Dreams Rolling Forward

Heavenly Father loves us so much. He honestly does. I could not have asked for a better end to my mission. I was able to go to the temple and see the Dortmund Ward (where I served for 8 months) and was able to watch people that I help teach enter into the temple and do baptisms for the dead. It truly was a dream come true to see Birgit in the temple, along with Schwester Böning. My first appointments with both of these women I remember very distinctly. They both were not keeping the Word of Wisdom and they both didn't know if they could do it. After patience, hard work, and unlimited faith they were both in white in the temple closer to Heavenly Father. Tears couldn't help but roll down my cheeks as I saw them. My heart was full of gratitude and love I could have died literally and gone to heaven. It was amazing :) We also have been working with a man from Ghana named David Asum and he has so much faith. He has come to church more than 3 times and so we met with him this week. We talked about how we keep the commandments of God so that we are blessed, but he also added and taught us that we do them because it protects us from temptation, sin, and we do it because we love God. I love being taught :) Seeing other people's faith truly builds my own faith. We had the precious opportunity to invite him to be baptized and he gladly agreed :) I love asking people to come closer to Christ. Last night was truly special to me as well. We were able to watch Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration with the Brande's (senior missionary couple) and Alejandra (who was baptized in November) and the spirit was so strong the entire movie. After it ended, Sister Brande bore her testimony of when she found out that Joseph was truly a prophet and the spirit was so strong. And I had the feeling to share my experience when I was in Palmyra, New York before my mission and told that when I found out that Joseph died the day I was confirmed (June 27th) tears again were pouring out and I couldn't help but bear testimony of the gospel. The next thing I knew, all of us were just balling away. It felt really good to bear such testimony and I know that when we do our testimonies become so much stronger. I love my Savior and everything He did for me. I love Heavenly Father and I know without a doubt in my mind that He knows each of us by name and I am so lucky and grateful that I found that out over 3 years ago. I couldn't imagine who I would be without Him, or where I would be. I am forever grateful. Liebe, Sister Tuschling

Happy Mother's Day!

Frohe Mutter's Tag to all of the mom's out there reading this, and everywhere around the world, and also future mothers. Wow was it great to talk to my family. I am so thankful that Heavenly Father has been protecting them and taking care of them as I have been away. I will be forever grateful. This week was an interesting one!! I now know what it is like to be a Zone Leader or Distrikt Leader haha and sort of how a General Authority (okay not really to their level) feels when they have to give speech after speech and talk after talk, and I honestly want to know how they have time to do those things!! In the last week I have assignments given to me and I have had to wake up earlier than the normal 6:30 missionary routine! But one thing that I have learned recently is how important it is to study things out throughout the day involving conversations with people, and also in our own minds. But when all is said and done, to really prepare for something begins on our knees. When we have anything that is causing more stress than normal and you feel like you just can't get your point across, I promise you it begins with a humble action of kneeling and talking to Heavenly Father about it. I have a testimony of it and I found that out as I have been laid with splits to plan, talks to give, and lessons to teach. I can't do it without Heavenly Father and He is always right there to give us the answers. I am so grateful that He does :) Also something miraculous that happened this week was that Justine and David came to church!! As long as I have been here I have only seen one of the people we teach come one at a time, but yesterday they both came!! And our ward was amazing at saying hello and fellowshipping them. I love tender mercies and yesterday had a accumulation of them! I love the people we teach. I love them with my whole heart. It is going to really hard to say goodbye in a month.. I love teaching. I love teaching them. I love seeing them grow in faith and acting in faith. I love the gospel. I love Jesus Christ. And I love my Heavenly Father. I know He loves me, and He knows and loves you too, trust me :) Liebe, Sister Tuschling

Training Take Two!!!

