These last 12 months...

Guten Tag!

Wow! Happy Monday! I hope everyone is doing great. Our week here in Munich was just great! We are continually seeing miracles and are making so many friends. This last week was my 'Year Mark' which was pretty crazy. To celebrate, Sister Packer and I went to the best pizza place in town...American Style...Pizza Hut! haha I never felt so American. With my year-mark coming about, I did think more of this past year. I remember last Halloween saying goodbye to family and friends. I remember putting on the little black name badge for the first time. From that I have a mountain of memories in Graz - the place I learned how to be a missionary. Then to Linz - where I learned how to LOVE the people more than I thought possible. Now in Munich where I am still learning and growing and definitely still loving!! As I think more and more about the past year, I have come to realize really why so much growth and happiness occurs on a mission. It is really quite simple. It is not the nametag, it is not the schedule, but it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are living His Gospel, His way. We have no idea what we are doing, but we have faith, hope, and charity. He takes our efforts and guides us to do good, to become better. As we give our wills to Him, He works a miracle within us. 

So I am now officially one of the "old sisters" as far as mission lingo (been on the mission for a year). I guess with time, comes experience? As I have thought about the expereinces I have had the last 12 months, I have been very humbled and super grateful for the lessons I have learned. One of those lessons is summed up by a quote that I just love... 'From Expereience we learn the need to reach Heavenward for assistance as we make our way along life's pathway." - President Monson. That is exactly what I feel. As I have experienced the last 12 months, I have learned my need and dependence on the Lord. I have learned that from my experience that the Lord has been the source of all and any good, I have simply been a tool in His hands. This concept is best summed up with a child. I just think of a little chilld and how they want to do everythingt themselves...'I wanna do it by myself!" From feeding themselves to getting themselves dressed for the day, children are wanting to do it their way, by themselves. Parents usually allow the child to try and then help them and clean up the mess. It is the same with us. Sometimes we think we can live life and do things our way and in our timing. Heavnely Father usually lets us go ahead and try it, but He is always there to catch us and help us when we fall. 

Little do we know that through more and more expereince, we are always brought back to our Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ. I am grateful for these last 12 months. They have been the best 12 months FOR my life. As I have lived the Gospel of Jesus Christ and relied on Him, He has taught me more than I can explain. I have felt His love more, been more blessed, and seen His Hand more in my life than I thought possible. Does it mean that everyday has been a beautiful-austrian-yodeling-not-a-care-in-the-world-easy-sausage-eating-fairytale? Noooo. It means that I have found peace in the Savior and in His love despite the situation - good or bad. I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who has patience with us. When we think we know what we want. When we want to do it all by ourselves - He is patient. I know that when we rely on Him and try and do His will, that is when true happiness comes. It is because of Him that we find true Joy. It is because of His Gospel that we are blessed.
God lives! He loves us and wants us to be happy! All we have to do is allow His plan to be our plan - then that is when life becomes beautiful, not perfect, but oh so BEAUTFUL!

Ich liebe euch!!! 

Cheers to another 6 months!

XOXOXO
Schwester Jaynes