HAPPY EASTER!

Hey there family!

Happy Easter!  Sorry I didn't get to email yesterday...it was Easter Monday.  They love their holiday's here. :)  How was your easter?  I didn't hear much about it.  I did miss having the scavenger hunt though. ha.  Did you have it?  Let's have one when I get back.  We had a really, really good week.  It's been warming up a wee bit.  So that's good.  I'll just go through the highlights again this week:

1. Gary.  We only got to see him once this week.  But it was soo good!  He has been reading the Book of Mormon and praying and really feels like this is the path for him.  He always feels the spirit really strongly.  We invited him to be baptised on 24 April (good day, huh shanny?) and he said, "Well, that's fair enough." haha Yes!!  The only thing is he'll have a problem coming to church.  Pray that he can come.  Especially to general conference this weekend. (which I can't wait for) 

2. Cheryl.  She is doing way good.  We taught the stop smoking program (did I tell you this? oh well) and she had one I think, but since that she has started over and is doing really well.  She is reading and praying and is excited to be baptised on 1 May! woo!  She wrote down her testimony and read it to us last time.  It was so simple, but so strong.  We left and our hearts were about to burst.  We love her.  It's also really nice being in a trio because she has a crazy 3 year old haha While the other sisters were reading with her I helped Ethan put his McDonald's toy together and kept him semi-quiet. :) 

3. We had a "Good Friday Fireside" and it was excellent.  Our district leader put it all together.  Tons of the ward showed up and 16 less actives and investigators were there.  success!  Anyway, we read a lot of scriptures about the life, Atonement, and Resurrestion of Jesus Christ.  We also had a few musical numbers.  It really helped me.  It's funny because I spend all day every day talking and teaching and testifying about Jesus Christ, but sometimes I forget it's real.  The fireside (and church this week) helped me realize that it's real.  He's real.  He's not a thing of the past, but he's present.  He's here with us.  It was good.  Guess who got to help with a couple of the musical numbers?  Yep.  A mission makes you do things you would never do as a normal person. haha  I played the piano for the bishop's wife who played the flute.  And the missionaries (all 12 of us!) sang "I know that my Redeemer lives".  And we (they) decided it would be a good idea to have me, Sister Clegg, and Sister Larsen sing the first verse by ourselves. ha.  kill me. :)  But we survived and it was a great night.  Cheryl came and she loved it!

Anyway, it was a great week.  We have a busy week planned!  Sister Clegg and Sister Larsen are doing really well.  Moves call is on Sunday, but I'm pretty sure we'll all stay.  I hope you have a great week!

Love you,

Sister Rindlisbacher

y'alright pal?

3/25/13

Hello!

 Y'alright?  How was your week?  Ours was pretty darn good.  It was FREEZING, though.  They said it's been the coldest "spring" that Edinburgh has had in 50 years. haha.  Great!  Hopefully it starts warming up soon.  Sooo...here are my favorite moments from the week:

1. Gary!  He's the guy we met getting off the bus last week.  We met with him a few times this week and it was brilliant.  He has been reading the Book of Mormon and praying and feels like this is 'the path he should take'.  Yay!  He can really recognize when the spirit is speaking to him.  When we left our first lesson with him we knelt and he said the closing prayer.  After he finished he just sat there for like a minute with his eyes closed.  After he opened his eyes he just said, "That was the strongest feeling I've had so far."  I asked him if he thought that was his answer, and he said, "yeah.  I think so."  We're really excited to keep working with him.  The only thing is he works a lot on Sundays.  Just pray that he can switch his shifts or something.  (ps-he does social work!) 

2. Cheryl.  One day last week it was snowing so hard and freezing and no one was outside to talk to and nobody was answering the door, so we decided (wimped out a little) to go inside and call a bunch of potential and former investigators.  The first person I called was Cheryl and she said she would be interested in learning again.  She said, "is tonight too early?" ummm...no!  So we had a great lesson with her.  She is just fantastic.  She has had a really hard life.  She's trying to quit smoking and other drugs, but she really wants to.  She's met with missionaries before and has family who are members.  She really wants to be baptized, she already has a testimony, and we're so excited that we found her.  She told us a week before we called her she had started praying and reading the scriptures again and had been asking for help.  Heavenly Father is so good.  I can't imagine his weekly planning-it must be intense. haha  

3. We had an all Scotland conference!!!  It was so good.  Elder Kerr (area presidency...?) and President Brown did a lot of training, and it was so good.  We all get so pumped to go out and be missionaries.  I always have a headache after these things...spirit overload. :)  And Elder Windhausen and I did the musical number.  He has a really great voice (he sang for the pope) so it went well. ha.  We combined "Lead, kindly light" and "I need thee every hour".   

