Jaren's Christmas finally arrives!

Yes, Jaren finally received his Christmas package.  Better late than never, I suppose!  Wow, what a joke trying to get it to him.  We first tried the USPS.Iit made it through customs in good time, but for some reason, someone along the way tacked fees onto it, so they were waiting to find Jaren at home so he could sign for it but most importantly pay the fees (20 Euro).  We really couldn't get any info from Germany or the USPS here.  The lady at the Deutsche Post told Jaren we need to put "missionary supplies" on the customs form for its contents and the postmaster here told me it would never leave the country with that written on it. It eventually found its way back to us.  Fifty dollars wasted! 

Steve decided he was going to use UPS or FedEx because it would be better for tracking and they are better than the post office!  Mmmhmm. . . NOT!  We paid through the nose to have it shipped last Tuesday 2nd day air.  We now have paid more to have that darn package shipped than the value of the package contents!  By Friday last week we could tell it was being held up somewhere, because AGAIN it cleared customs but someone somewhere along the way tacked more fees on it for Jaren to pay to receive it. . . to the tune of about $145! It showed that it cleared customs but couldn't be delivered because of fees and taxes that were added.  They were waiting to catch Jaren at home so they could collect from him.  Thus, they couldn't leave the package.  Same problem we had with the post office.  Hello, missionaries are never home! Okay, by this time Steve was VERY frustrated!  He was dealing with this on the phone with the kids in the car while in blue tooth hands-free mode so the kids were hearing the conversation. Steve dropped the package off at a UPS store.  Are you aware that UPS is not affiliated with UPS stores?!?  We learned the hard way!  He called UPS international and they were pointing the finger at the UPS store, which is not affiliated with them.  Steve let the guy know that they need to put that disclaimer under the name of UPS stores. . . "UPS Store. . . not affiliated with UPS."  I guess the UPS stores are franchises. We finally figured out that someone (probably the UPS store) entered a code wrong and it showed that the package was being shipped from some events center somewhere.  What the heck?  We had to conference us, the UPS store and international UPS to finally get it figured out.  Each one kept pointing the finger at the other and weren't very good with their customer service.  UPS international was actually pretty good.  They were the ones that finally figured out the mystery.  Steve demanded that he be given a discount (at the very least, the difference between regular shipping and 2nd day air) if not a full refund! 

Imagine my excitement when Steve brought the tracking info to me late last night and it showed the package DELIVERED! Wooooooohoooooo!  I was beginning to think that maybe he would just receive it by his birthday in June, then both Christmas and birthday would be covered!

Thanks for letting me release my frustration about the whole thing.  Now, on with the letter.

Dear Familie!

 

First off, again to mom and dad. Well, I looked up the tracking info that dad sent me. I guess I can go to the center here in Saarbrücken and see if it is there. Supposedly it has been there for the past two days now, so it might be a good idea to check it out. Still, it looks a whole lot more promising than last time. Still confused. I just talked to Sister Ninow yesterday at zone conference, and she said that the whole thing was very strange. We both decided that from the description you gave me of the contents, it should have had no problem. Whatever. And I´m very grateful, and my goodness, you sent it by UPS!!! Now I feel bad because that little package I sent you with the chocolate would have cost me 110 dollars to send to you from Hanau! Let alone this package you are sending me is not as light as that one! Actually, I don´t know for sure, but, you have more options for sending from America than I do here. Here the only option I have is expedited. It is terrible!

 

Anyway, the week has gone by very well. It has been a little difficult, but that is just the way it goes sometimes. But, I love it here in Saarbrücken and wouldn´t mind staying here longer. Yes, Elder Taylor leaves in just under four weeks, but he is still going strong and trying not to think about it. He wants to finish out strong and be the best missionary he can be. I have great respect for him. I have seen so many missionaries that just die in their last cycle and just stop working because they have had enough, and it is really sad to see that. It should be a time when you are the best you have ever been. You are the most experienced and have learned a lot over the last two years.

 

Not much happened this last week, but we did have Zone Conference yesterday. It was absolutely amazing! We talked about goal setting. President told us that too many missionaries, too many people in the world set goals that are wishful thinking, and never accomplish them. He told us that any number goal that we set needs to have a person attached to it, or in real life or the world, something that you can either see, hold, or do, to accomplish that goal. Too many people set goals that are wishful thinking, and even writing them down isn´t enough. If there is no way to accomplish that goal, then why set it in the first place? Mainly, the theme was on accountability, but goal setting and accomplishing go right along with it. It would be a good FHE lesson to use from the Preach My Gospel copy you have, Chapter 8 if you wanted to know! (Holly!)

