Week 12 -- I sounded like a 2-year-old

We had a street display in Aachen in the freezing cold rain. But I talked to so many cool people. I actually taught the first lesson to 2 different people and got a return appointment! So I found them 2 investigators. All in broken German. But somehow the spirit filled in the gaps. 

I still talked to people this week that when I tried talking to them in German they both looked at each other and said don't understand you and then they just laughed and walked away hahaha. But I mean it's coming. 

The weather has been cooling down and raining so much. Like one second it's fine then the next it's pouring. 

Sunday was actually a good day. We got some less actives to church and I think it really made the members happy. I had to give a talk and I sounded like a 2-year-old up there. I guess it can only go up. 

And idk church just felt different. Like it felt like people were more happy and wanted to be there. It felt more homey I guess is how you can describe the feeling lol. And also this dude we found in our phones name is C---. We thought he was less active so we invited him to church. Turns out he grew up in this ward his whole life but now moved to a different city lol. So that was awkward but he actually came. He called us Sunday night and he said sisters! The ward actually likes you. I was here in this ward 5 months ago and it was not like this. Like you really are making a difference. I know the people in this ward and actually really like you and respect you. They see the work you are doing and that you are bringing people and they really appreciate it. So that made us so so happy.

 I was praying so hard the night before about Solingen and wanting to change it and hoping that I can help some way before I get transferred in a couple of months. So that really was an answer to my prayers. Also after we got home from the members house we went crazy trying to get appointments for our week so we could have a better week. Let me tell you we saw so many little Miracles. We actually got a lot of appointments for this week. 

We finally got to meet with M-- and S--! They are the ones that sister Linebaugh met in her old area like 2 transfers ago. They talked for like an hour and she gave them a book of Mormon but she couldn't teach them cuz they lived in Solingen. Then she got her transfer call and she came to Solingen! But they have been so busy but finally this week we could meet with them. They are a younger couple probably like 28 and they are so cool. We met with them and they really opened up and said that they are so interested. They said some really cool things.  After our lesson he was like "wow I am just speechless" it was so cool. We prayed so hard for it to go good.  

Also, my German is getting a little better. I can talk to people now without being scared. I still just don't understand tons or know what to say always but like it's not bad. And some people think it's cool I'm learning German and compliment how good I am doing. But like that is just them being nice lol. Everyone thinks our American accents are so funny. 

Also I gave my talk in church and it was so bad. Like I read it all and it's still hard for me to read in German so I sounded like a kindergartner but it's fine. I just prayed it could help one person and this girl named A--, she is a returned missionary in the ward texted us Sunday night and said she really enjoyed my talk and she's been thinking about faith a lot and asked me the references I used. So I mean I guess it was okay. 

We taught some cool people and I think we will have a family at church on Sunday. It's going better though. We can really see the work coming along. 

Also, The grossest thing I had to eat was like this cold rice with gross curry stuff sorta and it had pickled mushrooms from like a can of something and like canned chicken chunks and pineapple and all this weird stuff together.  But Germans literally eat everything off of their plate. So you have to eat every bit of what they put on your plate or it's rude. So there is no getting around eating a little bit of something even if it's gross.

Sorry, I don't have tons of time but we have been seeing so many miracles here in Solingen. So grateful to be a missionary. Thank you for all the prayers!

Sister Clegg 

Week 11 -- I cannot stop eating

We finally got 4 people at church this week. Also this week Satan tried to attack all the missionaries around the world. We were trying to do area book work and all the sudden all our apps on our phones were gone. I don't know how missionaries back in the day got around without phones. We have DB navigator app that tells us how to get places what trains and buses to take and when they come. Without that, we could go nowhere. Luckily they had the problem fixed by the next day. 

So lots of people here in Germany ride bikes. And every bike has a bell on it. When people ring their bell, you have to hurry and get out of their way or they will literally run you over. So me and Sister Linebaugh were street contacting and someone rang their bell. It scared us so bad... I jumped out of the way so fast into sister Linebaugh and hit the Book of Mormon and phone out of her hands. The guy just stared at us as he rode past like we were crazy people. I guess everyone here is used to it by now.

Everyone here thinks that we are Jehovah Witnessess, that is why everyone is probably so rude to us lol. One lady we met said, "Wow you are actually really nice. I feel bad for you because everyone thinks your JW's. That must be so hard."

Anyway, it's been a pretty hard week. But everyday we see little miracles. We were doing go bys and sis. Linebaugh just stopped and said I think we need to door that apartment. The first couple slammed their doors or said no like usual. Then this lady actually talked to us. Her husband passed away pretty recently. Then after talking to us for 5 minutes, she said, "Oh my goodness what is the good energy you two have? Please please come in I want this in my house." It's really cool the power of the Holy Ghost and how people notice it even when they have no idea what it is.

I think I gain a pound everyday. The food here is amazing and I cannot stop eating. 

Thank you for all the prayers. Hope everyone is doing good!

Sister Clegg 

Week 10 -- Contacting on Busses

Sister Frank (MTC COMP) & I saw each other at Zone Conference

Another hard week but it's been so good. Sorry I have literally no time to write. We were at a castle all day so I guess that's better than emailing.