Exciting times!! On Wednesday we had 25 (12 Elders, 13 Sisters) new missionaries come into our mission, and they were welcomed with open arms. Five new areas/cities were opened up to Sisters and many are training. You could really feel the excitement and nervousness in the air when they started announcing companionships. I looked over to poor Sister Miller and her face said it all. "I am ready and willing to do this, but man am I freaking out!" She received a beautiful new companion and they are in Darmstadt ripping it up. And I now have Sister Wrathall, already in love with the work, the people we teach, and the ward. I am so excited for her to have this journey and starting it in such a wonderful place. It is going to be so hard to leave. But!! Sister Wrathall from northern Georgia is 19 and is 5'10" and has RED HAIR!!!! President put the two readheads together!!! He said he knew who should be her companion right when he met Sister Wrathall... Me!! Frankfurt better watch out!! She is one of the new 19 year olds! She turned 19, 19 days after Präsident Monson made the announcement of the age changes. She never went to college so this is her first time living away from home for more than 2 weeks, she has been to Germany before, and took 4 years of German in high school, and is brand new to the mission life, and here she is with me... 5 years older!! But we both are missionaries! And we both love the gospel. And we both are fiery about it :) She will learn and grow more than she will ever even imagine or guess. I am excited for her. When I met her, and she asked me how long I had left, I was honest and told her 6 more weeks and her shoulders just dropped down because you could see the stress of taking over after being in the area for just 6 short weeks, but she will do just fine :) Who the Lord calls, He qualifies! I love when new missionaries come in because they have the excitement and their eyes are opened to new experiences and new miracles. Zum Beispiel! We had about 20 minutes before our appointment began and so we decided to go find a building that we have to go to next week, and after getting lost, and barely finding it, we had to turn around and go back. On our way back, a man walking towards us waved his arms in the air to get our attention and said, "Sisters! Sisters!" and then pointing to himself he said, "Bruder! Bruder!" We looked at each other and thought, this guy has to be a member. And so he was. He spoke very little German and very little English. Man I wish I learned Spanish some point in my life! He was from Venezuela and needed to get to the Consulate and needed our help to find it. It was a sight I am sure to see us on the busy street in Frankfurt using hand and body guestures trying to communicate. Then I had the idea to call Sister Yolanda Kraft who is in our ward, from the Dominican Republic, and native speaker of Spanish. From handed the phone back and forth and Yolanda translating through the phone, we were able to help find the Consulate, and she was able to invite him to church the next day. I love how Heavenly Father loved this man, named Eduardo, so much that He sent us to find a building the same street that Eduardo needed. He would have never found it, and I am grateful how the gospel is the same no matter where you are at in the world. I love it!! Bis nächste Woche, Sister Tuschling

Changes!!!

Changes!! Big changes!! We got a call Friday, not Saturday like normal, saying that I would be training again!!! And that I will be staying in Frankfurt :) I am so excited and happy that I will stay with the people I have grown to love and adore!! There is so much work to be done here! Then Sister Miller got the phone and President Schwartz told her that she will ALSO be training and that she is headed to Darmstadt. That is where Präsident Uchtdorf is from and his family is there. And she is opening up that area as well. That is a lot for a missionary for only being here for 6 short weeks but she will be great. She is qualified. The Lord is definitely sending people out here more prepared and ready to work. Thinking back to my first 6 weeks, I was NOT ready to open and train at the same time. Times are changing!! I am excited for Sister Miller. Now she can really work the way that she believes and she'll be able to learn and grow and she will become a very strong servant of the Lord. I just hope that what I taught her will help her a bit :) Miracle story of the week that I am still amazed at involves our dear 75 year old friend Nita. Nita is from the Philippines and she is the most faithful person I have ever met. She believes in God through and through and prays all day every day to Him and I look up to her so much. The thing with Nita is that she understand everything! She knows that Joseph Smith was really a prophet, that Christ came to the Americas, that the Book of Mormon is true, and that the Priesthood has been restored to the earth. She knows our church is the true church. Is she baptized? No. Will she be baptized? Not any time soon. We have been teaching her and have been wondering on what to do and then Saturday happened :) Sister Miller was inspired to respond to Nita's concern and worry about always being alone. Sister Miller explained that when she was feeling alone at home, she would do indexing or family history work. I have never seen someone become so excited at her age before. Nita opened up and was so touched that we do family history work that she was in tears. She would have came to church the next day if she could have. Family History!! Who knew that that was the key to opening up this dear woman's heart? Way to go Sister Miller :) I love this work and I love seeing people become more like Christ the more we teach them about Him. I love my Savior. I am so appreciative of Him and this work is the Lord's work. He is the head of it and runs it. Have a great week!! Liebe, Sister Tuschling