A Great Week In Germany

I haven't been able to blog much since being back in school, but I do like to keep Jaren's letters posted on here. Sorry it has taken me so long to get it on here--it's been a crazy couple of weeks! I love that the letters are always so inspiring.

Dear Familie,

Wow, it has been an incredible week here in Germany! But before I go into that, thanks for checking on those things. Also thanks for the pictures, I´ll try to remember to send pictures, but I can´t do it with the computer because I don´t have a camera cord with me, so I´ll try to send it through the mail. I am always just a little leery of that though. I fear that it will get lost, and hundreds of photos will be lost forever! So I´ll see what I can do.

Sakina is doing fine, but her baptismal date was scheduled for the 28, not the 21 due to stake conference. She is still not ready for it on that date either, but will do her best to find a date that works for her in March. She is still doing fine and has regained contact with her oldest daughter in the last week after nearly three months of not talking to each other. She is moving forward at a good speed, and I´m not concerned about if she will be baptized, it is only a matter of when.

But, like I said at the beginning, it has been an incredible week for Germany in the History of the Church. We had a Regional Stake Conference, broadcast from the Stake Building in Tiergarten Berlin, and President Kopischke, President Texira, Sister Thompson and President and Sister Uchtdorf all spoke. In the conference we heard things like the following: "We need to learn by the Holy Ghost so that we can become more united in our efforts to move the church along in this part of the world, and to gain insights we otherwise couldn´t. We can start by the small and simple things like visiting the sick, visiting and inviting those who are less active, giving pass along cards or praying for those in need. These are acts of charity and 'whosoever is found possesed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.` This is the day that the church will rise again in Europe specifically here in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland." -Elder Texira.

I was also surprised to here Sister Thompson speak in German! She served her mission in the Germany Hamburg Mission thirty-five years ago! She gave a wonderful talk as well, and so did Sister Uchtdorf. Then came the best part of the conference. President Uchtdorf talked in German for 45 minutes! He gave a very powerful address to the people in the most blunt language I have heard him speak. He started out after his introduction by saying "Brothers and Sisters, this morning, just before this meeting, we have rededicated the land of Germany and consecrated it again for missionary work. Be One! When we are one, we can achieve unity in this work!" He then explained that every ward in Germany, Austria and Switzerland will have one set of missionaries, and that because the members need to be more involved in the finding process and the elders in their teaching. The days of 8 missionaries for one ward are over! He literally said to the members to go out and find them, not just colleges at work, (not sure what this means) but everyone! He then explained to those present in the conference that "This is a sign that we are strengthening our forces so that we can be more self reliant and supported by the saints in our own land." He also said "We need to be selfless, that is the spirit of missionary work! We are all always on a mission! " I can´t begin to tell you how I felt. The land the people seemed different when we came in to that meeting then when we left. I felt like I was on new soil! The land, not just east Germany, had been dedicated as a whole Germany for the first time since the World War´s, back in the 1850´s. Now it is it´s own land, and strong, and has been redidicated! It was an experience that I will never forget. Also, it was the first time in the History of the Church that the President of the European area is German, and spoke to his people in his own tounge, as well as a member of the First Presidency, who is also German, do the same, in the same meeting. The spirit like I said, was incredible, and everyone was silent when President Uchtdorf spoke!

I also got this email this morning from President Ninow, and what he experienced. I thought you would also find this amazing and interesting. He was there personally. This is what he wrote:

Dear Elders and Sisters,

This last weekend was a very special for me and for the members in Germany. I had the privilege of attending the special regional stake conference in Berlin with President Uchtdorf and it was amazingly spiritual for me, my heart burned within me all weekend. We not only we able to attend the stake conference, but we had a special training session with him where he instructed the mission presidents, temple presidents and area seventy from Germany. The spirit was powerful and again, the spirit testified very strongly to my heart and mind that he is truly a prophet and special witness of Christ. I know that he is a prophet and apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Then, early Sunday morning I was blessed to attend the Dedication of Germany by president Uchtdorf for the proclaiming of the gospel and building up of the kingdom of God here. There is no recorded dedication for Germany. Orson Hyde said some prayers while he was traveling through the region on his way to dedicate the Holy land, but no recorded dedication and Germany at that time wasn’t a country in the form it is now. The only other recorded dedication was for the Dresden Mission by President Monson in 1975. So Germany as a whole especially as it is now constituted has never been dedicated before.

It was a beautiful crisp and clear morning and the spirit was strong and tender. What a special moment for Germany and especially that President Uchtdorf was given the assignment to do the dedication. What a great day for the German saints and for the future of this country. It was a beautiful dedicatory prayer. On several occasions this last weekend, President Uchtdorf talked about this being the dawning of a new day for the gospel being spread throughout Germany.

The spirit was powerful. It was an historical and sacred moment. I wish I could convey what I felt in my heart. Elders and Sisters, we must each go forward with a new commitment and dedication to the Lord to do His work with a renewed and expanded faith and with an increased energy and excitement. I felt more powerfully this last weekend the need to have more urgency in accomplishing the Lords work. Please dedicate yourselves personally to your Savior and sanctify yourself and give Him everything you have. I love you and pray for you. May you hears be filled with the spirit of the Lord and may you find great Joy as you serve him and strive to bring his Children here back to him. The German people are a great people, they have been lost, it is time for them to be found.

We love you,

President Ninow

Aside from that, we had a pretty good week. We found more investigators this week, well, one, but we have been doing well. We have several people that we are teaching. So much has changed! We have a baptism on Saturday for Udo Schmitz. He is 39, was active in the Catholic Church, and last week, just renounced his membership before his bishop. His mother thinks he is going to Hell for it, has literally ignored him, and his colleagues show him anti-Mormon things at work constantly. He is engaged to a member in our ward, and they are an amazing family. But wow, I can´t tell you the stories I have seen from those who have been baptized since I have been here. Almost all have been through severe persecution by todays standards, as they have made the decission to join the church. But we are excited to have another Baptism here on Saturday nonetheless! He has been taught by Elder Lofthouse and Schirner for the past 6 months with his finance by his side the whole way.

I guess I will try to answer your questions for the week, we´ll see how I do!

Q. How did interviews with President go?
A. They went very well. I have really come to love President Ninow. It was very hard for me at the beginning of the mission to find out what to do in interviews. I figure that most mission presidents have something prepared for the missionaries, but more often than not, President has left it up to us to ask him the questions that are in our hearts, and in the end, I have had some very spiritual experiences with him.

Q. Does Sakina have a baptismal date set?
A. No, but we are having her pray about one for March sometime. She is still very excited, and has a lot more will power behind herself right now.

Q. Have you received your Valentine package?
A. I did, and Elder Heller says thankyou for the Reeses! Boy does he love peanut butter! He goes through about a jar in a week!

Q. Have you not used your music much in that ward?
A. Oh, I have! Everyweek! No one can play the piano really, and the ones that did, have problems seeing because they are old. The bishopric asked me if I could play every week that I am here until I go! So I have for several months now. It seems like that has been a part of my mission experience for me. I have done it in every single ward I have served in, and have even taught some people at the beginning of my mission. I don´t have time to practice because of the work I have to do, and the Lord has blessed me a lot on that end. I see the song and just sit down and play. I have no time!

Well, I should probably be going now, but I wish you all well. This work is true! I love every minute of it! Even in the bad times, as I look back, I see how much I have learned, and I am grateful for it! It just seems like my experience is constantly getting better and better! I just love it here, and I am so happy for the people here!

Mit Voller Liebe,

Ihre Sohn, Elder Smith