9 months!

So weird thing happened this week. I hit my 9 month mark. I'm half way
done. It is so weird though, because 9 months means nothing. Ja I'm
half way done, but that doesn't mean I am going home tomorrow. It
still means I get to do missionary work. I keep getting asked about
how it feels, and I just keep thinking about how much it is exactly
the same. Nothing is different. I don't suddenly know more. I don't
automatically become more successful. I simply am still in Germany.
Although it was a pretty good day on Wednesday when I hit my 9 month
mark. It started out by snowing. Yes it snowed. There was white stuff
falling from the sky. We were studying and I was looking out the
window and kept seeing white stuff mixed in with the rain. Finally I
asked sister Helmick if I was seeing what I thought I was. She is from
Oregon  so she knows this kind of stuff. It wasn't cold enough to
stay. It melted basically as it hit the ground, but it was still snow.
So that was weird. Then we had a cleaning check and I learned how to
clean mold out of the grout in the shower, since Arizona doesn't
really have that problem like they do here in Germany, so that was
also cool. Then we went and did service for a less active so we got to
wear jeans! We cleaned her kitchen. She really didn't want us to do
much, but her house was such a mess. I just kept thinking about
Grandma Starr and how she would have gone and completely cleaned the
whole house. It was really dirty, but we were able to help a little.
So Wednesday was pretty good.

Thursday was a day of miracles. Our plans fell out. I don't really
remember what it was, but it fell out. And one of our investigators
called us and told us we couldn't meet anymore. It was a sad day. But
then we were able to contact another investigator and she showed us
her new apartment. We also did some service for her and cleaned her
new place. As we finished we didn't really know what to do. We had
about an hour and it was cold. Earlier this week I had contacted a guy
who owns a Döner Laden while he had taken a break to smoke. I gave him
a German Buch Mormon and told him I would bring a Türkisch for him
later. We decided this was later. We walk into the restaurant and here
is a husband and wife and their son there ordering Döners. He was
staring at my name tag so I started talking to him. Then chaos erupted
in this Laden. The owner, seeing that someone else was interested,
wanted his Book of Mormon. The family was confused as to who Mormon
was and wanted to sit and meet right then. Sister Helmick went outside
with the family and tried to get contact info while I talked to the
Türkisch guy. Set up another appointment with him. Then we went and
met with the family in an Eis Cafe right then. It was way cool and
they had so many questions. We needed to go catch our bus so we could
get home and they suggested we come over and meet with them again. As
we went to end with a prayer, the Italian Eis Cafe owner came over to
see what we were doing. He then joined in on our prayer. It was so
cool! We then walked home because we missed the bus, but that was ok.
This week we have really just seen so many small miracles. I love it
when you can see God's hand in your life. It just makes life so much
better.
I think the thing that made me most happy this week was that I found
my favorite quote in German! "soll euer Leben von viel Freude und
Lachen erfüllt sein. Wir sollen das Leben genießen, nicht nur
ertragen." So cool! That just like made my day. We are here to be
happy. Not just to endure to the next moment, but to enjoy the moment
we are in. This week I have also been ponderizing 2 Korinther 4:8-9
Von allen Seiten werden wir in die Enge getrieben und finden doch noch
Raum; wir wissen weder aus noch ein und verzweifeln dennoch nicht. Wir
werden gehetzt und sind doch nicht verlassen; wir werden
niedergestreckt und doch nicht vernichtet. I love  the wording it uses
in Germn. It still means the same thing, it just words it slightly
differently and it think it is way cool. Instead of persecuted, it
uses gehetzt which is similar to hunted. In die Enge getreiben is more
likes being pushed into a corner verses being surrounded. It is really
cool just how much fear we don't need to have. I love God! He is just
so amazing! He loves us so much. Even when we are so imperfect and
mess up so much.
I hope everyone has a wonderful week! And sees miracles! I will try
not to freeze. You don't melt. Mann you would think we are living in
different worlds or at least at different times of the year. But no.
It is October and I have been wearing my jacket everyday. It is so
weird!
Ich liebe euch!
Liebe
Sister Carroll

Last week we got lost in Gelsenkirchen trying to find the church.
Instead we found this way cool place.

Elder Vogle and Elder Heinner ended up in a tree

Silly elders.

