Another Week In Darmstadt!

Wow, the weeks just get crazier and crazier!!! We have had so many things going on it´s ridiculous!! (I mean that in a good way hahaha) There is nothing better than being busy with the Lord´s errand! I have gotta say though, I am pretty pooped. XD We started the week out with a really good P-Day! We ended up going to this really cool museum in Darmstadt and the grounds were amazing! We didn´t get to go in because it was closed but trust me, the grounds were good ;) hahaha I forgot my camera anyways :P We then had a couple of appointments with some members. We are trying really hard to get a hold of as many members as possible because we want to light this ward on fire!! If we can get them fired up and bringing in more investigators than half of our work is already done for us hahaha. Efficiency is wunderbar! We also have had some really great things happening! We have two new investigators and we have another investigator who has committed to baptism. Oh shucks, I forgot we have two. Things have just been going so well! We have been working so hard talking like crazy and doing everything we can to meet with as many people as possible. I have definitely become well acquainted with a planner and scheduling has definitely played a great role in my mission. I definitely have gained a testimony of planning. When one plans, one is successful, they also have more time to play, which is really surprising...we just give up all of our play time to work with more people hahaha. It ends up that we usually finish P-Day a couple of hours early so that we can meet with more people. I am sure that that isn´t a bad thing!!! I still continue to nap when I have the chance. It´s amazing what happens when you´re truly tired. I drop off like a rock every time my body decides it is time to sleep!! I also got to see everyone who came from the MTC with me this week!! It was great! We had a golden trainer meeting and it took up most of the day but it was such a great and spiritual experience and I just loved it. This really is the Lord´s work and you can just feel it so much, especially when you immerse yourself in his teachings!! I have made the committment to read my Book of Mormon ten times in the mission. I average about 25 pages a day. I usually fit the reading time in when we aren´t proselyting or doing our regular studies. We also have given out 31 Books of Mormon in our District in the last two weeks! A lot of those have numbers, emails, or addresses attatched with it!! It has been really great as well because the ward really seems to be warming up to us. President Schwarz really is an inspired man. We seem to have given the ward what they needed to get rolling because they have been hitting us like crazy with things that they would like us to help with. If we can get this ward rolling there will be nothing stopping it from growing into a stake in no time!! It just needs a little bit of a shove. ;) I ended up playing some soccer this Wednesday with some Germans. We brought them to the church, some of them being investigators, and we played some pretty dang good soccer. I was pretty pumped because these guys were some pretty top notch soccer players and I popped three goals in pretty quickly. I´ll have to thank Jon for the times we played in the church gyms etc. It was just too much fun! A humbled person is more willing to recieve the gospel...Therefore the air was quickly released from my head after soccer when my understanding of Deutsch went Kaput. Either way though our investigators had a blast and we have more lessons with them and they are going to come next week!! We are really having a good time finding people through these sports. It really has been a successful idea here in Darmstadt. I haven´t got much time left and so I just want to end this so that I am able to send it. I had the chance to read in D&C this week for a little bit and I was reading in D&C 46 with Elder Bruneel. We started reading about gifts and verses 12 and 13 really hit me. I would recommend reading it to get the full idea of what I am talking about but I definitely want to say that in those verses I found a simple, but truly profound truth. For some it is einfach to find knowledge and to know things are true. Whether they receive those answers or they come to them through deductive reasoning the end result is still the same. And for others their gift is to believe. I never really thought of it this way but for some of us, we may never have a full or complete knowledge. We may never know with exactness where we go or what we are doing before we do it. Sometimes going through the experience and having proof of that belief we had, that hope is all the more rewarding. Sometimes we have trials that absolutely throw us to the ground and when we look up and find no reprieve we often doubt the truths that we had come to believe that we knew as facts. Sometimes we question that God is really there and that he loves each and every one of us. Sometimes we think that we can´t take anymore and sometimes that doubt eats away at us until we are in the darkest parts of our lives. I do want you all to know though, that we are never alone. In 2 Nephi chapter 2 we read that we cannot have a true knowledge without having both the good and the evil. We cannot know for a fact how sweet the fruit of the gospel is if we haven´t tasted of the bitterness of life without it. Life doesn´t like to play easy. Sometimes we are thrust into situations that we truly feel we will never survive but I can promise you that the dawn will come, and even though the night is darkest before the dawn the sunrise does come. The savior knows exactly what we are going through. To truly know what it means to be alone. For some of us, even many of us, we will never have a true knowledge that things will get better. We may not be able to see, or believe, that that sunrise is coming. I testify to you that it will come. The promised blessings will be recieved. As long as we obey the laws upon which that blessing is predicated. I realize that for me, my gift is to believe. Sometimes I don´t know what I am going into, but I know that when we do what is required we are rewarded. I also want you all to know that I am here for each and every one of you and I know that Christ is there as well. Turn to him, as you gain increased knowledge of the sacrifice that he has made we truly recognize just how great the atonement is. Sorry this letter is so long, that´s just been on my mind. Hopefully I don´t seem too preachy, I don´t want to come across that way. :P I love you all so much and I hope that this week goes great! You´re all in my prayers! 