4. After the conference we did exchanges...Sister Hopkin and I stayed in Edinburgh- she's so good and it was lots of fun!

5. Our whole district and the china town elders did some finding in the city centre.  We put up a stand with Books of Mormon and pamphlets and just talked to everybody about it.  It was fun and we got to talk to a lot of (interesting) people. :)

6.  We were walking home the other night and we saw a weird little animal run across the road.  We couldn't figure out what it was because it went around the side of a building, but we ran up to look and there was this big, creepy badger staring at us!  All I could think of was fox and the hound haha And Sister Millward's story about the badger in the cornmaze. haha.  We live pretty close to Edinburgh zoo...maybe it escaped?  Maybe we'll see a panda on the side of the road tomorrow. :)

Anyway!  That was my week.  It's crazy how time is flying.  I got an email today about my travel arrangements for going home...that's really scary.  But I hope you have a good week and I love you.

Cheerio,

Sister Rindlisbacher

Sister Rindlisbacher loves Edinburgh!

Hey again!

We can't believe it's Monday already.  I don't even know where the week has gone.  How are things at home?  I really can't believe we're nearing the end of March.  Insane.  It's gonna be a short email again...sorry!  I have to create a mormon.org profile and it's Sister Clegg's bday so we need to go do something fun!  

We had another week of finding!  wahoo!  But we did find quite a few potentials that seem really good!  Here's one story:  We left a dinner appointment and we were going to go chapping in a different area, but there were some elders here from Ireland (here for a few days) and they were going to find in our area, so we went with them to show them where to go.  We then decided to do some street contacting nearby even though it wasn't our original plan.  So of we went.  We were walking by a bus stop and a bus stopped (surprise, surprise haha) and this guy got off.  We were already walking past him, but I sort of just turned around and started talking to him right as he got off the bus. haha He was probably a little taken aback.  Anyway, we got talking to him and he is so very prepared.  His name is Gary.  He met with elders about a year ago and even came to church.  This past week he started looking things up online and reading about the Book of Mormon and stuff.  He said he was kind of blown away that we were standing there talking to him.  He's been through a lot, but he said that's how God found him...through his struggles.  He said he feels really good and happy when he talks with us and with the elders and when he's at church.  (spirit!)  He's excited to start learning again and we're excited to teach him! 

Did I ever tell you I love serving in Edinburgh?  It's the coolest city ever.  And I LOVE being so close to the mission home.  I never got to see President or anyone before, but now I can see them all the time! (well sort of)  Sister Clegg and Sister Larsen are doing really well.  It's hard, and it always will be, but we're all trying to be our best.  We had a really good district meeting this week that reminded me why I came on a mission and how I need to work hard until the end.  I'm going to try to make these next 3 months (!!!!!!!!???) the best of my mission.   

Okay I love you!  Have a good week!  I hope it's sunny for you.  Send some our way, por favor. :)

love,

Sister Rindlisbacher

 ps...pray for my piano skills on Tuesday.  We're having an all scotland conference and an Elder in my district is singing the musical number and guess who gets to play for him?  I do.  I hardly even play the piano. haha.  Especially now.  Ach well.  It'll be grand.

picture 1: the bottom of my boot :)  

picture 2: Sisters Clegg, Larsen, and Rindlisbacher

 

More Pics

Me and Sister Millward: Reunited :)

 

 

This is what happnes when you open an area...you have to pull out your HUGE map and take up the whole sidewalk so you can find where you're going...and then you still get lost ha

oh the weather outside is frightful....

