July 21: 163,7°C

There is so much to say I don't know how I will be able to fit it in... 

So I will probably, maybe, have another email day. 

Maybe.

I'll be heading from Dresden to Berlin on Sunday night, staying with my beloved Sister Sykes for two nights and do all the stuff I have to do in Berlin on Monday\Tuesday... So there may be time for emails. There may not be. Hopefully, since I still have one week to report!

Also, my thoughts the entire week have been all over the place, so please forgive me if this is ALL OVER THE PLACE.

For the most part, I am good. It's been a super great week and my comp Sister Sanders is basically the best thing thats happened to me.

Let's talk about Tom. Remember him? The one from the bus?

Well, he asked me out.

I told him I would go out with him if we talked about Jesus.
KIDDING. I did NOT agree to a date. But we haven't heard from him since I told him all I wanted to talk about was church...

Can't pass him off to the elders... schade.

We watched the finale!!!

Okay so I already knew that Germany had won the world championship but the stake president invited all the missionaries over to his house to watch the final match. So that's what we did last week. It was awesome. A day late, but fun anyway. It's nice for once to know some news that EVERYONE is talking about.

Alright. Hold onto your seats because there is a miracle coming your way.

Like... Best miracle of life. 

So far.

So Fedor. Our sweet Fedor.
We went over this week to teach him with a YSA in our ward, Melanie (who, by the way, is a star. I absolutely love her). As soon as we got there, he explained his week, how terrible it was, and how confused he was. He had been wrapped up in his own thoughts all week and couldn't find a way out.

He also didn't want a lesson.

Uhum... That's my job. 

Anyway, it went from total depression at the beginning to smiling, laughter, and promising to come to church on Sunday.

Fast forward to Sunday. 

He gets picked up by the bishop, knows like 5 people in the ward already (excluding joint teaches we've brought) and SURPRISE. There was a baptism after church that we invited him to and he stayed. 

Not only did he get the full experience in one day, he was absolutely loved upon by the members. 

As the bishop was leaving, he shook Fedor's hand and said, "Hope to see you next week!"

That was ALL it took. Fedor is basically coming to church for the rest of his life. 

It was so interesting to me to see that all it takes is for someone to really love and care. In our lesson earlier in the week, we talked with him about coming to church, promising that that is actually exactly what he needed in his life, and how it would help him with any problems. 
He had faith.

He came.
And he's coming again.

You want to know ANOTHER miracle??

We were on exchanges this week and I found out that Martin is getting baptized.

The SAME day as Hildegard and Clarissa!

Unfortunately, I won't be able to go, but whatevs. They're getting baptized and that's all that matters!

(Martin is the awesome black man from Camaroon I found in Neukölln)

So apparantly, according to the elders, there are 3 types of Sisters. 

1.The Baking Sisters

2. The Elder-haters

3. The Cool Sisters.

I was super flattered when they told me that Sister Sanders and I fell into the 3rd category, but I am not sure that's true anymore because EVERYBODY HAS ASKED US TO BAKE WITH THEM THIS WEEK.

Don't get me wrong. I like to bake. Just not every day. Or in 90% humidity, 90 degree weather. With no air conditioner. (P.S. whoever told you that Germany didn't get hot LIED. Okay, I have a tactic though. Every time I think about how hot it is in Germany, I remember Aaron in Columbia who is probably boiling to death...)

I guess this baking extravaganza has come because of the goodbyes that have started...

Ha. One of our baking escapades was super exciting though.

Melanie, the same YSA that comes with us to Fedor, wanted to bake with us and one of her friends... So we thought we would go all out and make chocolate peanut butter brownies with a caramel frosting (which is heavenly, by the way.) - you know... something super sugary and American...

Well, Melanie's oven doesn't work very well.

So it turned into warm batter with frosting.

Hey. At least it was tasty batter? It's probably because we couldn't set the oven at exactly 163,7°C.

Ha okay. Awkward instruction following moment.

So the MTC came out with this language assessment thing where all the missionaries have to respond according to different every day missionary situations. These are recorded and then examined for further review.

Well, I had my headphones on, speaking into the microphone, yada yada... And halfway through the prompt, I stopped being able to hear myself... So thinking that it had stopped recording, I stopped talking. Or started talking to Sister Sanders...

This happened for all 13 prompts. 

So. I went back and listened to some of the ones I had recorded (you could only get to that page after you had completed the entire assessment) and realized that it HAD actually recorded. Everything.

I assume it will be entertaining for the research team when they hear me cut off mid-sentence or start chatting away to Sister Sanders for half of every recording...

Sorry in advance.

Scripture time!

Alma 17:2 is probably a favorite missionary scripture of all time.

Also, being able to read it in two languages is pretty great.

In English, there is a phrase that says "They waxed strong in the knowledge of truth". In German, it says, "They had become strong in the knowledge of truth".
Okay so it basically means the same thing. But I really liked the visual of what it says in Englsih. Waxing. It's a process. A candle takes on a little more wax every time it is dipped....

But I wanted to go on a "Becoming" tangent one more time. Just as a string that is dipped in wax thousands of times becomes a candle, there is nothing in this life that is worth it without any work. Without being dipped in wax thousands of times... Without BECOMING.

The entire purpose of life is to become something.
Becoming doctors, teachers, artists, moms, dads...

Becoming better friends, people...

But to what purpose does becoming anything serve?

Well, that's where the why of the gospel comes into play. 

Why do we go to church? Why do we study the scriptures? Why do we pray, pay tithing, serve, keep the commandments?
Because the final goal, the greatest gift you could ever achieve REQUIRES you to become. 

In order to make it to the end, it will take work.

Thankfully this work is the most fulfilling work anyone could ever do in the course of existance. It brings joy, it brings blessings, it brings friends, it brings a lifetime full of wonders.

Ah. I love you!

I hope this finds you happy and smiling.

I will see you soon!

Love
Sister Babbitt