Let Virtue Garnish Thy Thoughts….and OOPS…we did it AGAIN!!!!

Hallo Familie und Freunde!!

Greetings from a bright, sunny and really WARM and springlike Vienna, Austria! (It was a bad idea to wear boots and tights today, that's how warm it is!)  Experiencing Vienna in Spring brings on a whole new meaning to the world heavenly.  Today we're headed off to explore the catacombs at Stephan's dome....how awesome is that?!

This week was really fantastic. We had Zone Training on Tuesday and Sister Allman (one of my mom's close friends daughter!) and I had Austausch directly after. Sister Allman has been on her mission for over a year, and before her mission did study abroad with BYU here in Vienna. (We actually met before the mission at the Study Abroad Orientation back in October 2012, and we talked for the whole 2 hours! Little did I know we would end up being in the same mission and would have the chance to work together!  Sister Allman's aunt is also a close friend of my moms..Kathleen Covey!!) Sister Allman is a fiesty, energetic missionary who is compassionate, loving, and very down to earth. We worked SO well together!! We took a special dinner break, got some seafood from Nordsee, and enjoyed shrimp and potatoes in front of the Opera House. (Perks of being with Sister Allman, who during study abroad found some great secret places here in Vienna!) We talked and talked and talked and TALKED. We met some super cool people, made appointments for this week, and then talked and talked some more. I think we talked the entire Austausch. :) It is always fun to work with other sisters, to get their ideas and learn different skills in day to day missionary work.

SINGING Toilets in Vienna!!!! Everything is so musical here…..

I LOVED working with Sister Allman!!!

Friday we met with Nicole again. We taught a lesson on Captain Moroni, and even made a Banner der Freiheit (Title of Liberty). For a change Nicole was late to her own appointment, and was a little flustered from just picking up Davin from school. A young newlywed couple in our ward, Anna and Emmanuel, came as our joint teaches. It was really neat to see how, after Emmanuel gave the opening prayer, the Spirit came into the room, the kids settled down, and we were able to read the story in Alma 48. From my hairline down to my toes, a warm sensation buzzed in my body as we read Alma 48:17, where we read what kind of man Moroni was. Davin took off his shirt and waved around our handmade Title of Liberty and would shout "Ich bin Maroni! Ich bin Maroni!" (Maroni is a type of food found here in Vienna, a nut-sort of warm treat.) We got a great laugh out of it, and Nicole loved the story. She shared an experience where, after we sent her her daily text message with a scripture, she kept reading, and read the entire chapter we assigned her!! Nicole seemed to burst when she said she felt so good when she did that, and she want us to assign her chapters to read now instead of verses. We didn't want to push her or overwhelm her with reading, and although we wanted it to be consisent, we are so proud of her and the progress she is making. I have a firm belief that she will be baptized in the near future. Her marital situation is still not the best, but I know God will provide a way for Nicole to make that covenant, especially as she continues to fast and pray for it.

UH OH.."it" happened:   Sister Green and I got separated AGAIN on the bahn (train) this week!!  AARGH! We were on the Strassenbahn coming home from the Young Adult Center, and I got off one Strassenbahn to get on to another strassenbahn line which would take us right home. It took me awhile to realize that Sister Green did NOT get off the bahn with me and kept riding it for 3 whole stops!! It was super crowded and I thought she was behind me. I went to the nearest call shop, called our phone, where a paniked Sister Green says "I'M SO SORRY BUT I GAVE SOMEBODY A BOOK OF MORMON PLEASE DON'T BE MAD AT ME!" Such a testimony that the Lord watches out for us: I was blessed with comfort and patience as we were separated all the while my wonderful comp Sister Green gave somebody a Book of Mormon.

Tuesday we had Zone Training, and our main topic of discussion was that of VIRTUE. Virtue means that we are clean and worthy, in thought and in deed, but also Virtue means that we are not prideful. Virtue means that we are repentant and meek, that we always seek after "that which is praiseworthy and of good report." (Article of Faith 13). Before my mission, virtue was something that I learned about in Young Women's, and had to do a 10 hour project for. But being a full-time missionary, I have coem to learn that we cannot go a day without virtue. When we are not having clean, righteous, UPLIFTING thoughts, our work is behindert. Who would have ever thought that virtue also means being Positive?....GOOD TO KNOW, huh???

I am so grateful for the support and love I get from each and every one of you. Almost 10 months out in the field, and not a day has gone by or has gone by that I forget to kneel in prayer of gratitude for the marvelous support team I have. I have been so blessed with stalwart and righteous friends, a loyal and loving and eternal family, and incredible, supportive ward members. I love you all so dearly, and from the very bottom of my heart I thank you for all that each of you have done to make my mission experience a little easier and more rewarding. I love you!!

Have a FANTASTIC week!

Liebe Grüße,
Sister Natalie Hannah Motto

"I have no idea what they are saying…."

"Sister Green, where is the my dictionary? No idea here."

"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

It's HALFTIME!

Hallo meine Lieben!

Halbzeit..wow, it's halt time of my mission! I never thought I would ever write those words to begin my email. This Friday I will celebrate one year after going to the temple for the first time as well as 9 months being in the mission field.

