More than a Spanish ward (December 20)

Dear Family,

This week was busy!! We doubled the number of lessons we taught next week and met with many wonderful people. The work here is amazing and this ward is the best I have ever seen. We had more offers for Joint Teaches than we had appointments! What a blessing. The field is white and not just with Investigators! It has snowed every day for the past few weeks and there is just mounds of snow everywhere. I found out that my boots are actually NOT waterproof and trying to find solutions. Now both of my companions have Frostbite and I am thanking my Heavenly Father for my good circulation. It is really, really cold outside, but we are so busy with appointments that we are most often inside. Don't worry, Mom, I am staying warm and healthy.

I got TONS of wonderful presents from Sarah and Mom and April! My companion, Sister Quist got about 25 presents from her family and we bought a Weihnachtsbaum, so it really feels like a normal Christmas here. We had about 5 invitations for Christmas Eve (which here is really Christmas), Christmas and hopefully we will be attending a baptism on 26 Dezember 2010 of a fabulous investigator in Stuttgart whom I have heard much about from both Sister Quist and Sister Downs who found her together. That would make it really special. So far, everything is a go, but she has to stop smoking quick! (She's already had the baptismal interview. She used to smoke 9 packs a day--she is a miracle).

So ... I did not mention that we were actually supposed to have a baptism last Saturday, but it fell through. She is still going to get baptized though! Just a minor delay. We are meeting with her and always gazing in awe at her amazing faith that she has. It took a lot of courage, but she came to church after the baptism fell through. We are working with her and meeting three times a week and praying very hard for her. The current baptismal date is 15 Januar 2011, but we found out that is that day when the three Kings come to Jesus, so everyone will be out of town, so if the Lord agrees as well as Catharina, we will have the baptismal service a week earlier on 08 Januar 2011. She is from Mozambique and speaks Portugiesisch as her first language. She has 6 children and loves them all just like a Mom should. She is amazing and truly and example to me of faith, trust in the Lord and accepting His will.

We are hoping to set two or three other baptismal dates this week with Chrissi (13), daughter of Eliana (who was inactive for 20 years, but has come back). They are from Equador and we decided that we should just be called Hermanas instead of Sister. Sister Quist and I are half-jokingly hoping to get nametags with Hermana Quist and Hermana Carroll with the name of the church in German to wear on Sundays. :) The other might be Namina (8), daughter of Herr Yari from Iran. She is really bright and reads in a childrens version of the Book of Mormon. She was really sick this week, so we did not get to see her.

We had Zonenkonferenz on Friday and it was amazing. One principle that really struck me is one that President Condie taught. He explained that everything we learn about in the gospel is either a theory, a possibility, or a reality to us. For a missionary who has only ever had 5 or 6 lessons a week and to learn that we should have 15-20 a week might think that is only a theory. However, if we can but believe, or even have a desire to believe (Alma 32), then a principle becomes a possibility. When we have put it into action, it becomes a reality. I know that 15 lessons a week is possible because I have done it before. We have mission standards for our key indicators and while every area is a little different, some are reachable for all. We will probably have 15 lessons next week and we are not allowed to do any proselyting on Friday, Saturday or Sunday (we don't count appointment with members as lessons, though we do share a spiritual thought, they are always a way to gain the trust of the ward and seek referrals). I sang O Holy Night (the original, but translated to English) for the Musical Number. I got the music an hour before the conference began and discovered it went up to a high B, so that was fun. I found a lot more meaning in that song as I read and pondered the text, particularly the last part. Christ truly knows our needs and he knows how to help us. In any situation. I was going to share something I had written about the Atonement from my journal, but it looks like I am nearly out of time, so perhaps next week. I love you all and wish you the most Spiritual Christmas ever!!!

--
Sister Carla June Carroll

The transfer without moving (December 13)

Dear Family,

So, Wednesday Sister Hansen and I received a new companion, Sister Quist from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She studied Biology and Religion at Wellesley College in Boston (yes, the same Wellesley College as in Mona Lisa Smile the movie). We got the not-so-surprising news that we would be in a dritt on Sunday morning right before church, but found out Sunday evening that we would not be in either München II or München IV any more, so we did not get the opportunity to say goodbye to the wards. Instead, we will be working in München I, the Spanish ward! Bummer none of us know Spanish. We are white-washing the area as both of the elders were transferred to different areas. We have a LOT to plan and to figure out.

