Sent: Monday, December 26, 2011 3:44 AM
Subject: Frohe Weihnacten!!!
Subject: Frohe Weihnacten!!!
Meine Familie,
Tis the Season!!! It really has been a great one!!! So many wonderful things happened this week and I want to share them all, but they are just jumping around my head and so I need to get them sorted. First of all...Last Monday was really fun..We went to visit Sch. Lehman, she is the Relief Society President. We spent the evening with her and also watched the Nativity movie. It is the one that is not made by the church and I think it came out a few years ago. Anyways, it was very good and it was my first time seeing it...and we watched it in German and so I am glad I can understand German..haha. It was a very nice evening and she gave us a gift...We have receieved a bit of gifts from members...I think it is funny though because usually it is chocolate and nylons/tights or it is chocolate and body wash. I think I am supplied now for the rest of my mission. lol.
Anyways, Tuesday was a really fun day...we got up early and traveled to Frieberg so we could go to the temple. There was snow in Freiberg...I was kind of thinking I would get away from seeing snow this year, but at least there is no snow in Cottbus. It was very wonderful and I love going to the temple. It is for sure a special opportunity as a missionary. I decided to do the session in German this time and it was a spiritual experience for me. In fact, everything for me is German because I feel my English getting worse every day. That evening we got back to Cottbus and visited Chrys, he is the one that we are teaching German to. He invited us over for dinner and made us yummy african food...kind of spicy, but it was so good. I am not used to hot and spicy food any more because Germans do not eat spicy food.
Tis the Season!!! It really has been a great one!!! So many wonderful things happened this week and I want to share them all, but they are just jumping around my head and so I need to get them sorted. First of all...Last Monday was really fun..We went to visit Sch. Lehman, she is the Relief Society President. We spent the evening with her and also watched the Nativity movie. It is the one that is not made by the church and I think it came out a few years ago. Anyways, it was very good and it was my first time seeing it...and we watched it in German and so I am glad I can understand German..haha. It was a very nice evening and she gave us a gift...We have receieved a bit of gifts from members...I think it is funny though because usually it is chocolate and nylons/tights or it is chocolate and body wash. I think I am supplied now for the rest of my mission. lol.
Anyways, Tuesday was a really fun day...we got up early and traveled to Frieberg so we could go to the temple. There was snow in Freiberg...I was kind of thinking I would get away from seeing snow this year, but at least there is no snow in Cottbus. It was very wonderful and I love going to the temple. It is for sure a special opportunity as a missionary. I decided to do the session in German this time and it was a spiritual experience for me. In fact, everything for me is German because I feel my English getting worse every day. That evening we got back to Cottbus and visited Chrys, he is the one that we are teaching German to. He invited us over for dinner and made us yummy african food...kind of spicy, but it was so good. I am not used to hot and spicy food any more because Germans do not eat spicy food.
Wednesday we went and visited Anne. She is the one from Hungary. She is so wonderful and she feels the spirit so strong...in fact her kids do not speak English or German and we speak English to Anne because she does not really know German. The last time we were there we watched the Restoration with Anne, but they do not have it in Hungarian, and so Anne was translating some for her two little children..they are 5 and 3 years old...and her little girl was so curious about what was going on and Anne told us that after we had watched that film her little girl kept asking her, as she was going to bed, to tell her the story again about what happened in the film and so, Anne got to tell her the story of Joseph Smith again. It is really cool. We also met with Ram, the Russian guy. It was really good because when we showed up, the man's son was there and he spoke German and so we talked to him some and we found out a little bit more about Ram. The son had to leave though and so we called Sch. Lehman because her son-in-law was in town for Christmas and had served a mission in Russia and so he came over and we had a good appointment.
