November 29, 2010
How was THANKSGIVING!? Filling!? I sure hope so, we had a great time over here Sister Scruggs and I. Hilarious actually. On REAL Thanksgiving we ate at the Schönherrs for lunch, so we had a nice meal anyway, but we did want some turkey....you have to have turkey on Thanksgiving right!? So we remembered we had bought some sliced turkey like 4 days previously, and so (we took pictures) we had a croissant, 2 pieces of sliced turkey, a potato and some raspberry jam....
hope you enjoyed your FEAST. haha, that was our little celebration on Thanksgiving night, so funny. But we were then invited by the cool younger families in the Freiberg ward, to join in on their 'Thanksgiving' on Saturday, they said to bring some investigators if we wanted, so we had Li, Ding Ge and Xiang there at our table, and there were around 8 of the younger families in the ward who got together and had Thanskgiving. There was turkey luckily, and potatoes...not mashed though haha, and rotkohl, knödel and other German dishes, so haha it wasnt an American Thanksgivng, but it was close.
We felt loved and our investigators did as well. Speaking of investigators....
How was THANKSGIVING!? Filling!? I sure hope so, we had a great time over here Sister Scruggs and I. Hilarious actually. On REAL Thanksgiving we ate at the Schönherrs for lunch, so we had a nice meal anyway, but we did want some turkey....you have to have turkey on Thanksgiving right!? So we remembered we had bought some sliced turkey like 4 days previously, and so (we took pictures) we had a croissant, 2 pieces of sliced turkey, a potato and some raspberry jam....
hope you enjoyed your FEAST. haha, that was our little celebration on Thanksgiving night, so funny. But we were then invited by the cool younger families in the Freiberg ward, to join in on their 'Thanksgiving' on Saturday, they said to bring some investigators if we wanted, so we had Li, Ding Ge and Xiang there at our table, and there were around 8 of the younger families in the ward who got together and had Thanskgiving. There was turkey luckily, and potatoes...not mashed though haha, and rotkohl, knödel and other German dishes, so haha it wasnt an American Thanksgivng, but it was close.
We felt loved and our investigators did as well. Speaking of investigators....
XIANG IS AMAZING! (ps how you say his name...its sounds like 'shung') We are doing 3.30.3 with him...meaning we meet with him three times a week for thirty minutes for the next 3 weeks...which was started last week, and he is getting baptized on December 18th!!!! Sister Scruggs made sure to let me know that I am living every missionaries dream to be able to baptize someone I found. Most times you are transfered and get into a program of people who are already being taught, but I found Xiang! Sister Singer and I talked to him on the street, walking his bike and now he is a good friend, excited and dedicated to getting baptized!!! I am so blessed.
This last time we taught him, we talked about repentance. It was a really good lesson, good scriptures, he understood all we were saying, the spirit was strong....the only thing was, Xiang was a little confused we were teaching him this because he was already doing it...he said, 'well ive already started repenting in my prayers, you know for things shouldnt be doing, like being selfish, or gossiping....' we said, 'well yeah! Great!' later Sister Scruggs were just speechless and almost felt guilty, he isnt even a member yet and he is repenting for being selfish and gossiping!! It was a good lesson for us too!
He is coming to church every week, and looks so happy and comfortable when he is there. The members are so welcoming and kind, we are so blessed to have such a loving ward! We teach the Sunday school class when Xiang comes and some of the English speaking temple couples come and join as well, this last week we talked about attributes of Christ. It was great to hear the testimonies of these members, and Xiang read some of the scriptures. He seems to enjoy sacrament meeting and he now understands what the sacrament represents. This Thursday in Dresden, a stake president from Taiwan is coming to give a fireside in Chinese about what it is like to be a member in China, so Xiang is excited to go and Ding Ge might join us as well. So Xiang is making awesome awesome progress and I just made my first reading calendar for him, a couple uplifting versed every day, it was cool to go through the scriptures and find the really rewarding, exciting and motivating scriptures to give to him. He is so prepared and very contientious. He is super funny, and I cannot believe I get to be here when he gets baptized, this missionary work thing is so much more incredible then I could have ever imagined!
So is the CHRISTMAS decor and festivities....wow Germany knows how to do it, and it isnt even December yet!!! The Christmas Market opened the day after Thanksgiving and is so gorgeous. little wooden cabin looking booths and trees and lights and hot chocolate, bratwursts, hats and wooden decorations, a stage with christmas performers, people and snow and well Ill just have to send home pictures to try and explain it. It was super funny actually on our way home we walked through the christmasmarkt and we heard a kind of scary man voice over the speakers and a very cheesy high womanly voice as well....we got to the stage and it was santa! (well the weichnachsman) and an angel! They were singing and giving out candy to the kids, and we just couldnt believe santa was right there and they were singing christmas songs and its was only November 27th, but that was a great start to the christmas season!! We have a little tree in our wohnung and already some presents underneath. I took a picture with a hat Sister Singer's mom sent me, and presents from Sister Scruggs' advent calendar and candy (Yes reeses and junior mints THANK YOU!) sent from the Hidden Oaks ward are underneath. We are felling so blessed to be here in Freiberg for Christmas and the families that signed up to have us on Christmas eve, Christmas day, and New Years are the greatest! (and there is an American in all of them) so we are just pinching ourselves.
It is really cool being with a new companion seeing the difference of people's 'style' of missionary work. On top of being exaclt obedient and following the commandments etc there is a style to missionary work and how you talk to people and how you teach, I am just finiding out what that is to me and how I can put my personality into my teaching, its going well, and its a growing experience, haha Sister Scruggs is an incredible senior companion and we are praying for miracles and working hard to deserve them. We laugh all day long and she might have thrown a snowball down my neck yesterday while we were waiting for an appointment, yes I got pay back. There is definitely snow, in fact its coming down pretty heavy right now, we are trying to remember how beautiful it is and go get some thick socks and gloves. . . yay Winter!
Thank you so much for your love and support and prayers and for the emails, I really feel so blessed to have you in my life. I read a cool quote and I dont know if I have emailed it home before but it says...
God knows better than you of what you need. He always attempts to speak to you. Listen, and follow the uncomfortable suggestions that he makes to us, then everything will fall into its place.
Neat huh? I agree and I feel its so true, we really do know what will make us better, the Hold Ghost gives us little promptings and when we follow them we will be blessed so much, everything will fall into its place. Sounds great!
Have a lovely lovely week!
-Sister Rasmussen
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