January 27: Snow, Reeses, and Bollywood?

**Sorry for the lack of true order here! Blogspot only allows me to do so much.-Jeanette**

This week I think I caught a glimpse of what Adam and Eve must have felt as they were cast out of the Garden of Eden... AKA every single morning getting out of bed. 

Mostly because of the fact that IT FINALLY SNOWED!!!!!!!!!

Sister Wallin and I listened to Christmas music. It was like having two Christmases this year! Now we just get to tract, teach, and run for busses in the snow until about.... May. 

Haha funny story with the snow. 

We were walking to the bahn after district meeting and naturally, having a snowball fight, when I see this branch. Hanging above the sidewalk. COVERED in snow. 

Oh man, it was SO perfect!

Elder Brereton was walking next to me, and unfortunately saw me look at the branch, look at him, and look back at the branch... Well, he moved out of the way as soon as I hit the branch and was saved. We started laughing about how perfect that would have been had it actually hit the target when we looked back and see poor Sister Wallin covered head to foot in white.

What makes it even better is that she tells me every single day that she wishes it would snow and how much she loves it and how much she wants a snowball fight and to build a snowman... Oh the irony. I love this woman.

I learned about a food this week that I never want to eat. It's called Tote Oma. AKA Dead Grandma.

You know how sometimes the food name doesn't match the taste. Like it can be really tasty but have an awful name, or have a really awesome name and taste like sewage? Well, this one (never tasted it.. Hopefully never have to) sounds like it would taste exactly how it sounds.

You take some potatoes.... Cook em and mash em.

Then, you take the blood of a cow, fry it for a little bit, and pour it over your mashed potatoes.

Then, you eat it.

So, when you ever come to Germany, stay away from anything that has the word "dead" in it's name.

Sister Wallin is a Bollywood star!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously though. 

The Elders have this friend of the church from India and he has been working and working to make music and get it published. This past week he called us and asked if we could help him. I told him that Sister Wallin played the flute and he said that is exactly what he needed. So we got permission from President to have a recording sesh in his apartment. 

Well, to have Sister Wallin have a recording sesh. I played with the cat and talked with a member the entire time.

Anyway, the song is finished and will be published as part of a commercial in the coming year is Bollywood!

Who knew, right?

We had some pretty amazing moments with our investigators this week.

I gained a testimony of the promise in Preach My Gospel that says when the missionaries act under the influence of the Spirit, the investigators act under that same influence. 
We taught Hildegard and Clarissa again about the Plan of Salvation and it was probably the best discussion we have ever had. They were understanding everything, and when they had a question, THEY went to the scriptures. We didn't have to find it for them. Explain a little, maybe, but it was wonderful to see that they understood the first place you go when you have a question is the scriptures. 

They had planned on coming to the temple this week with the ward, but weren't able to make it. Hildegard works for an old folks home and they called her in last minute. She was pretty upset she wasn't able to come this time, but is planning on it for next month.

We are having FHE with them and the Bishop tonight in his home. We are excited :) 

Karim and Masoud are wonderful as always. Masoud hasn't been feeling well the last few weeks, and is in the hospital now. Please pray for him?

It was really sweet though, at church yesterday, President and Sister Kosak were there and in our gospel principles class, we were talking about repentance. We were listing the steps to repentance and the question was asked, "What's the next step to repentance after stopping the bad action?" and Karim raises his hand. "I think it's baptism!" President liked that. Haha

We visited Deysi this past week as well and she was trying to explain her attachment to the Book of Mormon:

"It's like... I don't know exactly how to describe it. I need it. I can't leave the house without it. I don't know why, but somehow I feel like it protects me. I don't have time to read all the time, but it has to be on my nightstand next to my bed or I can't sleep. If I have a bad day, all I need to do is touch it and things are a little better!"

Man, I wish EVERYONE felt that way about the Book of Mormon. She is coming to church this week and we will have lunch together at a member's home. 

The ward is really picking up. They are so excited to open up their homes. 

I was thinking this week about the types of conversion. Spiritual and Social.

Helping someone become converted to the gospel is hard. Helping someone become converted to the gospel AND the ward is even harder. Right now, Sister Wallin and I are arranging everything from contact to investigators through members to appointments, to activities... And realized that it would be so much easier if we didn't have to worry about the social conversion so much. That's what we have members for! To invite people to come to activities! To keep in contact! To be a friend :)

We have been working to help the members build friendships with the investigators. It's working seemingly well! And I realized that all it takes is an invitation. 

For example: This week I received a package from the Taylors and inside were some little reeses candies :) Sister Wallin and I were chatting on the bus coming back from church yesterday, and loving the reeses, when I noticed a man looking at our nametags. We made eye contact and he looked away really fast. I asked him if he knew the church and he immediately opened up and explained that he had been to Canada and America, that it was the best time of his life and that he knows the church from Canada. I gave him a reeses and he was really excited to have a blast from the past. We have an appointment with him tomorrow. Pray that Dirk will be baptized!!

Now that this has been the longest letter of life...

I love you! 

Until next week!!

Sister Babbitt