Re: Stone Fam Reunion/ Jesse's 24th Bd. June 17, 2013

Dear Family,

 

This week has been one full of miracles. Last week I told you a little bit about a women named Carmon Kremir. Well After two great lessons at the Schröders home we were able to set up a baptism date with her on the 7 of July. During us teaching her about the restoration she repeatedly kept saying, ''Why did I not know this earlier in my life''. She would then look at the Schröders and ask them why they had not explained this early er to her. Great example of how it is our jobs as members not only to testify of this gospel through our lives, but as well to open our mouth when the opportunity is there. I am sure the Schröders are happy they are now having these conversations and not in the next life.  When we asked her to be baptised, she just looked at us like. ''Ya duh, have you two not been listening to me the whole time. I wish I would have been able to earlier.'' It was a testimony to me that God prepares people, and when Members and Missionaries work together we see miracles!  Yesterday at church she met the Relief Society president, participated in the classes, and Met the Bishop. She loved being felt extremely welcome and  is excited for her baptism.

 

Also this week we were able to start teaching Anike Phel, she is a 8 year old daughter of the new family in the ward. We had a family home evening with her family a few weeks ago. When we found out she was not baptised we asked if she would like us to help her get ready for baptism. The parents are really making Anike make this decision, we make out all of the appointments with Anike, and then approve the time with her parents. I have never worked with a 9 year old before but it is lots of fun. She will be getting baptised the day after she turns 9 on July 14th. It is so much fun teaching her because we are able to get in and strengthen the family! 

 

Jenny is also doing a lot better. We were able to have a picnic with her and two of her friends in the park where we run every morning. Talking with her I am so thankful for the power, strength and comfort that the Holy Ghost truly gives to all those who are worthy to receive him. Life is hard, Jenny said it perfectly when she said. ''Why would I make it harder by walking away from the gospel which gives me the strength to keep going.'' I am so proud of her and the progress she is making.

 

I am doing well. Super excited to be here and excited to be coming home in a just a few short weeks and seeing all of your pretty faces AROOOO! The time has flown by, but I still have plenty left so I will not end this with on a sad note. Rather this morning as I was studying my scriptures I was reading in 2 Nephi 5:31-32 where it reads (changed just a little bit)

 

Wherefore, I, (insert name), to be obedient to the commandments of the Lord, went and did...And I did that which is pleasing unto God. 

 

This idea that Nephi had of not only going and doing, but with the intent of doing that which he did in a way that pleased God made him into the man that he was. As I read this scripture this morning I asked myself the question; ''I go and do, but do I do what I do with the purpose of pleasing God, to fulfill his purpose. Or do I do it to check it off a list, gain glory in the eyes of those around me or any other reason?''

 

I have naturally been praying fasting and pondering the path I am to take when coming home. I have received a few answers but the revelation I gained today made it clear that I am not only to move forward with that which the Lord wants but in the way He wants, with the purpose to fulfill His will. I know that as anyone seeks to understand the path the Lord has put them on, and walk down it with the desire to fulfill his purpose they will one day be able to look back and realize the why of what He asked.

 

I hope you all have a wonderful day and a great time with the Stone family this week. Take a few pictures and send them to me bitte :)

 

Love you lots,

 

Sister Kimberly Bohne

 

p.s Last week I shared the story of the three construction worker. I hope that you thought about it through out the week and looked for the higher purpose of the mundane things in life.

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Dear Family,

 

It sounds like all is going well for you. It is crazy that David is headed out on a mission. It does not seem like he is old enough, but I guess I would not consider myself old enough and I am almost done with mine. ;)
Praying over a rat two weeks I really did feel like you mom. Jenny did not want to leave her apartment in case it died. I told her the story of me taking Roadrash to school. She just loved it.

I am in the process if trying to figure out what I want to do after the mission. It is something that President Kosak has asked me to do, and something I feel is good council. Everyone has fear about coming home from their mission. Missionaries have busy, purpose filled lives here in the field. It makes since that I need to have a plan for when I get home so I don't just back into my old, not so productive life. Have you had a chance and looking into the schooling at all. I have been looking into some different Recreation Therapy jobs, and have started the application process. I am focusing mainly on Anasazi right now. The training starts on September 13. 10days after I get home. I know it does not give me a lot of time in SLC but I am not sure if I am going to be able to do something like this every again in life. It for sure is not the most family friendly job if that is the direction life takes.  But I only want to work there till January so that I can get back to school.

 

As for my life here in Germany. Transfers were this week and Sister Kriser and I are staying together as STL's here in Marzahn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I am so excited to continue learning and growing as a companionship. We are seeing so many miracles (all be written in my Journal mom) and I did not want it to end.