Tschuss! 

Elder Lee

Week 2 In Deutschland!

Hallo!!

Wow, what a week it has been this week!! So many things that we have been doing, we hardly have any time to even eat!! We have been teaching lessons right and left and when we aren't teaching we are finding in the streets. I have been set with two really great and hard working companions. They also make sure to challenge me as much as they possibly can, which is great because I have been learning a lot faster!! We just got a call today and there is someone that wants to be baptized! We also are working with a couple other investigators and things have been going really well! We have been getting tons of appointments with people in the ward as well because we are trying to liven up the member missionary work. We have been bringing people in and they just dont feel very accepted in this ward so we have been working on flipping things around. As such we were able to have six nonmembers in the ward this past Sunday and the ward was extremely welcoming. I think that they are realizing that this group of missionaries is here to get things done and things are definitely getting done. Elder Bruneel has been way tight and a good trainer. He averages 8 eggs for breakfast each morning and now he has me eating 4 every morning. XD Since I have trouble spelling I realized that I had spelt Döner wrong. That is how it is spelled if you are wondering. Also, I have found a new love of mine. It is a lovely little thing called Quark. It's like yogurt and strawberrry cream cheese mixed together! And It's like 95 cents in American money for a solid sized tub!! Gee what a buy! And it is soooo tasty! We also had a zone training this week and the president laid out some goals for us to accomplish while we are here. He wants each companionship to give out two books of mormon a week and talk to ten people every day. We, naturally, have to amp that goal up a little bit ;) We gave out seven books of Mormon in two days and got 2 emails and 2 numbers. We also have been talking to just about everyone in sight. I believe that is why we are so successful. It's definitely been interesting for me because I am definitely not the best at Deutsch but you learn to use the basics pretty well. I have been talking with lots of people and I have been helping give out Books of Mormon etc. We even got a muslim interested in what we are talking about, which is actually a pretty big thing. I have definitely been trying to be more educated on a lot of things but we just don't have enough time which ismaking it a bit difficult but we are trying to allot out more time for my training so that I have a better idea of what I can do...My trainer and Elder Bonzo, who has been out for 20 months, have said that I am the best golden they have ever seen. It really makes me happy because I really am trying so hard to be the man that the lord wants me to be. I probably worry too much though sometimes when I don`t understand stuff. There are times when the lord will help me to understand almost every single thing that the people are saying and then I start getting a little cocky about it and the Lord definitely knows how to bring one low when it is needed XD I am sure you all know exactly what I am talking about. I want to tell you all so many things and give you all of the stories but there is just too much to write. I do want to saq, though, that the work is rolling forth! This area has been a pretty dead area for the last little while but we have been working hard and we have been recieving the lords promised blessings. A lady walked up to Elder Bruneel and I the other day and was like, in English, "Could you help me with my bags, I want to come to your Church and I need directions." You can imagine how surprised we were...we then straightaway took care of her as quickly as we could bahahahaha. I still haven't converted the pigeons yet but I can feel my Deutsch skills getting better, they will soon hear me XD. Luckily people are a lot nicer and don't try and poo on me so talking with them has been a lot more successful! I just want you all to remember how important it is to be successful Ward Member Missionaries. The lord has called every single one of us to be missionaries. Here in Darmstadt we have so many people and so many people who don't have the kind of happiness that we want them to have. We as missionaries, can only do so much, we need more missionaries! We could have 10million missionaries instead of 80 thousand. There is a lady in our ward whos is super cool! She asks us for things to do during the week that pertain to missionary work. She already has given out a book of mormon on her own and this week she is going to get us a referall!! That's what the missionaries need. We are all busy but people can see the testimony you have in your eyes! Show them that light. Keep in touch with the Lord and he will work through you! I love the opportunity to be so close with him on a daily basis. I just feel so much strength even when I am weak! The power naps every time I am on a train ride help too ;) I have never been this tired bahahaha but like I said, the lord gives us strength when we are weak. I love hearing from you all, it is so wonderful to have all of the influences that I have met before and now! Keep listening to the spirit as often as you possibly can and don't ever forget that the Lord is a lot closer than you think. He will always be there. Always. I testify that he is our savior. There is no doubt in my mind that this is the true gospel restored on this earth by the prophet Joseph Smith. If the simple truths don't testify of it then the downright amazing happiness it can bring will. Remember, the restored gospel is for each and every one of us. Build your own testimonies. Plant that tiny seed. I built my testimony off of others for a very long time and to know these things for myself is so much more invigorating than any other knowledge I have, or will gain. We are children of God, we have purpose, we have love, and we have a Father in Heaven who wants us to return to him. HE is my god, your god, our God. The omnipotent, everlasting Father. Move forward with purpose knowing that you are his child. And may every one of us be lifted up with him at the return of his son. I pray for you all. I pray for your safety and I send my love. I miss you all dearly but I have felt distinctly that I should say what I have said. Hmmm my mind is empty now, and my stomach as well. hahahaha I love you all!!

