September 29, 2014

Well, if the GI Joes last week weren't enough, this week we had a flood!  Hahaha, oh the adventures of Sister Turner and Sister Means continue!  Tuesday morning during personal study we hear a weird sound in the hallway.  We walk over and see that the water heater broke and water is going everywhere. I grabbed buckets and our one towel and Sister Means ran up the stairs to grab the member who lives above us.  They weren't there so she calls our Branch President who is in charge of our apartment.  His workshop is attached to our building.  The phone call went something like this ''uHHhhh Präsident Seidl, lots of water, LOTS of water in our apartment. HeLp''.  After a few days we again had water and then later warm water.  We are happy and clean :) and even more grateful for the blessing of warm running water.

I also need to be careful what I wish for.  This weekend we went on tausch (exchanges).  I went up to Chemnitz to work with Sister Chevalier.  Sister Means stayed here with Sister Helzer.  While in Chemnitz we had the opportunity to run for many buses and trains.  One saying we have is that if you did not work out in the morning or did not have a good enough work out; the Lord will make sure you get it in during the day.

On Thursday we had a conference call for just the sisters in our mission.  We found out that next transfer (in 4 weeks) both Sister Means and I will be training, (Father of the Bride 2 moment) as well as the rest of the Sisters, with the exception of Sister Training Leaders.  I am very surprisingly calm about this.  This means that I will most likely be in a different are for my last 5 weeks...not my favorite idea, aber ich gehe wohin du mich heißt o Herr.  I'll go where you want me to go.  In four weeks we will actually find out where we will be training.  Präsident Kosak thought it would be good to give us a little heads up before the big change hits.  Crazy!

We have also had our hearts broken this week when 2 investigators decided to stop meeting with us.  But we are continually blessed to be at the right place at the right time.  We found a new investigator from a contact list.  His last name was not on the klingel, and we would have had no idea which one was him, except he just happened to be walking out the main door and asked who we were looking for. We have a joint teach set up for this week!

Ahh, running out of time.  I wish I could share more.  I love you all!!!

Also I am so excited for General Conference!!!!!!!!!  Plan, prepare and listen to the Spirit!

Have a fantastic week!!!

-Sister Turner

September 22, 2014

Dearest Family,

Haha, it has been a great week.  Our car was in the workshop most of the week so Sister Means and I had fun walking and biking.  And I taught her how to work the trains and buses.  I think this might be the only sisters area where we use all forms of transportation.

On Tuesday we took the train down to Johanngeorgenstadt to meet with an investigator.  This area is the southern most part of our area.  If you take the train one more stop you are in the Czech.  So while we are waiting for our bus we are working on some scripture memorization and we look up to see two people flash their ID’s at us and ask to see our passports.  We are told not to carry our actual passports on us, but we give them the copies and other paperwork.  They were hesitant, but said ok and left without stopping anyone else.  Less than 5 min later, two men who look like they just stepped out of a GIJoe movie walk right over to us.  They showed us their ID’s and wanted to see ours.  We followed the same procedure; I hadn't even put the papers back in my bag.  They were not ok that we didn't have passports on us.  I explained everything.  They took our papers and made some phone calls and said we could go.  Crazy, huh?  We're fine and we made it to appointment on time.  It was a fun little start to our week.

The next day we take the train the other direction to visit a less active member.  Afterward we had to run to catch our bus for our next appointment.  I kind of miss running for buses, it reminds me of Hamburg and Berlin.  Well, it ended up being the wrong bus that dumped us in the middle of nowhere; we were seeing more cows and sheep than people.  The GPS said that we would be just 20 min late, so we call our investigators to let them know and we start walking.  GPS recalculates and we will actually be 90 minutes late....I'll have to admit, I was a little like the servants of Lamoni from Alma 17:28, murmuring a little and feeling like this was my fault that everything was going wrong.  It was my fault that we were lost and late.  I am so grateful for companionships, because my great little comp reacted like Ammon from verse 29.  She was stoked for this opportunity and she helped me be courageous.  I have never before had a companion who laughs when we get lost, or have cards thrown back at us, or doors slammed in our faces.  I am learning a lot from her.  She is teaching me to not just smile, but to really laugh. I was thinking about the talk from Elder Wirthlin, Come What May and Love It.  Well, we still are not exactly sure where we are, but we talk to everyone.  No one wants to listen, except one woman.  That one woman accepted a Book of Mormon and said she would sit down right now and read it.  We did not know where we were, but I testify that the Lord does.  He put us in an area we did not know about to tell one of His daughters that she is loved.  I love being a missionary and being able to be apart of these experiences.  I am learning that the Lord can truly make a lot more out of our lives than we can if we turn our lives over to Him; Matthew 10:39.

On Saturday when our plan A fell through, we were going by on contacts, and then going door to door and talking to people on the street.  We were able to give out 2 Book of Mormons and will be following up next week.  And we found a new investigator who already has a Book of Mormon and has been reading!  We are so excited to follow up on that this week.  And we keep ''randomly'' running into people we couldn't get in contact with and we just happened to be at the right place at the right time.  There are no coincidences; I know the Lord is directing us.

I'm out of time.  I love you all so much!!!!  Thank you for the letters and pictures!  Oh and I forgot to thank Jack, Sam, Snickers, Cade and JD (and Janae, Sha and Merri) for the poster!  I love it!!!  I can't believe how big they are getting.  Give the boys lots of loves from me!

Snickers: Alles gute zum Gerburtstag!!!! (Happy Birthday)

I love you!!!!!! Have a fantastic week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Sister Turner

September 15, 2014

It has been an amazing week!  On Tuesday we picked up our new Elders: Elder Riddle and Elder Blake.  It's good to have 4 missionaries in this area again.  That night after our missionary correlation meeting we watched a women's broadcast for all sisters in Europe.  Elder Hallstrom, Elder Ballard, Elder Bednar and their wives spoke.

