We are agents!

Date: Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Hallo Familie!

That is so exciting that Ritchie could get his call any day now. I won't make him wait, if he receives it before Mothers Day he can open it and I'll just have him tell me over the phone. Wow, I keep hoping it's Germany! But I know that wherever he goes that is where the Lord wants him. That's funny you still have the letters with you. Last week I told my companion how excited I was to get those letters, but I guess I still get to look forward to receiving them. :) That is so neat that Elder Bednar gave the CES Fireside from BYUI and that Arthella and Steve both gave the prayers. That is so cool. Ritchie's talk sounded really good. I can imagine how good it was. When we were watching our Stake Conference I was thinking Wow, Ritchie is speaking in Rexburg right now. Then he'll get to give his going on the mission talk. Then once he gets into the MTC he will be writing a talk once a week in his language. He will be totally prepared for that now. :) Women's Conference sounded like it was fun once again. I always love those talks and the music. It is so good. That's neat Elder and Sister Niederhauser emailed you. They are such wonderful people! I am so glad to know them.

Things here are going pretty good. Our investigator who wants to be baptized is now on his vacation to Ghana. And our other investigators are kind of slowing down. So we have a lot of finding time and we are hoping to find more people to teach.

A funny story. On Sunday I had my first split. My trainer went to another city and Sister Dotty came here. She has never been around in Düsseldorf before so I was in charge of the city. It started out pretty well. We went to our first appointment and then we were one our way to the next appointment. We got on the Bus which took us to the right place so we could catch our other Bus. But there was a marathon that day and some of the busses were down. Our bus was one of those. So we were in the middle of nowhere trying to get to this place kind of off and away from the city. So we started walking and then walked for a very long time. After the meeting, we missed our bus on the way back so we walked some more. Once we got into the city I didn't know how to get to the place where we wanted to go next and we ended up just getting lost. We did talk to people on the way and got some contacts which was good. But in the end Sister Dotty figured it out and got us home. I was very grateful for her. It was pretty funny, pretty embarrassing. I found out that I need to know the buses, trams, and trains a little bit better here. It was a good lesson.

Well I better go, but I love you family so very much. I know this gospel is true and is what really makes us happy. I've been taking notes as I read the Book of Mormon and it amazes me how many times the phrase, "If ye keep the commandments, ye shall prosper in the land" appears. It is so true. We see it in the Book of Mormon and we see it in people's lives today. In our District Meeting last week one of the assistants to the President was there (Elder Peterson, P.S. he's from Vernal and knows the Flakes. He says their rivals, they both have 12 kids in their families . . . funny) and he said, "Obedience is what makes us happy. It's not the number of baptisms or anything else. When we go home it is the ones that have been obedient that will be happy with their missions." I totally believe that. I think that is true of life as well. Luckily we do have the atonement always there for us. The more we strive to come closer to Christ through His Atonement and by following his example we will be happier. It does take self control, and that kind of control brings happiness, especially when we recognize Gods hand in helping us. There are so many lessons to be learned. I am so grateful to be learning the ones I am learning here in Germany. It's not easy, but I can choose to enjoy it, learn from it, grow from it, and be better the next day. That is what I try to do and I always feel Gods arm there strengthening me.

OK I am officially done. I love you family.

You are terrific, and this life is incredible!

Love,
Sister Fitzgerald

P.S.
I'll talk to you on Sunday!
What are Ritchie, Chris, Jason, and Croziers's email addresses?