Monday, June 17, 2013

Heilbronn: May 13, 2013

Dear Fam-bam,

Well, I really enjoyed being able to talk to you yesterday! It was a ton of fun for me, and I am happy to report, did not cause any homesickness whatsoever. Only a little bit of wistful reminiscing, haha. But, it really reminded me how blessed I am to have such a great family. I was just realizing how great families are, how I can be myself with you, and you guys don`t judge me at all, which is something I have experienced a lot on my mission. Thanks for being great!

Anyway, just a warning, this email will not be very long, because I need to take a train in about 40 minutes to go to a zone pday. We only have one zone pday per transfer here, but it is a ton of fun. This is actually probably one of the only zones in the mission that does that so regularly, except for Switzerland, where they have these cards where they can travel in the entire Switzerland without paying. Anywho, but my email will definitely be a little shorter today.

We spent a day or so in Munich this week for a Mission Tour, which was a ton of fun. We were privileged to hear from both President and Sister Miles, and from Elder and Sister Texiera (Not positive if that's how it's spelled). Anywho, Elder Tiexera (from the first Quorum of the Seventy) told us that he felt inspired to promise us that if we do the things that President Miles wants, that we will hit our goal of baptizing 290 people in one calendar year. That's more than double what we baptized last year. The Spirit was there though, and it confirmed to my heart that it really is possible.

Other than that the biggest thing that I took from this conference was a lesson about obedience. Not that that was the message what was talked about, but just because afterwards I was examining my own attitude, and I realized that I have loss a lot of my obedient spirit. Not that I have become disobedient, but I have just been realizing that obedience is really an attitude, and that it all starts with the decision to be obedient. I think that I have just been getting closer to the line of justifying things recently, and therefore I have decided to start studying and working on obedience, which is something that I have never really focused on before. Pray that I will be able to develop that obedient spirit again!

Like I mentioned to Mom yesterday, Herbert Krause came to church today! Elder Buck and I had talked to him around Christmas time, and since then we have been meeting with him ever three weeks or so. We called him on Friday and invited him, and he said he would come, and he actually did! He also stayed for all three hours! It was really great, but he left pretty quick after the meetings, and so I'm not sure what his impression was. Although right after our small Sunday School class, he said that it really is true, that when people come together in Jesus Christ's name, the spirit is there. 

Other than that we found one new investigator this week, Davut. He is from Turkey, and I am unsure if he is Christian or Muslim, he wasn't really clear about it... I know that's weird not to know after he becomes an investigator, but I had asked him straight up about it, and then he gave this really convoluted answer that didn't really address the question at all. But yeah, we gave him the Book of Mormon in Turkish, and he said that he will have it finished by next Saturday... I'll be honest, I didn't really believe that, but we have an appointment on Thursday, so if he's already in the end of Alma by then, then we know that he's on track.

The weather here is still so-so. It's sitting at about 50 degrees right now, but after this week should then warm up again. If it gets under 60, then Elder Jerman wears his suit coat, and his winter coat, and his gloves. (Because it is 50 today, he is also wearing his scarf) It is one of the 
funniest things in the world, and I make fun of him for it all the time.

Other than that we had a ton of appointments that fell out this week, but it was still good, we found a good amount of people and are hoping to find a few new investigators next week. Pray for us! I can't really think of something else I want to write, but I love you!

Elder Merkley

No comments:

Post a Comment