On Friday we took a train to Berlin and we got to teach a lesson with the Hauschs!  It was so good being back in Lankwitz and teaching them again.  I can't believe it has been almost a year since their baptism.  I also am amazed at how much has changed since then, how much I have learned and grown since then.

That night 8 sisters slept in the Lankwitz Sister's apartment.  Ha, that was kind of crazy.  As you can imagine, there was not enough beds or bedding, so I got to sleep on the floor that night.  And I am a million times more grateful for the nights I do get to sleep in a bed :)  Count your blessings name them one by one.

Saturday morning we got up before the sun to be at the stake center in Tiergarten.  Every missionary in the Germany Berlin Mission was in one room.  After Präsident Kosak spoke to us, they went and picked up Elder Bednar, Elder Dykes and their spouses.  Oh my goodness, I wish had time to write everything that I learned.  The most important thing I learned is that it is not about the Speaker, it is about the Spirit.  The Holy Ghost is the true teacher.  And asking inspired questions will help those we teach, learn for themselves through the Spirit.

And then Sunday morning we rode with a member to Dresden for stake conference.  Again, it is not about the speaker, it is about the Spirit.  Sister and Elder Dykes were the concluding speakers and they mostly reiterated what the previous speakers had said.  Truth is truth and the Holy Ghost is the teacher who will carry it into our hearts if we let him.  I am so grateful for what I am learning everyday.  I am also realizing my responsibility in always having the Spirit with me so that I can continue strengthening my testimony and deepening my conversion and then the responsibility to share that light with others 1 Nephi 11:11.

I am also grateful for wonderful members!  The members who drove us to Dresden had lived there for a long time and gave us a quick little tour before we drove back to Schwarzenberg.  That night they gave us the best dinner!  Right before dinner, Sister Means and I had had an appointment by the church and then walked the 30 min down the hill to their house.  It wasn't raining so we didn't pull out our umbrellas, but by the time we got there, we were soaked.  It was like it was misting not raining, so the wonderful warm meal was so much more appreciated.  

And we will be without a car for the week so we are excited to see that it will be sunny the next few days, thank you Janae for the weather report!

I love you all so much! Thank you for your prayers! I hope you have a wonderful week!

-Sister Turner

September 8, 2014

Dear Family,

Haha, I still cannot believe it has been only week.  We have been ALL over.  The week started out in Chemnitz.  Finally everyone is out of the hospital and back in our areas.  We came home and had a ''normal'' day and Thursday we jumped back on the Autobahn and headed for Dresden for a mult-zone conference.  

Thank you again Mom and Dad for the piano lessons.  I keep getting called on for surprise musical numbers and playing the hymns for meetings.  Wow!  The messages we heard were so inspiring.  We learned a lot about asking and learning by faith.   As a mission we have specific scriptures Präsident Kosak asked us to memorize.  We talked a lot about how powerful the Book of Mormon is for us as individuals and for those we teach.  Sister Kosak gave a great lesson on feasting on the words of Christ.  And then we had a few lessons from missionaries on “How to Be a Trainer”,  “How to be a District Leader”, “How to be a Zone Leader”, and “How to be a Sister Training Leader.”  All I could think was “How to train your Dragon.”  The lessons were really good.  

It’s kind of crazy.  With the age change 2 years ago, now we have so many ''old'' missionaries that just went home and with last transfer.  And this transfer we are receiving so many new missionaries.  Every sister who is not a Sister Training Leader is training or being trained.  Crazy!  So our mission leaders are teaching the next generation of mission leaders.  Präsident called it training your successor.

Speaking of transfers, Sister Means and I will be staying together here is Schwarzenberg and this transfer will be 7 weeks instead of 6.  Oh and we will have Elders back in Schwarzenberg again. We are stoked to stay together and keep working hard.  Even though we felt that we weren't able to get much done, when we looked back on the week and our goals, we accomplished a lot.

When we were in Chemnitz we were still able to have a lesson with an investigator on the phone and a contact had interest and called us.  We were able to have a joint teach with them at the church and they stayed for the ward sport activity after and had a great time!  Also, the whole ward, with the exception of Schwester Dike, ganged up against me and my comp in an attempt to soak us with water balloons.  Haha, the ward either loves us or wants us out.  Through all the chaos this week there have been a lot of moments to smile about.  I love this area and I am so blessed and grateful to be here.

Sister Means and I had a few ''ah ha'' moments this week.  One of them came when we were evaluating a lesson with a new investigator.  In short, we are learning to really rely on each other and the Spirit.  We have been so very blessed and protected this week.

Thank you for your love, prayers and support!  Have a fantastic week!  And thank you for the package!  We have been enjoying the goodies and the P90X work out!

All my love!!!

-Sister Turner

September 2, 2014

Dear Family!

Sorry this is coming a day late.  We had a crazy little adventure to start out our week.  Sunday morning we get a call that one of our Sister Training Leaders is in the hospital and we had to drive up to Chemnitz to stay with the other sister.  So Sister Means and I grabbed a few things to spend what we thought would be just one night, but about 48 hours later we are finally headed back to our little Schwarzenberg.  Sister Miller stayed in the hospital and we worked in a dritt (trio).  The sisters are doing great.  Everyone is fine healthy and happy for things to go back to normal, for about a day.  Ha, and then we will be driving to Dresden for Zone Conference.  Haha, I never thought I would be doing so much driving in Germany.  At first I was a little nervous, but after this adventure, driving all over Chemnitz, and pretty much living out of our car for 3 days, I feel pretty confident driving our little Opel.

