Jaren's letter: week of June 2, 2009

Thanks, Cristi, for letting me know Jaren's letter from last week was missing. I guess I forgot to post it while trying to get all the graduation and baseball pics posted before going to Florida and getting everything ready to go. It's always a rush to get everything ready before leaving town, especially if you are leaving some of the family behind and need to get instructions printed out for whoever is in charge of them while we are gone. I'm not sure there are ANY instructions for the 14 year old. . . he and grandma survived, though, so that's good!

Here's the letter for the week, just in time for the next letter to be posted!

Dear Familie,
It has been a crazy week that´s for sure! More on that later, but first I´d like to thank you all for the pictures in the last email, and to wish Mom and Dad a happy Anniversary today! Can´t believe it! WOW! And, also, to thank you for the birthday package as well, I got that yesterday at Zone Conference, so that was great, thanks for everything! One question though, who did the pillow case? Thanks for the pictures of holly and for her announcement, It still doesn´t seem real to me, now I really feel old, it feels like yesterday that I graduated, but now it has been two years since.  Thanks for all of the baking things too. I had to laugh at the way it was in there. First I pulled out the candles, then the frosting, and then the cake, but not just any cake, a German Chocolate Cake! Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant! (thanks for noticing, Jaren!)
Anyway, like I said, not much has happened lately. We have had some investigators Tschuß us, or say bye to us, so we have had much more finding time as of lately. Still though, we have plenty to do. The top thing this week and for the next couple of weeks is getting William and Charity ready for Baptism. Charity is still working on a few things, but William is pretty much there. The only problem he has left is coming to every meeting. He has come to all three a couple of times, but mainly to sacrament meeting. He is ready for baptism in his head, but he is still working it out with his actions. I love him a lot though, and he is a very amazing person. I have learned a lot from him, especially how simple life can be, and yet to be happy with your life at the same time. It has been difficult for him though being here with Charity. He has been here for the last eight years helping her, and hasn´t had enough money to go back to Ghana and see his wife and kids. He talks to his kids all the time, but he feels burdened because he can´t see them and wants to be there for them. He wants to bring them to Germany because the opportunities are better. Yet at the same time, it is very difficult for a foreigner to get approval from the German government to work here and then to bring their family here.  Amazingly and miraculously William got approval from the Government to work here. He had been waiting for the renewal for several months, but it wasn´t a guarantee that he could stay here in Germany, or that he would receive the permission to work here. He received both. He was soooo Happy!!!! And we were very happy for him!

We did a review with him with what we have taught, and went through what the Baptismal Interview would be like. He did great like I said, and afterwards we had him bear his testimony. Now that was something I will never forget. He said “I know that what you have said is true. There isn´t any doubt. All it has done for me has been good. I have learned about things that I have done in my life that weren´t good (referring to coffee and black tea), and I have made it better. I am so grateful for what you have brought to me!” It was really short and simple. He did bear his testimony on all the questions  such as a prophet and on Joseph Smith, and Repentance. They were all really good. I love this work and everything about it.

To go along with that story comes another one as Elder Brown and I were doing doors not too far away from our place. We were doing doors, and got to the end of this little alleyway and klingled this door. This older lady came to the door, and we just started to talk to her about the Book of Mormon. She then started to ask questions and such, and then brought up something on death, and not knowing for sure what will happen after death. We asked her if she had a few minutes to talk about that. She said “On a Friday Night! Don´t you have Girl friends? Aren´t you married? Don´t you have better things to do?” To which we replied, well, that is why we are here, to teach you! We have given two years of our lives so that we can teach and talk to people about these questions like the one you have! She then said, “Kommen Sie heir ein!” meaning, come on in! It was a really cool experience. We talked to her about the Book of Mormon, the Prophet Joseph Smith, and about life after death. We topped it with faith and how we can´t see what is coming, but we have faith that what is said will come.  At the end of the lesson, she said, “Danke Mein Herrn!” Thank you my gentlemen! Which is just about the most polite thing you can say to someone that you aren´t really close friends with.  Elder Brown and I came out convinced that the Lord truly does love all his children.  She was grateful for the message and invited us back anytime. She wasn´t really interested in changing though, but was grateful none the less, and a very firm believer in Christ. It is always good to actually see someone who really does live their religion rather than follow a tradition.

Well, I guess I can answer your questions now:
Q.  Where did Elder White end up after transfers?  Where are some of your mission friends?
A.  Well, he ended up just about as far north as you can go. He ended up in Wesel, which is about 50 to 60 kilometers north of Düsseldorf. He has the Northern most area of the mission. So he went from one of the furthest South to the furthest North. He had a nice 10 hour transfer day! Didn´t have much else happen in the district. I don´t know if you remember Elder Devonas, but he is from my first area, and came with me from the MTC. He is now in my Zone for Zone Conference. Almost everyone from my first district is now in the Southern Zones, and I saw most of them yesterday at Zone Conference. Lots of fun!

Q.  I'm guessing you had a holiday over the weekend?  Do you have another coming up this weekend?  What are they?
A.  Yes, it was Pfingsten, or Pentacost? I´m not quite sure, but everything was closed for Sunday, which is normal, and Monday. So, going to Zone conference was a lot of fun. I had to wake up a 5:45 and be showered and out the door by 7:00 because we had to walk for half and hour to get to the Straßenbahn. Because it was a holiday, the buses don´t even start going until 8:30! It is a pain! Anyway, we made it, but it was a lot of travel. We have another holiday on the 11 of June, but I´m not quite sure what that one is either. Outside of that though, we don´t have anymore holidays until the middle of August.

Well, I hope that you all have a wonderful week and that you enjoy your trips and such. By the way, where is Holly going for her graduation trip? Florida? Sounds like fun whatever it is! Travel safe! And as my Seminary Teachers always said “God loves you and so do I!”

I love you all,

Your Son/Brother,
Elder Smith