Insights and Events in the Life of Elder Harps: Woche 17

Ayo! Hallo von Langen!!

Elder Mortensen and I
just before parting

THIS WEEK WAS AWESOME. ALSO A WHOLE LOT WENT DOWN

This is the abbreviated version of my week.

So first off, my trainer, Elder Mortensen, to nobody's surprise, got transferred to Würzburg :(

That was sad to see him go, and a little stressful to take over Langen, but my new companion came down from Essen, and his name is Elder Clarke! He's really cool. He's from Ogden, Utah and we get along really well. He got here on Tuesday, and we have already had a lot of fun, and a few very, VERY stressful "adventures". Mostly involving an only partially sane sweaty old woman in our ward. And an angry Spanish guy. And a few paramedics.

Elder Clark and I
at Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof

Anyhow, Elder Clarke is really cool.

I also had a lady try to Bible bash me into becoming a vegan at a street display in Darmstadt. That was really funny. I was trying really hard not to laugh. Also had a lady who was basically Luna Lovegood flip me off for saying I was from California. Darmstadt is awesome haha

Okay, so Simone.

Basically our entire week was spent with Simone. We have met with him every single day since last Tuesday for over an hour. Sometimes over two. In all seriousness, if we could speak Italian, he could have been baptized last Saturday. I've been learning a bunch of random Italian words as we teach him in hybrid Italian/German (thank you Google translate!). He's progressing unbelievably fast, and really really well. He has now received all of the lessons. In one week. He is super excited for his baptism next Saturday on the 10th of June. He has read through the first two books of Nephi already. He's quit smoking. He's coming to church every week. He's absolutely wonderful. He was really sad to say goodbye to Elder Mortensen. He told us we are his best friends. He's just wonderful. I literally could talk about Simone for so long. He is racing towards his baptism at full speed. God has prepared him so well

Us and Simone

Simone and Us eating at a members house

For this week's thought, I wanted to share a scripture that stood out to me this week. It comes from Alma 48:17

"17 Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men."

Moroni is a stud. He rallies the Nephite people to defend their religion and their freedom. He leads them to victory time and time again. He is inspired of God, and he inspires his men and his people as well. There aren't a whole lot of people of whom it can be said that "the very powers of hell would be shaken forever". There is nobody who can dispute that Moroni was a great man.

But then verse 19 says:

"19 Now behold, Helaman and his brethren were no less serviceable unto the people than was Moroni; for they did preach the word of God, and they did baptize unto repentance all men whosoever would hearken unto their words."

Helaman however, is often overlooked I feel. At the very least nobody would hold him to the same level as Moroni. Helaman was a prophet, but Moroni was a war hero. But the scriptures say that Helaman was "no less serviceable". So long as we are doing the will of God, bringing people to Jesus Christ, we are just as serviceable as any act of heroism. We may not be recognized, but we are all just as serviceable. We too, can shake the powers of hell forever.

This week was awesome. You all are awesome. Thank you for your prayers!! God loves you!

Tschüß!!

Elder Harps