Week 57: Happy Birthday, in Dortmund!

Hey, everyone!

I can't believe that August is now gone!  Where has the time gone?!  I hope you all are having fun starting back up school!  I wish you luck (haha).

 

So, this week we stayed pretty dang busy.  We had lots of great appointments.  On Wednesday we were on a split with some Sisters in the zone.  I got to go to Duisburg for a day and that was fun. We had two appointments fall out, so instead we 'did doors' for three hours.   Sometimes I just have to keep telling myself over and over again, II love knocking doors, I love knocking doors, I love knocking doors!"  Maybe one day that'll be true (haha).  But, it is a way to find people, so it's necessary to do it.  We had some pretty good conversations doing this, so that was fun.  Sadly, none really had interest to meet, but most were nice about it.

 

That evening we met a brand new referral investigator that the Sisters hadn't met yet, and we had an amazing talk with him about the scriptures and our church.  He totally wants to be baptized in a month and wants us to help him convert all his family and friends.  He was from Ghana.   I think it is so cool to see so many nationalities here and know that we aren't just in Germany to teach the Germans, but to teach everyone!

 

This week Sister Nielson and I tried to make a goal to talk to every person we could on the streets; to be better at contacting.  It went pretty well, when we look back and see how many experiences we had.  I think it is so important that we, as people not just missionaries, pay attention to everything around us.  It is so easy to get caught up in a game on your phone or Face-booking, that you don't notice an old lady that needs help with her bags, or maybe notice somebody that had a bad day and could use a friendly, "Hello."  When we are alert to those around us, God can guide us to those who need us.  I have a testimony of that.

 

Well, the weather here is going up and down so much it's hard to keep track (haha).  It's freezing one morning and then that evening it'll be the hottest it's been all week!  (But, I'm not bitter ... haha).  I think I'm ready for the cold to come, though, now. :)

 

Well for those of you that don't know, I'm going to be 23 this week, which isn't too life changing (haha).  But, my parents sent me a package and the Elders are holding it hostage so I won't open it early (haha).  It's like they know me or something ... lol.

 

Well, I hope you all have a fantastic week!  Do something nice for someone else today, and go change the world!

 

Liebe große

 

Sister Jordan Brown

 

 

Week 56: Dare to Be a Mormon

Dare to be a Mormon.

Dare to stand alone.

Dare to have a purpose firm.

Dare to make it known. 

    - Thomas S. Monson

 

I wanted to start off with this quote because I found it the other day and just absolutely loved it.  Be a Mormon and be proud. :)

 

I hope you all had a great week this last week.  We had a busy week over here in Dortmund.  I really like working with the less actives and members here because they seem to have a system down with the missionaries.  When we ask to come over, they tell us a topic they have been studying and questions they have had, so that we can study it up and help them find answers to their questions.  I really like that; plus it is more meaningful to them and it makes it more personal.

 

On Saturday we had a really cool End of Summer party with the ward and non members.  It was a fantastic turn out!  They had an awesome bounce house, so that could have helped attract people to come.  Sister Neilson and I helped painting children's faces, and there was food and games and even a balloon animal guy.  It was fantastic.  What was hilarious was that not too far from our church there was supposed to be a party for some other business.  But, it got canceled and the people didn't know, so when they saw our party, they thought it was theirs, so they joined in and got introduced to the missionaries, and got a cool discussion out of some of them.  It was fantastic.

 

This week we "went by" on a lot of less inactive members in the ward, and normally how it goes is that they are mean and have zero interest to talk to us.  But, that was not the case here.  They invited us in and we had some great appointments with some less actives.  It was really great!  I love it up here.