Time has gone unbelievably fast. Perhaps in some moments it wasn´t always so, but looking back I am literally shocked that time is where it is right now. Just as each day begins new, now is the time to set new goals and resolutions, and help myself improve and be better than ever before.

This week was a whirlwind. We had so much happen! Being in TWO wards now AND with an extra companion is definitely different and definitely an adjustment, but our loving Father in Heaven will only give us mountains that He knows we can climb.

First things first...We met with Clara, a lady who has been taught on and off with missionaries for the past ten years. She is half Hungarian, half Austrian and is probably the sweetest person I have met my entire mission. She is so humble and excited to commit to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She told us that now is the time for her to start fresh, and she is commited to be baptized on Easter, April 19!! We are thrilled. Clara is so sweet, and we are so excited for the opportunity to teach her and strengthen her testimony of the Gospel.

We also began teaching Zacheus, a 45 year old man from Nigeria who LOVES the Bible and God. We met up at Westbahnhof and had our lesson in the benches there. That lesson was one of the most powerful and spiritual of my mission. Even amidst the noise and chaos of people catching trains and running back and forth, it was as though we were sitting quitely in the Church -- completely surrounded in the bubble of the Holy Ghost.  Zacheus, just as all the Africans I´ve ever taught, knows the Bible inside and out, and had many questions as to why we need the Book of Mormon. When he asked why we need the Book of Mormon, we read the scripture in Ezekiel where it speaks of two sticks: the stick of Judah and the stick of Joseph. We also read in Matthew where it reads "in the mouth of two or three witnesses, (my) word shall be established.) Zacheus' eyes lit up with excitement, and we shared simple testimonies about the truths in the Book of Mormon. We gave Zacheus 3 Nephi 11 to read and will have an appointment next week.

This weekend we were able to enjoy a very special and unique Stake Conference. Broadcasted from Salt Lake City, we were able to hear from Elder Schwitzer of the Seventy, Sister Stephens of Relief Society, Elder Bednar, and Elder Hales, all speak to JUST the German saints. The entire meeting was centered on missionary work in Europe. The most special event of all, however, was the talk Elder Bednar gave. He gave it all in German...completely pure and untranslated. . It was BEAUTIFUL, and it was extremely touching to see the Vienna saints weep with joy to hear from an Apostle of the Lord in their own language. I will never forget what I felt seeing the members so happy. Honestly, I don´t remember anything Elder Bednar said, I only remember the powerful spirit that filled the room as he testified of the truthfulness of the Gospel, and of his love for the Saints in Germany and Austria.  It was a moment that will be forever imprinted in my heart.

Wonderful news! We met with Nicole again this week. She is progressing INCREDIBLY! We read the story of Lehi´s dream with her, and explained the symbolism of it. We talked about how much joy the Gospel brings us when we share it with others. We are hoping that Nicole will talk with her husband, Dennis, and have him be taught. We are also hoping to help her set an exact date goal for her baptism, and I know prayers on her behalf would be beneficial. I have such a testimony of prayer, even of the smallest and simpliest of prayers.

Being able to serve here in Vienna for one more transfer is such a great blessing. I truly love this city and it's people. When I was little and missionaries came home and would explain how much they love the people and land where they served, I never understood exactly what they meant. Now I know. The little puzzle piece that completes the picture in loving one's mission is CHARITY. Whether that be a mission as a full-time missionary, called and set-apart by the authority and power of God to serve His children, or our missions within our families and friends, the biggest key to happiness and being successful is charity.

Charity is deeper, more long standing, than normal, worldly love. Love is a product of charity. Charity is unwavering, strong, and genuine. When we have charity for others, we are unexplainably happy. Charity fills us with love, peace, comfort, and hope. It leads us to "go about doing good" to bless the lives of others. Just as Lehi and the fruit of the tree of life, the inexplicable joy we feel from the Gospel of Jesus Christ will be something we want to share. We want to fill our baskets and share with everyone the sweetness of this fruit, no matter the cost or sacrifice. This is what God has called me to do. I am so humbled to be able to partake of such a great responsibility and calling, to bring this basket of fruit over mountains and fields and plains, to help Him "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39)

I love you, my wonderful family and dearest friends. Your prayers are of great strength to me. Hold high the flame of your faith, and press ever forward in the work of the Lord!

Until next week!

Karlskirche in Wien

Auf Wiedersehen Elder Worthen!

Best group of sister missionaries….saying Good-Bye at the Bahnhof in Vienna on Transfer Day

"One of my wonderful high school friends…now one of my dearest missionary friends, Sister Winters saying goodbye to Austria and heading off to Stuttgart!" 

"My dearest and most loyal Sister Clark…good luck in Salzburg!"

"We DO have living Prophets!!!"

Hello Family and Friends!!

SERVUS from sunny, bright, blue-skied Vienna! It´s been about 2 weeks since we´ve seen full-on, radiant sunshine, so Sister Green and I are going to soak up this weather and head to Schloß Belvedere today! (A charming and unique castle in central Vienna).  Transfer calls are coming up towards the end of this week and I can honestly say that I have no idea what the next transfer holds for me.  All I can say is that I will go and do what the Lord commands...and with a great big smile on my face!

