Re: Gesegnete Weihnachten und ein glückliches neues Jahr! 12-17-12

Hello Family!

 

Wow this week has flown by so fast, it is crazy to think that it is Monday again!

 

First ya we are still trying to set up the skype for Christmas, but we should know for sure by next Monday and I will let you know. Is there a time that would work for you best? Or I guess what I am asking is does any one work on Christmas?

I am going to side with the rest of the Family on the idea of not having Stir Fry for Christmas dinner. A nice Lasagna could work ever now and then but I am not sure of ''Stir Fry'' says Christmas like some good Chicken Cordon Bleu. Mom I think some traditions should just not be messed with, this may be one of them ;)

As for the snow, IT WAS CRAZY last week!!!! It for sure was not normall, but this week has been better, basicly at this point all the snow is melted and we are back to wearing only one coat and not two. 

Every one were are teaching are doing good, this last week it has been hard to keep contact with everyone getting ready for Christmas and all. But despite the drop in contact it still seems that they are doing good. It is truly building my testimony of the power of prayer, because with some of them that is all we are able to do right now. 

Sister Hinkle is doing so good. I have been really blessed having her as a comp. I feel like I got custody of Ashley again. I have the title but lets be honest we all know who has the smarts and the know how ;)  

 

Oh my goodness I have not heard about the Franks!?! Do you have an address for them so I can send them a letter? Tell the Lyons that I will be praying for them!   

 

So one funny storey before I close for this week. This week we light our apartment on Fire..... Yep firemen, police man, LOTS of smoke, the whole 9 yards. My comp and I made some homemade soup, and left our stove on. Some how, we think it may be one the devils little minions, a paper ended up falling on to the stove as we were getting ready to head into Hamburg for exchanges with the other sisters. Long story short nothing happened besides the door getting kicked in and our apartment smelling like a camp fire the next few days. The Lord is really watching out for us!!!

 

I love you all so much!

 

-Sister Kimberly Bohne

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Güte Morgen meine lieber Familie,  

I love hearing that Emily was able to go to the temple for the first time in the Salt Lake Temple. Emily I would love to get a letter telling me how you felt and what it was like. I remember my first time in the Salt Lake Temple, it is SO OLD, but so beautiful! I remember just sitting there imagining all the pioneers carving the wood and painting the pictures, I felt like I had gone back over 100 years in history. 

 

Thanks Dad and Mom I feel so blessed for the support if I decide to extend. I for sure will let you know after Präs. Kosak and I have had more of a chance to talk. It could still go both ways.

 

Regine is doing good, we are currently just working on the basics with her. Reading the scriptures every day, praying, the things that will build her relationship with our father in heaven so that when the time is right we will be able to build on the foundation to the point that she will be able to make the convents that will lead back to Him.  

 

Family Fischer came to church again this week, they are seeming more and more comfortable there as they see the loving reactions of the ward members with their son. Helping this family make progression would be impossible with out this ward, so I am just so thankful that the members here in Langenhorn are really steeping up and embracing this family! Esmeralda is continuing to develop her personal testimony. I have never met someone who has so much childlike faith. She Believes in the power of God, and believes that through the gospel anything is possible. It is humbling to be able to work with her. 

 

Laarni, is also doing good. She came to her first church activity this week, which was a Relief society activity. She loved it! She brought her son Paul and all the women just feel in love at first sight. She was suppose to come to church but it snowed about 2 feet Saturday night so was unable to make it. We will be praying that she can make it next week.

 

We came in contact with a man named Viktor this week who was able to make it to church. Viktor works as in the Emergency Room at a local hospital. He nearly has a photographic memory and is able to quote the bible backwards and forwards. When we gave him the Book of Mormon and explained that through this book that a man can gain a testimony of Joseph Smith the only thing that he said was; '' You will know a man by his works. I will study this book out and compare it to the bible then I will know if this book comes from God. And Then I will know if this Joseph was a prophet.'' Can you say the PERFECT answer. I am just thankful at these times that I can be excited that they are wanting to 'prove' this book because I know it comes from God, and that the story of Joseph Smith really Happened.

 

Everyone else is doing really good. It has started snowing a LOT her in Hamburg, which has been interesting. I am just thankful that Sister Schaerr build this program up with so many people that between those we are teaching, the referrals that we are getting, and the extra study time that we have with Sister Hinkle being new we are not outside a ton for long periods of time. God know that I don't like the snow and has been blessing me!

 

Mom thanks for the package and I will open it right when it comes in. Ya stevia would be great. We have been drinking lots of tea and that always helps. Also thanks for those vitamins we are trying to eat healthy but there is just that little boast that you can only get from those vitamins.

 

I hope everything has been going great back at home. It sounds like everyone is staying busy with your different responsibilities. I love you all so much and can't wait to talk with you guys on Christmas. We will be having another zone conference this week where I am sure we will find out about the rules with talking on Christmas. But as for right now we are planning on Skyping from our church computer. That just means that we are going to have to bring our Eggnog and German deserts to the church as we are talking :)

 

-Sister Kimberly Bohne

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Family and Church!

Hello Family,

 

Wow this week has been so good.

 

First I want to start out with a super cool story from church yesterday.

 

For the last few months we have been teaching this lady named Esmeralda. Esmeralda is from South America, but is married to a German. They have a son together named Florian who is 12. Florian is handicapped, but so sweet. In the last few weeks she has been making some AMAZING progress. Before Sister Schaerr went home we set a baptismal date with her, and from that moment on there has been this focus to all of our lessons. And between all of our appointments she has been reading and praying by herself. 

The first time we meet with Esmeralda and asked her why she would meet with us she explained that she believed in Christ but wanted to know more. She also explained that she felt that be meeting with us it could help her son. She also explained in latter lessons that one of the reasons she would let us in was because, Florian, her son, has a special gift of being able to sense people, weather they are good or bad, and that he felt totally comfortable with us. For her that was a sign that she should listen to us.

So yesterday Esmeralda, her husband and Florian all came to church for the first time!!!! They came a little late, and both Sister Hinkle and I were already sitting by different investigates so we were unable to get up. But it was cool to feel the excitement of the ward when a family of investigates walked in! The Bishop had this huge simile on his face!  During sacrament Florian was being a little louder then Esmeralda thought was appropriate, so about half way through they got up to leave. As I noticed them getting up, I was sitting on the other side of the sacrament hall, and despite getting up as quickly as possible to go and stop them they were already headed out. In the confusion of me trying to get through some people I didn't notice that another member had already gone after them. By the time that I got into the hall There were already two other members talking with them and telling them that Florian was fine, and that they would love if Family Fischer stayed. After less then a minute of talking, led by these members they walked back into sacrament.

At the end of sacrament meeting our Bishop got up and bore his testimony, as he was bearing his testimony Florian stood up and was just looking at him, completely silent. As bishop sat down and we started singing Florian walked up to the front and for over a minute just stared at bishop completely calm. Then walked calmly to Esmeralda and sat down beside her.

As I watched Florian looking at bishop the spirit was SO strong. It was a testimony to me that first the Priesthood power is real, and that this little 12 year old boy, who is unable to speak, can recognize that power that the Bishop holds. Yesterday was also a huge example of how important members are in missionary work. I would have been able to help them back into the chapel. But when a father in the ward steps up and invites them back in it means a lot more. That family would have walked out, and may or may not have even come back, but because the members were accepting and willing to help them stay, willing to get out of their seats I feel like we will see many miracles with this family.

The Fischer family ended up staying for most of church. Florian was taken into primary by one of the primary teachers. By the time they left it was so hard for us to say good bye to this family because all of the members were surrounding them. Needless to say the Fischer family will come back to church!

