Frohe Weinachten!

December 20, 2010
What a week! Who knew I would be sitting in a university library in Freiberg Germany, 5 days before Christmas, sitting next to Sister Lydia Scruggs, looking at the snow, and debating what experiences and miracles I should try and communicate to my friends and family back home. I am SO blessed. Arent we all? It is such an incredible thing to know that we have a father in heaven who watches over us and wants us to have joy, especially during this Christmas time. An even more incredible thing is to try and communicate that knowledge to a random stranger on the street or to a sweet old lady who I have come to love (Schwester Houschka) in German and bear my testimony of it. It is an incredible experience, so many emotions. The joy of teaching someone and seeing their eyes light up and then to having the feeling 'oh my goodness I dont know if I am going to see this person (that I have come to love so dearly) ever again in my life.' So odd, and so much growing going on the life of Sister Rasmussen, thanks for your love and support and for letting me explain my emotions :)

This past week was really great, we taught and found and met with many people. One of the more exciting things going on the missionary work here in Freiberg is the teaching of Tom Altmann. He is a 21 year old guy who works for 'Dzierzon Druckeri' The whole Dzierzon family are members of our ward and the boss refered Tom to us after a conversation with Tom about what he is doing with his life. We have met with him twice now at Becky and Manuels home and the spirit has been very strong. It so great teaching these gospel principles and then having Becky and Manuel bear testimony and give their own experiences. They both served missions in Germany so they have a really great insight to what he needs to hear and I think its also a good reminder for them of what they said and taught on their missions :) Tom had no religious backround, no concept of God or anything so its all very new and so exciting when he said he would read a few chapters in the Book of Mormon and said he would pray. Its sweet because a lot of the ward is very insterested and supportive, its really how missionary work should be done and I just feel so blessed to get to be the missionary who gets to teach him! We have taught the plan of salvation and the restoration and he understands it all, its a really great environment having little James there (2 year old stud) who is hilarious to laugh at and laugh with. He acts out all the animals and dances around the room checking himself out in the television. I love that little boy, and its great to have some laughter throughout the lesson, its also very apparent in the Dzierzon home of the spirit and how the gospel strengthens their family...we are praying Tom can see that, and when we were leaving he was immediately responsive to when we should meet again, sounds like he is enjoying it and excited to learn more! Yay Tom!

We met with Xiang a lot this past week and he came to the Christmas Broadcast and loved it. He loves the gospel, the Book of Mormon and personally applies everything. He is so ready to be baptized, yes implying we did not have a baptism this past weekend, but he set a new goal of January 22 and will definitely be getting baptized then, I feel so blessed to have seen the change in Xiangs life and for him to prepare this next month for his baptism. Its been really cool, Sister Scruggs knows a girl in Mainland China who served a mission in Australia, so we got in contact with her and she is now writing Xiang, so he can ask questions of how the church runs in China etc, so he is being prepared in many ways, yay Xiang! He came the other night to the ward christmas party to say goodbye before he leaves for Stuttgart for the next 4 days, he bought us a 1.5 kilo loaf of 'stollen' christmas bread. Haha, thanks Xiang!

We had our Christmas Zone Conference this past week in Leipzig and it was so great, hahaha our train on the way had an 'unbestimmt verspätung' (unknown delay) because of snow so we ended up getting there late, but it was so great to see the other missionaries, eat lunch together and then sang Christmas songs and Sister Pimentel brough some bells, so cute. We were taught about the wisemen and shephards from president and applying the story of the birth of Christ in our lives. We then had a gift exchange, we all brough something with 2.50 euro and it was hilarious, trading fake guns, little rauchermen, bows and arrows? Yeah I dont know who brought those, and treats and socks etc...really funny the stealing and keeping, it was a grand ho ho zo ko. Thanks family for the additional package you sent to Berlin, I still havent opened anything, so my Christmas morning will be full of presents, THANK YOU!