This last week has been great!  Guess what?!  2 of our investigators came to church for the first time!!  We were so excited!!!  They had a great experience and we all felt the Spirit so strong!  In Sunday School we watched the Mormon Messages, ''Patterns of Light,'' by Elder Bednar.  I highly recommend watching it!  During sacrament meeting I had to translate for a member from the states.  Ha, that was fun.  I haven't really had to translate since I was in Altona, but naja, and it worked, kinda.

Hmmm, what else happened this week?  Oh, a few little miracles!  We had met an awesome man Sister Mean's first week here.  He had had contact with missionaries a few years ago, and he now he wants to learn more.  We got his phone number and address and tried to set up a joint teach at our church.  Well it ended up being the wrong number, and he was never home.  BUT this week we ran into him!  We got the correct numbers exchanged and we will be meeting with him this week!!

Oy, I am really struggling to focus, so sorry.  These past few days have been so hectic and I am still trying to get my head back on straight.

I hope you all know that I love you so much!!  I am so grateful for your love and prayers.  I know that Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers.  We have been talking about prayer a lot this week.  Y'all should read Prayer from the Bible Dictionary.  I love the way it explains it.  I have been studying more about praying sincerely and then acting on the answers we receive. Easier said than done, but the Lord always provides a way!

Have a great week!!

All my love!!!

-Sister Turner

August 25, 2014

Dear Family,

Oh my goodness, has another week already gone by?!  This week has been so awesome!!!  Oh my goodness, we are seeing so many miracles!

We started out the week with tausch (exchanges) with our Sister Training Leaders in Chemnitz. Sister Miller and I worked down here and Sister Means was in Chemnitz with Sister Helzer.  

We have done a bit of driving lately.  Tuesday morning we helped get the Elders on their train to Berlin and now Sister Means and I are the only missionaries in our area, so weird.  We had a great tausch, but our last appointment went a little long.  We missed our train and ended up having to drive to Zwickau to exchange back.  All is well and we all made it safely to our areas.

We have been so busy with appointments this week that we were worried about not having so much time finding new people.  We had a few of our appointments fall out.  We went door to door and talked to people on the street.  Both times we were able to give about two Book of Mormons to awesome people who were so excited to read it and learn more.

This week I have also learned to follow my comps promptings, even when I don't want to.  The Spirit truly has lead and guided us.  We had an awesome joint teach.  I love the members here! They are so excited to help our investigators and help them come to church.  That has been one of the hardest things for us.  Our investigators are recognizing how important prayer and the Book of Mormon are, but we are struggling helping them understand how important church is. Please pray for them.

Also, we had multiple investigators bear their testimony of how the Book of Mormon has helped them!  So amazing!!  It is true!!!!!!  I know the Book of Mormon is true, it has changed my life and I see it changing others.  I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father.  I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and lives and loves us so much!!!!

One of our investigators lives on our street.  She often sees us out running early for sport.  This week she showed us a beautiful trail that Sister Means and I went running up this morning.  Oh my goodness, so beautiful!!!!  Now, I will finally call the Schwarzenberg hills ''mountains''.  

Also we had another fun little surprise.   So I have felt bad not taking Sister Means to a bakery often.  There were so many in Berlin and Hamburg and they were just so convenient.  There are not as many here and the closest one is at the very top of a big hill.  (They make us work for our pastries here.)  We have talked about it and laughed, it is a blessing that the bakeries are not so convenient.  Well....on Saturday morning after Comp Study we looked out the window and saw a bakery truck in front of our door.  So of course we had to get something and it was delicious!  Ha I thought these things were only true in fairytales.  Well, now I am a believer.  Along with the tooth fairy and Santa, bakery trucks are real!

Love you all!! Have a fantastic week!!!!!

-Sister Turner 

 

August 18, 2014

Dear Family!

Sorry I didn't quite finish that last email...Hopefully I will be able to complete my thoughts today.  I wish I could describe how I feel right now.  Anxious, but not, definitely excited.  Not ready to come home yet, so excited to see Elder Bednar, little nervous about taking on the whole area, but excited to see miracles.  I can definitely feel the Lord helping us step up to the challenge.  I feel like I just jumped off the back of the boat with out a wet suit.  The shock of the cold water is making me shiver and shake, and my breathing has accelerated.  Trying to stay calm and rely on the fact that my life jacket is holding me up.  Just relax.  Everything will be ok. Things are good here, but we have a greater vision.  Standing on water.  Somehow that will work, but I don't see how.  Throw me the rope and the wakeboard.  Struggling to get the board on, hold onto the rope and keep my head up.  Relax.  The lifejacket is still holding you the whole time.  Ready or not, it's time to go.  The boat is idling.  Struggling to find the balance feeling a little resistance, struggling to see exactly how this will work.  Can I do it??  Am I strong enough? Am I balanced enough?  Can I trust this plan?  Yes.  Stay down low, stand up slow.  Others have told me what I need to do.  I have see others do it before.  Now it is my turn.  Take a deep breath.  HIT IT!  Pushing against the water with the acceleration of the boat and the driver, holding on tight to the rope, knowing that if I fall the lifejacket is there to keep me safe, I can stand.  The joy and excitement of getting up, realizing this was better than just sitting in the water.  (You can't slap this smile off my face :)

Go ahead and draw your own analogies from this, ha I might also be a little trunky for Utah summers, boating, hiking, mountains.  But no, there is no other place I would rather be than right here right now.

Like I said things are a little crazy right now, but the Lord is shaping us and helping us rise to the challenge.  Ready or not the Elders leave for Berlin tomorrow and Sister Means and I are taking on Schwarzenberg together with the Spirit!!  Hurrah for Israel!!  We keep seeing miracles.