Tschuss!

Elder Lee

Week 1 in the mission

Well everybody, I am now in Germany!! It has been so crazy awesome!! I love it! The trip out was a bit grueling, I won't lie there. I sat by a lady on the plane ride to Houston and we talked for a long time about the church and stuff. She seemed really interested so I hope I planted a seed. That or she's just already mormon...I could see that being true to XD. I was so sad that I didn't get to talk with you for a very long time mom. It broke my heart a little bit to have to say goodbye but no matter what it was so wonderful to hear your voice and I am so grateful that I was given the opportunity to hear just that. Dad, I miss you a ton! We definitely have some golf tournaments going down when I get back. Keep Rosie in top shape, she's going to have to come along! When we got on the plane to Frankfurt I was really excited. We ended up having a Russian lady following us around because she didn't know the area too well so we talked for a bit over that. I also was able to talk to a couple of people that knew missionaries or who had served a mission in Frankfurt so that was great! I met a man from Florida on the flight out to Frankfurt. His name was Judge and he had recently been divorced. We talked for a while about business and stuff and then when we were getting off I was able to talk to him about checking out LDS.org and Mormon.org. He said that he was going to check it out and he thanked me for my time. After that we picked up our bags at the baggage claim and then we walked out. President Schwarz, his wife, and some missionaries were there. It was a great welcome! They were all so excited and they were hugging everybody and it was just a really great time! I then volunteered with Elder Fialho to go with President Schwarz in his car and we went to the mission home and then the mission office. We met everyone in the office and then we had our interviews. After that I went out to my first appoinment with some of the missionaries in Frankfurt. It was a wonderful time, everyone builds each other up here and it really is such an amazing enviroment. We then had dinner at the presidents house and my first dinner in Deutschland was amazing! I can't remember what it was called, I was just too excited to eat!! We also met our trainers and then to make a long story short we ended up at the temple house where we stayed the night. We woke up, had breakfast and then went across the street to the chapel. We then talked for a while and President Schwarz came and talked with us. I don't have much time so i'll just say that I ended up being called to Darmstadt!!!