This week was FANTASTIC!!! We had Zone Training on Tuesday and were able to enjoy Zone Conference the following day. I just want to express how much I LOVE conferences and trainings, when all the missonaries come together, and we get to learn and teach one another. It is such a strength to be among peers who have the exact same goals and desires as you do. It´s powerful in so many ways --We are simply united in purpose and desire. We are THE Army of Helaman!

We had a really neat experience on the way to our stake center (where we had conference) that tied in perfectly of our Zone Conference theme of "Sharing the Message of Living Prophets". Sister Green and I were waiting for our straßenbahn (after just barely missing the first one), when we noticed a cute little tourist shop on the corner. We passed by and said hi to the man working. He asked me what we were doing, and after explaining that we were headed to a meeting with a bunch of our missionaries, he got really excited and said "I see you guys all the time! Who are you and what do you do?" I was able to tell him what we did as missionaries, and as missionaries we are called by a prophet of God to teach people about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This man Moh, seemed to GLOW with true inquisitiveness as he sincerely asked, "We have....prophets? Living prophets?" I was then able to share my testimony that we do indeed have a living prophet named Thomas S. Monson, and that through another prophet, Joseph Smith, we have the FULLNESS of the Gospel and the AUTHORITY of God restored to the Earth today. I told him about the Book of Mormon, and Moh asked how much he could pay to get one. (Needless to say he was even happier to hear the one in my hand was free!) The 15 minutes waiting for the next straßenbahn seemed like only 2. We were able to get Moh´s information and will be meeting with him this week!!  These are the kind of meetings I love...serendipitously, random but perfectly divine.

I know experiences like this one with Moh happen quite often all over the world in missionary work, but I cannot get over the powerful spirit each time it happens to me personally.  To stop and ask various people what they believe AND then to teach them what WE believe.......isn't as easy as it seems...because everyone has their agency. One of the most frustrating things about being a missionary is simply that:  Understanding that every child of God on earth can choose for themselves is often quite heartbreaking.  I am pretty certain that Heavenly Father feels the same way!  How grateful I am for the Atonement and to have re-dos and reviews and to repent. 

Speaking of agency.....every single one of our appointments fell out this week.  Gahhhhh!!!  Each and every one! We were so bummed, and I was very discouraged at first. But then I realized that everything happens for a reason and if all our appointments were falling out and nobody we went by on was home, there must be an individual out there that we needed to find in that moment. Right?  Glass half empty to glass half full:) Conversions don't come easy in this part of the world...it takes so much faith!!  Sister Green and I proceeded to call each potential ever written down in our Area Book, every former investigator, and every less active. We made probably 20 calls before Familie Kaindel, a less active family, answered. The Kaindels live really far away, and are really old, and therefore makes it really hard to come to Church. They were almost in tears when we called. They were so happy to get a call from the missionaries! We were able to set up an appointment for Thursday. (They live in Neudorf, which is literally right on the border of the Czech Republic...so it will be an adventure in itself to get there!)

Thought for this week?  Blessings come when we work --- and have faith.  After our phonecall session and a couple hours of going by on people and street contacting, we got phonecalls from Nicole, Ludwig (the blind actor), potentials, former investigators, and a less active family. We have appointments made for Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with these people! MIRACLES HAPPEN FAMILY!!!

I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for the opportunity and blessing I have had to serve here in this incredible city of Vienna. 

I know that the Lord has been mindful of ME...just like He is mindful of each of you. 

I love you all so much!!!

Schöne Woche meine Lieben!

One of my favorite things to do…accompany on the piano

VIenna Zone Conference February 2014

"Spare it a little longer"

Hallo meine Lieben!

Greetings from a very icy, cold, and still not super snowy Vienna! Although we may be close to freezing each day (just placed an order for thermals on lds.org....) our hearts are burning and are filled with the flame of the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

This week was a really decent and overall positive week. Our biggest focus was working with less actives and getting in touch with those Bishop Soucek put on our list. Bishop Soucek really wants us to help the many less actives in our area -- there are a lot -- and offer them any support and service where and when we can. As a missionary, it´s one thing to be teaching investigators and talking to people on the street, and then there is the other aspect of the work which is working with members and less actives. I have come to have such a love for these less active or inactive members. These people are wonderful beloved sons and daughters who may have strayed: I like to relate them to the one sheep who left the other 99. We, as representatives of the Shepherd, go to find these lost sheep, and help them come back to the flock. That makes so much sense to me...we all need each other, in times of need and also out of times of need.  That's why it's so important to find and teach these sweet less actives that not only does the Lord love and need them...but the members in Vienna do too!

In my personal scripture study, I just finished Jacob 5, where Jacob relates the story of the Olive tree. The Lord beckons all throughout these verses for diligent, patient, efficient servants to labor in His field. It is He who leads by example as He digs, nourishes, waters, and protects the vineyard. As His full time missionary, He has commisioned me to go forth and aid Him in this work. Where many people would perhaps abandon the trees that have grown unruly, or have begun to die and whither, it is the Lord that asks me, His servant, "Spare it a little longer" (v. 50) and care for that tree and help it flourish once more.