3/11/13

Hello!  We are freezing cold. :)  My fingers can barely type...it snowed quite a bit last night and we just walked forever in it to get to the library.  So anyway-how was your week?  I seriously can't believe how time is flying (most of the time ha).  HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I can't believe you're so old. :) 

We had a good week.  We did a ton of finding. (yay)  How is trio training you ask?  It's kinda hard sometimes.  But most of the time it's good and it's fun.  Sometimes I just think to myself, "I am not patient enough or charitable enough or humble enough or good enough to do this."  But we had a lesson with this lady this week and she said her professor told her "Do it 100 times and then tell me you can't do it."  So.  I'll let you know in 100 days. :)  I thought it was good advice though! 

I don't really have too much to say.  We just did ALOT of street contacting and chapping and we met a few people that seem interested.  We have one investigator (that the elders were working with)  we had a good lesson with her this week and she wants to keep learning more.  She said she would be baptized if she 'felt the way we do'...she'll get there! 

We met this guy named Nicholas last night--a nice chap, probalby mid-twenties.  We were street contacting and he was walking by eating a hamburger.  haha We stopped him (his burger probably got really cold. woops) He doesn't really have a belief in God, but he said that he really hopes something is there.  We talked to him a lot about the Book of Mormon and how it answers our questions and about the plan of salvation.  He told us his mum died a week ago.  And yesterday was mother's day here...oh it just broke our hearts.  We said a prayer with him and before he walked away we just said, "We know you'll see your mom again."  He started tearing up and he said, "Thank you."  He didn't want to give us his number or anything, but I think the Book of Mormon and that little piece of hope will help him get through this hard time.  

Sooo..I'm really sorry this is going to be a short email!  I'll try to send lots of pictures to make up for it (not that my new found chubb will make up for it.  Sorry you have to see it. haha)

I love you!  I'll talk to you next week!

Love,

Sister Rindlisbacher

pic 1: Danni's baptism

pic 2: Look what Sister Shead sent me!!

 

March 4

MY DEAR FAMILY AND FRIENDS:

HI!!!  I have so so much to say.  First of all...does anybody know where February went? (name that song haha)  I cannot believe it's March.  That's so insane.  Ahhhhh.  It has been such a long and tiring and fantastic week.  Where to start?  (ps I don't have too much time, so I'll try to fit in as much as possible) 

DANNI WAS BAPTIZED!!!!  It was on Wednesday night.  It was beautiful. (said in scottish accent).  Lot's of the ward members came.  Brian, her nonmember cousin, came and he loved it and wants to do the same thing. :)  The relief society pres. gave a wonderful talk.  Everyone was so supportive of her.  I was just so proud.  She was really nervous, but Bro. Crawford did a wonderul job and she didn't even freak out at all. haha  It was such a brilliant sight to see her come up out of the water.. everyone said she looked different (in a good way)  She even acted different.  I'm just happy for her.  And so proud.  I'm really grateful Heavenly Father blessed me with her.  :)

I'll send pictures next week when I have more time!!!

I got to spend thursday-friday with Sister Millward.  yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It was like a dream come true. haha Happiest reunion ever.  So we travelled down to Edinburgh on Friday and tried to get the flat set up and then did some finding.  Edinburgh is the coolest city EVER.  I'm in an area called Corstorphine (it's the west side).  There are 12 missionaries in our ward.  12.  It still blows my mind.  Saturday the new missionaries came in and we did the usual.  We got to go up Pratt's Hill and (re)dedicate ourselves and set a baptismal goal.  It was sunny too!  We received lots of training and had delicious food and got to be with lots of missionaries.  I love days like that.  Everyone felt bad for me and Sister Millward (since we're both training two new sisters) haha :)  We're the first ones in this mission to do it-hopefully we don't screw it up. :)  Anyway-I got Sister Clegg (kaysville) and Sister Larsen (Colorado)  They're both really, really good.  They're young too. ;)  But I'm excited it'll be really good.  I'm a bit stressed out about the new area-I've forgotten how to figure out the bus system haha, but I'll be okay.  Exciting stuff. 

Something cool that was said in our training: After we read Act 3:1-6 (i think) we talked about how Christ's name is all we have.  We've given up everything else, but His name.  So we need to go out and give it to the people.  I thought it was neat. :)

Okay..I'm gonna have to get going.  I love you!  Have a great week...pray for the three of us and for the people we're supposed to find. :)

cheers,

Sister Rindlisbacher

ps-a trio isn't as bad as I always imagined haha It's kinda nice!

Can you say Edinburgh?

