Minden to Bielefeld

11/17/14

This week was great! We had so many miracles! First off I wanted to tell you all about B****, a recent convert as from a year ago.

B**** is from Liberia, his entire family was murdered and he was put on a boat to Italy all when he was 14, he spent a couple years there, learned Italian. He was then deported to Germany. When he got here he had extreme depression and went to a hospital and tried to pay them to end his life. He was then put in an asylum for a couple weeks. When he got out the missionaries found him. One of which was Elder Schofield (who I’ll tell more about later) they taught him the gospel and it literally saved his life. He’s now 18 years old. So what B**** does now is he shares the Gospel with EVERYONE he meets. Yesterday he brought a man named James, James has only known B**** for 2 weeks, and he learned about the Book of Mormon 2 weeks ago, from B****! He is always willing to share the happiness that the gospel has brought him! He’s a great example to me.

Things still aren’t easy for him though, because he’s an immigrant he has to live in an immigrant house, where the immigrants stay up late smoking and drinking. He’s never bothered them about it, and even bought ear plugs so he could sleep. A couple days ago he was making a phone call at 11 o’clock in the morning and the guys there got mad at him. He apologized and tried to be quieter, then they came and smashed his phone against the wall and started choking him. He ran out of the house and called the police, which made them even madder, so in the end he had to move. Hopefully this new place is better for him. He’s trying to get work right now but immigrants aren’t allowed to work so that can be hard to find. Hopefully things can get better for him! He’s a great guy, and apparently he’s really good at ping pong! At ward game night he’s challenged me! So hopefully it goes well! haha. Ping pong is really big in the ward (ward of old people)! Ping pong is the closest thing I’ll find to a sport here in my area … but that’s OK!

On Friday we had a surprise exchange!  I took a train and went to Bielefeld. There I got to be with Elder Schofield for a day! He was the one who baptized B**** the year before! He goes home in 3 weeks, which he was quite upset about. He really doesn’t want to go home and leave his mission, which is great! We went and visited 2 guys, one plays video games all day, and doesn’t have much person hygiene. But I was quick to judge and I felt bad about that. He’s a Diabetic and is losing the feeling in his feet so it’s hard for him to get around. And he has an incredible testimony of tithing, and also loves to share the gospel! He told his blind friend about the gospel and his friend listened to the Book of Mormon twice in 2 weeks! And came to church yesterday! The testimony of others is amazing!

The other man we went and visited we had to take a train, 2 buses, and walk 2 miles to a care center in the middle of nowhere. He’s pretty old and quite a big guy and can’t walk around really, and he has some other health problems. He left the church years ago because he was offended by someone. But he realized that the church is what brings true happiness in this life and in the next. So in the visit we read a chapter from the Book of Mormon, and just talked to him. I love just visiting people. I don’t understand much but I know it means a lot to them that we come and meet with them.

I’m proud to be a missionary. I get to help and administer to our Heavenly Father’s children, and our brothers and sisters. I hope that this week you all can look for someone to share your testimony with. I love you all and am excited for next week!

Elder Winkel