Week #12 New Life

Still can't believe I'm here sometimes... I love being a missionary and I love Berlin!

Mon, Sep 30, 2013

So first off... http://www.lds.org/general-conference/invite-others?lang=eng

Now that that's there....

I love being a missionary! This week had its ups and downs, where for a few days almost all of our appointments fell out, but the work goes on! Just when you start to get a little discouraged, and you think, 'Okay Lord, this is hard. Why don't people listen?' Right at that moment, you find the most prepared person on the street or something funny happens to you or one of your investigators gets on to the same bus and is excited to see you! 

And that makes it all worth it!  There is light everywhere, and you can see the hand of the Lord every single day when you look for it. The Lord is truly in this work, and I love being part of it!

So this week, we made a lot of new friends on the street...we are now very well known by the Spandau drunks!  We had some great conversations, and I think I may have agreed to marry one man?  

I'm not totally sure, he had a pretty strong polish accent and only a couple teeth, but I may or may not be engaged.  Cool.  

Seriously though, they're the funniest and there seems to be an abundance of them here.  Gotta love Germany, where there are beers and condoms in every vending machine, and the drunks hang out on the street in the mornings.  I love it though, and I love these people and I love Germany!!

This week we also found this great couple from Africa (we teach a LOT of Afrikaners here) who are SO prepared and excited about this gospel!  Their names are Josephin and Amos, and they are so cool!!  During our lesson, they just kept saying "You know, its just all about the love of God!  I know I am a son of God and that He loves me and wants to guide me.  I am excited that you come here to talk more about the word of God!"  They were excited about the Book of Mormon and to hear from the prophet this weekend.

Speaking of that....is anybody else excited?!?!?!?!  I am!!!!  GENERAL KONFERENZ IS THIS WEEKEND!!!!!  WOOHOOOO!  We are printing out lots of flyers and loving telling everone we meet that we have a prophet again on the earth today! Please watch and listen to what the prophet of God has to say to us! I promise it will bless and change your life, and that you will feel the Spirit of God!

http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-09-54-blessings-of-conference?lang=eng&_suid=138052757621909744085099139674?category=2011-09-54-blessings-of-conference&&lang=eng#2011-09-54-blessings-of-conference?lang=eng&_suid=138052761701708834291748256837

Speaking of changing your life, I love our investigators and the amazing changes they are making in their lives!  Artur (the Russian Criminal) and Jenny and Wichain (super smart Thai guy we met on the bus) all want to be baptized and to start a new life as followers of Christ.  This Church is true and this is the work of God.  I love being a missionary because, not only do I have awkward experiences with drunks on the streets and with people taking pictures of me and getting lost all the time, but I get to see people turn their lives around and come to Christ.  It is incredible to be a part of it.  I love being a missioanry!  And I love you all!  I miss you and I love to hear from you and I pray for you!  God bless!

Love, Sister Stringham

I just love my companion!

Week #11 New Life

I'm in the Zone!!  No, seriously, 

this is my zone.

...and this is my district.  They're feeding

us lunch!!!

What do you mean there's no dessert?

O-o-o-oh!  You were just kidding!  

Of course we're still glad to be missionaries!

Hallo Everyone!

So, this week is all about lives being changed!

1) Jenny is going to baptized on the 12th of October!  YAY!  We are so excited, and she is so excited to have a brand new life!  Baptism is so beautiful because, when you show your faith and choose to follow Christ, all your sins can be washed away!  Jenny is ready for that, and she is so excited to start her new life as a disciple of Christ!  I love being a missionary!

2)  Have I ever told you about Artur?  Well, he is one of the best people I have ever met.  He is from Russia and has a rough past, but the power of gospel is SO apparent in the life of this man.  Being a missionary is the best because you get to see how the Atonement can change people's lives.  He has come to church every week since we met him (beginning of last transfer), has stopped coffee and tea, has almost given up alcohol (and he was an alcoholic), and is working on giving up smoking.  This man is AMAZING and he has so much love for God.  Being an old man from Russia, he has a bit of a poker face during lessons and he doesn't say much, but man, you ask him if he knows God loves him and WOW, it is powerful.  He Knows.  And you can see his faith in his eyes!  He loves this gospel and he wants a brand new life.  I love this gospel because it works miracles!  This man eats at a soup kitchen most nights, but yesterday, he came to church in a suit with his Russian Book of Mormon in hand.  I am so blessed to be here around such incredible people.  I know that God loves us and knows us!

