I Know That My Redeemer Lives

Hello! I really need to come up with different ways to greet all of you.

First things first: If anyone on the email list no longer wants to get the weekly email, let me know and I'll take you off. I promise I won't be offended!

Next, keep in mind that I can't actually see the comments you post on this, or on the links my mom posts on facebook. Feel free to send me a reply! I'd love to hear your feedback :)

Alright, this week... Well, Monday, I went to this American Themed Restaurant, called "Steak and Ribs" with some people from my ward here. The plates were ridiculously huge, but the serving sizes were actually spot on... Americans eat a lot.

Tuesday and Wednesday were pretty normal. I went up to Tübingen on Thursday to pick up my visa, and I got to spend some time with Sister Baugh and Sister Ahlm again. It was great to see them :)

Friday, I rode up to Munich with the Senior Missionaries, Elder and Sister Lee, and we spent our afternoon going on a walking tour of some historical sites in Munich from the Nazi time period. It was really cool to be able to walk around Munich and have someone tell me what the old buildings actually are.

(Only, Sally doesn't tell US what old building this is.... - Her Mom.)

Now, I'm putting pictures in early, because the rest of the email gets a little serious and I don't want to detract from my message with silly pictures.

That being said, here is a silly picture: 

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We had a mini MTC reunion (missing a few)! Very back (the ones that aren't looking) are (from left to right) Elders Bates, McLean, and Faux. Next row: Elders Neilson, Kilgore, Bowers, and Carter. Front: Sisters Kramer, Abram, and me (duh).

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Continuing...

Friday night, all the missionaries from this mission came to Munich. We all spent the night in a Hostel in preparation for our conference with Elder Bednar (which a few of us have nicknamed the "Bednar Concert") the following morning. And man, was that amazing!!

First off, every time I've heard someone talk about a meeting they had with an apostle, they mentioned this overwhelming presence of the Holy Ghost. They talk of the power they felt and the testimony they gained. This meeting wasn't at all what I was expecting. Yes, the Spirit was there. No, it wasn't this big WHOOSH of overwhelming Godly power filling the chapel. It was very calm, very quiet, but so piercingly true that I don't think I'll look at this gospel the same way after that meeting. I felt as if I was in the presence of an old good friend, someone who loves me more than I can imagine, someone who understands and accepts me, someone I can be open and myself with, someone I can trust, someone I could speak with for hours and hours on end, never tiring of their presence.

Something Elder Bednar likes to do is tell us NOT to write down anything he says, which makes perfect sense. In meetings like these, where the purpose is to learn through the Holy Ghost, we don't want to write down word for word what someone else says. We want to listen for the things that aren't said, feel the things that are not being felt by everyone else, and we want to focus on those, because those things come from the Holy Ghost, and He speaks nothing but truth.

So what did I get out of this meeting, you ask? What did I learn that changed my view on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints? Well, that's a really tough question to answer. So instead of answering, I'm going to ask YOU some questions, and hope that I can relay my feelings and knowledge to you through that.

Why do you think this church has endured so much scrutiny and abuse? And actually, I really want to ask someone who isn't a member that question. Why? There are SO many religions on this earth. I could name off several that have very strange beliefs and practices. So why so much hate on the Mormon Church? I can't tell you how many times I've encountered people who (in essence) say the following: "Oh, I don't care what other people do. If you want to get married to a cat, go for it. If you want to worship popcorn, be my guest. It's not affecting me! But those Mormons!" and then they continue to rip and bash and attack the Mormon Church.

WHY?

This church has been ripped apart and made fun of and attacked than any other church on this earth.

WHY?

I have been discriminated against, laughed at, spat at, yelled at, because of my beliefs, in a world where everyone is so quick to claim that they do not care what other people believe, because it's not affecting them.

WHY?

Because this church IS true, and it IS affecting you, whether you accept it or not.

The plain fact is, the reason this church gets attacked so much is because that is exactly what Satan wants to happen. Think about it: If you're in a battle, you want to take the most powerful, influential person OUT of play. You don't want to have to fight them. If you're playing a sport and there's one person on the other team that keeps them together, you want to take them OUT. If you are a murderer and you want to get away with it, but there is ONE witness against you, you want to take them OUT. Right? Right! These biblical wars between God and Satan don't just magically stay in biblical times.

