Inviting all to Come unto Him

SERVUS Schätz! (Coming to you again from the German Stuttgart Sisters)

Last Friday was my Spiritual Birthday (4 years since my baptism and confirmation)  And guess what?! The mission threw me a party in Munich. They even invited M. Russell Ballard to come.

On Wednesday we had two member appointments, with two amazing women. With one we learned how to say cross stitching in German and with the other we learned that potatoes are actually healthy.

Thursday we went on Base where we ate Taco Bell and hung out with the funniest optometrist, who taught us that "It is by their countenance that ye shall know them." Which then somehow he connected to the eyes... So yeah... eyes. 

And then! On FRIDAY (*Drum roll please*) we wake up! (at not that early of an hour), and

we go to Stuttgart. We wait for the bus, but does the bus come? No! We can't find it actually. The Elders then go on the hunt. We just see them running all around Bahnhof, up and down every street (picture this: two 20-year-olds in suits running around a busy city early in the morning like a Mission Impossible film) they find the bus and we start our 3 hour journey to MÜNCHEN. 

Then we arrive in München, where we see every single missionary in this mission!.

We sang "He Calls." which was super powerful (imagine 170+ missionaries singing) to M. Russell Ballard, L. Whitney Clayton, Gary B. Sabin, and their wives. 

M. Russell Ballard encouraged us to stand strong throughout of lives, and to give our missions over to the Lord. He stated that we are in war with the evils of the world. We know which side we are on and it is Christ's side aka the winning side. We are in a hurry to win this battle.  We were encouraged to talk to 10 people a day outside of normal finding, and to allow the Spirit to touch the hearts of those we teach! He said, we are bearing His cross on our shoulders, when people don't like us or scorn us, it is for Him. We are defending Him. We are defending our friend! 

On Sunday he came to our ward in Stuttgart. There he asked us to bring a friend unto Christ before Christmas , as a gift to Christ . We invite you all to do the same   as we all endeavor to bring our brothers and sisters unto HIM. 

Funny quote from Elder Ballard talking about how he is now 89 and he is nearing the sunset of his mortal life and he joked that when the alarm goes off in the morning he says, "Oh, I'm here. Better get up!" 

bis nächste Woche! 

Pictures: making crepes last night, shaking hands with Elder Ballard, and selfies on our "hike" this morning.

Alles Liebe
Sister Anderson
Alpenländische Mission

 

Do I have the faith to see miracles?

Hoi Freunde!

Wow this week was full of so much! Where should I start?

Last Tuesday after P-day we went to Institute with one of our friends. We were able to give her a Book of Mormon afterwards so she can study for next week!

On Wednesday we had three APPOINTMENTS!!  One with a potential from Ethiopia! We meet people from all over the world, so fun! We weren't able to teach much, but we got to know her, and she called her pastor who invited us to an activity on Saturday—that ended up being a church service but it was fun anyway.

Then we went out to the outskirts of our area and we had a lesson with a less-active and her daughter! We might end up teaching her family so that her daughter can be baptized! Then we came back to town, and our friend Rey (for confidential reasons I will call him Rey) fed us and the international sisters dinner. 

 

Funny Story - When we were at Rey's he tells my companion, you should talk to my brother, to which she says "your brother... the pastor...?" He says yes and hands her his phone, which is already dialing She ends up talking to a guy in the Middle East over Skype, who is a Christian Pastor— what?!?! He is talking to her and asking her questions and she is teaching a little and then.... he says, “You should come to us, teach the people, do your work here ...... to which my polite Californian companion says I don't think I have the money for that... He assured her they would take care of everything and even pick her up from the airport... Well after her consistent but polite attempt to dodge the subject, he says, “When you have a break come. I will tell my people. They are very excited to meet you 

Well Sister Woolsey, how do you feel about opening the Middle East?

Thursday one of our appointments fell out but we met with Moser. Unfortunately she was too tired to get much out of our lesson (she slept during our visit, she is very ill).

We then went by on our bishop’s house, and his wife was there and she fed us. How sweet. And then we prayed to go finding in her area and after the prayer she suggested one of her neighbors!!! It was such a cool experience!! 

Friday we finished up the videos for Facebook, made a spiritual thought for the women going to the temple (our ward had a women’s temple trip). Sadly we couldn't go, but we sent them all off with a picture and a note from us!! 