2/25/13
al;skdjf;lkasdjf;oiea;hglkjdifeh asldkjfa;lie akfjei Hello family!!!!!!!  I have so much to tell you and I don't even know where to start, so I just kind of freaked out a bit. haha  First of all...how are you?  I'm doing well!

I'll just start with moves call, which we got on Saturday night (weird).  President called and he's like "Hello sister Rindlisbacher, are you ready for a new assignment??"  "um...yes" :) Then he's like, "It's a tough one" "okay...I'm ready..."  haha anyway!  I'm leaving Montrose :( But I'm going to Edinburgh!!!  Super exciting!  We're going to be opening a new area called Edinburgh West (I guess it's part of the assistants area or something...yikes)!!!!!!  And I get to train again...even better...I get to train two new sisters! hahaha All I ask is that you pray for us this week. :)  I'm pretty nervous, but I'm excited for the challenge and to be so close to the mission home.  It'll be weird to be in a big city, if my calculations are correct there will be as many missionaries in my new ward as there were active memebers in my Greenock branch.  Help? haha just kidding...it's gonna be a new experience! 

Anyway, our dear Danni is getting baptized on Wednesday!!  wooooooo!  Problem: moves day is wednesday.  So, I was planning on asking president if I could stay for the baptism, haha, but when I was talking to one of the assistants he told me they'd figure something out so I could for sure stay for the baptism.  I didn't even have to ask..how nice!!  I'm so relieved.  Another bit of exciting news: I'll be going down to Edinburgh on Thursday (the new missionaries will arrive on Saturday) and I will meet sister Millward (also training in Dublin!!) and we'll start getting my area set up before the bairns arrive.  I almost died with joy! 

As I said Danni is getting baptized on Wednesday.  Her interview went great!  She was SUPER DUPER nervous before she went in with Elder Clarke.  As she walked away she asked, "Are you sure you're from God?" haha.  Elder Clarke was talking to us after and just said, "The Lord must love her so much."  She has had to deal with way too much.  And we're just so proud of her for doing her best and trying and changing.  Even if change is slow, change is change.  We were walking with her after the interview and she was telling us how she was going to start saving to buy a new coat, but she said, "First I'm gonna pay God."  (tithing) :)  Ah.  We just love her.  Just pray that everything will go well, that she'll have the strength to keep going and dealing with her mum.  Thank you!

I'm excited to go to Edinburgh, but I'm really sad to leave here.  I've really come to love it.  And I love the people in Montrose.  I told a few people at church that I was going.  On of my favorite little boys, Thomas, started crying and just gave me a hug and wouldn't let go.  His mom was trying to get him in the car after church, but he kept running back to 1. give me a hug 2. make sure he was saying my name right :)  I'm really grateful I got to serve here, even with all the challenges and trials. 

I don't have too much time, but I love you!  Thank you for all you do for me and all the prayers.  I'll talk to you next week from EDINBURGH.  :)

love,

Sister Rindlisbacher

(I forgot my camera cord...I'll send pics next week)

Valentines

Hello again everybody!

Another week-and it went by so so fast.  We had a few really nice days..the sun was shining!  It was brilliant, but the weather got us back because the last few nights I think we were chapping in a hurricane. haha  So how are you??  I'm glad to hear you had the missionaries over!  And that's probably exactly how I am. :)

We had a good week...lot's of potential investigators found that we'll be visiting this next week, hopefully they'll be ready and open!

Danni: she's doing good!  Our ward mission leader is concerned she's still smoking, she tells us she's not, though.  So everybody just pray for her and we'll pray for the gift of discernment. (sp?)  We helped her clean her room this week! haha  fun stuff.  Her house is in a state...her family doesn't really care about being clean and definitely didn't teach Danni to be...we wanted her to have a place where she could get away from that.  So we took a few hours and helped her clean up!  It looks so much better and it feels different.

Hopefully that will help her.  (I had a dream the night before that we went and she had already cleaned it, and it was spotless!  wishful thinking.  or wishful dreaming I guess haha)

Beto:  Did I tell you about him before??  I don't remember, but I'll tell you again if I have!  I'll start from the beginning...for like the past month every sunday when we're driving on the high street coming back from Church I see this kid (beto).  A couple weeks ago I said if we saw him again we would stop and talk to him.  Then a few days later we were street contacting on the high street and there he was!  So we talked to him...he has a belief in God and was very interested in learning more and reading the Book of Mormon.  He was leaving for about a week, so we got his contact info.  We tried calling him, but he didn't answer, so we decided to stop by his house.

