"Zum Dritt"….Letter from Die Schöne Schwester Motto

Servus meine Familie und Freunde!!

Well, exciting and different news this transfer!!   I get to stay another transfer here in my BELOVED Vienna, and I get to work with Sister Green again! We also will be working in a dritt (threesome) with Sister Packer (fellow PGHS friend!) who is serving in the international ward right now. There were less sisters coming in then going home, and President Miles did not want to pull sisters out of either of our wards, so for the next 6 weeks we will be working in BOTH Vienna 1st ward as well as the international ward!  This will definitely be a different way of doing missionary work than what I have done the past 3 transfers, but I am so excited and happy to stay in Vienna and to get to know new members too!  The Lord requires us to give us our ALL -- and that is what He will continue to get from me.  

This week, with the craziness of transfer calls being a perfect "cap" on everything, went very well and was very successful. We met with sweet Nicole and had a great object lesson on prioritizing time. We used a jar and 3 oranges with "Kirche" "Gebet" and "Schriften Lesen" written on them. We then added a bunch of rice into the jar. We asked Davin to put all the rice and all the oranges into the jar. Naturally, he started off with pouring the rice inside and then add the oranges. But it doesn´t work! We explained, starting our puzzle over, that as we made room for the 3 important things that Heavenly Father has asked us to do, the rice (symbolizing playtime, homework, work, errands, etc.) will fit. When we make time for Heavenly Father, He will make time for us to do all that we need to. Nicole LOVED this lesson, and is still preparing to be baptized. Words are inadequate in expressing how grateful I am to be teaching her and her darling family.

I was able to go on Austausch/split with Sister Judd last week in Graz! The trainride was STUNNING!  Welcome to the world´s most beautiful mission! President Miles even says that the trainride from Vienna to Graz is the most beautiful in our mission, and now I know what he means! It was really neat working with Sister Judd in a different area than Vienna, and getting to know the members there. Graz is unique and is a very beautiful city and they have a fantastic ward, but after we arrived back to magical, musical Wien -- I couldn´t help but feel like I was coming home. I'm pretty sure Vienna has stolen my heart, what else can I say?

On the way to Graz

"Vienna has stolen my heart"

Graz

Graz

 After the splits, Sister Green and I went on another new and exciting adventure!  We had an appointment with Wolfgang and Hannelore Kaindel, a less active couple who we try to meet with once a transfer. Unknown to me (I had never been to their house before, they have always traveled to Wien), the Kaindel´s live in Laa an der Thaya, a (small village) dorf just TWO KILOMETERS from the Czech Republic and almost to the lands of my Motto forefathers! Sister Green and I made the trek all the way up to the very tippy top of Austria and had an amazing appointment with these members. Schwester Kaindel picked us up from the teeny tiny...and I mean barely-even-there-bahnhof (train station) and drove us around the town. She took us to Schloß Kirchstetten, a palace built in the 16th century. It´s only open during Christmas, but we were able to walk around the property and see more of upmost Northern Austria. The Kaindels made us homemade Knödel and Rotkohl for dinner....pure bliss...I tell ya...Austrian grandmas make THE best food on earth. I never want to come home to American food. We had a lesson on family history, and were able to teach the Kaindels about family search and get accounts set up for them. They were THRILLED!!   Although they live really far away and don´t come to Church each week, the Kaindels do more missionary work than many members I know. It is thanks to them a lot of our members are in our ward today. It was an honor to meet them.

This next transfer in TWO wards and with TWO companions will definitely be an interesting and a challenging one, but I can surely testify that although difficult, Heavenly Father gives us EXACTLY what we need in life in order to become better and to grow. My biggest fear was to be put into a drit, and here I am. Heavenly Father surely has a sense of humor, and I know that He is giving me this mountain so I can become an even more consecrated and diligent missionary. And I definitely feel blessed to have Sister Green and Sister Packer as the two I get to serve with!

No matter how hard (or easy for that matter) our individual paths may be, let us NEVER EVER forget the importance of prayer. It is so important that we "report back" to our Heavenly Father at the end of each day. Although He knows us perfectly, there is a different sense of peace that comes from pouring our hearts out to Him in vocal, private, beautiful prayer. He is there!!! I have never felt Him more in my entire life. As each day passes, I understand just a little more of the genius of God. He is so connected in our lives, and only wishes the best for us. We are His beloved children, and it should be our ultimate goal to return to Him! Return with Honor!!

Have a MAGNIFICENT week meine Lieben! ALLES GUTE DIESE WOCHE!

Liebe Grüße,
Sister Natalie Hannah Motto

In the middle of nowhere…..tippy top of northeastern Austria next to the Czech border

OK…this isn't the German I learned at the MTC….??? What crazy dialect is this?

When we got to our "train station" on the way to northeast Austria….

The Beautiful Belevedere