Incredible Week

Wow, this week was definitely one of the best weeks on the mission. There is a lot to tell so I will try to write everything in detail. It’s so good to hear from everyone. I am so happy to read all the emails and knowing all my best friends and family are doing well. I know the Lord watches over you guys just as much as he does us as missionaries.

First off, I had an operation on my toe. It was actually one of the coolest things. For the past month my big toe on the left side was really hurting. I had a really bad in grown toe nail and the doctor said if it grew anymore that it would hit the nerve and do some damage. So I called last Monday for an appointment for this past Thursday. I was thinking it was just going to be a little checkup. The doctor comes in and says what he will be doing and just leaves... Elder Smith just sat there wondering what was going to happen. One of the nurses came in and had this needle about 2 inches long.. And as most of you know I absolutely hate needles... She just told me it would be a little prick then it would hurt.. A lot! Ha, I was lying on this bed thing and she went through my toe and went pretty much all the way through... It hurt SOO bad!! That was actually the worst part though. My toe became numb in about 10 min then he came back in. It was the weirdest thing ever. The doctor just cuts right down my nail like its paper and just grabs pliers and just rips it out. I was watching the whole time and I had Elder Smith take some pictures so I will definitely send some home. Anyways, that is all done and no more worries about that. But that was a fun adventure for me at least.

Saturday was a bitter sweet feeling I would have to say. Saturday morning we had transfer calls and I thought Elder Smith and I were staying for sure. We thought we were good. But as it got to our area and they announced that I would be leaving my heart just dropped. Elder Smith and I were just so upset because we wanted to stay together for longer. There were 5 of us in our apartment listening to calls and it seriously was such a sad feeling. It’s hard because you get to know all the members and so close to the new converts and it just seems like your home ward. Now having the idea of leaving was hard. But I am totally fine with it because I know that the Lord wants me down in Darmstadt. What’s really cool is I will be working on the University down there. My new companion down there will be Elder Bruneel. I am really excited but it’s also really hard leaving such an awesome area like Friedrichsdorf. I have loved serving here and being able to meet such wonderful people. It will be hard to leave but I am excited to experience something new. 

On a good note, Thomas’ baptism was Saturday!!!! It was soooo cool. Thomas had asked me to baptize him and I was so worried because the doctor told me not to get the wrap on my toe wet. So that morning I was trying a bunch of different ways to wrap it with bags in every way so that I could still perform the baptism. I wasn’t going to let that hold me back. This is something big in Thomas' life and so I figured a way to wrap my foot. We got dressed and Thomas was just happy as ever. This family is honestly one of the coolest families. We had the first part of the meeting and then it was time for him to get baptized. I was actually super nervous because I just was. haha I showed Thomas how it would work and then we went into the water. The water was freezing! But I was so happy and it was such a good feeling. I said the prayer and then he went under and came up. Coolest feeling just happened and the he just looked at me and gave me the biggest hug and said, "you are my brother," and just wouldn’t let go.. It was such an amazing experience for someone I really care about. I love that family and it will be hard saying goodbye to them and going to another place but I am so grateful for that experience I had being able to baptize one of my good friends. He is already a changed man. Shirleys baptism will be the 14th of December and I won’t be there for it. But I love this family and they have helped me grow so much. That is why I am out here on the mission. These experiences like this just change your life.

This is the Lords work. I am so grateful to be a part of it. Like I have always said, I am so glad I made this decision to come out on a mission and to serve our Lord. I am growing up so much and it has just changed me. I absolutely love serving. I know the Lord has a plan for each one of us. He loves us and knows what will help us in our lives. Just trust in him and most importantly, trust in yourself that our Savior will help you. He is always there. I have seen this Gospel change people’s lives. I know that he is super happy for all of us when we do what is right. Sometimes we take that wrong road but he is so happy when we find the right road again. Trust in the Lord. I love you all and I am doing awesome. I pray for all of you and I know that you guys are being watched over and protected. Say your prayers, go to the temple, and do all you can to serve our Lord.

Alles Klar!

