Happy Father's Day From Germany

Date: Tuesday, June 16

Hallo Familie!

Wie getes euch? Ich bin wunderbar und sehr dankbar fur das Evangelium Jesu Christi und fur die Gelegenheit ich habe ein Mission zu dienen! Ich liebe Deutchland und die Menschen hier. Sie sind gute Menschen. Mission Arbeit ist schwer, aber so gut. Ich bin so biegeistert fur Ritchie ein Mission zu dienen. Ich danke er wird es lieben. Auch ich bin so dankbar fur meiner Vater! Meine Himmischen Vater und auch meine Irdischen Vater. Vatern sind so wichtig. So wichtig. Heute ich habe in Mosia 22 gelesen, und es spricht uber die widows (ich weiss nicht das Wort auf Deutch) und fatherless :) und wie wir sollen ihnen helfen. Als ich habe das gelesen ich habe gedaucht, "Meine gute! Vatern sind so wichtig!" So ich bin so dankbar fur du Vater. Du bist ein wunderbares Vater indeed. :) Du bist ein schwerer Arbeiter, und einen geistigen Mann.

I don't have a lot of time, so now I will go back to English. :) I probably didn't get all the grammar and the articles right, but there you go. What I said was: Hi Family! How are you all? I am wonderful and so thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and for the opportunity I have to serve a mission. I love Germany and the people here. They are good people. Missionary work is hard, but so good. I am so excited for Ritchie to serve a mission. I think he will love it. Also, I am so grateful for my father! My heavenly Father and also my earthly father. Fathers are so important. So important. Today I read in Mosiah 22 and it talked about the widows and the fatherless and how we should help them. When I read it I thought "My goodness, fathers are so important." So Iam so grateful for you father. You are a wonderful father indeed. You are a hard worker and a spiritual man.

Now I will continue. . . . Earlier this week I was thinking about how helpful it is to have good parents. Then I thought about what made a good parent. One thing I came up with was sharing personal spiritual experiences. I am not sure why but I remember dad telling us the story of when he was going to run for student body president his senior year but as he was heading to the office to turn in his signatures he had the distinct impression that he shouldn't turn in the paper. So I think you threw it away or something and you didn't know why, but then a few days later you got a call to be the Seminary president and if you had run for a student body office you couldn't of been the seminary president. I am not sure if I got the story exactly right, but the point was that you followed the spirit. You recognized the spirit, and obeyed. I also remember mom telling us some of her experiences too. So I just wanted to thank you mom and dad for sharing those stories. I think I thought about it because so many investigators ask us what the spirit feels like, how they can realize something comes from God. Anyway, and I thought about you two teaching us how we should always follow the spirit, and you shared personal examples. Those stories helped me so much in my life. I know I didn't tell you all the times they helped me, I probably can't remember all the times they did help me, but I do know they did help me in many instances in my life. Dad thanks for everything you do for our family. The more I live the more I realize how amazing my parents really are. You do so much for us and most importantly without a doubt is that you taught us the gospel of Jesus Christ. There are a lot of things that are important to learn, but I think teaching the gospel by living it by being an example, by sharing spiritual experiences, by reading the scriptures and praying together, that is where we learn the most important things.

So this week in Dusseldorf Germany was pretty good. We lost Baffour for a while, he is the one that was supposed to get baptized this Saturday, but we couldn't get a hold of him all last week and he didn't come to any of our appointments. We thought he disappeared and were so sad. But we heard from him yesterday saying that he was in the hospital. We were so glad to hear from him and that he is OK and hope to be able to meet with him this week. We also have been teaching Patience for a while. She is a great lady, but she stopped progressing. We committed her to come to church and she didn't and she has stopped reading in the Book of Mormon everyday. So yesterday we met with her and taught her about the restoration again, what it means for us now and all the blessings we receive from it, how it blesses the family, that is really what it is all about. We told her why we were on missions, we were here to help people change their lives so they can get closer to God and their families and live with God and their family forever. We tried to emphasize the change part and how God was there to help her, and how we were there to help her. How important it is to read from the Book of Mormon everyday and come to church and to pray (she already prays everyday which is really good). She said she would start reading everyday and come to church. We hope she does!

I came up with a quote it's pretty profound. :) It is this: "You can! And it's worth it!" So many people say they could never do what we do, keep the word of wisdom, the law of chastity, going to church every week, talking clean, etc. And finally I just decided to say, "You can, and it is worth it." I have such a strong testimony that when we turn our will to the Lord when we do what he wants, and finally when we learn to want what he wants we will be so much happier. It is worth everything to do the Lords will. Anything hard we are called upon to do by the Lord, we can do, and it will be worth it. (1 Nephi 3:7, also count how many times the Book of Mormon says, "if ye keep the commandments ye shall prosper in the land.") I am a lot of talk, and I want to be better at following my own advice. There are lots of hard times on a mission I've decided. It really does test every part of you. This past week was kinda hard. We are struggling to find new people to teach and then Baffour disappeared. So on Sunday when Patience wasn't there and Baffour wasn't there I was pretty sad and prayed to heavenly father to send me a ray of hope. After church we were talking to our ward mission leader about Baffour and he was just very nice and understanding, and told us not to loose hope. That he would probably come back. I took that as my ray of hope and low and behold on Monday Baffour contacted us to let us know he had been in the hospital. I know heavenly father hears adn answers prayers. He shows us tender mercies and we can see them when we look. Which leads me to what I want for my birthday. I know it is kind of early :) but I have been thinking about my birthday a lot I don't know why. Anyway, I got a really great letter from a friend and she shared an experience how God had specifically answered her prayer and then she bore her testimony. I loved it and it strengthened my testimony and filled me with hope and strength to know God is there for all of us and does bless us. So I thought it would be pretty much the best birthday present ever if everyone in the family shared an experience like that with me. Obviously I know some things are really personal, but if you can just look for opportunities to pray to God about something and watch for the answer he gives (it has to be specific) then share your testimony with me. I would love that. So you have a couple months:) And I will try to remind you along the way. But I think that would be really cool.

It was great to hear the update on everyone. Candace and Evan I am so happy for you to have found a job and wow, you'll be in Arizona. Maybe now I will finally get to go down there. :)

Tara, thanks for the email. I really appreciated it! I am so glad you had an answer to your prayer. I am still looking forward to that letter.

Sean and Kim, how is parenting going? I hear Miriam is getting tall. That is great.

Ritchie, that is so cool Jake came to visit you. That is great he got you even more excited to go on your mission. And you get to go through the temple soon. Please write me and tell me about your experience. I would love to go with with you.

Chris and Jason, how was football camp? You both sound like excellent players. You're both starting? Wow! What awesome little brothers I have!

Crozier! How is your summer? Are you reading, playing soccer? The Germans love soccer and I decided that when I get home I am going to play it with you mroe often.

Mom, I am glad you got to go to Blanding. I will pray for the people there. That sounds like it was really rough there. Thanks for updating me on life in general. If you see Alyssa, tell her congratulations for me.

Dad, thanks for being a great dad! I wish I could call on Fathers day and tell you how much I love you too, especially since I didn't get to talk to you on Mothers day, but know that I love you and wish you a happy Fathers day!

Well I better go, but I love you all very much. It was a pleasure thinking of you once again. Till next week!

Love,
Sister Fitzgerald