Holy Spirit testifies of Truth - 6 month Mark

Elder White and Elder Overall spreading the word about Jesus Christ and gospel in Offenbach, Germany.

This week is my 6 month mark!!! What!!! That is crazy and weird but anyways that really not that important because I have a lot of things to do!!

This week we found a new investigator named Herr SD! He is 70 year old German and his house is like a museum! He is a Freemason, and came to church on his own this Sunday!! It was pretty neat! We are meeting with him tomorrow so I will tell you how it goes!! He is awesome!

This week we got a car from the mission for about 2 weeks and they are letting us use. It has been awesome! We have gotten so much stuff done lately.

I would like to share a cool story about follow the promptings of the spirit. I wanted to make a extra effort to follow the promptings of the spirit and try to listen more when the Lord speaks. So Tuesday, we were walking by this man's house, his name is Christian. We had to stop teaching because he can speak German or English. It was rough but it happens, but all of the sudden like a light flicking on all of the sudden I had the thought "Go ring the klingel (bell)  again!" It didn't make any sense because we cant even teach him. But I told Elder Overall to stop and we went and over to the door. I rang the door and a lady answered the door, I told her we were looking for the Christian. She said he wasn't home, I was thinking why did we even come over here. then the thought came into my head, just tell her about you role as missionaries. So I told her about Christian and what we did to help him and then she came down, and talked to us. She started to get a little hesitant and said she already read the Bible and only reads the Bible. But then I looked her in the eyes and bore my testimony to her about how much the gospel has changed my life and how many answer I have received because of the Book Of Mormon. She seemed to soften her heart and said that we could come by when she was a little less busy. What a miracle when we listen to the promptings of the holy spirit.

This week I was studying about the spirit and how it speaks to us. It is crazy how through the Holy Ghost we can learn all truths because the spirit only testifies of truth. I want everyone to know that I know this church is true and that Jesus is my Savior and Redeemer and my older brother. I was called to serve here in the Frankfurt Germany Mission because the Lord needed me to share my testimony with everyone. He needed me, all of my strengthens and all of my weaknesses. Which I have many, but oh how sweet it is to use the Atonement of Jesus Christ to change my heart and make me the Man My Heavenly Father wants me to be!!

Love ya 

Elder White

New Companion - Elder Overall - Testimony of the Book of Mormon

Hey Howdy yall!!

Well so begins a new chapter here in Offenbach, I have a new companion named Elder Overall! He is from Arizona and he is awesome! He is funny and loves basketball like me! I think things  here in Offenbach are going to be good!!

Now that we have a new missionary, I have had to orient him to the area,  but the funny thing is that he has 4 transfers left before he goes home. It is funny because I get to teach him about the area and it makes me feel like the Trainer and him the Golden!! But he is the trainer. Good times though!

Well this week has been pretty low key, we got to go out with Troy (An American Man from Tennesse who lives in Germany and takes very good care of the missionaries) for sushi on Wednesday!! He is way to nice to us, our excuse was that we were meeting with a less active his name is Chau and he is 20 and hasn't come to church in forever. We finally got an appointment with him and it went well, hope we can get him to church! 

It's funny here on my mission, I have eat so many things I would never eat at home, like raw raw sushi, raw meat on a brochten, and food cooked by a companion (outcome sometimes interesting) Me and Elder Overall tried to make pudding last night and lets just say that stove top isn't the cleanest it has been!!