 

This week Jenny was confirmed! It was so great. She has been going through some health problems lately. After her confirmation she looked more at peace. It was a testimony to me that the Holy Ghost truly does offer strength and comfort.

One of our new investigators this week is a lady names Fr Karmen Kremir. She is a friend of the Schröders our ward mission leader. We have been working on getting a joint teach with her the last 7 weeks. Yesterday we were finally able to meet. It was such a great lesson! We taught the plan of Salvation and were able to have Brother and Sister Schroder give their testimonies on baptism. We have a return appointment this Friday,

once again at Schröders. When members and missionaries work together we see miracles

 

So something that I have been learning lately is that every minute of our life is a treasure. As I think about what I am doing here and what you are right now back at home. It makes me think of a story.

 

The story of the three construction worker.

Three men are transporting stones. As a passer talks to them he asks the first construction worker; "What are you doing?" "I carry stones!", growls he and doesn't look at him. "What do you do?", the wanderer asks the second worker. Sighing, he answers, "I have to earn money for the food of my family!" Finally the third worker is asked, "And what are you doing here?" He looks up to the asker, then to the building and says quietly, "I am working to build a hospital!"

It does not really matter what we do as long as we know why we are doing it. This week don't just go through your day, find a higher purpose and let me know how it changes your week. When making a decision know why you want to do it and the vision you will fulfil by going through with it.

This is something that I have been really trying to do lately. Developing a vision, creating a plan, and diligently following through. I am not the best at it yet, but hopefully I am getting better. I know as I have been attempting to develop a vision of what I want it is easier to do all the MUST to get there.

 

I hope you are all having a wonderful week! I miss you all and can not wait to see you.

 

-Sister Kimberly Bohne.

 

 
 

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Life is great in Germany

Hello Family and Friends, 

 

So first the story of Jenny,  

 

Baptism of Jenny Herlitz
We first met Jenny when she walked into the Marzahn ward building one Sunday for sacrament. Her mother had been baptised a little more then a year ago and from that time on Jenny had been interested in the Church. She had met with a few missionaries as they were teaching her mother but had not yet decided to meet by herself. It just so happened to be that this Sunday was Ward Conference. The Stake President had come to talk about missionary work. He told a story about when he was on a mission he felt spiritually prompted to invite a man who was attending a Baptismal service to be baptised later that night after a few hours of meeting with the missionaries. The man accepted and later that evening entered the waters of baptism. Well being missionaries we know we were not at a baptismal service but we thought that ward conference could be a good substitute. Right after the closing prayer we walked over to Jenny. With no knowledge of her past history we followed what could have been a spiritual impression and and gave her the same offer the Stake President had done on his mission. To every ones surprise (besides ours;)  she accepted the invitation to baptism. Bishop Bredlow came up and Jenny then tried for the next 30 minutes to get the approval to be baptised. Stating that she felt that she was ready. In accordance with the wishes of the Bishop the baptism was pushed back for a few weeks so that she could first get to know the ward. The next 5 weeks Jenny spent in the Scriptures, at every church activity, and many nights of sharing her testimony with friends and us, the missionaries blessed to be able to grow beside her. Yesterday the 2nd of June 2013 Jenny Herlitz entered the waters of baptism after waiting for over month from the day that she decided she wanted to follow the example of Jesus Christ.   

 

On a more funny note; I continue to have experiences I never thought I would here in Germany, some of which are pretty funny.  One was saying a prayer over the phone with one of our investigators (in German) for her pet rat which was old and about to die. I made me think of Radish. It was a big deal to her, so we did it, and I didn't know all the words for a prayer about a rat dying, but it worked out, and she felt a lot better!  Another funny experience this week sitting in a cemetery and having lunch (we were waiting for our investigator and decided to have lunch their). we had brought a salad and some bread with cheese and meat. We realized we didn't have any forks and just kinda looked at each other.  Ha my comp thought we'd just use our fingers, but me being  real hippy sometimes was like "no we can use chop-sticks." of course we didn't have any on us, Sorry mom I left them back home on my desk. So I decided to show my little daughter a thing or two about living in the backwoods. I went and found some little sticks which we brushed off and used as chop sticks!  It worked really well to the surprise of my comp. I don't think she will ever worry about not having a fork again :) 

 

Also Sister Kriser and I are always trying to figure out what we can cut out to open up more time for us to have to teach lessons and do missionary work. We were talking about having late lunches and cutting out dinner breaks, but then we looked at our schedule and realized we only had one dinner break scheduled in because the rest of the evenings we are eating as we go, or at ward activities or investigators or member homes. We both sat for a minute trying to figure out what else we could do to open up more time and then I said "huh.. I guess we could cut out breathing :)"  ha we both laughed, because we really are going all the time, but we never seem to be able to fit everything in.  I love it, and we had a good laugh about that :)

