"New Beginnings…a Lesson in Starting Over"

Dearest Family and Friends,

I love new beginnings....so grateful for them. And this new transfer will be another great beginning!

With the beginning of summer, comes lots of birds chirping, green rolling hills, picturesque and quaint warm evenings on cobblestone streets in small Swabian villages, a few bugs here and there, the air feeling sometimes so heavy with humidity that you want to wring the clouds out for a good shower....less clothing for the locals, ah hem...and eating a bit of gelato now and then. 

This transfer, I have the privilege of working with Sister Pentz from Colorado. She is 5 foot 10, blonde (another tall companion with 5'3" Sister Motto), blue-eyed, half Swiss, and super fun!! She's on her 3rd transfer, fresh from training, and I feel so lucky to work with such an enthusiastic missionary.  Already we have really connected well, haven't stopped laughing and are off to a fabulous start!  

This week was wonderful!!  We had a really inspiring district meeting Tuesday with the theme "Today We Do It the Lord's Way", and had time to reflect inwardly with "how often do I do missionary work HIS way?" Am I spending each and every second I breathe here on the mission, going about each act and saying each word with the exactness and precision in which He commands me? My new motto and mindset for my mission is simply that: Today (and each day for the rest of my life) I will do it His way. I will do things the Lord's way. I need to continually repent and try harder and give more. I cannot afford to NOT do things His way.

Avo, (our investigator Maria), will be leaving for Portugal tomorrow for the next two to three months. It was really hard saying goodbye, for both me and Sister Wunderli, and it's even harder to explain how hard it was for Avo. She waved from her front door step in the apartment building as we walked away from our appointment Wednesday evening. We were able to share one last lesson on the Plan of Salvation, and bear our testimonies to Maria about the blessings of the Gospel. She promised us to continue to pray and read in the Book of Mormon, and that she would visit church while in Portugal. She said if missionaries come to see her, she wanted them to be sisters. WELL.... since missionaries are pretty well connected ;) ;)...we figured we'd contact the Lisbon mission and found sister missionaries in her exact area to continue teaching her the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ!  We can't wait to follow up with them and see how it goes with Avo.

Thursday I picked up my awesome new companion from Stuttgart Bahnhof after spending the afternoon with the Ludwigsburg sister missionaries. It was way fun spending the day in Ludwigsburg and working with both Sister Powell and SIster Smiley at once, not just one of them from an Austausch :) They are great and fired up and we did some wonderful contacting and appointment gathering while waiting for Sister Pentz to arrive. 

Saturday we spent the afternoon teaching Lian with the Elders, her family, and some other members of our ward in a beautiful place near Nagold in the BLACK FOREST. We enjoyed some delicious German/Filipino style BBQ.  It was important for us to keep busy and working that day so we incorporated some valuable contacting and preaching in the area.  We ran into an older couple hiking and we had the prompting to stop and talk to them. We talked for about 20 minutes, and nothing much came out of it.  But you never know:)  We walked back to the BBQ platz when Bruder Rudloff, Lian's dad, came over to us and said, "Sisters, I have to say I am very impressed. Thank you so much for your small yet powerful example of missionary work just now." That was great.  Maybe by simply acting on the prompting to talk with the couple, we were an answer to Bruder Rudloff's prayers.

I have gained such a testimony of new beginnings. When I speak of new beginnings I, of course, think of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I most recently studied the talk Elder Bednar gave from this last conference, "Bear Up Their Burdens with Ease". I love what he says as he explains the Atonement. 

"Not only does the Atonement of Jesus Christ overcome the effects of the Fall of Adam and make possible the remission of our individual sins and transgressions, but His Atonement also enables us to do good and become better in ways that stretch far beyond our mortal capacities....It is one thing to know that Jesus Christ came to the earth to die for us. But we also need to appreciate that the Lord desires, through His Atonement and by the power of the Holy Ghost, to enliven us not only to guide but also to strengthen and heal us."

I leave my testimony with Elder Bednar. It is through the Atonement that we find sweet, unbelievable, heavenly relief from the pains of the world, and where we are quickened and encouraged and inspired to grow and become better individuals. How eternally grateful I am for the Atonement of Jesus Christ, that I can, in small and simple words, BE MADE BETTER.

I love you all so much. Thank you again for your incredible support and encouragement.  Now I got to get off this computer and get back to finding ALL the Lord's wonderful sheep!

All my love,

Your little Alpine Missionary

Sister Natalie Motto

Sister Natalie Hannah Motto

I learned to make Zopf!

The Old Ways Really Do Work Sometimes…a lesson in Humility

 Hello my wonderful Familie und Freunde!!!

Transfer news: I'm staying in Tübingen, remaining as this zones Sister Training Leader, and will be working with Sister Pentz coming from Linz. I'm so excited!!! (This will be Sister Pentz's 3rd transfer so she is still relatively new. She will be great!)

Tuesday was Zone Training and Zone Conference Held at the JAE (Young Adult) Center in Stuttgart. President and Sister Miles were our guests, and during our Zone Conference Portion our beloved MIles' spent the time sharing testimony and memories from their Mission. Following their remarks, they went around and hugged each and every missionary. I get emotional just writing this!! To receive that gesture of love from my beloved Mission presidents was something I will never forget. This I know is reason #1000 why I came to this mission. I feel so blessed to have had mission presidents such as the Miles'. They are such special people.........I feel so blessed. So, so, so blessed!