It makes sense, you guys.

Alright. I don't want to come across as pushy or annoying, so I'll leave the ranting at that. I know this church is true. I know that we have the authority of God and Jesus Christ. I know that Christ lives. The tomb is empty.

God has not died. God has not left us alone without guidance in this world where horror is becoming normal and normalcy is becoming horrific.

There is a lot more I learned from the Bednar Concert. I received a lot of personal revelation, along with a reaffirmed knowledge that this church is true. So go ahead and brush off what I've said. I know I've got a whole lot of people on Facebook (and some even getting this email directly) that aren't members of the church. Think what you will. But know that I know I am in the right church, doing the right things, for the right reasons, and anyone who knows me knows that when I know I'm right, there's no backing down. This gospel is the reason as to why I am what I am. I can walk because of the faith I've had in Christ. I can continue my life with very little, if any guilt because I know how and have used the Atonement for what it has been designed for.

I leave these things with you.

Have a wonderful week :)

Sister Sally Priest

Salasaurous Meets the Kitchen!

Hello everyone!

This week has been fairly uneventful. Sister Smith and I continue to get along, and (as the subject indicates) we had some fun in the kitchen this week. I've been dying to cook more since I've gotten out of the MTC, and we finally had time to really look through our cupboards to see what we could make. The following photos contain our masterpieces:

Okay, this one was actually just me. I remembered seeing the egg thing on Pinterest forever ago and decided to try it. It was super easy and tasted good.

(Please note that I tried to make it a nice photo, but didn't entirely succeed... I've been playing around with camera settings this week in preparation for next P-Days castle hike).

This was the REAL masterpiece. It tasted SO good.

Actually, I take it back. THIS is the TRUE masterpiece. We made ghetto smoothies. We don't have a blender, but we had frozen fruit, yogurt, milk, a bowl, and an electric hand-mixer. I'm humbling myself and sending the most goofy looking photo we've got (we took like, 5) for your entertainment. Enjoy.

So, aside from that, as I was looking through my photos, I found one that reminded me of something I wanted to tell you guys.

Setup: Sister Smith and I were on a train, heading to an appointment. The train stops and a man gets on. We're not sitting in the biggest part of the train-- we're almost in the very front section, which is kind of secluded and lifted higher than the rest. So this guy come up and sits a few rows in front of us on the opposite side. He's wearing jeans, a denim jacket, a black and white striped shirt, and his hair is slicked back. In one hand, he's got a duffel bag with something sticking out of it. In the other, he's got a knife and a cleaning rag.

Pause. Sister Smith and I exchange glances. My mind is going "WHOA this guy looks like a serial killer!" I'm trying not to laugh. Neither of us are really alarmed by the guy.

Continue: The guy puts his duffel bag on the shelf above him and I see that the thing sticking out of it is an AXE. He sits down, wipes his knife off a little, then pits it in his belt. This dude just walked onto a train with an AXE and a KNIFE. At this point, I'm internally cracking up. Externally I'm very calm, just in case this dude IS a serial killer.

The train hasn't left the station yet. There's an announcement saying that there's a mechanical difficulty and we won't be leaving for at least 10 minutes. Axe Man walks out to take a smoke. Sister Smith and I start communicating through glances, small hand signals, and short whispers. We laugh it off and I sneak a photo of the bag:

Hahahahaa, nothing at all happened, Sister Smith and I just laughed about it for the day. I had completely forgotten it had happened until I saw the photo. Looking back, I was probably a little more nervous than I remember, but now it's just really funny.

Ahhh, anyway, moving on to more missionary things:

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I had a neat experience yesterday. Long story short (I'm running out of time (again)), Sister Smith and I went to visit someone, but they weren't home. We ended up talking to another lady instead. As soon as we started talking about how Jesus Christ can help us, she started crying. She was obviously going through something. We offered our comfort, gave her hugs, read some scriptures, gave her our number, told us to call us if she needs anything at all, got her number so that we can call and check up on her, and left her with a Book of Mormon. It was so touching. We reassured her that God knows and loves her. He wants to help her through her pain and that we can help her as well. Even if we never see her again, I think we really helped her yesterday, and I'm thankful for that experience. It was really neat.

