Called to Serve...as a Missionary "Mom"!

Hello my family and friends!! 

Everyone has said it, so I might as well say it too. I'm a mission "mom"! My cute new "golden" companion Sister Ahlm arrived into the mission field running at a full sprint. She's the unbrattiest US Navy "brat" I've met, having lived many places throughout the US and in London. She's determined, excited, and ready to be a missionary. When I met her I thought to myself "am I really going to be training you? You already seem so prepared and ready!" Sister Ahlm is great, and I'm super excited to work with her and get to know her over the course of our time together.

Sister Motto with her new "Golden" Sister Ahlm

At MLC with my "sisters"

This week was wonderful! It started off with a magical Monday Pday at Neuschwanstein Castle with Sister Peterson (her last pDay was a fun one!) with our Munich ward member, Sister Whaltely. Following our adventure we had Family Home Evening with the Whaltley's, complete with homemade sushi and a great Mormon Message. I am really grateful to be serving in the Munich 2 ward. We have such fantastic, dedicated, diligent members who serve us tirelessly, and who love being engaged in the Work of Salvation just as much as we do.

We had Zone Training this week, where we did some pretty neat role plays with keeping commitments and following up. Following up is about 80% of the commitment! Without following up, the commitment is "würscht" and we keep those we teach from progressing. Following Zone Training I was able to meet with a dear friend of my family's, Mohammed Baioumy! It was so wonderful to see him after 7 or so years! We talked for a little bit about our families, how every one is, how I am liking my time here in Munich, and then shared why I decided to serve a mission. Although our time was brief, it was wonderful to see this old friend again. It's in moments where we are reunited with friends and loved ones, even for a short time, that I get a little taste of the joy and happiness involved with the Plan of Salvation.

We had the special opportunity last Tuesday evening to hear from Elder M Russell Ballard and Elder Bednar in a special Europe-wide Sister's Conference. It was broadcasted from Frankfurt. It was a unique feeling of sitting there, listening to these beloved Apostles speak and to realize that sisters gathered all over Europe were listening and watching. It was quite empowering. There is such a unity that comes from the Relief Society, and I am so grateful for this inspired program in the Church.

This week I got to meet with an investigator family that is half German half Mongolian. They're Moonies. Yep, Moonies! Their form of religion belongs to the "Moon Sect", and since the Sisters were introduced by the a wonderful Munich ward member a few months ago, we have begun to teach them the Message of the Restored Gospel. I have never heard of the Moon Sect before, but they have some very interesting beliefs. Some parts sort of similar, and then also very different, from what we believe in the LDS church. We speak in German in normal conversation, and then English because this family believe it to be the "spiritual" language. Jürgen, Baigal, and Mattaüs are very sweet, and are probably the best commitment keepers out of everyone I've ever taught! We are looking forward to teaching them more!

We met with Tenzin this week, and got another fantastic pep-talk on Inner Beauty. This Tibetan man is so amazing! We also got in touch with Matthew again this week! Matthew is still figuring out the details for his mother's funeral, but he is still reading in the Book of Mormon and hopes to come to Church this week.

Another miracle this week happens to be named Sparks. He's from Nigeria, and a good friend of a new convert in our ward named Kai. Sparks wants to go to the temple one day, so we are going to teach him so that can be possible. He has a Book of Mormon, he came to church yesterday, and he's very excited to learn more about Christ.

We also met with Scott! Scott is another one of our amazing investigators, and we teach him along with the Elders in Hamburg. Scott isn't always at peace with where he is at, so he hops between Hamburg and Munich, meeting with the missionaries along the way. He talks at about 3,000 miles an hour, and has the idea that all Americans are Mormon missionaries, and that all Americans are Mormon period. He's a 24 year old "volcano" so to say.....once we finish teaching everything and really help him keep his commitments, Scott will "explode" and may do many great things as a member of the Church. :)

This morning I had a wonderful personal study. I particularly love what is says in Doctrine and Covenants 121, verses 33-46. (Included 33-34, 41-46)

 What a powerful statement in verse 34. Many are called, but few are chosen. In German, the word for chosen is auserwählten. This is what we call people who are "golden" investigators, otherwise known as the prepared. That word choice goes the same way: am I "golden", or am I "prepared", to preach with every ounce of energy in my body the message of the Restored Gospel?

I am so grateful for verse 46, which states,

46 The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.

My thoughts were these, that as I strive to be worthy, as I strive to be obedient, and as I strive to give all I can to the work of the Lord, that I will have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. And I know with my whole heart that with His guidance and counsel, I can do ALL THINGS. I love the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians chapter 4, which says" I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

I know this with my whole heart. This transfer has some incredible mountains to climb, but I know they will be for my good. I believe it is time for me to stretch again...and I am ready.  I am so grateful for the thousands of blessings the Lord gives me each and every day. I am so grateful to be here. I am having the time of my life as a missionary, and I could not feel more whole.

These hills really are alive with the sound of music and the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

I love you all! Have a marvelous week!!

Love,

Your Alpine Bavarian Miss (and now "Mom")

Sister Natalie Hannah Motto

Hola from this German "Gringita"….Sister Motto serving in the Alpine Mission

Hola Family and Friends!!

