Progression

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Our Ward mission leader told us a story this week about when he accompanied Elder Eyring in Russia.

They were sitting on the stand of a priesthood meeting and they noticed a lady walk in and take a seat. Not knowing what to do, Elder Eyring and Bruder Schutze went and talked to her in the hall, she had apparently traveled a long way, to see an apostle of the Lord. Bruder Schutze noted the Love he could feel that President Eyring had for this woman as he translated for her. It’s always amazing to see the love that the Apostles have for all of us, because they know, and love the Savior. And they want us to come closer to him.

I thought a lot this week about why we are here. To make progress, to learn, to become the best that our Father in Heaven wants us to become. We all have such great potential, and I thought about how I can reach mine. The biggest way we can reach our potential is through Christlike attributes, Honesty, Charity, Love, Patience, etc. Christ was the perfect example. As we take upon ourselves to develop these things the Lord will lift us, and slowly after time we will see ourselves become more as He is. I know that if we really take these things to heart, we will have a real desire “to become”. We will see ourselves be perfected in Christ.

Not many noteworthy things happened this week but this next week should be an interesting one!
Today for P-day the Kothen Elders came down and we went looking for a giant sink hole we found on Google earth… so we made our trek onto the abandoned autobahn out to the middle of nowhere. After climbing to the top of a hill, we found it! Just a random GIANT sinkhole in the middle of nowhere.

Thursday we will be in Magdeburg for district meeting, Friday, leadership meeting in Berlin, Saturday and Sunday in Leipzig for stake conference. JA MANN

LG,

Elder Winkel

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Aschersleben

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This week we had some interesting moments.
We went to a city called Aschersleben, where we have about 7 less actives and
a few other members. It turns out there used to be a branch in this
city but then it was later combined with Bernburg.

We have now met/made contact with everyone on our list. On Saturday we
finally met with the last one, and it was a little tricky. I had been
by this sister in the branch in my second week here or so and she had
told us to get lost and hung up the klingel box. But we decided it was
worth a shot.

Well she answered for sure, and unlocked the apartment door, so we ran
up the stairs… What we met up at the top was an old lady in an
oxygen mask/helmet thing beckoning us to come in… sounding like an
air compressor trying to talk to us. Well Perkins was scared half to
death, but we reluctantly followed her in.

She then spent a couple minutes trying to get this helmet type thing
off and gasping for air. We had a great conversation, pretty much
she’s just been using her health as a reason to not come to church.
But she was very nice, and we talked about prayer and how awesome
Joseph Smith is. And she gave us testimony of both. In the end she
said we could visit her in a lung clinic the next week.

The next day at church a member caught wind that we had made contact
with her, and she told us she has been writing her a letter every
month for quite a while now, but for some reason this month she was
stumped when she tried to write the letter and just couldn’t do it, so
she didn’t send one. She told us it was quite the miracle that we were
able to meet with her.

In all honesty, I have no idea what any of that means. But we’ll
trust in the Lord and I’m sure the meaning will be made known in the
next life, if not this one.

I read a bit this week about covenants, what I learned is that we
shouldn’t forget that a covenant is a two way deal, that we should
always strive to be better, and not forget that blessings will come.

Alles gute! ????

Elder Winkel

Luther

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This last Monday we headed to Wittenberg-Lutherstadt, to see “The Ninety-Five Theses” church from Martin Luther. So we grabbed our “wandering canes” and met up with the Magdeburg elders. The city was beautiful and full of memorials to Martin Luther and the other reformers. Unfortunately the church is closed until 2017 for the 500 year anniversary, but we were able to see a lot.

The reformers really did pave the way for the restoration of the gospel, these men understood what was important, and that thing was not of the world.

President McKay stated: “Man’s chief concern in life should not be the acquiring of gold, or of fame, or of material possessions. It should not be the development of physical prowess, nor of intellectual strength, but his aim, the highest in life, should be the development of a Christlike character.”

Because of these great men, great things followed. Because of the bible, Joseph Smith was able to put the “if any of ye lack wisdom” to the test. I’m grateful for the blessing and the things I have learned from the scriptures.

Funny moment this week, Elder Perkins and I were doing doors and there was a bunch of poorly organized cobblestone… I said “if this was my place I would redo this whole thing!” as he was trying to say how nice and “old Europe” it was, he instantly twisted his ankle and yelled, “Redo it! Redo it all!” (haha)

The work continues on, slow but moving, nonetheless.

Have a good one!
Elder Winkel

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Das Sühnopfer

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This week Elder Perkins and I taught a lesson in ZTM in Leipzig, our
topic was “The Atonement”. Well we were quite pumped to have such a
great topic, but then after 3 days of trying to plan on how to teach
it, it put it back into perspective for me of how big it is. Really
big. Super big.