Elder Emery

Thanksgiving

Hey, Hey, Hey

Well, Thanksgiving is just right around the corner! Too bad Germans don’t celebrate this Holiday. But we are headed to a member’s house and eating there. I am super excited for that. I get to eat more and more. I have already gained that 13 pounds so what more can turkey do? No, but I am so happy that everyone is doing well. I am great as ever. I am so happy. And what things happened this week what I will share.

This week on Tuesday we were doing our morning studies. Just enjoying the morning and relaxing. We received a call from Shirley.... December 14th will be her baptism. I was so excited for her and I just knelt down on my knees and thanked Heavenly Father. It was such a cool feeling. And that’s why I am out here on my mission. Elder Smith, Elder Lindsey and I were all just super humbled. Because we have seen the gospel in action in Thomas and Shirley’s lives and it has honestly just changed us. I absolutely love this gospel. They are so much happier and just enjoying everything. This week Thomas will be getting baptized and that is going to be really cool.

Also, this Saturday are our transfer calls. It’s always a scary time because you get in an area and you just learn and love all the members and people you teach and then you have the opportunity to go somewhere else. I am super nervous because I have been here for 4 transfers already and it’s still my first area. But I know the Lord sends us to these places for a special reason. I know that he watches over and protects us. But I will be super excited if I stay because I absolutely love it here in Friedrichsdorf.

Also, that Kevin kid that we met last week we had the chance to teach him. It was such a cool lesson. We have a member in our ward who actually recovered from drugs through the gospel so we went over to his house to teach him. We taught the power of the Book of Mormon and how that can help him overcome this challenge. He is 14 years old. It’s really sad here in Germany because you can honestly get cigarettes in a vending machine. But we will continue to teach him.

This week we met with a lot of members and less actives. It was a good week. We are staying busy. I am sorry that this letter is shorter. But know everything here in Germany is going great. I love you all.

Elder Emery

 The Robertson family along with Thomas, Shirley, and David.

 At Christian's house eating fondue. It was incredible!!

Germany is super gray. ALL THE TIME!

Great Week!

Hey Everyone,

Another great week here in Friedrichsdorf. It sounds like everyone is doing awesome and just loving life right now. I have changed my whole attitude about everything. This past week was such an awesome week and we stayed super busy. Something really cool happened to Elder Smith and I this week here in Friedrichsdorf. Here is the Story.

We had our ward counsel on Tuesday night here in Friedrichsdorf and the subject was about missionary work. It was our turn to speak and so we started to talk about how we don’t have as many investigators now since Thomas will be getting baptized on the 23rd. He was the only one and we were talking about how the members need to work with us. And then someone in the counsel made a smart aleck comment about how we as Elders don’t have any investigators and that got me a little fired up. I didn’t say anything though. That night as Elder Smith and I were planning we canceled the appointment we had at 5 p.m. so that we would have 6 hours straight of just contacting so we could find more people. We had set a goal that we would find 3 new people and we weren’t giving up till we did that. We prayed to Heavenly Father asking him to give us opportunities to find people and to feel prompted to find someone new. We went to sleep. The next morning we woke up and it was just terribly windy and super rainy... But that didn’t stop us. We did all of our planning and then went out. We had our coats and our umbrellas. But that didn’t help. haha We were still soaked! And needless to say that day we ended up finding those 3 people. It’s pretty incredible and the timing was perfect for all of them.

The first person we found was Kevin. We met him on Kurhaus bus stop here in Bad Homburg. He is 14 years old and has a smoking problem. It was really cool because we wouldn’t have ever met him if Elder Smith wouldn’t have forgotten our questionnaire. It’s a long story but it was so cool meeting him and we met him on Friday and he wants to learn more about the Gospel and how it can help him quit smoking.

The second man.. We were headed back to our apartment and he had just barely gotten off the phone and was walking the same direction as us and we both had the feeling we had to talk to him. He had questions about the Book of Mormon. We gave him one and we made an appointment. That was another cool experience we had that’s a long story to explain but that is so cool.

