Christmas in Offenbach, Mini Mission and Carpeting a room with a Swiss Army knife

Howdy!!

Well this week was a great week but a little tough. Our lesson with Uhli fell thru and now we can't get a hold of him, but we have faith the Lord has a plan for him and the Lord knows best. He is the gardener.

This week we got to do service for a American store ran by a member of the church. He sells all of this American Food!!! It was fun and we got to meet a less active member and got to know him better!! Also he had us carpet his room with a Swiss army knife and a roll of carpet. He just threw it at us and said he will back in 2 hours. That was interesting!!

For everyone that is wondering about the Autobahn here, missionaries are only allowed to go 120 km but the members drive faster. We did about 150 km in a moving van a couple weeks back. hahahah

Offenbach is still the same, the people are awesome and we get have made a lot of friends with people around town and have really tried to make a impact on how the people here think of the Mormon missionaries. We run into people all the time that we have talked to before, it's been pretty awesome!

Christmas has already arrived here in Offenbach, the Christmas Market is open and the trees and lights are out!! It's going to be so much fun and people are getting a lot more nice around here now that Christmas has come around.

This week we are having a 54 year old member in the branch serve a mini mission. His name is Peter and he is hilarious, he is a  Deutsch Lehrer (German Teacher) and he can talk your ear off. He has been talking about this mini mission since September so you know that he is super excited! It's going to a good experience for him and for sure help him better understand missionary work!

Not this week, but next week is transfer calls, and now that my training will be over, everything is going to be up in the air. I can stay or leave really comes down to the President and the Lord. So I will keep you posted!

Miracles are happening here everyday in Germany The one thing I would say to everyone is that, this church is true the Lord is our Savior and Redeemer and through him all man are saved when we use the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our lives. Sometimes when its 5:30 at night and pitch black dark because of the Sun going down. Or when an appointment falls out, I think man this is tough. Why cant it be easier, then I remember my Savior bleeding from every pore for me and asking the Father if he will let the cup past. I know the Savior lifts me up and says 'I know what you going through, the people didn't want to listen to me either.' I remember the words of Jeffery Holland everyday when he said "Salvation is not a cheap experience, to become truly converted we all have to go through the trial of our faith.!!"

Love Ya'll,

Elder White

Challenge to find an Investigator from the Branch President's Family

Dear Good Ole Family and Friends!

Well this week has been full of miracles!!! I would have to say the one moment that stood out to me was this week working with the Familie Bellersons. President Bellerson is the Zweig (Branch - similiar to a Bishop just over a smaller congregation) President here in Offenbach, we had set up a appointment this week to met with him and his wife. During this appointment on Thursday, we talked to family about Faith and then gave them a challenge. If they would thoughtfully and humbly pray over a street anywhere in the Zweig area, we would find a investigator. I was super nervous giving this Challenge because I thought "what if my faith isn't enough." We gave them 1 day and then called then back, Sister Bellerson gave us a street in Aschaffenburg called Luitpold Strasse. The next day after receiving the referral, we went to this street to contact. It took us two hours to travel there, but after miracle after miracle we made it finally. We got to the street and it was in the middle of the city and was mostly businesses. When we saw the street we were a little discourage, I was just wondering how we were ever going to find a person to teach at 7 pm. We started talking and knocking on some doors. We ran into some people that wanted to talk a little but had no interest. After a while I voiced my concern to Elder Bulkley. I thought we couldn't find someone to night. He looked me in the eye and said we are servants of the Lord and we promised this family we would find someone. I really then knew I needed to show all my faith. We did some more contacting and both felt pretty good. We came back together and we were tempted to head home. But the thought in my head said keep going. So we walked across the street and that was when we meet Natalia. We talked to her and talked about the Book of Mormon. Her bus came and we realized we missed our chance to ask her if she wanted to learn more, but then a miracle happened. She missed her bus, so we got to talk with her more. We took the same bus as her and before we got off we asked her if she wanted a Book of Mormon and she said yes. We told her we would bring one by her house and she was excited.

