February 24, 2014

Hey Mom and Dad,

Haha this week has been great, ha a lot of interesting experiences. I was really stressed the last two days so this morning on our way to Kaufland (grocery shopping) we stopped by the zip line. I think you should get a zip line in the backyard, it relieves stress and you can´t help but smile when you ride it!

Sister Bradshaw thought I was crazy when I kept saying it is spring! ´´No, winter hasn´t really come yet, just wait. It will get really cold really soon.´´ Surprise! I´m not even wearing a coat today! Well just for p-day hours, it still gets cold at night and I´m sure that it will get cold again very soon, but for right now, I am enjoying spring!

So Monday Sister Bradshaw and I ran around saying goodbye to a lot of investigators we haven´t had a lot of contact with. It was a great excuse for return appointments so they can meet my new comp. Eww the mouse is sticky... We got up early the next day to get her to Hauptbahnhof and on her train to Chemnitz. Sister Knecht and Sister Jardine´s new comps were coming about 4 hours later, same time as Sis Dunlap.  We didn´t want to just sit around, so the three of us ran over to Bergedorf and taught a few lessons. Miracle! On our way back we talked with a lady from Ghana who was interested in meeting with us, but said she couldn´t because she lived too far away, by Elbgau. Guess what! That is in my area, like a 5 minute run from me apartment! We will be meeting with her later. So we make it back to the train station, pick up Sister Stringham and Sister Keller, but there was no Sister Dunlap....I got a call from her, she had missed her train, and the sisters had to leave, so Elders Hays, Bendixon and King waited with me for a few hours til she got here. Haha long crazy story...Sis Dunlap´s district leader was helping her get on the train with her stuff, well the door closed and she was on the train with her stuff and her DL, but his comp was still standing on the gleis! Haha she said it was the weirdest exchange she had ever been on. Everything got worked out and everyone made it where they need to be. Haha it was a long day.

Sister Dunlap claims Virginia, but she has lived everywhere. She has lived in Germany for 7 years and has no American accent. Ha hopefully she can help me. She is so sweet and so full of love! It´s kinda weird not having Sister Bradshaw here. I don´t know Altona that well, so Sister Dunlap and I will be figuring things out/getting lost together. We have had a lot of appointments fall out this week, it has been a little frustrating, but Heavenly Father lets us know that He is in charge and that He loves us. We went to find the lady we gave the Book of Mormon to last week, the one who was so excited she kissed us. Well her name was not at the address she gave us. So we went down the whole street, we went around the corner and suddenly she was right there taking her trash out!! She has been reading, but won´t be able to meet with us til next week. We have had an experience similar to that after almost every appointment has fallen out. Blessings for enduring?

Saturday and Sunday were Stake Conference in Wartenau. So awesome!! Sunday was a broadcast from Salt Lake just for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. We got to hear Elder Bednar speak in German. They talked a lot about member missionary work as individuals and families. How important it is to have family councils. I love when we pointed out that it is easier to live the gospel than it is to not live the gospel. When we make and keep our covenants, we receive blessings and we can access the power of the atonement! He asked, do treasure it above everything else?

I am so grateful to be here! I miss Sister Bradshaw very much, but I am so grateful to have Sister Dunlap here.

Thank you for the packages! Because Sister Dunlap was in Berlin, she ran by the mission office and brought me the package and mail. The caramel was amazing and we are rationing the potatoes, ha we will have one pack each week. We´re pretty excited to try them all! And we have already made some cookies! Thank you thank you!!

I am so grateful for your love and support! I love you!!!

-Sister Turner