repent read the bible!" She started to walk away and then her friend, who obviously
had no idea what happened because it was in English, whispered " the
bible, the bible" as they walked away. It was quite an interesting
experience. It was interesting because when we talk to people, the spirit is
there, and we feel good, and others recognize it. But when she was doing her
thing, it didn't feel right, or good, or anything. Also, we read the Bible
lady, and Joseph Smith didn't write the book... get your facts straight. The
BOM brings happiness, no devilish tints, at all.
Yesterday, as seen by the picture below, I looked like a drowned
rat. The picture does not even come close to giving the situation justice. I
have never been so wet. I was more wet then I am when I am swimming. I didn't
even know that was possible. I felt pretty stupid knocking doors at that point.
But I am a missionary, rain or shine.
Today, sunny again.... But we did the second of the two hikes in
Passau, up to Maria's Hilf. Now what will we do on Pdays?
Anyways, I wrote that really fast, hope it all makes sense. I go to
Austria tomorrow, but I actually don't want to miss out on the stuff here in
Passau.... so I am not too excited... haha.
Alles Gute
Sister Regnier
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| Drowned Rat :) |
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| With President and Sister Miles |
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