 

Besides that everything is going good. We are teaching Regine again, and she will be coming with us to a Relief Society activity this week. I just love that lady so much!

 

Laarni will also be coming to the activity this week and hopefully we will be able to get her to church on Sunday. She is growing so much, she has started reading in the Scriptures by herself, and praying. I will give it just a little longer till the desire in her is so strong that we will be unable to keep her away from church!

 

I am doing good. I have been learning so much these last few weeks. There has been this desire growing in me that is difficult to explains. I am changing, and it is good, but it is crazy to realize.

 

So with all the mission age requirements changing there will be a few shorter transfers to get on the same time as the MTC which means that I will be coming back over 3 weeks sooner then I thought, and between going into the MTC 3 weeks late I miss a whole transfer in my mission. So I have been having these feelings that I should extend, which means if I measured it right, when I extend, I will come home beginning of October of 2013. making the total of my mission 18 months and a few days. That means that I have just under 9 months, or in missionary time 6 transfers. This means that I will be able to train to the end of my mission and with all the new sisters coming in President Kosak is in need of some older sisters on the mission. But nothing has been set in stone yet. So we will talk more about it on Christmas.

 

 

-Sister Kimberly Bohne

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Hello Family,

 

I am sorry that these e-mails have been short the last few weeks, but today I will explain a little more of that is going on.

 

First as mom has already seen on the Blog, my new Companions name is Sister Hinkle. She is from the state Indiana, is 23 years old, and is super ready to be on a mission. She took German in high school, and so her German is good for a new missionary. 

 

It has been an interesting last week to say the least. So Tuesday is when I went to drop Sister Schaerr off in Berlin. I know it was going to be hard to say good bye to her after 4 1/2 months 24/7 together, but I did not realize just how much until it was time for her to Go. She has been an amazing example to me, and has helped me learn so many lessons. Under her guidance I have truly become the missionary I desired to be, the missionary God expected me to be. So needless to say it has been an adjustment with out her by my side. But I will forever be grateful for her and everything she has done for me. Mom I know you are really good at ''finding'' people. I think is would be cool if you ''found'' Sister Rebekah Schaerr on facebook. She will be going to BYU in about a month and I have been telling her a lot about La Luna. You may be able to trade a smothered burrito for a lot of stories of the last few months here in Hamburg. :)

 

So after Dropping off Sister Schaerr in Berlin, I was able to go back to Eisenhüttenstadt for the next day and a half. IT WAS SO CRAZY! Last time in I was in EHS my German was horrible and I was unable to understand a lot of the people in there, that is those that did not speak English. But while I was serving there I learned to love them despite the language barrier, and they learned to love the little ''Green Bean''. This week I was able to go back and for the first time have real conversation with the people that really took me under their wings and loved me in the beginning of my mission. It was super COOL!

 

Then on Thursday morning, I traveled by myself from EHS to Berlin, 2 1/2hrs alone! That was a crazy feeling! As I got on and off the different trains, and moved around I remembered how confused I was when I first got to Germany, and how thankful I was that I had an older comp who I could just follow around. I then had a slight panic attack when I realized that I just became that ''older comp.'' But so far everything has been ok, we have yet to get lost.

 

After getting to where I would be picking up Sister Hinkle, we had a training meeting with President Kosak, and then I finally got to meet her. After meeting we jumped back on a train, and spent the rest of the day on trains, heading back up to HAMBURG. Needless to say it was the most....different thanksgiving I have ever experienced. But we will be making a pie today to celebrate! God bless the USA

 

I am doing good. Learning lots about myself, about the gospel, about the love God has for his children, and a lot about being a ''mom''. I am so thankful to be out here right now, and so thankful to know that the Lord is blessing you as I am out here giving my best to serve him. I can't wait to talk to you guys next month for Christmas. I miss you a lot!

 

I hope everything is going well for you, let me know if I can do anything for you.

 

-Sister Kimberly Bohne

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Good Bye Sister Schaerr! Hello New Sister!!!!

Hello Family and Friends,

 

First I am sorry that this is late again and going to be short and a mass e-mail. I promise next week will be a proper e-mail.

 

So tomorrow I will be taking Sister Schaerr to Berlin to end her mission. It has been an amzing 4 1/2 months and I have learned so much! This week we have gone around and been able to meet with a lot of those that we have taught together. It has been wonderful to see just how much these people love Sister Schaerr, and how she has changed their life. I feel so blessed to be able to have served with her for as long as I have.

 

So with Sister Schaerr leaving there has been a spot opened in Langenhore and...I will be training! Yep that is right President Kosak know how sad I was going to be about Sister Schaerr going home so he decided the best way for me to be able to focus was giving me a new missionary that I would have to watch over, and learn from. To be completely honest I feel like I could use a few more transfers under a more experienced sister, but the Lord qualifies who He calls, and I am excited to be qualified ;)

 

So I will be in Berlin most of this week, which I am way excited for. I will be able to take Sister Schaerr all the way to Berlin, and hopefully be able to see some of the members that I worked with in Eisenhüttenstadt!

 

Once again I am sorry this is late, but things will settle down next week, and I will write more about what has been going on with all the people we have been working with. I could have never imagined just how crazy busy missionary life can be, but I am thankful that I can have this chance. I love you all so much! I am sorry I have not be writting super good e-mails how ever I have been trying to keep a good journal so when I get home we will sit down and I will tell you all the stories in person.  

 

Well we have to finish packing, but I will write next week. Thanks for all the updates, the pictures, and the stories! I love you all so much!!!!!

 

-Sister Kimberly Bohne

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Sorry this is late

Gutten Tag,

 

First I am sorry this is late and that I sent it now and not yesterday. I was planning on e-mailing you later in the day but ended up getting super busy and by the end had no time.

So I am feeling much better then I was last week. Still super tired and warn out but not sick, which I am thankful for.

 

Most of last week was spent laying in bed and not doing anything besides eating amazing homemade food that Sister Schaerr made, reading in the Book of Mormon, and listing to my comp tell stories. It is crazy being sick on a mission because half the time you feel guilty for not doing the work and the other half of the time you are sleeping and dreaming about all the things that you need to do WHEN you get better. Needless to say, it feels good to be doing better and being well enough to meet with people again. 

 

So there are not a whole lot of up dates from last week, but Abel will be receiving the Priesthood this upcoming Sunday!!!! It is so cool to see him progressing in the gospel. Every time we talk with him I am so surprised how happy he sounds. He seems to be floating on cloud 9 right now! Before he was baptised he seemed a little unsure because he know how hard it can be to keep the commandments in a world where that is not so popular, however he has told us many times since making the decision to be baptised how much more strength he has, and how he is so happy now.

 

Well, I love you all lots, I am sorry this is short and is just a mass e-mail but I just wanted you to know that all is good.

 

-Sister Kimberly Bohne

November 5, 2012

Gutten Tag,

First I have been super sick these last few days with the flu and still am, so if none of this makes since just understand I am on a tone of drugs and can't think clearly....it is a good thing it is p-day :) But I got an AMAZING blessing on Saturday evening, and that for sure has helped. I will just rest some more today and take it slow the next few days and it should get better. Nothing to worry about.