This is Bruder Gollnick. We sing with him every week. I was showing
him pictures of my family and got a picture with him. He is way cool.

You can't tell, but it is snowing. It started snowing more, but i
didn't get a picture.

Wow!

Wow so much happened this week! Hopefully I can remember everything!
And share it the way it happened because so much awesomeness happened!
This week was long, but not in a bad way. Just so much happened! I
don't really remember what happened at the beginning of the week.
Everything happened more in the second half of the week. We finished
watching conference for our district meeting. I love conference!
Wednesday was just a normal day. Every Wednesday night we sing at the
church with a member who is active only because he likes to play the
organ and that is his calling. As we were singing, we got a call from
the sister training leaders. It was probably almost 8. We had zone
training the next day at 12 in Dortmund. I was talking on the phone
and Sis Terry asked, "are you giving a Thema tomorrow in zone
training?" I replied, " not that I know of." Well turned out we were
giving a Thema in zone training! Let's just say sister Helmick was
slightly upset I agreed so quickly to do it. But then she was ok with
it. We were speaking on keeping the sabbath day holy. It ended up
being an ok Thema. It was just really funny how it got assigned. Then
after zone training we had interviews with president and we were last
so we got to hang out with Sister Stoddard all day! Then president was
like, "your Thema today was really good." I told him the story behind
it and he just laughed. It was super funny!
Friday morning we were supposed to go get flu shots in Dortmund, but
the appointment ended up being cancelled as we were on a train to
Dortmund, but the events leading up to that were just funny. Sister
Helmick was having a bad morning and as we went to leave, we realized
we accidentally had left our door slightly open all night. As we
walked out sister Helmick yelled, "Great! I might have cancer and we
could have been murdered!" No worries, sister Helmick does not have
cancer and we were not murdered. That has just been our quote for the
week, because it was so funny as we left that morning.
As we waited for our train to Dortmund, this guy from Tebet came and
talked to me because he heard us speak English. He was atheist and
pretty set with that so I didn't push too much that we wanted to talk
about God. We kept talking and finally he was like," ok tell me about
Christ." He ended up with a restoration pamphlet and we had a way
awesome conversation about God and prayer. He was so amazed that we
had only been in Germany for 7 months and could speak such good
German. He has been here for 3 years and still struggles. Every time
he commented on my German I told him," well God helps us" . That is
what finally got him to ask more. It is so cool how just little things
we say can spark intereste in people who would otherwise not care.
Saturday we met with a less active who is really struggling with
taking care of her family. She has 5 kids and no money and is having
problems with her Mann. It was so cool to just tell her that the
little things she does are a great example to her children. It was
cool to speak for experience and say that I had 5 siblings and the
little things may parents did made a huge difference for us, even when
it was so chaotisch. That was a super spiritual lesson.
Sonnday after church we had an appointment with a member who also
invited a couple other guys from the ward. One is a recent convert and
he is from Kenya, which was funny because he doesn't speak German and
this couple doesn't have the best English. We were talking with him
and the other member was asking about snakes in AZ. This guy from
Kenya kept asking if I ate snakes and frogs. I was really confused but
kept telling him no. Later he turned to me and said," I am just so
thankful to see a missionary from Asia. There aren't very many of you
and i think it is really cool." At this point me and sister Helmick
couldn't contain our laughter. I told him I was from Arizona not Asia
to which he responded, " are you sure? Maybe your dad is Chinese?"
Still laughing uncontrollably I told him no. He then said, " well if
you ever go there you will fit right in. All the people will think you
live there and will be asking where your house is." The laughing just
continued. Apparently I am Chinese.
After that appointment we traveled out into the middle of nowhere to
meet with this guy. He is really cool. He has 4 daughters and they all
sat and listened as well. When I found him he told me he was already
meeting with people from our church, but that we could come too. We
found out they are meeting with Jehovah's Witness. But they were super
willing to listen. They got really excited when we told them they
could have the Buch Mormon and that we would bring more for the other
daughters. They are pretty cool. That was also a way spiritual lesson.
Wow long email, but there was just so much good! I love it! Something
I have really been thinking about this week was the talk from
conference about ponderizing a scripture a week. I need to re read the
talk, but I really liked that. This week I have been working on making
sure I have our scripture of the month memorized. LuB 59:9-10 und
damit du dich selbst noch mehr von der Welt unbefleckt halten mögest,
sollst du an meinem heiligen Tag ins Haus des Betens gehen und deine
heiligen Handlungen darbringen; denn wahrlich dies ist der Tag der dir
bestimmt ist von deiner Arbeit zu ruhen und dem Allerhöchsten deine
Gottesverehrung zu entrichten.
I think it is just really cool that Sunday is really the day for us to
rest from our arbeit! God wants us to use it to praise Him and stop
worrying about whatever we worry about the rest of the week. The
scriptures are true. The sabbath was made for man. Use it for what it
was made for.
I love you all! Sorry Arizona is still so hot. It is freezing here!
Almost literally so........ Ja this winter will be interesting. I
can't wait!
I have liebe euch
Liebe
Sister Carroll

