Old Cigarettes

What a way way fast week. Time is just starting to go by really fast here in Duisburg!! We are already almost halfway done with the transfer!! A lot of cool stuff is going on and happened this week.

The first really cool thing is our new investigators Adam and Huchang Bin. They are from China and don't really speak very much English.

That makes it hard, but so so worth it! We taught them on Friday and Wednesday, it is wayyyy cool. Adam had never even heard about Jesus Christ before and Huchang bin has just started learning. We started to teach them about who Jesus Christ is and about prayer. We gave them Alma 7:11-13 to read and afterwards we talked about how when we pray Jesus can help our pains to go away and bad feelings to leave us. Adam said: Is that why I have never gotten rid of these feelings? So when I pray that's how they go away? It was way cool. Huchang Bin said during the middle of our lesson. I believe!! I am way excited to continue teaching them!!

This week we also have continued to work with an investigator named Elizabeth. She is literally the most prepared person I have ever met!!

She LOVES the Book of Mormon and on Sunday the lesson in our class was on Fasting and Fast offerings. At the end of class she asked for a tithing slip and literally paid everything that she had in her bag because she wanted to give. She also smokes and has been trying to stop. She just keeps saying: I know that with Gods power I can do it!!

She is such a testimony builder for me!!

Last week for our pday we went to a palace/castle and we took our investigator Ali with. It was really fun. And I must say. Ali is probably one of the funniest people I have ever met. He is 19 years old and just loves to hang out with the missionaries. At the end of pday we were going to go dooring with the Elders and Ali wanted to come along, to our surprise a lady actually let us in and we told her a little about the Book of Mormon. Ali totally piped in and shared his testimony of prophets in the Book of mormon. The Elders also got invited into a couple doors and we had a great time.

We also went on a couple of splits this week and it is really fun to get to know the other sisters and learn from other missionaries. We also had interviews on Tuesday and I just know that President Boyer is the person meant to lead the Germany Frankfurt Missionary right now.

He is just so ready to work but also to love.

Oh awkward moment for the week: We were waiting at a train stop with one of the Düsseldorf sisters investigators and I told her about how I have seen homeless/poor people reuse discarded and used cigarettes on the ground. Her response? "I use to do that!" She then proceeded to tell me how to properly do it and how to make sure it is sterilized before using it..... I felt very awkward hahahahahha......

But I am doing really well, I hope everyone has had a great week! I do have to say though.... it is starting to get cold.... NEIN!!!!!

Sister Losee

The Rainbow

Guten Morgen!!! (Well, from my side of the world) Hey everyone!! I hope you all had a great week! It was a pretty great week in Duisburg! Not going to lie, it was really weird going to church in a new ward, but good too! This ward is so much younger than the ward in Köln. We had a relief society activity on Tuesday and I felt almost like I was with my aunts and family. It was just so lively and chatty.

The young adults in the ward also had a spiel Abend (game night) and we had two investigators come. We shared a spiritual thought and invited everyone to share their favorite Book of Mormon scripture.

What do you know?! Both of our investigators shared theirs as well! It was so cool.

We also went on a split this week and literally all of the appointments fell out. But we did lots of finding and targeted people in the color red because this transfer every week we are trying to have finding challenges. This week was the rainbow. So everyday is a new color. So Monday we had a TON of finding success and we were going to celebrate by using some of our dinner hour to get some ice cream from an Eis cafe. Well. Two guys walk by both wearing red shirts and talking in English right in front of the cafe. Of course we can't not talk to them!! However. Bad idea. Really bad idea. They both liked us and wanted us to drink with them and kept wanting us to give them our facebooks and stuff for when we got home. We of course said no and eventually got away. But sadly the Eis cafe closed in that time and the one man tried to hug sister harmon and I got my hand kissed by a polish man. The lord blessed us after though because that delay put us in the path of two more people who were willing to meet with us!

We also had MLC this week and I got to finally see Sister Jenkins again!!! We also got to talk more about the mission and how we can have high expectations but also high love. We also had to travel a very long time both ways. But don't worry. We ate happy meals while changing trains in Köln that evening.

