December 2012 Pics

Elders Terry and Sanderson

St. Gallen Zone B-days:  Perkins, Sanderson, Terry, Schulzke, Neumeyer, Pres. Guyler  

St. Gallen Zone Conference

January 20, 2013

Dear Mommy Dearest,

                That is super cool that Hannah is going to Uruguay. Crazy stuff. But as for the pressure to go on missions..... better that then a lot of other things. So no room to complain. As for the Swiss knife that works on computers. I have thought about buying that one, but I thought that I would buy it in America because it would be cheaper. But apparently not.... I will probably buy one. They really have a Swiss army knife for everything. And in our area is an outlet shop from Victorinox and Wenger, so if someone wants something, I can get it. Anyways, you might also have noticed that I spent some money. I replaced my shrunken sweater, and splurged on a new suit. A whopping 59 Swiss Franks for a sweet suit. I don`t know why they are so much cheaper here, but now that I know I would never buy one from Mr Mac. 
                And I agree with Bishop Maxwell. I try to study about the Sacrament every Sunday to get ready for church, and I am frankly embarrassed by the lack of respect I showed for this sacred ordinance. This is an invitation from God to come to his house, to sit down with him, review the week, and if we prepare, then we receive forgiveness for the mistakes of the past as well as strength to fortify us for the challenges ahead. Who in there right mind would refuse such an invitation? 
                Anyways, this week has been both enlightening and difficult (I think that  those two words go together very often. Coincidence? I think not) anyways, we had a zone training meeting, and afterwards we did finding as a zone in Zurich. I got the chance to work with an Elder Jimenez from California, who has only been on his mission for 3 weeks. We literally talked to everyone, and in the end we had no contacts. After that I worked with Elder Kalkbrenner in Winterthur (he is one of the zone leaders) and once again we talked with everyone but found no one. That pretty much sums up the last two weeks. It has been a good experience for me because I have learned a lot about trusting in the Lord, even when things seem to just get worse. I think of the example set by our savior, Jesus Christ. From the moment he was betrayed until his death, things seemed to just go from bad, to worse to worst, to worse then the worst. I wonder if he ever asked himself why, or if he ever thought that maybe this was happening because he had made a mistake or done something wrong. The amazing thing is that he didn`t do anything wrong. That he was perfect, yet still was made to struggle. I love this quote from Elder Holland 
                "When we stagger or stumble, He is there to steady and strengthen us. In the end He is there to save us, and for all this He gave His life. However dim our days may seem, they have been a lot darker for the Savior of the world. As a reminder of those days, Jesus has chosen, even in a resurrected, otherwise perfected body, to retain for the benefit of His disciples the wounds in His hands and in His feet and in His side—signs, if you will, that painful things happen even to the pure and the perfect; signs, if you will, that pain in this world is not evidence that God doesn’t love you; signs, if you will, that problems pass and happiness can be ours. Remind others that it is the wounded Christ who is the Captain of our souls, He who yet bears the scars of our forgiveness, the lesions of His love and humility, the torn flesh of obedience and sacrifice."
                Anyways, our investigators are doing good. Benjamin, the guy from Ghana, is doing great. He came to church, is reading in the Book of Mormon, and is making great progress.  Yuri is also doing great. He is now done with Ether and hopes to finish Moroni this week. Then we will see where he is at in regards to baptism. So keep him in your prayers.
                We also had a cool experience this week. We had an appointment with an investigator on Friday, but he canceled because he was busy. We happened to run into him on Friday a few hours before our previously scheduled appointment, and he told us he had to help a friend move. We offered to help, and he accepted. We ended up being able to help this really nice old lady move, and she gave us her number and address so that we could come visit her sometime and share a message with her. That was really cool. I can really give my testimony that this work is lead by God. He has the divine capacity to direct each one of us. I have truly felt his loving embrace this week, and I know, without a doubt, that Jesus Christ lives. 

Liebe
Elder Terry

ps I might not do emails next Monday. We might move our p day to Saturday the 2 of Feb to go to the world championships in bobsled and skeleton in St Moritz. just FYI 
love you

January 14, 2013

Dear Mom,

                Well this week has been interesting. So I have a lot to explain.
                First off, one of the companionships in our district has really been struggling. I have been thinking a lot about what I can do to help them, and ended up deciding to fast for them, even though we had fasted on Sunday. So Elder Nielsen and I fasted on Tuesday, while I worked in Zurich with one of the elders. And although we tried our best, we found no one. Then the next day we had district meeting in Richterswil and afterwards we had a finding day, and once again, we found no one. Needless to say I went home a little bit disappointed, frustrated, and wondering why in the world I felt inspired to fast if I wasn`t even going to find anyone. This is normally the part where you get to have a cool spiritual experience a few days later and suddenly everything is clear. But that hasn`t happened for me yet, but I have learned that all I can do is trust in God and keep moving forward. One unpleasant experience can`t outweigh all the good experiences. Needless to say, we are hoping and praying for miracles.
                And miracles are happening, if not always in the way that we want. Last Sunday two brothers from Ghana came to church, and this week we were able to meet with them. They both have a lot of faith, and are really looking to find God’s help. Things are also going really well with Kurt Steiger. He is making a lot of progress, and is doing a great job of keeping the commandments. One of his friends came to visit him during Christmas, and brought a few bottles of wine and wanted Kurt to drink with him. But Kurt refused, and ended up hiding a few of the bottles so his friend coudn`t drink them. It was pretty funny.
                Yuri is also doing well. Really well. We experienced something really cool today with him. So ever since we arrived Yuri has been really hung up on the idea "the only true church". He always tells us that that is "fanatic" that we are like the Pharisees, and that there is more than one way to God. Like we have probably argued that point for more then 10 hours in many different  appointments, and he just wasn`t getting it. But we have felt inspired in the past few weeks to start sharing talks from apostles with him. Yesterday we watched a talk from Elder Scott and Pres. Eyring with him, and we were able to talk about it. And it was amazing to see how the spirit has worked on him. He told us that not even the Cardinals in the Catholic church have the power and the peace that the apostles have. He said that he doesn`t think that the Catholic church is bad, but that they don’t have the power that he saw in these men. Maybe this is the only true church, he said. Both Elder Nielsen and I were totally stunned, that after us arguing, reasoning, using every argument and scripture possible to explain it to him, that he sees the apostles and he is convinced. This was such a cool experience for us and showed really the power of the spirit to truly change that hearts of individuals. 
                I don`t have very much other new news. It finally snowed again here in Chur, and it is starting to get cold again, but we are excited and really looking for the elect of God, who have been prepared to receive this gospel. I really know that the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the only true and living church. I am so grateful for this knowledge in my life, and the wonderful opportunity to share this with others. I LOVE IT

