Hallelujah

Waiting for the Invitation

From Brooklyn Winn

Teaching in Argentina

I learned something this week. We saw this lady painting her house. We went over there to ask her if she need help and started talking. She asked me if us Mormons are all hermits and we are all to ourselves. I asked her what made her think that. She said, “Well, I have worked with people, I have seen missionaries walk by my house, but nobody has invited me to go to church or to a activity.”

 Sometimes people just need a invitation. We just have to ask them if they want to do things or not. Of course we invited her. Sometimes people just really want a invitation and sometimes they do not have the courage to say, “Hey, can I go with you to this?” Sometimes you have to ask,  “Hey, do you want to go with me?”  More than half the time they will say yes because they already want to go, they are just waiting for the invitation. 

She Was Just Beyond Happy!

From David and Viola Ricks

Teaching in Germany

(From Viola) To start the story off of this amazing baptism----you need a little history.  It was a little discouraging at the first of the mission. It was winter, cold, and getting dark by 3:30 p.m.   The language was not coming back for [David], and I was just not getting it.  We were in a foreign land and didn't know what was going on most of the time.  Dad always has these unrealistic expectations.  He kept saying not to worry that we would meet, teach, and baptize someone on our mission AND they would be sent to us!  Yeh, sure!  Even if they were, we couldn't understand them or speak to them!  How was that going to work!  (Ye of little faith)   

ANYWAY----------our loving Heavenly Father knows our weaknesses and provides. . . . . . . 

(From David)  We have good news this week, and so we get to tell you the story that we promised last week.  It started in the middle of last October. There was a lady from Stuttgart, Germany that had family history films there. She had recently moved and lived about 45 minutes away from Würzburg.   

She wanted to get her films transferred to the Family History Library in Würzburg.  Well, she called the church building and no one answered, so she called the elders and they really didn't know what to do or to tell her so they kind of put her off.  Then she called the people in Stuttgart and the man there was a full blooded German and said there was no way a transfer would work.  He said he would have to send the films back to SLC and she would have to reorder them. He told her this would take about 4-6 months. This went on for two or three weeks.  Finally the elders said something to us.  Sister Ricks was very frustrated wondering why as a couple running the Family History Center that we knew nothing about the circus that was going on. 

Finally, one day the lady called the elders again (who at the time were riding with us in our car!)  We finally made an appointment to meet her at the family history center.  We got her films ordered after a long frustrating time on the computer.  She doesn't have computer skills, and she kept getting all of her user and password information mixed up.  (By the way, she got her films in three weeks, and found some very important birthdates of her grandparents.)

     

When they got ready to leave, Sister Ricks told the Elders to ask if they wanted to come to church on Sunday to the Children's Sacrament Program.  They asked the man driving her.  She wasn't too interested and she hoped that he would say he was too busy.  But he said, "Ja, I think we could do that."

Well--- at the time we didn't know that she was paying him 10 Euro's an hour to drive her around in "her" car.  Of course he wanted to spend 3 hours in church. :-)  To our surprise they were at church on Sunday.  Sister Ricks got the elders to ask her if she wanted the lessons and the man, Herr Quiel was interested because he would get more money.  So he was always on our side, as every time we made appointments then he got paid.  She began to be interested in the church. We found out that missionaries years before had taught her the discussions but she was way too busy to go to church or to show much interest in it.  Her sister really loves our church, even though she isn't a member.  The sister lives in New Hampshire, and has lived in the United States for over 30 years.  She has an American husband.  Her sister has encouraged her continuously to be baptized.  That has been very helpful. 

We got to take the elders every week to appointments as it would take them two hours to get there and two hours home by bus.  The first time we went it was through forests and a beautiful area of Germany during the extraordinarily beautiful fall colors.  It was probably the most beautiful fall drive we have ever experienced.  She would fix or buy us lunch every time that we went.  We also took our turn making lunch for them and they would come to our apartment.  A baptismal date was set for the 20 of February and so yesterday she was baptized a member of the church.

 She is 74 years old and her name is Doris Michalski.  It is the first baptism that either elder has been involved in--- and one of the elders goes home next week so it has been exciting for them also.  Herr Quiel and Doris have been to church most Sundays and the members have grown to really love her.  She is a very excitable lady.  On one of the visits Sister Ricks took her the bishops wife's temple dress to try on to see if it would fit her for her baptism.  She is very self conscious of her weight (even though she isn't fat) and she knew that we wouldn't have any baptismal clothing that would fit.  We took the dress for her to try on.  She was getting lunch ready for us and all of a sudden we heard a scream from the other room.  We didn't know what was happening so we went to see.  She had gone up stairs to try on the dress, and was so excited that it fit that she was screaming with excitement for such a beautiful baptismal dress.  