One would think we were in South America --it's been so warm and über-humid here in Germany! We got hit with really heavy rain last night which generally in Utah would have cooled the place down...here in southern Germany it does the opposite! This morning it is like a sauna....HOT and HUMID again!  But that is not going to get us down...we have embraced our South American-like weather and to celebrate the nature of our climate,  Sister Pentz and I had a  really fun appointment with a Chilean family in our ward yesterday for Sunday dinner, where we enjoyed delicious homemade Chilean food. The son of the Apablaza's, Alvaro started calling me "Hermana Gringita", which I guess means "Little white North American Sister Missionary." So that's my new name! And Sister Pentz is Hermana Gringorta.....Big White North American Sister Missionary. :) We had lots of fun and enjoyed the chance to switch cultural settings for an afternoon. I really love these humble sweet people so I can see why so many missionaries who serve in places like Chile and Brazil bond so quickly with them.  I have 4 wonderful and fortunate cousins who are blessed to serve in South America! 

This week was a really good and busy week. For starters, last Pday we decided to experience some of the regional culture. (as there is SO much history and incredible architecture in this part of the world..why wouldn't we?) We discovered an incredible find in the Bebenhausen Monestary, which is just 20 minutes outside of Tübingen. It was really neat!!! Sister P and I had headsets where we were able to listen to narrations of how the monks lived, and about the different locations in the monestary. It was absolutely beautiful!! In some parts there were signatures on the walls with dates, and it was crazy to think that some of the names were written 400 years before America was even founded!!  Founded around the late 1100's, Bebenhausen is one of the best preserved Cistercian monasteries in all of Germany. I enjoyed the beauty of the stunning Gothic architecture in all it's elegant glory....very light and airy and not the least bit dark and dreary.  I could see why so many monks wanted to study there.  Even the manicured gardens were incredible works of art. 

We met with Anni this week, a Finnish lady who just moved into our ward. She served her mission in Frankfurt about 10 years ago, and two weeks ago with her husband moved to Germany for work. Anni's husband is not a member, and through negative experiences has not wanted to learn about the Church. Anni said that when she and her husband got to Germany and saw the brownies Sister Wunderli and I made for them, Anni's husbands heart was softened right away and asked that the Sister missionaries come visit them. The time we set up the appointment sadly was a time when he wasn't home, but it was then we made a "game plan" with Anni. Anni is AWESOME, and we're almost "zu dritt" (a team) with her. Sister Pentz and I have begun a very wonderful friendship with this solid, wonderful Finnish sister. We are hopeful that we can begin to teach her husband very soon so that they both can enjoy the eternal blessings of the Gospel. 

Here is something which doesn't happen every day.... Sister Pentz and I wrote the Royal family this week!! Yep.."THE" royals...as in Buckingham Palace. No joke. Valeria, a less active woman in our ward, is an aspiring artist, and after working 3 years on a painting of the late Princess Diana, she wants to sell it. To the royal family. Valeria speaks no English, so she asked Sister Pentz and I to translate. In exchange for our translation, we got to give her a lesson. She loved our deal so much that she wants us to come weekly to teach her the Preach My Gospel lessons, and she is inviting her neighbors across the street to come listen as well. Apparently, they have 5 very musical children...now that will be fun!

Our 4 of July was not as exciting as we had hoped (no fireworks on this day for us...:) , but it was still fun. We "celebrated" by enjoying Burger King for lunch and then did our weekly planning. Not realizing the game between Germany and France that day, Sister Pentz and I wore our patriotic red white and blue!.....BIG OOPS!!! (You should have seen the looks we got..)  We were able to hear the Germany-France game all through our planning session from the crowd watching it at the pub below our apartment, and we were very pleased to hear our beloved Deutschland won!! Onto the semifinals!!!! (I am pretty sure I could hear MY FAMILY screaming and rejoicing of GERMANY's win)

Very early Saturday morning we went with the entire Zone to Munich for a combined Munich-Stuttgart Zone Conference. We were able to greet and get to know President and Sister Kohler in companionship interviews. Change is always a little hard (and we can apply this to all stages of life, wherever we may be) but as we prayerfully approach the Lord with concerns and questions, He always answers. And I got an answer! As I sat in the conference listening to President Kohler, the Spirit softly and gently testified to me that he really is the man called to lead our mission at this time. The Miles' left an incredible legacy, and I know the Kohler's are here to simply build upon the foundation left by missionaries and mission presidents before. I am SO excited to work with such another amazing man and already we LOVE his wonderful family!!!

We're off to Munich (again) in just a few days for Mission Leadership Council. I feel so blessed for the chance to get to know President Kohler on a more personal level while serving as Sister Training Leader!

I love you all!! Have a MARVELOUS week!!!  The Gospel is wonderfully, beautifully, perfectly true and the Lord lives and loves us all! 

Your little "Gringita" missionary,

Sister Natalie Motto

"Work hard, my missionaries…WORK HARD!" Meeting with Elder Dyches of the Seventy

Liebe Freunde und Familie,

This Transfer went by WAY FAST!  (Probably because it was only 5 weeks rather than 6 weeks) For this next transfer things stay the same for me and I will continue working with Sister Wunderli in Tübingen. I love Germany and its particularly amazing in the spring.  Tübingen is so beautiful right now and I'm happily soaking it all in.  Sister Winters in Stuttgart and Sister Powell in Ludwigsburg are getting Little goldens, and I am so excited to work with brand new missionaries!