Saturday was crazy busy! We heart-attacked a member of our ward's door, while she was at the temple.

Then we went to the International Church of Christ’s church service (we didn't realize it was a church service until his wife was picking us up) but we were able to represent our church well. We even got a potential (He was an old investigator of the elders. Oops.

Then we headed to a little town and went by on a member, but she wasn't home. Her son invited us over for dinner. We couldn't stay, so he said to come back for dinner. So in the meantime we went by on another member and they weren't home but they came home while we were writing a note to leave for them.

So we were able to visit both families in the end!! It was a really good opportunity, especially because the son is less-active, and he wanted us to come back and eat the dinner he had prepared!!! How sweet!! And it was so good!!

On Sunday we sadly didn't have anyone come to church but we did make four appointments for this week!!! After church we had a member appointment and we had an investigator come too!! He said he really enjoyed it!!! 

Then we had the special broadcast for Europe with Elder Ballard and that is where the title of this email comes in. Everyone spoke on their testimonies and increasing faith. Then Elder Ballard gets up and he shares a story of Ethiopia. And how he prayed for it to rain for those in Ethiopia and then it rained. 

It motivated me to work more with members and to increase my own faith so that I too can see miracles in my life.

The question of the week: How can I increase my faith? What can I do today? 

Pictures:

We heart-attacked or sticky noted her door with love!
We learned how to make Moroccan soup this morning!!!
They don't have Thanksgiving here so Christmas is already coming out haha.

NOTICE: My companion was baptized four years ago this Thursday!!! You can all join me in a Happy (Spiritual) Birthday celebration for her!! You can email her kimberly.woolsey@myldsmail.net 

Alles Liebe
Sister Anderson

Alpenländische Mission

Servus aus Stuttgart

***First things first, our mission is getting Facebook, as I think I may have mentioned before. This means I will be using my original Facebook starting next week but I won't be able to respond to any personal Facebook messages outside of my mission area, I will only be able to respond through this email.

Servus!

This week was amazing and sad. Let's start with goodbyes. Wednesday was transfer day, and so we said goodbye to Sister Pugh and Elder Scalese: two missionaries whom I have been in Stuttgart with for 3 transfers (4.5 months). It was so exciting for them though; they are both going to places they have never been before! 

Thursday we visited 2 older ladies in our Ward with the Elders. It was so fun! The two women have such strong testimonies and it brightened my spirits seeing their faith and love of the gospel! It was also fun to see the contrast because one was American, spoke English, and was very energetic. The other was German, spoke German, and was very calm and collected, but they both could talk your ear off. So sweet, I love visiting them!! 

Friday we had 2 lessons, and from it we were able to find 4 new people interested in learning about Jesus Christ!! In the first lesson we had a less-active and her sister there, and we talked about the Godhead, and it was really good. She and her sister even came to church, and then she brought a friend to FHE last night!!! Our second lesson was with a Rehan, his brother, and his friend. We introduced the Book of Mormon, and they loved that we had it in their original language!! What a powerful message that is!! The Gospel will be taught to all the world, in their own language!! 

Saturday we helped a member write her talk because she was so nervous and neither German nor English is her first language! We also had our Ausstellung (street display), and it was really cold, but we had some good conversations and were able to share a little about what we believe with some people! We got our name out there!! Saturday night we also got to see Sister Harrick before she went home. Her parents came to pick her up and she got to see 3 of her companions who are serving her in Stuttgart, plus me. I was her Tausch companion once ;) 

Sunday was amazing!!! Mary (the sister of the less-active) came and she brought her less-active sister!!! Then Rehan came and brought his friend!! We were able to have a really good correlation meeting. Sister Woolsey and I had a ton of energy and everyone seemed so happy ! The lessons were really good. A member came up and befriended Rehan in Sunday School! It was so cool!! We then had a wonderful member appointment afterwards and got to know the members even better! After Church we had a lesson with Uche, and he says he seems ready to meet us and learn! We are way excited!!

Monday we had a Distrikt Meeting and FHE! So fun!!

This week I learned a little more about patience and love. When we trust in the Lord's timing and give our all to Him, He gives us what we need and desire in return! We just need to stay faithful and keep pushing through the hard times in anticipation of the good times!

