The one with 《positivity》 with a hint of {mourning} 8/29/2017

Hey y'all,

This last week was sooo long but somehow it's a new one already? We had basically zero appointments all week so we just found all day every day. Annnnnnd we finally found some potentials, und wir freuen uns! So I'll talk about 2 of them.. We stopped this cute Ugandan mom and babe by the university and she told us that family is just so important to her, so we told her that our church is centered on families and that we believe families can be eternal, and she wanted to learn more! She'll be in Berlin for holiday for 2 weeks but when she gets back she wants to meet. Then on Thursday we went to this kind of far out dorf because we were going to drop by on some members and share a quick message but since we were traveling so far we wanted to spend a couple hours there... it was a small dorf and so there weren't really people out so we just doored, only one girl actually talked to us and watched our video but then she told us she didn't have interest, so we just kept going. There was an old guy outside doing yard work and I just felt like we needed to talk to him so we scudded over (well, I don't know if I would call it that as we didn't want to scare the poor old man, but we wanted to catch him while he was outside) and I just said "hello" and he just started talking and talking and talking...as old men who don't know you do... then when he noticed our name badges he started asking about it, when we said we were also known as Mormons and he was like "oh. Yeah I know about you Mormons. You're kind of weird people. What's the other name you go by?" After him just thinking and trying different things for a while he was like "oh Amish! You guys are those Amish people aren't you?" He continued to tell s he wasn't interested in that, but when we explained we weren't actually Amish he was like "ok cool, well do you have any materials on you?" Sister McAllister pulled out das Buch Mormon and he was so curious, she started to show him the pictures in the front and explain them but he took the book away and just read the descriptions about the pictures and HE WAS SO EXCITED. He saw the picture of Samuel the Lamanite and was like, "that's a lot like the world today". But he just was so excited and intrigued by the book. We told him he could have it and he just hugged it. Then I have him a card with the address to the church and our phone number, it was an 'ich bin Mormone' card and he read that, smiled and said, "not yet, I have to read this book first." Ahahaha I love old people.

.....And now we wait. 

Today we went to the dachau concentration camp and I am speechless. Emotionally and mentally drained. I am astounded with the evil people are capable of. My heart is broken, and my heart goes out. 

Hah, so anyhow, on that happy note we're going to go get to work and try to save the world.  

From todays reading im Buch Mormon, 

Alma 36:21 Es konnte nichts so außerordentlich und so bitter sein, wie meine Qualen es waren. Ja, und weiter sage ich dir, mein Sohn, andererseits kann nichts so außerordentlich und so süß sein, wie meine Freude es war.
I have always loved reading the book of Mormon, especially about Alma the younger and his conversion story, but theres something about reading in another language and really having to pay attention so you can understand. We truly can find so much joy and happiness through repentance and through Christ, just as Alma did. But like Alma, we must turn to the Lord, we must practice and use whatever amount of faith we have. Ahhh I love the book of mormon and the gospel and Jesus and our Father in Heaven! 

I love you all, sorry I don't have time to email personally, we were at dachau for a couple hours longer than anticipated, leaving only the train ride for emails... also this email is being written during email time, I just don't know when it will send because of the lack of Wi-Fi.  

Viel Spaß!

Liebe Grüße,

Sister Lundskog  

Sister Carley Lundskog
Kirche Jesu Christi HLT
Francéstraße 6
80997 München
Deutschland

The one where I don't have much time (as usual) 8/21/2017

Hey hi hello, 

Once again we've been doing a lot of finding this week, but haven't found any potentials. But I absolutely love finding. We get to talk to people from all over the world and learn so much! Last night while we were finding I stopped a man, and he asked if we could speak English instead. Turns out he is from Lebanon, hes been living in Munich for about a year, and he is an athiest. But he stayed and talked with us for about 20 minutes about what we believe and what he believes. It was super interesting. Near the end he asked me how I learned German so well, and then asked how long I've been learning german. When I told him I started learning German almost 6 months ago he was completely shocked and said that was impossible, but then we testified of the help we receive from God when he calls us to a work and he was just stunned. We tried to get an appointment with him but he doesn't want to be converted, lol, but he was super cool. 

We also have done a lot of dooring recently, and I don't know what it is about Europeans but they will answer the door in whatever attire they have in the moment, which, quite often means they have absolutely nothing, they don't even have any embarrassment on their face. We've seen so many things we'd like to un-see...hahaha, but we've had some really interesting conversations with some people. One man talked to us for like 45 minutes in his doorway and just kept telling us stuff about history, science, religion, whatever he could think of because he didn't think we had enough knowledge because we couldn't answer his first question about software engineering.  He invited us back anytime we'd like to learn more about anything.  

Last week we went to the Arnold's again, and once again I was just filled with such a peace entering their home! It's just so filled with the spirit and with love. I love it. Camille is the sweetest little girl and she's going to be baptized next, month! She told me I'm one of her best pals, which just melted my heart because I love her and I miss all of my little best pals back in America. 

We had transfer calls on Friday, Sister McAllister and I will be staying together for another transfer! Unfortunately Elder Peterson is getting transferred to Wien, so one of our members wanted to get a picture of all of us on Sunday before the squad gets broken up. Turns out, Elder Jensen and I are both 4 years old when it comes to taking pictures. 