The Book of Mormon is one of THE BEST tools we have as missionaries!
There are so many examples of the Atonement being used. Enos shows a
great example of applying it, along with many others. And as it comes
together it stands as a testimony of Jesus Christ and that He
lives. Not bad.

The atonement is about love, and I’m happy I’ve got a great mom who’s
showed me love for almost 20 years now.
Jeffery R Holland’s talk hit a walk off last week:
A wonderful young mother recently wrote to me: “How is it that a human
being can love a child so deeply that you willingly give up a major
portion of your freedom for it? How can mortal love be so strong that
you voluntarily subject yourself to responsibility, vulnerability,
anxiety, and heartache and just keep coming back for more of the same?
What kind of mortal love can make you feel, once you have a child,
that your life is never, ever your own again? Maternal love has to be
divine. There is no other explanation for it. What mothers do is an
essential element of Christ’s work. Knowing that should be enough to
tell us the impact of such love will range between unbearable and
transcendent, over and over again, until with the safety and salvation
of the very last child on earth, we can [then] say with Jesus,
‘[Father!] I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.’
Meine Mama ist ganz wunderbar.

Have a wonderful week,
Elder Winkel

Last week’s BMX P-Day

BMXPDay

BMX

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General Konferenz was great! The rest of the
week was alright…

Our cool friend from China decided to move to Berlin, and he said he wouldn’t commit to anything and that he mostly just wanted to know what we believe. But he made us some crazy good Chinese food, and boy was it spicy!

The Syrian family decided that they don’t have interest, so that kind of killed our lesson plan, so we improvised and shared a message about the family, and it turned out very well. I don’t think it’s the end, the wife would like to come to our English class to meet more people, and I think she could make some friends in the branch.

Overall it was quite the depressing week, finding was rough, but as I wrote this letter I realized that we made a couple new friends! The husband of the Syrian family had his wife translate “my friends!” for him. And now I have some connections in China. Not bad. I think I often forget the blessings I see.

For Konferenz we took a train to Kothen, because they have satellite hooked up there. Saturday night we watched the Saturday morning session live. Then we rode our bikes through a Forrest (big park) to the Kothen elder’s apartment to spend the night with my boy Elder Burns (my awesome trainee). Then the next morning, we watched the priesthood session, and then the others. We’ll watch the Sunday afternoon for sacrament next week. Many things stuck out to me, but something that really hit me was when one of the apostles spoke of Elder Packer, and even though his health was poor, he was determined as long as he was able to bear his humble witness to the world, that Christ lives. Sounds simple but it strengthened my love and gratitude for the apostles, what a blessing it is to have them, witnesses, and living representatives of Christ.

Before my mission I took many things for granted. Now I can see so many things, big and small.
My heart continues to fill with gratitude.

Elder Winkel

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Part III

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A nice week. A highlight of the week was a Part III exchange with my friend Elder Barrios (from my first district). We hit the streets and did some street contacting. In the evening we decided to go by an old contact, and to our surprise they let us in! It was an amazing time to teach the Restoration again. It’s been a while but I’m always grateful for the opportunity. The message of the Restoration is a special one.

This week I studied the time that the Prophet Joseph had in Liberty Jail. Looking at the experience that the prophet had, I think of my own self, my own “prison-temple” experiences, my time in “the refiners fire”. Where the trials that I’ve had, they have only been there to strengthen and help me. We can learn the most of these moments if we Endure, and do as the Prophet did. Have faith. If we do those things we will be become our greatest selves, and become what the Lord wants us to become.

“Therefore … let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed” D&C 123:17

Yes,

Elder Winkel

If you stick your head out of a really fast train…

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Bernburg

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This week I received the wonderful Elder Perkins. Since he arrived, the people have become more hostile, but we’ve started also to see more success! Elder Perkins is a transfer older than me but has never served in East Germany so it’s been a bit funny watching him adjust to the East Germans.

But we’re having tons of fun, and talking to people left and right! It’s awesome to have a companion that has no fear, because we can just go at it together.

We also decided that we’re going to talk more about Joseph Smith, in all that we do. Because of the wonderful things he did, we have so much happiness and pure joy. This week I listened to a talk from President Uchtdorf (he translates his own talks) and he mentioned what a special time we live in.  The prophets of old would have longed to see this day, where the gospel is restored in full. I’m grateful for the real joy it brings… joy joy joy. I’ll say it a thousand times, but I have seen personally the difference that it makes in someone’s life when they understand the difference between joy and fun. I had so much fun before my mission. But I’ve found that pure Joy which comes through the gospel is what I love. The gospel is the ONLY place where we can find the healing peace of the Lord’s grace.

In this week I’ve thought about how grateful I am for all my Family and friends. Wherever you are in the world. YOU have been a great and glorious blessing to me in my life.

Elder Winkel

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