Umm. I can't really remember what else happened this week. It went by so fast. But I hope you all had a wonderful week too!!

Oh yeah. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BROTHER CODY!! I hope you have a wonderful birthday on the 2nd :) 

Sister Losee

I'm no longer a District Dinosaur

Wow. So a lot has happened since pday last week. So much. Well.

Transfers happened!!! And....... I'm staying in Leverkusen!! Just kidding! So we got calls Saturday and I am serving in Duisburg with Sister Catherall now. At first I was really shocked because I got called as an STL and I have done splits in Duisburg. But after laying under my desk for a while I felt better and I am really excited to be serving here in Duisburg. I have already met some of the members and investigators and they all seem so cool and ready to work/learn.

Sister Catherall is a hard working missionary and I am excited to work with her. She only has two transfers left so I will most likely be sending her home.

I am not going to lie. My last Sunday in Köln was really sad. I just love those people so much and it felt like a great big family. We also had a shock that transfers this transfer were on Monday morning. Not Tuesday. So I was forced to pack everything Sunday night. It was a great last Sunday though because Steffi received the gift of the Holy Ghost. :) I am so grateful for all of the people I was able to teach and serve there.

Last pday was really fun! Sister Nowak took us on one last pday (because everyone assumed I was leaving) and we went to an open air museum. It was way fun! We got rained on, but it was a giant museum and you walk though the woods/mountains and look at old German cottages and windmills and everything so I was more happy just to see all of the German culture than getting a little wet. Then we visited a member that evening we had never visited before. He lives in a terrifying apartment building. Definitely never going there again!

Saturday was a pretty good day! Steffi got baptized in the morning and so many members showed up! I've never seen so many show up to a baptism before!! Then we went straight to a lesson with the eccentric young couple. We taught the plan of salvation and I could see the spirit really help them to feel of his love and that his plan truly is a plan of happiness.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

My new address is:

Kirche Jesu Christi

Sister Bonnie Losee

Rithlingerstrasse 7

47059 Duisburg Germany

Sister Losee

911 should be universal

Guten Tag! This week was a good week. It's crazy to think that today I hit my one year mark. This day last year I was being dropped off on the curb of the MTC. Sister missions are just so fast! I only have four transfers left! Speaking of transfers, we will be having ours on Tuesday. And I'm 95% sure I'm going to be leaving Leverkusen and the Köln ward. I've been here for almost seven months! Not gonna lie. I love this place. This ward. And all of the people soooo much. I literally don't want to leave. Transfer calls are Saturday. So next Thursday I might be writing from a different part of Germany.

On different news. Pday last week. What a crazy day. I'm sorry I didn't write any personal emails last week, I just didn't have the time. So here is the story: we cleaned our apartment and went shopping. I did a little emailing and sent off my group email. Then we met up with all of the Elders in our district to eat lunch in Köln at a restaurant called Vapianos. We all had a merry time eating pasta and pizza. The Elders then traveled to the church to play ping pong and do emailing , our response: we will catch up with you in a couple hours.

But first we want to go and buy African shirts. I wanted to get an African shirt in Frankfurt, but with my surprise transfer I didn't have a chance to buy one. There was just one small problem. I had no idea where the African shops in Köln were. So naturally, we call our new convert Ebenezer and ask him. He says he's not sure. But he will call his friend who knows where they all are. We were told to call him back in 10 minutes. Ten minutes later we had traveled to Köln Hauptbahnhof (central train station) and we call Ebenezer. Turns out he had forgotten he had no credit on his phone and couldn't call his friend. But then he says: yeah I'm in Hauptbahnhof! Perfect! So we meet up with him and let him use our phone to call his friend. No answer. So Ebenezer takes it upon himself to find us an African shop.

