Week # 3 I'm in Germany!!!!

Halllloooo!!!!!!

"Hallo!  Ich heiße Sister Stringham.  Ich komme aus Arizona im Amerika.  Dies ist mein dritte Tag hier in Deutschland.  I kann nicht so gut Deutsch sprechen."

This is pretty much my script.  But the Germans love it :)

Acchhhh Germany is the best!!!  AM BESTEN!!!  I love it here and I am SO happy to be a missionary.  It is just the greatest thing in the whole wide world.  I am in a beautiful city where I get to talk about our loving Heavenly Father ALL DAY LONG!  Ah its just the best.

So..........drum roll please............my first area is SPANDAU!  Ach so fantastisch!  There are so many prepared people here and young people and young families.  There is so much potential and miracles just waiting to be called down from Heaven.  I love it here.  It is kinda the ghetto of Berlin and if it were anywhere else it would be sketchy, but the people here are so kind!  Like all of them!  Ach I just love them so much!  And the Saints here are awesome, my ward is adorable.

So Spandau Spandau Spandau, what to say....The weather is pretty nice, except that it is deathly hot.  I have never sweat so much in my life.  And I have never not cared as much in my whole life.  The Church is true even in 97° and high humidity.  Oh something interesting: AC does not exist here.  Like at all.  Crazy right?!  We open windows and eveybody brings a little fan to church.  I got to get me one, cause its way hot.  Oh also not a thing here: water without bubbles.  I home I come loving the taste of Mineral wasser!  Its so great though, I've already tried lots of new things and I LOVE riding buses and trains and how many people are on the streets.  As missionaries it is pretty much our job to be creepy and talk to everyone we pass by, but its so fun!!  Ach love it!

One thing about Spandau that is WÜNDEBAR is that Uncle Greg is in my Stake!!!
Shoutout to Bishof Fawson and familie: We are so close, we will find a way to see each other soon!  My zone leaders are in your ward so they said they would say hello :)

President Kosak was so happy to hear that I was Greg's niece and he said,"I have a feeling that the Lord will want you to serve there... ;)" So I don't know if Spandau counts or not, but either way, we are close to each other and should get to see each other sometime soon!  

So last couple days have been crazy crazy and I don't have a ton more time in this little internet cafe, but I will try to sum up as best I can!

The MTC was SUCH a great experience, I really loved every second of it, even when I was sups sick.  Night before I left I got a blessing and I just want to say that the Priesthood is REAL; he blessed me with strength and health and for my lungs to work and fill with air (which he didn't even know how trached my lungs are from the pneumonia)!  I have not had trouble since, even with all the smokers here, which is pretty much every person on the street, and in their houses, and in the stores, and by the buses.  Anywho...Ach I love this church so much!  I am all healed up and almost over my jetlag and feeling good!  The Lord really does bless His missionaries.

Okay sorry, tangeant.  So we flew to Amsterdam and then to Berlin and I just LOVED Europe as soon as I got here.  Ah it is such an amzing opportunity to be here and to get to talk to people about Christ all day!  So we flew in and President and Sister Kosak and the APs met us at the airport.  They are so GREAT!  I love them all so stinking much!!!  Our APs are Elder Hansen and Elder Wofely and they are just so nice.  And President. Ach President!  I love that man so much.  He is so wonderful!!  Truly called of God.  I am so blessed to be able to serve with him, and I cannot wait to know him for the rest of my life.  He is strict but lenient at the same time, and he is funny but so spiritual.  He is just the best.  He has an amazing vision for this mission and he always says in his German accent, "We are changing Germany!"  I am so blessed to be a missionary at this time in this mission.  The work here really is on fire and I get to be a part of it.  I am so blessed.  And I know already that this is where I am supposed to be.  I am called of God to serve in Germany at this time!  

So first day was crazy because we were all so tired, but it was fun and we got to eat mexican food for basically that last time in 18 months.  So gut (pronounced zo goot and means so good).  And then we just went out on the streets and started talking to people.  So fun!  As soon as that fear starts setting in, you just got to jump in head first!  I love finding, even though I don't now how to say basically anything but, "Hallo, wir sind missionarinen von die Kirche Jesu Christi der Heiligen der letzen Tage, und wir sprechen mit luete uber Gott." Annnnndddd then steps in my companion.  I guess thats part of the reason we have them!  Oh okay so cool experience:

We met a couple of the missionaries that first day because they took us out on the streets to find, and one of the many Sisters I met was Sister Jardine.  I know this sounds sooooo cheesy, but as soon as I saw her, I just knew she was going to be my trainer. And youn know what?  SHE IS!!  Next day we got assigned as companions and she said she felt the same way about me too.  So cool right?!  

Let me tell ya, Sister Jardine is just THE BEST!  Like, really.  She is so awesome.  She has only been out for 12 weeks, so its a little crazy that she is training, but she is awesome.  And we are like the exact same person which makes working together pretty great.  We are def a dream team.  We have the same vision for this mission and we are both willing to work our tails off to help these people.  I am so blessed to have her!  She gives me so much strength and courage and hope of where I can be in 3 months.  Love her to death, WE ARE GOING TO CHANGE GERMANY!!

Ahh time goes so fast when I am writing home!  Ok so all I will say is that I love being a missionary and I know that the work I am doing is the work of God.  I know That I was called by a prophet through inspiration, and that I am meant to be here.  I know that there are prepared people everywhere and that God has given me the power and authority to teach them.  I know that God lives and that He loves me and knows me.  I know I am where I am meant to be!  I know that we are changing Germany, and the world.

I love you all SO much!!  Thank you for the letters and the emails.  PLEASE keep them coming, they are so needed!  Send me news of home and pictures of all the people I love and tell me what I should see and do while I am here in Spandau!  Today is our one free day a week, and we are going down to the concentration camp near Pottsdam.  

Okay ich liebe dich!  Tchüss!!

Love, Sister Stringham            

Spandau Citadel

Completed in 1230, the Julius tower is one of the oldest surviving structures in Berlin. The citadel's current exterior was created at the end of the 16th century by Italian architects.