For You Mom

Hey mom this email is for you. How are you holding up with the new dog and whatnot. I'm just chilling here with elder frost. We are boolin. we ate at this German place today and it was so so so so good. I got a cordon Bleu and like dang it wasn't as big as the ones we got at schnitzelwirt but it was just as good. Elder frost said it was the best German food he has had here since he's been out so that was dope. I really don't know what to tell you. This week has been pretty Nirmal. A lot better than last week. But nothing amazing. I wrote some poems I'll send them to you in a later email. I think this week I did a lot of growing. I kinda was down about myself last week and I decided no I just wanna work hard and so this week we have been grinding and tying to find and to work and it's been good and I've been feeling better. If I am gonna be here I'm gonna work as hard as I can so there is no doubt That I did all I could do. I have been working hard and it's been hard to not get discouraged but this weel has gone a lot better. I wanna share an experience I had with you last week. Last week I was fed up. I didn't feel like I could speak the language very well, I didn't think I was a good missionary, I didn't feel like I could convince anyone to come to christ. Honestly in many regards I felt like a failure. I was so fed up one time during language study I closed my books pulled out my journal and wrote in large capital letters the question with all the anger and frustration I could muster "WHY AM I HERE?" As I sat staring at my hastily cribbled answer waiting for a response I guess I felt a thought in the back of my head overwhelm my mind with such force I could have sworn it was an audible voice. The voice said "because I love you." that was not the answer I was looking for. Again in anger I stared at this question and silently responded to this voice with the same question "WHY AM I HERE?" and the same response this time more forcefully entered my mind "because I love you" but this time it continued with "This is the place that you will grow. You may not like it but this is where I know is best for you. No matter what you suffer know it is because I love you." Humbled I got on my knees and prayed for forgiveness for my anger, and a feeling of love entered my heart. I know that We go through hard times because the lord loves us enough to want to see us grow. Some of the most powerful and amaying revelations came to Joseph Smith in liberty jail. Sometimes we need to spend a few days, weeks, or even months in our own liberty jails. But that through divine providence, we never have to spend that time alone. I am convinced now more than ever that the lord is acutely aware of who and where I am. I know that he knows my struggles and pains and sorrows because he has felt my struggles and pains and sorrows. I know he has felt yours as well. I am not sure all of the exact reasons I am in a place that feels like it wants me to leave, where no one will listen, and where no one will talk. But I know that the lord has placed me here, in my own little corner of the universe, because he is watching me, helping me to grow on my own personal trek to zion. In response to this hastily scrawled question still staring up at me in my journal, the words of my cherished savior to me "because I love you" shall always remind me of his hand in my life. This week has been much better and since this humbling experience we have been having more success. So that is a story for you I will probably put it in a weekly as well. I'll send you some of the poems I've written recently as well.

It was not the applause 

"It was not in the applause that I found his love

nor in the merits of worldly truth
It was not found in the praise of those above
Nor in any earthly proof
I did not find his love in the City streets
Or in bodies of flesh and bone
Nor in man's great selfish feats
Or on any earthly throne 
No, I found his love right on the mountainside
And in the river that runs right through
I found it in the forest hills
I found his love in you.
I found it in the ocean waves
And in the stars above
And In all the masters divine creation
I feel my saviors love"

You may feel

"You may feel all alone,

Among mountains of regret

You may feel so far from home

With a past you hope to forget

You may feel lost at sea

With no land within your sight

You may be drowning desperately

Ready to give up the fight

Fear not, little wanderer, dear

He can bring the peace you've sought

With christ's grace you need not fear

The things that yesterday brought

He will find you and wipe your tearstained cheeks

And carry you along

He will erase the things of yesterday

And make right what we've made wrong

So listen close, dear wanderer, the savior seeks for you

And no matter what the night brings, His light will shine right through."

Peace, be still

"All of life's great tempests

That seek to drag us down

Can all be calmed by The Master

Who wore the thorny crown

All the storms against us

That aim to swallow up

Can all be swiftly silenced

By He who drank the bitter cup

All the doubts within me

That seek to fear instill

Can all be ceased by His great words

"My son, peace be still" 

That last one is my favorite. All time favorite that I've written so far. 

