I Could Have Died Of Happiness :)))

May 11, 2015

OH HELLO.

First of all, seeing you all was SO COOL. Ok I was TOTALLY going to sing to you too mom, but as you saw I was all flushed and nervous so it didn't happen. naja. NEXT TIME.  I promise I'll have it a little more together :))))

Mother's Day Skype call with Schwester Mittleman 

Of course as I told you FRAU DEVERS NOW SCHWESTER DEVERS WAS BAPTIZED AND RECEIVED THE HOLY GHOST. What a weekend!!!! Let me tell the details about the baptism. So last Monday our GML and his wife came with us to teach her, and he gave her a blessing against smoking. The whole week she has been smoke free. The last time she smoked was last Sunday night at 10pm. MENSCH. Knowing her and her habits, it really is a miracle. She had her baptism interview with Elder Benfell on Thursday, and everything went well with that. Friday we went over and just talked about a few final things, and then we gave her a present. It was a picture of Christ with the little girl, the one where they are looking at the blue butterfly. it was actually from that missionary calendar you gave me, we just put it in a frame. We wrote a long note with it. SHE LOVED IT. Man, that was a good moment. There we were, sitting at her kitchen table, birds chirping outside, she was reading our note, and it was the eve before her baptism. I could have died of happiness :)))

Saturday morning and afternoon we were going crazy with excitement!!!! The evening finally came. Frau D showed up early with us to get ready. Turns out  the font had stopped, and there was just a bit of hot water in there, so one member was coming back and forth from the kitchen with buckets of cold water to fill it all the way. Her whole family came, which was AWESOME. and one of her friends!!! She was really excited, it was funny. We took some pictures and then it started. Ran smoothly. Sister Brim and I did a little musical entertainment. Sister brim played, and I sang näher mein Gott zu dir, or nearer, my God to thee. And as you know I HATE SINGING SOLOS. Flashbacks to that one baptism in Braunschweig where Elder Carpenter tricked me into singing (cough, cough and my comp abandoned me too for the piano ;) ya I mean you STACIE ) naja nur spaß....So I was thinking of that, but then I would just think of Frau Devers, and it is her favorite song so of course I wanted it to be all right. AND IT WAS. Well I was totally flushed the whole time, and baby devers and a kid of a member were running around, but it was totally fine!!! I mean I was nervous, but I was at peace :) MIRACLE WITHIN A MIRACLE. There were solid talks. And then the baptism!! So powerful! So wonderful!!! She went down and came up with no problems at all. It was a heavenly moment :)))

HERRLICH. I can't even say more to it. She and her husband were just beaming the whole time. It was awesome :)) and then yesterday they came to church all early, and one of their sons came this time and asked for a Book of Mormon!!! Her confirmation was wonderful, the Bruder giving the blessing talked about her being an example to her family and I was like YES ALL THE WAY. She has started it, geht's los!!! She is going to be solid, and her husband will come around, one can just see that. And then the children are thoughtful and can find the truth too. I am calling it right now, in ten years THEY WILL BE SOLID. How many lives can be blessed because of this woman, and her family??? The key to this coming true is all within maintaining daily conversion.

As it is with all of us. I look at myself, at my family, friends, other missionaries, other ward members, you get the point, and I see SO MUCH potential. Do we even know what we are capable of doing? The kind of influences we are capable of being? I think I really have learned to be more patient with myself, but I have also realized how easily discouraged I can get. Sometimes, LETS BE REAL, we just think, I could never do something like that, or, so and so is much better at that than me, why do I even try? The examples are endless!!! But they don't matter!  I am a daughter of God. I am capable of one day becoming just like Him, and that process begins here on Earth. He would not have sent me here if He didn't believe in me. We are worth every effort!! We are not defined by how many times we fall down, but by how many times we stand up. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know that we are weak. We shouldn't try to hide that from them!  We just have to take it and do our best!! We will fail, but it doesn't end there. The Atonement enables us to rise, and to leave yesterday behind. Like president Monson said one time, courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says, I will try again tomorrow.  Maybe today was horrible. So what! Tomorrow I can make it better!!! I CAN. I have had to tell myself that many times. Immernoch muss ich das sagen. But hey, that's why life is here. We can't become perfect in a few months.  BUT SOMEDAY, it will come. I DONT KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I AM CHOOSING TO BE HAPPY.

Ok, time to wrap it up meine liebe familie!! It was so lovely to see you yesterday and hear your voices!!! even the tears :))) I love you, and I miss you. But hey, it's all worth it. Life goes on.

Last week of the transfer, mal sehen if I tell you next week that I am leaving this gorgeous place. SCHÖNE WOCHE.

liebe grüße

Sister Mittleman