So this week was great!  We taught some great lessons, and on Sunday our investigator Jenny was baptised along with a young girl that the other sisters have been teaching!  Jenny was so ready and excited for baptism, and it was a wonderful baptism.  She is an only child, never knew her dad, and has a pretty bad relationship with her mom.  Her mom said she would come to the baptism, but wasn't there when it started.. Jenny was pretty sad about that.  As we started singing the opening song Jenny's mom walked in.  I had a perfect view of the whole thing and it was wonderful!  She walked right up to the front, sat down by Jenny, and then Jenny turned with a look of surprise on her face, and then they both just hugged each other while Jenny Cried..  I couldn't stop smiling and tearing up myself.  I know this doesn't change everything for their relationship, but it was a good start, and made Jenny so happy.  The spirit was strong through the baptism, and overall it was just awesome!  We have really seen Jenny come a long way.  It is amazing what bringing Christ into your life will do to a person.  Jenny prays and reads her scriptures every day, and has just grown so much in the last couple of months.  Christ can and will change anyone who comes to Him and wants to be changed.  We become new, and so much better then we could be alone.  There is a quote/poem my comp loves and it goes. "A Cathedral without windows, a face without eyes, a field without flowers, an alphabet without vowels, a continent without rivers, a night without stars, and a sky without a sun--- these would not be so sad as a soul without Christ.                                                       -James L. Gordon
 
How true.  We will never come close to our full potential without Christ.  So this week lets do all we can to build our relationship with Him.  Without him, we really are nothing.  There is nothing more important that we could give our time and energy too.  I love you all, and hope it is a great week! 

 

-Sister Kimberly Bohne with help from my amazing comp Sister Kriser (Sometimes it is easier to take what your comp all ready wrote :)

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Baptism of Jenny Herlitz

Baptism of Jenny Herlitz

We first met Jenny when she walked into the Marzahn ward building one Sunday for sacrament. Her mother had been baptised a little more then a year ago and from that time on Jenny had been interested in the Church. She had met with a few missionaries as they were teaching her mother but had not yet decided to meet by herself. It just so happened to be that this Sunday was Ward Conference. The Stake President, President (__________) had come to talk about missionary work. He told a story about when he was on a mission he felt spiritually prompted to invite a man who was attending a Baptismal service to be baptised later that night after a few hours of meeting with the missionaries. The man accepted and later that evening entered the waters of baptism. Well being missionaries we know we were not at a baptismal service but we thought that ward conference could be a good substitute. Right after the closing prayer we walked over to Jenny. With no knowledge of her past history we followed what could have been a spiritual impression and and gave her the same offer the Stake President had done on his mission. To every ones surprise (besides ours;)  she accepted the invitation to baptism. Bishop Bredlow came up and Jenny then tried for the next 30 minutes to get the approval to be baptised. Stating that she felt that she was ready. In accordance with the wishes of the Bishop the baptism was pushed back for a few weeks so that she could first get to know the ward. The next 5 weeks Jenny spent in the Scriptures, at every church activity, and many nights of sharing her testimony with friends and us, the missionaries blessed to be able to grow beside her. Yesterday the 2nd of June 2013 Jenny Herlitz entered the waters of baptism after waiting for over month from the day that she decided she wanted to follow the example of Jesus Christ.    

 

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Aroo Familie,

Ashley CONGRATS on graduating Seminary, when is your High School graduation?

No I was not able to contact with Anna yet, I am sure it will happen soon.

That is so cool that there are so many good young men leaving for missions from our ward. Those 12 apostles are going to change every mission they are in.

Do you by chance have a picture of Emily's mouth? Also where is she and Ben with Book of Mormon reading?

It sounds like the heavens are at work on the Brown family! They have been on my mind my whole entire mission. It makes me so happy to see they are making progress.

Mom you for sure have it right with missionary work. It is simply our job to invite. We can not create the action in others but we can invite and inspire to act.

I am dong well here in Germany. With the new calling that Sister Kriser and I have it seems like time has just hit hyper speed, it feels unreal that I am now writing again. I feel like I just wrote you yesterday.

This week I had the great opportunity to do splits with Sister Thorton, we were in the MTC together. SHE IS AWESOME! We did a lot of mission review together and set goals for the last few months of the mission (108 days until being home).We had lots of fun!

I was also able to do splits with my granddaughter Sister Knoll. She replaced me in Langenhorn when I moved down here to Berlin in February. She is AWESOME! She is native and a powerhouse of a teacher. We talked A LOT of German and she helped me more with pronunciation while reading out of the book of Mormon. It was cool to be able work with her.