 

President also started a new gospel mastery program that includes the mastery of the language, the Quad, Preach My Gospel, memorization of scripture and all sorts of things that a missionary in the mission should accomplish while here. There is a basic level to be completed while in the first four months, an advanced level to be completed by 6 months, an expert level to be completed in 8-9 months, and a mastery level to be completed in 12 months. You get a certificate from president once you complete each level and one when you complete them all. There is also a Master´s Thesis Challenge, after you have completed these first four. You have to develope it on your own, and it has to take you through the rest of your mission. You have to have it approved by the Assistants and the President before you start it, and give your report to President when you finish it. Then, on top of that, there is the 501 verb challenge. There is a book called "501 German Verbs" you learn 3 verbs a day, past (imperfect and perfect) and present of each verb. After ten days you quiz yourself. After 20, you pass it off with your district leader. You get 8 signatures total, so 1 signature per 60 words learned, 480 total, and then the last one comes from President Ninow. It sounds pretty cool huh? Well, this was the new plan he has for all the new and incomming missionaries. He asked how many would support the new program. Then one Elder asked if he could do it, even though he was already at his year mark. President smiled and said, "okay, how many of you would like to do it?" All hands went up! He then looked at us and smiled again, "good, I thought so. That is why I have a copy of the plan and everything you need to do with me today!" Well, I am starting this plan, and it truly is inspired. I had a great morning study today, one of the best that I have ever had, and loved it. It all ties in with goal setting though. You take the large goal to be accomplished in two years, break it down into months, then weeks, and then by days. I think we should be masters once we´re finished with this. You´d think anyway!

 

Our investigators are doing well. Bassam is working on getting a handle of things in his life, and so we have stopped meeting with him as often. He has been an example to me, because of the things that he struggles with, to keep moving forward. Ljube, I just don´t know. We pray for him everyday that he might have a desire to change and start turning his life around. He is a great man, but is dealing with a lot of things right now, as you´ve heard. We do have three new investigators though, Stefan, who I think I told you about and William and Charity, the preacher guy. That lesson went incredibly well. We had no idea that his sister would be there. She is 45 and deathly ill. She has some kind of life-threatening illness, most likely cancer, that has made her look like she is 80 years old. It has changed her completely from youthful to death. It is very sad. We went in there with a first lesson planned, but immediately felt prompted to go into a second lesson, The Plan of Salvation. The spirit was so strong! Charity was paying close attention, and was always asking a lot of really good questions. We answered all of them! The spirit truly does guide us and help us right in the moment we need it!

 

Now with the questions

Q.  How was Zone Conference?

A.  Good if you can´t tell! Actually, it was AMAZING as always!

 

Q.  Do you find people home on Sundays and are they willing to answer the door and let you in?

A.  Most people are around on Sundays. If you remember, all the stores close on Sunday, which is very nice. No one is out. They are all at home. SO, it makes it very easy to go and find people at home to teach. Usually, we are not let in, but when we are, it is usually a good sign that they want to know more. It has happened to me quite a few times, not as much here in Saarbrücken as in Hanau, but it still happens.

 

Q.  How old was the man who told you he hated Americans?  That was pretty gutsy of him.  I would never say that to a person from another country while they were here. (I would hope I wouldn't, anyway!)

A. Oh, he was probably 35 and most likely a Neo-Nazi. He had a jacket on that pretty much said that about him. Didn´t know that until I looked and saw the back of it. He said it to me in perfect English too. It was weird.  

 

Q.  Does the new guy you are teaching know about the law of tithing?  You just mentioned that he knew the Catholic church wasn't true because all they wanted was money.  I smiled when I read that:)

A.  Yes, but he told us that all they wanted was to take money. They don´t do it according to the Bible. So he is okay with tithing, but not with the way the catholic church is doing things. Or any other church for that matter.

 

Q.  I'm sure everything will work out with Bassam just the way Heavenly Father intends it to work out.  Does he live on his own?

A.  Hopefully it will. He does live on his own, and has for a few years now. Don´t know how long that might last though. His mental sickness has gotten worse over the years and he just wants help with it. We pray that he can find it.

 

Well, Hopefully you all have a good week! I pray for you all the time, and thanks for your prayers for me! They really do help!

 

Gott Segne Euch!

Ihre Sohn,

Elder Smith