Monday, September 1, 2014

Letter #58 - The memories stay forever

I LOVE MY MISSION! That's the overall feeling I have right now as I write in this sketchy Döner shop. I love it with all my heart. I had some experiences this week I would like to touch on because I don't want to ever forget them, and I want you all to know about them too.

This week we went to the concentration camp in Buchenwald for our p-day, and wow. I cannot explain the things that happened to these people in detail. I'm afraid of not matching the ultimate suffering that they experienced, and what I saw there. I obviously took plenty of pictures. It is something that you have to experience sometime in your life. When you walk on those grounds, you can feel that there is something different here. You walk around and see the places, the confinements that they lived in, and how they were treated. The question that pops into your mind, is how on earth, could a people think that this was okay to do? To look at human beings as not the same, but rather that you yourself are something better. Then because of that, they eliminate almost an entire generation of people. I looked around there, and I could feel the sadness. When we walked into the crematory, you couldn't form words. It was an experience that I will never forget. In one of the museums, there is a little book you can sign your name in and leave a comment. I wrote that, this life isn't the last, and that suffering is only here on Earth. All will be returned a hundred fold after this life.

The other experience happened this Saturday with our investigator Georg. Super great guy. But before that, I went on a exchange with Elder Wright, my Distrikt Leader. Love the guy. We rejoice in being hipsters together, and he wants me to visit him in San Jose, CA when I get back. :) Ha. Our split was epic. It included: helping people move in, figuring out how to use cameras, finding peeps, and getting into relatives cars that drive super fast that scare you but somehow you feel safe (that last line probably brought no one comfort, but it was fun and I am ok :)).

FIRST, meeting with Georg. Super great guy, and a wonderful family. We got to teach him. He had questions that we all were able to answer with scripture. We taught a little bit about family and the Plan of Happiness. The spirit was so STRONG! Georg just wants to follow God, and find the right direction. He reads the Book of Mormon, watches Conference talks, reads Jesus the Christ, and is amazing. In the lesson, the spirit was so strong that you could cut it with a knife, literally. After the lesson, we had a BBQ with his family, and had a great time. Then at the end, we were all just enjoying the moment. I wanted to talk to him about baptism, and we did. He says that he wants to know more about the principles of the Church. So, we are going to talk about the 2nd lesson, and what not, next time. What was really great is that we testified, Elder Shelley and I, that this is the way. We testified of baptism, and then we just let it sit there. It felt like the spirit was on an elevator shooting up to heaven. It just grew and grew, and ahhhh.... We know that one day, he will be baptized. He then came to church. But ah, my heart broke because he said, "See you in 3 weeks!" His work, and caring for his mom, takes him away for the entire week sometimes, and only home on some weekends. It's hard, but it'll happen. :)

For a spiritual thought this week, two things came in my mind. There are two stories I have heard from Sister Holland that I'll share. Her daughter, when she was 7 years old, wrote in her journal about one day: 
"I came home from school after a hard day. I felt like I couldn't do anything. So I went and started playing piano. It sounded so bad. So, I cried even more. Then I went to draw, because I knew I could draw. So, I started drawing and it was even worse than the piano. I couldn't stop crying. My little brother came up to me, and I asked him, 'Is there ANYTHING that I am good at? Can I be anything?' He responded: 'You can be my sister.'"

The other story is an old parable about God and Heavenly Mother making a beautiful tapestry. On this tapestry, is each of us. We are the patchwork, the fabric. Everyone of us has our own square. But for some reason, we see others, and we say: "Wow, that color is beautiful! Oh wow, that fabric is nice. I wish I could have that." And there are others that are saying the same thing about your square too. But, our Father made us the way we should be. We are all our own, individual, beautiful people. God doesn't care where you were. Rather, he cares about where you are now, and with His help, where you are willing to go. :)

I love life, love you all, and I hope all of you have a fantastic week. :)


Elder Mayne


  Well, concentration camps are cool.




 We got ROOTBEER!!

Yeah, I try to draw.

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