Crazy Week

Monday started out pretty normal, We cleaned the apartment and went

shopping and I was just about to take a nap when the phone rang... And

it was our mission president. And that is when the craziness began! He

informed us that he would be attending our ward council meeting and he

wanted to come work with us in Frankfurt Oder for a day!

So Tuesday came and so did President Fingerle. President also brought

his son Jonathan along, and we went on splits.

One thing led to another and president and I found ourselves knocking

on a less active members door...

The doors opened and she let us in, We thought it would be a normal

appointment but we very quickly realized that she could speak and

understand little to no German.... Except for very simple things like

"hello" and "come in".

Seeing no other solution,  President and I pulled out the little

Russian that we knew, to try and  communicate.... Sadly I didn't even

see many opportunities to use the two words I know.... бабушка

(Grandma) and картофель (potato)

Luckily for both us, and the Russian lady. President Fingerle knows

how to say a very simple prayer in Russian and we had the Russian

Bible and Book of Mormon downloaded on to our iPads. We taught her

about faith and we read Ether 12:4 together.

But yeah Tuesday night made for some good laughs!

We also had our "Christmas" zone conference on Wednesday. We went

caroling and we handed out almost 500 cards in the middle of Berlin!

On Thursday I discovered that I have a knack for pie making hahaha! 

(pie tins are impossible to find , that is why they are oval shaped haha)

Pumpkin

Apple

On Saturday all of the missionaries in our zone where asked to be the
choir for a church musical, which turned out super good! It's weird to
think that now when I go to sing a hymn I usually end up singing it in
German and not in English.

Then on Sunday we had a awesome Egyptian thanksgiving dinner! I was
asked to make a pie hahaha

Yeah but this week was really good! I'm sorry for the random nature of
my email, it's kind of all over the place but I don't have much time
for emails today.
I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving! Tell me all about your
celebrations!
Thank you for writing me and for keeping me in your prayers!
Love Elder Schmalz

Berlin Zone Conference

Where's Gavin?

Thanksgiving

The time of Thanksgiving is finally here! It's the season to play football, build snow turkeys, going shooting, and of course eating a ton of awesome food! 

Sadly, most of these things are impossible for a missionary here in Germany and especially in Frankfurt an Der Oder to do. So naturally, I'm feeling a little homesick. But in the last few days I have started to ask myself a very cliché question..... "What is the reason for the season?" I know that this question is usually asked as we sit around a Christmas tree, but I think it applies very well in any holiday situation.

Although football, guns, and food are all fantastic and super fun things, they sometimes steal our attention away from the more important part of this time of year. That being to Give Thanks!           (wow I never would have guessed with a name like Thanksgiving)

But in all seriousness, I'm really glad that it is called Thanksgiving  

The word giving in Thanksgiving implies that our gratitude and thankfulness is something that can and should be passed on or given. The word giving, encourages us to turn ourselves to the source of our blessings, that source being our Father in Heaven! He gave us these things because he loves us and wants us to remember Him. And as we remember him and give Him our thanks, things start to change. Thanksgiving very quickly becomes a holiday of humility and praise rather than one of pride and gluttony.

So pretty much to wrap it up, it doesn't matter if you are in America or in Germany, if you are eating turkey this Thursday or if you are going to be eating vegan food at a members house. Thanksgiving is something that you give not something that you get. And it can be celebrated at anytime and in anyplace!

Thank your for reading my two cents about thanksgiving. I want you to know that I'm thankful for you! Thank you for writing me and for praying for me!

I hope that you all have a great Thanksgiving! Make sure to eat an extra slice of pie for me.

Love, Elder Schmalz 

P.S.

Here are three really good Thanksgiving scriptures as well

D&C 78: 17-19

Alma 34:38

D&C 59:15

This week brought a variety of new surprises, including a mysterious new suit. (a really sweet old lady who loves me in my ward felt my suit and freaked out about how thin it was and was worried that I was going to freeze to death! I told her I wouldn't, but then she went ahead and bought me a suit...... for 300 Euro! She wont let me take it back or pay her back)

I worked for 2 days in the biggest most awesome city in Germany (Berlin, of course) as a missionary and not as a tourist and that was super awesome too! I got to go on exchange with the zone leaders because my companion had meetings. 

So this is me in my new suit with Ahmed my ward mission leader. He wanted a picture with the 300 euro suit! Hahaha

Überraschung!

Well this week started out pretty normal with our days being filled
with studies, talking to people on the streets, and the occasional
lesson thrown in there..... But on Friday morning everything changed!
On This particular Friday that I am speaking of we received a phone
call from the mission office informing us that Sunday night we would
be attending a surprise mission conference with.... Elder M. Russel
Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles!
So yeah, after that call Saturday and Sunday seemed to drag on and on
until we finally arrived at the church where the conference would take
place.
When Elder Ballard came in he took the time to shake all of our hands
(252 of us) and to talk to all of us personally for just a few
seconds, He then went to the podium and continued to speak to us
about a variety of topics, the main one being our purpose as
missionaries and the challenge to be more than great missionaries but
also to be great teachers and eventually church leaders and parents.
He also came to give us some instructions about the recent terrorist
attacks in Paris, and what those mean for us as missionaries.
He taught us that that although being a missionary is hard, it is our
chance to stand as a witness of Jesus Christ and His everlasting
atonement, and that we should not be ashamed of that no matter what
happens.
He mainly came to just share his love with us and to cheer us up
and give us advice.
He also shared this scripture with us which will be the one that I'm going to
"ponderize" this week:
D&C 1: 19-20
19.The weak things of the world will come forth and break down the
mighty and the strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow
man, neither trust in the arm of flesh
20.but that every man might speak in the name of God the lord, even
the Savior of the world

And that is something I have learned on my mission! Because my mission
has been a very humbling experience up until this point. I know that
without my Savior I am weak, but with him and through him I can become
better, and I can help others to be better as well!

Thank you for everything
Love Elder Schmalz

A little tour of Berlin

This is Brandenburg Gate

This is the a Holocaust Memorial, for the people who died 

This is the Capital Building

And the coat I am wearing I got for 4 bucks in Poland! I am super thrifty now!

Week Seven in Frankfurt Order

Well life here in Frankfurt Oder has been pretty dang busy, but we did manage to find some time to send Elder Allen off to his new area, and for me to pick up my new companion, Elder Tingey!
Elder Tingey and I go way back..... Actually, all the way back to the MTC!
We actually sat a seat away from each other on our flight here. Elder Tingey is from Oklahoma and he studied for a year at BYU before the mission!

We are working pretty hard here in Frankfurt and hope to see some cool thing happening in the coming weeks:)

My scripture that I'm thinking a lot about this week is Deuteronomy 32:4

"He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgement: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right he is."

I know that to be true! Our savior's ways are perfect. They may not always be easy, but they are perfect! It is only by doing things His way, that we may become perfect as well.

 

I've had a pretty good week and I hope to have another one!

Thank you for writing and for the prayers!

 

Love, Elder Schmalz