7-29-13

Hello everyone! I haven't written forever and I am sorry about that. We have been having some crazy preperation days where we were always really pressed for time. Some days I didn't even have time to email my Mom. X/

Things are going wonderfully well here in Forst. Let me tell you about a miracle we experienced in the last 9 days:

Saturday the 10th. We were on a train coming back from an exchange we had just had, and talking about how it had been. There was a young woman sitting across from us. The sun was glaring in her eyes quite badly, so my great companion decided to offer her to switch seats. She quickly declined the offer, jumping without pause into asking us with overflowing curiosity about who we are, she had heard us speaking English (she hadn't heard any German from us until my companion said something to her) and looking at our nametags. We explained who we were and quickly found an opportunity to begin talking to her about God, and then the Book of Mormon. She didn't have much of a religious background at all, but found what we said interesting, and was also fascinated to be talking to two Americans. :P

Suddenly, her stop had come, and we were scrambling to get out a Book of Mormon, and our card. We realized that neither of us had a card with our information on it and began to panick, the train was stopping. We whipped out a blank card and scribbled our number on it as fast as we could. My companion handed it to her and told her to call us. She said ok, a little timidly, and got off the train.

That's when I realized that the Book of Mormon was still in my hands. X/ (facepalm)

We were kinda disappointed. People that you just give a card to hardly ever just call. She did wait for the train to drive off and waved as we left though. That was nice of her.

Two days later we are sitting in Görlitz, waiting for the rest of the District to get there for an activity we were going to do together, when suddenly, we get a call from an unknown number. We were a little confused, and I picked up the phone. "Hallo, hier ist der Elder Miles von der Kirche Jesu Christi." (Hello, here is Elder Miles from the Church of Jesus Christ) "Hallo, hier ist die Anna." (Hello, here is Anna.) I moved the phone quickly away from my mouth for a moment, "Elder! It's Anna!"

We talked for a bit about meeting again and what we could do. There was a youth camp going on that week in Forst, and we invited her to come have lunch with us there. It was a bit far for her, but she agreed. We hoped to get some opportunity to teach her after we ate.

The day came, we picked her up from the train station, and had a pleasant walk and talk until we got to the camp. The moment we got there she was swept right up by a leader, who got her some food and set her down with some of the young women. (Anna is 17) We went to sit down and eat some food as well, not really knowing what else to do with ourselves. Our new investigator had just been stolen away. After a while she walked back over to where we were. She remarked on how kind and open everyone was. :) She told us that the young women had invited her to stay and do some river rafting with them. (they were gonna do river rafting on the Neiße, the river between Germany and Poland) She wanted to go, and we encouraged her. We came back later that evening to see how she was doing. She was doing great and really enjoying herself. We then had an opportunity for We then had an opportunity for a wonderful lesson about the Restoration of the Church. It went great. We talked a little more after, and she let us know that she was enjoying it so much she wanted to ~stay overnight~! She hadn't even really brought anything with her. X)

Well she ends up reading some in the Book of Mormon that night and we talk to her a little the next day before she goes home. I think she would have stayed longer, but hadn't brought enough stuff with her.

We then invited her to come to Church, and also to a Baptism that was going to be happening for a newly-8-member's-daughter. We were very excited for her, because we knew that there is a very special spirit at Baptisms. She agreed to come. We got it all set up to where she would get picked up, come with us to our member appointment, and then stay for the Baptism.

Sunday then went swimmingly. We had good meetings, she was taken in really well by the young women in the ward, and she found it all very "interesting". Then we had some opportunity to begin talking about the Plan of Salvation while at the members house for lunch before the Baptism, and then came the Baptism. That was beautiful. They even decided to give this girl the Gift of the Holy Ghost immediately after, so we had a plethora of teaching opportunities, telling her all about what was going on. After the Baptism was over, while they prepared the refreshments, we then had some more time to sit down with her and a young woman from the ward in order to finish talking about the Plan of Salvation, and talk a little about how to get more from the scriptures. (she had already read 40-ish pages on her own, which is a lot) We were able to bear powerful testimony that God is our Heavenly Father, and that He loves us. We taught about the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. We asked her, "Was würde es dir bedeuten wenn dieser Plan wahr wäre?" (What would it mean to you, if this plan were true?) She thought for a moment and responded with words from the heart, 'Well, I want to get to the sun one (Celestial Kingdom). I would really try to do everything I could. I know I have already lost some years...' This was powerful. She was recognizing how significant the message was. How important it is. She was feeling the urgency. We assured her that it is not too late. We continued talking. We talked a bit more about how she needs to read and pray to find out for herself if God is there, and if the plan is true. We asked her about how she has been feeling while she has been meeting with us, etc. She paused a bit, trying to collect her words, and then began describing a strange, almost pressing feeling that she had felt during the Baptism. We began grinning. :) We then bore powerful testimony to her that she had felt the Holy Ghost testifying of what was happening. This made her smile, and she even looked like she felt accomplished for having felt it. :) We then asked her "Wenn du weißt dass diese Dinge wahr sind, wirst du dich Taufen lassen von jemandem der die Priestertumsvollmacht hat..." (When you know that these things are true, will you get baptised from someone holding the Priesthood Authority...) Before I could even finish the question she was nodding with a big smile on her face.

I testify that God is in this work. I testify that he knows and loves His children. I testify that I have felt no greater joy than the kind of joy I felt as I was able to tell this young woman the truth, to tell her about her Loving Heavenly Father, to help her see the eternities. I testify that this Church is the true Church of God, the Church of Jesus Christ restored upon the earth through a Prophet, Joseph Smith, called of God. I reiterate, God - Loves - You.

I testify of these things in the name of our Lord, in the Name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Have a wonderful week everyone. :) God be with you.

- Elder Michael Bright Miles