Transfer calls are in and my run in Berlin is over. I'm super sad
about it because I want to stay so bad. The gig we've got going here
in Marzahn is such a good one. Elder Nearon and I had such a fun
transfer together and saw a lot of progress in the work.
I feel like so many of the people we teach here are on the verge of being
baptized. Not to mention the area and ward are great and I love the
district. Ahhhh I don't want to go. But the Lord has called me another
way--Lübeck. It's going to be a cold one. But from what I've heard,
it's a wicked pretty port city with a good ward. I'm on a train tomorrow
around noon. Looking forward to updating everyone on that
next week.
It was another solid week in the work of the Lord. We exchanged with
the Frankfurt Oder elders late Monday evening and then back at
district meeting Wednesday morning. I stayed in Marzahn with Elder
Allen. We had a very good lesson with Angelica, the blind lady. We
talked about the importance of being baptized with the priesthood
authority, and that this priesthood authority is on the earth again
today in this church. She asked us if she could be baptized again then
to which we said YES! Man, I wish I had the chance to seen her baptism
in the coming weeks. Elder Allen is doing well and is ready to leave
Frankfurt Oder to be the DL in Lauenburg. We spent some time going
around trying to find a cassette player. Angelica has no computer and
the Book of Mormon on CD doesn't work in her CD player so we brought
it to her on cassette. By the end of the week, she was listening to
the Book of Mormon on cassette.
District meeting of Wednesday was a good time. I gave a lesson on
faith and the Holy Ghost. We discussed different scriptures in the
Book of Mormon where someone exercised great faith and then was
supported in their decision by the Holy Ghost.
exchange. We brought the Spanish sisters along and it was amazing.
This woman is so prepared. She was really led to meet the missionaries
the other day by the Spirit. We got to know her and taught her how to
pray. After following up with her this week, she is now ending her
prayers in the name of Jesus Christ and is already having a more
spiritual experience praying. Blahh I wish I could be here to see her
grow in the gospel. Wednesday night we split up and went with two men from
the ward. Elder Nearon went with one to Angelica and I went to
Sebastian, the man the sisters baptized in July, with the other. We
bore our testimonies on church attendance because that seems to be a
tough area for him. It was a really nice visit though.
We had a Peruvian show up at church yesterday who has been a member
for five years now. He speaks German, Spanish and Portuguese and wants
to start coming back to the church. The Spanish sisters were so
excited to hear that we have another person for them to work with.
This past transfer we have worked with them so much. We are killing it
with the Spanish speakers. Coolest reactivation story--my first Sunday
in Marzahn I was looking through the area book and randomly called
some member who was last visited over a year ago. We met with him that
day and a pair of times between then and this transfer. Since pairing
up with the Spanish sisters, he is totally gung-ho back into church
and even fellowshipped as a joint teach yesterday. He's now great
friends with all the Spanish speakers in Tiergarten and he attend
Spanish institute and family home evening. I know that the prophecy in
Doctrine & Covenants 90:11 is from God and I have seen it work
miracles in this man's life.
Thursday morning I registered in Berlin (not worth it at this point)
and then that afternoon we visited the Serbian family. Of course, we
met new people we had never seen before, one of whom was a stud. He
was raised in Germany and is super interested in the Church. The best part about it
is that he can speak perfect German and Serbian. We tried to take him
and a couple other to Institute that night but it was a total fail.
Downtown was shut down because of John Kerry and the Israeli prime
minister who were visiting. Here's one of my favorite places in Berlin:
We had a good turn out at church yesterday. The father of the Serbian
family came and I think he liked it. There was also a baptism
following the service. Two kids of a member family were finally
baptized after being taught by sisters for the past year or so. I was
asked to bear my testimony in sacrament meeting. I talked about how I
have studied the gospels and the beginning of Acts in my time here in
Marzahn and one of the biggest themes that stuck out to me was the
example of Peter. Christ saw his potential and he can see ours too. By
the same token, we need to see others' potential. It is through Christ
that we reach this potential. I thought that was an interesting
thought. I was able to say goodbye to everyone. Here's the chapel in Marzahn:
I will miss it. I'm about halfway there on packing. Should be done tonight.
Take care this week!
Elder Tanner Germann
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