So yesterday, Sunday,I was feeling super sick when I woke up, but said a little prayer that I could get through church then started getting ready. As we walked into the church it was really cool, because instantly I felt better... I wanted to go to church because Abel was getting the Gift of the Holy Ghost yesterday and I did not want to miss that! It was a great blessing. After the service when we asked able how he felt he said that right after the prayer he got really hot, and asked us if that was the holy ghost...it brought a whole new meaning to ''baptisim by fire''

Also a lady that we talked to on the streets last week and invited to church ended up coming. So I ended up sitting with her, and Sister Schaerr with Abel. The very first man that got up to bear his testimony is one of our high council men, named Br. Roggow. In his testimony he expressed that when people think about us, the Mormons, we should set an example so that they understand that we are good Christin people. As he said the word ''Mormon'' the lady sitting next to me tensed up and then with a shocked face turned to me and said: '' YOU ARE MORMONS!!!.........''(now looking a little confused) ''I thought that the Mormons were a cult?!?!?'' I had to keep myself from laughing because of her reaction. The only thing I could think of to answer her question, was with a question of my own. As I pointed to all the people around us I simply asked ''Do we look like a cult?'' After a moment of observation she leaned comfortable back in her chair and then looked at me and said, ''Nope, just good Christin people''. It was really cool to see the change in this women as her preseptions of the ''Mormons'' as a cult changed to now seeing us as the Church of Jesus Christ, a group of saints doing their best to follow Jesus Christ. It strengthened me testimony of the power of out personal examples.

Well I am going to end with that, because I honestly can't think stright. But I do want you to know that, I,  Sister Bohne have a testimony that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, and that the Chruch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the kingdom of God on the earth right now.

Alle Liebe
-Sister Kimberly Bohne

Gutten Tag meine liebe Familie und Friend(in),
 
Wow it has been a good week.

First Abel was baptised yesterday 28Okt 2012! It was a stellar service. Jenny (The RM sister) gave the talk, and it was exactly what Able needed to hear to calm those pre-baptism jitters. This young man in the ward Denny was able to preform the baptism. Denny is 19 years old and has been going back and forth on his decision to go on a mission. Since we have taking him on some Joint teaches and he had the chance to preform the baptism, his mother told us, as well as one of his close friends, that it is now looking like he will be going on a mission! WAHOOO!!! Baptism and missionary all in one ;)

The article that was written about us came out, it is titled ''Do you believe in God? Sister Kimberly Bohne and Sister Rebekeh Schaerr do, and they are working hard to make Germany Mormons'' I was going to take pictures and send it to you but I decide I will do that over the mail. Hopefully you can get one of the German speakers in the stake to do some translations. Over all it was really positive. My Mission President. Pres. Kosak is just thrilled with the results as well as the public relations office in Frankfurt. The pictures are not the best, but it does look like we had been out and about all day, which we had. There was one part in there that was kind of funny and that was the part that said something like... '' They(Sister Schaerr and I) are so happy all the time that one would think they woke up and split a BIG joint together''. Needless to say the members have not let that part slide. They all love it, anytime that we walk into the church laughing they just quote the article. I guess it is a good thing, if they think that we are that happy all the time. :) :) :)

So they do this thing in Germany called ''The Night of the Lanterns''. This is a night where all the little kids walk around the neighbour hoods carrying lights. It is a Catholic holiday celebrating....honestly I am not sure, maybe night of the dead or something. Either way, Larrni, a women we are teaching, invited us to come with her and her klein sohn Paul. It was so much fun. We walked around the neighbour hood, and then afterwards were able to talk about...guess it...Matthew 5:13-16. It was a blast. I just LOVE teaching family's.

Over all I am doing good. My compie comp is leaving me in 3 weeks to return home after serving a WONDERFUL mission and I will then be required to take over Langenhorn which is always a daunting task. Lots of people, so many streets, all super face paced. and no older senior comp that knows the area. So I am right now trying to take a hold of everything that needs to happen, where everyone lives the whole 9 yards, but it has been fun. Sister Schaerr had been really good at only talking to me in German, and correcting my German when needed so that I am able to communicate better when she is not here. It for sure has improved 10 fold in the last 2 1/2 months.

I hope all is going well back at home. I love you all so much.

-Sister Kimberly G. Bohne

President Monson came to Germany!

Moin, na?!?<-(My favorite north German sentence, This means 'Good morning, how are you doing today. Super short and sounds super ridiculous when you say it ;)

Well This week was great week.
 
President Monson came to Hamburg on Saturday 13th  of October! It was really cool to see the love that he has for the German people. His talk focused on 4 topics. Listening, Learning, Laboring and Loving.

I should have brought my notes so that I could use exact quotes that he said, but I will just try and summarize it.

1-Listening. '' It is the greatest opportunity in this life to be able to help the life of another as we listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost.''

2- Learning. ''It is not enough to just listen to the Holy Ghost guide you, you must also be willing to learn from the things he directs.''

3-Laboring. ''It is great to have dreams, great to have, hopes, great to have ambitions, but unless we do something about it they all avail to nothing. We must ACT''

4-Love: ''As we learn to love as the Savior loved, we will in turn become the type of servant he exsemplified''

He talked also a lot about really deciding what matters to us, and then living it. He admonished many times that we need to stand up and take the name of Chris upon us as we stand as witnesses of him among the many of those who don't know who he is.

Another great announcement, I am not sure if I mentioned this last week, but we had transfer calls on the 6th of October, Sis Schaerr and I are staying together for her last transfer! I don't know if I can express how blessed I feel, to have the chance to learn and grow under her influence and direction as long as I have. She for she is one of the best missionaries I know. Her love for the people, and dedication to the work is inspiring. The Schaerr family has a lot of reasons to be proud of their daughter!

I am doing really well naturally, the Lord really has been watching out for us here in Langenhorn. All those that we are working with are doing well. There are always bumps in the road to conversion, but with proper support from those around them, and a determination to do what the Lord would have them do, even the weakest of us will one day become the person the Lord sees in us.

The weather is getting colder, the nights longer here in Northern Germany, but the excitement of the work often times over rides the negative numbers and precipitation that we learn to deal with.

I am so grateful to be serving a mission, to be able to walk in the footsteps of my Savior as I follow him in doing our father business.

Shöne Grüße,

-Sis Kimberly Bohne

Hello Everyone,

Wow what a pack filled conference weekend!

Can you believe it, sisters can now start going on missions at 19!!!!
I was so excited when I heard that, I think it will do a lot to get
the wonderful young women out here in the field. SISTERS WE NEED YOU!

This week has been really good. It was indeed my 23rd birthday, yep I
am old. My wonderful comp Sister Schaerr and Jenny a sister in the
ward here in Langenhorn, schemed together some how with out me knowing
and made it for sure the BEST Birthday I have ever had in Germany!
First sister Schaerr woke me up with a candle, and some Cd's that I
was looking at the other day at the store..I know something was up
when she asked me to go look for the green and pink poke-a-dot book of
Mormon covers ;). They then reshuffled some appointments and surprised
me by taking me out to lunch to a wonderful all you can eat chines
restaurant with the best sushi in all of Hamburg! IT WAS SO GOOD.
Basically I just have the best comp and ward EVER! The best part that
it is not over. My parents also sent a package that they put together,
that has not yet arrived, but that should be getting here soon! I fell
so loved THANKS EVERYONE!

Something else really cool about this week was that I was able to
finish the Book of Mormon this last week in German. I have been
planing the whole time on finishing the book on October 5th, the day
before conference and my birthday. I woke up randomly on Friday
morning at 2am and was unable to go back to sleep. After some time
laying in bed I decided that if I was up I might as well be productive
so I went in the study room and being to read the last part of the
book of Mormon. As I finished reading the book in those quite morning
hours A peace and assurance filled my soul. I would just like to
testify that I KNOW that the Book of Mormon comes from God. I know
that as we prayerfully and openly study the passages in it we will
receive the words, direction, and counsel, our Father in Heaven has in
store for us. I know that as we live the counsel that we receive we
will be able to become more and more like Christ, growing strong and
stronger in our faith and more committed to serve him. I am thankful
to be serving here in the Germany Berlin Mission. That I was able to
even come on a mission. I am grateful for our prophets that have now
made it not even just easier for women to go, but also more practical.

