I'll be Home For Christmas 🎶🎄

Hello Friends,

First:  This Sunday I am having a welcome home party. It will be after church at 1-ish (my mom knows better than me). You are all invited!! No need to RSVP; just come over at any time. I would love to see you!! 

On Tuesday we went to the Chocolate Festival in Tübingen!! So fun. I can tell you all about it on Sunday! 

Wednesday - Pforzheim one last time! We went out to Pforzheim to visit some members and it was so sweet. The missionaries haven't visited them very often so it was fun to just talk and listen to them, and get to know them better. I felt so bad that we couldn’t stay out their longer. I hope next transfer they can go again! I love the members there, so sweet such faith because they all have to travel so far to go to church! It’s amazing!! 

Thursday – Interviews. I got to talk to President Brown for a little while one on one. It was so fun and a little weird knowing in a week I will be sitting down with him again for the last time as a missionary!! Crazy, now only a few days away!! 

Reimond! 

He came up to me and talked to me at our Ausstellung and I gave him a Book of Mormon. We have met with him twice now: once to explain the Book of Mormon, and once again to talk more about faith. He has started reading in the Book of Mormon and he came to the Christmas Concert on Sunday (which by the way was amazing! The music was so good and all the missionaries in our zone even did a musical number!) He met a member who came yesterday spur of the moment as a joint teach! Bonus of joint teaches is they can explain things in a different way than we can because they have a better grasp on the language! #natives I love the way the lesson ended. We all gave our testimony and I think he could feel the Spirit and the singleness of the truthfulness of our testimony!

Florian

We met with him on Friday and again joint-teach blessings. He wasn't understanding the importance of the Priesthood and our amazing recent RM friend explained it in German so that he could better understand!!  I feel like he better understands what we are trying to teach him and I hope he will pray this week with an open heart!! 

Ausstellung

We have a new Christmas Ausstellung!! We had a board with the question "How can you be a light to the world?" It was so fun and we had candy and sticky notes and the whips district was there including the Stephensens!!! Sooo fun!!!

I am so excited to see you all!!! Bis Gleich!! Ich habe euch lieb!! 

Pictures:

The Esslingen Weihnachtsmarkt
Lilli and I 
Sister Hunter playing piano on a Bahn
Our distrikt!
St. Nicholas!!
A super tall Pyramid 
Us looking at the pyramids :)
Our Ausstellung
 
Alles Liebe
Sister Anderson
Alpenländische Mission

 

 

 

All I want for Christmas is to LIGHT THE WORLD!

This week was filled with little miracles and fun adventures.

Ausstellung:

    We have a Christmas Street Display and we decided to mix it up and do it later in the day, and we got 21 Potentials!! It was fun. We showed the Christmas video and I stayed by the stand to watch the stuff, and people were coming up to me and asking questions; it was awesome!! I was able to get the phone number of one and we have an appointment for sometime on Thursday! 

Michel:

    He speaks French, I didn't know how much Potential he had and it was hard to get an appointment so we were close to dropping him, but this week he asked if we could meet. We arranged for a missionary who used to serve in this mission who is from France to Skype in. The Elders came so we could meet at his house and it turned out to be an amazing lesson. He understood what was being said when it was in French and he could ask his questions!! I could feel the Spirit so strong when Jöel bore his testimony even if I couldn't understand. 

Funny Moments: 

     At first Jöel took over and was answering all of his questions and Sister Woolsey and I were both wondering if it would be a one man show, haha. It sounded pretty, but then we started teaching and we would explain something and then Jöel would translate, sometimes though Michel would have a question and then instead of translating everything Jöel would just answer and then after Michel would turn to the person speaking and say "Weiter" (continue) and at one point, we were all so lost including the Elders that we just start laughing and Elder Peterson says "Wo sind wir?" (Where are we?), teaching in a foreign language! 

Sharing the Light the World with Members:

     We had a couple of appointments this week with member families and were able to share the Light the World Initiative and invite them to do the calendar and invite a friend to do it with them, being a light to others!! It has been really fun!!

