10/12/09

Dear Mom,
You're going to New Zealand on WEDNESDAY? Really? When did you decide that? And you wrote it so matter of factly, but you haven't previously mentioned this in letters or E-mails. Um. Please see the hobbit homes there. That would be so cool. And maybe you could sing the songs from Lord of the Rings. One of the girls who was in Russia with me was writing an Elder who went on his mission there. You can go to church! Oh, and I am really jealous that you are going to New Zealand! Are you making any stops on the way? Like in Berlin? Haha, just kidding! That is so out of the way!

So, you are buying the property from Nana? What are you going to do with it? I love that area! Are you going to move before I get back? Last time I got back you were in a new house too!

Thanks for taking care of the debit card thing for me! It will be perfect timing because I really should get a jacket soon. The rain coat and fleece sweaters are good for now, but it is going to get much much colder. And I don't have hardly any winter socks or anything. So, actually I guess that could be my Christmas wish--cute warm clothes. I don't have very many nice sweaters or pull-overs or whatever you call them. Do you know what I mean? Well, if not, money would be better and then I could just buy the warm stuff here. And gloves, I should have brought my snowboarding gloves, and I almost did, but then I didn't, but I guess fingers would be nice. Then, I can still give out pass-along cards. I just warm stuff for Christmas, like hand warmers and thermals--actually if thermals are too expensive or too hard to find leggins are actually quite perfect. And they look nicer too when I take my boots off and the leggins are sticking out... Haha. It is awesome!

Well, we have been super busy lately and we've been getting in late due to General Conference and missing a train in Stralsund, then my comp and I go running in the morning, we wake up early like 6:15 and let me tell you what, that will definitely wake you up. Especially when it is cold. But it's not usually too bad.

Sadly Maria, the fifteen year old who couldn't get baptized because of her mom, got a twenty-one year old boyfriend and has decided to not come to church for a while. That was really hard. But, she will still meet with us so that is good.

We have also been doing doors on Makarenko Strasse (same with the Jehova's Witnesses which was kind of awkward...) and found someone who knows Sandy so she talked to us and made an appointment with us (then fell out) and we found a lady who had a revelation that two people were going to come to her door and bring her the true church and a week later who was at her door, but the Jehova's Witnesses. Haha. You thought it was going to be us, ha? Nope. She actually joined their church for a good two years, but then couldn't accept the fact that only 144,000 people would be saved, hated wearing skirts every day, and didn't know how to explain to her kids why they couldn't celebrate any holidays. Little does she know, we are two people who showed up to her door and have the truth for her! We are going to go back in a few days. She is so ready.

And, we had a lesson with Udo Ressel out in Stralsund. Remember the man who didn't have any pants on for our really spiritual lesson about God's Plan? Well, luckily it is colder outside so he had some shorts on. Sadly, his girlfriend (he is twenty five years her senior) and him were more wasted than anyone I have ever seen in my entire life. We taught him a little bit more, and testified of the truthfulness of God's plan and the book of Mormon and he totally believes too, but we were very firm in saying that if he continued to drink alcohol every time we were there that we can't go there any more. He was really sad and said he can't imagine life without drinking. So, please pray for him. He has one more chance with us, and then we'll have to give him back to God. We also talked with him about how his brother died and how his brother was drunk when it happened. It was interesting to see the change. Also, when the girlfriend would laugh about the book of Mormon he would get very serious and tell her that when we read out of that book it is not funny and that we needed to read it. Hopefully he'll make progress.

One last person, then I gotta go! Frau Pahl. The lady who won't get baptized because she doesn't want to go to the Celestial Kingdom without her sister. We had only heard that, so we finally asked and it is true. But, good news, we got her sister's contact information and we are going to stop by--not telling her where we got the information, we are just going to be doing work in the area. I am so grateful that she trusts us to work with her sisters. It has been years since missionaries have tried. Please pray for the best!

So, those are all my stories, I love you and have a wonderful time in New Zealand. Send me a postcard if you have time!
Love you! Sister Turner
PS Tell Chad I say hi!
By the way, the song "Angie" is playing in the background of this internet shop, literally called Babylon.