Liebe Familie,
So, on Monday evening, we met with the Family Anene again. We planned on talking about the plan of salvation and focusing on why it is so important to go to the temple. We got to the Earth piece, and they got so excited that we just had to start talking about the celestial kingdom next. She just was so excited. She wants her whole family to be in the temple so badly. We talked about making a goal. They have a son from his first marriage who was also there. He isn't baptized yet, but he participated in the lesson, and really seemed to like it. We are now hoping that he can get baptized before they all get sealed together. Mostly, it was neat to see her excitement. They had been before to do baptisms, and she observed how even in the waiting room, her 3-year-old daughter was very peaceful and reverent. She wants that spirit to be a part of their family always, and she knows that is possible once they have made their covenants in the temple.
Tuesday after District Meeting, we went to Grace's house with the Heilbronn elders. She was meeting with the JWs when we showed up, so we waited. After the JWs left, Grace came into the house with us (the JWs had sat down next to her on a bench in front of her home). She told us she didn't like the JWs because they refused to pray ( :D ). We then talked about the priesthood. We used Moroni 7 where it talks about how miracles happen through faith, and that miracles still happen today. The elders gave her a blessing after that. Grace has SO MUCH FAITH! After the blessing she was crying and kept saying, ''I am healed!'' She really is so cool, and wants so badly to do what her Heavenly Father wants her to do.
On Thursday, we met with Maria again. We watched Elder Cook's talk from this last general conference about peace. It was really cool because for the first time, she wasn't just asking all of these questions about what our church believes. Rather, she was asking questions because she doesn't know what to to believe, and she knows we can help her. For the first time, I really think she is investigating the church, as opposed to having nice gospel chats. The teaching dynamic and goals changed, and that was a lot of progress with her.
Saturday, we met with Grace again. We went through the whole plan of salvation with her. She really loved it. She loved it so much that she made dinner for us (well, the stew was already made, but she prepared rice). We talked to her about her baptismal date - what her thoughts dazu were. She told us that she has already been baptized by immersion - in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost (as she told us this, she demonstrated being dunked three times - so you are baptized in the name of the Father, then again in the name of the Son, and then a third time for the Holy Ghost - a slight interpretation error). We explained Christ's earthly ministry, the apostasy, and authority again. We used the analogy of a mail man pulling you over for driving too fast, as opposed to the police officer. She laughed, but we think she got it. She sat back and said, ''Well, then I have so thinking to do.'' We also gave her an extra skirt we had in our apartment, as she only had one skirt for church before Saturday. She was so grateful. Also, during our appointment she received a call from her daughter-in-law who lives in Stuttgart. She told her all about us and how good she feels when we are there. She said that we are so nice and willing to help her, and that she knows that we genuinely care about her. She told us later that she told her daughter-in-law to find missionaries so she can get taught, too. I told her there are female missionaries who work in Stuttgart, and that when she wants, we could give them her daughter-in-law's number so they can visit her. She thought that was a great idea, but wanted to ask her first. Grace is recognizing the Holy Ghost and wants to share it with others! She will be fine:]
We had a picnic yesterday with a family from our ward. It was really nice to be outside. The dad speaks a little Japanese, and I showed him that I could write my name in Japanese. But he couldn't read it at all! He asked what my name was. I told him. Then I found out I have been writing the first character backwards all this time! How embarrassing, but at least the problem was corrected.
That is this week in a nutshell! I hope you all have successful weeks!
Liebe,
Sister Stephanie Reid
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