More watching conference. There are 3 missionaries on the front row. :)

Sister Helmick likes popping balloons.

Alena was bored during a stake choir concert

Sunday naps on a U-Bahn?

Sister helmicks idea of this week. We had different experiences this week......

What happens when I take lots of pictures.....

General Konferenz !!!!!!!!!

So isn't conference just amazing? That was most defiantly the best
part of the entire week! I love conference!
Außer conference, this week was pretty good. I had a split with Sister
Terry this week which was fun. And while on the split we got a call
from a number we didn't have saved. This guy on the other end
explained that he had seen us on a bus and that he wanted to meet with
U.S. Then he specifically asked to meet at our church. That was really
cool. We were able to meet with him on Friday and gave him a church
tour and ended up just teaching the first lesson! The spirit was so
strong! It was so cool! He is Catholic and he just isn't satisfied
with the Catholic Church so he chose to look into our church. He even
researched on lds.org! He is so cool.
This week we spent a lot of time lost. That was fun. I don't think
Sister Helmick thought it was as fun as I did, but I thought it was
fun. We got to see some really pretty parts of Herne. Ja we missed an
appointment, and ja we missed our service, but the member was really
understanding and we have service every other week so we will get
another opportunity to try to find this place. I think the best time
we were lost was when we were at Herne bahnhof and wanted to get to
the church. All we have to do is take a bus and it takes us basically
to the church. We got on a bus and I talked to this really cool guy
who gave me a German card game. Then sister Helmick was like "sister
Carroll we are getting off here." Turns out we took the right bus just
wrong Richtung. Sister Helmick felt really bad. I thought it was
awesome. And I got a cool game out of it! I also gave the man a Buch
Mormon. We tauscht.
Now to conference! It was so wonderful! Our ward was all going to
Dortmund to watch it with our stake so our district got together at
the Herne gemeindehaus to watch it. Me and sister Helmick got there
early and watched the women's session. Then we tried to watch the
Saturday morning session live, but the internet didn't like us so we
watched the women's session again with the  elders while sister
Helmick painted their faces. It was really fun. Sunday we all got to
the church and did studies together as a district. It was surprisingly
more effective than I thought it would be. Then we watched all the
sessions shown on Saturday including priesthood. We still need to find
time to watch the Sunday sessions. I think we are watching one during
district meeting on Tuesday. But what I saw was awesome! It was so
cool to see the new apostles get called. I can't wait to hear their
testimonies. I have heard they are way good. I loved how many of the
talks talked about how we can really talk to God. That we can ask him
anything and he will answer. This was something I knew but it was cool
to be reminded. And to be reminded that literally anything! I can
really have a conversation with God. I can ask and I can listen and he
will answer. I was reminded that perfect love is the best way to
teach. And that to be centered on Christ is the only way to really be
like Him. Just so many amazing gems from conference and I still have 2
sessions to watch! I can't wait!
I hope you all have a wonderful week! Thanks for being so awesome!
Don't forget that you are children of God and that he will answer you
and tell you what to watch out for. He loves you!
Ich liebe euch!
Sister Carroll

Us being lost. In the middle of nowhere too. :)

Me and sister Terry on our split. Both lessons we had that day were
with French guys. We thought French food was important for dinner.

Sister Helmick gets cold easily during studies. The heater wasn't good
enough for her.

Us Being lost

Us Being lost

The first night Of conference

Watching conference

Break between sessions

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