This week we were able to meet with a fantastic couple who have been inactive for a couple years. Arnulf is from Austria and Michelle is from Jamacia, but at 15 moved to NYC. Michelle began coming to church a couple weeks ago for the first time in about 4 years. I was able to talk with her for a full hour after church with Sister Green and hear all about her conversion story, how she met the missionaries, how she brought her husband to the church, and how she and her husband and son were all sealed in the Madrid temple in 2009. We were able to meet with them on Saturday for lunch. This family live in a cute little dorf about 20 minutes outside of Vienna in Himberg. This darling little Austrian village was soooooo charming and beautiful!  We are excited to work with this wonderful couple to help them come back to Church (upon request of Bishop) to help them prepare to return to the temple later this year.

One evening, Sister Green and I were doing "check-ins" on some less active sisters. We had a feeling to go visit one sister in particular, but she ended up being sick and asked us to come back later. Confused but determined to figure out why we had the prompting to visit her, we exited the building and  literally almost run into a cute older man bringing in his groceries. His pull-trolley with his groceries was quite heavy, and we assisted him to his apartment. His name is Franz and as we talked, we found out that his wife just recently passed away. We were able to tell him about the Plan of Salvation and about what we do as missionaries. We made a return appointment for Thursday evening and we are hoping to offer him peace and comfort about life after death and introduce him to the Book of Mormon.

Today we have an appointment with Ludwig, our blind, former-actor investigator! We are still waiting on his Book of Mormon on CD, so until then we will visit him weekly with Annika (a JAE in our ward) to read the Book of Mormon out loud and teach him the lessons. :)  I wish I could already tell you how it went...but you will have to wait...:)

This week the Elders got in contact with the Böhnel family, a less active family with a 21 year old son and 16 year old daughter. Unknown to us or the ward, Bruder Böhnel was killed in a motor accident early last year. Frau Böhnel is not a member. The Elders called us after they went by, and asked us to make contact with Frau Böhnel (Ingrid) so that we can go bacfk and teach her. She was very excited to hear about the Plan of Salvation, and especially at this time of the anniversary of her husband´s death, I personally am so grateful to have the knowledge and peace that the Gospel brings. I´ll be sure to keep you updated!

Things are going pretty well.  We are excited to teach many of our investigators this week and the ball is definitely rolling in the right direction. We have Zone Training tomorrow and Zone Conference on Wednesday.....There is LOTS going on, LOTS of work to do, and I am simply and heartfully so grateful to be a part of this great and marvelous latter day work. There is truly no better blessing than to be a full time missionary, and I feel SO SO BLESSED to be among His servants!

I love you family! Stay warm, safe, and happy, because I sure am! I think of you each day and am grateful for the strength that supplies me with. I feel your prayers and thoughts, and I pray and hope you know that you are always in mine.

Have a great week!!!!

Alles liebe,

Sister Natalie Motto

Es Schneit! Its Snowing!

Meine Familie und Freunde,

Greetings from a very cold and very snowy Vienna, Austria! (Finally the snow is falling...and all around is white and beautiful! Mom you were right...Vienna looks even more magical with the snow!) What a beautiful January (Jänner here in Austria) day to celebrate the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart! :) As I sit here in the freezing internet cafe, I am excited to tell you about our great week with fantastic appointments, including interviews on Friday with President and Sister Miles.  But I have to write fast before my fingers fall off…….

We were able to meet with Nicole and her family again this week and re-taught parts of the Plan of Salvation, with an emphasis on eternal families and the temple. We talked about family history, and Nicole found that to be "sehr sehr schön" . Nicole is making incredible progress! There was a moment during our lesson, talking about what a blessing the family is, that the Spirit filled my heart with warmth. In that moment, I was so very grateful for the family that I have been blessed with in my life, and that gratitude is simply overflowing and grows more and more each day.

Also in our week, we visited in our districts with the Miles. Again my interview went wonderful! President Miles is so positive, complementary and gracious. He loves the work we are doing in Vienna at this time!  I am so grateful for his wisdom and his love for all of the missionaries.  He gives great advice which comes directly from his heart. One can feel his genuine love for and trust in each missionary, and that means a lot to me. I love the feeling of energy and renewal of commitment after interviews, conferences, and trainings. It truly is incredible the power unity among missionaries, and our goals, and what it brings in missionary work! Sister Miles is also one of the cutest and sweetest missionary moms...she laughs and smiles with all of us, but at the same time, encouraging all of us to improve and work diligently. I feel so blessed to have the Miles´ as my mission parents! I feel so fortunate to have/had already such awesome companions -- I love Sister Green and she inspires me so much every day!

The Senior Couple in our District

Our awesome and amazing district enjoy Wienerscnitzel

This week, I have felt an overwhelming desire to express my love for my Father in Heaven. I have begun a little "Gratitude Journal" that I carry around with me, and whenever I feel a sense of gratitude for something or someone, I write it down. At the end of the day, I look at the list and offer a prayer of thanksgiving to Heavenly Father. 

I know He is there. He loves us. Whenever we feel alone, sad, discouraged, or weak, all it takes is us to get on our knees and whisper a prayer. Most of the time, getting down on our knees is the hardest part. But I can promise that as we kneel in prayer in gratitude for all we are given and are blessed with, our hearts and minds will be opened, and we will have a more illuminated, elevated, wholesome understanding of His love for each of us.

