Joyously

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This week I went on exchanges with Elder Matis in Bergedorf, we had the nice whole day to do some finding. It was a good time and we found some contacts and hopefully found some people that are ready to hear more. Elder Matis is great, we talked basketball the whole time, ahh it was great.

Met again with the family from Syria, they’re doing pretty great. They really loved the plan of salvation, excited to meet with them again. Other than that, service and finding have been the name of the game.

Something I’m more grateful this week is peace. In Nephi 18:21 we read about the storm that came when Nephi was tied up on the boat it says:
And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord; and after I had prayed the winds did cease, and the storm did cease, and there was a great calm.

It talks about the “great calm” and it made me think about how we usually recognize that great calm after the storm but often forget that before the storm it was just as calm, it just took a storm for us to realize how peaceful it was. That’s a piece of how I know that our trials and struggles help us.

Elder Winkel

I liked this poem I read in a talk from a while back.

All paths that have been, or should be

Pass somewhere through Gethsemane.

All those who journey, soon or late,

Must pass within the garden’s gate;

Must kneel alone in darkness there,

And battle with some fierce despair.

God pity those who cannot say:

“Not mine, but thine”; who only pray:

“Let this cup pass,” and cannot see

The purpose in Gethsemane.

-Our friend Elder Germann went home today, to get back for the Air Force 😢

-Also did some more service at one of my favorite members, chopping wood.

-Took a ferry with the car over the Elbe… 6 euro later…
ElderGermannheadshomeservicechoppingwoodferrywithcar

Happy Vaters Day

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Simply said, I’m thankful for my dad. He’s a cool guy.

It was a hard week but we had some good things happen, we had a zone training meeting in Hamburg, and right after exchanges with the zone leaders. As good as always with those guys, I was with Elder Germann. We did some finding and talked to some nice people, and surprisingly with a lot of people who have friends that are members of the church. Then later that night we had friendly wrestling (forearm to the throat from Elder Adams ALWAYS gets me) then I woke up the next morning and made some pancakes.

We had a couple lessons this week. One was with our family from Syria, they speak really good English and a bit of German, but we skyped in an Arabic speaker in our mission so they could understand things clearer. And they loved it! They said they are open-minded Muslims and visit Christian churches once in a while and we were able to answer a lot of their questions, and I’ll say it was weird having someone excited about the gospel and telling us they wanted to hear more – so so special.

While we were teaching I realized again how wonderful the gospel is and how much it makes sense. The first point “God is our loving Heavenly Father” really shows when talking about the restoration and the plan of salvation.

I thought a lot this week about the light that comes from God and Jesus Christ. How awesome light really is. If one is in a completely dark room and nothing can be seen, and suddenly a light appears no matter how small that light is, even if it’s just a pin point, your focus turns to the light. The closer you move to the light, the bigger it becomes. Jesus Christ is that light. He is that “son” that shines his light upon our lives. I have seen so much grey and black on my mission. But the people that have color, are the ones who strive to come closer to Christ. (Moroni 7)

I think one of my favorite things about my dad is that he knows me, and has always been interested in my well-being. I imagine it’s hard to know the impact fathers have on their children, but it’s a big one.

Elder Winkel

· My cool dad

· Exchanges

· So this with last week at the stadium, this is a very special cup. I have no idea why or who won it, but they told me I could hold it. So I did.

· Exchanges w/ Germann

· Ice
Off Hollywood StexchangesspecialcupexchangewGermannIce

Glückauf

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This week we saw many cool things – we did a lot of finding, finding, finding. We found some cool people who are interested in the gospel. We found a little family from Syria who luckily doesn’t live in government housing for refugees, and they speak pretty solid English, with a bit of German. They want to know more about Christianity and told us they are not super strict Muslims… So we will see, they’ve got a bunch of beliefs about Christianity mixed up, and the restoration will clear a lot of that up.

Another dude we found on the street, loves God. He was five years in prison, and use to have a rough heroin addiction, but he found the Book of Mormon really cool and wants to bring his friend next time we meet.

Being thankful in our prayers is something I learned this week, as I focus on what I do have, something crazy happens… I’m more thankful… Wow imagine that.

I want to become. A strong testimony I have received on my mission is that the things of the world don’t work. Now that may be coming from me, a poor missionary, but day after day, I meet with, I see, I hear, and I experience people grasping for things to keep them happy. And they can’t find it. But we can grasp the gospel, and if we hold fast, the treasures of heaven are what await us. I’m thankful we can become more like Christ and become something more, something real.

Elder Winkel

This week we visited the HSV soccer stadium, closest thing we can get to a real game.

Can I get a press conference anyone?
StadiumPressconference

Trost

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This week was a lot of a learning week, yesterday we were in Hamburg for the multi-stake conference broadcast. We spent the night Saturday night, with my boys Adams and German and went out for dinner.

The rest of our week was filled with service and finding. We helped patch holes in a ceiling, we finished clearing out the flooded basement. I guess something funny this week was we were looking for a less active I’ve talked to 7 times and all of our appointments had fallen out… So we went by and I really wanted to knock on his door, not just ring the doorbell to the building. So to get in I just start dooring random people in the building and this dude comes out and tells us to get off the property (keep in mind we are outside in the middle of the city) so I try and explain that we are just looking for our friend, and he wouldn’t have any of it! He just kept telling us to get out. Haha.

I studied a lot about the life of Joseph smith, especially his trials, and he had many. I read in D&C 121-122, and I can’t even imagine how he and those that were with him felt during that time in Liberty jail. When one is so low that they must ask “o God where art thou?” is a time of great need. But God’s reply was

“peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;”

When I have been in moments as such, I can say that I have felt closer to the Lord, with the hope and faith that things will get better. To take the humble road that our Father in Heaven knows and wants what’s best for us.

“know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.”

Elder Winkel

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