Schöne Gruße von Langenhorn

-Sister Kimberly G. Bohne

Finding Faith in Jesus Christ Fireside and Personally

Wow what a week it has been here in Langenhorn!

So first, the Finding Faith in Fireside went super well. We had a great mix of members, inactive, and investigates who attended. The spirit was really strong, and a lot of the goals we had for the evening were accomplished. Regina found a friend here in the ward, which is what we have really be praying for. Family Bastan-Mahr showed up and had a WONDERFUL time. It was really cool to watch the hand of the Lord guide the program, and bring it all together.

We also helped Jenny, a returned sister missionary, move out of our ward into a neighboring ward this week. It was so unreal to see the life of a returned sister missionary. It made me think a lot about coming home and how crazy that will be...I will be one of those ,,Returned sister missionaries''....... crazy :p

The people we are working with are doing so well. A lot of them are hitting the phase that they are starting to realize that living this gospel is not easy, and that it does take sacrifice and a good amount of self change. However it has been good to see that because we focused so much on the basics with them, and made sure that they understand, during this time of testing and trials that they are going through they have been staying strong. Some of the things that they have said as we have talked about enduring to the end have been: ''Its hard.....but I have just got to make the decision.'' '' Ya, I know that I need to read in the Book of Mormon every day, that is what gives me the strength to follow Jesus.''  Sisters, it's not easy. I have to change a lot, but I know that is what God wants''.

I just feel so blessed to be here, to be able to teach these people something that has made me so happy. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love being able to focus on it every minute of every day in my life right now. It for sure is not an easy thing to follow, but I would not expect something of such worth to come with a cheep price. I am thankful that the Lord has given my the opportunity to learn what I really believe, through it being tested every day. As I first came out on my mission I was able to give the text book answers to questions people would ask, and was able to back up those answers with scriptures. But a change has been happening with in me that is hard to explain. This religion is no longer a list of do's and don't but a set up plan to help me become who I want to become. The scriptures are no longer words written by prophets of old, but a letter to me from my Father, giving me counsel, direction, and comfort. I remember when I was younger feeling like as I prayed I was really talking with someone that loved me...and I lost that for a while. As I lost that feeling, that relationship, in the same moment I started loosing me. I think it has to do with the person I truly am having to rely on the relationship to make decisions. For me that only makes since, I sat at the feet of my Father for MANY years, learning, seeking guidance, feeling that love He has for me, that when I turned my back on that relationship I lost the source that I have been relying on since long before I came to this earth. I have also noticed that as I have taken the time to repair/rebuild that relationship everything else in life seems to be more clear. That does not mean that the things that I have been asked to do become easy, but only that I am able to understand more of why I am doing it, and for me that is importent

I am grateful for your support, for your love, and for everything you have done to help me grow and develop. I hope all is going well back home.

Schöne grüße von Langenhorn!

-Sister Kimberly Bohne

September 24th

Hello Family, friends, and loved ones,

Things in Langenhorn are going great.

We are having a Finding Faith in Jesus Christ Fireside this Friday night here in Geminda Langenhorn which I am so excited for! We have some amazingly talented Elders in our Zone that play the Piano and the Violin. These two elders have put together an arrangement of Children Hymns that will have kind of an EFY up beat sound to it. They will be playing this for us at the Fireside. We also will be showing the movie Finding Faith in Christ. Hearing testimony's from some returned missionaries here in the ward. Sis Schaerr and I will be leading a question and answer session. And it will end with some cool sing-a-long with a member who is amazing at the guitar. Oh and we can't forget the wonderful German desserts prepared for us be the wonderful Relief Society sisters.

Oh I should probably mention that a few weeks ago we were followed around by a reporter and a photographer for a day. They work for the 'Zeit' the biggest newspaper here in Germany. They were wanting to do a story of two Sister Missionaries to publish in there collage magazine. President suggest Sis Schaerr and I. We had to do some cool over the phone training with the Church  public affairs officer for Germany.  That story should be coming out here in the next few weeks. When it come out I will let you know how it went. It was just really cool, to be able to bear testimony, all day through words as well as actions and know that it will be printed and read by thousands of young people in the country I have been called to proclaim the Gospel to. Talk about a great oppurtunity for missionary work!

President Monsen will be coming to Germany in three weeks!!!!!! He is doing a tour and will be stoping here in Hamburg, I am super excited!!!!

Some updates on investigates.

Regine: Doing great! We will be climbing a hill next Monday to start a '40 day fast' from all word of wisdom issues that she has. It will be a rough time for her so she will need a lot of prayers. She was telling us how she wanted to be clean for 40 days before she would be baptised. I am SO proud of her! She is giving it her all, and it diffenity is not easy. I some times just want to take some of the pain that she is feeling a way from her and place it on myself. However it is cool to watch her humble herself and turn to Jesus Christ and to then be lifted up.

Andre: We will be meeting with him tomorrow. He has just finished a big international peace conference that he has been really busy with. But he gave us a call, and we will start the lessons up again! I am excited to watch all of the knowledge he has really turn into a testimony.

Abel: We found him 3 weeks ago and have been meeting him 3-5 times a week since then. He reminds me of Eric Patrice (from Eisenhüttenstadt). He is from the Ivory Coast, which is where he first came in to contact with the church through his mom who was attending for a long time. He is one of those prepared people. We have just set a baptismal date with him in a little bit.

Laarni: Is a referral that we got through a wonderful family here in the ward. We have now been meeting with her for the last two weeks. She has a little boy Paul who is 10months old and SO cute! She is seeming to understand everything so well, and has been asking a lot of really good questions. Questions that make you go back to the apartment and have to study, I LOVE IT.

Khalil: Is doing wonderful. We are now helping him learn German which is always so much fun.

Brother Arno Gansterblum: We have lost contact, but I think it may have been a good thing. I will just teach him and uncle roger together in the next life :P 

Family Bastan-Mehr: Still super busy with school and work. We are praying a lot for them. It is just hard to help someone see the loving nature of our Heavenly Father when through out their whole lives they have seen the name of God be used to create so much contention.

Well I hope all is doing well for you guys back home in the states! Love you lots

-Sister Kimberly G. Bohne

WoW 6 Months

Hello Everyone!

Wow what a crazy last few weeks! Or I guess I could saw a last 6 months... Yep that is right OVER 6 MONTHS! WoW time has flown!

So first, I am doing good. I have an amazing companion, SIs Schaerr, who I get along so well with.<-(I am not sure of that gramme is correct anymore aber na ja)  I am serving in what I have got to say is one of the most supportive, uplifting, ready to do missionary work, wards here in Germany, Ward Langenhorn. The people that I am able to work with are doing GREAT! I heard that Eric Patrice (I was able to teach him in Eisenhüttenstadt) has a beautiful, sweet, super active in the church, girlfriend...that he meet at institute! This I have got to say is a sister missionaries dream come true, I am already seeing the white and the TEMPLE!!!! WOOT WOOT!!!!

But I guess I just wanted to talk this next little bit and write some of the things I have learned the last 6months of my life.

*God Lives. Shortly before coming out on this mission I was at that point that I could say that I believe God lives, but I was unsure of what that meant in my life. Now I am able to testify of it. God lives, and not only does he live He loves us! He lives to help us. WE are His work and His Glory (Moses 1:39). That is difficult to understand. Everything he does is for us. I think that is cool. God, the greatest of all cares so much about me that I, and all of His children, are the reason he gets up in the morning!

*Jesus Christ really does understand everything that we have gone through, everything that we are going through, and everything that we will go through. I think it is interesting that Jesus Christ, who was perfect, able to save himself alone, did what he did to help us. A God went through that so that he could understand what we would go through....This for me brings a whole new meaning to the word sacrifice. A God made a sacrifice to bring himself closer to men, an interesting principle.