Thanks to some fruit flies, Sister Means and I decided to take the trash out Saturday night after we had cut up our watermelon.  Walking back to our front door we hear ''SISTERS.''  We turn around to see an investigator that we had not been able to get in contact with for the last few weeks.  Long story short we will be meeting with her this week.  Through unplanned or unseen opportunities the Lord guides us.  

This last week we went up to Chemnitz for Zone Training Meeting and Interviews with President.  Ah! I love the spiritual boost I always get from our meetings.  

Friday we had lunch in an old, old, OLD villa with some members that are restoring it.  It was so cool! We had an awesome discussion about how the Lord guides and directs us and that we really need to keep journals.  WRITE down your experiences, especially spiritual ones, evidence of God's hand in our lives.  Deut. 4:9, our experiences are not just for us.  It is our responsibility to share what we have learned, and to remember this for ourselves. Choose To Remember.

I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for your prayers and support!! Have a super duper fantastic week!!!

All my love,

Sister Turner

PS  I still love biking :D

August 11, 2014

Dear Family,

I want to just tell you how awesome my companion is!  She has so much faith and such a strong testimony of the gospel.  This week has been hard, but we have been so blessed and seen so many miracles.  We have found more people this week who want to hear the gospel than I have in the last the last 6 weeks combined.  The first couple of days together were a little rough, but we have quickly found our comp unity, and love and trust for each other.  The most important thing is that we are united in our purpose.

Yesterday we had great talks that were getting me excited to be member missionary. Truly, invitations shared with love will never be seen as offensive.  A member who is American (served a mission in Germany and now owns a home here) shared a really cool experience of inviting other people to come to church.  The Spirit was so strong.  Also we saw an investigator praying out loud for the first time.

So the Elders in this area are headed home next week and we will be merging their program with ours.  Prov. 3:5-6 right?  Trust; just trust the Lord and He will direct us. Ah, I have never prayed so hard in my life.  Please pray for this area and these people.  I love them so much!

I am so sorry; I am running out of time.  Mom, to answer your question from last week, I will be home on the 3rd of December.

Thank you for everything.

Janae, happy birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love you all so much!!!!  Give the boys hugs and kisses for me!

-Sister Turner

August 4, 2014

Dearest Family,

Ha,ahhh, I'm not sure where exactly to begin.  I have to keep checking that my head is in place because things are crazy and we have been all over the place this week!

Monday we helped get the Elders out of here and got Sister Sadler packed.  Tuesday we split and I went with Sister Harris to Berlin.  I ended up staying with her and Sister Chevalier in Spandau (Berlin).  Oh my goodness, those two are awesome missionaries.  We worked really well as a dritt, and we were all able to calm each other down and not be so nervous about training.  It was weird being so close to the airport for those few days in Berlin.  It kind of felt like I was at the Campbell’s in West Valley.  We kept looking at the planes on Wednesday wondering which one our trainees were coming in on.  Thursday morning I was reminded of my love of running for buses and the relief when you make it!  Picture 3 Sisters with big backpacks, one had a suitcase, all running as fast as the can, which is not fast at all for a bus that was a whole stop away.  Ha, it is quite a sight to see.  I can't wait for the slow-mo replay we'll all watch in Heaven ;)

And then we had a fantastic training meeting.  28 trainers.  Big group.  It was so awesome and wonderful hearing from President Kosak, flash backs to a year ago when I met Sister Lartey. Seriously, has it really been a whole year??  Then Sister Kosak brought in the new missionaries.  My new companion is Sister Means.  She is so sweet!  She is from California and has 5 sisters.  After the meeting we traveled back to Schwarzenberg.  Ha, the new missionaries were so tired and so jet-lagged.  Again, flashbacks for me.  

We got to work right away.  Even though she can't speak German, Sister Means is great at following the spirit and talking with people.  We were talking with one man in a wheelchair.  He didn't have interest, but his friend who was standing on his balcony yelled down to us and asked who we were.  I introduced us, he said, ''Oh no, you're not Mormons are you??'' Ha, we talked back and forth for a little bit.   Then he told us to wait a minute.   He wanted to talk to us while he walked his dog.  We ended up teaching him the first two lessons and we have another appointment this week.  He loved our message and believes a lot of the same things.  We are excited to meet with him again.  The Lord does have prepared people, even when they are not interested right at first.

Also I miss air conditioning.  Ha, I have almost forgotten what it is like to not be sweaty all the time. It's fun :)  We do get air conditioning in the car when we have that though.  BTW driving in Germany is not as bad as I thought it was going to be.  The Elders have been very ambitious, well at least Elder Glad is.  They try biking everywhere.  On Saturday they took the car and we took their bikes to our home.  Two problems: 1. we are not as tall as the Elders, and 2. we live on a steep hill and the Elder's brakes are very worn down.  Ha, we did make it safely, though it was quite an interesting experience.

Also, a miracle that happened with training.  My German has shot through the roof.  I am still not perfect by any means, but the Lord has really blessed me these last few days.  Crazy how much the Lord blesses you when you don't have any other option than to trust Him.

Well, I hope you have a great week.

