Week of Miracles

This last week was really special so I'm really excited to share my experiences with you all! Not only was this week spiritual, but it was also just a lot of fun as well, so that's what I want to start with.

So! This last week for P-day we went hiking and went to a gigantic bridge in sollingen where we hiked down below and played frisbee and soccer by the river. One of the missionaries that was there is a total red neck, which he too admits, and he caught a crayfish or crawdad using a stick! Everyone thought is was the funniest thing ever, and it started pinching him while we were trying to hang him from our name tags. The next day we had zone training in Düsseldorf and as part of an object lesson of multiplying the talents from the story in the bible, about four of us got to shoot a sister missionary with a nerf gun, but from really far away! Well, last but not least I was the first to land a hit! Second time too, and got her like 7 more times. I felt pretty cool being a crackshot, but then I realized I was A) shooting a girl, and B) shooting a nerf gun. Well it was pretty fun in the moment.

So, right after the zone training, I went on a split to Wupertal and I went with readiness to get it over with. Well, due to complications with all of our appointments both in Wupertal and Cologne, I ended up spending a second day there. I was pretty disappointed, but that soon turned around. We visited three guys from Africa for the second time, and I ended up using the scriptures to answer their question. As soon as I explained it, I felt the spirit telling me what I was teaching was right, but also told me of a simple way to explain it which worked perfectly. I then explained how God is always there and waiting for us, and so I extended my hand to one of them for a good minute or two, showing that it is always us that needs to make the effort to reach him. It was way cool. After that, we had a lesson with a family that spoke English. The mother was from Wupertal and had married a man from Utah that had left the church over 15 years ago. Together they have a little baby, and the mom has a 14 year old girl. Rather than teach the normal first lesson, we taught them the second lesson, and brought the Armor of God with us, which is a cool symbolic story in the bible. Elder Tischner built it all out of cardboard, and we put it on the dad as we read the scriptures! They really seemed to grasp the idea, and understood that it gives us protection, and that we need to wear it together and not just alone. Then that lead into the main lesson where we talked about where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going after this life. I can honestly say that the spirit there was so strong, and the whole time. Together, Elder Tischner and I taught better than we ever had with any companion. We answered all of the wife's questions, which weren't entirely easy either. Afterwards, the wife said, "Wow, I am really impressed. You answered all of my questions that the Catholic church could never answer for me. That was why I left. I wanted you to answer these questions, but I stayed quiet because I figured God would tell you." I was blown away. That was why we taught the second lesson first, and all I did was go with it and teach what I had always been taught as a kid. During her prayer at the end of the lesson she thanked God for sending the right people at the right time. It just made me so happy! The whole thing! It made my week, and quite honestly it was the single best experience on my mission so far. Afterwards, Elder tischner asked me where I learned to teach. "I don't know man it was in English, all I did was talk!". I couldn’t believe it, and it just kept circulating in my mind the next few days.

After that, I have come to see that it doesn't matter how I want my day to go. God will make things happen in my day so that the things he wants to happen will indeed happen. That wasn't the only time this week, but it was the most definite I think. I spoke with Elder Tischner just the other day, and the wife said she kept asking God to know that the church was true, but she kept getting the same answer saying that she already knew it was. I'm happy to say that she has decided to get baptized, and that he and she have decided to set the goal to get married in the temple. Wow.

I have been so excited to write this, but I also wanted to write about Daniel. I am happy to say that on Friday our Bishop baptized him and that his family came along with his aunt and his family. I also gave my first talk in German, and that went really awesome! The whole thing just went awesome, and I asked him how he felt afterwards. He told me that he was nervous before, but that he had this really strong warm feeling inside. I was so excited to hear that because to me that is how the spirit feels.

This week has been spectacular. Probably the most event filled, miracle filled week on my mission. I am beginning to see things the way they really are I believe. That is, that good choices lead to happiness and not so good choices don't. This week during General conference one of the apostles said something along the lines that ignoring God's laws is like trying to ignore earth's. Denying gravity after walking off a cliff doesn't mean you will float! Haha, that one made me laugh. Anyway, I hope you all have a very good week and find what makes you happy. I have found what makes me happy. Thanks for all the letters and until next time.

Kevin