He takes us to an area where he thinks one was. Turns out it closed two months earlier. During this time Ebenezer suddenly stops outside a store and says: i should buy credit for my phone. After that we start heading to an area where he knows an African shop is. We have to take a couple separate trains to get there though. We changed trains in a place called Neumarkt and are about to get on a Bahn, but he suddenly

says: wait: I think there is a shop here in Neumarkt. So we wander for a couple of minutes and miss our train. Then we had no success and couldn't find the shop so start heading to catch the next train. It starts to pull up and we are ready to run for it, but then a lady comes up to me wanting directions. I can't NOT help a nice lady who is lost in a large city. So we stop and help her for a couple of minutes.

Totally missing our train. Then, FINALLY, we get ready to go and wait for the next train. And suddenly a man with his wife holding a baby and another little boy come running up to us asking for help.

Apparently the baby was having major problems and they needed help! So I quickly go to call an ambulance. Yeah. Couldn't remember German emergency numbers. The one I did remember wasn't the right one, and instead of transferring my call, the man on the phone just says: call this number. Grr. So I call the right number and try not to freak out as the mom freaks out because her poor baby stopped moving for a couple of seconds. Then the ambulance comes and turns out this family is from Egypt and it was there first day in Germany. They spoke almost no English and no German. But here's the kicker. Ebenezer has a friend who speaks Arabic! So he used his phone and called his friend to help with a little bit of translation while I tried to figure out what happened and help the paramedics know what happened. That ended up taking over an hour. It was also raining the whole time and somehow Sister Hannig and I both got our legs splattered with mud.

But long story short I know the lord put us there when we needed to help this family, and I know the Holy Ghost prompted Ebenezer to buy credit for his phone, and had him there with us so he could have his friend help with translation.

Then after the ambulance incident we only had about an hour of pday left, but Ebenezer was determined to get us African clothes. So we used the last hour to travel to the shop and buy African shirts that were made in Ghana.  The end!

Okay. Other things this week:

We started teaching a really cute but eccentric couple and they both agreed to be baptized!

Elder and sister Kirk from the office finished their missions, but were touring köln and came to our church on Sunday. So I was able to say goodbye!!

We taught a man who spoke only a little English. We used the picture book and used pictures to teach a simplified restoration lesson. We came across the picture of Peter drowning and he points at Peter and

says: "problem" hahahahha yes. That is a problem hahahah

Steffi had her baptismal interview and is set for her baptism on Saturday! She's so cute and so prepared. She also said she might be coming to Utah next year. Which means she will be visiting me while she's there!! Yay!

We went shopping with Schwester Hoen. The 94 year old in our ward.

(Her 95th birthday is next Sunday!)

The Nowaks lovingly took us out to a Chinese buffet for dinner because I might be leaving. The food was actually really similar to American Chinese buffets. It reminded me of my Dad hahahah. The only thing was they didn't have Fortune cookies.

Here is a spiritual thought if you want: (which you all naturally always want)  In my personal study I was reading in 1 Nephi 11:7 in it it says:  "...thou shalt also behold a man descending out of heaven, and him shall he witness; and after ye have witnessed him ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God." I think it's such a lesson to be learned, then when we witness Christ and feel the spirit in our lives, then we should also bear witness of it to others. Our testimonies and the testimonies of others grow as we share them, and who better to bear witness of than our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ! I encourage you all to "bear record" this week of the Son of God. :)

Love you all!! Have a fantastic week!

Sister Losee

Pictures:

1) pday with Ebenezer

2) African shirt!

3) Kirks!

4) Chocolate pizza at a members home!

Benedict of the non Cumberbatch variety.

"It's a beautiful day even though it's dark out there !"🎶

Hello family and friends! It's another rainy and chilly week in Deutschland! But it's also another wonderful week!! To start off my email this week I would like to share an experience from Monday

morning:

So we have started trying to talk to more young people. (As stated in last weeks email) and last week we talked to a man named Benedict. He was super cool but we only had about four minutes to talk to him and he wouldn't give us his phone number. But we left him with a pamphlet and our phone number. Well Monday morning we were on a Bus in jeans because we were going to go and help do some service at a ward members home. When we suddenly see Benedict! We didn't know what to do and it was awkward because we were debating if it was really him. And if it was him should we really talk to him in jeans. Well Our bus stop approached and we had to get off and I was so mad because I thought:

"man I should have just talked to him." But then he got off the same bus stop as us! Yes it was INCREDIBLY awkward and yes I'm pretty sure he didn't really want to talk to us. But he said he hadn't had time to read the pamphlet we gave him. But hopefully he will remember and actually read it again. Seeing people more than once in one week is not that common here hahahaha.