3) I had Zone Conference this week and it changed my life!  Woo!  I love being a missionary in Germany!  And I love President and SIster Kosak; they are so inspired and love their missionaries so much.  So blessed to be here!

Also, one of our investigators gave us a whole bag of choclate, which was pretty cool!

So that was my week in a nutshell!  I love this church and I love that I can always be getting better and coming closer to Christ!

Well, that's all folks!  Thank you for the letters (ward news letter and from Miss Shelbey) and the support!  It is so good to know that I am not forgotten over here and it is so good to hear that things are going well at home! So write me!   I love you all and I am praying for you!  God Bless!!

Love, Sister Stringham

#missionaryproblems:

-Tights.  The Germans have NO problem pointing out any holes in your tights.  Like at all.  Like everyone at Church. Naja, the work goes on!

-Elevators aren't really a thing here, and when they do exist, they are SKETCHY!  Translation: we climb lots and lots and lots of stairs!

-Umbrellas are an essential.  Every day.  Starts out raining and cold, then it gets hot, then the sun disappears and it rains again.  Its the best!!  We do lots of tracting in the rain, and we have both broken our umbrellas in the whirlwinds which are a daily thing here.  Naja, the work goes on!

-When your investigators rap in english...'I do not think that word means what you think it means...'

-The German Language. 

Also, anybody else excited?!?!!  Two week countdown!!

http://www.lds.org/prophets-and-apostles/unto-all-the-world/april-2013-general-conference-combined-highlights?lang=eng

Ich liebe euch!!  Tschüss!!

Week #10 Rain or Shine

PO-TA-TOES!

Boil 'em...

Mash 'em...

Stick 'em in a stew!!

Hallo everyone!

So, another great week of miracles here in Spandau, which I am pretty sure is basically the new Brazil with how many people we have to teach.  It's the BEST!

So, Germany is beautiful!  It is starting to be cold and rainy everyday, but its beautiful and I love it!!  We work rain or shine, so the work goes on!  We eat potatoes at most eating appointments, and the chocolate here is the best thing in the world.  We ride buses and trains every day (and miss them frequently), and we do a lot of walking in the rain.  Being a missionary is the best.

SO a couple great stories from this week:

First, one day this week we were klingling (going door to door) and at one of the houses a little girl answered the door.  She said her dad was in the shower and couldnt come to the door.  No problem, just tell your parents we stopped by and give them this card.  No biggie...

and then her dad opened the window WHILE he was in the shower and started talking to us...#gottalovethegermans! We had a great conversation though, so naja! (pronounced na-ya)

Second, really cool!  We were meeting with one of beloved investigators, Christina.  She is SO wonderful and has SOO much faith.  She is such a strong lady, and she is so sweet.  We just love her.  We have been teaching her about the gospel and she has felt the spirit, and we are just trying to get her to pray and ask if what we are saying is true.  At the end of our lesson this week, we asked if we could say a kneeling prayer with her.  Despite all the distractions going on in her home from her family, the prayer was SO powerful.  Whooh it was great!  We blessed her home and her family, and she cried.  I love being a missionary and being able to bless people in the name our Lord, Jesus Christ!

Third, we met this really great family this week!  It was a little bit of a rough day because most of our appointments fell out, but we kept on smiling even in the rain.  We felt like we should go by one of our investigator's houses.  Turns out, he moved back to Romania, but his cousins who live there invited us in.  

WOW they are prepared!

  They just opened up and told us their life stories!  They have been searching for God, but don't think they have good enough hearts, and that is why they don't have any children yet.  They love church though and they pray everyday.  We taught about how much God loves them and how they are children of God.  They are so excited to learn about the gospel and to come to church with us.  And we just love this family!  We never would have found them if it hadn't been for their cousin who we met on the street, who then randomly moved back to Romania.  We are so blessed to know them and to feel the Spirit in that home.  This work is the work of God, and He leads His missionaries to His prepared children!  I love being a missionary!

I hope all is well at home!  Thank you for those who write me (shout out to Sarah and the family!  Thank you so much for the card and the gift!  MADE MY DAY!), it really means a lot to know someone still thinks about me back home!  I love you all and I pray for you!  God bless!!

Love, Sister Stringham

Word of the Week:

Schmeichelhaften: flatterings

Schmeicheln Sie mich nicht!

Don't flatter me!

#lovethislanguage 

Love this food!

...and this chocolate!!

Week #9 Working in the Vinyard!

