Well....I have to start off with an embaressing story....all 4 of
us ameircan missionaries where under the impression that Thanksgiving
was Thursday....embaressing. We told all the members and everything. We
go into district meeting on Thursday and so thankful and are talking on
Gratitude, when Elder Patten the DL says..Elders & Sisters, today is
not Thanksgiving! This is what happens when you are away from America
for 8 months and nobody even understands Thanksgiving besides a holiday
americans eat a lot of food. We all got a pretty good laugh this week
on that and made a pact to not tell anyone of our embaressing encounter.
Well Have a good Thanksgiving this week! Sounds like Fun, and please
eat lots of pumpkin pie for me. I did manage to get my hands on one can,
which is pretty much impossible here, but we will have to do it next
week. Its the last week of the month and we are low on MSF (Missionary
money). But This last week was really good! We had a Dinner app every
day this week, we are so spoiled here. The elders dont always have one,
but we (us sisters) have decided we are loved more and are fed every
night! This week I went to the doctor as well and he says everything is
looking good and getting better real quick. He was quite suprised
actually, I wanted to ask him, do you know why im healing so quickly??
Intro in the 1st lesson.... He is sending me for an MRI on my shoulder
just to make sure 100% is fine inside there, but im feeling pretty good
and looking even better:) haha This week was exciting for a Recent
convert we have becuase she got her temple recomend to go the the temple
for baptisms! She had the biggest grin on her face and has never been
happier she says. Bishop came over with us on Thursday for her interview
and she was so excited and couldnt wait for Saturday! Well..long story
short, she ended up not going on satruday :( so sad. But we called and
called and got a call from her ride saying she is still not here where
they were suppose to meet, and so we ran as fast as we could to her
flat. Her windows were open and all the lights were on and food still
out and her purse still on the table with her coat. We were really
worried about her and she still didnt answer her phone. I decided the
best idea was to climb in her window to see if everything was all right!
haha Well she was not in their and finally crawled back out worried. We
said a quick prayer and then headed home puzzled. She calls a couple
hours later explaining the suition, but in the end she wasnt able to
attendd, but she got her recommend and is now excited to do family
history at the centre to get names for her to go again. haha quite the
scare that our RC had just disapered but in the end, all worked out
fine.
We had a DA this week with the little fairs and they made homeade
chips and Burgers. They bring out our huge burgers and on top of each of
ours is a homeade flag of America and Switzerland! haha So cute and the
kids were so proud to give them to us even though the american flag was
backwards, such a fun night there! We also did a lot of Less Acitve
work and even got the YSA to come out with us on splits to go see some
YSA less actives since there are about 100 of them! haha Lots of work to
be done!
So recently the Mission home has sent our area a list of what we
call AUF names: (Address Unknown files) These are names that the church
has record of but think they are the wrong address, so they send the
missionaries out to serach for these lost sheep who are all very less
active for the past 20 plus years! Were bringing in the lost sheep they
call it. Basically we take these names (we got about 16 of them) and go
to this persons house and then knock 20 doors around and work the area
and miracles happen. Missionaries Love AUFs becuase they = miracles and
finding people to teach. Alot of the time the actual AUF wants nothing
to do with us and usually slams the door, but we always find people to
teach around these AUFs. So we have been working these AUFs like crazy
and they are all over our area. Our Area is Huge and some of them take
45 plus minutes on a double decker bus to get out to just one way! We
worked one specific AUF and the person no longer lived ther and we had
about 15 min left before we had to catch a bus to dinner. We knocked and
knocked: dreading each knock becuase it hurts your fingers so bad and
no answer. We decided ok, one more door. we knock and a lady name
Michelle answers. just in the middle of Tea (dinner :) Thats for you
mum: a definition of each word I use) and we tell her about the church
and the Book of Mormon, her eyes were huge and lit up so bright, she
actually let us into her home and told her a bit about the Book of
Mormon and set a return app for the following week. She was so excited
and wants to raise her 3 kids (11, 6, 3) in a strong foundation in Jesus
Christ! We walked away from that home into the cold that night, feeling
pretty warm. That is the best feeling, miracles! We actually just
taught her this morning! she loved it and clung to every word we said!
