Sharing What Means the World To Me

Guten Tag! Well Guten Abend here in Munich! :) What a crazy, yet good week. Today we had a Thanksgiving Dinner for the missionaries here in Munich with President and Sister Miles, so today is Thanksgiving for me. It was not filled with classic Jaynes' favorites like Shawn's perfectly spiced Turkey, mom's green jello salad, and Britt's latest-recipe-from-the-food-network. It was filled with a room full of missionaries...attempting to cook something that is eatable, laughing a lot, all while wearing lederhosen and dirndls. No ladies and gentlemen, it does not get much better than that since I could not be at home in Provo. How GRATEFUL I am today. Sister Packer and I cooked pumpkin chocolate cookies for the dinner. As we were on our way, I was so hyper and asked this young guy if he had ever tasted a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie on the U-bahn. He laughed. I asked him if he had ever celebrated Thanksgiving. He said no. I responded... what? Aren't you grateful? He responded, There is no Thanksgiving in Germany. He laughed a lot and was not at the moment interested in the church but we had a great conversation and laughed a lot. One day he'll come closer to the Savior. But it was also this experience when I thought, how cool it is that there is a day to be just grateful in America. It was also so apparent to me that we don't necessarily need a holiday to be grateful. Gratitude is more of an attitude than anything. 

As a missionary I have become more and more aware of the goodness of God which I have been blessed with. We met with a young man we met in the bus this last week. We met and talked about an overview of the Gospel and what it meant to us. As I sat there and was describing how I felt about the gospel and what it meant to me, I felt the Spirit so strong. I know he did too. At the end of the appointment, he said that he wasn't ready to change and learn more. WHAT? Sister Packer and I were pretty let down. It was hard for us to see how this young man so easily said no. I could tell that he wanted it, but was scared. I told him that I still wanted to give him a Book of Mormon which he accepted. I know one day he will open it and feel God's love through its pages. 

This experience made me reflect on my own life. Why was I born into a family with the Gospel? Why was I born in 1991 when the Gospel was already restored. Why was I able to have the experiences and to be here in Germany as a missionary? I think we can all ask Why too often. I then had the impression that Why was the wrong question. Now that I realize my situation and goodness...now what? What do I do with my knowledge? What I do with what and where I currently am is of much more importance. I have come to learn that Heavenly Father teaches us the why as we strive to do good with what we have. He does not answer us immediately with the answer, but he teaches us here a little and there a little. Maybe we will never know or understand the why in this life, but one day we will. 

I am so grateful today to be simply here in Germany sharing something that means the world to me. I cannot imagine my life without my faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ, and the ability to talk to our loving, Father in Heaven through prayer. I am eternally grateful for the goodness He has blessed me with. The least I can do is to try and help others remember what means the world to them too. 

Happy, Happy, Happy Thanksgiving! 

Love you all!

XOXOXO

Schwester Jaynes

p.s. cool Thanksgiving quote: "The more you are thankful the more you attract things to be grateful for." (truth)

p.s.s. Thanksgiving Day in dirndls :)