This week one experience I want to share with everyone is about Dietmar. We had met with him last week and he was super excited. Well we called him on Tuesday after an appointment fell out and he he said he didn't want to talk to us anymore and that he wanted to give the Book of Mormon back. He had talked to Issac ( the preacher they had been working with) and said the Mormon thing isn't for him. I was kind of taken back and surprised. But I had an idea that we could see him one more time if we went and picked up the Book Of Mormon. So we took the hour long ride to Aschaffenburg and decided so just go by. We went by and klinged him but he wasn't home, but his wife said that he just left, Elder Bulkley said that he felt we could find him! We just started walking around the city hoping we could find him. Then we found him walking, we stopped him and he acted strange and said he wasn't going to tell us why he didn't want to meet anymore, I had the idea to again ask him for the Book of Mormon. He said we could come by in 20 minutes when he was home. We parted ways and me and Elder Bulkley went off to pray. We felt like something wasn't right there and after we said the prayer I knew we needed to talk one more time. SO we went by to get the Book of Mormon and he said he would come down and hand it to us. He opened the door and we tried again to figure out what was going on. He still said that he had his things and we had our things. He was getting a little anxious and I just felt this feeling like I needed to open my mouth. As he went to close the door, I said "Dietmar, one moment" he opened it back up and I looked at him and said "I know this book is true and it has changed my life, I want this for you." I could feel the power of the spirit as I told him out of love and not out of contention why the Book was true. He looked at me and said "lass mich in frieden" leave me in peace. He closed the door, but this time I didn't feel sad or uneasy. I knew that even,though he has changed his minded, we had done what the Lord needed us to do at the time. The Lord has plan for everyone sometimes, they are small and simple things that we would never except the outcome. But as a missionary and representive of Jesus Christ, I stand as a witness that the Book of Mormon is another testimony of Jesus Christ. I would challenge all to find out for themselves if the Book of Mormon is true because when we pray with a sincere heart, if it is true, we will know for ourselves through the power of the Holy Ghost. It fills me with such strength and power when sometimes I'm feeling down and low I begin to sing the song Praise to the Man. If you havent heard or have heard it look it up by the Tabernacle Choir. The Part that always touches me is when it says "millions shall know Brother Joseph again". Millions shall know him again, his name shall be had for good and evil, he and millions of other who stand as witness that The Book of Mormon is true. I stand with them.

Love you all, and thank you for everything you have done for me you are amazing!

Elder White

Transfers - Staying in Offenbach A New Companion - German Bakery and Pictures from Christmas Morning

Well this week was transfer week. (Meaning that the missionaries find out if where they will be serving and who will be their companion) and I will be staying here in Offenbach for another 6 weeks, Elder Bulkely is heading to Siegen and I will be receiving Elder Overall as my companion. Dont know to much about him, so I will keep you updated next week. 

This week has been the week of miracles, JN SR an old investigator we found in the Area Book, we got in contact and he said we could stop by, he just lives 45 minutes away, So we set up a day to go by and say hi. We traveled there and couldn't find his house. I called him and he said that he wasn't home and I was super bummed because I felt like we needed to be there. So after getting off the phone I had a feeling he was close to his home, so I decided to go to the bakery and get a snack. As I bought my bread this man walked in and said Hey I'm JN SR, wait a second and we will talk. We talked for 5 mintues and now we have an appointment with him tomorrow. What a miracle because if we had not been in that bakery at that exact time we would have never met him!!

We found a friend from IC, we decided to visit him one night with IC because he wouldn't give us the house address. We went by and DR was nuts he was treating us like angels, wipe our shoes off and acting crazy. We walked out and said he was nuts. But we had an impression we should go back and talk to him later. We went by and he let us in. He told us that last time he acted so strange is because he is an alcoholic and he needs our help to overcome it. He was excited about reading the Book of Mormon and really wants to meet with us again and turn his life around.

I can't tell you how many times I have seen the hand of the Lord in our work. We run into people on the street everyday who we know that we are suppose to talk to. It is crazy how the Lord works with the missionaries to help them find the lost sheep, 

Overall, the sun is starting to come out more and more and its getting kind of warmer but the thing I would leave with everyone this week is that He Lives. I can't tell you how many things happen that tell me that he is my Savior and Redeemer. The Lord is just waiting for us to use the Atonement to change us and make us whole again. We all have our problems, worries, mistakes, and misfortunes and we wish so bad that we could change go back rewind or start over. There is a way, it is through Christ. This special opportunity I have this time to wear his name on my name badge is a privilege. Remember when the going gets tough and we want to turn back, remember that he experienced it to. He knows what its like to struggle with that addiction, he knows what it like to lose your only child, he knows what it like to have a mother pass away, he knows that it is like to have a spouse leave, he knows what it is like to find yourself in so much debt you don't know what to do next. Because he suffered it and overcame it ALL, turn to him. Let the Atonement work in your life. (Alma 7:11)

Elder White

Elder Bulkley

Its Snowing!!