I love you all!!  I feel your prayers each day, and along with the strength which comes from the Lord Himself....that´s what keeps me going.

Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Sister Natalie Motto

"Trying to Save Men in Vienna" Sister Motto's missionary perspective this week

Hello meine liebe Familie und Freunde!!

This week has surely been one of the most interesting and adventurous that I have experienced so far!  Some of our funniest and most spiritual moments have been with old men (meant in the best way) --Heavenly Fathers wonderful Sons of God.  I'd better explain...here you go:

Last Monday following emails, Sister Green and I went grocery shopping at our favorite little store of Hofer. As we were loading our groceries into our bags, I noticed an older gentleman bending down next to us, to what appeared to be getting something from his walker-wheelchair basket. Well that is what we thought. Within seconds I noticed his face had completely gone white and began to go blue. My nursing/lifeguard instincts kicked in and I ran over and supported him on his back so he would not fall, and cried out for help. The sweet man, who at this point was still coherant, said "Tut mir leid, tut mir leid," (I'm so sorry, I'm sorry) over and over. I assured him everything would be ok, and asked for help again. Oddly enough nobody in the store helped me. The cashier just stared in panic, and I said over and over again, "Bitte Können Sie mir helfen?!"  (Can you please help me?!) The gentleman was really heavy, and I gave all I could to help support him so he would not fall and hit his head. Eventually, for what seemed like an hour but probably only 1 minute, two other women rushed from the back of the store (why nobody in line didn´t help I´m not sure) and helped me ease him down. One of these women, miraculoulsy, was a nurse, and as an other employee called the ambulance (144 instead of 911 I learned!), she provided the necessary care for him. Whew! This older gentleman ended up being ok (we believe), and Sister Green and I were able head on our way after about 30 minutes. Yes, stranger things have happened but this was just crazy unexpected!

Another awesome and unexpected story....two weeks ago, Sister Green and I recieved a call from one of our friends from the Wien 2 ward, a young adult named Annika. Annika lived in our ward when I first got here, and has done many joint teaches with us. She gave us a call and informed us she, on the errand of a friend, was requested to visit an older gentleman here in Vienna. She asked if we could come with her to visit him. We met Annika and on Wednesday visited Ludwig , who is supposedly a famous theater actor here in Vienna from about 20 years ago! He has since gone completely blind and is very ill and bedridden. What I first thought would be an appointment of just small talk, we sat and talked for almost a full hour just about the Book of Mormon.  That was such a wonderful, special conversation! Ludwig expressed his love for Jesus Christ, and he said "I can feel His love when you speak!"  He begged us to come back and visit and talk to him more about the Savior and the Book of Mormon so we will soon be going back with Annika to give Ludwig a Book of Mormon on CD for him to listen to, and to teach him more about the Gospel. We taught Ludwig about prayer, and as we pray to our Father in Heaven, we can always feel Him near, no matter what we are doing or where we may be. As we were leaving his apartment, Ludwig shouted from the other room, "Bleib Christus treu!"  (Stay faithful to Christ!) Here is a man with massive physical challenges who wants to become closer to the Savior.  AMAZING! I felt the Spirit come over me with such power in that moment, and I had such a firm confirmation that that is exactly the mindset we need to have each day. No matter what people say to us, as long as we stand by Him and preach His Gospel, we will have nothing to fear and we will have joy.

Just this past Friday as Sister Green and I were walking home from an appointment with a less active, we made the goal to say hi to everyone we saw --even when that means catching someone off guard and surprising them with non-typical culturally American greetings.(Germans and Austrians find it odd that you greet strangers on the street -- that is usually saved for people who are already acquainted) We saw a nice looking younger man and said very energetically, "HI!" He stopped us and said "Kennen wir uns?" as seemingly everyone does when we say hi to them) and I expressed that we were simply friendly and wanted to say hello. This man, maybe 25 years old or so, looked at my nametag and said "Hey! You are the people with the men dressed up always so nice, with the beautiful ties. Your men missionaries used to come over a few years ago, until we moved, and we have since lost their contact information. You are always so friendly. Don´t you have something to give people about what you believe?" Within 2 minutes we had Dragan´s address, phonenumber, and will be going to teach him, his sister, and mother later this week.  The Lord works in mysterious ways...even through his oftentimes overly eager sister missionaries:)

Overall, Sister Green and I had a fantastic week. We had a wonderful appointment with Nicole  and her kids also this week. We taught about the gift of the Holy Ghost, and at the end of the lesson Sister Green boldly and without hesitation commited Nicole to be baptized....and she said YES!!!! Nicole says she has set personal goals for herself as far as reading the Book of Mormon, prayer, and coming to church are concerned, and as we help her achieve those goals she will focus more on picking an exact date. HUGE progress, and we are simply BURSTING with happiness!!!

We have truly begun to see the fruits of our efforts come forth, and we have been able to harvest and partake of the sweetness. There is not a morning that I don´t wake up and think "which miracles will we see today?" Big or small, noticable or hidden, the Lord is always blessing us and placing miracles and gifts in our path.

