Hey family!
I hope you´re all doing well! I think about you all the time and hope school and work and everything is going well!
Dad, of course the right accent went through my mind when you said Little Girlie. :) My companion has been singing Carmen lately (I have no idea why) but I always start singing "I ask to be or not to be." She´s also a Gilligan´s Island fan, but she can´t quote it like our family can.
I didn´t know Albrechtsons had their baby already. I guess that makes sense, I´ve been gone 5 months today. Can you believe that? Its crazy!
It is really really hard to get investigators to church. We only have 4 fest investigators at the moment. Two have baptismal dates (Philipp and Kenneth. We just barely set a new date for Kenneth yesterday. February 4th.) Philipp has been flakey. Says he´ll be somewhere, then he´s not. Then comes begging for forgiveness. We forgive him, but its getting old. He hasn´t been to church since Stake Conference. Kenneth comes! He´s the only one that comes pretty regularly. Thumbs up to him! Then there is Davood. He will make a head topic this e-mail. He´s amazing. Then there is Herr Wedeking and he was ausgetreten. Not sure what that word is in English, but he wasn´t excommunicated because he took his name off the records before they could excommunicate him. But now he wants to be baptized. I don´t know what to do with him. He has some psycological problems and his whole life is a lie. We ask if he smokes and he says no, but we see huge boxes of cigarettes in his garbage can. Ask if he drinks he says no and we see him load huge cans of beer in his backpack. And many more other lies that I could write and write and write about, but I won´t. Ausgetreten people are supposed to work with the bishop. We can´t decide if they can be baptized, it´s up to the 1st presidency and the bishop. We just teach him even though he know the scriptures and everything front and back and more than us. Phew. Anyway. He says he´ll come to church but he doesn´t. Those are the only people we meet with regularly.
You´re right dad. The Germans do put their shoes out on the porch and people fill them with candy for St. Nikolaus Day. That´s supposed to happen today. I have no idea, but I´ll let you know if anything interesting happens with that. Germans have 3 days of Chrismas. Heilige Abend (Christmas Eve), Erst Weihnachts tag (Christmas), and Zweite Weihnachts tag (26th). The main celebration day is the 24th and they open presents and have a big feast. We get eating appointments all three days. Woohoo! I will still be in Celle. Transfers are the 27th so I will probably leave that day. Right after the Froh Fest! (Jolly fest)
Dad! Mom! That makes me SOOOOO happy that you are doing missionary work. That´s so great! There are always so many opportunities to invite people to come to church, but more importantly to come to Christ! Keep it up! This is the perfect, least awkwardest time to do that!!!
That sounds like quite the adventure, mom- with the power outtage. Don´t worry, sometimes I get scolded as a missionary too. There is so much we have to always think about about if we forget one thing that one person asked us, they let us have it. We´re human too here!!! Anyways, I know how it feels. Glad you learned your lesson.
Have you sent off my loan delay form? That just came to my mind. I hope so, or I´m in deep doo doo.
Also, PLEASE call USU and see if my Spring 2010 transcript is there. I would hate to come back and have to re-do ALL of music theory and anatomy! Please check for the peace of my heart :)
I need to buy some warm clothes cuz I, uh...... have none cuz I left mid-summer. I kinda freeze a little. I also need a hat one of these days. I think that´s all that I need. All that money I used was for you guys for Christmas.... Sorry that was so expensive. Your package is on its way though! I hope it gets there on time, but it probably won´t. Don´t be too worried if it doesn´t. As long as it gets there is all that matters. If it does get there before Christmas, DON´T OPEN IT TIL CHRISTMAS!
We didn´t learn anything about Christmas contact during interviews. We have Zone Conference the 14th so maybe we´ll find out then. I have no idea if it´ll be SKYPE or a phone call. I´ll keep you updated.
The weather here hasn´t been too bad this past week, but the past 2 days were kinda rainy and we have been soaking all day. Hoping we won´t get sick.
The Christmas Markt looks SO COOL! It´s not as big as other places, but I just feel so German walking between these Markets and timberwood houses. I really want you all to be able to see it one day. You have no idea how often I think "Oh, this family member would love this" Or "I really hope that my family can see this one day!" Who knows. Maybe one day in the far far future.
So the cool story of the week was Davood. He is from Iran and a "new Christian" he calls himself. He was baptized in the Evangelisch church a year or so ago and then one day he prayed to know more about Christ. The next day Sister Martinz and her companion stopped him and talked to him(So that was in July) and we´ve been teaching him since. Its really hard to teach him because he doesn´t speak very much German and we have to talk really slow and repeat ourselves a lot so he can understand. He finally understands vollmacht (authority) so that is awesome. About a week ago we invited him to be baptized, but he said he had to think about it, but I know he will one day. Davood has so much faith and is so so so optimistic. He is such a great example to me. He also said "I may not have shoes, but I have feet. I am so blessed." And I feel blessed to know him. He is amazing.Anyway, a month ago he had an operation on his leg and his wound hasn´t stopped bleeding. He has to get another operation and he has no money and tons of problems. So we stopped by one day and explained that because we have the authority to act in Christ´s name, we believe too that we have the same power that Christ had to bless and heal people. We explained we wanted people to come over and give him a blessing and it would be just like a prayer, but they lay their hands on his head. He said "Please! I need all the prayers I can get." So 2 members came over and gave him a blessing. It was such a sacred experience. After the blessing he said "Normally, I am really nervous before operations, but now my heart feels rest."
I know there are so many people looking for the peace and rest the gospel brings. I am blessed to be here. I am blessed to be able to share this. I´m grateful for the Priesthood power and know its real! Isn´t that such a huge responsibility to carry the exact same power that Christ had? I´m grateful to the worthy priesthood holders. I know this restored gospel is true! I love it! I want everyone to partake of its blessings. I love the Savior and am so glad this is a time set aside to think more about Him and help others. I love you all!!!!
Love, Sister Niebergall
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