*Name Tag: I am learning to be more comfortable being a Representative of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Becoming more comfortable saying what he would say, as well as refraining for saying that which he would not say. That is something that before coming out to Germany I did not feel like I would have a problem with. But a lady in my first area put in perfectly when she said 'Sis Bohne it is always interesting to watch the missionaries that no one thought would be a missionary, trying to become a missionary'.LOL,  to be honest that lady had it right. I could only imagine how funny it would have been to watch the back woods, no structure for the last 3 years, unable to keep a job for over 6 months, life loving, young Sister Bohne, striving to follow all the rules all the time and completely become  what she thought had to be another person to become what she thought was a good missionary. Oh my goodness I can only imagine how funny that was!!!! :) But I am learning that there are 2 names on the badge I wear, however I have also learned that those two names should have 1 meaning. It differently took a little while, and lots of self reflections, and even a few love taps from God, but I am now loving the person Sister Kimberly Bohne is become as I have strived to become one with Christ. As I have strived to not lose my self in a unrealistic mold, but truly find myself in the service of me God. 

*I am learning that it does not matter what I say, the spirit of the Lord is the converter and not me. As long as I am giving my best, and desire to work, the lord will use me, and my weaknesses will never get in the way of the work of the Lord. I just kind of hang on and let him drive. :)

*I have learned EVERYONE has personally quirks, you can either love them for it, or get super annoyed. I have learned that as you accept these quirks, and truly love those you are around, the Lord is able to work miracles.

*I have learned that German Chocolate/breads/Puddings/cakes/ ect. are AMAZING! And that the natural law of eating more calories then you burn will result in weight gain. ;) But I guess I am also learning how important it is to stay in shape, and no not the shape of a circle, so that we are able to better serve the Lord.

*I have learned that it is NEVER easy to do as the spirit asks. To say what the spirit prompts you to say. But as well follow him, sometimes into some crazy doof situations, as long as you just hold on most of the times it is a pretty entertaining ride :)

I hope all is going well back at home, and that every one is doing ok. Thank you all for all the help, the support, at points the love taps, that allowed me to get on this mission. I miss you all!


-Sis Kim Bohne.

Deep trials, develop deep faith.

Wow so this has been one hard, growing week, here in Langenhorn.

This week Sis Schaerr and I walked into a domestic violence situation that was pretty intense. As we got out of there the first thing that we did was call our Mission President to find out what to do. He called someone else, and then afterwards called us back. The advice he was given was to stay out of it, and walk away putting our safety above anything else.....you all know me well enough to know that is not what I would naturally do. As I fought my inner self, and followed the council of my mission president, I felt the Holy Spirit lifting my up, and comforting me That evening as we went back to our apartment I went in to the bathroom (the one place you can be alone in the mission field) and just sat there crying not know what I could do. After about an hour I walked out and went to check on Sis Schaerr. She was in the process of writing in a book of Mormon addressed to this man, with it ending as. 'I know that you are a son of God, and as you read in this Book the power of God will come into your life and you will realize who you are, and have the power to become that person.''  I have been thinking a lot about that since then. We also got the Liahona this week and there was a talk in there titled ''Love your enemys''. I have naturally been praying a lot for the women that we saw, but as I read that talk, I felt like God was telling me  I was also suppose to learn to have love for the husband as well. I did not know where to start, not after seeing what we saw. I started a fast seeking the way that I was going to be able to develop this love, and also the strength to be able to do what I was asked. The next morning I opened my scriptures and I turned to the New Testament, not knowing what to read, but knowing that through my Saviors example I could find the answers I was looking for. I felt prompted to read about the Crucifixion in Luke 23

  34 ¶Then ^asaid Jesus, Father, ^bforgive them; for they know not what ^cthey(JST Luke 23:35 … they do (Meaning the soldiers who crucified him,) …) do. And they parted his ^draiment, and cast lots.

I could imagine Christ laying on the cross, and as he looked up into the eyes of these soldiers and was able to see the hardness and the coldness that had developed, I could only imagine the sadness that he felt. Christ understood who these men where in the pre-earth life, the potently they had, and the life they would have had to live to develop this coldness. You guys I feel like I saw a little bit of that hardness, that coldness, in the eyes of the husband. But unlike Christ I started developing a hatred for this man, at moments so deep that I wish I could have seen him in the same pain that he had caused. I did not feel pity for him, I did not want to help him, I definitely did not feel love or compassion for this man, and the last thing I wanted to do was to pray for him. I wanted to see him in pain, just as much if not more then he had caused. However as I read these verses I felt an overwhelming love come over me that I can't explain for the husband of this women. I love that could only be from our Heavenly Father. Since that time that love has continued, and I don't know how to explain in, but through this I have been learning SO much . #1 It is critical to Follow the council of your priesthood leaders, it will keep you safe, and allow you to learn the lessens we need to. #2-God loves ALL of His children no matter what we do. #3- It is possible to love your enemy's. I am not saying I am any where perfect with this, I have alot more to work ok, but I am learning it is possible.

Basically I have been learning ALOT this week, I have never felt the love of my heavenly father stronger then I have as I have strived to develop that unconditional love for another. I know God lives, I know it. I know that He loves us. He is standing by us through the good, the bad, the ugly. Christ lives, he loves us, he is able to love all of us because through the atonement he at one point was all of us. He was the beat up wife, he was the husband hitting. I love Him SOOO much. I know the atonement is real, and is deeper then any of us can understand!

I challenge you to look at those in your life that may have harmed you with that unconditional love Christ can offer.

I love you all so much! I hope all is going well back in the states. 

  Much Love,

Sis Kimberly Bohne

This week I am just going to post a part of my mission Presidents e-mail:

When Abraham was tested to sacrifice his son, Isaac, it was not to let Jehovah know how he would act or react. Jehovah knows everything in his attitudes of being omniscient and omnipotent. The reason was very personal and very important – also for us today.

Elder Hugh B. Brown once replied to Truman G. Madsen in Jerusalem, "Abraham needed to know something about Abraham."

Abraham learned something about how far would his consecration go, his willingness to do the will of the Father, his submissiveness, even his love to the Lord. As we discussed weeks ago – Joseph Smith, on the way back, after his First vision, replied to his mother, "I have learned for myself…"

We all have to learn for ourselves. We all have to learn something about ourselves. It is not possible to live with "leased or rented oil".

I would like to ask all of us to look in the mirror from time to time and to give report to ourselves where we stand in our testimony and fulfilling of our purpose. Accountability – personalized! Let us learn something about ourselves. Let us be sure that we're going in the right direction.

I hope all of you have a wonderful week! Till next time

-Sis Kim Bohne

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Rose, the unforgotten daughter of God

Hello!!!!

So my mission president sent me a quote this week that reads.

Ultimate hope and daily grumpiness are not reconcilable. It is ungraceful, unjustified, and unbecoming of us as committed Church members to be constantly grumpy or of woeful countenance. Do we have some moments of misery or some down days? Yes! But the promise is that Christ will "lift thee up" (Moro. 9:25.) The disciple can note the depressing signs of the times without being depressed. He can be disappointed in people without being offended at life. Thus it is that ultimate hope, if it does not finally dissolve our daily disappointments, at least puts them in perspective. (Elder Neal A. Maxwell, Local Thanksgiving speech [untitled], November 26, 1980.)

This quote got me thinking about what I am about to write. I am going to be honest I try only to write the uplifting story's, stuff that is either  informative about my life here in Germany or makes you feel good after you read it, this week I am going to try also expanding that in to some of the darker moments in a mission.

It has been an extremely wonderful, miraculous week up here in Longenhorn however there is a certain aspect of the work of pulling men out of the world that you cant escape as a missionary; and that is that of seeing the filthiness and degeneration of the world around us which is over whelming at times.