We have talked to so many people on the streets and doing doors about the Christmas season and about Christ, its so neat being a missionary and to boldly bear testimony of Christ and his birth, life and purpose. Its also comforting to be in a great ward to be able to celebrate Christmas. We had a Christmas party, and Schwester Gehrisch came with her mother (who is making great progress too btw) and the ward put on a whole play! It was like the story of 'the tortise and the hare' but it was with the Igel (the hedgehog) This is the play theyve been preparing for since October...painted backdrops, head mics, costumes, facepaint, real bratwursts being grilled and served on the stage, incredible sets and all the lines memorized, really incredible and SO funny. It was a hit, a huge turnout came, lots of non-member families and friends, and everyone loved the play, especially the children. Then the Weihnachsman (their version of santa claus) came and called out each child and gave them a present, Sister Scruggs and I thought he was a little scarier than our American santa claus, he carries around a stick that he uses with the reindeer, but kind of speaks with a deeper voice and there are no 'ho ho hos' but the children loved him and the ward laughed and had a great time. There are a few families that have given us presents, unnecessarily, and so sweet, I sure love this ward and they do so much for us. We are going to eat with Sven and Heidi Apel on Christmas eve for lunch, and their 3 cute kids are so great, and then we are eating with the American couples who work in the temple for dinner on the 24th. Then Christmas morning we have lots of presents from family and we planned on making french toast and having a fun moming together, then we are heading to Becky and Manuels to spend Christmas and talk to our families there! I sure do love them and am so excited to talk to the fam. . . and try and explain in an hour these past 6 incredible months...haha such a fun time full of miracles and blessings.

I feel so loved and love these people so much here, we get another Christmas surprise...on the 24th and 10am is our transfer conference call....bah! Ive been here in Freiberg for 3 transfers now, so we shall see what happens, but its hurting a little to realize I may be leaving, such a bittersweet aspect of the mission that I forgot existed. We had a really sweet moment when we went to visit our Schwester Houschka (85 year old lady) yesterday and her friend came in who is 100 years old! They just sat and talked and we added in sometimes, they had to sit really close together so Sister Houschka could yell in her ear cause she cant hear and then talk about how quick life goes and talk about her hearing aids and family and then slowly reading the story of the angels and shephards out of the bible to them. We then sang a couple christmas songs and the 100 year old lady starting singing along and like last time got shhhed by all the other old people, but she kept going, and it sounded....lovely. :) It was sweet to take a picture with Schwester Houschka and she said 'lets take one of us looking at eachother' haha and then she put on her sweater and came and waved goodbye as we left, she is the lady that looks and laughs like Grandma Dot. I love her so dearly, and felt the love of family and of Heavenly Father so strong with her, I am sure blessed to be here to meet these incredible people and hopefully effect their lives in someway.

Thanks for reading about me and my relationship with an old lady here, im sure it really made your day :) Just knowing that people all over the world are having these experiences and missionaries everywhere are visiting old ladies and bringing them joy, is what has made my Christmas, haha, its also hilarious slipping and sliding all over with Sister Scruggs. We've both fallen down twice, completely on our backs, the best was right after we helped a car out of the snow and we were walking away and they were waving and I was immediately on the ground. haha, gotta love it. 

Im sure many more falls are coming, yay! Its great walking through this charming city with all the snow covered christmas lights and avoiding the sidewalks with big ACHTUNG! VORSICHT! signstelling us to watch out for the MASSIVE icicles hanging off the roof. Its pretty gorgeous and a little wierd having a white christmas because my family has always gone to Newport, so instead of palm trees and ocean, im getting the real cold, white thing, probably about time. :) Thanks for the love and the Christmas greetings, hope all is well and hope we can all think about Christ and his birth and share his message with all we meet, through example or words! Have a great holiday season and know a little sister missionary is thinking of you! Ich wünsche euch eine schöne frohe Weihnachzeit! - I wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Ich habe euch so sehr lieb,

Sister Rasmussen