We had a wonderful week this week, having had the opportunity to meet with many less actives and see them all come to Church yesterday! Many of these less actives hadn't come for a couple of months and even years...so imagine the wards surprise when we they show up yesterday! It was such a great feeling.  This is such a wonderful ward who has gone through some hard trials and we are determined to help them strengthen and grow.  They appreciate our efforts and we feel their support and prayers.  Yesterday they told me how thankful they are that I was sent here...ahhh, I can't disappoint them so I am giving this ward, the Lord and his children my everything and all. 

Wednesday morning around 2am, the day we were leaving for Munich, I woke up with an incredible neck pain, so much that I could not move my neck whatsoever. I'm pretty sure it was sleeping on it wrong.  After lots of ibuprofen, ice, heat, massaging...nothing really worked. We called the Mission Nurse and she recommended purchasing a perscription of Naproxen (German Aleve) from the Apotheke, reassuring that it would help. It didn't. Our GML (Ward mission leader) Steven and the Elders gave me a Blessing Wednesday afternoon and if anything that blessing comforted and reassured me. The train ride that evening to Munich with the district leaders and Zone Leaders was way fun, but I still felt pretty miserable. The Muncih 3 Sisters, Sister Kutschke and Sister Threkheld, were SO sweet and at last minute provided space for us to overnight at their apartment because Sister and President Miles were in Switzerland and we could not sleep at the Mission Home. Throughout the weekend I had steady pain in my neck, but it eventually got less intense, and this morning I woke up with no pain at all. I am so grateful!  Prayers were heard and answered!

Thursday was SO spectacular!  We met at Rückertstrasse chapel in Munich for the District Leader Meeting, along with the Munich Sister Training Leaders, as special invite by Elder Timothy J. Dyches. For one hour as a leadership group were able to be specially instructed and taught by Elder Dyches. He talked about humility, teaching, and the importance of leading by example. (In one more embarrassing moment, Elder Dyches demonstrated how to properly use a planner. Because apparently sisters have amazing planners, Elder Dyches asked to use mine. (Pres Miles told him to use mine! He called it "very sisterly" and also very organized and methodical. It's not every day a member of the seventy looks through your missionary planner!) He talked to us about making our missions a foundation for the rest of our lives, and right at the end he got very quiet, looked us all directly in the eye and said powerfully but immer noch so quietly, "Work hard, my missionaries......WORK HARD."

Mission Leadership Council 

Mission Tour (Munich and Stuttgart Zones)

For our main meeting, as Stuttgart and Munich Zones, we were instructed by President and Sister Miles and Sister and Elder Dyches for Close to 3 hours. Sister Dyches quoted Elder Bednar in saying that if she could change the word "meeting" for "Revelatory Experience", she would. She also taught us the importance of studying, learning, and growing in this life, and that the things we learn here on our mission could not be replaced by any School in this world. Stimmt! (Isn't that the truth!?) . My Mission has only added hundred-fold to the truths I learned in Sunday School, Young Women's, Seminary, etc. How grateful I am for that decision I made to serve a mission. It is HARD but this purifying and sanctifying work is one of the greatest blessings I could have recieved in my life. Elder Dyches related it to a cruciable, like in Chemistry.  As we experience ups and downs in our mission and go through those common faith-testers, we are purified and made stronger. In relation to this, the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 18 came to mind. Verses 10-16 were the Topic I was asked to speak on for my farewell talk, and 11 months later I think I better understand what they mean.

With this image of a firey cruicable from Elder Dyches, I reread verse 15 in Doctrine and Covenants 18 which says "And if it so be that you shall Labor all your days in crying repentance unto this People, and bring, save it be one Soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!" Our missions are  beautiful non-coincidences, perfectly personalized and set directly for us. Do I think it's a coincidence that I serve in the Alpine German Speaking Mission, when my mother, father, 3 uncles, a Cousin, and some of my closest friends all serve or have served here as well? Absolutely not. Is it a coincidence that I have had terrible Deja Vu daily since coming on my mission or that my parents lived here while working in Germany and were pregnant with me? After Elder Dyches taught us, not at all. I have the strongest confirmation that my mission, perfectly designed for me, is something that I perhaps talked about with my Father in Heaven before this life. Heavenly Father knew that I could help bring that one soul to Him through my service.

Missionary work does not end with a mission. Having experienced a miracle of finding a man my father taught on his mission, and after 26 years having them be reunited through Skype, I have begun to build a testimony of lifelong missionary work.(Natalie, through still some unknown search, found a man who Kevin taught and baptized on his mission but afterwards lost contact with.)  And so it shall be, my dearest family and friends. I shall labor all the rest of my days: throughout the rest of the days of my mission, and the rest of my life. Mission Tour and Mission Leadership Council were one of the best experiences I have had so far on my mission. It's similar to a returning from the temple feeling: refreshed, strengthened, and ready to take on the world!

I love you all!! I hope you have a fantastic week. Say your prayers, obey the Word of Wisdom, read your scriptures, say I Love You more, and be grateful for the many and overflowing blessings the Lord gives to you and me.

Until next week!!

Sister Natalie Hannah Motto

The Atonement Soothes All Aches

Hello Family and Friends!! 

Greetings from cold, wet, but nevertheless beautiful Tübingen Germany! I feel like the song from the Prince of Egypt, "When You Believe", fits perfectly for this week. Perhaps Alma 32 does even better….to have the faith of a little seed…. Either way, when we pray for miracles and put forth the effort-- they happen!