Last week on the way home from Hamburg we were put in contact with this women called Rose (name changed)  who is 28 years old. It was one of the few times in my mission where I felt the spirit completely take over me and before I realized what was going on I was talking to her. She had abuse scares all over her body, was wearing filthy old cloths, and when you looked into her eyes she looked as if she had died many years ago. As I talked with her, she recounted one of the most gruesome, horrifying, demented life story's I have ever heard. At points I was sick to my stomach because of the experiences she had to live through. I was brought to tears because of the brutality's and the evilness of the people she has had to fight to stay alive. As we continued to talk I asked her if she believed in a God, and for me her response was expected. ''Ya....but he has forgotten about me'' For hake sake she BELIEVES in God! This women who had been living in Hell for the last 28 years believes in God. By her response she also indicated that she believes we can have a personal relation sip with Him. I was speechless, she believes in our Father in heaven... but because of the incredibly unfair, abusive, and at times down right sickening life she has had to endure she no longer believes God her Father loves her. You guys, as I got to act as Gods hands that day, and help her get some food to eat, bought her her first flower, and talked with her about our relationship with God I was humbled. As I was able to explain to her that her ,Daddy, in heaven' loves her so much that he sent us (My Companion and I) to let her know that he had not forgotten her, my testimony of our fathers love was solidified. As I was able to sit with her and comfort her, a love passed through me to her that I can only explain as the pure love of God. I felt like a was a conduit in some way for Heavenly Father to show His love to Rose.

I KNOW that God lives, I know that he knows us individually, and that His love for us is never ending. Meeting Rose had been a hug testimony builder to me that God stands by us and that he never forgets about us. As I said at times it is extremely over whelming to see the crap, and to love those you are serving so much that you seem to take upon yourself some of the pain they are experiencing, but 'The Son of Man hath descended below them all'' ... and I know I am not greater than he.

My challenge this week, is that of opening your eyes to the pain around you, and then helping in whatever way you can.

I am humbled by the out pouring of love and support that I receive every day by all of you back home. I love you all so much and hope you are doing well.

-Sis Kim Bohne

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                     Ok so currently I am in Longenhorn, which is a suburb of Hamburg. Sis Rebecka Schear is my Comp and SHE IS WONDERFUL!  She knows how to work hard, but just as impotently she knows how to play hard. We are having a BLAST together. I don't think I have stopped smiling since we have meet. She has a solid testimony and seems to really understand what it means to be a missionary. She reminds me a LOT of Libby Baum and my sister Wendi .  I am excited to learn from her.

                    The word has OVER 100 people!!!! I feel like I am back in SLC or something. There are  truly individual yet absolutely amazing people. They LOVE feeding us, it is GREAT. We eat all the times with members, and when we are at home I just drink smoothies. It makes shopping and clean up really easy. ;)

                    The people we are teaching here are great, We are teaching this one man names Gunsterblum, he reminds me of Uncle Roger, the old man that lived near us when Jesse and I lived together. He is kinds frayed from all the drugs, but he is still able to understand the messages, and seems to really be wanting to do something else in his life. I am hoping we can help him, in a way I feel like I am helping Roger.

                     We are also Teaching the man named Khelil, he is from Iran and was raised Muslim. He has the coolest story about how he was found, a perfect example of how when members and missionaries work together the work really moves forward. The sisters found him some time ago after asking a member family to pray about a street that they could, as a family, pass out pass-along cards. Well the family ended up putting a card in Khelils mailbox. When the sisters whet back to knock on the doors they meet him on the street. At first he was not interested so the sisters tried to give him a pass-along card, the same one the family had passed out. When he saw the card he recognized it and invited the sisters into his home to learn more. He now has a baptisimal date!

 

                 Well you all I hope everyone has a wonderful 24th of july tomorrow, have a nice cold Coke for me and take a picture :)

 

Till next week,

Sis Kim Bohne

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So I have been transferred to a town called Longenhorn, I will be headed up there tomorrow morning. It is about 30min outside of Hamburg. They speak hochdeutsch, which is the clearest, most refined German, and from what I have been told the the most easy to understand. My new comp is named Sis Schär, she is from Washington DC, and from what everone says one of the best sisters in this mission...needless to say I am excited. I little bit scared, and reserved because I feel like this really is going to be a big turning point in my mission. I feel like my testimony is strong enough at this point, and my understanding of this gospel that the language will be a BIG focus. I will keep you updated!  

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Todays Test are Tomorrows Testimony's

 

,,Today's Test are Tomorrows Testimony's.''

 

Many times while being a missionary and while going through life we do many things in faith that one day we will gain testimony of why we are doing them.  

 

This morning while going shopping I experienced a tender mercy that I believe gives example of the positive changes that we create, that most of the time we don't ever find out about.

 

As me and my Companion were walking down the street, my companion made contact with a man and stared teaching him. I decided to 'split the efforts', and right behind him was this older Lady that I went to talk to. When I first saw her she looked familiar, but I was not sure of where, or when we would have talked to her. As I began to introduce myself, she stopped me and started to thank me profusely for the faith that me and my companion had. She was telling me how she KNEW that it was our faith that healed her husband. That he should of died but because of our faith he now lives. I at first was extremely confused, I was not sure that I was understanding her correctly, and when I knew for sure what she was saying,  I was think that she had me confused with someone else. I then remembered when we had first meet.

 

It was the 2nd week I came to Germany, about 6:40am. My companion and I were being good missionaries and were in the middle of morning exercise, which consisted of running around in a park, contacting anyone we could find and handing them pass along cards.

 

On that morning we had stopped an older women walking her dog. To me she looked upset..however I was in Germany and most people don't look extremely happy so I didn't think much of it at first. As my campion began to talk to her I caught two words, Mann (Husband)  andTot (Dead). I came to the conclusion that either her husband had just recently passed away or was on his death bed, I was not sure which one it was. Either way I had a very strong impression that we needed to say a prayer with this women, thankfully me German speaking companion also had this impression. We asked the women if that would be alright and then began to offer up a prayer. It is hard to explain the feelings I was having during that prayer. I was unable to understand a single word that was being said but through the spirit I know what my companion was saying.

 

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank you for this chance that we have to come together with faith, in pray for our grieving sister. Father we know that you love us, and that you are watching out for us. We know that you hear this prayer that we are offering. We pray that your daughter may feel the love you have for her. We also pray as they children that Thy will be done in this situation. We thank you for your Son Jesus Christ, in whom all pain is swallowed up. Father we love you. And say this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

When I opened my eyes I realized I was not the only one crying, but also my companion and this women. We gave her a hug, and a card with the WWW.LDS.ORG website on it and then parted ways.  Until today never knowing what the outcome of that prayer was.

 

Her husband soon after our prayer recovered, despite what the Doctors had said, and is now back to full health.

 

I KNOW God lives and that He answered our prayer that day. I know that Jesse Christ is the Son of God, My Redeemer, My Savior. I KNOW that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. That the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints is lead and directed by Jesus Christ today.

 

Press forward in faith for ,,Today's Test are Tomorrows Testimony's.''

 

-Sis Kim Bohne

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Hey Everyone,

 

So I just got reprimanded by me wonderful, loving, caring, mother about not keeping up on the posts. So this is me promising that I will do a better job at posting even it is just a little something every week. Thanks mom for the push to keep this blog going.

 

Well where to start. It has been some crazy weeks lately, the work continues to more forward almost at faster pace then we can keep up with. With the weather getting better, more and more people are outside, and we are contacting like crazy. I am continually amazed by the amount of people God prepares to hear this gospel. Just when I feel like the work starts to slow down, God hands us some more of his children to work with.

