Sister Shurts: It's been a white week---in a good way!

This week started out with Snow on the ground! All of Germany was covered in a light blanket of white. It was so beautiful and so fun to be outside and enjoy it all. My catch phrase of this week has been, "Sister Davis is there anything you can't do?". She has traveled everywhere and tried everything. Anytime I think she must have exhausted all of her possibilities she goes and says something nonchalantly like, "Oh I built my own Bee Hive" or "I've got a scubba diving permit" or "I was once crowd control for the queen of England" and it is seriously all true!!!! Let’s just say I am excited to learn a lot from her!

So aside from the white snow... there have been some other exciting white things this week. First and foremost. We set a BAPTISMAL DATE WITH OUR INVESTIGATOR!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH :D Cicero Joseph, or Brother Joseph (because that is just way more fun to say) is a man that we met a month ago as we were contacting in Weihnachtsmarkts and after having met with him a couple times we committed him to be Baptized on Febuary 21st. Annnnddd drumroll... he said YES!!! At first I was worried that he didn't understand what we were asking, but on Sunday he came to church and loved every single minute of it. During each of the meetings he felt the spirit so strong, we watched the Restoration DVD in Portuguese so that he would understand and throughout the whole thing he was nodding in agreement and explaining to us why it was true!!
After Sacrament meeting, I turned to Brother Joseph and asked him how he felt. He said he was at peace, that the world was a million miles away and he felt like he could focus on Christ. I said that he was feeling the spirit. And he pointed at me and told me that I had said it perfectly. I then told him that after he is baptized he will be able to feel that spirit all the time. He nodded and thought about it, and then smiled. I didn't have that much time- and I wish I could have been clearer. But I think that he understood- I told him that I was excited for February- for the day that we had committed him to earlier for baptism. And he smiled and nodded. He loved church and instantly connected with so many of the people. I have a lot of faith and hope that Heavenly Father will help him understand what I failed to explain. Because I know that I am still learning so much- I am so inexperienced and can't imagine teaching these lessons all by myself! I am so glad for the spirit, because I know that heavenly father will make up the difference for my weaknesses.

Other than that, this week has been amazing. We have talked to so many people- and given out a ton of Books of Mormon. I know that Heavenly Father is blessing us. Right now I really do feel like Herne is going to explode with missionary work! I was reading in the Doctrine and Covenants and these words touched my heart about the excitement that I feel about serving as a missionary, (Section 128:22) Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free.

I hope you all have a wonderful week, and know that I am grateful for your prayers. Heavenly Father is blessing us here. I love you all

Liebe Grüße

Sister Shurts

From the scribbled notes of a sister missionary