This week was so awesome!!!

Boy oh boy has the time flown by or what?!? This Saturday is already transfer calls!!! It just seems like yesterday that I got here in Dortmund!  I have found to love this place, the people, and my companion and change will be a hard thing to grasp but with the grace and strength of God I know that it will be okay.  I congratulate all those who are enganged and getting married from the branch back home.  Thank you Sister Murray for your letter.  I definitely did a happy dance when I received it :)  This week was so awesome!!! Okay every week is awesome but that is a mission for you!!  Miracles happen every day!!  We were able to spend FHE the Petzold family for a BBQ.  German BBQs are quite different from back in the states.  Well dinner with the Petzold family it is.  She made delicious potato salat and Br. Petzold grilled the meat.  Not just a couple different types of meat but they had 5 different kinds.  Let me repeat, 5!!!  Sister Tuschling and Sister Garlick are still aching from that dinner appointment but man was it good!!!!  We were able to help her clean her house as well, which needed some love definitely and it felt soooo good to help someone when they desperately need it.  I love service because you get to forget about what is going on within you and just work out everything by your actions.  And I have a testimony to those that you serve, are those that you love.  So my advice is to serve the one you love and the love will grow even more.  I promise :)  We were on the train headed back home and our appointment came out to be a little later than we thought so we were already pumpkins by this point.  So we are on the train and I get out my German Dictionary to try and figure out a word our friend used during the appointment and this couple started staring at us.  We were two American girls from the old West speaking German in an American accent on a U-Bahn with the name "Church of Jesus Christ" on our names tags, looking up German words, what is there not to stare at haha  Well anyways we start talking with them and then out of no where two teenage girls sprint from their seat to the seat in front of us to listen to us.  It must have been our accents or something because they were soooo curious of where we were from and what we were doing.  You betcha we gave them passalong cards and they said they'd call :)  I love sticking out like a sore thumb.  But I love it even more because we never have to stick out alone.  The talk from President Monson is constantly on my mind which is called, "Dare to Stand Alone."  Love it!!!  My favorite day this week by far was Friday.  It was our Finding Day.  We fasted Thursday for people to open up their hearts to us and help us recognize those that are ready for the Gospel and my testimony was strengthened.  On Friday we left the apartment with high hopes and goals that seemed high to acheive but we still were stoked to be out on the streets preaching the gospel.  We made a plan to go the University and to just do doors at the dorms.  That was inspired of God.  We ended up being there for only an hour and a half and we had 10 people to go back and teach.  What!?!?   That is unheard of!!!  At the end of the day we went to a cute little pond called the Phönix See where tons of people go and ponder about life.  Perfect place to go talk to people because there is a reason why they were pondering :)  We almost regretted going because it was Friday night, in Germany, and it was getting pretty late but we endured and made a goal of talking to people that were alone on benches.  We then saw an olderly guy sitting on a bench by himself looking off into the See with pondering eyes so yes of course we went up to him.  We told him that we were missionaries for our church and Sister Garlick asked him "Lesen Sie gerne?" Which means, do you read gladly?  And he said yes, I have tons of books and I have no television.  Why do you ask?  Then we explained the Book of Mormon.  He said that after this we was just going home and said that he would read it.  We handed him a card and told him to call us.  We left with smiles on both of our faces until we realized we didn't get his number.  Kicking ourselves we started heading home.  10 minutes later we were still bumbed about not getting his number and as we were about to cross the street, there he was!!!  He came up to us and we started chatting more about the church and about his life.  He just went through  a life and death heart operation and it really opened up his eyes to what his life truly meant and had many questions.  We asked if we could have his number and he gladly gave it to us.  I know that Heavenly Father places us in the exact right place at the right time to find His children that are ready to hear His word.  And I also know that He gives us a second chance at contacting that person when the missionaries forget the most important contact information!!!  I love this work and I cannot wait to start teaching these new faces :)  One new thing that we are doing with a less active is going through the Young Women's program.  She was baptized when she was 19 but then was less active really quickly so never had the chance ever to do it.  At first she was hesitant to do it but then after I suggested doing it with her, her heart opened.  So now I, Sister Tuschling, age 23, one a mission, am starting the Young Women's program to obtain my Young Women's Medallion!!!  I love it!!!  Bis next week!! Tschüss!!