(Barom,
in the middle, is the Sisters investigator from Iran from Bremerhaven area.)
Moin, sehr geehrte Damen und
Herren!
Welcome to another episode of
this week’s Bremerhaven missionary adventures. Except it seems that there is
never really a real beginning to these letters because my mind goes blank the
minute I start to write them which is not too good because I do not have a ton
of time to type today. But going forward this week wasn't too bad other than we
didn't find anybody new. Although it was kind of an eventful week or as much as
a missionary can really say. On a more related note last week was the last week
of the transfer and I am staying in Bremerhaven with my companion, he is
actually the first companion that I will be staying with for more than just one
transfer. It is actually interesting because our district is undergoing a big
change in people. Elder Pilling and I are actually the only companionship that
is not changing in our district. Even one of the sisters here in Bremerhaven is
leaving and she was only here for this last transfer. It is okay though because
the missionaries in our district needed to be straightened out a little so
hopefully this change will lead down a better path.
When it comes to missionary
work we didn't do too bad this week. We managed to find an old investigator and
committed him to baptism. It was kind of cool too because we walked with him
all the way to the beach and taught him there on a bench by the coast. And then
we finally got back in contact with the Serbian family that we lost contact
with because they were on vacation and recommitted them to baptism because they
were not going to be ready for their baptismal date that was set for this
coming weekend and also if you see any of the pictures that I have sent. We
also went to Bremen with some of our investigators to go see a baptism which
always got to love those. We even asked Paul afterwards if that was
something he still wanted to do. And he said yes so of course Elder Pilling and
I are very excited to hear that he is still excited to get baptized himself.
Something else that has been
good this week is that we were able to keep in good contact with a lot of our
investigators and finally had some more people come to church. The gospel
principles class that we missionaries teach was actually pretty bumping this
last Sunday. And we even set up an activity night at the church to take place
every Friday night. Unfortunately none of the members showed up to it this
time. haha but at least some investigators did.
Oh and here is a little story
about something that happened just yesterday. So last night Elder Pilling and I
arrived a little late to our apartment because of the bus schedule on Sundays.
But we get there and we get to our door and I try to put the key into the door
but it won't go in. So of course I am a little bothered by that and frustrated
feeling like an idiot because I can't even put a key into a key hole. But after
a couple annoying attempts, I decide to check the key hole and then when i look
inside it. It looks like a little metal rod has been shoved into the keyhole so
you can't put your key in it, or worse yet not even get inside your apartment.
And when we look above into the little window it looks like a light is on
inside. And we were 98% sure that neither of us left a light on. So we were both
curious as to whether someone broke into our house or if someone was in there
right then. So we decide to call the zone leaders to tell them that we are late
and that we are also not really locked out but sabotaged out of our apartment.
And then they told us to call the A.P.'s (Assistants to the President) and then
eventually the Mission President called us and by then we had walked outside
behind the apartment building to look into the back windows of our apartment to
see if anyone was in there or if there really was a light on. And it didn't
look like anyone was in there or that there was any light on at all. So that
weirded us out even more. But then we just had to figure out where we would
spend the night and we were calling all these members and the president was
gonna call members for us. But luckily I was able to dig out the nail that was
shoved into our keyhole with a pen. Which we then cautiously opened our door
and checked all the rooms to make sure no one really was there. There was also
no light on it was just an illusion from the light in the hallway. So yeah I
guess it was either just some punk or some neighbor that doesn't like us
because we are Mormon or American or something. Haha but that was a little
experience from this week.
So in ending this letter I want
to touch up on something that I talked a little bit about last week. In regards
to why a missionary is sent to where he is sent and why he gets the experiences
that he gets while on a mission. A little light was shed on it for me while I
was reading in Jeremiah. SO Jeremiah, like Mormon, was called to labor among a
people for whom there was no hope because they refused to repent, and "the
day of grace was passed with them, both temporally and spiritually."
Mormon, after witnessing the destruction of the Nephite nation, cried out for
his people. Here was a righteous man, one of the best, lamenting over his
people who were so blind, so foolish, so spiritually dead. Jeremiah as well
mourned for his people's wickedness. You may think of Jeremiah as a harsh man
as you read his harsh words against the Jewish people and the lives that they
were living, but he was not. His motivation as well as Mormon's was love. A
Prophet does not select where and when he serves. God chooses when and to whom
a prophet is sent. One may be an Enoch and build Zion, or a David O. McKay and
preside over the Church in times of peace and prosperity. Another may be a
Mormon or a Jeremiah and try in vain to save a rebellious and corrupt people.
Each has his calling. Each has his time. Each has his own lesson for you to
learn. So just as it is with the prophets it is likewise for the missionaries.
Each missionary has his own lesson that he needs to learn and his own role in
the great plan that God has prepared for us. So as long as a missionary strives
with all his heart, he will fulfill exactly was God's will demands. Hopefully I
can keep myself filled with such thoughts as my mission continues forward.
Tschüss,
Elder Foster