September 9, 2013

So, its just another rainy day here in Germany, and I love it.  Yes, it's the beginning of September and I'm in a rain coat and that is my rainy day hairdo.  That is also my new backpack which is really fun.  We had been carrying purses but when you're out all day, it kills your back.  

I love being a missionary, and I love Spandau.  Spandau is the city of Miracles!  I know the Lord is in this work and I know that He walks with us everyday. 

This week, we made some pretty high goals about how many people we wanted to teach and whatnot, and we did it prayerfully and had faith that God would help us reach those goals.  And you know what?  He did, because this is His work! 

All you have to do is pray for miracles and expect them, and then work hard and the Lord will bless you! 

We wanted to have 2 new investigators (people who wanted to learn more and set up an appointment with us).  We prayed and had faith, then got to work.  We talked to every person we saw, and it took the whole day.  But we didn't give up, and we knew Heavenly Father would help us.  Heavenly Father tests your faith.  But we found Matthias 10 minutes before we had to be home, and he was SO prepared for the gospel!  The Lord places his prepared people in the path of His faithful servants who are working hard!  I know the Lord is in this work, and we find so many people and teach so many people.  That was some of the best advice I got before I left, and what I want everyone to know as well: Christ is on our right hand, working with us, and the hosts of Heaven are behind us.  This is the work of God and I am so blessed to be a part of it!

I know this is His work because I see people change their lives around everyday because they know that we are teaching the words of God.  We have one investigator in particular whom we just LOVE!!  Oh he's the best!  I am so humbled when I teach him.  He is from Russia and has spent the last 7 years in and out of prison because of problems with alchoholism.  We found him on the street and he told us later that as soon as he saw us, he knew we were from God.  He is so solid.  He has come to church every week since (6 weeks) and wants to be baptized.  He has already stopped tea and coffee and alcohol, and is working on quitting smoking.  He has so much faith and wants a new life.  It is amazing to watch the Atonement work in the lives of the people here.  It is so humbling to be a part of it, and to be the mouthpiece for the Lord, teaching of His sacrifice and His love.  We love this man so much and I know that God loves him.  And I know that God loves each and everyone of us.  So much.  He knows us and He is with us.  We are never alone because we have Christ.

I love being a missionary.

Okay, so why are we teaching all these Russians and other foreigners?  That is because Berlin is considered "multikulti!

Multikulti Berlin

Berlin likes to portray itself as Germany's most international city, a capital with a tolerant, worldly population that celebrates its diversity in street festivals, ethnic restaurants, and demonstrations for minority rights. "Multikulti," slang for multikulturell (multicultural), denotes an accepting attitude toward different cultures and religions, and by any standard Berlin is indeed international: 13% of its population has a non-German background (more than any other part in Germany); the culture, nightlife, and social scenes are a global potpourri.

 

For those of you who have asked, my German improves daily.  I can understand everything and am speaking pretty well.  I'm also learning how to grocery shop, ride the trains and public transportation and live like a German.  Fun!

Here is another picture of Berlin.  It is of street musicians looking to pick up a few Euros and taking refuge under the World Clock while they sing and play guitar.  The location of this photo is Alexanderplatz, formerly part of East Berlin. There's so much else to notice here.  The tall tower is the Fernsehturm (TV Tower--also from the GDR) which is the second tallest structure in Europe.  Look closely--the top reminds me of the City in the Clouds.  Also, on the right you can see a department store with mannequins on the second floor.  Not in Germany.  That is the first floor.  The other one is the Ground Floor.  This is also a foot traffic only area, very common in Germany.  

 

I love teaching and testifying of Christ all day.  I love seeing His love and forgiveness change the hearts of those we teach.  This church is true and this is the work of God.  I know that He is beside me as I work in His vineyard.  

I love you all so much, and I am praying for you!  

Thanks for reading my blog.  It means so much to me. 

Love, Sister Stringham

Week # 8 Still in Spandau!!!

Just a short note this week--I used up all my computer time reading all the emails you guys sent!  Thanks so much.  For those who need my address, look to the right hand column and find it. 

So transfer calls came.....and Sister Jardine and I are staying together in Spandau!  Woohooo!!!!!  We are so excited because we have really become so close and there is SO much work to do here in Spandau! 

As President Kosak always says, "We are changing Germany," and we will continue to do so here in Spandau.  We see miracles everyday!!

I love you all and I know this Church is true with all my heart and that Christ is with us in this work!!

Love, Sister Stringham

Missionary jam of the week:  Israel, Israel, God is Calling - Alex Boye

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=911129090001