Hmmm!! What did my family send me for Christmas??

Christmas Morning!!!

German Christmas Market

Christmas and New Years Eve

Well I'm finally back!!

There is so much to talk about but I don't have enough time. So here is the run down. 

Christmas in Germany is awesome, we went over to the ML family home for Heilige Abend,(christmas eve) they have 5 Little Kids and it was a mad house because they open presents on Christmas Eve! They were so funny! The joke was that everyone in the Family was going to get underwear for Christmas. Their son Samuel was so disappointed by the end of the night because he didn't get any underwear it was hilarious !(He looks like Preston, my cousin)

Skyping with my family was awesome so good to see everyone sweet smiling faces!!

New Years Eve was insane!!!! All fireworks here are legal for 2 days, and the Germans go all out. when it hits midnight, the City explodes and fireworks are flying everywhere and on everything. We couldn't go back to sleep for an hour and ended up sitting at the window watching the fireworks. The next morning it was a disaster because everyone leaves their fireworks on the ground and the air is smoggy and everyone is sleep. It was a ghost town.

Then we got to go to the temple and that is always such a awesome experience to go and really feel like you are recharging your batteries!!

Well over Christmas we saw some amazing miracles, we found 2 new investigators. They are from Romania and the Romanian Mission asked us to teach them while they vacation here in Germany for 4 months. HE is 18 and her friend is MS is 30. HE is so excited about the Gospel and so ready to learn about the Gospel. She is so excited to be meeting with the missionaries

We decided one day to go by UI's house this week. We were a little nervous and didn't know if it was a good idea. We just rang the bell and no one answered. We decided to write a note and then as we started looking for paper, he came outside and let us in! We talked about the move and how things were going. He didn't really talk about the Gospel, but loves having us in his home and we are almost certain he will join when he makes it to America!

Overall this week has been great. The one Thing I have learned this week is Patience! The Lord Needs us to be Patient and it is a Christ like Attribute that everyone can learn and develop. It is like that seed of faith that we plant, we can plant the seed and then 10 seconds later a want it to turn into a huge Redwood tree. We have to be Patient, Patient with the Lord, and Patient with ourselves. The Lord knows us better then we know ourselves. If we accept that the Lord has a plan for us and that he is the gardener, then what do we have to worry about!! He's got it under control. Sometimes we don't understand why he cuts down our branches (and prunes us.) All we have to do is wait and see what happens. He will never fail us!!!!

This work is so true, I know that to some giving up 2 years of my life to serve the People of Germany may seem crazy, but I know that this work is true! I know that the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ is on the earth and that his church is again on the earth. With Thomas S. Monson as the Prophet seer and revelator!! Jesus Christ is my redeemer and it is through him all things are possible

Love yall

Elder White 

Preached a Christmas sermon Issac's Church - Waffle Stand - Christmas Market

Well HELLO!!

First off we saw a wonderful miracle with RL, we had an appointment with an untersucher (investigator) in Samstag. We got the prompting to go by RL. So we walked over and klinged him. He says " Ich bin Tod (I'm dead)" I told him that he wasn't dead and that we wanted to talk. He just said okay and came down 5 minutes later. We started walking down the street and he said "I have my own bodyguards." We just laughed with him and started asking him how he was doing. He told us he had a new problem because his TV is broken. Finally after we made it to the park we sat down on the bench and he looks at us and said, "So, what do you want to teach me about God?" We were blown away! He had never said that before!! So I just started asking him about faith then started talking about the Plan of Salvation. He said that he doesn't believe that their is a life after death, but then Elder Bulkley pulled out the diagram of the Plan of Salvation. He looked at it and then just stopped arguing and acted like he had seen it before. Then we asked him if he would come and church and he said "Yes". We went by on Sunday and talked but he said he was too tired. But that doesn't matter, the fact was that he sat down and listened to us, He then accepted an invitation!! Wow there are miracles in patience!

