Surviving WW3!!

Hallo Liebe Familie!!

This last week was crazy fun, I think especially for the Germans here!! They celebrate New Years with a literal bang! Now I truly know what other missionaries mean when they say it sounds like a war on New Years Eve!!

To start off with, last Monday we went to the big "Geschichtes Museum", basically the history of Germany and all with our beloved Irma- she's a new convert. We wanted to see if we could get in half price, so we showed the register lady our Ausweis, or ministerial certificate, and she says, "Wow, that's so cool! Preaching about your religion and such? Well, you get half off for that!" Woo hoo!!

A main part of our week was spent at Glady's house, a less active. We taught her son Othneil who is now 8, all of the lessons so he can be baptized as soon as possible. Her oldest son, Elijah is baptized already. If you were to ask me, Gladys is super active because of her faith and testimony, she just can't make it to church most Sundays. So now Othneil is ready for the taufe interview, and it goes to the bishop and ward from here. It was such a fun experience, we became really creative... it's hard teaching a child in German! :)

Then NEW YEARS EVE!!! Wowza! So the fireworks here are literally bombs. We have been hearing them going off for a few weeks prior now. But not as much as Wednesday night!! We were laughing that you would think a country that has been through 2 WW wouldn't want anything similar again. But alas.

That afternoon we were coming back from Glady's house, and a drunk man stole Sis. Stacey's water bottle out of her backpack, and I whip around at him and am ready to be defensive! Then he just starts his drunk-flirting, and saying english swear words at us even though he didn't know what they meant. So we quickly hopped on the next bus available! Then on the bus, we hear a huge bang, right next to us, felt like it was inside the bus. Some kids had thrown a bomb-firework right in the road, and they got a kick out of it! Haha, so we were a little unsettled, and set home. We had to be in our apartments by 6 pm at least.

I'll have to send some recordings next week, but it was pretty crazy. In the morning, we looked outside and the streets were strewn with boxes, fireworks, garbage- everything! Amazingly, Germany has these little "Guido" guys that come and clean the streets a few days later. Just a broom and a truck, and they get the job done! Definitely one I will remember.

Blessings this week were that we had a day where all of our appointments worked out!! Woo hoo! And we had the opportunity to teach lots of weniger actives, or less actives. And on Sunday afternoon we had a great lesson with our investigator Aylin, who is a muslim. Love her to death- we explained who Christ is to us, and basically our testimonies of how we came to know this gospel is true. A cute thing she said to me, "You speak German so sweetly!" Haha, like cutely, or softly. Ha, I think that's a good thing...

And we had lunch on Sunday with probably one of my favorite families in the ward- I mean, I don't pick favorites or anything but... The Dessins are the family that own the Zeplin Tower and we go and work on it every Saturday. They are so chill.

And TODAY- went to a concentration camp in Sauchsenhausen ( I think it's spelled) wow, it was so humbling. And it was huge! They only had about 5 buildings of the original still standing, but it truly was astounding. It's been there since 1936, I believe.

Oh, and I got a cute package from the ward this last week, full of jokes and comics the kids had written and a cute card they had signed. Thanks home ward!!!

This Saturday are transfer calls, I'm getting a bit nervous as we feel Sister Stacey is leaving!! So that means I might be taking over this area next week! We will find out! Eeeek! And Mission Tour is this Thursday, I don't know which general authority is coming, but it's going to be good!

Something I relearned this week: Don't forget to use the talents that the Lord has given you! Some days it may seem that it's hard to find or see what those gifts we have are, when you compare yourself to others. Don't do that!! There are so many things the Lord has given us that He wants us to use. And not just show talents. We truly are so blessed with many gifts. :)

Ich liebe die gelegenheit eine missionarin zu sein, und alles der Herr uns gibt. Wir wircklich sind sehr gesegnet! Vergessen Sie nicht dass ihrer Himmlicher Vater sie sehr liebt.

Liebe Immer,

Sister Titensor

p.s. Didn't bring my card reader along, sorry. Pictures next week, bestimmt!

p.p.s. There is rumor around that we will be getting ipads this month...