Week Twenty-Three

This week was long, and not very full. We kinda had a slow week this week, the christmas season is starting, and so alot more people are busy.  But we did have a lot of opportunity to do service and knock on doors.  I have to say, I have found something worse than -30 degrees, 30 degrees and humid.... It is just misserable when you freeze down to the bone.  But walking up stairs keeps us fairly warm.  We pretty much walk to the moon and back everyday, keeping me from getting fat :) 

 

This week, I have to say was hard.  It was the first week that I have looked back on the week, and just thought... HARD.  I knew that a mission wasn't always going to be easy, but what I didn't expect was the type of difficulty that we faced this week.  It is hard for me to watch people reject something that I know will help them so much.  There is so much happiness and hope to be found through out message, but there is not even a desire in most people to even try.  It was especially hard this week.  I am not saying that I am getting discouraged, because that is defiantly not the case, but it just kinda sunk into today that missionary work, is just that, work.  But it is a work full of joy.  

 

Elder Olson is having fun here in germany, we spend a good couple days doing doors (ringed a couple thousand klingles), but still manages to keep his spirits high.  It has been a delight to work with him and see how the Lord prepared Hagen for him.  We have also had the opportuntiy to do lots of service.  This week alone, we moved 2 washing machienes, 2 refrigerators, and a diswasher.  Along with an entire household.  Apparently here in germany, when people move, then take everything... like cabinets and kitchen counters.  Weird....

 

The big news of the week here in Hagen is SNOW!!!  We had the first snow fall this week, and I have heard (not been there yet), but there is accumulation in Lüdensheid.  I am so excited. 

 

I don't have much more to add about the week, we had a lot of time to knock on doors this week, (had a guy come naked to the door, and a guy almost sick his dog on us...   fun fun fun) but I did want to close this email with a spiritual thought. 

 

It comes out of Matthew 4.  I was doing some studying, and reading some talks and there was something that I really liked.  The Joseph Smith Translation of this verse, changing the meaning in a very significant way.  In the original text, the Lord, is ministered to by angels, but in the translation, the Lord send angels away.  This takes place after an increadible trial in the Lord's life, He had just fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, and been tempted by the devil 3 times.  But in this time of extreem trials, he never once thought of Himself, but rather turned outward and ministered unto others.  He knew that John was in prision and was in need, so he took this opportunity to serve.  The Savior is the ultimate exaple of service, but what I find increadible is that in an instance when most people would turn inward,  the Savior turns outward. 

 

Viele Liebe, 

 

Elder Blackley