I Love All Of The Little Miracles And Seed Planting I Get To Be Apart Of.

January 25, 2016

ICH GRÜßE EUCH AUS COTTBUS!  

I love it here so much! It seriously feels like home, like I have lived here forever. this lifestyle is just so.... normal. AH! 

This week was a goood one! 

We visited our little family from Macedonia two times, we read in the Book of Mormon and talked about the plan of salvation. We read something, then the husband attempts to summarize what happened in German which turns out to be like 95% Macedonian, and like 5% German. Haha I love them! They understand everything, they just can’t say it back. BUT yesterday they told us that they might have to move back sooner than expected! Noooooo! They are so inspiring to me, so humble. They will share a few of their problems, then they just go on and say how good God is to them. I want to have faith like they do. No matter what happens, I know God will bless this little family. Yesterday the wife made us food! SO GOOOD. Oh my gosh chicken and potatoes all Macedonien style WITH HOME MADE BREAD. Holy heck she just kept giving us more and more before we could object. STUFFED but soooooo gooood. Man I love them!

Miracle with our friend from Camaroon, Ruphi! we saw her son at a bus stop, then the next day we went by and she was there! All things are a bit crazy for her, she is moving around the corner and her husband had to fly back to Camaroon for a bit. She is busy with her baby and packing! We told her we (and probs the Elders) will help her, and she just started praying on the spot, she was so grateful! I love her! That morning I had reread Megan's email, with ether 12:6, and I felt prompted to share it with Ruphi. SHE LOVED IT. It was perfect. I know that God is working through us to help her feel His love. 

Our appnt with the lady I mentioned in my email last week went good! She is not at all churchy, but she said we could come back because we sounded nice :) So we talked about what we do as missionaries, and went through the restoration. She is a young German lady, really open. It felt so good to just openly talk about inviting people to learn more about God and the Savior. I forget sometimes what a simple and yet life changing invitation we give to people. I felt so filled with the spirit as I shared my testimony with her. Her calendar in February is full, and she wants some time to think about it, but she said we could call in a few weeks. Even if she doesn’t end up being ready now, I am glad we planted a seed with her!

We were on the streets a lot this week. we ran into this one guy who is from Syria, and who speaks fluent English. SO COOOOOOL. Oh my goodness. He is studying science, some really cool smart person major, and he says that he has no doubt that there is a God. He had never heard of our church before, but was way interested in what we do. He lives far away, but said when he is in the city he will call us. It was such a solid conversation. I still can't get over it. We were all just so open and laughing the whole time. He said afterward that it was the best conversation he has had in 6 months. LIFE MADE. Thank you. I love all of the little miracles and seed planting I get to be apart of.

Sooo yes mom I do hear from a few people I've served with. Sister Reed WENT HOME last week, President Kosak showed us pictures. 

Souvenirs, UH YES. I have bought so much. Well, I don’t know if its a lot or not. I bought a ton of stuff at the last Weihnachtsmarkt. Here in Cottbus there are not too many souvenirisch things to buy, the city is pretty..... normal. Maybe a magnet or something.....

Sister Jackson is doing well. She is so straight forward and diligent. It is a blessing for our companionship. I love her. Her German is improving, and is soo cute! She really tries, I admire her determination. Training takes a lot of patience, but I am enjoying it. 

Challenging things this week was the weather. Cold and wet.

Best thing of the week was seeing all of the people I love. 

Things I'll miss about Germany: people shopping with baskets at the store, the old people riding bikes, and the bread!!!!! German bread is good.

This week Ether 12: 27 took on a new meaning for me. In these last weeks I am noticing challenges and weaknesses that I did not see coming. Sometimes I think, "oh Come on, Heavenly Father, why does THIS have to be a problem for me right now?" Haha I think a little part of me expected my last transfer to be just happy happy happy and easy missionary work. Like I would choose the challenges I'm having. WRONGO. God knows what I have to learn, and how I must learn it. It's been pretty humbling, not going to lie. I'm really going to have to rely on Him till the end to help me overcome my weaknesses. This is HIS plan for me. He knows me better than I like to think I know myself. It's hard, and sometimes submitting to His will can be done begrudgingly, BUT I trust Him. I know He is looking out for me. 

I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and I know that His pure Gospel is on the earth today. How lovely that I can spend my time dedicated to sharing this message. 

HAVE A GOOOOOD WEEEEK,

Liebe grüße aus Cottbus,

Sister Madison Mittleman

 

Our Church Building in the snow!

Cottbus is so pretty!

On the way to choir on the Bahn

And So It Begins!

January 18, 2016

THE FINAL TRANSFER.

Megan totally took my final countdown idea. AND NOW she only has five weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!

This past week was cool! 

We had an appnt with a less active sister in the ward who speaks spanish.  the "spanish sisters" in Berlin were there per skype. haha it was so fun!! the sisters taught the restoration, and we sat there in the sister's or should I say hermana's living room with her. They talked about the temple too, it was so cool to hear them talk about the gospel in a language that she understood. She was all glammed up for the skype appnt and she is just sooooo cute!!! I love her so much!!! We have another appnt Wednesday, hope we can get her to come to church!

During dooring we found a family from Syria who let us right in. HOLLA. we talked about Jesus and the Book of Mormon. They don't have the same beliefs as us, but the husband wants us to come back in march ( guess I won't be there) when his German course is done. Today we took a Book of Mormon in Arabisch by, and introduced it to them. Such a sweet little family! I hope their hearts can be softened for the message of the restoration. 

We met with our little family from Macedonia, and this time the husband was there!! That was awesome. We finalized the restoration with some sentences we had translated into Macedonian (thank you technology) and read in the book of Mormon together. I love this little family! Nothing is going right for them yet they still have their trust in God.  Although we can't understand each other so well, the spirit is there and they are grateful we come and teach them. Today we go back to attempt to talk about the plan of salvation. 