Liebe
Elder Terry

The shrinking sweater--oh well, at least it lasted this long

January 7, 2013

Dear Mom,

                Sorry the package got beat up, but luckily mostly everything survived. The beanie is for Riker, the Swiss knife is a fingernail clipper that is for you. And the book about Einsiedeln is also for Riker. I am pretty sure that is everything. So good that it all arrived.
                No, I haven`t seen my flight plans, and I don`t want to know them! As for being released, the longer I am a missionary, the better. Whatever you decide is the best. As well as for my talk. It doesn`t matter to me. 
                Well for New Years Eve.... of course we stayed up until 12! First we went to The Sannemanns, they are an older couple, and we had dinner with them, and they told us about their mission to Estonia. Then we went to Yuri and celebrated the New Year with him and his kids. 
                Anyways, stake conference sounds like it went well. Our week here went really well. We met with Bruno Leber, the guy from Colombia we found last week, and had a great appointment. We have another appointment this week, and hopefully everything will continue to go well. We also met with Andre, a cool guy from Switzerland again, (we had lost contact in the last few weeks) and we had a great appointment with him. He was super excited to come to church, but didn`t end up coming. We will have to see what happened. 
                Otherwise things are going well. Yuri is making progress, slowly but surely. We read 3 Nephi 17 with him last night. 
                Oh, we still don`t have much snow here. And by not much I mean none. But that is okay. I still love it. 
                So we have started to reread the Book of Mormon again this year as a mission, and I have chosen to study the themes of humility and pride. And today I read 1 Nephi 8. I was rather interested in the wording of verse 30, describing the people who made it to the tree of life. 
                30 But, to be short in writing, behold, he saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the ^arod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree.
The words I found interesting  was the words "fell down". Normally, I was to talk about getting fruit from tree, I would say something about reaching up, or climbing, but apparently to eat the fruit of the tree of life we must fall down. That is because the tree of life is a representation of the Love of God. (1 Nephi 11:25) And ^aGod so ^bloved the ^cworld, that he ^dgave his ^eonly begotten ^fSon, that whosoever ^gbelieveth in him should not perish, but have ^heverlasting ⁱlife.
                The tree of life represents Jesus Christ. Now the experience of the people in this dream is very similar to the events in 3 Nephi when the savior appears. 

                8 And it came to pass, as they understood they cast their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they ^asaw a Man ^bdescending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe; and he came down and stood in the midst of them; and the eyes of the whole multitude were turned upon him, and they durst not open their mouths, even one to another, and wist not what it meant, for they thought it was an angel that had appeared unto them.

9 And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people, saying:

10 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.

11 And behold, I am the ^alight and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter ^bcup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in^ctaking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the ^dwill of the Father in all things from the beginning.

12 And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words the whole multitude ^afell to the earth; for they remembered that it had been ^bprophesiedamong them that Christ should ^cshow himself unto them after his ascension into heaven. 

13 And it came to pass that the ^aLord spake unto them saying:

14 Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may ^athrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may ^bfeel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the ^cGod of Israel, and the God of the whole ^dearth, and have been slain for the sins of the world.

15 And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and ^adid feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come.

16 And when they had all gone forth and had witnessed for themselves, they did cry out with one accord, saying:

17 Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God! And they did fall down at the feet of Jesus, and did ^aworship him.

                Now why is this even important to notice? And why are they falling down? I think it has to do with the meaning of the word Hosanna. It means "please save us" or "save us now".  Now combine this with our understanding of falling down, or coming short, missing the mark, not measuring up, or in the case of Peter walking on the water, beginning to sink into a sea of fears and doubts. The truth is that we all fall down sometimes in life, but as Moroni taught, "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their ^aweakness. I ^bgive unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my ^cgrace is sufficient for all men that ^dhumble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make ^eweak things become strong unto them."

                I know that if we will humbly "fall down" at the feet of our Savior, then we truly will be made strong, and we will be able say with the apostle Paul, "I can do all things through ^aChrist which ^bstrengtheneth me."

I love you, and hope you have a great week!

Liebe

Elder Terry

ps I suggest reading this talk. 

http://www.lds.org/ensign/1990/04/beauty-for-ashes-the-atonement-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng&query=%22beauty+for+ashes%22