I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sister Turner

July 28, 2014

Dear Family,

Woohoohoo (with a nervous excited laugh.)  So this week we have been preparing to merge the Elders program with ours because they are both going home.  They gave us their area books; we had a couple of lessons with them this week so they could introduce us to their investigators.  We have been a little nervous, but we were feeling pretty good about everything.  Saturday morning we got our transfer calls...Sister Sadler is leaving and headed to Braunschweig, I will be training and we will be getting Elders for 3 weeks, and then they both head home.  Instead of closing the Elders, they will be white washing, and then in 3 weeks we will take their program for a transfer or two until we have enough missionaries again.  I go from the youngest missionary in this area to the oldest in a matter of days.  Crazy.  Ha, I am trying not to stress myself out (Dad, I need you here telling me to breathe in and breathe out).  The Lord doesn't call the qualified; He qualifies those He calls.  We actually had a conference call on Friday night for all the trainers.  I found out I will be training exactly a year from the day that I met my trainer.  Ha, that has been weird.  Have I really been here a whole year?!  I also cannot believe how much has changed since then.  I like what Präsident Kosak said on the conference call.  He was stressing exact obedience. He said that as trainers, it is ok to make mistakes, but not in obedience.  I am so excited to meet my new companion!!  Please pray for her.  She should be leaving the MTC on Tuesday and she'll be in Berlin on Wednesday.  I will pick her up on Thursday.  Because I can't just hang out here by myself, I will be headed to BERLIN on Tuesday to work with the Lankwitz Sisters for a few days!!!!!!!!!!!!  I am sooooooo excited to see Berlin again!!

This week we celebrated Pioneer day and Christmas in July.  Unfortunately I don't have any pics of that, but I will send you some other pictures.

The Elders passed some of their investigators to us this week, including two wonderful families.  They are making changes in their lives that are bringing them closer to Christ.  One of the families has no religious background, but they are so open and anxious to learn more.  It was wonderful teaching them about God's commandment of obedience, and helping them understand that it is because of His love, that we are given commandments.

Oh my goodness, ha sometimes I just can't believe the Lord calls 18-22ish year-olds as missionaries.  This week we had a moment of ''what, are they nuts?!  We're just kids.  They give us a name tag, a map and a dictionary, and tell us to go save some souls.''  Then we calm down, remember that we are called of God, and that ''It is not your responsibility to convert anyone.  That is the work of the Holy Ghost.  Your task is to share your beliefs and to not be afraid.  Stand true to your convictions and faith.  Stand tall, because you are a daughter of God, and He stands with you!'' Pres. Uchtdorf.

Geez, if I didn't already know this gospel was true, the fact ''that the fullness of [the] gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and simple'' D&C 1:23 (18-22 year olds) sure is another proof for me that we are only the instruments in God's hands.  And what a privilege it is to be close to Him and see His spirit change lives.  And then He blesses us again, Ether 12:27.  This gospel is true.  With the testimony in me that is growing everyday, I am trusting more that this is the Lord's work.  We can all trust in the Lord more.  Have faith, not fear.  I know Heavenly Father loves us, everyone of us.  I love what President Monson said in the Relief Society Session last year, ''Heavenly Father loves you—each of you.  That love never changes.  It is not influenced by your appearance, by your possessions, or by the amount of money you have in your bank account.  It is not changed by your talents and abilities.  It is simply there.  It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful.  God’s love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love.  It is simply always there.''

Thank you for you love, support and letters!!  I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!

Have a fantastic week!

-Sister Turner

July 21, 2014

Happy Pioneer day this week!!!  Can you believe I was on a plane last Pioneer Day?  Hahaha, oh that was a day I will not forget.  We left Provo on Tuesday and got to Berlin on Wednesday.  As soon as we got to the church they took us out ''Finding.''  I felt like the Elder in “The Best Two Years.''  “What language was she speaking?  Oh, I'm in trouble.  That ain't no language they taught me in the MTC.''  Ha I felt that way again 5 weeks ago when I got to Swarzenberg and a lot of people speak Erzgebirgisch.  It's like someone learning English and then taking them down to Georgia listening to people with a thick southern accent.  I can't believe how much has changed in just one year.  Also I can tell you exactly where I was and what I was doing at any moment for the last year.

For now I'll just tell you about this week.  Thank you for your prayers!  On Tuesday we were klinging doors after going by on some contacts.  One of the first doors we klinged was a woman who let us up.  We get to her door.  She doesn't wait to hear who we are.  She said, “Come in and sit down, then we'll figure out who you are.”  We had a great lesson with her and her husband. Despite many health problems they are so faithful and full of hope.  We will be meeting with them again this week.  I believe that was the first time that anyone has just let us in when they didn't previously have some contact with missionaries.  We said a prayer of gratitude after.  The Lord really does have people prepared to welcome us in and hear our message.

We were also able to get one of our investigators to come to the Relief Society activity this week.  She had a great time and loved how happy the sisters are.  We are trying to help her realize that the gospel blesses and strengthens us.  And we can have joy in this life in spite of trials because of our faith.  It is so cool seeing her faith and trust in the Lord develop and grow.  Just like Dad's pumpkins ;)

The weather has been really warm this week.  And suddenly this morning it is hazing and might rain.  Speaking of haze.  How is the Hayes Family doing?  It looks like you all had a great time in Texas!

Well I hope you have a great week!

I love you all!!!!! Thank you for your prayers and faith!!

-Sister Turner

July 14, 2014

Liebe Family,

Well, I would say judging by the fireworks going off around 11:30 last night, followed by cars honking and people cheering & blowing horns, also knowing that Germans LOVE their quiet hours and would not normally make so much noise, I think it is safe to say that Germany won the World Cup. Whoooooo!!!!

Anyway, this week has been fun. Ha, no worries.  I shower frequently.  In fact sometimes 2 or 3 times a day!  I told Sis Sadler that we are getting really good at multi-tasking Morgensport and showering at the same time as we run in the morning.  Ha, she didn't think it was funny.  The weather has been a little crazy this past week.  On Friday we went from really hot weather and the bus station, to drowning in shower/thunder/lightening storm when we got off the bus at our stop.  Dad, I sing your song anytime I get a little worried, ''Thunder don't scare me, no more'' ;)  It has been an adventure for sure.  Side note, umbrellas do not really help when the rain is coming at you horizontally.  We don't experience crazy weather like Lindsey does that often, so it was fun.