Last week as Sister Wunderli and I were going by on a less active sister, we came across a really neat American style RV (somewhat uncommon here). We decided to leave a note and some extra cookies as an Easter surprise, not forgetting our cell phone number. On Monday evening we got a phonecall from Familie Linke, the owners of the RV and proud enjoyers of our snickerdoodle cookies. I talked with Frau Linke for about 15 minutes about their travels in their RV, and how they ended up in Utah. For one year Frau Linke and her husband traveled around the states in their RV, and one of their favorite places was Salt Lake City. They loved the "beautiful cathedral" there, even though they weren't allowed to see the inside. When I told Frau Linke about who Sister Wunderli and I were, she was  excited to know that we were "the cute girls with black nametags." They are currently living in their RV somewhere near Stuttgart, but will be home within the next few weeks. When they get home they want us to come over and get to know them better.  Never underestimate the power of prayer, faith and homemade cookies. 

I was able to go on exchange/Austausch again this week, this time in Stuttgart with Sister Gilmour. SIster Gilmour is great and enthusiastic. She is from AF and we know lots of the same people.  We had such a fun time together!  I love this opportunity to serve as Sister Training Leader, simply for the chance to get to know the other sisters in the zone. Wonderful day!

One small miracle that really made this week a powerful one was that when we found Kim. Sister W and I had been out the entire day, and nobody we went by on was home, or completely rejected us. Discouraged, tired, hungry, and frustrated, we went back to Rottenburg Bahnhof to wait for our train. As we sat and waited, I saw a really cute little mutt, and talked with his owner. The guy named Kim told me that his dog was his best friend. I continued a conversation with Kim about my little Panda. As every conversation goes, Kim asked what Sister W and I were studying, assuming we were students. We told him that we were missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and that we have a message about Jesus Christ and His Atonement, and how His Atonement can heal any ache, soothe any hurting soul, and help each person who ever was, is, and will be, to turn around and have a better life. We told Kim that it is alone through Jesus Christ that we can return to our Heavenly Father and live with our families forever. Kim told us about his Family: he has a two year old son and a wife. Kim has been caught in drugs since he was about 18, and at age 24 was released from jail 3 years ago, after spending 4 years there. He has had a hard life, and Kim told us how he has been praying to God for a way to escape this vicious cycle of addiction and pain. We rode the train with Kim back to Tübingen, and were able to get his email to keep in touch that way. We are hoping to meet him next week with our Bishop after we get back from Munich. Sister Wunderli's and my prayer was answered that we would be able to find someone that day, and it was definitely no "Zufall" that we met Kim when we did. Please keep Kim in your prayers!

Saturday we met with Martin, a really neat guy we talked to on the bus a couple weeks ago. Martin was previously in the Catholic ministery, and grew up strong Catholic, but always felt like something was missing. We brought up the Book of Mormon and he was "sold". We talked about the Atonement and how through it, Martin can stop smoking. He, just like Kim, wants to start his life new. Martin even said that "you two missionaries are an answer to my long said prayers." Pretty amazing, huh?

We had a wonderful eating appointment with our Bishop yesterday. Outside of having to be driven to the airport, take an S-bahn, train, bus, and walk 15 minutes to get home, it was a great appointment and I really got to better know my Bishop and his wife. We talked a lot about the ward mission plan and what we can do personally as sisters, to help build the members here in Tübingen. (Mom and Dad, does the Name Oliver Dobin ring a bell? he was a missionary serving in your Frankfurt ward when you were there at the Marriott.)

The atonement has played a really big role in my studies the past week or two, and that is probably why we have met so many people who have needed to hear it's message. I think, also, because I am more understanding the role of the atonement in my life. I have always had faith in the atonement, and have had a testimony of it, but it has been after time and testing that I have the smallest part of understanding. Faith, testimony, Trial of that faith and testimony, and then a firmer and stronger knowledge: that's the way the Lord works. I now feel the power of the atonement in my life, how it is a gift in which we can rejoice! The Atonement of Jesus Christ makes us happy. We can find peace, assurance, and comfort. The Atonement soothes the deepest and harshest aches of the human soul. It gives us strength to forgive, and shows us the importance of humility when asking forgiveness. 

I am so grateful to be here on a mission. It is the greatest gift Heavenly Father has given me so far in my mortal life. He has given me the opportunity to grow, learn, make mistakes, be humbled, and of course, given the chance to really know my Savior. I know Him better now than I ever have in my life. That's why I am here! To preach, testify, and rejoice in Christ. (2 Nephi 25:26).

I wish you all the best week yet, and never forget how much I love you, and how much I love this work!!!

Your missionary,

Sister Natalie Motto

"You Are the MORMONS!!!"

Hello Family and Friends!!

Courtesy of the local Muslim internet shop here in Tübingen, I am able to write you emails today! Today in Germany and in Austria & Switzerland they are celebrating the second day of Easter, Easter Monday as it is called here, and every shop, bank, postoffice and bakery are closed. Everyone is either at mass or celebrating their day off with family. The streets are pretty bare and the ringing church bells are everywhere! It's also "European grey", foggy, and cold outside -- it's not the most exciting Pday but I'm happy to read emails and letters and write emails home.

I think I found my dream piano! 

