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!!!

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Sister Carla June Carroll