Please pray for Mary and Rehan and Uche

Pictures: Fall is here, beautiful Stuttgart, our member friend Sarah, and Sister Harrick with her companions! 

Alles Liebe
Sister Anderson
Alpenländische Mission

 

 

A companionship that prays together stays together

Hello friends!

I hope you all watched conference. If you didn't get the chance, or you missed a session,

I highly encourage you to go watch it and re-watch it; it was so good! 

Also we got transfer calls and we are staying together!! 

Happy Unity Day to Germany as well!!

This week:

Tausch: I went to Tübingen with Sister Fairbanks and it was so fun! Two of my previous companions served there as well as another sister from my MTC group. So that was a lot of fun to see beautiful Tübingen and to see Sister Whiting and Sister Miller's names in the apartment! We did some finding and we both learned new ideas. It was nice to mix up our subway contacting with streeting. In the evening we also had a member appointment with the Elders in Tübingen, and it was so fun. The couple was so funny and we spoke in a denglisch, which is my life, so it worked great! 

General Conference: Oh my gosh.It was so good!!! We were able to watch both morning sessions live. We even watched the Priesthood session. We were planning on doing our weekly planning Sunday morning and then we got a text from our friend Lukas that he had arrived to church early, and there was a guy there wanting to go to church and he had our card. So Lukas sat and talked with him until the Priesthood session started, then they watched it together until we showed up and joined them! It was way cool. He stayed for all of the sessions! We were also able to give him a Book of Mormon in Dutch (He is from the Netherlands)!  A kind member also made us Maultaschen for dinner in between sessions, so sweet!  

I loved President Nelson's talk!! 

Yesterday we took Distrikt Photos!!!

We are going to the Volksfest this week for P-day!! So much fun!!! We bought food and took pictures of course. I only rode one ride and wow, it made me so sick. Haha ugh, but Jeanne had fun so, Alles Gute!! 

Jeanne (Jane in English) kissed me during Institute... 

Alles Liebe
Sister Anderson
Alpenländische Mission

 

 

Sister Anderson's Sacrament Meeting Talk

“The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children, 

 

“The family is ordained of God.

 

“Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.” 

 

These principles, we learn from "The Family: A Proclamation to the World".

 

“The family is ordained of God; it is the most important unit of society in time and eternity.” (Preach My Gospel,  Chapter 3, Lesson 1, Section 2) 

 

Alma 22:14 is a report of how Aaron had preached to the Lamanites. He teaches Lamoni's father about the plan of salvation through Christ. 

 

Verse 14 states: "And since man had fallen he could not merit anything of himself; but the sufferings and death of Christ atone for their sins, through faith and repentance, and so forth; and that he breaketh the bands of death, that the grave shall have no victory, and that the sting of death should be swallowed up in the hopes of glory;”

 

Through Jesus Christ, we and our families can become clean! Therefore, through Jesus Christ, we can return with our family to God!

 

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we know how important the family is. We believe it with all our hearts! But there are many people who do not as of yet know. Some are our family, our friends, and our coworkers.

 

We live in a disposable society.

 

President Uchtdorf said in his address “In Praise of Those Who Save,” “Whatever problems your family (or your friends’ families) is facing, whatever you must do to solve them, the beginning and the end of the solution is charity, the pure love of Christ. Without this love, even seemingly perfect families struggle. With it, even families with great challenges succeed.”

 

We should share our example with our friends. Our friends can learn from us! As we invite our friends to an activity or a family home evening, we help our friends come closer to Christ.

 

Now, I close with the words from President Uchtdorf:

 

“Brethren, in our efforts to save our marriages and families, as in all things, let us follow the example of the One who saves us. The Savior won ‘our souls with love.’ Jesus Christ is our Master. His work is our work. It is a saving work, and it begins in our homes.

“Love in the fabric of the plan of salvation is selfless and seeks the well-being of others. That is the love our Heavenly Father has for us.

“As we emulate the Savior’s love, He will surely bless and prosper our righteous efforts to save our marriages and strengthen our families.

“May the Lord bless you in your untiring and righteous efforts to be numbered among those who save.”

 

I am pleased to say that through Jesus Christ we can live forever with our family! This is possible through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let us help our friends.

 

I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

SISTER ANDERSON