Sister Wunderli had a great week together. In the past years, the work in Tübingen has slowed down a little bit but we are determined to pick it back up. Tübingen went from a branch to a ward in just 2 short years quite a few years back just because of the work missionaries did and Sister Wunderli and I are ever more determined to help this ward grow. They are a eager, enthusiastic little ward with a great zest for missionary work. 75% of the active members in the ward has served a full-time mission, and the other 25% are either children or recent coverts. Sister Wunderli and I have started concentrating on the less actives in our ward and updating the ward list for our Bishop. One part of our mission's year long focus is a technique called "Goldmining", introduced to us last May by Elder Teixeria when he visited our mission. Goldmining means that we ask for referrals from these less actives; as many of them have family, friends, and neighbors who are not members of the Church. Trying to find people to teach through these less actives is something President Miles is really encouraging.

This week I went on Austausch (exchange) with Sister Powell in Ludwigsburg, Germany. Another beautiful city!! Sister Powell and I had the chance to teach their new investigator, Louis, with a member named Monique. We went into the lesson prepared to teach the Plan of Salvation, but after we prayed Louis said right away that he could not be a member of this Church. After a few questions and awkward minutes, we found that Louis had recieved an Anti-Mormon article from a friend. In Louis's innocence to find out more about the Church, rather than being directed to a positive website such as Mormon.org or lds.org, a friend lead him down a different path. The story itself is long, but right as I saw that article I looked at Louis and said, "This article is not from our Church. This was written by people who do not like us. These things written in here are false." Sister Powell then bore an AMAZING testimony about descerning right and wrong, and we asked Louis to give the Book of Mormon, praying, and learning about the Gospel just one more chance. Louis is a very faithful man and promised that he would try again. 

After returning home Thursday afternoon from Austausch and dropping off my things, Sister Wunderli and I headed right back outside to meet a former investigator who said she had further interest to learn. Turns out that meeting end up being cancelled but we forged on and end up meeting Lena! ! Lena is about 60 years old, Russian, and a former piano performer. Lena moved to Germany about 20 years ago with her husband, who just recently passed away. On our way home from this appointment that fell out, Lena sat by me on the bus. After asking her for directions of where to catch a different bus (because we were lost) Lena was kind enough to help us find our way. She and I talked for 45 minutes about music, composers, piano, and the Gospel. She thought we were Jehova's Witnesses at first (as everyone does), but once Sister Wunderli brought up the Book of Mormon, Lena got really excited and exclaimed loud enough for the bus to hear "You are the MORMONS!! You people are so nice!!!!" We talked to Lena for a good amount of time, and right when we were going to ask for her contact information she said "Oh, no no no. I'm Jewish. But you sweet girls keep doing what you're doing." And then she ran away.  SIgh.  Although the end of our conversation with Lena was somewhat of a "flop" as Sister Wunderli says, we both know we were meant to meet and talk with Lena. Perhaps in future weeks, months, or even years, Lena will open her heart to hear the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Friday we had interviews and District Meeting with President and Sister Miles. It was C-O-L-D on Friday, but our souls were warmed with delicious crepes and great interviews. In quick chicken-scratch notes after my interview, these were some of the things I wrote:
"President said that gratitude is a gift from our Heavenly Father. When we are grateful for what He has given us, we have faith. When we have faith to obey, we become more grateful for the blessings that come. We need to live obedience until it becomes who we are."  Isn't that just awesome?
President Miles also complimented me on my obedience, enthusiasm for the work and always being a missionary he can rely on. That made me feel good!

Easter was beautiful. How can it not be?  We had wonderful Sacrament Meeting (where I spoke!) and eating appointments after. We got WAY too much chocolate, which I will most likely be sending home. :) During Sacrament Meeting as we sang the hymns, my heart swelled with so much gratitude to be a missionary.  Overall it one of the days where I fought back tears, not of sadness or homesickness, but of so much happiness and hope and beholden to my Maker for allowing me to serve Him.  Even now as I am typing this email....I pause and take a deep breathe so that my emotions don't get the better of me.  I love this country, these people, their hearts, their goodness...even when they are not good to me.  The Savior died for them too and so I owe it to them and to myself to teach as many of them as I can that HE LIVES!!!!!

I love you all. I hope and pray that you make this week the best yet! Reach out to someone in need, or in the very least share a smile and a compliment. Tell somebody you love them. This is the message of the Gospel: It brings JOY!!!!!

Love your missionary,
Sister Natalie Hannah Motto

PS Quotes from Sister Wunderli this week:
"Be happy you just need to use one dictionary." 

"What. A. Week. Blessings come after a trial of your faith."

Dearest Family and Friends,

What. A. Week. By far one of the busiest and most interesting of my entire mission, but also a testimony that when we work hard, we are blessed, even though we may not be able to reap the fruits right after planting the seeds.

On Tuesday we had a really funny experience with our investigator Clara. After our district meeting, we took one hour as a district to go through our area books and do a little "clean out." One of our Zone Leaders, Elder Botcherby, was there, and he gave Sister Green and I a record that belongs in our area. Turns out to be the record for our investigator Clara, with whom we set a baptismal date for April 20. After reading through her record, we found out that Clara has had EIGHTEEN baptismal dates with various missionaries in different wards over the past 10 years, and even filled out a baptismal record. There have been 3 too many times where the font was filled and people in attendance at the baptism, but Clara never showed up. WELL, being the 19th and the LAST baptismal date to be set, after much prayer and talking, Sister Green and I decided to drop Clara, and focus our energy elsewhere. When she truly is ready for baptism, we explained to her that she is more than welcome to meet with Bischof Soucek and talk things out with him.