 His mom answered, so we said hi and asked if Beto was in.  She went away and Beto comes to the door...I was thinking "you look so much older than I remember"..oh! It's his dad, Beto senior. :)  He was super nice (ps they're from Portugal) and also wanted to learn more.

He said he was worried about his son, he was going through a really difficult time and was lost.  He said, "If he doesn't call you..I will!"  Anyway, we have an appointment with them tonight!  We're excited!  He also has a little sister, Anna.

Funny (and awkward):  As we were leaving I went to shake his hand and he just left me hanging.  So I put my hand back down and all of a sudden he comes in (and this is where I panic and freeze haha) and gives me a kiss on both cheeks. hahaha  Sister Tylka said my face was terrified. :)  He said "we don't shake hands in Portugal, we kiss two times!"  umm...okay...well we'll probably have to sort that out when we see them tonight.  :)  Wish us luck! 

I also had a really good day at church yesterday.. I love church.  As a missionary it can be kinda stressful, but it always gives me the uplift and reminders that I need.  We had our stake pres. there (Pres.

Watson) and he gave a really good talk.  These were his closing words, "Hold on.  Stay strong.  Jesus Christ Lives."  So He does.  We also had tea (dinner-did I ever tell you that's what they call dinner??) at the Bishop's.  We had a wee testimony meeting with them.  It was really good.  I'm grateful that Christ's grace is sufficient.  Elder Bednar once said to replace 'grace' with 'enabling power' when you read it in the scriptures.  I'm just really really grateful for His enabling power.  Where would we be without it?

January 28

Hey there everybody!

How's it going?  Glad to hear everyone is doing good.  Thank you for telling me about Miranda.  I've been praying that she and the baby will be okay, but I had no idea that happened.  It's so good that they're both okay.  I'll keep praying everyday.  Will you tell her I love her?
So, my week was long. haha.  That highlight was the haggis!  It was Robert Burns (scottish poet) birthday on friday--so for Burn's supper we had haggis.  I actually had it 3 times this week!!  Ach, it's so good.  I think I'll bring some home so you all can try it. haha 

What else?  What else?  Oh!  Here is a little miracle for ya...remember Rebecca and Kyle?  The young couple with the baby (liam) that we were teaching a while ago?  Well, after Christmas we couldn't get ahold of them.  They wouldn't answer the phone or the door.  We tried a million times, but nothing.  Then Kyle's grandma told us that they had broken up.  So we left it for a bit, and then tried a couple more times, still nothing.  The other night we had planned to try by a couple of people, but didn't have time to walk out to their houses, so we decided to try by Rebecca.  We were walking up to her building and we saw a girl standing on the corner, crying.  When we got closer I realized it was Rebecca.  Such a heart-breaking sight.  We got to talk to her and try and comfort her for a little while.  Her mom is staying with her and Liam and she had just gone outside for fresh air, total miracle that we found her or else who know's if we ever would have seen her again?  She has been going through a really hard time.  She said she wanted us to come back this week, so I'll let you know how it goes.  Pray for her, we love her.

Josh: we had a coulple of super good lessons this week!  Normally, when there is a moment of silence he will get uncomfortable and be like, "Ok.  Your turn to say something." haha But after we had read a scripture with him (Hel 5:30) we just sat there.  He didn't say anything.  We didn't say anything.  And his whole demeaner changed.  The spirit was definitely there testifying.  But, he said he hadn't really felt anything...come on! :)  But he still wants to know.  He's willing to read and he even prayed out loud!!  He was nervous, but after he said, "That wasn't so bad" :)  He's solid if we can help him recognize his answers from God. 

We also had exchanges this week...Sister Ryan came down again from Aberdeen.  It was fun!  We had a lunch appointment at a members house.  The appetizer was a huge melon with oranges draped over it.  1-I don't really like melon.  2-Remember how my throat gets all itchy/kinda swells up? haha Well, that definitely happened. :)  I started to lose my voice and they were looking at me like, "what it going on?"  I tried to wash it down with my drink...oh wait it's orange juice.  :)  It finally went away, but it was funny.