 

Well, there was nothing too out of the ordinary this week.  Before I close out I wanted to just leave you with one more quote I found in my studies that I loved:

 

"My beloved brothers and sisters, I am not certain just what our experience will be on Judgment Day, but I will be very surprised if at some point in that conversation, God does not ask us exactly what Christ asked Peter:  “Did you love me?”  I think He will want to know if in our very mortal, very inadequate, and sometimes childish grasp of things, did we at least understand one commandment, the first and greatest commandment of them all—“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind.”  And if at such a moment we can stammer out, “Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee,” then He may remind us that the crowning characteristic of love is always loyalty.  Your Father in Heaven expects your loyalty and your love at every stage of your life.”

 

Let us remember to show our loyalty to God and be strong members.  I hope you all have a safe week.  I'll keep you in my prayers.

 

Liebe Große  

 

Sister Jordan Brown

 

 

Week 55: Let it rain!

Hey, everyone!  I hope you had a great week!  We had an amazing week here!  The weather is finally starting to cool down, and it has been raining for the last few days.  So, there are no complaints on my side at the moment.

 

This week we had a very exciting this happen ... We had a baptism!  Her name is Monia and she is Italian, and so awesome!  She had a dream about 'the tree of life' and knew she needed to find our church.  So, about three weeks ago she got in contact with the Temple Square missionaries online and chatted with them a while.  Then she found the address to our church and showed up, and said she knew she needed to be baptized.  So, the Sisters here started quickly teaching her, and then I came in the middle of the week to help finish the lessons and prepare the baptism.  It was super crazy and we felt a little like chickens with our heads cut off for a bit, but we made it!  The baptism was so beautiful; and to see the joy in her eyes when she was baptized was priceless.  She was so happy and the Spirit was so strong with her.  

 

It was an adventure to plan this whole thing, also, because she speaks very little English, and like no German.  But, we made it!  Seeing people baptized on the mission is really neat, but I find that every other aspect of missionary work is just as great; like finding and preparing people to be baptized and also helping those who are less active.  The main goal of missionary work is to invite others to come unto Christ through baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, repentance and enduring to the end; that is how we do it.

 

Well, other than an amazing baptism, this week we did a lot of preparation for it.  We had a few great appointments, did a lot of traveling on the trains and, all in all, had a really great week.  Sister Nielson is fantastic.  The only way I can describe her is just a big ball of sun.  She is a sweetheart and we've had lots of laughs.

 

Another great experience we had was two ladies sat on the bus by us and I noticed them speaking Spanish, so I thought I'd give it a shot and speak to them.  After the first sentence I said, she said, "I speak English." (haha)  I don't know if it was because she heard how bad my Spanish had gotten or what, but I laughed and said, "That's good because I speak English, too!" (lol)  She was a really sweet old lady.  I really love finding those cool contacting moments on the bus that just leave you with a smile.

 

Well, I think that is all my adventures for the week.  But, I really hope you all have a great week this next week!

 

Bye!

 

Sister Jordan Brown

 

 Wonderful Baptism!!!

 Beautiful Dortmund!!

 

Week 54: I LOVE DORTMUND!

Man, my new area is on fire!  The ward is Dortmund so great with missionary work!  There are so many progressing investigators it is incredible!!  On my first Sunday here, there was an eight year old baptism, which was really cool because there were even of non members that actually showed up to it!

The most exciting news from my time here, however, is that the Elders found a Nigerian family that we, the sisters, are going to start teaching, and they are so awesome and interested to learn more about the gospel.  It is fantastic!  Also, there is a lady that the sisters found about two weeks back and she wants to be baptized this week!  So, if we can get in the rest of the lessons quick, we might just see a baptism this weekend; if not this week, then next week for sure.  So, I am just super excited to be here.  The work is just insane here. ;)

As for other really cool experiences, before I got transferred out here to Dortmund, Sister Megli and I had a member appointment and she actually brought her non member sister!  It was fantastic, and what was inspired was that we were planning to ask them about the restoration and what it means to them, and instead we taught the first lesson to her sister who is Protestant.  She had some really great questions and we were able to help her bring up more questions to take to God. and to give her a new perspective of things.  It was a great lesson to end my amazing experience in Mannheim with.