Yesterday I gave a talk in Sacrament Meeting.  I feel like since I got here it has been a little bit of the Sister Turner Show. :/ my first week I introduced myself and bore my testimony, the next week they had me play a musical number (by the way, the youth in this Branch are soooo musically talented, it is awesome!), then Fast and Testimony meeting was last week.  I am happy to help and serve in any way I can.  I also realized that giving a talk in my mother language would be so easy.  (Ha we shall see if I still feel that way in 5 months...)  Naja, I know the Lord helps us overcome our fears and weaknesses as we trust him. Ether 12:27

We are struggling finding new investigators.  We meet some great people, but mostly elderly people who say something along the lines of: you two are so sweet doing what you are doing, I like what you have to say, but I am too old to change and don't want to.  Have a great day.

BAAAA the point of our message is that you can change.  Through the Gospel of Christ you can be healed and start over.  You have REAL and lasting joy and one day live with God, our Father in Heaven again!

Please pray that we will be lead to those who are ready receive us as representatives of Christ and are prepared to take steps towards repentance and baptism so that they can receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

We are also prepping for some big changes within the next transfer. Remember that big mass of missionaries that all left on missions at the same time?  Well, they are all headed home.  So many that we have to do a half transfer.  A lot of areas will be closed.  We will be receiving a really big group of new missionaries in September though.  And....Elder Bednar is coming!!! We are so excited!

Well I hope you all have a fantastic week!! Thank you for the letters, love and prayers.

All my love!!!! :D

Sister Turner

July 7, 2014

Dearest Family,

Whooo, it was a busy week.  On Monday after emails, cleaning, and grocery shopping, we took the car up to Chemnitz.  We spent P-day with the Sister Training Leaders (Sisters Bradshaw & Miller) and the Zone Leaders (Elders Haas & Smith).  Then we had tausch (exchanges.)  Sister Miller and Sister Sadler headed back to Schwarzenberg.  It was so great working with Sister Bradshaw again!  After dinner we RAN to catch our bus, ha-ha memories flooding back.  I didn't realize how much I missed having buses to run for.  Chemnitz is a bit bigger, but not as big as Hamburg or Berlin.  Our appointment Monday night fell out, but we found a new investigator and had a lot of other great conversations.  We also received a bit of an ''aus-chewing'' when we knocked on doors because the Germany soccer game.  Did you know that when Germany scores a goal they shot off something that sounds like a cannon?  It scared me half to death.  Two times.  On Tuesday we got to meet with our new investigator and introduced him to the Elders who are now teaching him.  Then we met back up with our comps in Zwickau (where Pres Uchtdorf grew up).  It’s the business of the big cities.

On Wednesday we brought an investigator to the genealogy display at the church.  She loved it, and then Schw. Richter showed up (just what we had been praying for.)  We wanted these two women to meet.  Schw. Richter bore a powerful testimony of her conversion and how the gospel has changed her life.  The Spirit was so strong.

Thursday we drove back up to Chemnitz for Zone Training Meeting.  WOW!  I learned so much and we have awesome missionaries in this zone.  We talked a lot about working with members and strengthening them.  In my personal experience the investigators that make the most progress have been referrals from members or members of part member families.  It is because they have more support, not just from the missionaries and they feel loved.  So cool!!  I am so excited to be a member missionary.  You have more of an influence on others than you think you do.  Others will see the joy and the blessings you receive as you faithfully live the gospel.  I am so grateful for the awesome examples of members I do and have worked with in Lankwitz, Altona and Shwarzenberg.

Friday HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!!!  Sister Sadler and I were feeling very Patriotic in our Red, White and Blue.  When the Elders saw us they said ''Oh, you look very, French.''  Ha, we didn't realize that on the 4th we were walking around Germany in red, white, and blue the night Germany played against France. Oops, naja :)

We got to celebrate in English class.  We ate ''American'' food (the best was the Chicago Spicy Mustard made in England, purchased in Germany), sang the national anthem, and talked some of our traditions.  Afterward we walked home on our little mountain trail.  It reminded me of y'all up at Blackhawk.

On Sunday we had a great testimony meeting.  I love fast and testimony meeting!  After church we went to visit an investigator who lives by the church.  She wasn't home so we were going over a list of contacts to visit.  Sis S and I were feeling really dehydrated and tired so we took a quick break at the church before heading back out.  We felt like we should go back to the other investigator.  We got there right as she was walking in.  She welcomed us and we had a great lesson.  Another testimony for me is the Lord works in His way and in His time.

I love you!!!!

I hope you all have a great week!

-Sister Turner

June 30, 2014

Dear Family,

It has been a great week.  Schwarzenberg is a branch, much smaller than Lankwitz and Altona.  The members are so fantastic.  This week we have had a Genealogy Display at the church and the church has been open to the public every day from 14-18.  And this is no small display.  Schwester Richter went all out and made it look amazing! I'll send pics.

On Friday we had a Family History Devotional mostly for the members, but a few members brought friends and the neighbors came to take a look.  Schw Richter had asked the missionaries to do a musical number during it.  Surprise!  Ha, well it was for me at least.  Elder Marshall is amazing on the piano, so he played while the four of us sang “As Sisters in Zion/Army of Helaman” in German...  None of us are singers...at all....  

All I can say is that there were definitely angels singing with us, because it went really well and we could all feel the spirit.

