Lahr / Offenburg - Week 6

Hi All!

This week has been really just fantastic. We were just absolutely on fire this week. We set a record for lessons in our area this week. We now have 4 baptismal dates in our area as well, and we're really hoping we can reach all of them. The 4 are M, M, R, and N. I love Frau N. She's a lady from Columbia and she moved here to Germany a long time ago. But, her husband, who is German, and she are now divorced. We met her on the street, and she's just going through some really hard times. She was so prepared to meet with us though. It's amazing to see the people the Lord prepares. Before our 2nd lesson with her, she had watched the Restoration video online and listened to a talk from President Monson. She loves the church, she's now been 2 times, and her date is the 4th of April. In between conference sessions. (: M is April 11, and M and R are both on the 28th of March. Keep praying for me! I feel so many prayers for me every day. It's incredible. We also found 3 new investigators this week, and 2 by dooring, which is less used in our mission! It was awesome. 

But, the coolest part is yet to come. Last Monday night, after emails, we got a call from President Kohler for 2 referrals in our area. They are both 16 year old girls, who are best friends and went on an exchange program in Michigan, and lived with their uncle, who happens to be the Bishop. While they were there, they became so in touch with the gospel, and learned all of the discussions. They received permission from their parents to be baptized when they returned. Well, they got home last Monday night from their trip, and we have been praying for them constantly. I got in touch with the Bishop last Friday and he reported to me that the families are taking it pretty hard to see their girls change so much. We're really praying for the softening of the families hearts before we contact them again. If you could just add them in your prayers that would be awesome!!
Elder Mohn is transferring to Ellwegan (Stuttgart Zone) for his last 6 weeks. He will be with another Elder that is also going home next transfer. I'm staying in Offenburg, working with Elder Howarth this transfer. He and Elder Killpack were MTC comps. He'll be way fun to work with. He's DL this transfer as well.  We just got news that Elder Bednar is coming to our mission on April 25. I'm so excited to see him in person. In the last couple months, he has become one of my favorites. The whole mission will be coming together for it. It's going to be so cool. I cannot wait! He's going to be awesome.

I love you all, and I hope you have a great week. 

Love, 

Elder Sam Hadfield

Friedrichstrasse 26

77654 Offenburg

Germany

Coming home from shopping

Lahr / Offenburg - Week 5

This week was super awesome. We had an amazing mission tour on Wednesday, where a member of the Seventy came to speak to us. It was Elder Patrick Kearon. He's the guy that gave the scorpion talk in Priesthood Session a few years back. It was sure amazing to be around him. He loves the missionaries! He is a convert of quite some time now, so he just has the utmost respect for the work of salvation. Elder Kearon was just incredible. He just stood up on the stand and cried looking out at all of us. He is such a powerful speaker. We honestly just had an open conversation with him and it was super awesome. I don't know how to explain it! Sister Kohler talked about being obedient and President talked about creating free-standing obilisque's. Not sure how that's spelled. I'll have to explain that to you when I have some time. It's a really cool concept. Then we just talked with Elder Kearon for a long time. It sure was powerful. He talked about what an investigator needs to feel. Then he talked about how he felt. (: It was just great. 

Mission Tour - Elder Edvinsson (MTC Companion), Elder Hadfield, Elder Henry and Elder Seidl

Other than mission tour, our week was good. M has some trouble with tithing. He's making about 200$ a month, which makes it very hard. He told us he would never pay it. Then, we came back later in the week, and he said he is getting a pay raise in a few months that will allow him to pay tithing and he's excited to do it. (; That was wonderful to see. R is doing well. We don't yet know how we'll get him to church. We'll have to find a way. 

Elder Mohn goes home on April 10. I don't know if I'll still be with him or not. It is such that there are 4 elders in our area, and there will only be 2 for next transfer which begins the 27th. Who knows? My guess is that Elder Howarth and I will be working together. He is super cool. I'd be happy either way.

Elder Jeremy Tyler Mohn and Samuel Phillip Hadfield - Offenburg / Lahr - February 2015

Looks like Elder Mohn has them all exercising!

Elder Mohn sent this picture to his mother - Just wanted her to know they're eating well!

This week in Germany there has been a holiday pretty much all week. People, even 50 year old men, get dressed up as animals and wander the streets. We keep running into like 50 year old cows. And all of them are drunk. They stay out until 4 in the morning most of the time. And their goal is to wander the streets and wake up everyone on that street. So it gets pretty loud at 3 in the morning. Yawn...