Wednesday we met with Natasha, a woman we called up two weeks ago and gave her a Book of Mormon. During our lesson (which went really well, by the way!), Natasha recieved a text message. After reading it, she paused, and then excitedly looked at us and said "I can tell you now! My nephew has just been elected as the President of Serbia!" Well, we were most definitely surprised at that news, and because she was so excited, we ended our appointment a little bit early. We ate Croatian oranges and listened to Bosnian folk music, and then commited her to read in Alma 32. Natasha is a really sweet lady, but has a lot of energy and not a very large attention span because she loves to talk, talk, talk! We invited her to dinner with a member, Angela, who is from Croatia, and we are hoping they make a good bond, having so many similarities.

Thursday we went once again all the way to Laa an der Thaya to help Familie Kaindel in a service project. The Kaindels own 3 homes and are preparing two of them to sell, but the yards were Austrian jungles. The Elders and Sister Green and I labored diligently for 5 long hours in the welcome, warm sunshine, and got a lot done! My weak missionary arms were sore for the next couple days, but as I told Sister Green, the first day of spring isn't complete without yard work! (I felt right at home -- reminds me of those many spring days working with Dad, Mom and even Papa in our yard) ! It felt really good to get down in the dirt and get my fingernails dirty! The Kaindels were so grateful, and they came to church yesterday for the first time in six months just to say thank you! I talked with Brother Kaindel after, and he said each time he looks at the work we did for him, he begins to cry. He also felt so good to be back at church, and he said he and his wife will make the two hour drive sacrifice to come back again next week, and the week after, and the week after. Now doesn't that just bring a warm fuzzy into your heart?

Friday we met with two potentials, Bashir and Alena. Consequently, the both of them wanted to meet at Stephan's Platz, and their appointments were within just an hour of each other. Our meeting with Bashir was excellent, and outside of giving him a Spanish Book of Mormon instead of a French one, we had a great meeting and look forward to our next appointment Tuesday.

As we waited to Alena in front of Stephansdom, enjoying the beautiful springtime weather, I heard "SISTERS!!" (You always know that mormons are in the neighborhood when you hear that) and turn to see 4 people rush toward Sister Green and I. Two of them, Elder and Sister Nye, were a missionary couple serving in the Czech-Slovak mission, and were visiting Vienna with their daughter and her husband for a day. We had a great discussion with the Nye's, and as we talked we felt so encouraged and supported. It was comforting to me to realize that no matter where we go in the world, we are known by members and nonmembers a like, and to have that support as a full-time missionary is priceless. 

Our appointment with Alena was somewhat of a flop.....she is from Slovakia, and it was neat to talk to her about my ancestors from there. She even recognized the name Matta as a Slovakian name! However, Alena said she wanted to meet with us in person to tell us she did not have interest, than doing it on the phone, because she felt like it was more polite. At least it was a face-to-face break up -- a little rare nowadays but nonetheless effective and she was really sweet about it.

Friday evening we were able to attend the Relief Soceity party for the anniversary of the Relief Society! Sister Green and I made brownies and gave a short presentation on the RS in the USA, what kind of activities we do, etc. It was so neat, and the sisters LOVED the pictures of and the letter from the Lindon 21st ward sisters!

Saturday we experienced small but mighty miracles as we participated in a new Vienna Zone activity called "Power Hour". From 3-4 pm each Saturday, all the missionaries in our Zone (close to 30 missionaries) will dedicate that hour strictly to finding. We called members before and asked them to pray for us as we were out during this power hour. Sister Green and I saw miracles! Each person we talked to in this hour, which was close to 15, we had a really good discussion about the Gospel with. We found a new potential investigator named Sunny, and will be meeting next week! Although we may have not set 5 baptismal dates and found 20 new investigators, Sister Green and I went home feeling SO GOOD in knowing that we worked really hard and it payed off.

This week I felt so incredibly blessed, and really felt the support of prayers and thoughts as I went about each day. My testimony of faith has also grown a lot this week. Sometimes we hit personal "ruts", or low points where we get discouraged and occasionally very beat down by the winds of the adversary. But as we continually hold fast to our ultimate source of strength, prayer and our Savior Jesus Christ, even when at first the burden doesn't seem to be lightened, the light and relief will surely come. Awareness of our weaknesses and shortcomings is not something that bring us down, in fact it should build us up, in knowing that we are not perfect and that we can indeed improve! How even more grateful I am for my loving Savior Jesus Christ, and for His Atonement, that I can repent and be made better.

I love you, pray for you, and wish you all the best this next week!

Liebe Grüße,
Sister Natalie Motto

"There IS Safety for the Soul"

Hallo Meine Lieben!

Greetings from a bright, blue-skied Vienna Austria! We were able to enjoy a beautiful Sunday yesterday at Church. Sundays have become my favorite day because we get to take the Sacrament! Each Sunday during the Sacrament prayer I love being able to sit quietly and contemplate and really think about the words being used. Pretty great stuff.