That experience was unreal!! We were about to turn back and give up but I just remember all the words I had said and the words we had heard from Elder Jeffery R Holland ( an apostle in our church) on how those times when we are so tired and we think we have given just about all we can,  if we have faith, the Saviors Atonement keeps us going. 

We heard a video in Zone training this week that brought me to tears. Elder Holland was training a some  Mission Presidents and he said something that hit me. He spoke in a very booming voice,  "Mission work isn't suppose to be a cheap experience, and it will never be easy and always hard. Missionaries don't ask why won't the people listen to me, why won't he follow my commitments?" he continued, "WE ALL HAVE TO FEEL A MOMENT LIKE WHAT IT WAS LIKE IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE." We as missionaries have to struggle and fight and feel not just a second, but moments of what the savior felt. He said the reason why it isn't easy is because salvation is not a cheap experience."

WOW those words hit everybody in the room really hard. Because it's true, this work will never be easy and we will want to give up, but the worth of souls is great in the sight of God.

Also another awesome miracle, Uhli our untersucher (investigator) is getting close to baptism, the one who wouldn't call us back last week. I was on a split ( means that Missionary companions switch companions for a 24 hour period) with a missionary and we were in his town. We walked by his house and someone was home, we decided to go somewhere else because I didn't want to make him angry by coming to his house. But the people in the town we were going to met weren't home. I knew then we were here to met Uhli, but I was scared and nervous. Me and Elder Hansen said a prayer and then I knew this message is to precious to "hide under a bushel basket." I knocked on the door and he came out! He was so excited to see us, he said his week had been crazy and that he had to leave soon. Then I asked if we could set up a appointment, and he said "Yes, we need to meet." It was so cool!!! He is an amazing man and has such a sweet heart so many miracles have surrounded his conversion.

Well this transfer is half way over already! Me and Elder Bulkley don't know if we will be together next transfer since my training time will be over and we have been together for 2 transfer. It is a crazy time with Christmas around the corner and this week we found 5 new pontential untersuchers (investigators)!

All in all, alle ist gut here in Deutschland, wir haben jeden Tag so viele wunder gesehen. Unser Beiziehung mit die Mitglieder in die Gemeinde ist besser und wir haben jeden tag so viele mehr Lektion. Wir konnen jeden tag des Handes Herrn sehen. Diese Missionar Arbeit ist moglich durch das Sühnopfer Jesu Christi

Ich liebe Dich

Translation - All in all , all is well here in Germany, we see wonderful things every day. Our relationship with the members of the Branch is better and we have more lessons every day. We can see every day the Lord hands. This missionary work is possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Love,

Elder White

                                                          Selfie # European Haircut!!!

Pumpkin Carving, Cancelled appointments, and A New Contact

Well howdy!!

Well this has been a pretty interesting week to be honest! We are kind of having to start at square one because all of our investigators are having a hard time meeting this us. We had about 4 appointments last week drop out because people not wanting to meet or just not showing up! It was crazy and hard to deal with. On Sunday as we sat down to break our Fast, I was looked at  what we had planned and what had happened and saw a huge difference. and then I started feeling like I had failed as a missionary. Me and Elder Bulkley talked about it and he told me that it doesn't matter what we are doing with numbers. It easy to get caught up with numbers and baptisms, but in the end Offenbach is a tough place and you do a lot of seed planting, but that's when we have will see the miracles. Thats when I realized that even if I follow the spirit and want to see someone baptized, that sometimes that is not the Lord's plan for us, he has something different in mind. This work isn't going to be easy and we are not perfect,  but through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can overcome our weakness and they are made strong, just like it says in Ether 12:27.

