Elder Nilson

(Background story... Our Stake President in Alpine has a son who is Nick's age and was called to Frankfurt. Nick was really excited to hear that he was going there.. His name is Elder Nilson. So that is who Nick is talking about later on).

Hey Hey,

Wow, what a week for me. It was such a solid week and I am really excited to finally get things started. One thing that got me really excited was hearing where Eric and T.J are going!! I am so pumped for them to come to Europe and to experience it. We will all be out here serving the Lord and it will be such a good feeling. But they still have some work to do there and win some championships. I am happy about that. And also that you all had a great week. That is always good to hear. I had a great week as well.

To start of the week we had our investigator Emrah actually cook food for a Family Home Evening activity we had last Monday night. It was honestly sooo cool. He cooked some Turkish food for us and it tasted really good. It is just cool to see how integrated he is into all the Young Single Adults. It's super cool to see how happy he is. He has become a great friend of mine and Elder Lovelace's. Sad thing is that he will be leaving this week back home... So we have to refer him over. But we will still have the friendship we built with him. He is such a cool guy.

Sooo a cool story for you all. On Wednesday I went into Frankfurt with Elder Bonzo as we were called as the new trainers for this next cycle. We were to meet at Presidents house at 4:00 p.m. and meet the new missionaries and eat some dinner. It was super cool.. I walk in the door, I talk to president and his wife. Then Elder Lindsey and I go around the corner and Elder Nilson is just standing there and then got super excited. It was really cool to see someone I know! He looked so happy and so good. I got to talk to him during dinner and everything and he sounded so happy and was just loving everything. The new missionaries left for their hotel and then the trainers stayed for a meeting with President. At this point we still don't know who our new missionary is going to be yet. He doesn't announce that till the next morning. So what was cool was Elder Bruneel and Elder Lee gave me a call that night and asked me who I am training. And I told them 100% that I was training Elder Nilson. I just had a feeling that was who I needed to train. So they kept my word to that. We sleep at the hotel that night and the next morning is the pairing session. President starts the pairing and there were a few elders before who got paired up and then it shows my face with.... Elder Nilson!!! Haha we were both SOOO pumped. Again he was super happy and it was cool to see the happiness in him.

Since that day we have already seen miracles that I haven't seen my whole mission. We got back to Darmstadt and we were headed up to the church and Elder Nilson see's this kid with a guitar.. He contacts him just like a boss and gets his number and we hopefully will be meeting him this week. We saw even more miracles after that. We were waiting for a train and these two kids come up and just start talking to us. And we give out 2 more Book of Mormons. The coolest story of all that I will never forget about Elder Nilson.. We were headed to an appointment and we just got onto a train and I sit down with someone across from me. And he looks at me and says, "Elder Emery, those girls have a ukelele.. I need to talk to them." The next thing I know it he is playing the ukelele and SINGING on the train. You have no idea how good this elder can sing. He was singing and everyone on the train was just loving it. He started singing "Jason Mraz I'm Yours." The one girl had her Go Pro out and was filming him.. It was super cool to see how much people were just so interested and how they loved it. But it doesn't stop there.. On our way back Elder Nilson is just standing there and this kid just comes up to talk to him and says he has a ton of interest about the Mormons and was speaking English with him. What was important and was very cool to see for me was the smile Elder Nilson had on his face and how excited he was. The miracles we have seen and the happiness he brings is incredible. I am lucky to be training Elder Nilson and I know he will be a very successful missionary. 

We ended up giving out 5 Book of Mormons in the past 4 days since he has been here. We have about 5 new potentials and the work here is just continuing to be successful. It's been such a good week. I hope you know that I love you guys and I am loving the new experiences I receive every day. This work is the Lord's work. I am just grateful he gives us the chance to be apart of it. I'll listen to the council of this past weeks Stake Conference. We also had that here in Germany. The Lord is Hastening His Work. Pray continually and serve daily. When we do these things we can find that true light of Christ in us. Have a great week. 

Elder Emery

Elder Nilson and I in Frankfurt last Thursday.

The pic with 5 of us.. Elder Bonzo (second from left) trained Elder Lindsey (middle), Elder Lindsey trained me, and then I am training Elder Nilson.. Missionary family tree. The blonde is Elder Bonzos new missionary.

I was also able to see Shirley and David when I went to the temple last Tuesday!! They are so happy and I was so happy to see them. They are growing so much and are completely different people. I love missionary work.

Change

What up everyone back home?! I had a really good week this past week and there were a ton of experiences that I could share. But it would be way to long to write all of them. But sounds like everyone at home is going on with life and that everyone is happy. I am glad you all went to El Farol for Alex's birthday. I cant wait to eat Mexican food again. Another year and I will be there.

Anyways, transfer calls were this week and...... I'm staying here in Darmstadt but Elder Lovelace will be leaving me. Friday morning President Schwartz gave me a call and asks me to be District Leader here in Darmstadt and also I will be training. So there is a chance I could train Elder Nilson from our Alpine Stake. Apparently he comes in this week. So Wednesday I will be going into Frankfurt and picking my new companion up. I don't know who it is but I will let you know how it goes. I am excited for something new. It will be a huge learning experience for me.

Elder Lovelace and I are getting split up and I will be staying here in Darmstadt. I am sad that Elder Lovelace and I are being split but I am excited for the next experience the Lord has for me. It will be a new experience and I am ready to take on the new challenge. Elder Lovelace and I have become great friends. We had such a successful transfer the last 6 weeks and I will never forget it. We found 5 new investigators and starting things up here in Darmstadt University. We just need to keep the work going.