I feel so blessed to be a missionary! I am so very grateful to be chosen to find people to teach in this incredible city.  Yep...the work is hard and sometimes can really get you down. But that´s when you take a breath, pause, get on your knees, and humbly ask "only with Thee can I continue forward." Then you get right back up and go to work. As we give God a reason to bless us, He will give us reasons to work, as He sends His prepared children to hear the message of the Everlasting Truth.

I love you all!! I pray for you, and I hope you know how much I love you.

Alles liebe,
Sister Motto

Sister Motto "Those Austrians -- I just love them!"

Liebe Freunde und Familie:

Hello from sunny, bright and blue-skied Vienna! OK...so I know it's winter here -- but it's been so mild and dry...perfect weather for missionaries.  We love having dry shoes.  Even with the unusual warm temps, the weather the past couple days has been absolutely stunning... no complaints here.  Many of the members have been saying its crazy that we haven´t had any snow yet. Apparently by this time last year they had knee-high snow. As missionaries we are feeling very blessed and are grateful for sunny skies, pleasant and dry cobbles to walk across and temps which allow us to stay outside a little longer during the day.  (It's been in the higher 30s and 40s rather than in the usual below freezing temps)

This week we had Zone Training, and we talked a lot about Finding and Teaching, as in Preach My Gospel.  We have such an incredible zone -- I love them and they all know how to work hard!  Sister Green (she was so nervous!) had an assignment to speak, gave a fantastic thought about the importance of being ourselves in missionary work and to "make friends" rather than "get numbers".  A wonderful perspective, ja? It made a lot of sense to Sister Green and me to try build on those common beliefs and allow our love for Heavenly Father's children to permeate their hearts.  Well...that is the plan.  As for those oftentimes stubborn Austrians, we hope it becomes their plan too!  I just love them!

This past week was much better than the "leave-us-alone-theme" of the previous holiday week.  Austrians know how to celebrate!  (Case in point...the New Years Eve firework display at midnight...our ears are still ringing!)  Thankfully we had some great success in finding quite a number of great potential investigators! We talked with so many people  and were able to make contact with many less actives and former investigators. That really is key, oder?  The more we talk to...the greater chance of finding...odds are always on the Lord's favor! We saw many blessings where we felt prompted to visit someone, and they wouldn´t end up being home, but we were able to teach and/or set up appointments to teach the people who lived there currently.  It was all in the little things that we saw God´s love and tender mercies. This week we had incredible lessons with Nicole M and her family, as well as Doris. Although these two women, Nicole and Doris, cannot completely progress onto baptism because of their marital situations (spouses will not give permission, sigh), I still feel so honored and blessed to go and teach them and to help them build their testimonies and help them draw closer to Christ, even though they cannot do so yet through the waters of baptism.

Funny, slightly awkward moment of the week: We had an appointment fall out at last minute with an awesome investigator named Sara. She texted us telling us she had a short-notice appointment come up for the Beschneidung for her son...no worries, we didn´t have a dictionary on us, so we texted the Elders to ask what Beschneidung meant. It was their response which made us kind of chuckle.....(meaning: circumcision)  Thankfully we have been able to reschedule and have an appointment with Sara later this week.

Now, it is common knowledge that everyone at some point on their mission, as well as through life, experiences ups and downs. To be completely honest, I feel like that happens more on a mission, especially here in Vienna, than anywhere else. One is SO aware of weaknesses and shortcomings on a mission, and I think it is because we are always striving to be the most effective and efficent servant of the Lord possible. I know that as I have gone about my mission, really trying to serve with my whole heart, I have recognized my weaknesses practically every day. THat part...is what I'm realizing...is for my good!  I shouldn't fear that process of humility and the more humble we become, the happier. When we are happier, we want to work harder and then success DOES come! I promise. And for that is what all missionaries are striving.

American Pasta Salad I made for the Ward Dinner

Sister Green and I enjoyed a beautiful sunset stroll on the way back home from a teaching appointment.  Our walk took us through the famous Zentral Friedhof (Central Cemetery)!  There we were greeted by my musical great-great-grandfather,  Franz Schubert, and his famous colleagues and musical geniuses, Bach, Beethoven,Mozart and Strauss.  Their gravestones and statues are incredibly beautiful and as dreary as a cemetery could possibly be...this one spoke to me.  I owe much to these special composers....who spent a lot of time with me during my formative years.  The hours and hours of piano practicing was difficult and tiring...but I got to know these men.  Their lyrical compositions are forever cemented in my brain and heart.  Now that I live here and preach the Gospel to the special people of Vienna Austria, I have become even more appreciative of classical music.  I firmly believe that these brilliant composers hands were guided by the Spirit and were influenced by a loving Heavenly Father. I can't wait to meet them one day.......and say thanks!

LDS area of the Central Cemetery!

Yesterday during Sacrament Meeting, I had the impression and thought come to mind how honored I feel to be a missionary serving in the Alpine German Speaking Mission.  All of these people have become so dear to me.  I really feel very comfortable and at home.  There have been many of moments where I recognized exactly WHY I was sent here, whether it was to meet a specific person or to learn a specific attribute, I know why I am here, and I am so very grateful.  I can't wait to wake up tomorrow and know that I get to teach the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ!!!!