Well, I'm out of time and I've got to go! I hope you all have a good week! I'll be in Munich this weekend for the Elder Bednar Concert, where he'll be announcing the usage of iPads in this mission. I don't know if we'll actually get them this weekend, but still! It's exciting!!!

God be with you all!!

Love you!

Sister Priest

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I'm not a German Robot!!

Sister Priest and my new companion/trainer, Sister Smith!

Guten Tag, alles! Greetings from Singen!

Alright, so this week has also been fairly uneventful. I've got a new companion, Sister Smith, and she's really nice. Singen in itself is really industrial and not too scenic, but when we take the train to Radolfzell, we get off and immediately see the Bodensee (Lake Constance). It's adorable and I love it. I've taken some pictures and will either attach them or have my mom post them on Facebook again.

My last P-Day in Tübingen was fun! We watched the remainder of General Conference and we also played this game called Bang. It's a Western Cowboy themed card game and Elder Weston got into it and had us tie dish towels around our faces like bandit masks. Saying goodbye was a little sad, but I was honestly too excited about the new things waiting for me to be too upset about it.

Ummm, yeah. Seriously, this week hasn't been that exciting. I've been out for 3 months, I've got 15 more to go! Time is flying. It seems both forever and not that long ago that I was sitting in the MTC hating life. K, not hating it, but certainly not enjoying it as well as I would have liked. Seriously though, I want you to know that the support and kind words I received from you really made my MTC experience survivable. Also, if you're a future missionary and you're reading this going "Jeez, what do they DO to people in the MTC?" have no fear. Almost everyone has a bit of a rough time in the MTC. I was a little worse than most, but now that I'm out in the field and I'm actually seeing the progress I've made, I'm SO happy. I looked back to my MTC journal entries and compared them to my more recent ones. The difference is crazy! I literally went from "I hate this" to "I LOVE this!" Never let fear get you down. It's not worth it.

All in all, I think I'm improving in all aspects. My German is better, my concentration is better, my people skills are better, my teaching is better, my cooking is better, my life is better. I'm able to actually incorporate my personality into German now, which makes everything a lot more fun. I actually was called up to give a short talk during church yesterday and I was able to joke around a bit in German. Made me way more comfortable and hopefully made me seem more like a human too xD Sometimes, I have to revert to memorized phrases and I feel like I'm a robot or something, just spitting out German sentences about Jesus and God and Missionaries and nothing else.

Haha alright, well, I've got to keep going. I'm unapologetic for my titles. I do not know what to title my emails and I don't want to do generic "Monday, April 13" or something, so today you get to know that I am not a German Robot. I can speak German well enough to be a human. Go me.

Until next week!

God be with you!
Sister Sally Priest

Playing "Bang": Clockwise from Top: Elder Weston, Sister Ahlm, me, Elder Smith, and Sister Baugh

Farewell to Tubingen: Elders Weston and Smith, me, and Sisters Ahlm and Baugh.

Goodies from Sister Berry, who left as I arrived!  

New Shoes!

Hello, all! I hope you've had a good week. My week has been pretty uneventful, but I've had some good experiences!

First things first, I bought new shoes. For those who don't know, I LOVE shoes. I have WAY too many at home and they are my weakness. But, I did need new ones, so, I bought some, and they're adorable and WAY more comfy than I expected. I could totally walk around in these 24/7. 

Okay, anyway, moving on from the shoes...

This week has been pretty decent. I'm still slacking on the journal writing, so I don't have too many stories to share with you this week. 

This week was cold, windy, rainy, cold, a little snowy, and COLD. I have totally become adapted to the desert heat and my body barely remembers how to handle the cold. While walking in the pouring rain with the wind blowing my umbrella apart, I remember thinking "Ooo babies, I wish I had my desert heat right now!" Do not be fooled though, I love it here. Just not a huge fan of that piercing wind.

