Liebe Familie,

We had Zone Training on Tuesday. Sister Smith and I had to help lead it. It was a little weird, but it was good, as Zone Training Meetings always are. Afterwards, we had a crazy experience. I still don't know with exactness how to get to the Autobahn from the church in Salzburg. So we had to use Stella (yes, we named our Navi) to assist us. Sister Smith entered in our home as the destination, although once I find the Autobahn, I know well how to get home. However, if Stella isn't least on all the way home, she gets thrown through a loop when we need to go somewhere new next time. She has the hardest time finding us. Anyway, the whole way back, I kept thinking of a referral we received from Anita a few weeks ago who we have never been able to find. We had gone by on the address about three different times before we realized the address wasn't right. We asked our Ehepaar to email her and ask for what her actual address was (she owns a store, and Anita told us to visit her there). She called us a few days later and left a message with her address. We could not understand what she was saying when she got to the address, and therefore, still were not able to find her. I just kept thinking of her and thinking that we needed to make a concerted effort to find her. When we got closer to home, I determined that it wasn't just me thinking about how annoying it was that we couldn't find her, rather the spirit was telling us to take care of some business. I told Sister Smith to enter this woman's address in Stella. Sister Smith said that we still don't have the address. I knew she was right, but I also knew we needed to do something. We drove to the church parking lot and listened to the message over and over again. I tried so many things in Stella, but nothing was coming up. I eventually tried every letter to see what all of the streets in Neumarkt were. When I got to U, one option came up. It sounded kind of like what the woman was saying, but we both knew that wasn't right. I still felt like we should try it. We entered it in and headed down there. As we started driving, our suspicions were confirmed that that was not the desired address - it was in Neumarkt Gemeinde, not the city. We kept driving. We ended up driving down to the resort area by Wallersee. We both kept saying, ''What are we doing here? Why would we be led here?'' We determined there had to be someone there we were supposed to find. We didn't know who, but we knew there was someone. We were in the car, and one simply cannot contact in a car. A man in a moustache caught my eye. At first I just thought it was because of his large mustasche and hairdo. As we drove past him, Stella's battery died. We were to the end of the road anyway, so we parked and determind that we should start walking. We got out of the car, and this man came up to us! He told us he couldn't talk just then as he had to get back to work in this building behind us. We were utterly confused, wished him well, and walked along the path. We wandered all over for a little while before we determined that no one down there was the one we were supposed to find. We went back to the car and got back in. We saw the mustache man about three other times before we got in the car. But he worked there, so it made sense in our heads. We drove down a random road, determing that perhaps our journey was not yet over. Nothing. We were going crazy! Why were we being led down there? What was going on? Where was this person? We finally realized that perhaps the mustache  man was a little important. We drove back to Wallersee, only to discover that his car was gone. We were so upset! We were too chicken earlier to open our mouthes and tell this man about the Book of Mormon (we determined that we were supposed to just be bold and tell him we were missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ and we have this book. That approach felt the most right, although it rarely does.), and our chance was gone! We were so thankful that he worked there; we returned home, repented, and resolved to return the next day as often as possible until we found him again. I got a letter that day from a man in your ward who has never before written me. It was a very short letter. He said the young men's advisor (?) had asked them all to write to the missionaries. He explained that in one paragraph. The other paragraph was his testimony of how wonderful missionary work is, that God sometimes literally throws people in our paths that we need to talk to. That was it. That was the letter that happened to arrive on that day. We went back the next morning before our first appointment at 9. He wasn't there. We drove back again after the appoinment. We found him! We walked up to him sitting at his table. He was organizing stickers and coupons. We greeted him. He was friendly again. I then stuck the Book of Mormon on the table and said, ''We have this book...''. He said, ''I know you have that book. I have one at home.'' In that moment, we knew above and beyond any shadows that doubt may bring that he was the man we were supposed to find. I asked him about it, and he told us he had met with missionaries ahwile ago, but they were men. So over two years ago... We asked him if he had any further interest in meeting with us. He told us he did not, as he was quite satisfied with his life. We gave him a card and told him to call us if he ever changed his mind. We went home and could not find him anywhere in our area book. We will be trying to visit again this week. Although nothing has come out of it yet, the Lord certainly led us to find this man, even if it was only to remind him that God still knows he exists. 

Anita, Daniel, Christina, and Raul came to church yesterday!!! They loved it, except for Daniel who had to sit in Relief Society on account of having no tranlator. Perhaps we will have him just come for the last two hours. But they talked about the temple, and Anita made us come that night to teach about the difference between temples and churches. We gave them a Temple Liahona and they just loved it. Anita wants to get baptized so badly!!!! We just have to help Bobi develop a wish to marry her. But, Bobi also got excited last night when we told him that after he's baptized, he can have the priesthood. We are so gonna get them. They are so ready for the gospel!

Have a successful week! Happy birthday, Corrina and Melisa!!

Liebe,

Sister Stephanie Reid