Friday morning we rode our bikes to our serving project.  We help at an Elderly Care Center.  Ha-ha that was fun :)  At first it was a little challenging figuring out how to ride a bike in a skirt while being modest.  Don't worry, I finally figured it out!  Sister Sadler is not the biggest fan of biking, but we still practice.  We try to take the bikes up our hill or run up it every other morning for sport.  Liebe Grüße from the Thunder Thigh Sister ;) Ha-ha it's great.

Schwarzenberg is very different from Hamburg and Berlin.  It is a little more difficult to do street contacting because there are not very many people on the streets. We have been doing a lot more door to door, which is not my personal favorite, but it's great.  We are really working on finding new investigators.  Please pray for us and those we meet.

Thank you for the pictures.  It looks like you are having a great summer.  Mom, thank you so much for the package.  It got here on Tuesday.  I really appreciate it!  I'll send you pictures.  The dress looks great and I love the skirt!  Dad, remember how I would make fun of you when you said you were going to ''hike'' over to grandma and grandpas because it was not really a hike.  You should come walk around Schwarzenberg. Anywhere you walk really is a HIKE. I love it, no sarcasm, I really love it!!

Well I hope you all have a fantastic week!!!!

All my love!!!

Sister Turner

June 23, 2014

Dear Family!

Greetings from beautiful Schwarzenberg!  Oh my goodness it is so beautiful here!  I love you all.  The one thing from home that I have really missed are the mountains.  And now I am blessed to serve in one of the only areas in the Berlin Mission with ''mountains''.

Scenery aside, the people and members are great!  On Saturday we had a Staßenausstehlung, or street display.  The members, especially the younger ones, were so great at talking with people and bearing their testimonies.  I am so impressed and strengthened by the members.  Before I was I missionary I was not so willing to openly bear my testimony and especially not to strangers on the street.  The members here love and live the gospel.  They are great examples to all around them.  I am so excited to be here and work with them!

Transfers were kind of crazy.  After I ate my last hamburger in Hamburg I said goodbye to my companion and took a 5-hour train ride with Elder King through Leipzig and then to Zwickau. And I got to go through Berlin!!!!  My new companion is Sister Ashley Sadler from Illinois.  Fun fact about her, she is a quadruplet.  She is two transfers older than me.  She is a little quieter, but so sweet!  I am so excited to get to know her better.  We have been working hard and will continue to do so.  Together our German skills are not the best, but this is the most confidant I have ever felt about speaking the language.  We are being blessed!  

Cool story:  So on Saturday after the street display we had a few appointments.  It has been great getting to know all the investigators and less active members.  We had an appointment out in Lößnitz.  Normally we take the car out there, but that day the Elders had the car.  We took the train and walked, well we ended up getting lost.... ha nothing new for us as missionaries, but we were worried about being late for our appointment.  We prayed for help and then asked directions from the next person we saw.  We didn't get his name, but he was an angel sent to help us!  He walked us to the street we needed and we were able to have a great conversation with him.  At the time he was not interested, but he did take a card and said he would look at mormon.org.  Angles are watching over us and helping us.

So in Berlin and Hamburg we just used bahns and buses and walked everywhere else.  It was also very flat.  Schwarzenberg is very hilly, great for running (oy, I'm very out of shape.)  We share a car with the Elders.  Mom, don't worry about insurance, the church has us covered.  Ha-ha, watching the driver safety video was fun and funny.  We also have bikes.  Guess who needs to learn how to ride a bike while wearing a skirt?  And then we also use trains and buses, but those don't come as often.  

We also are fed very well.  We live very close to most of the members and the church, which is so convenient.  Ha, I am little worried about gaining weight here because we are fed so well and we use the car often.  Sister Sadler and I are trying to run more for Frühsport.  One day we will conquer the hill that we live on!

I love you all so much!!! I hope you have a fantastic week.  Remember how much Heavenly Father loves us and look for the blessing He sends us daily!

Have a fantastic week!!!!

Sister Turner

June 16, 2014

Dear Family!

Oh, I don't think transfers will ever get easier.  Ha, they're a lot like break-ups.  You put your heart and sole (shoe soles) into the area, the members, the investigators and your companionship, and then you're on a 5-hour train ride to the other side of the mission.  And packing is my least favorite thing.  Janae: I feel your pain.  I will really miss Altona and working with Sister Dunlap. We have laughed, cried and worked until we have laughed and cried.  Mostly I will miss the people.  Altona is an awesome ward and miracles are happening here.  I am so blessed to see them every day.

 I'm a little nervous, but also excited for my next area.  I will be serving in Schwarzenberg with Sister Saddler.  We talked for a little bit on Saturday to figure out schedules.  I asked about the transportation we will be using.  I have only served in big cites with great bus and bahn systems. In Schwarzenberg we will be using all forms of transportation: bikes, buses, bahns, cars and walking.  It will be an exciting new adventure.  Ha, it has been a year since I last drove a car.  My last companion, Sister Bradshaw, will be my Sister/Training Leader and we will be going on exchanges.  I can't wait to see her again!

This week has been, kind of crazy.  Monday and Tuesday were thrown off a little because of the holiday.  Wednesday was my last District Meeting in Wilhelmsburg.  But Elder Lowery and King will both be headed to the east with me.  In DM we focused on teaching simply.  It was really cool focusing on just one principle, that God is truly our loving Heavenly Father.  On Saturday we took our 12 year-old recent convert and his friend to Stade to play soccer.  It was so fun!  Sis D might have gotten a little sunburned but we put lavender oil on the situation.  The friend has been very interested and is now reading the Book of Mormon!  That night we had an appointment with an investigator from Ghana and she made us dinner.  Such good food, but soooo much!  We almost missed the bus we needed to get home on time, so we had to run to make it.  Ha, not so easy running with a full stomach.