My new companion here in Dortmund is Sister Nelson.  She is such a sweet heart and I am way excited to be serving here with her.  She is fired up and ready to go.  So, this should be really amazing transfer here.  It is so beautiful and green here, also.  It reminds me a lot of Idaho, actually, with all the pine trees.  It is very cool ;)

Something from my studies this week that I really liked was something I read in Doctrine and Covenants chapter 6.  I'm not sure if I've told you this one before ...  But, in verse 29 and 30 it says:  "Verily, verily, I say unto you, if they reject my words, and this part of my gospel and ministry, blessed are he, for they can do no more unto you than unto me.  And even if they do unto you even as they have done unto me, blessed are ye, for you shall dwell with me in glory."

I really like that, because if we are rejected, that is not our fault; that is the people's choice and agency that we can't take away from them.  But, we can do our part and love them and do our best to help them, and we will be blessed for it.

I also really like the verse later in 34 when it says:  "Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and he'll combine against you, for if he are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail."

That is such a strong promise.  I think we forget sometimes the story when Joseph Smith prayed in the forest and saw God and Jesus Christ ... that before They came, Satan came and seized on him in a darkness to bind him.  But when he took all his might and called upon God, the bands were loosed.  I have a testimony that if we cry unto God with all our might, He will be that firm rock we need; to prevail the evils around us.  So, we can do good and become like God and when evils try to bring us down, He will be there for us.

I hope that you all are enjoying the last little bit of summer. And I hope you have a great week.

Take care!

Sister Jordan Brown

Welcome to Dortmund!

New District ...

New Dortmund Companion - Sister Nelson!

 

New Investigator ...?

Missionary Work ...

Transfers ...

Week 53: Goodbye Mannheim, Hello Dortmund!

So, this last week we had transfer calls and I am getting transferred to Dortmund, which is way North from where I am now.  Which means ... I am a lucky duck and get to sit on a 5 hour bus ride to get there (Haha).  I'm gonna need some good luck and a purse full of chocolate ;)

 

I read a really cool talk from a pilot this last week and he said something that was really inspirational:  The sun is still there if you look for it. A ll you gotta do is lift yourself a little bit higher.  I really like that because you can choose for yourself if you want to be below the clouds or above them.  It's kinda like the glass half full theory.  But, there is always good out there, whether you see it or not.   Just like God is always there, whether you seem Him or not.  You might just need to lift yourself a little higher; raise your standards and lift your spirits, and you can find Him.

 

We had a really cool experience this last week. We were going by a name in our GPS that we saw, and had no idea who it was.  So, as we were traveling out there, we realized it was basically in the middle of nowhere.  It was a 30 minute walk from the nearest bus, so we started walking.  When we were almost there, a man in a car slowed down and looked at us, and then stopped and was reversing back to us.  Sister Megli sarcastically said, "Maybe he saw our name tags and is ready to be baptized!"  I kinda snickered.  But, he rolled down his window and asked if we were the Mormons and we said, "Yes!" and then out of no where he was like, "So am I!"  I was shocked, also because of the fact that he was speaking English.  Turns out he moved here a year ago with his wife and two kids, who aren't members (yet ).  He is a less active, but wants to come back to church and wants us to come and teach his family!  We are going to go over next Monday night!  (Well, I am being transferred, so I won't get to see that happen ...)  But, that was truly inspired of God to go out to that area, because after that we went to the person we were planning to "go by" on and the place didn't even exist.  It was a construction zone.  Heavenly Father really knows what He's doing ;)

 

Anyways, this week before I go should be quite an adventure ... We've got basically every member signed up to feed us, so we have about 2-3 eating appointments a day, so we will hope that Sister Megli and my stomach can survive it (haha.) 

 

I hope you all have an amazing week.  I cannot believe it's August already.  For those of you getting ready to go back to school, good luck! ;)

 

Bis später!

 

Liebe große!

 

Sister Jordan Brown

 

 Look who we ran into in Heidelberg ...

 Mannheim, downtown

 Mannheim Missionaries :)