 

Updates on some of the people I have already mentioned.

Erick: BAPTISED on June 30, 2012

Uwa: Continuing to progress. ( I Love meeting with him, I feel like I am in my element when connecting the gospel to nature)

Max: Moved, but because of location doesn't have missionary's so we have remained in continued contact with him. Still continuing to progress on his own. Well be moving back in two months for School and will continue lessons.

The Young Women: We came into contact with a group of  6 young women, all living by each other. Such strong girls. It's fun to teach them because I feel like I am a beehive teacher...my apologia to all of my beehive teachers :)  

My Comp is still Sis Szvoboda. She is a power house of a missionary! I have been with her now over two months and the only weakness I can find is that sometimes she is just way to nice, but I guess that really is not a weakness. I feel so super blessed to have her as a companion.

I am still in Eisenhüttenstadt and LOVING IT, I am almost convinced that if I  could I would serve here the entire time I would (President this is for you if you are reading this post :)

 

Well I hope all is good back at home. I just wanted to let everyone know that I LOVE THIS CHURCH!!!! 

 

-Sis Bohne

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The work here is going great like always. This last week we set two baptismal dates. One for a man by the name of Uwa and another for a man by the name of Eric.
 
Uwa and I have kindred spirits. He is about 50 years old and was raised behind the Wall in East Germany. He is a Forester which is equivalent to a Park Ranger in the U.S. While growing up he dreamed of travelling the world, and finally got the opportunity once the wall came down. He has travelled all over and has some pretty crazy stories about hitch hiking, living in caves, and many other situations I can imagine myself one day being in ( Mom and all others in my life the worry about my safety, disregard that last part). He was contacted by missionaries about three years ago but soon dropped them. Sis Szvoboda and I saw his name as a former investigator in our Area book. On his paper it said that he had backpacked the world which caugth my attention so we called him up. We made out an appointment. Long story short I have been able to use my backwoods experiences, story's I had while living on the road working for the corps. The experiences I had while living with so many different people in a non-traditional LDS life style, experiences most other missionaries have not gone through, to really get into this mans hart. Through teaching Uwa I am learning that if I trust God, He will use me to teach some of his Children, and connect in a way that few other missionary's can because of my life style these last 4 years. I am slowly learning that there are parts of Kim that I didn't know could be Sis Bohne, but as I follow the spirit God is able to use these parts in some pretty cool ways.
 
Erick is a really intelligent, cool 26 year old man from South Africa. We contacted him through a friend of Max. He is extremely humble and open to following the spirit. We have taught Erick differently then you normally would due to him being a quick learner, and so humble. We have really had to follow the spirit while teaching him,. We have been able to explain the more long term goals of this gospel during our time together. It has been a great experience to really be 'moved upon by the spirit' while teaching. It has also been cool to witness that as someone really catches hold of all this gospel has to offer, Eternal Marriage, Priesthood Blessings, The Holy Ghost, it becomes easy to stay strong when faced with temptation. It seems that those stumbling blacks of life turn into stepping stones as we keep an eternal perspective.

 

I hope all is going well back at home. Until next week.

 

Sis Kim Bohne

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Isn’t it about time :)

This week I just want to talk on an important lesson I have been learning over the last few months. For those of you who know me, you know that I am a very independent person, able and willing to do many things by myself. I would be the first person to say that I have never gotten homesick, never missed those I was not with, not because I don't love them, but because I just did not realize how much people should mean. But lately I have been experiences the wired feeling of being homesick. I have been confused by this feeling, unable to figure out what it is about this time in my life compared to all the other times that I have been gallivanting around that makes me miss those I most care about.  

 I have come to thing that it is because of all the things I wish I could more fully share with my family, with Chris, with my Young Women leaders, My YSA Branch, and all those who have shaped my life in a way that allowed me to come on this mission. I am learning so much and truly for the first time in my life understanding what should be important to me: Family, this Gospel, the Eternal Welfare of souls, everything I have in the past kind of neglected, things right now my whole life seems to be consumed with. Things that those I have really looked up to in life already seemed to understand as being important.

I don't have very much time, but I just wanted to challenge everyone this week, to remember what is important in life, and rearrange your priorities if needed to give time to these things.

I want to bear testimony That God is our living, loving, Heavenly Father. That Jesus is indeed the Christ, He who suffered all things for us. That Through Joseph Smith God restored HIS Church upon the earth today, the same church that I take pleasure in telling people about, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints. I testify that family is important and that they deserve everything that we are able to give. And I do this in the Name of my Savior, Jesus Christ.

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Week 10

If there is a theme to this week it would be "God works in mysteries ways".

This week has been a testing of faith, a walk through the fire for both us the Missionary's and our Investigators. It seems that with so much good work going on the opposite as well has to be true. It truly amazes me how hard the opposing forces are willing to work to make sure that even just one person won't follow our Savior. However I have faith that the good will always win in the end, and that God will give extra strength to those who truly are trying to follow him.  The work is still progressing and the people still drawing closer to Christ. I myself am becoming more and more sanctified each and every day. I feel so blessed to be here and so blessed to have had the trials of this week. In an unexplainable way I feel so much stronger then the week before when everything was going good. My testimony has been strengthened and my trust in the Lord deepened.

The miracle of this week would have to be the conversion that happened in my own heart. A lot of my weaknesses were made stronger this week through the trials. I think for the first time in a long time I can honestly say that I KNOW that when we take that leap of faith the Lord will catch is in one way or another as long as we just hold out faithful. Most the time I am learning it's not how we expect, and definitely not what we want, but in the long run I believe its what we need. I am just grateful that I have two wonderful companions (Jesus Christ and Sis Szvoboda) who have amazing amounts of faith, so that when I am doubting they can pick me up.

Thank you all for the prayers, I know they are helping! Until next week.

 

Much Love,

 

Sis Kimberly Bohne

 

P.S-

So Sis Szvoboda's brothers are missionary companions right now in the Germany Alp's mission, the older brother is training the younger one. This is what they sent home this week. I liked it so much that I changed it a little and decided to add it to the post :)

 

The Branch            : AWESOME!  (Super nice and friendly and open people)
The Area              : AWESOME!  (Nice and flat for the bikes)
The Companion  : AWESOME! (Almost like a sister (it was funnier when her brothers wrote this))
The Bikes             : AWESOME! :)  ((Stealing proof!!)No one wants them:)
The Investigators : AWESOME! (GOLDEN! when they are not canceling appointments)
The Apartment     : AWESOME! (As long as we get up early and keep it clean)
The Food              : AWESOME! (when I don't need to Cook)
The Dishwasher  : AWESOME! (its Sis Szvoboda)
The Scriptures     : AWESOME! (still TRUE)
The weather         : AWESOME! (as long as its not freezing and then hot in the same day)

 

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Week 9

WOW what a week!!!! First is was so good to talk to my family and Chris on mothers day! I get so busy here that I sometimes forget how long it has been since we last saw each other, I guess that is a good thing, however it was AMAZING to get to see you all! It sounds like they are all doing well. I just want to thank everyone who is reading this, I know your prayers are being heard and that the blessings are not only coming to my but also those I care a lot about.

