I just decided, I needed to let it go.

I will not lie, this week sister Bunderson and I were cute little stress cases. Everything seemed to go wrong. Plus. We were sitting on a bench teaching someone this week... And this random man from Pakistan... Just like came up and gave me a flower. It was the most comic conversation with someone I have ever had. Mostly because he was like 50 and couldnt speak English or German. No my friend, I will not go on a date with you! I just need to be like Patrick. Hahah when we taught him the law of chastity it hit him so hard, he asked us for extra pamphlets and has been giving them out to people on the buses.

This is how he starts the conversations, "hello- my name is Patrick, have you ever heard about the law of chastity? Read this! And look at how God will bless you!" I just need to keep extra chastity pamphlets in my bag!

I have never had so many appointments fall out before! And on top of that Patrick was being weird. He has had a really hard week too. It has just proven to me how much we are tried and tested after we make a good decision. We were so worried that Patrick was going to throw in the towel. I cannot even begin to put myself in his shoes. He has lost basically everything that was important to him, his career, his family, his friends his home. And he came to us and asked us why it was so hard. He had made the decision to be baptized and he expected God to bless him right away. That everything wrong in his life would be made right. The question "why" was just all he could wrap his brain around. He called us up and said, "sisters... I don't know if I can do this. I think I made a mistake"

We went to see him as soon as we could. And just sat on a bench outside the refugee home and listened to him. Before my mission I might have just talked and tried to fix things. But I have learned that often the most healing words are the ones at were never said.

The most beautiful part of this story is that literally sister Bunderson and I had nothing to do with his change of heart. After several appointments with him, where he was giving up. And after many prayers... Saturday night we gave him a call and with a quiet voice he said. "I'm so sorry." He apologized for how he had acted and without wasting words told us that he would be at church the next day.

We decided to wake up early and meet him at his tram stop (he was late... And we were cold, which is why I have a picture of sister Bunderson being a hobo.) There was a light in his eyes again. I was amazed. I told him that he looked different, happy again. And he just looked at me and said, "I just decided, I needed to let it go"

In the end the little efforts of two sister missionaries didn't do too much. In the end every change of heart is between us and God. We need to learn to let go of what we think we can control. God knows us, he loves us. Sometimes he allows us to go through hard times so that we learn. So that we live up to our potential.

I love you all and feel your prayers!

Liebe Grüße

Sister Shurts