Adventskranz:

     On Thursday we had a Relief Society Activity where we made Advent wreaths and I made one for Jeanne!! We had real tree limbs we cut down and tied to wreaths!! It was fun. There were cookies, tea, and Christmas music!! So fun!!

Florian:

     We met Florian by the University a few weeks ago. He had time so we taught him the first lesson. We have met with him twice since then and taught him the Plan of Salvation. We really want him to come to church but he goes home on the weekends. He read last week!! We gave him the option of 2 chapters and he read one!!! He is already religious and asks great questions!! 

Miyuko: 

     Miyuko came with us last Tuesday to the Ludwigsburg Weihnachtsmarkt and we taught her a lesson beforehand!! She came to church again on Sunday!! We are so excited!! We wanted to go with her to the Chocolate Festival in Tübingen today but sadly she can't make it! She said she prayed, she hasn't gotten an answer yet, but she is still hopeful! She started reading the Book of Mormon – the witnesses and introduction! She is excited to learn more about Jesus Christ's life this week when we meet. She has gotten pretty busy with work and school. Please pray that she will continue to read, come to church, and meet with us! 

Tausch:

      We had exchanges and I went to the Stuttgart International Sisters with Sister Gunderson – so fun because it is both of our last transfers!! We talked about plans for home, MyPlan, packing, and the stress of it all, haha. We went to a member’s and the member was so cool!! Totally excited to do missionary work, already had someone in mind that she wants to give a Book of Mormon too and invite to an activity!! Really fun!!

Alles Liebe
Sister Anderson
Alpenländische Mission

Pictures: 

It finally snowed!!! I love it!!

Us and the Elders

Family Schaals

Family Gillins

Ludwigsburg Christmas market!!

And the Laughter Continues!

Heellloooo friends. This week was great!!  

There is more to an Opera House...

Last week a very nice member of our ward gave us a tour of the Opera House where he works (he is an organist and voice coach or something like that). He told us about how old the Opera House is and they are trying to update it without ruining the structure, but they are running out of space. We got to see back stage, on stage, the King’s Seat, and all the behind the scenes. We saw the costumes, the shoes, the changing rooms, the back drops, and props! We even heard people practicing as we were going around! It was really cool to see the huge paintings and to see where the orchestra practices, and the huge doors!!! 

So fun! Now I want to go see an opera!

Thanksgiving in English...

By the way, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! We were invited by an American family in our ward, and it was so fun to get to know the family better and to get to know the Elders better. The food was so good and we had leftovers!!! Playing with the kids was so much fun!!! We shared a spiritual thought about Jesus Christ and being thankful for Him and all that He has done for us!! I am so grateful for Him and His love for us and the fact that He died so that we can one day be made perfect. What an amazing blessing!!

Do you remember last week with Miyuko? Well...

We met her on Tuesday with an RM who just got back from Japan (she is from Japan) to translate for us. He bore his testimony in Japanese, and the Spirit was so strong. We spoke about baptism and how it is a promise to God and then we explained who God is and encouraged her to say a pray to get to know Him! It was a powerful lesson. She said after the baptism she felt moved! A member invited her to Church yesterday and she came and then we are meeting with her today and going to the Weihnachtsmarkt with her!! She is so amazing!! Please pray for her!! 

Funny story on Sunday

We went dooring while we had a little time before our member appointment. And the second door we klingeled had a very familiar voice. We do our whole spiel in German then he asks if we speak English so we do it in English. He says no, not interested, but Sister Woolsey says “Is this Neil?” He says, “Yes who is this?” It ends up being this American guy we met while streeting. We had helped him move out of his old house and we didn't know where they would be living before he and his family eventually moved back to the States, but we found them! Coincidence? I think not! We were able to go up and talk to them and answer some of their questions about our faith. It was definitely divinely inspired!! 

Little old ladies are the best...

