Birthday Week

This week was pretty good. Sister Helmick was feeling better so that
made it a lot better this week. Last Monday we went shopping. All
pday. Yep. I did find a toy store though and I made sis Helmick go
because I was done at looking at clothes.
Tuesday we had zone conference in Düsseldorf which was really fun
because I got to go back to my old zone. Plus zone conference was
really good. It was really spiritual.
Thanks for all the birthday stuff on Wednesday! It was really fun. I
loved the packages and pictures. We also left our apartment all day on
Wednesday so that was wonderful. We met with a less active who yelled
at me for not telling her hat it was my birthday beforehand. And
somehow Athi got our number and I was able to talk to her for a
little. It was a pretty good birthday.
We talked to some cool people this week. I got us really lost because
for some reason I got put in charge of finding directions to get to
places. I was asked by the relief society president what I did so
wrong to get transferred to Herne. I was asked by Germans why I would
choose to be in Herne. So ya it's been a pretty good week!
This week I was studying the final testimonies of the apostles who
past away. We have to give a spiritual thought at our ward fhe tonight
and we chose to talk about general conference. It is so close!!!!!!! I
love conference! I read elder Scotts last talk from last October
called make the exercise of faith your first priority. It is really
cool at the simple things he points out.
I promise I do exciting things. Today we played a cool dodge ball game
in Essen today. We are just waiting for investigators to come home
here in Herne, but we are still having lots of fun!
Ich liebe euch!
Sister Carroll

Herne!!!

So much happened this week ,but I don't remember all of it. It has
been a looooonnng week. I said a lot of goodbyes this week in Bonn. I
left Bonn. I had to pack my stuff and get all my stuff to Frankfurt
then back to Dortmund then eventually to Herne. It wouldn't have been
so bad except that the bus ride from Frankfurt to Dortmund was so
long! The bus was 20 min late and we got into Dortmund 2 hours late.
Then when we got there, Sister Pettit was there to pick me up instead
of Sister Helmick because Sister Helmick was sick and not allowed to
leave the apartment. So for my first days here in Herne I sat in the
apartment. At least it wasn't the hospital. And the apartment is
bigger than the Bonn apartment so that was also nice. What I have seen
of Herne is really pretty. Not in a Bonn pretty, but still pretty.
Lots and lots and lots of trees and green. Herne is lots smaller than
Bonn and there aren't as many people just out on the streets. We have
to go find them. The church building is really nice and big. The ward
is really nice and small. It was kind of sad sitting in church
yesterday, because they have this wonderful chapel and hardly anyone
was there. But it is a ward, not a branch. And I will just have to
find people to fill the beautiful chapel. The wars is really willing
to work with us too. I am excited to get to know them better.

I don't know if we really have anything else. We taught a family in
Arabic this weekend. Yes now I speak Arabic :) And we watched the
Testaments like 5 times and almost all the Mormon messages I have
downloaded on my iPad. I also read lots of conference talks. (Side
note: conference is in 2 weeks!!!!!!!!!) this week I read the Greatful
in any circumstance by president Uchtdorf again. I think I have shared
that before, but I really like it. I love how he talks about how we
will really be grateful IN our circumstances when we understand more
fully what Christ has done for us. Then we can be happy with whatever
we are given. It is so important to be happy. If you aren't happy life
is just miserable. And God wants us to be happy.

Hope you all have a wonderful week! Have a great time in Arizona!
Don't get too warm. It was weird seeing pictures of the boys in
swimsuits because it was defiantly pretty cold yesterday. I don't
understand weather outside of Arizona. But I love that it isn't hot
anymore! Ich liebe euch!
Liebe
Sister Carroll

Transfer 6

I feel like my weeks just keep getting better and better to share with
you guys. Although this week was more crazy on feelings not on
actually doing things. I don't think I will be able to explain most of
it, but I will try.
Tuesday Sister Gardner came back!!! It was a good learning experience,
but we are so glad it is over. We made some way good relationships
with the ward through this. Sister Gardner was saying that everyone in
the hospital was so amazed at how much the church came to support her.
She had missionaries visiting her everyday plus a member who visited
her most days and a few other members who went to see her or called to
check up on her. It was so good. We got to know members I would have
never gotten to know any other way.
This week though we have had to take slow so Sister Gardner could
continue to heal. The problem with that though was that I was really
stressed for transfers this weekend so when we slowed down it made it
really hard to want to keep working. But then I decided that I needed
to just be happy in the moment and worry about transfers later and
that made it a lot better. Then we just had lots of fun with it.
Saturday was ..... Well I'm just glad it is over. That transfer call
was so long. And unfortunately I have to leave Bonn. That was so hard
to hear. But it is ok because there is a purpose behind it and it will
be a new adventure. I am being transferred to Herne. It is by Dortmund
and Essen. It is like directly north of Bonn. I think it will be
really cool. Regina our new convert says that it is a really cool
place. She used to live there. My new companion will be Sister
Helmick! She was in the MTC with me so that will be really fun.
Saturday afternoon we got a call from a hospital in Düsseldorf. They
told us that Athi was there in the hospital. She is doing good now,
but she just really needs prayers. Just keep Athi in your prayers.
This week I have learned what it means when in the scriptures the
prophets talk about having pains for the iniquity of a he people. It
hurts. And it all comes from love. I think it is such a blessing that
God lets us fell so much love for random strangers in a foreign
country. Otherwise missionary work would not happen. But at the same
time, sometimes I wish God didn't let me love the people so much,
because then it hurts. Then when people are doing things they know
they shouldn't it really hurts. When you have to say goodby it hurts.
Sunday I had to give a talk in church and I had to bear my testimony
to say goodbye. But we got to go participate in young women's and a
miracle happened! We were just sitting in sacrament meeting and just
starting and this random guy walks in with his dad. Sister Gardner had
talked to this guy on a bus like 3 weeks ago and he said he didn't
really believe in God but his dad did so he would bring his dad to
church. Forgot about him then this week we ran into him again by an
amazing miracle of Gods timing. He told us he was still planning on
coming to church with his dad. Lots of people tell us they will come
to church so we were just like ok cool. Then Sunday he came! And
really liked it! And said he will come again! God blesses us with
miracles even when we don't think we deserve them. He is so awesome! I
love God!
Ich liebe euch! Bis später!
Sister Carroll

