Just a little piece of news before I give you my traditional picture flashback. I am off to Wiesbaden to join Sister Hadfield. Whoop. Whoop. The only things I have heard so far is that my companion is from Utah, that it's pretty and that I live next to a blind lady. If that doesn't convince you that it's gonna be great I don't know what will. Not to mention sister Parker and I
's love fern is dead. It's a sign. Hehe I am trying really hard not to be all sentimental about leaving this time around although Duisburg is booming. Like booming.
You know you are running out of goal ideas when you result to role plays everyday and referrals, but maybe that was the only way Heavenly Father could get me to actually do it... but that's what we did. We took the two things we are worst at in missionary work and put them to the test (sometimes that turned into a role play at 10:00 at night cause there just aren't enough hours in the day to accomplish those sorts of things, but we did them nonetheless) . And so we asked every person no matter how awkward it was if they knew of anyone who needed this message in their life. Every person. No if's and's or but's and then on Thursday (which also happened to be Sister Parkers year mark) we get a text from church headquarters for a family of four! What the heck? Where are all these people coming from? I am pretty sure I have gotten a grand total of 5 referrals on my entire mission and then out of those the number of them that are actually real and turn into something? Yes. Let's just say it was kinda a big deal. She wasn't home this weekend, but her house actually exists and I am so excited to hear the end of that story. So many families just waiting to be eternal!
This is gonna be tough. Real tough. To go from all this to ground zero. But I decided to do my goodbyes a little differently this time around and not make it this big deal that I am leaving because I think last time that hurt the work a little bit all because I want to be appreciated and people to remember me. So I am changing my ways and attempting not to have them attached to me, but rather the gospel. If they completely forget my name or the fact that I served here that is totally a-okay.
Oh another fun fact Sister Brooke Terry is the one coming to take my place here in Duisburg. Isn't she just the luckiest? Sister Parker AND booming Duisburg? Wow. Glad I could share my blessings. I really am just so grateful to have been able to serve here. I cannot even imagine not serving here. I have grown and learned SO MUCH and met so many amazing people and although it is so tough, I am ready to go. Ready for something new. Ready for an adventure. Ready to take on all of what Wiesbaden has to offer.
I'm gonna miss you good ol' Duisburg. You have treated me well.
xoxoxox
s. heywood
Sister Parker
Oh man. This one is a doozy. I can honestly say that sister Parker has become one of my dearest friends. We have been through a roller coaster together and if I can be with someone 24/7 for 6 months straight and not want to kill them? I would say that is a lasting friendship. She has taken the word hard work to a whole new level and is always helping me to improve. We wore black to mourn. Along with our Chinese Buffett pearls, comp pickles, ugly cry face and dead love fern. But it's all good. The post mish California trip is already planned. We will survive.
Maram
okay. she is perfect. And beautiful. I know. We met with Maram way back in May and it was a wonderful lesson. And then she fell off the planet... until this week. When she called us and said she had been praying and reading and thinking about what we told her and that she wanted to take the next step. After teaching her all about the Plan of God and asking her if she believed all this she will be getting baptized on August 29th. I can't wait for her to take that next step... and then go to the temple and marry one of the people in our ward... too far? but yes. she is wonderful. I am going to miss her so much.
Christian
As of this week he is now officially in China watching conference and reading in the Book of Mormon preparing himself to be the next pioneer/bishop in China. Woohoo.
The District.
Peace out friends.
Again. I just feel like I could go on forever and ever. I am so glad that just because I am leaving doesn't mean it is the end for these wonderful people and that they are in good hands. I love them and so many more with my whole heart. Pray for my heart to grow three times bigger so that there is enough room for all the Wiesbaden peeps. Love ya already.
One of the three families we found last week. Sadly I don't have pictures of Angelika and Simon or the family from India BUT they are all doing wonderfully. It only took us 6 months to weed out all the nonprogressers and find people who are actually going to stick with us but they are all doing wonderfully. We gave Naomi a little study notebook and she is now hooked on Mormon messages and Bible videos. Reading from the Book of Mormon and the Bible everyday and we are doing family home evening this week with them! Ah. I am loving her so much.
The Zechmann family
And then I told you about our member fast a couple weeks ago. But sister Parker and I, the elders in our area, and our ward mission leader have been praying and fasting our tails off over here the last two weeks as we try to find out who in our ward knows someone who is ready or will be ready to accept the gospel. Familie zechmann has been in my head the whole time. And then we suggested that and the elders said they had been thinking the same thing! Coincidence? I think not. So anyway. The elders went by to tell this family and they said how they had been thinking about missionary work a lot the past 2 weeks. Ah. No way that this isn't inspired. Ah man. Too good. Operation Familie zechmann is now in full effect.
Sister Link
Sister link has one of the hardest lives ever. Probably the worst being her son passed away about a month ago and that being super tough for her. This week we taught her about the plan and temples and eternal families and such and she is now preparing to go through the temple! Ah. Now that is the end goal. She has been a member of this church for a long while and never been inside the temple. When we showed her a picture of the baptismal font inside she just says "I know that. How have I seen that before?" We took it as a sign that her ancestors are wanting her to help make their family eternal. The spirit was moving her to action. So excited for her.
Kilgore Family
We have been doing fhe with this family every single week for the past 6 months with these crazy kiddos. And it has been so cool to see them one by one join in more. Participate. Listen. And now the whole family has been coming to church consistently for the last 2 months. Family home evening works miracles.
FHE works miracles. The David family invited the Weymann family about two years to a family home evening with the missionaries and the rest is history. Between crazy vacations and such there is no way this family would have continued to learn about the church without this family being the link. Totally strengthened my testimony about why it is so important to have members be a part of missionary work. Nelly and I even have a secret handshake. So we have to stay friends now. It's official.