This week we also met with Ebenezer and a member of the bishopric to talk more about Priesthood! He should be having his interview this week! I'm so excited for him and the progress he is making! We also talked more about Joseph Smith and explained the doctrine and covenants. It's cool to see him accepting and learning so quickly, because Joseph Smith was something that was hard for him to come to know the truth of at first.

We were able to take Steffi to a members home for dinner and a lesson last night and it went super well! I love having members there to help bear testimony and also to let the investigators know how the spirit can feel in a home when we keep the commandments and love one another.

The lesson went super well and she is so excited to be baptized in two weeks! We also discovered that she has a terrible fear of all animals this week though. That's a pretty sad life. Hahahaha.

This week I actually tried baking something for the first time in a very long time, and it tasted good! A new convert gave us some peaches that were pretty ripe and wouldn't last long so I decided I wanted to make a cobbler or pie or some form of dessert with them. I didn't have any recipes so just improvised and it ended up tasting really good! We took it to district meeting and saved ourselves from getting fat by eating it alone.

Sunday was fast and testimony meeting. Our ward did an amazing job this week of simply bearing testimony. There were no speeches or long stories. Just testimonies. And I felt the spirit so strongly! We also had a group of Old Canadians that were on vacation and they stayed for all three hours. I'm so grateful I had the opportunity to do the translation for them and help them to hear the words of the German people. I also have a funny story along with that too. Normally we don't have anybody in relief society that needs translation. But the Canadians stayed all three hours so I did translation during the third hour as well. Hahahah well the teacher giving the lesson was talking about how we think and our attitudes and changing our thoughts to be more positive and happy. She wrote a word on the board that I didn't really know. So I just guessed and the teacher asked : "Sister Losee do you know what that means?" Me: "Not really..... hahah" so then she replied "oh it means paradigm in English" me: "I don't even know what that means in English!" #translationprobs #notsmartenoughinenglishprobs

Well I have already written a ton today. So i would just like to say:

it was a great week!!!!

Sister Losee

Pictures:

1) You know you are a missionary when you use your thirty minute lunch time to lay down. And you know you're a missionary in Germany when you are wearing a hoody in your apartment in the middle of August hahahahha

2) Steffi!

3) Coming Home to find pots of flowers left on your doorstep by a Persian member named Akbar!

You want me to talk to people my age?!?!

Happy August friends and family! In exactly two weeks I will be reaching my year mark. That's crazy!

This week was a a pretty good week. On Friday we got to go shopping for a 95 year old woman in the ward. We literally only bought milk, bread, canned vegetables, and pastries. But afterwards she gave us pudding and we were able to talk for a while. She used to be an opera singer so the three of us all sang a song together and I feel like we helped lift her spirits :)

On Sunday we had no appointments after church. So we went out to do some finding and were able to find three potentials in one park! We have already set up appointments with two of them. We then also went by on a media referral in Leverkusen and he seems awesome! Except he had only free this week when we were busy so we set up an appointment for the Elders. That's okay though. I felt like Elders probably would be better for him anyways.

I had an awkward experience on the bus this week. I was sitting on a seat that is sideways and talking to a man whose seat is in the very back of the bus so his was forward facing. Well suddenly the bus slams on the breaks and mid-conversation I FLY down my row of sideways seats and totally embarrass myself. I did end up getting the mans phone number and set up an appointment though! Totally worth it!

Um. We met with a very very short man from Afghanistan this week.

Yeah. Totally started flirting and wanting to buy us lunch. Nope.

Sorry man.

We had zone conference on Monday this week. Guess who I saw!?!?!?!?!?!