My companion is named Elder Bruneel and then I found out I would also be with Elder Bonzo, so we are in a trio. We then went to the train station, hahaha ends up we took a wrong turn so we ended up on a street for strippers so we all put our heads down and our driver was like "I am not looking to the side! I am not looking to the side!" hahaha it was funny! At the station we all met up with everyone and it was a great time. So much love between everyone it is absolutely amazing!! We then took the train out and arrived at our apartment. I am taking too much time but in the next couple of days we have been incredibly busy. My companions know how to work and so we haven't been stopping at all. I ended up talking to a German man for 20 minutes on my first day...it was pretty nervewracking at first but it slowly got easier. We also had another man just walk up to us and ask us who we were when we were going to get dinner. By the way, it was a Düner. Probably the tastiest meal I have had in a very long time. Holy cow they are sooooo goood!! It really has been such a neat experience. As my conifdence has grown I've been trying to talk to more people. I've actually been having solid conversations with people and my companions have been saying that that doesn't happen often at all with someone who has been here for so short of a time so it really has helped me with my fears of approaching people. I know the lord is behind it though. The spirit I feel daily is amazing.
As we serve the lord and become, and are willing, to be instruments in his hands he uses us to fulfill his purposes. I didn't realiye just how much he does this until I experienced it with talking to people and having everything that I needed to say come into my head when I needed it. We also had an amazing appointment with one of our investigators that we've gotten last night. His name is AJ and I swear he would be considered the Golden Investigator. Everything that we talked about just went the best way that it could have gone and the spirit was so strong in that home. I then contacted a couple people on the way back home, got a number and was able to give out a card so that went really well! Yesterday was just great in general. We ended up being really early for church and so we waited in the square for our bus where we usually wait. We call the statue big louis but the square is called Louisenplatz...I probably spelled that totally wrong but oh well haha. We were waiting and Elder

Bruneel ended up going and talking with a couple people so I decided that I would go see if I could convert some pigeons. I feel like sometimes I am a bit overbearing because the all ran away from me. Ah well. ;D I love you all and miss you so much!!! Make sure that you are doing your best to participate in member missionary work. I didn't realize just how vital it can be to the missionaries. Keep your testimonies strong! Mine has been strengthened so much already and I have been so grateful to have that spirit with me so often. I swear it is more addicting than any type of food! Keep the Lord close, he loves all of you so much and he has great things waiting for you in life. I love and miss you all. I will be sure to write a couple handwritten letters so that you can hear from me a little more often. 

With much love your son, brother, friend,

Elder Lee

Your missionary has arrived safely

Dear Parents:

Please excuse this impersonal mass email!  However, in essence of time, I want you to know your missionary has arrived and is in good hands!  They have processed thru the orientation, gone out to meet investigators/ street preach etc and interviewed with President Schwartz.  They will soon be having their meal at the mission home with President and Sister Schwartz. This is always a wonderful treat for the missionaries!  At that time, President will take photos and we’ll post them on the blog or email them out to you in a few days as they come available to me.  Tonight they will spend the night at the Temple Hostel. Tomorrow morning, following breakfast, they will meet again with President Schwartz and receive their assignment and companion.  Then off to the Hauptbahnof to travel to their final destination.  They are holding up well, still awake and standing.  Most only had none or 2 or 3 hours of sleep on the flight!  Therefore, we count it a miracle they are still standing and awake!!  They will first be able to email youMonday on preparation day.  Enjoy your first report! J

Please consider me your point of contact throughout the mission.  I am including a Christmas package tips flyer for you.  Even though it says Christmas, it applies to packages all thru the year.  You will get their personal apartment address next week when I email out the photos.

Thank you for sending us such exceptional young adults!  They are a great bunch and we look forward to serving together.

My last day in the MTC.