On Saturday, we had the chance to go to the temple with a member in our branch. He's the 2nd counselor, and a really funny guy. We did 2 sessions. The temple is in such a location that there is several, several languages. So they have sessions switching off between German, Italian, French, Spanish, and Russian. We went through in German in a German session the first time, then in English through a French session. It was very interesting. 

Elder Mohn, Elder Hadfield - Bern Switzerland Temple

Elder Hadfield - Bern Switzerland Temple

The temple is a 2 hour drive there and back, but absolutely the most amazing experience. I love the temple. I was able to go through in German, and afterwards in English. I feel such a loving prescence in the House of the Lord! It's unmistakable. If any of you ever wonder why you keep pushing on, or if there is light at the end of the tunnel, just wait until you can go to the temple. The temple has the greatest feeling of peace and comfort there is on earth. Hearts are softened, questions answered, and love shared within the walls of the temple. What an amazing experience. I hope all of you will prepare to go to the temple and experience your own happiness and love there. As a representative of Jesus Christ, I testify that this gospel is true. There is nothing I would rather be doing than proclaiming it in the language of German. I know that there is a chance for each of us to change our lives for the better, and I am grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ, and that through Him, that change we all want to make, and that happiness we all want to feel, is possible. Thank you for all your support and everything you do for me! 

Love,

Elder Sam Hadfield

Friedrichstrasse 26

77654 Offenburg

Germany

Lahr / Offenburg - Week 4

Hi everybody! 

I hope you are all doing well. To give you a quick rundown, we set another baptismal date this week with a blind man and I really felt the authority in this one! It was only our first appointment with him! I'm excited to say that the man we had a baptism date with before, M, is doing great. We had a Word of Wisdom lesson with him this week and he argued with us for a while. So, we had nothing more to say, so we asked him if he'd live it. He said, "Yup, of course!" What the heck, M? Ha ha, but he really has a problem with smoking, and he's been really sick, so he hasn't been able to smoke. Keep praying for him! 

Now, here is where I need your help. I am sure you all remember the story of R! He was a huge miracle that has happened on my mission. He is 2 weeks away from his baptism and getting cold feet. Then, I just received this email from him:

“Hey Guys,

i will be truly honest with you, like always. I won´t follow this path any more. But i don´t say this without a reason. There are so many reasons. In the last weeks a lot happens. Let my explain. But first, all i will say, that this are my own thoughts and i won´t offend you. You are amazing and i so glad, that i met you!.

Turn back time. In the fourth chapter of Nephi kills Laban. There was a big doubt and a question mark in my mind, because of this cruel action. I understand, why he did this and Laban got a second chance. I understand the chapter. But then there was this assassinations in paris. People who truly believe in a book by god kill other people, because "god" told them to do this. Now you would come and say: okay, but we believe, that only our Believes are the right one and all others aren´t true. And that is a huge problem for me. I started this spiritual journey to get more informations about your church. But i won´t believe, that i just pray the right things and others aren´t.

Next problem is the word of wisdom. There are things in it like drink no tea. But i won´t drink no tea. If i ill, i will drink tea. From a medical side, there are helpful. You say, that life is a journey full of tests, but i don´t think to lay down in bed and being sick, this would be a test to truly believe in god.

A third and never spoken problem is the fact, that i won´t get the highest kingdom, i totally looking forward go get the middle one. And thats not all. It´s a honour to get the priesthood. But i won´t it. I also don´t want to go and say to other people: hey, i believe the right things and you didn´t. People should do the same as me. Just go and inform about their believes and what they truly want in their lifes. Not the other way.

Another big problem is chastity. Like i said in the email before, i can´t follow this commandment. It´s a total censorship for my work. And i can´t accept that fact.

Like i said in the beginning, i started this journey to know more about your church. And i got this informations. It was a truly inspiring and spiritual journey. You bring me back to god. I believe in gods work. You gave me the opportunity to go away from alcohol and this is great. I often got ask, why i won`t drink and on the last party i could see, why i shouldn´t drink.

But my path isn´t over with the religion at all. I will go back to my own church. Maybe, i´m not ready jet. But who knows.

Thank you for all!

R

I know that he is ready and just a little nervous. I am asking you, if you possibly can, to just send a short testimony or something inspiring to my email, so I can forward them to R next week! I think it would really help him on his path. Thanks for all you guys do! It would be great if you could help me out! Have a good week,

Elder Sam Hadfield

Friedrichstrasse 26

77654 Offenburg

Germany