(From Viola)The elders, Elder Sauve, from Portland, and Elder Klingler, from South Jordan, did everything possible to make the baptism memorable and perfect.  The program was really nice.  They had invited all kinds of investigators and inactive members to the baptism.  I think there were about 50 there.  Very amazing for Wurzburg!  Doris was just beyond happy!  

Today the bishop blessed his baby.  The spirit was so tender with Doris's confirmation and the baby blessing.  We are so grateful to have been in the meeting to partake of the Sacrament and the spirit.  We were indeed spiritually blessed. 

The True Measure of Success in Missionary Work

From Hyrum Fluckiger

Teaching in California

I've had an interesting experience being a missionary here in California! It's been amazing first of all, second it's been work, and third... I have absolutely loved it!  I have amazing opportunities to
meet and be apart of so many people's lives!

After my second transfer, leaving an area only seemingly slightly better than I found it, and feeling like my time there was for naught; I arrived to my new area and had only been there for a week or two when I received a letter from an active member we worked with. While keeping details confidential ,this member expressed to me that us missionaries had made such a difference in his life and that we played a key role in helping him stay on the gospel path. 

When he hit his low, he had actually made a plan to take his own life.  He said that one night he asked us for a blessing, of course we adjusted our schedule so we could do that. He told us that was the night he was going to kill himself and the blessing was meant to be a release from this life.  But the words of the blessing were so uplifting and what he needed to hear at the time that he was restrengthened and recommitted to live and strive to improve his life. He is now attending college and working toward a mission. He has trials and temptations just as all of us do, but thanks to our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ, we were able to participate in helping him along his way, and I now truly know that no effort is wasted in helping others come to Christ.

It was such a powerful reminder and testimony builder to me of many things; the authenticity and reality of true priesthood power, the guidance of the Holy Ghost, and by dedicating our all to the service and work of God, we can not fail. Missionary work is not just with non members. It's all who need to be strengthen and brought closer to Christ. The measure of success in missionary work is not just baptisms. I'm grateful for the opportunity I have to be a missionary, to serve God, to hold the Priesthood. I know the church is true, it's good, and pure.

No Doubt About It!

From Jonah Bench

Teaching in New York

So I had have had companions for the last six months of my mission who are struggling with obedience and motivation and desire. My current companion also struggles with obedience and diligence and is going home soon. He is my friend and I want him to have a good end to his mission. So the last four companions are struggling missionaries. I have been privileged to become a tool in the Lord's hand to help these missionaries. 

The last six months has been tough, I got sick from stress and that led to me having to go home to get my tonsils out. Now I'm back and the companions I have had are again those who need help. I have really loved seeing them change to become better! I have loved seeing the Atonement of Jesus Christ our Savior work in the lives of the missionaries I have worked with. I can't do squat on my own! I would be faced with concerns they have and things they need to talk about and have no idea how to approach it! But I'd say a quick prayer and then things would become clearer. I would be able to discern what they needed to hear. That is a testimony to me that the Lord will bless us with help and direction and what those around us need. I know this is the Lord's work. No doubt about it! Otherwise a bunch of 18-20 year old kids would have messed it up a long time ago!  

Heavenly Father Will Put Us In All Situations We Need To Be In

From Karsten Hinckley

Teaching in Thailand 

On our way home last night we were walking by this abandoned market. I saw man who was sitting there and felt impressed to go talk to him. As we talked I asked if he wanted to go to church 20 yards away and he said yeah. This man is homeless, but he was willing to come. We showed him around the church and asked if he liked to read. He said he did, so we gave him a Book of Mormon. We invited him to come to church this next Sunday. If he takes some time to read he will come to know that Jesus is the Christ. He was a really humble man from everything he told us. 

Today at church one of our investigators brought her daughter. She came up to us after and asked for the Book of Mormon so she could read it. This little 10 year old girl came up and asked for a Book of Mormon! "I want to read it," she said. Wow! Never had that happen before. She is a really smart! In primary she listened as they read and liked it. She wanted it, so we gave it to her.

We went to this market last P Day. When we were about to head home we went into this gift shop because there was AC [air conditioning]. We were just walking around when a lady asked what we were doing. We told her who we were and so forth. She said, “I haven’t seen the Elders for 20 years now." She is a member of the Chruch. As we talked to her she said she hasn’t been to church in a long time. She didn’t even know about the temple. She said she might not be able to see the temple because of her cancer. I don’t know if she was happy to see us or not.We told the Elders in that area about her and told her she needs to be visited.  Heavenly Father will put us all in situations that we need to be in for whatever reason.