28.04.2014

Dear friends,

I absolutely love you! :) Your support and prayers are probably what kept me going this week. I have pretty much recovered from my sickness, much faster than I would have ever anticipated. I don`t even have the time to write back to everyone who sent me good wishes but just please feel universally loved as you read this. :) 

This week was interesting. Actually, no. It involved an exchange, a Presidentially endorsed "day tourist" trip to the mountains and city of Luzern and a trip to the Temple. Lets start with the latter. We are allowed to go to the Temple once a transfer since we`re serving in Switzerland. It`s such a blessing! :) It`s really good to be able to participate in an actual saving ordinance when you`re serving in a place where a decent percentage of good and dedicated Missionaries would never do so otherwise. It has definitely helped me see the eternal purpose of my Mission and my life in general :) It`s so easy to forget.

I also had my first exchange with my District leader, Elder Zepp. We went to his area in Wettingen and did Gemeindesport (playing field hockey with the ward, i.e. their young man, mostly). It was fun! Besides that, not much going on while I was in Wettingen. 

Last to Luzern! I called President Miles about my health condition and he suggested that, if I felt well enough to do it (which I miraculously did by the time it came to it), me and Elder Marshall should take a train down to Luzern and spend the day there as tourists (tourists seems to be all there is in Luzern). There is a beautiful lake and very spectacular mountains, in addition to some wonderful central-Swiss architecture. It`s very recognizable, actually, and I haven`t seen it anywhere else yet. It was a great day and it helped me gain energy again after my sickness, because otherwise all we would have done would have been walking around and somehow try to talk to people...which, I think, is the most exhausting kind of Missionary work there is. President was totally inspired in his instruction, and by no later than Thursday I felt totally normal again.

We also had a less-active lesson yesterday which went quite well. It was the only lesson of this week, but next week we have plans for at least 8. Which would be the most in recent history in Dielsdorf. By far. Prayers and fingers crossed, please! It would be amazing if I actually got to teach here, right where I am. :)

Transfer calls are Saturday. Odds are that I`m staying. 

Random AGSM moment: When in Luzern sitting on a bench, two JWs started talking to us. We were like, "Oh no, not again!", because they are everywhere in our area and they are quite annoying to talk with because they just won`t stop talking. Well, turns out that they had been meeting with the Elders in Luzern a few times and they just came to tell us that we should tell them hi if we saw them :) Crisis avoided. Finally one of them who seems to understand that contention is of the devil...

ANYHOW. I`ve just felt that the same words and scriptures that once inspired young Elder Hinckley could also inspire and encourage me. In Mark 8:35, it reads, "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it." This past week I`ve just come back to realize why I`m a Missionary, and how I should work to become my best self as I serve the Lord. 

Stay strong! Stay faithful! Feed the seed (Alma 32)! :) Much love!!

Elder Friedmann