The World from Leipzig - Feb 10, 2014

Andrus' are gone, but na ja, but they are at home and that is great!

I did some finding with my violin, and some person, took a picture of me! Uh....what? Now some complete stranger in Germany with a nice camera has a picture of me. Ho hum. Hahaha.

We also have a new investigator who was a contact because a ward member talked to her on the straßenbahn and told her about our baptism. What?! Crazy! That is just hilarious. Members, open your mouths and missionaries see miracles and love you FOREVER. :D

Did some finding in a park...by the zoo...and everyday at 12 they feed the monkies and you can hear them! they are so loud! hahaha. It's so great! Sorry for the terrible English, I am just in a hurry because I love writing emails.

JW's are still crazy. I just have to say, we tried to teach, but they didn't really want to take it. Na ja, free agency and what not. Love it. They gave me tons of their broschures and their book, yeah, me. Love, it, now I will set it on fire and disprove doctrine! not really, I don't have time for that I am teaching other people who want to listen. I taught over 10 lessons this week! 11 to be exact! Yes!! So awesome.

Had a fitness class in which out contact came! and now I am sore! Hahaha. I love it soooo much! It was great, we followed a DVD and I have found that my skills of excercising abs are lacking. Looks like I need to pick up the pace here if I am going to be running races with Aj and Cami! AHHH! And a marathon with Sara. Also, I am gonna need some new feet....yeah...cool.

Sunday was great, they taught one of my favorite lessons. The difference between God the Father and God Jesus Christ (who is also known as Jehovah.) I love this topic because it really helps to define what we believe. That and the Law of Moses. Man, I used to think they were boring but that was because I didn't take the time to understand them. This time, I understand and apply and I LOVE IT!!!! Seriously, if you think something is boring in the scriptures, try studying for understanding and application, and then it rocks your socks!

I LOVE YOU ALL AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!

Love,

Sister Rimmasch

Pictures soon to come because this computer is old!

Berlin - Feb. 3, 2014

Well...I went to Berlin for Zone Conference this week! That was cool, did you know that Family History work in just missionary work for the dead? Yeah, pretty awesome! I also saw Brandenburg gate, Bundestag, and a place where the Berlin wall used to be. Crazy!

As of Sunday, I only have 10 months left. Even more crazy. Just saying.

By the way, it is totally warm this week, up in the 40s!

There was a baptism this last week in our district, I was able to play the piano for the service. So cool. It was a great service, the man was from Rawanda, and he has gone home now, but the church is only 10 minutes from his house there! That is so happy!

The Andrus' leave this week, ho hum. Sad day. But we have some cool party plans for tonight, I can 't tell you now, or you will spill the beans (which by the way is Greek,.. remind me to tell you why later.)

Thanks Uncle Kenny, Cody and family for my packages, I love them! It was great!

This next week is gonna be great, we have some good goals and hopefully, this week, 2 of our awesome investigators will make the decision to be baptized. That would be awesome!

LOVE YOU ALL 

PS

I do appreciate Postcards, letters, and emails.

Love

Sister Rimmasch

Week 3 down! - Jan. 27, 2014

Well...have you ever had cereal that is filled with Nutella? Didn't think so. It is AMAZING!!!!!! Sooooo goood. Anyway, you will have to try some sometime because it is so delicious.

Anyway...just a quick overview of what happened in case you don't want to read everything that I write. I got kissed by some crazy Lebanese man, I got really sore after doing some sport, found a 5 meter long foozball table, JW's are still nuts, I can help people overcome addictions, I translated for someone, heard tons of Portuguese and it is snowing too much.

Okay, first item of business. We were standing at a train stop, when this gnarly looking older man came up to us. He started telling us his life's story (a common thing for me right now) and when we started telling him about the gospel, he grabs us both and hugs us in tight and kisses our faces with his cigarette smelliness. Luckily, it wasn't my lips, although he did try to kiss my comp on the lips but she pushed him off. I think that will be a contact we give to the Elders. Yeah...

We did some sport with the ward...and let me tell you, I may not look too out of shape, but I am. Things that used to be easy are way too hard right now. Someone, make me an exercise program for when I get back.

When we walked through the mall, we found a foozball table...5 meters long! Oh man, that was so cool, I wanted to play it so bad! Foozball is the best!

Taught the JW's again, or more like, they tried to teach us. And then they pulled out some Anti Mormon material on us, wow, people, they didn't even use the quotes in the right context. I mean, you could make me look like a jerk by quoting me out of context so all I have to say is, Get your facts right. Look up the quotes. Read them in context, and make sure the sources are actually trustworthy. Didn't anybody take English class for crying out loud! Okay, done with my rant, sorry.