She agreed to be baptised when she knew it was true and has allrady read
over 12 chapters all by herself! She is 28 and has had some crazy
trials in her life and is so ready for the gospel! She is attending
church this sunday! and we are so excited! Blessings and miracles
everywhere. They never stop! Dad you said a quote in your email about
praying as if it depended on the Lord and then working as if it depended
on you.. I just read that quote in a talk this morning! and wrote it
all down! I love it! Thank you for bringing it back to my mind this
morning!
Also we had Eddie come to Church on Sunday! We have been praying
for this moment forever! He loved it and walked away and saying in his
african accent...sooo beautiful and shaking his head! haha He loved it!
We have some other africans in our ward and one man Lucky Kamba came up
and put his arm around him and hit it off so well. He ended up giving
him a ride home and then staying at his home for a bit to show him his
favourite chapters in the Book of Mormon. We have such a great ward and
we are preparing for the primary nativity presenatation, so its back to
primary for me and its so fun because they all sing songs I have really
never heard before, but sing really old traditional english songs! So
cute and they are so excited to dress up at shepherds and angels! I also
played the piano for sacrament meeting, primary, and a song the Young
Women are singing at Night in excellence on Tuesday! Thank you again
mama! Your lessons you gave me are paying off! I also am playing for a
christmas conference for the entire mission on the 13 of December where
each zone had some missionaries asked to performe a christmas song and
president asked me and some missionaries to get o holy night arranged
and together! It will be so much fun to see everyone (all 260odd
missionairies) I havent seen in forever! Its just around the corner!
So right now we have Eddie on a date for the 21 of Decemeber and he
is solidly progressing towards then and Chris is still working towards
the 14 of Dec. and Now Michelle as well. The Lord is blessing us with
large and small miracles and our area is growing. The members have been
getting much more involved as well, which is what president has wanted
us to focus on as well is getting the ward involved and we got 2
referrals on sunday! Our efforts in the cold and wet rain every day are
paying off and we are truely seeing the fruits of our labours. We also
had an emergencey switch on Sunday. We now have elder Besinger
(english) in Derby instead of Elder Shipp. We now have 3 americans, one
philipino, one from Switzerland, and one from England on our Derby team!
haha Pretty fun!
I also had a first this week! I had a english Kebab this week! so
bad for you, but you have to try it once in your life (YOLO) and the
elders have been coaxing us for weeks to go to a chipy and try one! haha
So we did, not too bad, but Ill still with my rice cakes and peanut
butter still! haha
Teddi- I hope all is going ok with you and you are in my prayers
for sure! I know the Lord is watching over us wengerts especially (we
are a troublesome group arnt we) and know that all will work out. Love
you.
Mum..I promise I will contain my excitement and not open any
presents, my secret sib present should be being sent this week! It might
be better to send packages to the mission home as well from now on, i
dont know how long i will for sure be in derby! Transfers are on the 11
of December! But whatever works out!
That is so funny about Jordy being sung to and ya she is such a
babe, im suprised not everyone wants to take her! Send lots of pictures!
When is it?? I remember that dance, so much work, but so fun and so
worth it! Have you got your dress yet? Basketball tourny soon and Jordan
and Janae both playing! So fun, what postions are you playing??
Derek stay nice and cool....im jealous! Ill send some cool your
way! Dereks biggest problem is marriages while over here its word of
wisdom, I have never seen so many pubs in my life, they line the streets
and Word of wisdom is a hard one to teach here! haha Funny have
different but similar our missions are! I love it! You look great dery!
Dang...Oregon lost to UofA! That is legit, doesnt stetson Baird play for
them? haha Not much talk of college Football over here! haha I havent
seen a proper "football" in ages!
Mom- to answer your questions- jumpers are like a sweatshirt or a
hoddy and boots are like "cleats" haha. I almost forget how to describe
it haha im losing it! But all is well and this week should be great. We
have zone meeting and lots of work to be done! Have a great
Thanksgiving! Send me lots of pictures! and Please eat some pumpkin pie
for me! Love you all and am so thankful to have you in my life!
Cheers
W9 Sister Wengert
I attached a pic of our burgers, but it was so cold and wet that
night, my camera got all misted and had to dry out so it did this to the
picture haha, but its fine now! But just a bit cold for this picture!
Cheerio