The language is coming everyone. Slowly but it definitely is. The miracle is that I am finally contacting on my own now. Still, have no idea what people are saying though. And the Solingen busses are electric so they are dead silent. Every time you talk the whole bus can hear you and just glares you down. My German is already not good. Then you have 20 people on the bus listening too. Hahaha wow. On missions, you just do the strangest things. I wonder if people know that me and sis Linebaugh are scouting them out and then trying to purposely cross paths with them. Or that we purposely sit by people we want to. Or if our investigators know that their names are on our wall of the apartment. I guess you could say missionaries are stalkers.

So the coolest experience happened at zone conference. Me and sister Linebaugh have been working so so so hard and have seen hardly any success. She even said that this has been the hardest work she's ever done on her whole mission. Like what we are doing is hard. Anyway, when we went to zone conference before we walked in we talked to this guy in the mission presidency I think. He shook our hands and was like oh you are the amazing sisters in Solingen. Then he told us that he knows how hard it is. He told us our job is to just work hard and have the spirit. He knows what we are working with and that it's not going to be easy but he just told us how amazing we were and that the Lord picked us to go there. 

Then in zone conference, he talked to us after the mission president. He was like bearing his testimony and it was literally to us. He called us out during zone conference. He said like the sisters in Solingen. I know you are there for a reason and I know that the members are not super excited about missionaries he talked about how we would maybe not have tons of success. Not because of us or anything we do but because we have been chosen to be tested. To have our faith tested. But Do the work cheerfully because The Lord is so proud of you for serving in Solingen. You will be so blessed for it. And he just talked straight to us in front of the 60 or so missionaries. It was really really awesome. We both almost started crying. He also got super emotional when he was saying it. I am really so so grateful to be here and know I am supposed to be here. I love you guys and miss you guys so much. Praying for you and our family.

Thank you for all the prayers. Hope you all have a good week. Sorry for the short email. So many cool experiences where you learn the Lord knows you.  I love you guys and miss you guys so much. Praying for you.

Sister Clegg

Pictures from the castle we went to:

Week 9 -- So UnChristianlike to be out in the heat, so she won't listen

This week was just another week in Germany. Church was only one hour again because it's too hot ... haha so funny. Even when we were out finding people we would start talking to someone and they would say "sorry it's too warm to be talking to you" and walk away. While dooring we even got told ... not told ... yelled at that because we are out in this heat that is so unchristian like that she wouldn't even listen to what we have to say. Even when we told her it's our choice she continued to say that she knows we are forced and don't have to try and trick her. I guess everyone is extra grumpy because of the heat.

The other night we were in our room and of course, the windows are all open otherwise you would die from a heat stroke in the night or something. Anyway I was just saying my prayers before I went to bed and then all the sudden something flew onto my face I freaked out and we turned on the light and there was literally 22 ladybugs crawling all over our room and on the walls and stuff. At least it was only ladybugs. 

We also had a weird experience. We were just waiting for the bus to come which is the weirdest part of the whole story because we are usually sprinting to catch every bus. But anyway we were just sitting there and this guy with half long black dreads and a half-shaved head jumped off his bike and said he needed to take a break. He said he had been traveling for 2 days. Then he looked at us and said he knew us because he had talked to some elders and that he has the book. We asked him what he believed and he says he believes in vampires. Hahaha. Then right in time, the bus came and we just told him the BOM would change his life. He thanked us for being so nice. Honestly, probably the most success we have had all week.

We are just working hard and slowly bringing the area back and figuring everything out. My German is still the same. I am understanding a little more but still feel like I can't say anything. I hope everyone has a good week. Thank you for all the prayers.

Sister Clegg 

Week 8 -- Too Hot for Church

Quote:  "This is the best cereal in the world legit. Also today we got new money and got so much food lol. We were so excited "

OH MY GOSH. 

The funniest thing happened. We got a call on Friday and since it's been so hot they canceled church and made it 1 hour because it was too hot hahaha. We laughed so hard. Literally, I am so confused because no one has A.C. so it is just going to be as hot at their house as it will be in church. I guess the members don't love Jesus enough here. Like what do they think the people in places like Africa do? Anyway just so funny.

Germany is so hot and literally no a.c. so I'm going crazy. Like you can never cool down. And we ride on busses so much and you walk on and it's smells like BO and everyone is dripping sweat lol. It's quite an experience. You can't sleep bc it's sooo hot. But it's like fun.

The language still doesn't feel like I am making any progress but it's fine. I just feel bad cuz my comp has to like talk to everyone lol. Like I start talking to people and then she has to finish but it's fine. I really like my comp. Her family owns taco amigo in Orem actually. The place with yummy strawberry shakes.

The week has been good. Some days we don't have appointments so we just try to find with little success. We have been trying to call through everyone in the phone and get it all organized and get the area book all organized. It's so much boring work. But my week has been good.

My companion saw this girl and said she felt like we should talk to her. So we walked over and she spoke English. She was probably our age. Her name is J--.   We just bore testimony of the joy the gospel and the book of Mormon has brought in our lives and she got so happy and told us that yesterday she was just thinking she wanted more joy. We also had an English book of Mormon for her because our appointment fell through with someone who wanted an English one. We are meeting with her tomorrow. Her name is J--. 

I love it here in Germany. I hope that everyone has a good week. Thank you for all the prayers.

Sister Clegg.

(Here's a few pictures to enjoy from my first 2 weeks here)