(Happy Birthday to Elder Ryan Christensen. He turned 21 years old today. We love him and miss him and will get to see him soon...)
Well This week flew by just as I expected it would. Monday
we had our normal P-day. At around 5 we went to help throw some couches of a
balcony (ok, more like tying them up with ropes and then throwing them off
while controlling the speed at which they fell. ;-) ) Then we went to Exchange
in Lindau and almost missed our trains back to Ravensburg... we made
though.
Tuesday we had the exchange and it was a bit rough. We met with
man in the early afternoon who had met with missionaries off and on for quite
awhile. We had a good lesson and the spirit was there, and the end I asked him
when we could come back and he said " oh in a month or so."
"Really? Thats kind of a long time, we usually like to
meet with people once a week or so"
"Oh that would be too much for me, when the
missionaries used to meet with me, it was about once a month and that was good
for me"
":-P" ;-) I was able to negotiate it down to once every 2-3 weeks. But
still not exactly ideal.
Later on that night we were supposed to meet with Vladimir.
The week before, I had called him and he told me he "needed his
rest". I asked for a clarification, but it was obvious he wasn't really
wanting to meet with us at the moment. In a last-ditch effort I invited him to
the Christmas Party, to which he came. I called him later and he said that
even though he was feeling depressed before hand, he came anyway and liked and
felt good afterward. We had the appointment for about 5:30. The Buchanans were
with us right then because they brought us some extra bedding for the
additional 4 Elders that were going to be staying with us that night. So they
came with us to the appointment. We got there, and he wasn't home, and he wasn't
answering his phone... So we went by on a few more people and they weren't
home.
So we were about to give up, the Buchanans were taking us home so that we
could go talk to people on the street for 2 hours. Then the phone rings, its
Vladimir saying that he has time in 20 minutes if we did. SWEET! So we turn
around and head to the church. He arrives and we sit down and start talking.
We sit down and asked him how he was doing. Not so great.
Depressed and stressed about furthering his education (he studied 4 years to
be an engineer, but he got depression which caused to fail the last required
class, he tried 2 more times and couldn't pass it and by rule of the
university, he lost all 4 years of credit). He is working with some doctors and
told us that he needs to take it easy and not overwhelm himself (in the back of
my mind I say here, well then we won't push for baptism just yet then, because
it would probably be too much, then the thought came "is God not a God of
miracles?" "of course but..." I pushed the thought away and
thought to just see how it goes).
We said a prayer and then asked him if
he had any questions, he first said no, but then he asked about the 3 kings
from the nativity scene at the Christmas party. We explained that up and that was
the end of the question. The plan was to talk about the plan of salvation, but
I felt like I should ask if he knew why we celebrate Christ's Birth. He
mentioned that he was a good guy, did a lot of miracles, and showed us the way,
but that was about it. I asked him what else he knew about Christ, and he
mentioned how he died on a cross. So I asked him "Why?". His response
was that the people didn't like him for some reason.
Essentially he had no
knowledge of the atonement. So I asked him if he had ever heard the word
"Sühnopfer" (German for atonement) He didn't. I wrote it on the board
and we broke it down for him. We explained "Sühn" comes from the word
"Sühnen" (English translation is literally to atone, or to make up
for) and "Opfer" is an offering or a sacrifice. Literally means a
sacrifice to atone, or to make up for. In our case to make up for the results
of the fall. We then began to explain the different points of the Atonement,
Forgiveness of sin (becoming clean again) that Christ took upon himself our
weakness to know how to help us. How this allows us to be HEALED. Healed.
"I want to know more about Healing, how can I be healed through
Christ?" was his question.
We then broke it down to various aspects.
Praying to be healed, Having Faith, Repenting, being baptized to have our sins
washed away, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. The Spirit was SO INCREDIBLY
STRONG. I paused and asked him: "How do you feel right now". "I
feel good, like I have been lightened" We went on to explain that is the
Holy Ghost. And told that the Holy Ghost testifies of truth, comforts us etc.
I asked him that question a few times throughout the lesson. We told him
how Reading the scriptures, coming to church, and praying help us feel this
peace through the spirit.
I mentioned Priesthood how it was restored and how we
can give blessings, baptized and do these things. The Spirit was so strong, and
when I had mentioned that Preisthood being restored he said "I want to be
baptized". I was a bit shocked, and then I asked him "when?",
the return question "How soon can I be baptized?"
"That depends
on you. If we meet 3-4 times a week, if you come to church, and are constantly
reading and praying we may be able to do it on the 28th of December. That being
said, we aren't here to push you harder than you can go, and if you need more
time we can put it off a week, or two, or a month or so, however long it takes
you to feel ready. We are only here to help you get the healing and the peace
that you need, and will do everything we can do to help."
We talked more
about the gift of the Holy Ghost, I first compared it to music, its like you
pulling up in the intersection to a car next to you and you hear the music, and
really like it, but when the light changes and the cars separate the music is
gone. You can hear it at times, but having the gift of the Holy Ghost is like
having the CD and being able to listen to it on your own when you want. Then
Elder Fox used a second analogy which I like better. He compared it do a ring.
You can touch the ring, and feel it, but it isn't until you receive it that you
can wear it and feel it all the time. It was wonderful.
At the end we
were getting ready to bring it to a close when I had the feeling we should sing
a song. I asked if that was ok, and everyone said Yes. Elder Buchanan selected
"Where can I turn for Peace?". He played it and we sang it. I love
both versions but I especially love parts of the German one. I don't have time
to translate them but it was beautiful. After we sang it, he sat there and in a
quiet voice said "Its almost like that song was written for me". We
said the closing prayer and all departed having all been uplifted and edified.
It was an absolutely phenomenal experience. D&C 50:21-22 really sums it up
the best. Absolutely incredible. We met with him once more that week, he came
to church yesterday and we will meet him again today. :-)
Nothing else in the week really compares to that. We had a
great time singing in Freiburg Innenstadt, with a choir of 30 missionaries.
That was neat at the beginning a lady came up and started SCREAMING and
SWEARING at us and saying that we were Satanic, it was really odd, seeing how
we were singing Christmas hymns. But then people started to stop and sing with
us, applauding us when we were done, it was SO COOL. :-) Freiburg found 5
potential investigators from that (we were only there like 30 minutes).
The
next day was a bit of an adventure, but we survived. I saw France! The fastest train back to Ravensburg is through Basel. And to get there you ride the French
border all the way down. It was late at night, so I have nothing more to brag
than seeing French air and a couple buildings in the distance, but it was still
cool! :-) I also saw the three country area, where France, Switerland and Germany
meet (just outside of Basel).
I am now out of time Sadly, but it was a fantastic week! Oh!
Martin Lauer was baptized on Saturday and I got to skype him and Marion on
Sunday. SO MUCH FUN!! :-) But that pretty much sums up the week! It was great,
need I say more?
I wish you all a great week!
love,
Elder Ryan K. Christensen
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