I didn't even realize that I hadn't posted Jaren's weekly letter until my sister pointed that out a couple days ago. It's great having a MUCH younger sister who can think for me when I forget to!! A little late, but you will be able to remember more between this letter and the next letter because they will be posted close together.
Yes, Happy 4th to you all back in the good ole USA! I am glad that you all had a great time. I didn´t really have any other music except for Motabs version of Battle Hymn of the Republic, but I listened to it on Saturday, and me and Elder Stradling (spelled it wrong the first time, d instead of v, oops!) just sat for a few minutes and celebrated. Funny thing though, out of our entire zone, just us four Elders here in Saarbrücken out of 6 companionships, are the only ones not serving in an American area. All of the others are serving on US military bases. So they were all invited to celebrations and dinner appointments, but for us it was just a normal day.
Elder Stradling and I are doing well. He reminds me of me a lot, and we have so much in common personality wise that it is ridiculous! I am really excited to work with him this cycle. He is really young on the mission as well, only starting his third cycle. He is just like me though, he is starting his third cycle here in Saarbrücken, and most likely will be here for a while. He comes from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is one of the youngest in his family. He has a sister just younger than him that is the youngest. He has three older siblings. He has three sisters, two older and one younger, and one brother. Of the two older sisters, one served a mission to the Germany Munich/Austria mission, and his brother served his mission in Spain. All European so far. Makes me wonder where Erik and Tanner will go!
As far as the week goes, it has been busy. We have done a lot of finding time, but haven´t seen much of anything yet. But, it is just work, work, work lately. Our teaching pool isn´t that big, well it hasn´t ever really been large, but it is smaller than it has been, so we are doing everything we can to find more people to teach.
On another note, a miracle did happen this week though, and with Schwester Schmitt! A couple of weeks ago she was in church and they were talking about baptism for the dead and the importance of temples. She just couldn´t bring herself to believe that we could baptize for the dead, and insisted that it didn´t need to be done. So, we talked to her for a while when we meet and gave her scriptures that she could read. Well, she read them, and according to her words read and prayed and pondered almost all night, and then she had an answer come to her as she read 1 Corinthians 15, which talks about the need for baptizing the dead, and a lot about the resurrection. She then told me that she knew that it was all true. Why would Christ and God talk about Eternal life if we couldn´t reach it? She said. Christ gave us the opportunity to live with him because he is resurrected, and then doing baptisms for the dead while it is very important for those who have passed on to have the same opportunity as those who did live on the earth! That was big! She actually received an answer to her prayers on a specific subject, which hasn´t happened before with her, so now it is just keeping it up and to the point that she finds out about the book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. It is just one little step at a time for her though, but I am confident she will make it through, especially after this experience!
We also meet again with Frau Fuchs, the other 84 year old lady that we just recently found. She wasn´t feeling that well when we meet with her, but was still anxious to meet with us again. Last time we meet with her we left her with a copy of the Book of Mormon, and gave her a commitment to read and pray about the chapters we had given her. We asked her right away if she did, to which she said she had. I asked her what she thought about the book, and she told me that she loves it, that it is clearer and more understandable than the bible, and goes more in depth on things that the bible only touches on. WOW! I thought! Not only did she follow through on her commitment, but she already recognizes the Book of Mormon for what it is! We then taught her a second lesson, and afterwards asked her how she felt and what she thought about it. She told us that we explained it clearer and more in depth than anyone else had before. She told us that she had asked several priests, fathers, and such to explain these things more in depth to her, but said that they had told her they either didn´t have time to, or didn´t really understand it themselves. Needless to say, Frau Fuchs has been prepared by the Lord, and she really wants answers to her questions. She is an amazing person! Every time she asks a question she feels bad because she thinks it is too easy for us to want to answer, but she has tried to ask them before and no one could give a direct answer to her!
Now, to make this even better, there is another older Frau that we have been meeting for a while too. Her name is Frau Backes. She is 70 years old, but is confined to a wheel chair, and cannot walk at all because she had a stroke 8 years before. We always go over there every Thursday afternoon and talk with her, sometimes she has cake for us and we eat with her. She is a pianist but can only play with her right hand while her left is not in use because of the stroke. She used to play the organ as well, but cannot because of her stroke. She took several years of organ school and played for a local Catholic Church for a few years. So, in return, I play some songs and hymns for her and my companion and I sing for her, and then we share a spiritual thought or lesson with her. Lately though, she has had a lot of questions on the Plan of Salvation, and what happens when she passes on and what she can expect. To say the least she loves us, and wants to meet you Mom and Dad, sometime. She just can´t believe that parents could send their kids out for two years and to help and teach people love and truth as she puts it. She tells us that she knows we have good parents and really wants to meet you, and even offers her place if you were to come. So, she is a good friend while I´ve been here. So yeah, somehow I have connections with older people for some reason, but I love it!
Well, guess I can answer your questions now:
Q. Okay, not really a question, but you need to tell us all about Elder Stravling. Where is he from? How many brothers and sisters? How long a member? How are you getting along?
A. So, like I said, he comes from New Mexico. He has three sisters and one brother, and he is the second to the youngest. Life long member, and we are getting along great!
Q. How has the week gone? What does your teaching pool look like right now?
A. I guess I have already answered this one, but we are working on getting it higher.
Q. Did you even give a thought to our Independence Day? I thought of you all day and especially today at church when we sang "Battle Hymn of the Republic." Man, you could rock the house with that song!
A. I did think about it, but I was reminded that it was the 4th about three times, and then on the 4th. I almost forgot though! Sad, but that is what happens when I have no connection to the world and such!
Q. How many in your zone stayed through the last transfer? Where is Elder Norton? Where is Elder Brown? Where is Elder White?
A. Only three new elders came to our zone this cycle. Elder Norton went to Wetterau to be Zone Leader with Elder Kramer, my former DL in Hanau! Elder Brown went to Langen, up by Frankfurt, and Elder White came back to the south, but I forgot where.
I hope that you all have a wonderful week and wish you all the best!
Gott Segne Euch!
Your son/brother
Elder Smith
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