Thursday we visited Monika. She is a friend of a couple members in our ward and is atheist...we met with her once before and she is interested to learn more...mainly because she is curious about what her friends believe. She is really sweet and we gave her the Joy to the World DVD last time and so she waited for us to watch it and so that is what we did on Thursday...we also cooked lunch together and made a cake..it was really fun. We also gave her the Book of Mormon and told her the real way to find out what her friends believe and live for is through this book. She agreed to take it. She does not have a real interest in the church, but we are still going to drop by and see her every once in awhile. We also went to visit David, he is like 17. I was sad though because he told me that he is moving after New Years. He is an atheist,but has so much potential. He is moving a little more down south and I asked him if he would like the missionaries there to visit him..he seemed still interested with it. I will miss that kid. Also, on Thursday, we had an appointment with Chi-yu. We are just reading through the Book of Mormon because he wants to try to put it all together before he finds out if it really is true. . . it was funny though because I ask Chi-yu almost every time to be baptized. Well, we had a little bit of time left and I asked him if he wanted to play Hang man and he guessed it....I wrote "Be Baptized." He laughed, but at least he knows our intentions as missionaries.
Friday...oh my. We traveled to Görlitz for District meeting and while together we listened to transfer calls as a district...there I found out that I would be training a Golden. . . ahhh...I am training this transfer. I am nervous, but excited at the same time. It is funny because exactly a year ago I left the MTC and flew into Germany and now I am the one picking up my Golden. I am traveling to Berlin tomorrow and then on Wednesday I will do some Finding with the new missionaries. Then, Thursday we will have Golden Conference and I will find out who my companion is. I am really nervous to train, but I know that the Lord is with me and I am going to do my best to help this new missionary. I know that being a missionary is a lot of fun...it is hard, but totally worth it.
Anyways, afterwards we headed back to Cottbus and visited Frau Baruk. Sister Olsen was sad to say goodbye because she is getting transferred. This was Sister Olsen's very first city and so I know that it is hard leaving your first area, but the mission only gets better once you move on to new things. I feel myself progress the most when a change happens. We watched Joy to the World with Frau Baruk and then we went and caught a train to Forst because we were going to join the Elders there and the young single adults and go caroling at a Nursing home. It was a lot of fun.
Thursday we visited Monika. She is a friend of a couple members in our ward and is atheist...we met with her once before and she is interested to learn more...mainly because she is curious about what her friends believe. She is really sweet and we gave her the Joy to the World DVD last time and so she waited for us to watch it and so that is what we did on Thursday...we also cooked lunch together and made a cake..it was really fun. We also gave her the Book of Mormon and told her the real way to find out what her friends believe and live for is through this book. She agreed to take it. She does not have a real interest in the church, but we are still going to drop by and see her every once in awhile. We also went to visit David, he is like 17. I was sad though because he told me that he is moving after New Years. He is an atheist,but has so much potential. He is moving a little more down south and I asked him if he would like the missionaries there to visit him..he seemed still interested with it. I will miss that kid. Also, on Thursday, we had an appointment with Chi-yu. We are just reading through the Book of Mormon because he wants to try to put it all together before he finds out if it really is true. . . it was funny though because I ask Chi-yu almost every time to be baptized. Well, we had a little bit of time left and I asked him if he wanted to play Hang man and he guessed it....I wrote "Be Baptized." He laughed, but at least he knows our intentions as missionaries.
Friday...oh my. We traveled to Görlitz for District meeting and while together we listened to transfer calls as a district...there I found out that I would be training a Golden. . . ahhh...I am training this transfer. I am nervous, but excited at the same time. It is funny because exactly a year ago I left the MTC and flew into Germany and now I am the one picking up my Golden. I am traveling to Berlin tomorrow and then on Wednesday I will do some Finding with the new missionaries. Then, Thursday we will have Golden Conference and I will find out who my companion is. I am really nervous to train, but I know that the Lord is with me and I am going to do my best to help this new missionary. I know that being a missionary is a lot of fun...it is hard, but totally worth it.
Anyways, afterwards we headed back to Cottbus and visited Frau Baruk. Sister Olsen was sad to say goodbye because she is getting transferred. This was Sister Olsen's very first city and so I know that it is hard leaving your first area, but the mission only gets better once you move on to new things. I feel myself progress the most when a change happens. We watched Joy to the World with Frau Baruk and then we went and caught a train to Forst because we were going to join the Elders there and the young single adults and go caroling at a Nursing home. It was a lot of fun.