This week we saw many little miracles, which has been a testimony to me that the Lord really does work in the small and simple things, line upon line and precept upon precept. On Wednesday Sister Green and I did something we have never before done in Vienna: we went DOORING, or tracking and we did it for over three hours. We would "klingel" until somebody buzzed us in (doorbells are on the outside of apartment buildings, and you wait until the person you klingeled lets you in) and then we would run up to the top of the stairs and do missionary work the old fashioned way.  The joke in our mission is that you need to klingel 1000 doors to find one person who will let you in. At least in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, that's the norm.  Well, Sister Green and I klingled only about 31 (31???!!!)  before a cute young woman answered the door. She had long brown hair and it was apparent she was getting ready for something. We introduced ourselves as LDS missionaries and that we had a message for her about how her Heavenly Father loves her. This girl looked us up and down, gave us a funny look, and then laughed and said she was getting ready for work. She's a flight attendant and doesn't have a lot of time, and when she does she likes to spend it with family and reading. Sister Green then asked if she would like a free book, a book that meant so much it has become priceless, and that she would like to share it. We then shared testimony that if she read the book, we promised she would know God and how much He loves her. Not wanting to take up too much more of her time, we gave the book to the girl as well as our contact information, and she told us to come back in a week or two when she would be back in town on one of her longer breaks! Not even 45 seconds after, President Miles called us, and we were able to tell him our small but neat success story.

As a missionary it's always the little things that add up and make your work most rewarding. Even when you go an entire day without getting a single telephone number or having a single appointment, if you talked with everyone near you and gave your best to share your testimony about the Gospel, you go home feeling GOOD. Missionary work is exhausting, tiring, discouraging, stressful, maddening, frustrating and yet....we are able to love it because you lose yourself in His service AND when we are in the service of others..guess what?  WE ARE HAPPY!    It has been my experience and now I have such a strong testimony of it, that when we press forward and simple KEEP GOING, the Lord blesses us and will support us in our work..........We saw this with our miracle woman Natasha this past week.   

Former missionary sisters contacted Natasha in the early spring of last year. Not having any record of how much contact she has had, we decided to give her a call. When I called and after I explained who we were, Natasha got really excited and asked if we still had a book for her. The note written by Natasha's name was that she wanted a Book of Mormon. Thursday we went to her house and were able to give it to her. Natasha is a super cute and classy lady, is about 55, and comes originally from Bosnia. At the moment she was on her way to meet a friend, so we couldn't teach a lesson, but we were able to walk with Natasha to the strassenbahn and tell her more about our message and about the Book of Mormon. Natasha got SO EXCITED and her voice got higher and higher with excitement when we made our appointment. We made it for tomorrow, Tuesday, because Natasha wants her husband to be home as well. We were SO joyful to hear that and are preparing to teach her and her husband.

We were not able to meet with Nicole this week, but we keep daily contact through text messages and phone calls to discuss what Nicole is learning in her reading. We send her texts with quotes from prophets and notable speakers like Sheri Dew and Marjorie Hinckley, and she just LOVES it! We are meeting again Friday. I always look forward to appointments with Nicole. There is always such a special and unique Spirit there.

I have taken upon myself the great project of translating my patriarchal blessing into German. And man, is it HARD. But through it all (I've only translated the first 3 paragraphs) I have gained an ever stronger and more powerful than ever testimony that I am truly a Daughter of God. In translating my blessing, I have had to really focus on word choice, which has also led me to pay attention to what my blessing says. New details have been sticking out and I have begun to understand specific precautions or blessings, that I have never noticed before. There is no better gift than the scriptures, and think of having your very own personalized revelation directly from Heavenly Father!

I am so grateful to be a missionary. This work is hard, and exhausting!!! There have been many moments on my mission where I felt like I wouldn't make it one more step. Emotionally and mentally this work is draining. Just as muscles need to be worked out each day to be strengthened, my testimony has undergone the exact same endurance. Each day is a new marathon to run, but each day the marathons get easier, because we have done it before. As we nourish our aching souls with precious knowledge from the scriptures, the personal armor of prayer, and the soul-saving gift of the Atonement and sacrament, we will be given the energy to push forward, even when the storms come our way.

One of my very most favorite talks is by our dear Elder Holland...."Safety For The Soul".  I encourage you all to read or watch it.  Read these AMAZING quotes from that talk and enjoy this godly truth... for which I also testify: 

"Love. Healing. Help. Hope. The power of Christ to counter all troubles in all times—including the end of times. That is the safe harbor God wants for us in personal or public days of despair. That is the message with which the Book of Mormon begins, and that is the message with which it ends, calling all to “come unto Christ, and be perfected in him.” -- Elder Jeffrey R Holland

AND

"I ask that my testimony of the Book of Mormon and all that it implies, given today under my own oath and office, be recorded by men on earth and angels in heaven. I hope I have a few years left in my “last days,” but whether I do or do not, I want it absolutely clear when I stand before the judgment bar of God that I declared to the world, in the most straightforward language I could summon, that the Book of Mormon is true, that it came forth the way Joseph said it came forth and was given to bring happiness and hope to the faithful in the travail of the latter days."  --Elder Holland

I love you all and I hope you all have a wonderful special week.

Liebe Grüße,
Sister Natalie Hannah Motto

Beautiful stunning Vienna and her  "Volksoper"

SOOO tired today…...

A 180 turn and back to two!