Well this week Uhli, wouldn't call us back and I got pretty frustrated, so I started my fast early on Saturday and later that day got on a train so we could travel an hour away to a town called Schollkrippen. We knew we would go through and right past Uhli's house on the train so I prayed hard that we would see him outside. As we traveled by, we we saw him outside working on his car. I had a feeling we should get off but was scared thinking we were going to bother him. But I put my shoulder to the wheel and just did it. We walked up to him and he was suprised! But invited us in, and we got to teach him a lesson!! It was cool. We knew that day the Lord needed us to go to Schollkrippen so we could run into him. Later we were contacting in Alzenau when I had the impression to walk up to a kid and talk with him. As I did I talked about the Das Buch Mormon and he took the book. then he said, "One of my friends is Mormon." (That doesn't happen here) Then I said who? He said a girl in our GEMINDE or Ward!!! It was such a cool experience for us to find him!!

Germans don't really celebrate Halloween especially in Offenbach, so it was kind of just another night. But I had an idea to get more ward support and we did a pumpkin craving Family Home Evening.The Germans had never done it before, so its kind of a fun American thing.

The sun goes down by 5:30 pm here and it feels like 9 when its really 6 in the evening. Germans go to bed when the sun it down so people yell at us for contacting them at 5 o clock in the evening. It's pretty funny sometimes. 

We only have 4 weeks left of this transfer which is flying by and we had to say goodbye to our district leader which he was a great missionary and a good friend. But we got a Golden from Utah named Elder Hansen, He is a studd!! and Elder Bulkley is the district leader

Well All i know is that the church is true, Jesus is our Lord and Savior and through the Atonement we are made clean and stronger. We are all not prefect and find faults but when we are humble and patient we will see miracles in our lives. When the going gets tough, the tough get going!!

LOVE,

ELDER WHITE

New Investigator, Investigator ready for baptism and Ankle issues

So my ankle I had surgery on in January has been having some problems this week, but like Grandpa Van Wagenen says, "Nothing I can't handle!!" Luckily the injuries are minor and I caught them early enough before worse things could have happened. It's a blessing in and of its self. My mission president, President Stoddard was so kind on the phone helping me out with my questions and letting me know he was there to support me. It was a rough experience, but hey,  the waiting room at the doctors office had some good schokolade. (chocolate)

Well that kind of ate at our time for proselyting and work because I had to go to so many appointments, but I should be okay. No more basketball, I guess when I was playing a few weeks ago and dunked the ball and I think I added to Kyle Emery's crack on the backboard. ( He is a  BYU Basketball player and is our AP and he cracked the backboard when he was here in Offenbach). I will have to tell him when I see him. Hahaha!!

This week we got a new investigator named Herr Zagorski. He has had such a hard life, we met him one night and he let us in the door, he was watching a movie and then turned it off and played us the song of his late wife. He cried so hard in front of us and told us about how much he missed her. Then talked about her death and it brought tears to my eyes. Then he told his son was stabbed to death a year ago and he lost his job. His only daughter doesn't talk to him anymore. Broke my heart hearing his story and see the pain of losing family. It was so awesome, getting to tell him about the Plan of Salvation and how he can see his wife again. He ask us, "You really think I can find joy again". He is a awesome guy and already loves his polish Book of Mormon.

Rafael is struggling right now.  Having a hard time figuring out what to do with him but I keep praying for him. 

Uhil our investigator who wants to be baptized came to CHURCH YESTERDAY and loved it!!! He was just in Utah meeting his friend who is a bishop and it seems like he ready for baptism. It is exciting, he is so cool and just a genuine guy full of the light of Christ. He is moving to the US in 4 months to Flagstaff,  Arizona for work.

The work is progressing here in Germany for sure, we are talking to people and see the hand of the Lord in our lives. Countless miracles everyday help me get through tough times here because people can be amazing and then sometimes plan rude. 

Just a little about my companion, Elder Bulkley. I'm older than him by about 4 months.

He is 6'4" and lifted weights before his mission. He is quiet so me and him are like water and oil sometimes (He read this and don't worry and laughed) He went to American Fork High School and lives in Pleasant Grove. He has 4 other siblings and wants to be a JAG in the military

My German is coming long pretty well everyday I'm getting more comfortable and able to understand more and more. Offenbach people have gotten a lot nicer and they are already setting up for Christmas!! Germans love their Christmas!!!