Yeah, and then finally!!! Christmas Eve..or in German, Heilige Abend which means... Holy Night. It was was fun day. We went to church because here in Germany every religion has a thing called Weihnactandacht...which means Christmas thought..It is an hour long and our ward put on a program of some musical numbers and a Chrismtas thought.Then we went with a couple members to visit Sch. Lehman because she had to work. She works at this care home for really old people with disabilities (like Neil). We sang a song and it was so special to me because I was brought back to thinking about Neil and that I got to spend a moment with these very special spirits on this Holy night. We then headed to the Ritter's home where I got to skype y'all (my family). It was fun seeing y'all and talking to y'all. It was also weird at the same time..I have not seen y'all for over a year. But while I was talking to you, Santa came and visited the little Ritter Boys, who are 2 and 4. I wish I got to see it, but in Germany I found out that it is tradition that Santa Clause comes and delivers the presents on Christmas eve and you get to open them. So while I was talking to y'all in the other room I guess Santa dropped by and brought the boys their presents and they opened them and then Santa left. Br. Seidl is the grandpa of these boys and he was the one that dressed up like Santa Clause and came and brought them the presents...So someone literally shows up dressed like Santa and brings the presents on Christmas Eve while the children are still awake and they open them that night. That is fun...afterwards...I went over to the Seidls home where we got our presents from them and Sch. Münch and we had a traditional Christmas eve dinner... which is brotwurst, potatoes, and saur kraut...that is typically what Germans eat on Christmas eve and then we had a dessert.
On Christmas day ....we woke up and opened our presents from our family and...thank you very much for the gifts. I like them and the clothes fit great. We then went to church for one hour and to the Schults and Bruder Gröschke came as well. It was wonderful. It is tradition on Christmas in Germany to go to church and then have a Christmas meal. It is traditional for the majority of German families to have goose and so I ate goose for the very first time and it was really good. We also had rot cole and potatoes and then a dessert. It was very yummy and delicious. On this day you are just with your families and it is a relaxing day and you have your big Christmas meal.
German actually has three days of Christmas...Christmas eve, and then day one, and two...Today is actually day two and we are going over to a members home for that. . . which is another big German Christmas meal and just relaxing. It is nice. I am excited!!! Anyways... I wish everyone a very merry christmas and I really do know that Christ was born of the virgin Mary and that he is the Son of God. I know that Christ is my Saviour and older brother...he sacrificed for me and for all the children on the earth. I am so grateful to be a missionary at this time and serve my Lord. This is His church and the way. I am grateful to bring God's children unto him. I love y'all and I will be getting my packages mailed tomorrow...I have one that is just books and the other one is some random things....so be watching for them...
I love y'all!
On Christmas day ....we woke up and opened our presents from our family and...thank you very much for the gifts. I like them and the clothes fit great. We then went to church for one hour and to the Schults and Bruder Gröschke came as well. It was wonderful. It is tradition on Christmas in Germany to go to church and then have a Christmas meal. It is traditional for the majority of German families to have goose and so I ate goose for the very first time and it was really good. We also had rot cole and potatoes and then a dessert. It was very yummy and delicious. On this day you are just with your families and it is a relaxing day and you have your big Christmas meal.
German actually has three days of Christmas...Christmas eve, and then day one, and two...Today is actually day two and we are going over to a members home for that. . . which is another big German Christmas meal and just relaxing. It is nice. I am excited!!! Anyways... I wish everyone a very merry christmas and I really do know that Christ was born of the virgin Mary and that he is the Son of God. I know that Christ is my Saviour and older brother...he sacrificed for me and for all the children on the earth. I am so grateful to be a missionary at this time and serve my Lord. This is His church and the way. I am grateful to bring God's children unto him. I love y'all and I will be getting my packages mailed tomorrow...I have one that is just books and the other one is some random things....so be watching for them...
I love y'all!
Ssiter Britt
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