Liebe Familie und Freunde,

WELL. This week took a 180 turn. Just as unexpected as our transfer news last week to become a "dritt", this week we recieved an exciting phonecall that we would be getting another sister in Vienna. Her name is Sister Friedrichs and she is waiting for her visa to Australia so she can begin her service in the Australia Melbourne Mission. Thursday morning we were told we would pick up Sister Friedrichs on Tuesday March 4. Within just a few hours we were informed we had 3 hours to buy tickets and get to the Vienna Airport to pick up Sister Friedrichs! Admist the chaos, we were able to get the apartment reorganized and get it set up for her. Sister Friedrichs is really sweet! She's from Lübeck ward and is 21. Her German is BEAUTIFUL and she has the sweetest personality. She has a great sense of humor and I think will really love working in the Vienna 4th ward with Sister Packer. Sister Green and I sind wieder ZWEI!!

Being in a dritt for 6 days was very different but also fun. I grew a lot in those few days...relying on the Lord and working to be more selfless and thoughtful of others.  We had a great Pday at Stephan's Platz and Stephan's Dome, one of the most beautiful areas of Vienna I've seen. We were able to walk the streets as it got dark, and all of the big buildings were beautifully lit.

Etwas lustiges (Something funny): on the way home from an appointment Wednesday night, we were waiting for our strassenbahn at Schottentor and noticed one of the members from the Wien 4 ward, Brother Kaldaran, was working at his sushi stand. We talked with him for a good 10 minutes and got into a conversation with his boss, who has heard a lot about the Church and spoke very highly of Brother Kaldaran. We were able to answer some questions and talk a little bit more about the Book of Mormon. As our strassenbahn pulled into Schottentor, the boss said "Jimmy, why don't you give these lovely, hardworking Sisters some of our best sushi?" Chaos ensued the next 30 seconds which involved Sister Green and I running to the Strassenbahn, Sister Packer grabbing one box of sushi, me getting almost squished by the strassenbahn doors, us holding up the strassenbahn, and a lady who waited in line behind us at the sushi place running us a second box with eggrolls. The hot eggrolls melted the plastic container, but regardless we enjoyed a warm, fresh meal of sushi on the way home. Yes, we ate it all before we got home, and took some pictures as proof. Hard working sister missionaries = hungry sister missionaries and you know HOW much I LOVE Sushi!!

Post Sushi

Hard working missionaries= hungry missionaries=sushi=happy missionaries!

At the Primary Fasching celebration

Friday we met with Nicole and had our best lesson yet!  We talked about the 2000 Stripling Warriors and focused on the theme that "they did not doubt, because their mothers knew." Nicole ensures that she and her children pray morning and night, and after she reads the Book of Mormon she tells the stories to her children and they discuss them! We taught Nicole, Nelia, and Davin the song "Armies of Helaman." I teared up a little bit as we sang (thank you Motto genes) and after, as Sister Green talked with Davin and Nelia, I was able to share my testimony of my mission with Nicole, and what it means to me. My heart is so full as I recount this experience: there have been countless number of times where the Spirit has confirmed to me that meeting Nicole and teaching her sweet family is exactly why I was called to Vienna. It is without a doubt I KNOW that I was sent here to meet Nicole, and for me to see her example of being a mother and being an "honest seeker of truth". She is MARVELOUS, and I am so very, very, very grateful for the opportunity of being able to teach Nicole the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Saturday Sister Green, the Elders, and myself helped Perry (our GML) and his wife Theresa (the Primary president) with the Primary Faschings party! We got some pretty great pictures and had such a great time being with the kids. (For all who are wondering, "Fasching" is the Austrian and German and Swiss version of Carnival....like a springtime version of Halloween. Think Topsy Turvy from The Hunchback of Notre Dame). Nicole and her kids came, and we also had some friends of Theresa and Perry come who aren't members. We were able to talk with them in a more "relaxed" and "normal" setting. I feel like it's always good to show nonmembers and investigators that us as missionaries are "normal" people too...... just with a different and unique calling.

We had a really neat district meeting, where President and Sister Miles were in attendance. We talked a lot about gifts and talents, and were encouraged by Elder Jensen (our district leader) to go through our patriarchal blessings and make a list of all our gifts and talents, and then write how we can best use our individual, God-given talents in our missionary work. It was really a neat experience, and I want to share mine with you.

Each of us is unique and different and we each have something special and individual to add to the work of the Lord. As I did this activity, I was very humbled because I quickly realized how many gifts the Lord does give us. It is very known to me that the Lord shows to us our weaknesses that we may be strong, but what I just discovered was that the Lord will often pick His WEAKEST to carry forth His great work. Just because we have weaknesses does not always mean we aren't "cut out for the job". In fact, it does mean we are qualified for it, and the Lord is simply waiting for us to answer His call. Nothing has rung more true for me here on my mission than the truth and fact that each of us is a beloved, treasured, precious Son or Daughter of the Almighty; our Heavenly Father is the most powerful being in the universe. Shouldn't that mean, that, when we have weaknesses, we simply should turn to Him and ask for His assistance, rather than leaning upon our own knowledge? I can promise that as each of us looks upon our weaknesses with humility rather than discouragement, and turn to God in prayer and desire to change and become better, He will send His hosts of angels to surround us and support us. And if you don't know that, go pray about it!

Ich hab euch ganz doll lieb. Have a WONDERFUL week!!

Your little Vienna missionary,
Sister Natalie Hannah Motto

Hump Day

Me and Vienna

Sister Packer and me

Familie Mörwald

Our Daily Bread…aka weekly groceries