Okay, so we had transfer calls this week, and to my surprise, I'm leaving Tübingen. My companions, Sister Ahlm and Sister Baugh, will stay, but I will be heading down south to Singen on Thursday. So if you're hoping to send me a letter, PLEASE send it to the Munich address. That's definitely the safest place to send things. I'll be companions with a Sister Smith. I've heard lovely things about her :) Singen is in the Black Forest and right on the border of Switzerland. I'm hoping for mountains, fairytale forests, a fresh start, and (of course) people to teach!! I actually took a walk with my companions and a member family on Friday, and we ended up in the forest a bit. It is TOTALLY the inspiration for fairytales, you guys. The ground is soft with moss, there are little meadows and the trees are all so skinny and spaced close enough to create density, but far enough apart where you can walk through them. I felt like a princess, guys. No joke. It's wonderful. I'm looking forward to the new experiences that will come in that area :)

Alright, onto General Conference. For those of you who do not know, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has a living prophet and apostles who receive modern revelation for all of the world. Every 6 months, a conference is held in Salt Lake City. Our Prophet and Apostles speak to us concerning topics that they  have received through revelation, and it is broadcasted throughout the world via television, internet, radio, etc. Their talks (speeches, sermons) are available for reading, listening, and viewing on lds.org. These conferences help us stay close to God and Jesus Christ, provide us with spiritual strength, and help us unite together on a world-wide level. It's truly amazing. Please note that these conferences, while primarily viewed by church members, are meant for everyone, regardless of age, gender, culture, lifestyle, religious beliefs, etc. I highly encourage you to see for yourself the message they share :)

This conference had a very strong focus on families. A lot of times, when people express what they know about Mormons, the focus on the family is one of the most commonly mentioned qualities. Families are incredibly important.

I'm running a little low on time today, but here are some of my favorite talks from this conference. I honestly have no idea what you guys would like to hear about my opinions on conference, so I'll just... come up with something? Yeah. Sounds good.

Wilford W. Anderson's talk during the Saturday Afternoon session. I LOVED the music analogy. I've been missing symphony so much out here, and his knowledge of musical terms made me smile. Comparing family life to a symphony, with it's crescendos and decrescendos, staccatos and legatos, were all so dead on. 

Following Edler Anderson, Dale G. Renlund spoke. I have marked next to his name "PRINT THIS TALK!" so I guess it must have really struck me, haha. He talked about the atonement of Jesus Christ and how people change. He quoted Nelson Mandella by saying "A Saint is a Sinner who keeps on trying." He emphasized that we are not Latter-Day Sinners, Latter-Day Quitters, or Latter-Day Hypocrites. We are Latter-Day Saints. We mess up. We're human. It happens. But we need to KEEP TRYING. He also quoted a play by Shakespeare (I didn't write down which play, please forgive me!!): "'Twas I, but 'tis not I." That one stuck with me a lot. I've done some things I'm not proud of. Anyone who knew me in high school probably has some opinions on that. Please know that I've changed. And please know that if you're reading this and we have had a disagreement of a sort, that I have changed, and I recognize the fact that you are also changing at your own pace. I've been working at becoming more Christlike. I've been letting go of the grudges I've had against people, and I hope that those who have grudges against me will find it in their hearts to forgive me and move on. Find the peace that Christ has to offer you. It'll change your life.

As for Jeffery R Holland, in the Sunday Morning session, I had stepped out before it started to say goodbye to someone. I missed the beginning, but I have written under his name "Dude, don't even try to write this down, You'll miss too much. Just print it out and analyze every sentence. SO GOOD!!!" So, looks like I'll be printing that one out!

I wasn't able to watch the Sunday Afternoon session (yet). When it happens in Salt Lake, it's 10pm here, and we're in our apartments by 9:30, in bed my 10:30, so that wasn't an option. I'll either print them all out or I'll wait for them to be published in the next church magazine. 

Alright, since I didn't actually take photos this week due to having no time, and because it's me, I took pictures of the shoes. It's something, right? That counts.

Enjoy your week! If you missed conference, CATCH UP.  If you have no idea what I'm talking about, LOOK IT UP!!