The third man we met was right before we went into our appointment in Rödheim. We found the first 2 guys in the first 2 hours.. And so we seriously contacted about 50 people in the freezing rain and it was about 3 hours straight of just getting denied. We had to take the train from Bad Homburg to Rödheim and we had about 15 minutes before we had our appointment. We were determined to find that last person. We contacted a couple people and got denied and then we saw this Chinese guy standing there and started talking to him. He was super nice and it was so cool because he was asking about temples and why we have them. We got his contact information and we gave him over to the International Sisters because he lives in Frankfurt.

It was such a cool day and was one of the best days on my mission. I learned a lot from this day and it changed everything. Jackson talked to me about changing my attitude about everything even when times are hard and it has just changed me. I am so much happier. I am sleeping better at nights. And I love it.

Another cool thing that happened was we went to a baptism in Frankfurt with Thomas, Shirley and David. It was such a cool experience because Thomas kept saying. "That will be me in 2 weeks!" I am so excited for him and it will be so exciting. It’s been so cool.

I am glad you are all doing well. I am doing well and staying healthy. Thanks for all the support.

Elder Emery

Baptismal Date!!

This week was a lot better for Elder Smith and I. I absolutely love being a missionary and seeing how it changes people’s lives. Yes, the mission is very tough. But I know that this is God’s work and he shows us that every day. I learned a lot as a person this week and definitely humbled me.

Thursday we met with the Schuette Family. And I can honestly say it was the coolest thing I have ever felt. We went into the lesson to kind of answer the questions they had about everything. We brought our Bishop from our ward here there and he taught with us. We started talking about Gods plan and why we are on the Earth. That God has a plan for us and he is happy when we are happy and sad when we are sad. But no matter what he is ALWAYS there. The lesson started going into the Holy Ghost and how he is the testifier and the comforter for us. The spirit was super strong. We then started winding it in to baptism and how that is our first covenant into the Lords kingdom and how being baptized you will have the Holy Ghost by you all the time. As we were talking about it we ended up setting a baptismal date!! Thomas will be baptized on the 23rd!!!!! I was so excited for him and Shirley. Shirley is so close to being there. She might get baptized that same day she just wants to see what a Baptism is like so we are going to Frankfurt on Saturday and watching a baptism with them. I am very excited. I know she will feel something special and be able to follow in Thomas' footsteps. She is so sweet. Thomas is very excited for that day and I know his life will change even more. It’s been incredible starting from the beginning and seeing how much they have changed and how much I have changed. I absolutely love it and never been so happy. So we will continue to teach them but I know I am very humbled seeing their progress from the very beginning.

I have been very blessed serving in this area and I have seen so many miracles so far. I know the Lord put Elder Smith, Elder Lindsey and I in this area for a specific reason to teach Thomas and Shirley. We have built such a great friendship and it’s been absolutely amazing teaching them. The Lord definitely knows where people are supposed to be. I know I have needed this in my life to change me. I have honestly been changed and it has been absolutely awesome. I wouldn't change this chance to serve. It’s the best thing ever.

I know that we are on this Earth for a reason. My testimony of the Gospel has just changed me. Seeing people change their lives and seeing how happy they are has changed me. I am so grateful for this everlasting Gospel. That I can live with my family forever. I know Jesus is the Christ. He atoned for our sins and I have seen that in my life. I know we are called and lead by God as missionaries. This is his work and we are called on missions. Our life is a mission to find those people who are lost and don't have this Gospel. I know that we can change our lives if we just give our hearts to our Heavenly Father.  Sometimes as missionaries you don’t think you can go forward anymore. Sometimes it feels like the end and everything happens that can be super frustrating. There are a lot of down parts on the missions but I know God works in patience. We need to be patient as well. Let him build us as people and continue in Patience. I love this work.

Germany is great as ever. It has been super wet the past couple of weeks. One thing that is sometimes hard is that it has been so dark and gloomy. It has been getting really cold here too. Nights have been freezing and it’s been raining a lot. But that doesn’t stop missionary work so that's good. I have been catching a cold or something so hopefully I will get over it soon.

I love you all. I am doing really well. I am hanging in there and enjoying every day possible.

Elder Emery