The trees are starting to change colors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Schwester Jäckel

Desrina

Carmen

Our JD They are so cool!!!! (Young Women)

Regina

Schwester Bäder

Schwester Eller

Vanessa

Lisy

Nevertheless

This week I studied the talk fro the 1995 general conference called
swallowed up in the will of the  Father by Neil A Maxwell. I liked how
he talked about how so often we ask why. Why do things happen? Why
can't it happen the way I want it to? Even Christ asked why. But
Christ followed it up with nevertheless. And we need to also follow up
our questions with nevertheless. I am starting with the spiritual
thought this week because I feel like it defines my thought process
this whole week. I have had to learn this week to say nevertheless.
Unfortunately Athi has basically given everything away that happens
this week, but for those who don't talk to Athi on Facebook, I will
still explain.
This week started out ok. Sister Gardner was still not feeling super
good so we were going to see a doctor tues. called the doctor Tuesday
morning and got yelled at in German for doing this wrong. Sister
Gardner was not supper happy so on the way to DDM I called a few
members to get them to come with us to the hospital again for Sis
Gardner to get some tests done. Schwester Schaub our FHV president was
able and sooooooo willing to come. She picked us up and sat in the
waiting room for 5 hours with me. After all the tests we were told
that Sis Gardner would have to stay in the hospital until her kidney
stones passed. She had 2 others besides the first one last week and
they were a little bigger than normal for her. That meant she could be
in the hospital for a day or a week. President called me and tole me
that I would be going to be in a dritt in Köln until Sis Gardner was
all better. Schwester Schaub took me to get my things and Sister
Gardners things and her daughter came into out appartment with me to
get them. Then she took me to the church until the Köln sisters could
get here, because it was mutual and I could just hang out there. The
Köln sisters were on a split so Sis Ferris and Sister Terry came to
get me. They couldn't find the church though so me and  Elder Sollis
and Elder Downs walked down to Bahnhof together. Then I went back to
Köln and they split back so I was with sister Ferris and Sister Myer.
That was terrible. I love Sister Ferris and Sis Myer, but I was not
happy to be away from Bonn. In the few days I was away from Bonn we
got a referral I had to give the elders to contact and we had some
random guy we gave a Book of Mormon to call us for more information!
Two things that never happen!!!! It was so bad! I called Sis Gardner
twice everyday. She couldn't call me,but I could call her. It was the
worst feeling being away from her. It was so weird, because I don't
hardly know he and yet when I had to walk out of the hospital Tuesday
I felt like I was leaving my family. It was so hard. I almost cried
leaving her. And after I would hang up with her on the phone. It was
so weird to fell like that for someone who wasn't family and I really
don't know that well. Anyway back to the craziness. So Thursday
president called me and told me that since sister Gardner was still in
the hospital he was going to bring a sister from Feucht to stay with
me in Bonn since there was a dritt there. Friday I met up with her and
immediately went and saw sister Gardner. My new companions name is
Sister Landeen. She is 30. She was in high school for 9/11. It is
slightly weird. I feel really little. But at the same time she has
been wonderful. Both of us just want the whole thing to end so we
understand each other. Our ward freaked out a little yesterday at
church, but that's ok. Today we went to the Kölner Dome again because
Sister Landeen wanted to see it while she was so close. All today we
have been discussing how much we like being with each other, but how
much we really don't want to be together. Then about an hour ago
president called! I have never talked so much to president or the
mission nurse sister Castleton. They both know me really well now. But
president called to say that they did more tests today and sister
Gardner is free to go tomorrow morning! I will get my companion
back!!!! I am so happy! Me and sister Landeen may have been jumping up
and down at every stop light from our apartment to Mc Donald's for
wifi. We were so happy! That means sis Landeen can go back to Feuch
and I can have my companion back. I don't know it you were keeping
track of how many companions I had this week, but the total comes to
9.
Sister Gardner
Schwester Schaub
Schwester Schaubs daughter
Elder Sollis
Elder Downs
Sister Terry
Sister Ferris
Sister Myer
Sister Landeen
THAT IS NOT NORMAL!!! But it sure makes for a funny story!
That was basically my week. It was really crazy and all over the
place, but it is over now. This week I learned to say nevertheless. I
also learned that ward FHV presidents make good temporary moms. I
don't think we would have made it through Tuesday without Schwester
Schaub. I have also made some great friends in the mission, like the
mission nurse.
Hope everyone has a wonderful week! Hopefully it is not as crazy as
mine! Ich liebe euch!
Liebe
Sister Carroll

Our dritt (threesome) in Köln

Athi came to visit us in Köln

Me and elder Sollis. Elder Downs was somewhere right there. Elder
Sollis was just really excited we were on a split.

Me and Sister Landeen in Köln today