I hope you have a great week!! I love you all so much, and I encourage you to turn to your loving Father in Heaven, and to always and forever seek His guidance. Wherever we may go, He is our Family and our Home, however far away we will be from our earthly home.

I love you!! Until next week!!

Alles liebe,
Sister Natalie Hannah Motto

Christmas in Vienna...Mass at Stephensdom...the New Year

WONDERFUL FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!!

 

What a fantastic week this was!! First off, I LOVED being able to talk to you!!!!!! What an amazing Christmas & Birthday gift it was to be able to talk over Skype. I never thought that day would come where I would be able to Skype home and now it`s schon vorbei! That experience was one I will never forget! Skyping with you offered me your incredible love and support. I am so blessed to have a family such as you!

 

Christmas Eve (which is celebrated more here than the 25th) we spent with the Schmid family and the Huy family. We were able to enjoy a delicious lunch at the Schmid´s, complete with knödel and Schweinbrat. It. Was. DELICIOUS. (Let me just say I am very happy I got to maintain Brown/Motto family tradition of eating a German meal for Christmas Eve.) After dinner we were able to attend Midnight Mass at the majestic Stephan´s Dome with the Huy`s and the rest of the missionaries in Vienna. What an experience that was --culturally and religiously very interesting. Over 500 people came to the mass and it was enitrely in German, not Latin like I thought it might be, so I was able to understand it.  Imagine people from all walks of life, most dressed in their finest traditional Austrian trachten, coming together to celebrate the birth of the Savior.  As I sat there and observed, I pondered that many of these people are probably "once-a-year Church goers"....and believing that honoring their Savior in this way is completely sufficient.  Alas ..this is why we are here...to remind His children that there is more!  

Overall it was really an amazing experience and one I will never forget.  As we waited in line, we talked to a super fun couple from Seattle who was traveling Vienna for Christmas. We talked to them for 2 hours while we waited, and had a really great discussion about the Church and what we do as missionaries. This couple was so warm and friendly and very curious about what we believed, and what the differences between us and the Catholic church were. They found it amusing how many missionaries were at the Mass, and afterward we exchanged information. The also sang me happy birthday after the mass was over!  So sweet of them....and strangely reminded me that it actually was my birthday! I was so caught up in the cultural experience and the moments of celebrating Christmas...that I forgot I was turning 20.  I feel so blessed to be able to be here as a missionary on Christmas and to have this 20th birthday!

 

We were able to spend Christmas Day with our Relief Society President and another cute single lady from our ward. They made us a beautiful lunch....I feel like I've been eating so much! I am still feeling full! I am so grateful to incredible ward members who support us and take care of us. Overall, this Christmas was wonderful, and one I will never forget. Now I know what people say when they mean that Christmas will be the most special on your mission. I was able to contemplate and really, truly, deeply focus on the meaning of Christmas. I am so grateful to my Father in Heaven for the opportunity I have each day to focus my energy and thoughts on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and how that made my Christmas THAT much more special. 

 

Now that the Christmas season is over-- it´s now time to floor the gas pedal and work that much harder as a missionary! Making goals is something not strange to missionary life, and I look forward to making resolutions for myself for this next year of 2014. Also, as a missionary, it´s really interesting to know the difference between diligently and prayerfully setting goals and accomplishing them, as opposed to setting goals just to set them. 

 

It is my testimony that in this new year, we can be completely made new. Just like in baptism! Exactly 12 years ago tomorrow, I made a very big step. I didn´t quite understand it, but in that font in Chicago, Illinois, I made one of the best choices of eternity. Through that decision to be baptized and receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost, so many unseen and seen blessings have come into my life. 

 

I am so grateful for all of you and for your support and love. Talking with you gave me such strength and peace in knowing that all is well at home. I pray for you all by name, each and every day, and I cannot wait to talk to you again very, very soon. Know that I love you and am eternally grateful to be your family!!

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Guten Rütsch!

 

Alles liebe,

Sister Natalie Motto

"Most rewarding Year of my Life -- Christmas Greetings from Sister Motto"

Hallo Familie und Freunde,

Meine Güte -- It's almost WEIHNACHTEN!!! The missionaries throughout our mission, myself very much included, are so excited for the opportunity to Skype home and talk with our families. I am so excited to see my wonderful family and feel of your love and joy face to face.   My bonus, in particular on this day....which very few can say, is that I get to see you for my birthday!  I know that Mom says she hates the idea of ever not being with me on my birthday.  Well, guess what?  You got your wish Mom!