Well its great here, sad this week we have to say goodbye to Elder Wiedmann and actually me and Elder Bulkley will take him to the train station and send him off. Its going to weird but he is a great Swiss missionary (from Switzerland).

Love you all, hope all is well at home.

Love Elder White

Eternal Families Door Approach Saves The Week!!

Well Howdy!

Rough week, but great weekend. We had about 2 investigators fall out and say they don't have any interest in meeting with us. That was pretty depressing and on the top of that we were talking with RL and he told us he didn't think we could help him anymore with his problems and his apartment, but that he really enjoys talking with us and wants to continue our friendship. That was pretty rough, I found myself asking the Lord "WHY, I'm doing everything  you asked!" On top of that their were two strikes here in Deutschland and their trains haven't worked all week! And our investigator from the USSR had to start working with other missionaries because he doesn't speak German. 

As I sat there questioning what we needed to do next on Friday afternoon, I had a thought we should go 40 minutes to Alzenau. Elder Bulkley said it was fine, so we walked outside to the bus stop and realized we had 15 minutes before our train left, as we started worrying all the sudden a bus showed up. Then we showed up to the train, rode the train to Alzenau. Went to go visit someone but they weren't home. We started wondering why did we even come here, then I we realized that one of the members daughters was playing in the street. We prayed and realized we needed to go and visit this family, so we stopped by for 5 minutes asked them how we could help and then left. It felt kind of pointless but then we got on our train to head back and had to make a connection. We were running to catch the train, but realized we were 5 minutes late and had to wait another 30 minutes. But as we walked up to the terminal, the train was there! it was 5 minutes late. What a miracle and we realized that we had fulfilled whatever the Lord needed us to do there in Alzenau. 

All weekend I was wondering what we going to do because we really didn't have anyone to teach anymore. Then Elder Bulkley told me that we need to have more faith when we go out when we find. So on Sunday. yesterday we went out believing we could find people. We went and did some doors, and as I rang one of the doors and began to speak I said, "We are missionaries, we have a message about Jesus Christ," and then I said randomly about eternal families. The man on the other end said "Sure come up." We met him on the doorstep and he looked depressed he told us that he had lost his wife 5 months ago and that it has been hard so for him. It gave me the opportunity to look at him and tell him that he could see his wife again because we believe in eternal families. He said he wanted to set up another appointment with us!!! That never happens here in Germany!! I felt so good walking down the stairs, later that day we found 2 other people that gave us phone numbers for contact. What a day full of miracles!

 The one thing I do know is that Jesus Christ lives! And this is his work here on the earth today. Missionaries probably make him laugh because we are always asking him what our purpose is, what do we need to do and then we questions why we don't see success. Then he gives us a miracle and then as Elders we say "Oh we shouldn't have been asking why this whole time, because we have been doing it all alone." There are so many times I see  miracles happen. I look up to the sky and a little tear welds up in my eye because I know the Lord is smiling and saying "Run along Elder White I will catch you when you fall."

Millions shall know Brother Joseph again!!

Elder WHITE

HOWDY from Germany week of October 13th

HOWDY!!!

Well I finally got to see the last session of General Conference!!! What a great experience to hear the words from the Prophet!! Listening to General Conference on the Mission is so awesome!!!

This Sunday I bore my testimony in Sacrament meeting in German and the members came up super surprised about how well my German was.  I also blessed the Sacrament in German. It really helped build my confidence. It's great because now I can sit in church and understand what they are saying, not always everything but I understand most everything and can hold conversations on the street in German and contact on my own! 

