FAMILYYYYYYYYY!!!

Okay, before I rant about HOW STINKING EXCITED I AM TO TALK TO Y'ALL IN 3 DAYS, let me tell you about this past week!!!

Maria. Let’s begin with Maria. She's a 20 year old mother from Slovakia who has been living with a 50 something year old man, Herr Fink, for the past year. She's been meeting with the missionaries for a long time, but has never progressed (doesn’t do her reading, doesn’t come to church, won’t move out, won’t quit smoking...all that fun stuff). Wellllll, we stopped by her apartment earlier this week to set up an appointment, and guess what she told us!? SHES NO LONGER LIVING WITH HERR FINK!!! And right after that, she said "oh! And I’ve been reading in The Book of Mormon!" 

SHE HASN'T READ FROM THE BOOK OF MORMON IN FOREVER.

Oh my gosh I think I died and went to heaven.

BUT GUESS WHAT ELSE??

SHE CAME TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY, TOO!

I WAS LIKE OH MY GOSH PINCH ME I MUST BE DREAMING, OH WAIT NO THIS IS REAL LIFE, YAY.

More good news: operation Santa Claus was a hit!! We put together TONS of Christmas goody bags (containing an orange, a he's the gift card, and a Mormon.org card), stapled chocolate to “He's the Gift” cards, and wrapped a bunch of Joy to the World DVDs! Then we shoved elder Goodrich in a Santa suit, walked down to Markplatz and spread a junk load of Mormon Christmas cheer. ‘Twas quite awesome.

OH. Before I forget--a bunch of people have been asking me about the language (i.e. how it’s coming/if I use it often). Well. Let me tell you.

I have been incredibly blessed. The language hasn’t been a problem at all! Don’t get me wrong, I sound like a complete ignoramus when I talk (nothing I ever say is grammatically correct) but people always understand me and, for the most part, I can understand them!!

THE GIFT OF TONGUES IS REAL.

Okay. Back to my beautiful week. I went on a split to Jena!! I actually go on TONS of splits. Sister Hamner is the sister training leader, so we go on exchanges just about every week. I love it because the break is much needed sometimes, but hate it at the same time because I feel like between that, district meetings and other meetings throughout the month, we're never in our area! No Bueno.

Anyway! The split! It was incredible!! We talked to one amazing person after another. I'll tell you about one of them!

We were on our way to contact in a neighborhood when we saw a girl carrying a suitcase ahead of us. As she approached, the spirit whispered "ask if she needs help"...so I did! And to my surprise, she accepted (no one ever accepts help here)!!! We walked down to Bahnhoff with her and talked the whole way! When we got there, she asked if we had time to sit with her while she waited for her train. We ended up getting her contact information to give to the Berlin missionaries (that’s where she’s from) and she accepted a Book of Mormon as well!!

After she got on her train and we began walking away, I was overcome by the spirit. I have no idea how to adequately explain how I felt, but this much I CAN tell you--Charlotte (that was her name) WILL get baptized on day.

The spirit made that very clear.

I finally met the Frenkels! Shout out to Jessica, Nils & family back home!

OKAY.

RANT TIME.

I CAN’T WAIT TO TALK TO Y’ALL, THE ANTICIPATION IS KILLING ME, I LOVE CHRISTMAS TIME SO MUCH YAY, YAY, YAY, FAMILY, FAMILY, FAMILY, WOOHOOOOOO, I LOVE YALL SO MUUCHHHHHHH, I HAVE THE BEST FAMILY ON PLANET EARTHHHH.

Okay. Rant over.

Gotta go!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

TALK TO YOU SOON (:

-Brookie

P.S. PLEASE TELL ME YOU HAVE ALL HEARD THE REALMS OF GLORY SONG. It’s on replay at my apartment all day every day. SO GOOD. I wish I were at home to jam out to it with y’all!! Ugh I miss you so much!