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🇫🇷 🎃💀👻 IT'S SPOOKY HALLOWEEN TIME 👻💀🎃🇫🇷
Glad I got that over with. This week was pretty
good. We didn't have too many lessons because a few of our investigators
cancelled on us before we were able to meet. A bit of a halting to our previous
weeks' bounties, but nonetheless, our investigators with baptismal dates are
still underway in their preparation for their dates, throughout a few hold-ups.
I am really hoping that they can stick through it until, and more importantly
eternally after, their baptisms. We're really trying to help them understand
the magnitude of this covenant. Our ward is really hoping that they'll be able
to hold on, and so do we! 💀
We had an unexpected, but needed, lesson with
Kingsley on Tuesday. It turns out that he wasn't aware that the Book of Mormon
was different than the Bible...which I reckon is PROBABLY a good
thing to get established, haha! We spent a long time trying to really emphasize
the purpose and significance of the Book of Mormon, alongside the role of it
alongside the Bible. Kingsley seemed a bit troubled at first, but I think once
we got the issue cleared up he was a bit better about it. Still, he slid back
about his confidence in being baptized. We're going to be praying and doing our
best to help him keep progressing. He's been doing awesome. He really has.
He's been reading and praying every night, and I hope that will help him to
increase his confidence in the whole situation. 👻
We also helped with Louis and Mauricia's move
across town on Saturday. That was pretty fun! I was worried that they would
move out of the area, but luckily, they're still within boundaries...just a
little further away than before. They've both been doing really well and Louis
has been progressing overall. They both do have a willingness to join the
church and I'm hoping we can see them at church this coming week. They weren't
able to come this week because we had Stake Conference out in Dortmund, and they
said that they weren't able to travel that far. But we'll be pushing to get
them there next Sunday. 🎃
We also saw an interesting exchange
last P-Day in Essen Central Train Station (or "der Hauptbahnhof"). These two
policemen where escorting a man, who was quite drunk (His drunkenness exuded by
the situation in one of the policeman's carrying of a large bottle of vodka--an
almost empty bottle of it, that is). This guy is speaking somewhat loudly, then
stops in his tracks and shouts:
"ICH MÖCHTE EUCH ETWAS SAGEN.
GANZ LAUT."
("I WOULD LIKE TO TELL YOU ALL
SOMETHING. QUITE LOUD.")
At that crucial moment of
exclamation, anticipation filled the bustling train station, as the policemen
stopped as well as many other people around. The world seemed to stop for a
moment, as if it were waiting for a profound response to escape the heart of
this mysterious man. Our eyes widened as we saw this man prepare to speak, and
when he finally did, he shouted:
"ICH LIEBE DEUTSCHLAND; 'ÜBER
ALLES!'"
("I LOVE GERMANY. OVER
ALL!")
People resumed their business and
the policemen continued to pull him away with somewhat of a groan.
👻
My companion got sick a few days
ago. I think it was just from him eating not-fully cooked chicken the other
day. Or he caught a bug from the Essen Elders in our district, who were both
locked up Saturday with sickness, but they said that they also may have gotten
that from Chinese food they ate. It's been a few interesting days. My companion
recovered pretty quickly, and has been able to leave the house at the occasions
we planned, so that's good. He's feeling almost completely normal now--just a
little under the weather at this point. 💀
Oh, right, and I mentioned this
before, but we got to go to Dortmund for Stake Conference (Pfahl Konferenz).
I've been there two other times so far for some trainings. It's always nice to
visit. Dortmund is a pretty cool city. 🎃
And SHOOT. I've been on my
mission for almost four months already. This week is the end of my second
transfer, which means I will be done training! That's crazy. It's also pretty
likely that my companion will be transferred out, and so I might be getting a
new one shortly. But who knows? I'm really hoping that I can stay in
Oberhausen for a few more transfers. 👻
Time is flying by, though.
💀
Anyways, with that taken care of, I've been
looking a lot into the teachings of the Presidents of the Church, as well as the
standard works about repentance and forgiveness. I've been slowly realizing
something on my mission that I perhaps did not fully realize before, and that is
how daily a process repentance is. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that you all
may have heard this much before, but repentance is not exclusive to those who
have committed notably grievous sins. As one of the key principles of the
gospel, it is fundamental that we acknowledge its daily use. As we humble
ourselves before God in prayer, he will help us to notice things that we can do
better, in order to grow nearer to the Savior. It's not always pleasant, and
sometimes can cause us pains to think about our infirmities, but I know that
each time we put ourselves through the furnace of repentance, we are able to be
molded and shaped by the Lord Himself to be the people He knows and wants us to
be. I'm grateful for this ability, and for the Atonement that allows us to
always become better than we were before and overcome our afflictions and
imperfections. I hope that as we improve in daily repentance, we will find
ourselves taking steps each day, closer and closer to the Kingdom of God. If we
do so, we will one day be able to stand before Him with peace in our hearts, and
through the grace and eternal mercy of Christ our Savior, return to live with
Him some day.
Ether 12:27
27 And if men come unto me I will show
unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and
my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they
humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things
become strong unto them.
Thank you for all your support, love, and
prayers. I'm grateful for all you have done for me! Have a happy Halloween and
a great week! Stay safe!
-Elder Wallentine 🎃
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