Staying in Mainz

guess what... i'm staying in mainz! i was actually not too happy about it to be honest. but i heard a talk on sunday and this woman shared a really cool story... and because it was in english i can repeat it to you. (we were in the american ward)

It went something like this...
Pretend that one of your greatest desires is to go to Italy. You've always wanted to go there and you finally have the chance to go there on vacation. so you buy all these tour guides and maps. you learn a little bit of italian and decide all the places you want to visit and all the things you want to see. you pack your bags and get on the plane. when your plane lands the flight attendant announces that you've arrived in Holland! what?! holland! but you're going to Italy. that's what you've been waiting for your whole life! well now of course you're upset and angry. you planned and prepared to go to Italy but ended up in holland. but you're here and on vacation so you decide to stay. you have to buy new tour guides and learn some words in dutch. after spending some days in holland you notice that holland is very pretty. there are windmills and tulips. holland isn't Italy, but it's beautiful and different. you have different experiences and meet people that you wouldn't have met if you had gone to Italy.

how often in our lives do we plan on going to italy but end up in holland instead? and if we are too caught up in the thought of not being in italy, then we would never find out and enjoy all that holland has to offer. we will miss out on experiences and opportunities that we would have never had. so all in all, when we plan on going to italy and end up in holland, just enjoy the journey and be grateful to be in holland instead of italy.

ok so i put my only little spin on that... mainly because i forgot what the lady really said. but i really enjoyed it and really needed to here it... especially because it was right after transfer calls and i wasn't happy. so i decided to be happy that i'm in mainz and not somewhere else... besides, i have 2 very good reasons to stay in mainz:

Bao Bao: she is my ball of sunshine! she's this little chinese woman that we're teaching. i love her to death! she's been meeting with sisters for like 3 years and things are finally clicking! haha she just graduated from the mainz university and she just got a job in darmstadt. she'll be moving there sometime soon, but sister ranzenberger is getting transferred there so i'm ok with bao bao leaving because i trust ranzenberger! bao bao is going to get baptized. i know it and she knows it. she just needs to have a few more things click and she's good!

Dottie: oh my gosh i love Dottie! i will fall apart and die if she doesn't get baptized!! not just because she's someone we're teaching but because we've become such good friends and i will just lose it if we have to stop meeting with her!!! we just finished teaching her all the lessons. she's struggling to let herself believe everything. we fasted on sunday for her.

i'm not falling apart anymore!!!!! i've been trying to go to bed early when i can. i think that's helped!

thanks for the emails!: Marci, Meg, Aubs, Jameson and Pierre

Pierre: danke für Ihre Email! elder peiper wird versetzt on mittwoch. er geht nach Wupertal (whatever it's up north) so Sie konnen ihm ein Hug gaben. ich habe bemerkt dass ich kein Bild von Ihnen haben. Konnen Sie mir ein Bild emailen bitte? danke! so ich habe versucht auf deutsch zu schriben... Sie konnen lachen veil mein Deutsch so schlimm ist und wenn Sie es nichts verstanden haben... too bad! haha

Aubs: i'm so excited for your package! i can't wait! i'm almost done with your tape i promise! where do i need to send it? hope all is well! love you lots!!!!

Jameson: hey sounds like you're working a ton! but that's good! i haven't gotten your letter yet but it'll probably be in the mail today. but if not no worries i'm not going anywhere! haha have you watched the new brian regan yet????