Every morning, Sister Quist and I take Sister Hansen to the Office and pick her up at the Institutzentrum every evening (she goes there with a senior couple so she always has a companion). We already have a lot of appointments and there is a lot of work to be done. I am excited to learn some Spanish from the ward members, but hoping that we can communicate with all of our investigators (everyone speaks at least a little German and most speak a little English, too). Elder Yanez, one of the Elders serving in the ward before us, speaks Spanish (his mother is from Bolivia and he was raised in Germany), so a lot of the Spanish work was able to move forward. Our ward is fantastic and we already have a place to be Christmas Eve eating Tacos!

Monday and Tuesday I worked nonstop on the travel for the transfers. I was really tired afterwards and I hope I never have to do that again. Nearly ever companionship had a change and some areas were closed and some were white-washed, so there was a lot of arranging. It took me between 14-18 hours in two days.

Oh!! And I met Sister Borcherding's mother, father and one of her sisters Saturday night!! Her sister performed in the Vocalischor, which was absolutely amazing (it's like the JAE ... or english ... YSA? Mormon Tabernacle Choir here). There were really excited to meet me and I was really excited to meet them. For those who don't remember, Sister Borcherding was my trainer and she is still serving in Wettingen, Schweiz (Switzerland).

We already have a lot of great investigators and less actives with whom we are working with. We are excited to see the progress.

--
Sister Carla June Carroll

December 4

FAMILY!

Wow. This week was amazing. Primarily because we attended the Zone Leader Conference held yesterday for all the Zone Leaders in the Mission. Sister Hansen and I attended to take minutes as the secretaries. The Spirit was really powerful and I gained a firmer testimony that this mission is being led by the power of God. We also found out that Richard G. Hinckley, son of Gordon B. Hinckley, will visit in March for another Mission Tour! We talked a lot about what Elder Texiera had taught in Mission Tour. In the three areas he visited, each was pretty different. Together, we "prophesied" of what the mission could become in specific aspects and then talked about how we would make that happen. The Spirit was just so strong. Testimonies were given at the end and it was just so evident that this work is the work of the Lord. God is preparing us for the Second Coming through missionary work. He created the organization of the Priesthood to make it all possible. There is true power there.

This week I also put the final touches on the new mission logo (the idea wasn't mine, but I drew it) and sent it off to England to make it professionally pretty. Transfers will be next week and President Condie has been a little busy, so we have not found out who is going where so we can plan the travel. This week may be insane.

My companion is hanging in there though she officially cannot walk anymore. She started using crutches on Thursday. We will find out more on Monday. The doctor stopped injections on Monday. We are trying not to freeze in our apartment since we only have one working heater and our landlord insists we keep the windows open during the day to prevent black mold (I'm pretty sure it is there anyways). Oh, and our shower broke last week ... so it's been an adventure. I promise I am being obedient and showering daily as the Missionary Handbook says, even when it's really cold! SACRIFICE BRINGS FORTH THE BLESSINGS OF HEAVEN!

I had the opportunity to talk with Elder Simon who is still serving in Wien. He told me Sr. Bräuer is still active and Sr. Urban's baptism was amazing. I was so blessed to work with them. This work is so clearly the work of the Lord and it is such a privilege to see it progress. I must say I have no idea what next week will bring, but I know the Lord loves his children and will always provide. This gospel is true!!

--
Sister Carla June Carroll

November 27

Dear family,

First off, I have to explain that I am typing on an English keyboard, and it's really throwing me off. This week was amazing involving Mission Tour on Thursday with Elder Texiera from Portugal. Our mission used to be well known for obedience and seeing miracles because of it, but since the missions combined, it has been a really big struggle. Thus, the main topic of Mission Tour was Obedience. That is absolutely the first step of anything and the first principle we have to follow. Due to Mission Tour, I had the opportunity to do another Austausch--this time with Sister Dietz. We met and became close in the MTC, as she was there for the last three weeks of my time at the MTC. I was really excited to go and contact all of our Emphalungen (Referrals) and everything, but I got really sick this week and we ended up staying in our apartment and studying together. It was still a really powerful experience, just not the one I expected.

With Mission Tour, everyone needed a way to get to either Wien, Munchen or Zurich. I took the task of ordering all the Train tickets for the 168 Missionaries. It went pretty well and I think everyone made it! The work I do in the office has been really different than the Missionary work I was doing before. I really feel privileged to work with the Senior couples, Elder and Sister Walters and Elder and Sister Gardner. A mission truly needs miracles to be run and these couples work that every day. I will be interested to see how things are different when I serve a senior couples mission.

We visited the Christkindelmarkt in Marienplatz and found a lot of neat little things. We did not buy anything, but will go back in a couple weeks and see. Lots of talent from all over the world crammed into the center of the city. It was amazing to see. Christmas is a huge tradition here--even more than in America. Advent started this week and it's been snowing, so everyone is getting excited. It will be certainly different to spend Christmas here. The gospel is true!