Well this week has been absolutely crazy!! We have been so busy and everything has been going really well!! I was able to talk with Steph last night and we were able to have a little meeting together! I ended up giving her a blessing and then sent her off to go do all of her great things haha. It was really nice being able to talk with her!! Other than that we have just been preparing things to take off!! We have had to go over travel plans and such a lot to make sure that everything goes okay. We've all come really close as a group and I'm going to miss these elders a lot!! I also was able to talk to someone today who has a contact in Frankfurt for us. I also have another German girl that I will be emailing. She was just converted and we taught her in TRC. She is a really awesome member and she is going to help us with some things while we are in Germany!! The last two devotionals were a little bit long for me. I don't know if my attention span is just exhausted or if I'm just super excited for Germany but either way things are coming along!! The spirit has continued to be extremely strong in my life and I will be continuously grateful for this experience in the MTC!! I love you all so much! You've all been the greatest to me! I will try and get more email done tonight. I just have to rush to everything so I am trying my best!!! I will write more soon! Once again, love you all so much!

Elder Lee

Week 6...or 7?

Hey Everybody!!

So I believe it's week 6...or it might be week seven...the time is flying by!! I now have gained 18 pounds in the MTC...Don't worry I'm not fat at all, I've gained a lot of muscle! My cheeks are definitely a little larger than they used to be though...hahaha! This week has definitely been an exciting one! Christmas was such a blast! I got your package and I definitely enjoyed all of the wonderful gifts I got, I made sure to take pictures so I'll be sure to send those your way when we figure out how to do it on these new computers that they have put up. For some reason they don't work very well and it's pretty annoying but ah well, what can you do. Christmas Eve was a great time! We were able to listen to Brother and Sister Evans from the seventy and they had a really great talk. Then on Wednesday, we were able to write for a little bit and later on in the day we got to have Elder Bednar come speak to us. It was a really wonderful experience. He passed out 200 cell phones to all the missionaries and we'd pass them around and text our question to his i-pad. He'd then answer the questions that he felt were important at the time I guess. There were some really great questions that really helped me with a lot of my worries. I love it how I am able to learn something new every day, it has been keeping life plenty exciting for me!! I feel like an old man sometimes though, I'm getting more and more tired every day. There is just so much to be getting done, the wonderful thing is that I somehow always have enough energy to get everything done that I need to get done and I know that that has definitely been a blessing. The language is coming along well. Not as well as I'd like but I'm going to continue working at it. I don't know how I ever passed English though, not going to lie. They talk about Past Participles and I feel like it's a completely foreign language in itself. XD Probably the most embarrassing moment for me but hey we're here to learn and I am definitely learning. Course, we have definitely had our moments so I guess it's okay. We ended up drinking a bunch of Martinellis soda last night for new years eve.

We decided to live life on the edge a little bit and down the whole thing in one gulp hahaha gotta love the life of a missionary ;) Sadly, we we had to be in bed by ten thirty but hey, we receive blessings for doing the things that we are asked to do! Our lessons with the untersuchers are going really well. Elder Fiahlo has definitely started to turn things around and we're becoming really successful. He's a smart kid and I'm sure if he continues to try hard he will be really successful. I don't know if I have told you yet but we live on the second floor of 5M. We somehow ended up getting a bouncy ball and played soccer in the hallway haha it was way too much fun!!

We didn't play for too long because there are plenty of things that we have to get done but it was definitely worth it.  Helps you relax big time. I have to take off now because I have to get my laundry but I want you all to know that I do have a testimony of the truthfulness of this gospel. Ich weiss das das Suhnopfer is im Mittelpunkt das Evangelium. Der Heiligen Geist sprechen mit uns und wir haben so viele tinga to be grateful for. I have to hurry so i'm going to type in English...I want you all to remember that the Lord loves each and every one of you. Read in Luke 7 about the parable of the woman who washes Jesus's feet. I'll have to send you the reasons as to why it's so amazing when I am able to get back on. I'll be sending some pictures as well. So Expect another letter from me today!! Love you all! Talk soon!!

Elder Lee

Everyone received ties from Elder Johnston's mom.

Elder Lee's version of the Sermon on the Mount.

Christmas from the familia.

Ringing in the New Year with SPARKLING CIDER.

Elder and Sister Lee saw each other on Christmas!!!

Elder Kunig

Elder Ostler

Elder Fihalo (Elder Lee's companion)

Elder Lee

Merry Christmas!!!