However, no matter how great splits are, coming back home to Marzahn Otto-Nagel 13 with Sister Kriser is the best! It is so much fun working with her. She daily teaches me about endurance, diligence, and fun. Do you know that saying; ''Stop and smell the roses.'' Sister Kriser takes that latterly. Everywhere we go she is stopping on the side of the road and smelling all the flowers that are now blooming. Just the other day as we were doing some door to door around our church we both bent down to smell this beautiful yellow flower. As we continued walking I look over and see this bright yellow spot on the tip of her nose.I started laughing and before I could say anything she just started laughing and pointing at my nose...morel of the story I don't think I am a Brown nosier anymore rather a yellow nosier.

Well I hope all you guys are doing well this week. I will let you know when I get in touch with Anna.

Love you lots.

Sister Kimberly Grace Bohne  

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Pictures 1

 This is Sister Kriser and I teaching a man in the Castel Park just how cool the Book of Mormon is!

 

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Ohla....I mean Morgen

Morgen Familie,

  

First I just saw the pictures that Sister Krisers Mom sent to her from when Mom and Ashely went to meet the Krisers. It looks like you guys had a good time sitting in the parking lot. I am glade that you could meet them. From what Sister Kriser says they are an awesome family. 

 

So time for a super cool story. The hand of the Lord is truly at work here in Berlin. Just this week we have had 5 new people handed to us to teach. One of the girls is Named Jenny. Jenny came to Marzahn yesterday for the first time. Jenny's mom was baptised down in Spandou (south Berlin) a little more then a year ago. Jenny has been going down in the Spandou ward for the last little bit but because of the drive has decided that she needed to come to Marzahn. Yesterday was Ward Conference and the stake president focused a lot on missionary work, and on the importance of finding those in our own circle that are ready to be baptised and then get us ,the missionaries, involved. Right after we said the closing prayer we had a women in the ward give us a name and number of a man that she has been talking to for the last few years. She feels he is now ready to take the lessons! Sitting there it showed me the power that the Local leaders have on missionary work! 

 

After I talked with this women I then went and talked with Jenny. I asked her what she thought about following the example of Jesus Christ and her mother and being baptised. She got super excited, told me that she wanted to be baptised that night and then ran out of the room to call her long time boyfriend to get his permission.Thankfully they are not living together. When she came back in she said that she had a great talk with her boyfriend and he thinks that it is a good idea and was ready to jump in the water. Well I, and all those involved, felt like it would be better for her to wait just a few weeks so that we can go through the lessons with her. Make sure that she truly understands the convents that she is making, As well as organize the service. I felt like I was in South America...people wanting to be baptised....us having to fight them back for just a few weeks....... oh and I then walked outside and it was warm....but then the people on the bus were speaking German. Nope I guess I was not transfered to Panama. :P  

 

God does prepare people who will listen to the message we have, I know that. Yesterday was a testimony builder for me that when the members and missionaries work together miracles will occur! After working so hard last transfer and praying in faith that God would allow us to help teach someone that is ready for baptism, we meet her the LAST day of the transfer. He not only gave us some one, but someone who is already been to church, had many of the lessons, and who we had to litterly talk in to waiting just a little bit till we could organize the baptism. I am excited to see the person God has prepared to also be baptised this upcoming transfer! A mission goal is One baptism per companionship per transfer. I am excited to see the miracles happen.

 

Also Mr. Bohne came to a ward activity we had this last Saturday. Dad I don't think we are related at all. But it was cool he seemed to really enjoy it. Also at our last appointment he brought a friend named Thomas that we are now meeting with.

 

Oh also super cool story. This last week as Sister Kriser and I were waiting for an appointment with Hr. Bohne a man walked up to us. This mans name is David. David was being taught be the missionaries about three years ago and for what ever reason they just stopped coming. He asked us to come and help him learn more about  ''the boy Joseph Smith, the Church that he started, and how he can once again feel good like he use to when he meet with the missionaries''. David also was at the ward activity.

 

Also this week while running in the morning, we took a different path then we have ever taken. We ended up running into this super cool park, and in the middle of the park was....can you guess it...a castle! Only in Europe do you go for a morning run and end up by a castle. I will make sure to take pictures of it and send them next week. Sometimes I forget that most of the streets I walk on are older the country that I was born in....

 

This week was also the first, Sister Traning Learders meeting that I was able to go to. It was awesome sitting among the leaders of the mission and feeling the faith that was in that room. We talked a lot about helping other see success. I don't think I will ever get over how cool it is that the best way to grow personally is to focus outward. Is that not a cool gospel principle; ''To fix yourself, make others your first priority. God will have to step in and help you so that you can continue helping others.''  God will make sure that you have the power and ability to do the callings you have been given, and in so doing you will personally improve. It could be cheating but I love it.

 

I am sending some things in the mail today. DONT OPEN THEM UNTIL MOTHERS DAY.

 

I love you all. Let me know if there is anything that I can do for you.

 

-Sister Kimberly Bohne

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