Saturday we had our street display here in Darmstadt. It was really successful and they are always fun because you meet some of the most interesting people. We ended up giving out about 20 Book of Mormons and talked to a ton of people. I will be sure to send some pictures home. We talked to a lot of people. It was absolutely freezing too. But I love straße Ausstellungs because people can actually see that we are normal people. It has been such an awesome experience and they are experiences I will never forget.

One thing I learned in the gospel this week is the Tree of Life. I have my Book of Mormon study guide that I have been studying out of. And seriously the symbols and all the things with the Tree of Life are incredible. There is an Elder who is a good friend of mine whose name is Elder Lee. I was reading 1 Nephi 8 and I had the feeling I should ask him to draw the Tree of Life and we should do a little project together. I am going to find all the symbols and all the deep doctrine in it. I will be sure to send a pic home.

What made a difference in my life this week is really understanding how important it is to be the best missionary I can be. My next goal for me is to know Preach My Gospel and to live the principles in there. I love it and I have learned so much from that book. That is my goal and I hope I can become that person.

 

Elder Emery

Gotta Love Germany

Hey family and friends. Another successful week here in Germany. But first off, I just wanted to say happy birthday to my brother Alex!!! Man, time flies by so fast!! ha but happy birthday Al. Love you bro! haha but I never know what to write but my mom always sends me questions so I will answer those questions.

We currently have 4 investigators right now. It's funny because none of them are even German.. Makes sense, right? Ha but we have 2 of them that are progressing so that is good. It's been a lot of fun teaching them and the 2 that are progressing both committed to a soft baptism. So we will see how that works out. We just need to keep them going on the right path. It's hard because they both smoke.. But they both want to quit too. So we are keeping our hopes high. We know that if they keep the commitments we give that they will follow and find the true path of happiness. It's been so cool teaching them. But we need to find us some Germans to teach. Our lessons are in English and with German it depends on who we are teaching.

The ward here in Darmstadt is really strong. We actually got some of our ward just split off to go into Langen's ward which is just North of us. So that lowered the numbers but we are still up at 200 members active. That is considered a huge ward here in Germany. This ward is very missionary oriented. We also have a lot of young families in the ward with a bunch of kids. It almost reminds me of a Utah ward. But of course a lot bigger area where all the families come from. I love this ward. Transfer calls are already again this Saturday so we will see if I get transferred or not!

I talked to Thomas and Shirley the other night. I don't know what it is but every time I talk to them they are always so happy! The gospel has changed their lives and they have changed my mission. That family means a whole lot to me. It was cool talking to them. They went to do baptisms for the dead on Saturday. Thomas has a lesson next week, AND is also speaking in Stake Conference already... They are really strong and its been such a cool thing to watch. I talked to both of them and they are so happy. I am so happy for them. And I am grateful for them that they can be in my life. 

The hardest thing on my mission is just accepting the fact I need to change. I felt like I was really selfish and wanted things in my life my way. But that has changed over the course of my mission. I have to accept the Lord's will on things. After I have accepted that I have seen how much happier I am too. It all comes with patience. I know that through the Gospel of Jesus Christ we can find that happiness in our lives because I have seen that in my life. There are still some weaknesses I need to fix but it's all a process.

Germany has been really cold lately. But Germany has some of the prettiest country I have seen. I have learned to love the people here. That has also been a hard thing but the people here are really nice people. I know I am serving here in Germany for a reason.

I am super excited for Eric this week. I am excited to hear where he gets called. I know this is the right thing for him in his life and he will absolutely love it. You don't really know what a mission is like until you come out and serve one. I am super excited for him and can't wait to hear where he gets called. And then when we are all finished up here we will be playing again with each other in the future. I love those boys and I am proud of them and the success they have had on the court and off the court as well. 

I am doing well. My toes are healthy. I can walk and run again. Everything is just falling into place when I just let the Lord guide my life. I am excited for this next year I have out on my mission. Like Jackson always told me: Live in the moment! And that is what I am currently doing. The mission is awesome. I love this gospel. I love you all.

Elder Emery

Germany

What a week here in Germany. There's not much to really talk about because I was sitting the whole week and I literally went crazy. But I am glad you all had a great week. Plus its a new month and we have 2 birthdays in the family this month. Everyone is getting older and the time keeps continuing to fly.

As I said before, this week was a really slow one for me. Because, on Tuesday I went and got both my big toe nails taken off.. ha that was again a fun experience. The only painful thing with that is getting the shots. Apparently we have 4 nerves in our toes and so when they do the shots they hit all four nerves in 2 shots.. That is the most painful part. And then they just pop them off. I was fortunate that we have The Clements, an elderly couple, here in Darmstadt that serve with us. So I actually stayed with them for 3 days while my companion went out and did the normal routine. It was very difficult on me because I do not like sitting at all. And so that made the time go super slow and everything. I was supposed to sit even longer but on Friday I couldn't take it any longer. So I ended up walking on it. And now its better! But that was the adventure this week. 

On Friday we went down into Michelstadt for a street display we had down there. When we first got there Elder Lovelace and I were playing catch with an American football. And people would love it. We talked to these kids that were 16 years old and ended up giving them a Book of Mormon. That was really cool. Michelstadt is also VERY pretty so I will send some pictures home. We were able to contact and talk with some people. It has also been absolutely freezing this past week. It's also pretty humid so its like a bone chill cold. But that was good.

My toes are feeling better. I can walk and do everything. Just funny how inconvenient that was. You never really know how much you use your toes until you cant use both of them. Then its a struggle. But just another adventure during the mission. Also, I hit an all time mission high for me.. I am up to 15 pounds gained!! Crazy stuff!! I am doing great though. I am so happy to be a missionary. I am growing every day. I still have a long ways to go. But the Lord works with us when we are patient. I love this work. I love you guys. I hope that you have an awesome week. 

Elder Emery