The sun has been coming up pretty early, about 4:30 am.  Sister Dunlap solved the problem with a trick she learned from living in Alaska.  Two words: tin foil.  Haha, it worked, and it looked really funny from the outside so we took it down.  Naja.  I will miss her.

Yesterday I said good-bye to the ward and bore my testimony.  I think my German was better in the MTC when I gave my first talk last year, than yesterday...

I can't believe how much has changed these past few months and over this last year.  To anyone considering serving a mission, I invite you to pray about it.  It is by far the best decision I have made.  Serving a mission is so hard, but I love it so much.  I am learning and growing every day. I can say without a doubt that I know my Savior lives and loves me, and that has made all the difference.

Thank you for you love and support.  I love the letters and pictures from everyone. Thank you!! Enjoy the mountains and camping for me.  I miss that the most!

All my love!!

-Sister Turner

June 10, 2014

Oh my goodness, has it really been one year?! Time has gone by so quickly. And time for another transfer call this Saturday.

So I am writing today instead of yesterday because yesterday was a holiday and everything was closed.

This week was awesome!

On Tuesday night, we picked up the Osnabrück Sisters who stayed the night with us before Mission Tour (our huge zone conference for half of the mission where a member of the seventy came and spoke). Well after two haircuts and a lot of chatting we finally made it to bed. We learned so much from Elder Dykes! We learned about  developing consistency in being prepared and being positive. Being happy truly is a choice. I am so happy right now. Even with set backs in the work, we are seeing many blessings.

We also preformed a musical number that we didn't have much of a heads up for, thank you Elder Bendixon for volunteering your comp and the Altona Sisters to do a musical number for half of the mission with only two hours to prep and get it together... haha it sounded good, maybe next time we can get a little more practice in.

For P-day we went to a flea market and met so many great people! One person from Eucador wanted a Book of Mormon in Spanish. He had previously met missionaries before. He doesn't live in our area, but we exchanged info and the elders in his area will be meeting with him later this week. He was so excited that we made us bracelets with our names on them.

I am just so grateful to be here. Thank you everyone who helped me be here! I am so grateful for the gospel of Christ and the possibility we have to be with each other for eternity! Dad, Mom, Janae, Jeff, Jack, Sam, Nick, Brad, Merri, JD, Sha, Ben, Cade, and Lindsey. You are the best family in the whole world. I love you all!!!!

Have a great week!!!!

Love!

Sister Turner

June 2, 2014

Dear Family!

Can you believe June is already here?  I can't believe it has been almost a year since I have seen y'all.  The time has been flying by.  One thing that was hard for me was feeling like I could have/should have been a better missionary at the beginning of my mission.

My dear friend Sister Keller told me not to judge myself 6 months ago based on what I now know.  Life is meant to be lived in crescendo.  We are constantly learning new things.  A lot of missionaries are nearing the end of their missions.  Their attitudes have been: I have to sprint for the finish.  That is great, but some are scared to go home because it is ''the end'' I like the analogy of the end of a mission being a springboard for the rest of eternity.  The mission is a very condensed time of spiritual growth and I find myself constantly saying, I am so glad I learned this or that, because I know I will need that as a wife and mother.  I am so grateful to be serving right here, right now.  Heavenly Father truly loves us. I can see evidence of that everyday.

This week we came in contact with and taught an investigator we haven't seen since January.  She is super solid, but because of crazy work schedules, she can only come to church once a week.  Please pray for her.

And Carlos and his mother are amazing missionaries.  They have been inviting everyone they know to church and church activities.  Member missionary, they do out of love, for the gospel and their friends.  Ah, I love this church so much!  People will see the blessings of righteous living; so don't be afraid to share your light and the reason for the hope within you.

I love you all!!!!!  Have a fantastic week!!!

Liebe Grüße

Sister Turner

May 26, 2014

Dear Family,

Wow, summer officially started this week, on May 20th to be exact.  The weather has been so nice and even a little too warm at times, but I love it.  It's warm during the day and cools down at night, and then we have a thunderstorm, crazy wind, and a lot of rain all night.  Then it is beautiful sunny and green the next morning.  I LOVE HAMBURG!  Today after emails and grocery shopping we are going to go sit at the beach by our church.

Yesterday was ward conference.  Everything went so well!  Ha, traveling to church in Germany is so much harder than it was in Orem.  Yesterday was nice.  We didn't have to be at church so early.  Sunday morning for us is getting up at the usual 6:30, getting ready and heading out the door at 7:30, picking up some people and catching our 8:05 bus to the bahn, and then bahn to another bus, and then 5 minute walk to the church.  Haha, I will never complain about it being ''hard'' to get to church, especially when I have a car again.  Ok, ward conference; we had some awesome talks and lessons from members of the ward.  The theme for the stake this year is from 3 Nephi 18, about being a light for the world.  After church we had a ward lunch.  We have some great cooks and it was great talking with so many members and introducing new and less active members to each other.

On Saturday we had an activity with some young single adults in the stake. We went on splits in hopes of meeting with less active YSA.  The appointments fell out so we met with some other people.  Great experience for all involved, we learned a lot and it was fun helping the YSA’s get excited about serving missions and member missionary work.

We are getting ready for the Mission Tour Zone Conference next week by gathering family history info.  I’m sorry it has been so much work for you sending me everything, but I really appreciate it.  There is so much excitement about family history and temple work!  I am so grateful for the gospel!  There is so much peace in knowing that this life is not the end and that we can be together as families for eternity.  I also am so excited to be more involved with family history stuff when I get home.

Thank you for everything!!  I love you all so much!!!!!!!  Have a fantastic weeek!

Liebe GrÜße

Sister Turner