The one and only Sister Weeks!!!!! I hadn't seen her since Frankfurt!  Our district also had the joy of doing a musical number. We ended up singing I'll go where you want me to go. It actually went pretty well.  Sister Nowak was also invited to zone conference so we got to ride with her and she sang with us! It was a good day that ended up with a cool lesson with our investigator Daniel.

At zone conference we talked a lot about contacting young single adults. I don't know why. But Ysa give me fear. Hahahahahaha. But I have tried to be better and contact them  more. It's actually pretty awesome. They are more open and willing to talk! Haven't gotten any potentials yet. But have had several cool conversations.

Well. I hope you all have an amazing week! This week I have been reading in 3rd Nephi and I know that Jesus Christ loves us all sooooooo much.

Love you all!!!

Sister Losee

The Lovely Land of Leverkusen

Two of probably the most amazing things happened this week. 

1: Ebenezer entered the waters of baptism!!!! 

And 2: Melanie finally came to church!!!!!!!

So to start off Ebenezer! Ebenezer was baptized this Saturday and I'm so happy because he was so happy! Baptisms are stressful times as missionaries and so we told Ebenezer to come about 45 minutes early to the church. That way he could try on some clothes and we could make sure nothing bad would happen to keep him from coming in time. Well, we showed up a little over two hours early so that we could  fill the font and do some other  preparation stuff. We are in the middle of our preparations, when lo and behold, Ebenezer walks in! He ended up coming almost two hours early! He almost beat us missionaries to the church! We then had quite a few members show up to show support. The spirit was so strong during the baptism,  I asked him how he felt after the baptism and he said: " I am happy. So so happy."  and then after the actual baptism the one and only Schwester Nowak was so kind and organized some cake and other snacks for afterwards. I know that it really helped Ebenezer to feel welcomed and loved.

Then we had church on Sunday. Our investigator Melanie who we have been working with for months finally had Sunday off of work and when we invited her to come to church she said yes!! She said she liked it and what makes it even better is that she and our other Investigator Steffi who also came to church for the first time became friends!!! It was awesome! It was also very strange having more girls our age there. Normally I feel surrounded by older people or males. It was really nice to have some younger woman our age there.

Um. Last week for pday we had a BBQ and it ended up being really fun.  We mostly just ate food and talked out in this cute grilling place in the woods.

We have a new investigator named Kingsley who when were teaching him mentioned that he has had a hard time remembering God recently, and so that's why he decided to meet with us. I pulled out some of our pass along cards (because they have pictures of Christ on them) to give to him to put around his apartment to remind him to pray. Well before I could explain why I was giving them to him he said : "oh yes. I will give these to my friends!"

Hahaha so perfect! He already is wanting to share what he's learning!

He also demanded to know how old Moroni was when he died. So if anyone knows. Please let me know :)

This week we also had our first interviews with President Boyer. He mostly just wanted to get to know us. He also is really stressing the importance of finding and that we should always be finding. Which I think is really good and will be good for our mission. He is really nice though and I think he will be good for the Frankfurt Germany mission.

I hope everyone has a good week!!!

Oh and update! We have new rules and you are all allowed to send me mail (letters and packages) directly to my address in Germany instead of the mission office! I probably will only be in Leverkusen for about another month. But here is my address:

Kirche Jesu Christi

Sister Bonnie Losee

Bergische Landstraße 67

51375 Leverkusen

Germany

Love you all! Here is a cool quote I read this week:

"The Lord, Jesus Christ, is our perfect example of patience. Though absolutely unyielding in adherence to the truth, he exemplified patience repeatedly during his mortal ministry. He was patient with his disciples, including the Twelve, despite their lack of faith and their slowness to recognize and understand his divine mission. He was patient with the multitudes as they pressed about him, with the woman taken in sin, with those who sought his healing power, and with little children. Finally, he remained patient through the sufferings of his mock trials and his crucifixion."

Jesus Christ truly is our perfect example for everything! I encourage you all to find an attribute this week you would like to learn and study it through stories about Jesus Christ. I know that we can learn so much through his perfect and loving example.

Sister Losee