This week we are helping someone overcome the addiction of smoking. I am really excited to help them, and it is such a great program!! It only take 15 steps every day for 7 days and the smoker is no longer a smoker. Oh man, I am so excited for this person, and they are excited to quit, too.

I helped translate for someone in Church, she is from Angola, and speaks Portuguese. Wow, but I translated into English. And...then we went to FHE, and everyone was speaking Portuguese. It was like a tiny taste of Aj's mission! Cool!

And then it is snowing like nobody's business and I don't really appreciate having to wear so many layers. Blah. I hope to hear from you ALL very soon. That would be nice. Anytime now.

Love you!

Love

Steph

Bashin with the JDubs - Jan. 20, 2014

So...tried an Indian restaurant...called the Indian Palace, it was TOTALLY Indianna Jones and the Temple of Doom status, I felt like I was in Disney Land...OH! Totally going there when I get back. FYI for all those who would like to join me.

So...I have this little plant here, named Geoffrey. He didn't have any roots when I got here...so I decided to take care of him. He now has roots popping out the bottom of his container and a little sprout friend popping up, too! I love my plant because it actually responds to my nurture unlike SOME people. Haha. It is a great analogy though, I just water him and put him under lamp light sometimes, but for the most part, I just let him alone. Just takes faith. Seriously, just 2 weeks ago, he was ready to die. BUT NOW HE'S LIVING!!!

Taught about the Word of Wisdom...one of my favorite subjects, of course. It was fabulous. Also, Happy Birthday, Aj. You old man. 

So in Leipzig, I travel by S-bahn (so trams) and feet. IT IS THE BEST THING EVER. Especially when I have to run for it. Haha. Not really, running for it is just silly, but I love the S bahn. Anywho, I FINALLY got a pair of replacement boots, thank goodness. It  is starting to get cold and foggy here in Leipzig.

So, my bishop here is pretty cool. We ate at his house this week, and I finally figured out what Domino Steinen are. They are delicious candies! YES! WARNING! I may be overweight when I get home. People just feed me, and no matter what there is ALWAYS dessert. ALWAYS:

So...JW's...(Jehovah Witnesses') are SCARY. I mean, ruthless little...anyway. We are teaching some currently, and I have been arming myself with the necessary weapons. Our member joint teach and they kept arguing BUT every time I opened my mouth to speak, they stopped and listened. I hope they will see reason...or more like...just be open to new ideas, otherwise we're gonna have to drop them and run, because I had to end our conversation, it got WAY out of hand, I said oooooooooooh look at the time, we have to go to another appointment, peace out! That was good, it could have been worse.

We had a ward party...I totally danced. Yes, that is allowed...as long as I dance by myself...so I did just that. It's not like you dance Opa Gagnum Style with another person anyway. Ha. It was great. Lots of little kids just dancing away.

Leipzig is great and full of wonder, sorry this email was a little boring...but next week will be better.....probably. Hopefully. Yeah....here's some pictures to make up for it!

Sometimes you go to Leipzig to meet someone you knew in Kiel... Jan. 13, 2014

Well it starts of by missing my train. I missed my connecting train from Hamburg....so...naturally, I found a group of missionaries and jumped on a different train. It was probably more like a blessing than anything else, or I may have been alone with all of my bags! But I got to ride with missionaries from Hamburg to Hannover, and then down to Leipzig! The German country is BEAUTIFUL. Yeah. 3 and 1/2 hours of pure awesome German land. 

I did some family history and I was looking around on mom's side of the family with grandpa...and I think I may have run into an ancestor...Charlemagne?! I am really hoping that was accurate!

Anyway, I LOVE LEIPZIG. It is the city that Bach played in! Speaking of which, I was privelage to go to one of the churches that he loved to perform in for a concert! It was a boys choir and organ, oh man, it was great! Loved it! This is a perfect city for me! Woo!

It is really great to be in a new area and be working just as hard....or HARDER. I mean...more diligently. Yeah, I actually taught 10 lessons this week, and I could totally do more! It was amazing! WOW! This city is showing me what a mission can be. We have some many people that could be baptized soon!

Crazy story, my second day here, I was walking to an appt and this girl stopped me...she recognized me from Kiel! She had visited the ward with her friend and remembered me, and now I am in contact with her! I hope she will get baptized, she is legit!

