A Joyful Year

This was a wild week, first off I’ll tell you about my new ward mission leader…

So he just got back from a Temple Mission in Finland, and I just got to know him a little better. He’s been an Area Seventy… twice. The Freiberg Temple Präsident, Germany Berlin Mission Präsident after the wall came down, a patriarch in Russia (speaks 7 languages), and was in the meeting with President Monson and Elder Nelson when they met with the DDR officials, to get missionaries through the wall and into East Germany. The man’s been sustained in conference like 5 times!!!!

So when he called me Sunday morning at 7:30 and said “You know we’re meeting at 8 o‘clock right?” (Apparently someone had told us) but I made the mistake of hesitating… Haha he immediately said “say YES elder” so I blurted out a YES! And we quickly finished getting ready and ran down stairs.

Our meeting was awesome, he pretty much gave us a mission president interview while talking about the work here. Afterwards we looked him up in gospel library, read his articles in the ensign, and his conversion story in a talk from Elder Packer. A loving man, I’m excited for his help.

We also had the wonderful experience to visit the Freiberg Temple with our recent convert (from the beginning of the year) the Magdeburg Elders also came and brought an investigator, and recent convert. Even though the Temple was closed you could still feel the spirit of the Lord’s House. The sisters in Freiberg gave us an amazing tour of the grounds, and made their first experience with the Temple a good one.

The “Year Mark” was celebrated in a great fashion with the one and only Elder Vellinga (from my MTC group)! We had an exchange so it worked out perfectly. For dinner that night we went to the nice restaurant on the river. The waiter took us to the VIP section… (or the no smoking room) and then they actually brought us complimentary champagne… once we smelled it we realized what it was and had the waiter take it back. Haha.

That night we were able to teach the branch in “ward council” together. We pumped them up with missionary work, and then shared what we’ve learned in the last year. A cool moment with a good friend of mine, and very special to reflect on what was learned in this last year. And what a year it has been, I want to laugh when I think of myself a year ago. I’ve been able to see how the Book of Mormon really brings people closer to Christ, for example: me.

The gospel brings the peace that the people need, I know that it is through Christ that we become better, and doing so, we will find and experience real joy.

27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14)

Elder Winkel??