Freiberg - Week One

My dear loved ones, 

First of all, here is my new address:

Sister Grace Hendricks

Kirche Jesu Christi HLT

Thielestraße 2 

09599 Freiberg

Deutschland

I will start by telling you a little bit about Freiberg. 

We live (temporarily) in the Temple Housing. Our apartment doesn't have anything in it yet, but apparently it is 300 years old and SWEET. Picture a fairytale old German city... that is Freiberg. Except there are no humans in it... Sister Rückauer and I have spent hours finding (yay for starting from ground zero!) and I'm pretty sure there were 5 people on the streets within our first 2 days. None of them were interested. Surprise. We live across the hall from an amazing senior couple - the Hubrichs. They are serving a service mission through the Church's 'Special Projects' mission and they are supervising the construction and documentation of the construction of the Freiberg Temple. They are like our grandparents. Yesterday morning, Elder Hubrich knocked on our door with two smoothies in his hands for our breakfast. They are already very dear friends. The ward has welcomed us with open arms - the excitement of having Sisters in the ward again has our eating appointment calendar filled for the next two transfers. 

BUT later in the week, as we went finding in the park, we found a new investigator! He is a Syrian student at the university and he has so many questions. He is so humble and his questions sound like they are straight out of Preach My Gospel. Zum beispiel... "There are so many books of scripture. How can I know which of them is right and really from God?" Ya gotta be kidding me. We've had two lessons and another one scheduled for this week. 

Adjusting to being here has been hard, but I was comforted re-reading a BYU Devotional given by Bishop Gérald J. Caussée in 2012 where he taught that: "You have control of your own happiness. ... You are the architects of it. Your happiness is not really the result of the circumstances of your life. It is much more the result of your spiritual vision and the principles upon which you base your life. These principles will bring you happiness regardless of the unexpected challenges and surprises you will inevitably face during your journeys here on earth."  

I am happy. I am grateful for the gift of agency, which allows me to decide to be happy. I am grateful to know of my Father in Heaven, who's love and perfect plan for me allows me to have happiness in this life and in the eternities.

Pray that we will find people to teach :)

Liebe Grüße,
Sister Grace Hendricks