After randomly finding Neil and his family, we went to a member appointment right next door. And the Elders came and so did Jeanne! So fun!! She didn't eat with us (that is pretty common with the other women here) and so we were talking and laughing, and then someone suggested to toss grapes in the air and try and catch it their mouth. We were all catching or dropping grapes and then she came in and we stopped and we sang songs (we can't sing but it was really fun trying). And then my companion, on suggestion of the Elders, asked our little old lady member if she could catch a grape in her mouth. She said she definitely couldn't but the Mädels, meaning us sisters and Jeanne, probably could. Before I knew it we were all throwing grapes all over the apartment trying to catch them in our mouths! It was so funny as she just watched us and laughed!! 

Last night we had an appointment with our bishop and his family for FHE and the Elders were there so of course it was fun. Haha!! We had an amazing taco salad and played a four corners game! It was really fun. It is always good when the missionaries can build better relationships with the members!! 

I am thoroughly enjoying my time and loving every minute. It is strange to think I only have a few more of these to write, but I won't dwell on that or that fact that one of my bags is partially packed and already ways 25lbs. Haha. There is always an adventure auf mission!

As you all prepare for Christmas, please remember the reason for the Season!!! He is the reason we all have to celebrate and rejoice! 

Pictures:  

Pictures with Sister Leyensätter (the little old lady)

Opera house pictures

Some Spanish Cheese (we also ate French pie!) 

Alles Liebe
Sister Anderson
Alpenländische Mission

 

Wie sagt man das auf Englisch?

Hallo Freunde,

We have made a great start to my last transfer. Stuttgart is on fire and oh mensch I don't think I have ever laughed so much in my life!

We have a new elder (the only change to our ward and our district). He is Elder Peterson! If anyone knows Elder Peterson, you know what I am talking about! It's awesome!! 

Highlights of this week:

Wednesday:  Sister Hunter came back to Stuttgart and it was Jeanne's birthday!! 

Thursday and Friday: We had service projects: one to clean a house for the family to move, and the other to set up for the women's day on Saturday! 

Saturday: We went to a little girl’s baptism in our ward and had the women's day! 

Sunday: We had two member appointments: one was with our ward mission leader!! We have been trying to meet with him and share a message the whole time I have been here!! It was so great for it to finally work out. He and his wife are so funny and really sweet!

Now the stories! 

Junior – I met him last week actually and forgot to write about it. So I was talking to him on the Bahn and he didn't have great German and I am no native and I can't speak his mother language (Spanish – should have paid better attention in high school) and he can't speak mine. So we tried our best and then I wasn't able to get his number, but I gave him mine and my Facebook name. I got home and I asked Sister Woolsey if we could pray that he would call and as soon as I finished asking the phone rang!! He came with us to football on Thursday and met two members who also speak Spanish. And we had to leave early but the elders took over and said they would show him the way home!! We are hoping to meet with him this week!!! (Pray he will accept our message!)

Miyuko – We went through and texted people to see if they really had interest to meet with us and she texted us back and apologized for the long time not answering – that things were more in order now and that she would love to meet. A few days later we invited her to the Frauentag (Women's Day) where we ate breakfast and had workshops. SHE CAME!!! And there was a baptism afterwards and SHE STAYED!!! We have a friend from Korea, whom she got to know, and we have an appointment for tonight where we will better explain baptism, and we have an RM from Japan coming to translate!!! We are so excited!!!!

Translating!!

I am not really sure what happens in my brain when I translate; it is a way cool experience!! I was able to translate for some American members at the Frauentag and then I translated on Sunday for our friend from Korea in sacrament meeting and a new American member in Relief Society. Then yesterday I helped our German friend talk to Elder Stephensen because he can't speak German. It is really cool and totally crazy to me that I can hear something in a foreign language and completely understand without effort! (Of course there are still people with a thick dialect that I can't understand) I am really loving German!!

Pictures:

So I finally got all the pictures from our friend Christina so...

1) Me playing my GML's bass.
2) GML (ward mission Leader) and his wife.
3) My GML driving on the autobahn! That is 130 mph.
4) Us learning German (Christina is teaching us German for a project of hers)
5) Us working hard
6) Sister Hunter, Woolsey, Christina and I
7) Us learning more German
8) Yes we put a Book of Mormon in the Book exchange as well 
9) Us at the Institute Halloween party
10) Us at the Institute Halloween party
Alles Liebe
Sister Anderson
Alpenländische Mission