Dear Familyyyyy,

     Last Monday, RIGHT after I got off the computer, Sister Hallmann got a call from the mission travel office. Her Visa application was approved! We spent about half of this week staring at a computer screen filling out papers, scheduling appointments, paying the German government money...it was a blast (ha). We're taking a field trip to Frankfurt tomorrow night and meeting with the consulate on Wednesday morning, and if all goes according to plan, Sister Hallmann should be on a plane headed to the MTC next week! Transfer calls are this weekend and I’m pretty nervous to find out who my new comp will be...wish me luck!
     Despite all the time we spent at the computer, this week was an amazing one! On Monday night, we did FHE with Sister Freitag and her kids. We were JUST about to start the lesson, when Sister Freitag said "I have to tell you something. At church last week...I felt something. I don't know how to explain it, but I had butterflies in my stomach and just felt really, really happy". She compared it to feeling in love...and Sister Hallmann and I were like "AHHHH THAT WAS THE SPIRIT. YOU WERE FEELING THE SPIRIT. OHMYGOSH YAYYY". We were all kinda freaking out a little bit.

     On Saturday, we got more exciting news! I've already told y’all the first part of this story, but I’m going to tell it again because I want to. A few weeks ago, a member in the Ramstein military ward invited us over to eat so she could introduce us to her German neighbor. We got there, and they had JUST started making food. We sat around for a while, but then got up, explained that we only have an hour we can spend at member’s houses for meal appointments and asked if we could do doors in the neighborhood while we waited for dinner.
     We'd been dooring for a while, but no was home and those who were home weren't interested. We had worked our way up the street and spotted a yellow house back down at the other end across from the Bodkins. I wasn't in the best of spirits, and (as I have previously explained) have a theory that people who live in yellow houses are ALWAYS nice, so we decided to knock on that one last door then go check on dinner. As it turned out, an inactive member of the church lived there! She had no idea her neighbors were members—and her neighbors had no idea she was a member either! They assured us that they would go over and introduce themselves, though.
     WEEELLLLLLLLLL (you haven't heard this next part, so if you just skimmed over that last paragraph, start paying attention again)...We saw Sister Bodkins in the church parking lot on Saturday and she informed us that, Kira (yellow house lady) is active again! Better yet, her husband is a non-member and wants to start meeting with the missionaries!!!!! I pretty much lost it. Seriously one of the highlights of my mission thus far.

     On top of that, the Lord has blessed us with three new investigators this week, two of which have baptismal dates!

     AND AS IF LIFE WEREN'T EXCITING ENOUGH...GERNERAL CONFERENCE IS THIS WEEKEND. Hahahaha, I remember watching the fall session in the MTC and thinking "I’m not going to live to see the next general conference" BUT HELLO ITS ME I’M ALIVE. I’m so excited! For those of you who have no idea what im talking about, take a seat.
     Just like in times of old, the lord has called prophets and apostles to lead and guide us. Twice a year, we have the privilege of having a big conference and hearing from them!!! And guess what?! YOU CAN LISTEN TOO.

Here’s the link:

Live General Conference

     I promise there is no better way to spend your weekend (: 

     As you watch, keep Matthew 7:16-20 in mind: 

 “16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 

 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 

 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 

19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 

20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” 

 

     I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true. I know that, just like in the primitive church, there are men—prophets and apostles—called to direct us through revelation received directly from God Himself. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know that Joseph Smith translated it by the power and authority of God. I know miracles don't cease to exist, prayers are still heard and answers are always given to the honest at heart.

I love y’all so much (: 

Talk to you next week!! 

- Brookie

An Unexpected Email from Dave and Ellen Eldredge

We got another awesome surprise from Dave and Ellen Eldredge. They sent a great email and A LOT of pictures! Enjoy!


What fun we had!! Wish you could have been here but maybe this is the next best thing. Hope they get through to you ok. I will try three at a time and if that does not work, will revert back to two at a time. There are 25 taken here tonight. 

Here is the next set of three pics. Hope they are getting through. Nothing back yet so maybe they are going through. Sorry for the blurriness of some of them but tried a different shutter speed without the flash. The clearer, brighter ones are with the flash. 

Here are three more. What a delight they are to have in our home. Thank you for sharing them with us. 

They finally get out of the house and are at the train station getting their tickets. It has started to rain lightly. We never tire of having them in our home or of working with them. 

Getting tickets and a discovery!! Hope you are enjoying these as much as we enjoy taking them and sharing them with your families. 

The 67 is quite blurry due to the change in setting on my camera to try and get the sign of Bruchmuhlbach Miseau in the background. The one with the flash was not visible but you can make out the other even if it is blurry. Love that Train station for sale sign that they are pointing out. If you buy that you won't have to walk far to catch the train-if you can afford it. More fun, seven pics left I think.

The train is finally finding it's way to us as you see in the last picture. They got home safely, by the way. We called them a little over an hour ago and all is well. 

Hope you are enjoying these. We are closing down to the end of those taken today. Hope your computer memories are handling this ok. The one on the train is quite good. Taken with the changed shutter speed and for some reason fared better than the others. Maybe I move on some of the others.

The last wave from the train. The other two wee taken earlier at our Br. Pres, Pres. Baader's son Louis' baptism. They had a lot of family visiting. Many from Salzburg, Austria. Hope you have enjoyed these pics. We hope to have the sisters in our home next week to watch general conference via computer. Hope you have a wonderful rest of the day. You now should have 9 sets of three pics each if they all got through to you. 

It is midnight now that we go off of DST tonight so best call it a night. 


V/r 

Dave and Ellen