The only tough part is the Branch here in Offenbach, don't really support the missionaries, I haven't eaten at a single members house since I got here and it is hard to set up appointments with members. We pray for the members that they will soften their hearts and help us out a little more. I have been thinking about how to work with with the members in the Branch and people who are difficult, so today I was praying and asked my Heavenly Father what do I needed to do. Then as I opened up Preach My Gospel, to the page about Christlike attributes and about charity. I realized that I can overcome these struggles through charity and having the pure love of Christ with me!  The one thing I have learned on the Mission is the importance of Atonement in my life. Through the Atonement we are healed of our short comings and weakness. Alma 7:11-14 doesn't just say sickness but it talks about afflictions and sickness. I haven't understood before that Heavenly Father can help overcome my weakness and not just sin itself!! What a beautiful Blessing!!!

This week we had splits, (this is where two sets of missionary companions switch companions for 24 hours)  and we got to do a golden golden split. ( This mean 2 brand new missionaries got to be companions for the splits.  They usually but a new missionary with a seasoned missionary)  So me and Elder Arnesen got to go on a split and he has only been out 6 weeks longer than me!! It was so cool though, we taught a lesson and then we were walking down the street and I had an impression to talk to a man. Elder Arnesen and I went up to him, he talked to us in English and he is from Argentina!! He Name was Ricardo and by the end of the conversation we figured out he was a inactive member of the church!! He told us about he active sister, and that he thought our encounter was a sign that he needs to go back to church! It was awesome!!

The work is a little slow right now because our golden investigator is in America on vacation, but it has given us a chance to just talk to everyone, I have gotten kind of lazy on contacting, but now I'm just trying to talk to everyone I see!! It's easy to get down because the sun doesn't come out much anymore and it rains about every other day. But we have to find joy, a lot of times Elder Bulkley and I sing church hymns as we walk down the street. It's funny because People look at us weird, but it really helps make me happy!

Well RL, the man from the park, who we had kind of given up on, we found him randomly!!! We talked with him and by the end realized that the Lord needs us not to give up on him. So the next day we went looking for him to see if he was in the Clinic yet, we found out that he does have a house so we went to the house and rang the buzzer and he said he would come down. Then randomly as we waited a man walked up to us and said he would let us in. We told him we were fine, but he insisted that we go inside, he forced us inside and so we went to RL's Apartment.He let us come in and OH MY GOODNESS, worse place I have every seen in my life, so many bottles of whiskey that he trips trying to get to his bed. Rotten meat everywhere and piles about 4 feet tall of flies and random stuff. We left the apartment realizing the Lord needs us to serve him. So we have a new Project, it is called Project Ü. We received special permission from the Mission President to involve another district in cleaning up the Apartment. We are going to clean his Apartment!!  And I'm so excited for him!!

Well all in all things are great a Little sad because our district leader is ending his Mission next week. he is heading back to Switzerland. But everything is great, Offenbach maybe a rough place sometimes but other times it is just amazing full of miracles and People from everywhere. This Gospel is true!! As we bear testimony of Jesus Christ the Lord silences those that would seek to do us harm, because whether you are a missionary or not you are a disciple of Jesus Christ and his Name will Sound in every Nation!! DEUTSCHLAND!!!

Love, 

Elder White

Here are pictures from when we went to the temple last week.

Here is a picture of the streets of Offenbauch

His infamous selfie photo facial expression..inside his apartment

Amazing Miracles in Germany!!

My testimony has been strengthened over the past couple of weeks, I have experienced many amazing miracles that have shaped me and helped strengthen my testimony. Here are just a few:

Elder Bulkley and I were going to met a investigator who lived about 45 minutes away. Our train was late and we missed our connecting train. We were about to head back home when this impression told me, get on this random train. I walked away thinking that this was crazy, but it happened again I told Elder Bulkley and he thought I was nuts. The train was still there, and I had been doubting myself as a missionary and was having a rough time. I knew if we got on the train and it took us to somewhere we didn't need to be that mentally I couldn't take that. It was a war in my head so like I have been taught, when it gets to hard to stand, we pray. So right there, I folded my arms and began to beg with God to help me because I didn't have much more in the tank to give. As I stood there something pushed me towards the train and it almost felt like I couldn't stand up straight. I said to myself, "Heavenly Father I'm putting this one in your hands, I'm giving you everything I have and using ever ounce of faith I have."  We got on the train and stood there, then as the train took off, Elder Bulkley remembered we could ride this train make it to the investigators house. We made it on time to UI's house and that night committed him to be baptized because he knew the gospel is true!! Our Savior walks with us and guides us along this mission path because some days being a missionary is exhausting and tiring and you think you don't have anything left and as you fall down he catches you and lifts you up, and he strengthens you!