The same member mentioned above who took pictures made us pizza, and it was the craziest pizza I've ever eaten in my life. It had corn, mushrooms, salami, shrimp, anchovies, an egg, peppers, and so many other unrecognizable things, and it was so good. Ahh. Jasmin makes the best food, like seriously, I don't know how she does it but everything is so good. 

Moroni 7:33 And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.

Well that's it folks, I'm out of time. Till next time... 

Sister Carley Lundskog 

Kirche Jesu Christi HLT 

Francéstraße 6
80997 München
Deutschland

The one where the week went too fast... 8/15/2017

Haha hello everyone! 

I don't have any desire to write this week, but it's been a wonderful week! Some members fed us raw fish and it was dang good, Ada is a professional chef and she made some of the best food I've ever eaten in my life (pictured), the Augsburg sisters slept over last week before zone conference and so we did face masks and made doughnuts. We did a ton of dooring and had some pretty flipping weird experiences and conversations but that's what keeps missionary work exciting! 

LIFE'S WHAT YOU MAKE IT SO LET'S MAKE IT ROCK! Those are some pretty wise words and are true about everything. Your life is what you make it, your mission is what you make it, your education is what you make it, so why not make it rock? Put your all in and you'll get a whole lot more out of your life!

Sister Carley Lundskog
Francéstraße 6
80997 München
Deutschland

The One where I had technical difficulties and my mom had to send my email... 8/1/2017

Hello everyone, 

Oh Mensch! What a week! 

To start last week off, we wore coats, tights, and wool socks because it was absolutely freezing. The last two days though, the second we walk outside the door we are drenched with sweat and just melt. I feel like I'm in Utah again. 

We have had appointments every day this week and it's been a little crazy! On Wednesday we had a member appointment with the zone leaders Elder Peterson and Elder Jensen. The member hates cooking, so his plan was for all the missionaries to cook, in the end I made the whole meal. But they pretended for a picture. I made some stellar salmon pasta, and then Michael (the member) dished me up more than every one else and I nearly died from too much food. Good times. 

Thursday we were with the Arnold family again (my goodness I love them, they are such good people and Camille reminds me of my nieces and I just love them.) We heart attacked a less active with the Arnold's and the elders after dinner and that was pretty exciting! 

Friday we had an appointment fall out and we were finally able to have some finding time! We haven't gone finding like the whole time I've been in Munich, so my German got a little rusty but we had a great time and talked to some interesting people!

On Sunday we had an awesome lesson with Yanira. She is from Colombia and is here as a nanny. She doesn't speak very much German so we had some members from Ecuador translate for us. She soaked up the whole restoration and had so many questions. She said she's already prayed to know if our church was true before she even met with us. She's so sweet and although we have a language barrier and she doesn't understand everything, she sees coming to church as her way to find peace. Which, is exactly what the church should do. 

Today we went to Neuscchwanstein with the sisters in our zone. It was way fun, although I wouldn't recommend hiking in proselyting clothes, or when it's a thousand degrees and humid. But it was a way good day, lost all of the weight I've gained on my mission in sweat. Jokes, it's still there. We had a few miracles today, for which I am so so grateful because it's the little things that just make your heart want to explode with gratitude, so buckle up, here comes some stories!

While we were hiking back down and we were all dripping in sweat, a lady hiking up said to the 6 of us,  "hello do you have any materials on you?" As very prepared missionaries we all had pamphlets on us, but only one of the sisters had pamphlets in English. The lady apparently studies religions and her main focus has been Mormonism so she has read all of the standard works. But her main main focus is the Mormon fundamentalists. Anyway, she was way cool and took every pamphlet we had and we had a nice chat. It's not every day that you meet people in Europe who even know who or what Mormons are, or who know that the church of Jesus Christ is also the Mormon church, but yet, there was one.

Next, on the bus ride down this very friendly guy started talking to Sister McAllister and I, and asked if we were Mormon missionaries. He is from Mexico, but met elders while he was in France, and then he met us! He has such a good impression of us and turns out he has done some research and there's an LDS church just down the street from his house! Bam, another miracle. 

Then, the same guy introduced us to all of his friends, and one of them is from Sydney Australia, so naturally I told her I had a friend who was on a mission there, just like us (thanks dixon for serving, it was a great way to get her to talk to us), and she was so interested to find out more! She was so intrigued that we have missionaries all over the world with the same purpose! 

So we've been running everywhere and have been just 110% exhausted but 700% loving it. I'm just so grateful to have such a wonderful opportunity to serve the Lord and give back a little! 

Thomas S Monson once said in a devotional, "work will win, when wishy washy wishing won't." Could there be a truer statement? One thing I've definitely learned as a missionary, is that wishing or just dreaming about things gets you absolutely no where. BUT, hard work, dedication, determination, and obedience gets you everywhere! Now I'm not saying I'm 100% those things all or the time, because I'm not perfect, but when I do my best to have all of those qualities there's a difference in the work. I love this work, even though it's really hard and sometimes my brain is on the brink or explosion, it's the best thing I've ever done for my life. The gospel is true folks!

Love you all, hope all is well! 

♡/ Sister Lundskog