OH, I BELIEVE!!!

 Meine Familie, People always say that miracles happen...but you do not always see them. Before my mission I would say I saw miracles, but never have I looked at them as miracles. Maybe just really cool things that happened. Ever since I came out on the mission, since day one I havae been told that miracles happen and not only do they happen, they happen every day. I can honestly say that I have seen a miracle every day...some days the miracle of the day is just the fact that I survived. haha. But ever since the Advent of Miracles at Christmas time where we had to write down one miracle every day of the month of December...I have been more open and aware of the many miracles that do happen and I take the time to write them down at the end of the day. Well, this week was for sure filled with miracles and I look forward to sharing them with you. . .

Sister Noyes and me

 Well, Monday started out great. We had a good p-day and went to this place called The American Diner...It was very good and very American! That evening we met with this guy named Marko. He was a previous investigator we found in the Area Book and decided to call him up. We met him and well, he is so wanting the truth. We talked about everything and how he does not get along with his parents and so he left home for college and ended up here in Cottbus studying Economics. He now has stopped studying because he cannot get into it and originally got into it because he knew he would get lots of money from it. He has a goal to have a future family and be the best parent that his parents never were and find a good way of living..such as a religion. He also hates Soccer and Beer...haha...after he said that we looked at him and asked, "Are you sure you are even German?". He was a miracle find and we have met with him since then and he is totally ready for the gospel. We are seeing him tonight and look forward to teaching him the Plan of Salvation ...most of his questions are towards the plan.

Along with this week, on Tuesday we went and had lunch with Schwester Leuchner. Before going to her home though, we went around the whole neighborhood and put cards in all the mail boxes and had a plan to go back this week to do doors there. Well, as Sister Noyes was on one side of the street doing cards, I was on the other side and this dog like came out of nowhere and scared me so bad. Well, I can say the longer I am on my mission, the more and more I am becoming a non animal person. They just scare me.

We went and visited with Bruder Gröschke that day as well, and once again I drank my cup of caro coffee...(with gladness) and we gave him a spiritual thought. We are taking the opportunity to only share spiritual thoughts out of Preach my Gospel to get the members more involved with it and more into missionary work. The members seem to really enjoy it alot and you always feel the spirit so much. Preach my Gospel has so much to offer and so much to teach. I love that Book.

On Thursday we visited with Frau Chahin and brought Sissi with us, she is the wife of our ward mission leader. The appointment went really well and the spirit was strong. Frau Chahin loved having a member there and still has a goal to be baptized. We pushed the date back to March, but she has for the first time committed to coming to church this coming Sunday. We are holding her to that. She even asked Sissi to come back with us next time we go over. YAY For Joint teaches!!! They really do make a great difference in the lesson.

Statue of Karl G Maeser at Dresden Stake Center

That evening we went to Tom and Sissi's home for dinner and I think I told you about our ward mission leader. Tom is a college student here and is American. Tom and Sissi both served their mission in Switzerland and she is from Germany. And now they are married and have a cute little baby named Sammi and are so awesome. It was a good appointment and always great when we can talk to them about all of our investigators and what they need or how the ward can help.

On Friday we had Zone Conference in Dresden. Always really good. The focus was on teaching and joint teaches. We have a goal this week to get 4 joint teaches...that is a pretty high goal for this area, but we are being more focused on trying to get the members more involved. After Zone Conference we traveled back to Cottbus and walked home to talk to people and this really big guy was walking down the street...I stopped him and talked to him and he was going somewhere and so he told us to walk with him. I walked with him for a long time...and Sister Noyes was like running to keep up, and we talked about God and how he has a plan for us...He would not tell us his name or where he was from...but I could tell that he was Russian because of his German accent. His biggest question to me was, "If God exists, then why would he kill all the Jews?" So, from that question, I can also maybe say that he is Jew. We talked about the Book of Mormon and receiving answers. He really wants to know the answer, and says he already has a Book of Mormon at home. He told us he will call us at the end of this week. We are really praying for it. He would not tell us his number or his name because he told us that it does not matter. I kind of laughed and told him that it sure does because he is a child of God. But we are really praying for this phone call...that would be a miracle. Afterwards, Sister Noyes told me that the thing that she has learned most from me is that I am not afraid to challenge people. She said that as we were walking down the street in the dark and saw that big man walking towards us was that he was big and scary and yet I stopped and talked to him. HaHa. Sister Noyes is doing great and she is getting to be more open to the work and doing a great job.

On Saturday we met with Chiyu and it was a great appointment. It was a freezing cold day and all of our appointments had falling out. So we were outside all day just finding...and being frozen...luckily for me I had those hand warmers that you sent me...my goodness...I wish you sent more...those things were miracle workers! But luckily that evening Chiyu did not fall out. We read one more chapter in the Book of Mormon and I then asked him if he has ever prayed about the Book of Mormon. He has been meeting with missionaries for a little over a year now and he told me that he has never prayed about the book. The part that Chiyu is struggling most with is Joseph Smith being a prophet. I then had us read the last two paragraphs of the introduction and told him that until he gets an answer and knows that the Book of Mormon is true, he will never know if Joseph Smith is a prophet of this church is true. I challenged him right then to pray to know if the Book of Mormon is true. At the end the spirit was so strong and Chiyu said the closing prayer and asked for the first time if the Book is true. He is progressing so much more and has a desire to come to church more..It is a miracle!!!

We then had church on Sunday and during Sunday School met with Katrin and Jeff. Bishop explained the organizations in the church to Katrin about primary, relief society, priesthood and so forth. It was really good and she seemed to really enjoy it. Next week we are going to officially start teaching her the lessons!!! I am so excited and she is totally going to be baptized!!!! I love it.

Sister Noyes -- We call her the Arizona cactus because she is always so cold!

What a great week and a miraculous one at that! I love this work so much and I could just keep going and going and going and going!! I know that this is the Church of Jesus Christ, because I have read the Book of Mormon in two different langauages and have asked God to know if it is true, and I cannot deny it. I know and OH, I BELIEVE in MIRACLES!!!

Love Sister Britt