The other one was with IC our Romanian. Monday he called us and asked us if he could borrow 50 euro. I told him very straight forward that we are not allowed to hand out our money. He just hung up. Later we made an appointment and then when we went over to meet, he badgered us for an hour about how we were not Christ like and that our work wasn't good enough and that we need to learn love and not care about money. Because he had prayed before he called us and said the Lord told him to ask us for money. We walked out feeling like we had lost him, but we still had made an appointment to go to his church. So Sunday we went to church with him, we just decided to be respectful and hopefully repair our relationship because he didn't want to hear us anymore and thought he needed to teach us about being Christlike. We went to church and he had told us he wanted us to preach to the congregation. We really didn't want to and after about 2 hours of the service we had to leave and catch our train. We left and then after 5 minutes this car pulls up next to us and it was his friend ME. He told us that Issac had given us 30 minutes to teach. We couldn't tell him no and so we got back in the car and went back to the church because he said he would give us a ride home. We walked in and up to the pulpit and I looked at Elder Bulkley knowing we hadn't planned anything and now we were suppose to preach. I opened up the Bible and stalled by introducing ourselves and then I remembered. John 3:16 I started talking about Jesus Christ and then the thought popped in my head just talk about Christmas and He is the Gift. So I started talking about that, we read from Luke 2 and John 3 and then bore testimony and were finished, We talked for about 5 minutes but we knew we had said exactly what needed to be said. After we got a ride home and we got home fast, we were doing 180 khm in a 30 year old van, "ME drives it like he stole it!" (This is a saying we have in our house when we are trying to get somewhere quickly." For Real!! Then IC told us he wanted to meet again this week and that he was coming to church with us next week!! The Lord will open our mouths in the time when we need too. Like it is promised in DC 88, because he needs to sometimes see our faith. I was super sacred standing up in front of a another congregation but I realized that the needed us to deliver the message, we just had to show him our faith.

It really cool around this time handing out the "He is the Gift" cards to people because they open up a little more. It really cool because I was shown during Zone Conference a Christmas story in the Book of Mormon. It is in 1 Nephi chapter 11. It is about 10 verses long talking about Nephi seeing the birth of Jesus Chirst. It was super good and actually the whole chapter is awesome!! I would challenge you to read that and share it!!

We just had our Christmas party or as we say in German Weihnachtfeier. It was super fun to make waffles for the members and laugh with them. It was funny because they had asked us to do a waffle stand we made the cool waffle stand the members were blown away!The ward is really coming to together and things are going great here.

All in all it was a great week.

 LOVE YOU ALL!!

Elder White

Waffle Stand for the Branch Christmas Party

Trying to keep warm

Christmas Market

Remember the Reason for the Season !!!

Well his week the sun finally came out!!

 Weihnachten ist unterwegs, hier in Deutschland. (Christmas is on its way here in Germany) We got the Er is Das Geschenk cards here in Germany this week!!! It has been awesome getting to share it with people on the street and as we contact!! This video is amazing!! In German it is on mormon.org/deu/weihnachten or english it is on christmas.mormon.org. You all have to go and check it out!!!

The one thing I would say this week is let us all remember the reason for the season. The gifts and presents are awesome, but the True Gift is Him. He is the gift to us. When we have nowhere to turn, we can turn to him. We have no more strength to climb or run we can turn to him. It is through him we are made strong. God did love the world so much that he gave his only begotten Son. He gave him to us so that we could be saved, he gave him to us because he loved us also. If we think about the Love our Heavenly Father has for his son Jesus Christ, referring to him as the only begotten and beloved. If we believe God is our loving Heavenly Father and perfect. Then he loves no son or daughter anymore then the other. That means the love his has for his son Jesus Christ is the same love he has for us. When I thought of that it blew my mind to think about the Love he has for me!Well Issac is a interesting guy, he is a pastor for a Frei Evanglischer Kirche hier in Germany. He is Romanian and he brought his friend to church yesterday and they met with our Zwieg Prasident (Branch President - leader of the congregation)  President Bellerson. When we asked them what they wanted to get out of coming to church and meeting with us they said love and a connection. Really confusing but we are going to keep working with him. He has a strong faith!