 

The work really is picking up in the area, sometimes I feel like we have so many places to be, so many people to teach, and for me so much German words to learn that there is hardly anytime to sleep or eat! The Lord truly is pouring out His spirit upon this area, as well as blessing Sis Szvoboda and I with the strength to do all that we need to in the day, needless to say going to sleep at the end of the day is not a problem :)

 

So the miracle story for this week, is the story of Max. Max is a young man who loves the Lord with all his heart, and has been looking for the truth for a while now. He comes out of Africa under some pretty strenuous circumstance and is now working here in German. We came in contact with Max a week ago when the train we were planning on taking to Berlin got cancelled. He is a cousin of another one of our investigator. When we meet he preceded to tell us how he had been reading in the Bible for the last little while, going to different churches, praying that God would show him which church to join (does this sound familiar to anyone?!?!). He told us that when his cousin told him about our church he felt that this is the truth that he had been looking for! As you can imagine Sis Szvoboda and I's chins hit the floor!!! We have meet with Max a few times this week and he came to church yesterday, he is in the process of reading the Book of Mormon, and he has set a baptismal date that we are working towards. THE LORD IS GREAT!   

 

The Lords hand is truly in this work! I feel it every time that we talk to people on the streets. Every time I testify that Jesus is the Christ. Every time I see the light in peoples eyes getting brighter and brighter as the draw closer to Him. I feel SO blessed to be here, and to be witnessing the miracles the Lord is preforming here in Germany. I feel humbled by the calling I have been given to teach people the truths of this gospel. The truths that have changed my life, and that continue to improve my life everyday! I know Jesus is the Christ, the Son of our Loving Heavenly Father. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet and that through him God restored His Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints. I testify that you don't need to understand all aspects of the gospel, to understand that God is at the head of this Church. I testify that with the light of faith we can move forward in this gospel even when we can't see more then the next step in front of us. I can promise after awhile of moving forward in faith we will realize that the the questions we once had have been answered, or that the are not such a big deal anymore:"All things will be overcome by the atonement of Christ." 

 

Well once again I hope all is going well at home. Go out and enjoy the nice spring weather for me...oh and take some pictures :)

 

Sincerely,

 

-Sis Kim Bohne

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Week 8

WOW This week has been crazy.  Germany is SOOO amazing, I am loving it! 

 

Eisenhüttenstadt the area that I am serving in is one of the only branches left in the mission. Sis Szvoboda and I feel like LOTS of fasting and praying, Hard work, obedience, study and LOTS of miracles that can change in a matter of three transfers. We are in the process of setting up some pretty big community gatherings to help educate people about our beliefs. One of them being a Christmas in June, Thanks for the idea Nicki. We are in the process of putting together a concert that will also includes a slide show of the life of Christ as part of the Christmas presentation. Also last week, BYU came and did a concert in Eisenhüttenstadt which the Mayor attended. We were able to give the Mayor a copy of the Book of Mormon, and got her contact information. We are now in faith calling the Mayor Queen Lamoni. We also are setting up a 'Mormon Hands' service project with the Mayor in hopes that that will truly show her that we are here to help, and that we really do care about her town. This and so many other miracles have been happening as we have been fasting, and truly following the spirit of the Lord as he leads and guides us in this work. The members here are a BIG support and so full of faith. I often feel like I am back in the early days of the church where every one is a convert and because of that they are SO committed. We brought 7 investigators with us to church yesterday and I was almost brought to tears with how loving and welcoming the members were. The testimony meeting was exactly what any missionary would want when bring people, filled with faith and lots of love. Over all I am humbled be the Lords hand in all this. I feel so blessed to be able to even be apart of the miracles that are happening in this area! I LOVE being a missionary! 
 

My German is coming along just fine, someday better then others, but for sure improving day by day. We have this lady names Ola in the ward (She was the one that I thought was a "Golden" investigator at the train station, but turned out being a member) Ola is from Egypt, has learned English and is completely fluent, and is in the process of getting a Doctorate in German literature, she is fluent in 3 languages, and is in the process of also learning french... basically she is a linguist. We meet about 2-3 times a week and she helps me with my German, she is an answer to prayers! Between my Comp Sis Szvoboda and Ola I will be speaking German like a native. It is really cool, every day I realize that I am understanding more and more conversations. Yesterday I taught the branch President. Pres Highbreader the 1st lesson, he does not understand English and by the end of the lesson and after a promise to come back and go dancing with him after my mission he had agreed to get baptized. Basically the fact that he even understood that I wanted him to get baptized is a big improvement!  :) 

 

I hope all is going well back home. I really wish all of you could come over her and do splits even for just one day so that you could see the hand of the Lord as clearly as I do on a regular basis. He really does love each and everyone of us. He wants us to come back to him, and I am convinced after this last little while he will preform miracles if that is what it takes. 

 

Love you lots, 

  
-Sis Kim Bohne

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Week 7

This week has been a crazy one filled with lots of "golden experiences". (new missionary's are referred to as Golden's). The first night I was in Germany I had the opportunity to go street contacting, IT WAS AWESOME! I was paired up with a Sis. Newkomm who is from the Alps. As we were walking down the street we saw this older man running, I jokingly told Sis Newkomm that I think we should run after him, in my mind thinking how ridicules that would be.Well she thought it was a grand idea, so as he ran by us we just started running with him all while explaining that we are from the Church of Jesus Christ and we are talking to men about God. He went with the idea and while running we started explaining what we believe in. After about 10 minutes of running with this man while giving him the first lesson Sis Newkomm pulls a book of Mormon out of her bag, mind you still while running, and starts to use the pictures in the front to explain what the Book of Mormon is about. Ya it totally was like something out of one of those super cheesy LDS films. To sisters in skirts, with grandma shoes, explaining the book of Mormon through pictures, all while after jumping a man on his walk! However the more we taught about the book of Mormon the slower his peace became until finally he stopped running. As we walked back to this mans apartment complex with him, wrapping up the first lesson, the spirit was SO strong. By the time we reached his apartment, we had him committed to coming to church, reading a chapter in the Book of Mormon, and a time for a return appointment. YEP IT WAS AMAZING!

 

Another golden moment I had was a little less inspiring. The BYU symphony will be in our area this week to put on a concert, and we plan on using the concert to pump up the work in the area so we have been passing out flayers all over the town. As we were standing outside the train station one evening passing out these flayers and contacting this lady looks like she really wanted to talk to us, (That was my first mistake, non members NEVER just want to talk to missionary's) so I walked over to her. In my broken German I explained that we were from the Church of Jesus Chris and that we were talking to people about God. As I was talking my Companion Sis Szvoboda came up next to me. As I finished she whispered in English (the language we use when we don't want people to understand us) that this lady was a GOLDEN...just what a new missionary wants to hear, (2nd mistake NOT listening to the person I was talking to). So I jumped on it and started explaining that we believe that God is our loving Heavenly Father, and that he loves us, the German lines I was practicing that day. Well long story short, this lady's name is Ola...she is the wife of our branch mission leader, and 2nd counsellor in the branch presidency. Yep I felt like a doof! But it ended up working out. As Oly explained here side of the story she told me that she was really needing to feel that God loved her that day, and expressed with tears in her eyes how my crazy little golden mistake was really an answer to prayer....God does work in mysteries ways! Next time I just prayer it won't be so embarrassing!

 

Missionary work is just so much fun, and is exactly what I expected it to be. Lots of long days, sore feet, a companion that you  feel fills in all of your weaknesses and make you stronger, and an incredible amount of the spirit. I am loving being out of the MTC and in the field. The country is SO beautiful, I am in the Town of Frankfurt Oder. The people here are amazingly....German. They are all super blunt, which I love. They will tell you exactly how they feel, which most of the time I can't understand, but I like it anyways. And the food is to die for. The Branch here is so strong and reminds me a lot of the one in Moab. The Branch presidents family is a lot like the Hazellets just a little older, and no Eli. My apartment is super sweet and has a great view of other houses out one side, and a tall row of really green bushes on the other. Over all it has been really cool.

 

I love being here! I really am starting to love the blunt matter of fact way of the German people. I am so thankful for the opportunity I have to be on a mission, there is no other place I would rather be, because I KNOW this is where the lord wants me.

 

Until next week. Sis Kim Bohne

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