One lady we doored the week before last said we could come back tomorrow, so I really hope and pray that goes through!!

We got a referral from a ward member of a less active she recently contacted who said she would be willing to have sisters visit her. We have had like noo less active work here (except the cute little lady above, and another one who sometimes comes to church but is waaay too busy to meet) so that was a little tender mercy. We'll call this young lady today. Hopefully we can visit her and strengthen her!

Things are looking mighty fiiiiine.

So the Temple will be completed in "early summer."  Probably May or June. The couple there in charge of everything said they are still waiting to hear from Salt Lake when the dedication will be, then they'll work from there. Sooo sad I'll already be home, but so ist es! I can just come back ;)

Most challenging thing of this week was the cold, probably.

Best thing: GERMANY BEING GORGEOUS IN THE SNOW. and the ward here. I love this ward so so much! 

OH AND we had a little new trainee/trainer meeting in Berlin in the mission home on Thursday. We took a stop at the Brandenburger tor on the way over. Berlin on a cold winter's morning was to die for. Being in the mission home with President and Sister Fingerle was a real treat, There was such a special spirit there! I love them so much! The trainees have a special spirit about them as well. It's humbling. That was definitely a highlight. It got me pumped for my last transfer.

Well so as you can probably guess, I'm staying in Cottbus until the end! woooo!!! One of our elders is getting transferred, and another finishing missionary is taking his place. Hopefully I like him.

I am honored that I still have six weeks to serve the Lord here in Germany. 6 weeks. what is six weeks? ITS A LONG TIME!!!! A time for miracles and for wanting to give up too. It's crazy how hard Satan has been getting at me these past few weeks. and I'm sure it will keep going until the end. I can totally see how easy it would be to have an easy, lazy, last transfer. BUT it's not going to happen. I love my mission and my Savior too much to let that happen. I am so so so exhausted and probably ask myself a thousand times a day how I will make it to the end BUT I will go until march 2!!!! 

"alles vermag ich, durch ihn, der mir Kraft gibt" Phil 4:13

I love you all sooo darn much and I CAN and WILL wait to see you.  I love my mission so much. I love Germany, and the people here. I know that God lives, and I know Jesus Christ is our Savior. May the Lord bless us all this week. (And may we serve Him too)

Alles Liebe aus Cottbus,

Sister Mittleman

SNOW IN COTTTBUS

January 11, 2016

IT SNOWED HERE on Tuesday and Wednesday!!!! Of course Sister Jackson is from Utah and said that it really wasn't that much, but I  thought it was a lot!! Germany is so pretty in the snow, so magical! That was probably the highlight of the week.

Yeah mom the refugees are everywhere. It's a tough situation they’re all in. 

We have had a hard time getting ahold of our investigator from Camroon, still waiting to here back from her. 

We were able to meet with the wife of the family from Macedonia, though! that was cool. She was a bit sick, but we were able to read from the Book of Mormon together. It's crazy that we can barely understand each other, but together we can feel the spirit when (trying) to talk about the Gospel and and Jesus Christ.

Sister Jackson is doing well, as she usually is! She just blows me away with her German every single day I kid you not. I don't even remember what it was like to not be able to speak, but she is just moving along splendidly. she can understand most of what is going on now. woooooo!!

Training is pretty hard but I really enjoy it. I can feel the mantel of responsibility. haha no slacking off for me!  

Sooooo a few goals I have...

For the next 7 weeks of my mission: finish the new testament, pray daily to have the spirit and then listen to the prompting that I need specifically for that day. 

This year: choose a major

Naja there are a few more that are still in the works getting specified.

We had a zone meeting on Thursday, which means we got to SEE THE TEMPEL. It looks so pretty in the snow!!! I'll send pics.  Wednesday night we stayed in Dresden, then Thursday night we stayed with the sister training leaders there in Freiberg, as we had our exchange with them till Friday. I was with Sister Curry! She is really energetic and very straightforward. I really had a solid time and learned some good things. Her energy is contagious and made me even more excited to be a missionary. I wish I could be here when the temple is finished, but being able to walk beside it is already a tender mercy. I love the Temple!

Saturday we had another appointment with the lady we found dooring, with whom my German was so good.  ANOTHER amazing lesson. We talked about the restoration again, but she says she is too old and it would be too overwhelming to join another church at this point. The spirit was so so so strong though! I bore my testimony to her and we really said all that we could. It was really sad, because she really recognized the truth, she just doesn’t feel in the situation to act right now. She has surgery coming up, so I might not get to see her again before I go home. She will call eventually, she said. I pray that Heavenly Father will help her recognize what is best for her at this time. I love this little German lady so much! Oh man I am for sure in Cottbus to have met her, I just know it! 

I can't believe Megan is starting her last transfer this weekkkkkkkk wahhhhhh CRAZY!!! So stoked for her. I now have 7 weeks left. I love being here so much, I love speaking German and interacting with the people here. Yesterday morning I woke up SO SO tired. I mean I keep asking myself how I will accomplish 7 more weeks. But then yesterday at church after I took the sacrament I just felt so refreshed and energized! It really strengthened my testimony of the enabling power of the Atonement. Somehow, Christ gives me the strength I need. It works! He is going to help me until the very end. I know I can keep going and finish strong. How wonderful it is to have a Savior. I never have to rely on myself, and I'm okay with that! I love my Savior.

Have a good week, ich habe euch lieb.

Sister Mittleman

PS HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY TO MONTY ( I will say more next week, as it is not among the German custom to say that early)

Snow In Cottbus