Well RL, the man in the park we have been teaching was suppose to go into rehab Wednesday, but decided not to. We went to visit him yesterday and so we are kind of stuck trying to figure out what to do next. The only thing we know is that we serve him and hopefully bless his life.

We met a golden investigator this week named EE who grew up in the USSR and is from Ukraine. It was amazing, we were doing a street display when all of the sudden he walked up and said he wanted to talk with us. He is looking for work and has already read the Book of Mormon. He kind of speaks broken English, but the message gets through to him. He was raised in the Communist party and didn't think there was a God until he met believers that resisted the Communist party in his home town. He is an Antique Art Restorator and he believes Jesus is his Savior and Redeemer. He came to 8 hours of GENERAL CONFERENCE WITH US!!! We told him he could leave whenever he wanted too, but he said that the spiritual food he was receiving was great!! He is going to be transferred to the English Elders in Frankfurt, but he doesn't speak very good English and he doesn't feel super comfortable going to Frankfurt. So we will see!!

There is a town about 1 hour away from Offenbach called Aschaffenburg. It is the most beautiful town in our area but is hard to get to. We had a finding activity planned by our District Leaders there and we were asked to teach seminary that night also. So we met there around noon and did some contacting, then around 3 the other Elders left. We had about 5 hours before our next appointment which was seminary so we went to go contact a investigator about 20 minutes away. As we waited for the bus Elder Bulkley and I remembered people we had met here in this town. We said a prayer together that we would see SM and DD. We finished praying and I had some doubt thinking "this town is huge this can't happen". But as time went on I decided to test my faith and really look for this man. We got on the bus where we had met DD 3 weeks ago and he wasn't there. But then as the bus wandered up to where we needed to get off, DD, out of nowhere gets on the bus!! He recognized us immediately and we began talking and had a good conversation, no appointment set up but great testimony builder.

 Then we taught seminary and headed home around 8 pm. We knew we wouldn't get back till 9, we just hopped on a train and thought it was taking us to Offenbach, when is reality it was taking us to Frankfurt. Our tickets don't work on this train and it was too late to get off. The train conductor came down the aisle about 30 minutes later and we realized we were going to get a fine of 40 euro for having a invalid ticket. But the spirit came over me and said the Lord would provide. The man grabbed our ticket looked at it and stamped it! We both looked at each other and realized either the Lord had made him think it was the right ticket or softened his heart. We finally made it to Frankfurt at around 9pm and had to take a train back to Offenbach. We made it to Offenbach at around 9:30 completely exhausted and ready to go home. We got on a bus and were standing there when the woman we had tracked out a couple of weeks ago from the apartment got on the bus!!! We again saw another miracle as we talked with her about the Book of Mormon. That night was a late night but wow the Lord blessed us!!

These past couple weeks have been nuts! It has been challenging but rewarding for sure!!

Elder Bulkley and I are working extremely hard and its kind of gotten to the point where eating meals was such  hassle and we were putting in 13 hour days of contacting and teaching. We were able to keep it up for a couple days only eating 2 meals a day but then we started feeling the effects of  it and knew that the Lord wanted us to take a break and make time for ourselves. That was a lesson I learned this week for sure but wow have we seen some amazing miracles from the Lord and we got a good break listening to General Conference!

I wish I could tell you all the miracles I have seen here in Germany!! The Lord blesses this work and works in amazing ways!!


Love,

Elder White


PS. Sorry no pictures