This week we had Christmas Conference with President and Sister Miles.  Thoroughly enjoyable and uplifting, the Miles arranged for us to enjoy some good food, games, music, and a beautiful thought. We recieved packages, letters, and really were able to enjoy the time together as missionaries. I have realized more and more over the past few weeks what a blessing it is to be a missionary during this Christmas season. It brings a joy I cannot really describe. What a gift it is to be able to get together and sing praises in celebration of our Lord´s birth. And Christmas is only the beginning!  I know that you have been praying that I would not feel down because of not being home during this family oriented, special time of year.  Gratefully and as though our Heavenly Father has specifically heard your prayers, I am buoyed up and blessed to feel so much happiness, gratitude and pure love.  I am reminded daily through His Spirit that it's NOT about me.  I have been set apart to bring good will and the knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to His children!  It's not hard to feel fulfillment and peace when you forget about yourself, focus on the Savior and follow His example.  All year round we have the opportunity to remember Him and His life, and the ever-significant role He has in Heavenly Father´s Plan of Happiness. How grateful I am for the knowledge I have of Heavenly Father´s plan, and for the testimony that I have to share with others. What a GIFT it is to be a missionary this time of year!  I know that repaying Him is not possible other than; living a Christ centered life, keeping the commandments, receiving those critical and eternal covenants and

Following Christmas conference, we were able to go caroling as a zone at Rathaus Weihnachtsmarkt (It's a huge Christmas market right down town in the historical area of Vienna and near Ringstrasse)! That was such a fun and exciting experience that I will never forget -- one of those "once in a lifetime" moments. I wish that I could have had you on face time.  You would have enjoyed watching us. In fact we did have a huge crowd follow us around us and take pictures, filmed us, and sang along. I wouldn´t be surprised if we were on Instagram and youtube by now.... :) And the best part is that we were able to get quite a few referrals for other missions (Rathaus is very international) and were able to share the message of the Restoration with many. What greater gift can there be this Christmas than the gift of the Gospel?

I went on Austausch this week with Sister Regnier who hails from sunny California. She is currently serving with Sister Judd in Graz. Sister Regnier is so amazing! We had a great time together! She is really sweet and very spiritual, and a very hard working missionary. Outside of getting lost visiting less actives (seems to be a trend with me....sheesh) and having all 4 of our appointments for that day fall out, it was a great exchange to get to work with and get to know Sister Regnier better.

Unfortunately due to our and her schedules, we weren´t able to meet with Frau Eiser this week. We have kept good contact almost every day and we are able over the phone to help answer her questions (as well as remind her about) in her Book of Mormon reading. She is a very sweet lady and I am so grateful for the opportunity to teach her.  She remains very interested in the Book of Mormon  and learning more about the church. As a missionary, it is really fun to look back and try and count all the times you have shared your testimony with someone or taught someone a lesson. The lessons and moments that stand out to me the most, however, are when not only I felt the Spirit, but the investigator did as well. Those moments are so cherished and beautiful, and are small little reminders of the joy as described in D&C 18.

I´ve got a funny story for you (debating whether or not I should save it for Skype....but I guess I´ll tell it now and elaborate more later.) Sister Green, the Elders, and myself were on our way home from a Family Home Evening with a family in our ward. We rode the S-bahn (schnell bahn) home and I was sure to tell Sister Green we needed to get off at the Gersthof stop. After that, we separated a little and went to talk with different people on the train. A few stops later at Gersthof, I got off and began looking for my companion. She was nowhere in sight. Having gotten off right where the Elders were sitting, they watched and laughed as I began to frantically look for my companion. The ÖBB train doors slammed shut, and my heart dropped as I watched the train pull away. Elders Worthen and Jensen began to laugh really hard, and I gestured to them to call Sister Green, who thankfully had the phone. As the schnellbahn pulled out of Gersthof, I saw Sister Green in the window talking with a young woman. She saw me on the platform, and her face was priceless! I began to laugh, and gestured to her to call the elders. Then the train was gone. I never thought in my entire mission that I would be separated from my companion this way. THANKFULLY Sister Green and I discussed an "emergency plan" in case we were ever separated on an Ubahn usw, that I would always come to her. I sat peacefully on the gangplank until the next schnellbahn came 12 minutes later and met Sister Green and the Elders at the next stop Krottenbach. I was very calm during the whole process, definitely a blessing from heaven, because a little American Mormon missionary lost ALONE in Vienna isn´t probably the best scenario. I was able to talk with a woman who traveled with me on the train to Krottenbach, and was able to teach her about the Restoration! That was a tender mercy. Needless to say, after this experience, Sister Green and I have remained in eye contact to eachother! (We later told this story to President Miles and he just laughed and laughed.  I assume we are not the first ones to have this experience.)

I hope this email finds you all healthy, well, and excited for CHRISTMAS! I have felt so peaceful deep inside my soul, and i know it is due to the prayers and love being felt in my behalf. I read a talk this morning by Elder Nelson from the most recent conference, "Decisions for Eternity." As I read this talk, I was overwhelmed with love from my Father in Heaven. This life changing decision to serve the Lord has shaped and molded me in unbelievable ways.  I have had experiences and moments where I have been able to feast upon the Spirit, and through which I have gained priceless knowledge and personal revelation. In return from these blessings and experiences, I have become a more diligent and effective missionary. I am still learning, still making mistakes, but always  moving forward in the best way I know how. As Elder Nelson stated, "Each day is a day of decision, and our decisions determine our destiny."

This year has been the most rewarding of my entire life, and I am so thankful for the chance to spend my year of 2014 in the service of my God.

I pray that each of you will be reminded in a very special way that Jesus, whose birth we celebrate this week, is the Savior. My heart is so full!! I love you all SO MUCH!!! May your Christmas be warm, merry, white, and bright! And, of course, enjoy a very happy and wonderful new year.

Frohe Weihnachten!

Sister Natalie Hannah Motto