With love, your favorite son, 

Elder Miner

One Month in Germany

This week has been pretty good.  Elder Frost and I have been doing a lot of finding.  We found some pretty cool people.  We're teaching this one guy Luka.  First time we taught him was Tuesday and we asked him if he wanted to meet again so we taught him on Wednesday and then we asked him if he had time on Thursday so we are teaching him again tonight actually.  Every time we teach him- like we taught him about the Plan of Salvation and what happens after death and he thinks it makes so much sense.  He has always had so many questions about religion and so we’ve been able to answer them.  Its been really good.

We were teaching this family about the book of Mormon- they are Muslim and they were asking about how Muslims fit into the book of mormon.  We were explained that the beginning of the book takes place before Mohammad.  Elder Frost made a time line so they could see how it all fit together. One of the guys looked at us and said “you’re a liar”. They thought we said Mohammad was born in Germany- we had to explain thats not what we were saying.  Anyway it got pretty tense and we don’t think we will be going back..

We started doing family home evenings with some of the less active members and some of the Young single adults.  We use to do it at the church but now we do it at at members house.  That has really helped with attendance.  We get a lot more people.

So on P-day there’s not a ton to do other that visit  cathedrals and castles and stuff. So we don’t really do a ton. Last week we had a really fun day with our district (pictures below). It was super fun.

We’ve just been working hard- just really trying to find people to teach.

My scripture for the week is D&C 6:36

Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.

There are a lot of things we don’t know and and a lot of things that can be difficult and sometimes we can even have doubts.  Doubts are normal. Everyone has doubts and thats ok but if we look to the lord then we don’t have to let the doubts linger we don’t have to have fear linger because our Savior is there for us.  Jesus is the son of God. He is the Messiah.  He can take all of our pains and all of our sorrows. He can take it an make a strength.

I love you all and I hope everything is going well back home.

Much love

Elder Miner

Turkish Hair cuts and Castles

Hellloooooooo

Sorry yall it's been a fat minute. I'm still in Mannheim and elder frost and I are just grinding. Carnevale was this week and oh man it was insane. Everyone was drunk and in costumes for what seemed like a whole week and we got very whacky looks being two Americans in church clothes running around a parade. But it was all fun. This week we also had zone conference and that was so cool cause I got to see some of the elders from my mtc group. I am pretty close with all my zone they are such chill elders. The mission president and I are tight I told him to come to Mannheim and chill with me and elder frost and he said he'd be down so mal schauen if he actually pulls thru. Elder frost and I are gonna have to drop some of the people we're teaching cause they won't keep commitments. But we also met these cool Pakistani guys who insist on buying us stuff whenever we are together. They speak urdo and only a little German so that is an issue

I got my first Turkish haircut and my hair is probably the shortest it's ever been in my life. But we just played with the Turkish dudes kid while we waited and I pulled out a soccer ball and we just played around he is like 2 or 3 probably his name is Ali and I'm teaching him English phrases. The hair cutters just live below our wohnung so we always stop by on pdays they tell Ali to call us uncle it's super cute. I love Germany and everyone here. Today we went to this old castle in Weinheim and it was so cool. I see castles a lot but seeing one up close was a little cooler but tbh I mean it feels so weird to go sight seeing as a missionary. I did a split in worms this week and saw a super cool cathedral but it was weird going into a cathedral as a missionary. It's kinda crazy. Oh all the elders in my district bought matching shirts today they're all floral and whacky but it is cute cause we're cute ya dig. 

Uh I don't really know what else to say so I'll end with a scripture. 2 Nephi 2:24. "But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things." I know that sometimes things are confusing and we are unsure of where we need to go or what we need to do. I think a lot of times we wonder why things happen the way they do and we just get so confused on why things happen to us the way they do. But throughout all the trials I know that all things are done in His wisdom. Not mine. I know that if we trust in him things will work out for the best. I can't give answers for everything or even most things but I know that yhr lord has an answer and I know that if we turn to him and trust in him that we can get an answer and he will guide us home. You are never too lost for the Shephard to find you. You are never too lost for the master to fix you. You are never too weak to take part in His strength. I love you all and I hope you seek for God's hands in one way this week and I know if you pray to have your eyes open to it then you will see it. He cares about you and all the little things that we worry abour in our lives. God bless and strengthen you.

Give my love to all, 

Elder Miner