I have had a great first week, and I love my companion, Sister Lartey! She is super funny and sassy and such a diligent and hard worker! I already feel as if I have known her for a while. Ha. That's always nice.

I am totally teaching some Jehovah Witness' here...I will probably jus wreck them and then they will be baptized. And when I say wreck, I mean convert. And when I say I, I really mean the Holy Ghost. :P

I live in Innenstadt, so central to just about everything except for the church. So like, Bahnhof, the store, the RIZ, the old churches and STRAßENBAHN. I love Straßenbahn. They are the best things ever!!

I love you all! And farewell until next week, I better be getting some letters....sooon....haha.

Transfers Jan. 6, 2014

Well... New Years...people in Germany are crazy. Let's just say, when I woke up at 12 to see the fireworks...it sounded like the Revolutionary War. People are drunk and there is no silence, what so ever. Drunk people even think that it is safe to shoot bottle rockets at each other. Hmm..how pleasant, until someone loses an eye.

I don't really remember what happened this last week...probably too much to write about. Ha. 

ANYWAY, the news that you really want to hear that MOSTLY everyone already knows anyway is that I have been transferred to Leipzig. LEIPZIG. I called it, I will have you all know, that I called it. ANYWHO. Apparently, it is very large and people there talk funny. Yes...my favorite. I will also be serving with the Andrus' so that is really neat! Such a tiny Mormon community when someone gets to serve with their sister-in-law's parents. It is just great, I am excited and sad. And not happy about the 4 different trains I have to take to get there! (it was the cheapest ticket however, oh well, I will get really buff muscles)

But yeah, I have basically had everything packed since Saturday. Church was great, our prayer was answered...one of our investigators came to church...we previously thought that he may of died....so...that is good news. I also had the privilege of hearing a baby blessing in German! That was super cool and stuff. Many of my adorable ward members came up and told me how much they appreciated the work I did, even if most of it was playing the organ. Na ja.

I got to take a lot of pictures with the people I love, so yeah. I am totally coming back to visit. No worries.

Well, as I start this new chapter in my German journey, please be sure to sent encouragement via snail mail. Speaking of which, here is my new address:

Sister Stephanie Rimmasch

Gerber Straße 18

Apartment 916

Leipzig 04105

GERMANY

I love you all and hope you have a great time!

Love your Sister Rimmasch

PS

I made my own scripture bag out of some extra material

and I got a Han Solo card! YEAH

With the ward mission leader, Silvan Timm

The Week of Eating every day... Dec. 30, 2013

Well...Christmas is come and gone and now I must barricade myself in my apartment and face the perils of a German New Years. There may be blood, and I may go down in a blaze of glory, but at least it was awesome.

Christmas Eve was spent at the Timms house. I love it there. So nice and such. They are have a cool fireplace! Loved it there! Later, I had to play every instrument I know how for the Christmas Eve church meeting. Piano, Organ, and Violin. Woo hoo. So awesome. I got a little stressed, but I made it in the end.

Christmas...opened some presents! Thanks to my comps mom, my comp and my family\myself for making Christmas just fabulous! I have never had so much candy in my life. I am not going to eat it all lest I should get super fat and die. Ate dinner at S. Granc and tried duck for the first time in my life. That reminds me, my companion is a Duck Dynasty fan and got a blanket, t shirt and quote book from said tv show.

Christmas day two (because there are three days of Christmas in Germany) was spent in Eckernförde and after that....went to....THE NUTCRACKER!!! YESSSSS....that was after the hilarious incident of another sister splitting her skirt and switching skirts in the Opera House. Quite hilarious to be sure. I was amazing and we had a great time!!

It was super hard to get back into the swing of things, but I realized my mission is awesome. I basically go around visiting people and chilling out with them teaching the gospel. And when we don't have people, we are looking for people that we can visit and teach. Quite funny.

We had a 'Christmas' district meeting...AKA we ate dinner together...AKA we ate Mexican food. hahaha. 

Church was great...I gave a talk...but that was after and Austrian translated it and an American and her linguist husband correcting it. I was not gonna give a talk and sound lame sauce...it went well. Short but well despite that it was super hot...maybe cause I was still wearing my scarf. Haha. We had a 5th Sunday Potluck and it was pretty good. What did we bring you ask? Chopped up granola bars from America. Thank you Quaker Oats. Thank you.

I received a package....of...DOCTOR WHO STICKY NOTES!!! (Thanks Jamie!!) They are just about the best thing ever at this point in time. Wooo!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I will hopefully be sending cards home soon!

LOVE STEPH