Training Blind (week 42)

This week was probably one of the most humbling weeks of my entire mission...for many reasons.

You could probably say that Greifswald is the complete opposite of Berlin. Just to give you an idea, we have no church building. Church on Sundays is only 2 hours long. And our area consists of two other "cities" about the same size as Greifswald where we have to travel like half a hour by train to get there. It's crazy. This place is puny. I miss Berlin more than I ever thought I would.

In a way this week was more like Thanksgiving than the week before was. Not because we celebrated anything at all, but because I found myself almost NEEDING to be grateful in my circumstance. As if I had nothing more to give than simply my gratitude for the things that I DO have. As we were riding the bikes searching for contacts a few nights ago, I have to admit that I was being a little stick in the mud and complaining to my Father in Heaven for the things that it seemed like He had taken away from me—my favorite area, the ward I grew to love so much, Sister Hashimoto and Sister Miller and Sister Stuart who just went home, my only Christmas in Germany... And I was so overwhelmed because I'm the trainer here yet I don't know this area. I don't know where we are. I don't know where to go finding. On top of it all, we were out in the freezing cold and it was pitch black and we had nowhere to go. To the outward eye looking in, it may have seemed that I had just simply been forgotten.

14 But, behold, Zion hath said: The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me—but he will show that he hath not.

15 For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel.

16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. (1 Nephi 21:14-16)

As the tears were coming out and even freezing on my face, the Lord showed me the things that I DID have.

Although this is my only Christmas in Germany, there'll be more, and I'm sure next Christmas at home will be better.

Although I'm training in a new area and that's scary, we have an extra hour of companionship study, which means one less hour that we have to be outside in the cold. That's more than other missionaries have.

Although I had to leave my favorite area, I had to leave eventually. And I won't be here in Greifswald forever.

Although it's impossibly cold outside, a member last week gave me an extra pair of really warm gloves so that I could survive this week.

Although it may seem that everything was stacked against me, I'm grateful to know that the Lord watches out for me and trusts me in this situation. The church is the same all over the world. It's the same in Berlin, it's the same in Utah, it's the same in a tiny branch on the East Sea near the Polish border. For this knowledge I am grateful. I'm grateful to represent my Savior in this part of His vineyard at this time. I am grateful to do the same thing here as I have always done—preaching His gospel.

I'm especially grateful for your thoughts and words and prayers during this difficult time. I wrote down this week in my journal a list of all of my friends. You were on that list. I'm grateful for you.

In other more lighter news, all of a sudden I've become the oldest missionary in my district. Maybe I should know everything by now but I surely do not, haha.

Until next time,

Sister Seamons

The BEST Christmas market in Germany (supposedly) was found in Spandau.
We spent the day with my favorite Sisters from Lankwitz—Sister Miller and Sister Davis. :)
They were playing my favorite Christmas music and ah it was just heaven, bah. I love Germany.