We got a new investigator this week named TR, from Canada. He is awesome!! He lives in Germany for a month and then in Canada for a month. He is one of those people prepared to here the gospel. He was founding doing a street display and wanted a Bible and Book of Mormon. It took forever to get the Bible but then when we went to drop it off he let us in and we talked about the gospel. He said he had been looking for a faith to join and then happened to run into us!! 

Well this week was awesome and especially yesterday, PR KR a mitglieder ( Member missionary who served a mini mission with Ryan and his companion)  in our branch gave his testimony about missionary work and about the missionaries in the ward. It was awesome! seeing him glowing and bearing his testimony afterwards he came up and gave us a hug and said that he just spoke from the heart. 

Some of the simple miracles in the day make the biggest impact. A couple days ago I was having a hard day, we had missed a train and now we had to wait for another 15 minutes for another one. I said a prayer saying "Heavenly Father I need you right now please help me out I don't know what to do anymore." As I opened my eyes a train pulled up out of nowhere. It wasn't on the list to show up, Elder Bulkley called it a ghost train, I called it a miracle. 

Love you all and cant wait to Skype in 18 days!!!

Love 

Elder White 

New Investigator - IC, All ready for Christmas, Never Give UP!!

Well this week we found a new investigator his name is IC, he is a pastor of a church in Aschaffenburg and he really wants to know if the Book of Mormon is true, he said that when he finds out he is willing to leave everything behind and join the church!! He is from Romania and wow what a testimony!!!!!!We have a lesson on tuesday with him so pray that he will receive an answer of the truthfulness of the Book Of Mormon.

Well "He is the Gift" was introduced to us and we were so excited to get the pass along cards and share it, but the church isn't print them in German. Alot of missionaries were bummed because that would have been such a cool thing to use especially because Germany needs it! Oh well we are going to handwrite the URL and work that way! Maybe someone could write to Headquaters and ask them why they forgot Germany!!!! hahahahahhaha

It is freezing here in Germany right now and I'm probably going to go and buy a new jacket and a hat and gloves because our apartment heaters are broken and ITS COLD!

Today was the first day of the Advent so everyone is pretty stoked and Christmas is alive and well here in Germany!

Things here are changing slowly, sometimes we wonder what the Lord has in store, but I know a lot of times we are doing work that the Lord sees but we can't see. We just need to trust him and his plan. It crazy how people get so stressed around Weihnachts Zeit (Yuletide) and actually get a little meaner. But the Lord has a plan for all of his children and we just have to be patient sometimes and just show love.

The members here have already invited us over to dinner for Christmas Eve, Christmas day, and the second day of Christmas ( a German thing). So we have already had to plan where we need to Skype, definitely really excited to talk to you all and see how you are doing!!

This week the one thing I have learned is to never give up! It seems like a constant theme through out my mission so far. I always thought blessings and miracles were things that just fell into my arms! But that's not how it works, the Lord needs us to work and work hard! I never realized how much faith comes into to play!! When we show the most faith and it feels like "Lord I don't have anymore to give" that's when he steps in! SO NEVER GIVE UP.

This week I have seen so many miracles and now it's hard to write them all down, because this work is progressing and is shaping the German people and me. Just realize THE LORD HAS A PLAN!!!

Ich weiß dass mein Erlöser leibt, das Evangelium wahr ist! Deutschland ist die beste Mission!!!!!!! Alles möglich durch Glauben!

(I know that my Redeemer live , the gospel is true ! Germany is the best mission !!!!!!! Everything possible by faith !

Love

Elder White