Saying good-byes to my beloved mission parents President and Sister Miles…very hard to bid farewell!

Due to our busy week with trainings and conferences, unfortunately there are no updates with Theresa, Michael, or Maria. This week was a hard week for all of them to meet, although we have been keeping in good contact with each of them. Thank you for your prayers in their behalf. I have such a testimony that prayer is truly power!!

I went on Austausch with cute Sister Smiley here in Tübingen this week!! Yep, that's her name, and she is indeed one very sweet and super cheery individual. We ate the best gelato, went door-ing for her first time (I had to take her, just even for a few minutes :) ), played Volleyball with the youth, and survived a hailstorm. For a brand new missionary I am deeply impressed with the maturity, enthusiasm, and drive Sister Smiley has. Her German is also excellent, and my split with her was a great learning experience for me.

ME with Sister Smiley!

This book is AWESOME!!!

And our miracle for the week...(I'm entitling this part..."The Old Ways Really Do Work Sometimes")

It all started off with our pretty depressing Pday last week. I was grateful to read all your letters but the city was barren because it was a Holiday, and even our reliable Turkish Internet shop was closed. Not to mention it was 36 degrees HOT plus humidity. Sister Wunderli and I resorted to riding the bus to our church building where we shared one computer, splitting our time, and watching old church VHS's while the other companion did emails. We were there for FIVE HOURS. It was long, slow and painfully boring....so I thought at the time.  I was able to enjoy an hour or two of practicing piano, but I must admit following our emails I ventured into a pretty selfish mood. We weren't able to accomplish anything that day. Worse feeling for missionaries!  About 30 minutes before we were supposed to be there our appointment fell out, and with no practical and timely mode of getting anywhere to go by on less actives etc,, Sister Wunderli and I resorted to some old fashion door to door tracking.   We doored not far from our own apartment, just up the street and up into a beautiful, wealthy area of Tübingen. We doored everyone......except one building. The first person we "klingeled" let us in and we walked up 3 flights of stairs to find exactly who it was. At the entry way stood a cute, fit older woman, about my height. She asked who we were and we told her we were the Mormon missionaries, and that we had a message about living prophets. Very nicely she told us she didn't have interest, and right before she closed the door I asked the woman if she knew of anyone who needed a message about Jesus Christ. Then something very out of the ordinary happened......the woman thought about it! Most of the time people say "NO!" and then slam the door. This cute woman thought and contemplated for about 30 seconds and then said "Well, the problem is most of the pPeople I'm thinking of live in the States. Ich bin eigentlich Amerikanerin ("Actually I am an American")  Without another pause I switched into English and said "I am too!!" This woman was pleasantly suprised and asked, "Well, where are you from? Wait, let me guess. Salt Lake City!" This woman, Carolyn, has been living in Germany for 40 years, and teaches English and German at the University here in Tübingen. We talked for another 5 or so minutes on her doorstep and then she asked, "I know you don't have much time, but would you two like to come in and get something to drink?" Of course we graciously accepted. :)

Within the next hour and a half, we were able to get to know Carolyn better, I had the opportunity to play piano for her and her husband Christoph, and most importantly Sister Wunderli and I told more about who we were as missionaries, and  were able to give a lesson on the Book of Mormon as another Testament of Jesus Christ. We told of Lehi and his sons, and their journey to the promised land. We taught about the Bible and how the Book of Mormon was written gleichzeitig, just on a different continent, and both bore testimony that the Book of Mormon is a testament for the Bible and a witness of Jesus Christ. We talked about answers to prayers and the promise that we will receive answers through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Christoph was not as open, but we gave Carolyn a Book of Mormon with our number and told her to call us if she ever had questions, respecting the fact she told us she, initially, did not have interest. Before we left Carolyn paused and asked, "Actually........if it's ok, can I just invite you over again?" We have an appointment with Carolyn and her husband next week after they return home from Berlin.

After returning to our apartment, following Carolyn and Christoph, I immediately went to my bed and got on my knees and prayed for forgiveness. I had been so prideful and ignorant. Yes, door-ing is not my first choice of missionary contacting, but one can still see blessings. Especially after Sister Wunderli's prayer of faith that we would find someone to give a Book of Mormon to, in my heart and in my head I was not in tune with the Spirit. I learned a great deal of humility and gratitude from my companion that day, and am very grateful that the Lord gave us the opportunity to teach Carolyn. We knocked probably 50 doors, but I guess it takes 50, and just as in the scriptures maybe 90 and 9 to find the 1. Just a lesson on pride......be humble enough to acknowledge and TRUST the Lord in everything, and have the faith that He really will place people in your path. Sometimes we just have to bite the bit and work a little bit harder for it then perhaps expected. Let this be a lesson to everyone who is planning on serving a mission that the old ways do really work sometimes!

This week, especially after our experience with Carolyn, I have studied more intently the Christlike Attribute of humility.:) Humility is indeed strength.  In humility we are strong, not weak as the world would have us think.  When we show gratitude, we express humility in recognizing the Lord's Hand in our life, for the thousands upon thousands of blessings He gives us each day.

I am so grateful to be a missionary, and for this prominent time in my life where I have the chance to learn and grow, to recognize mistakes and weaknesses of the past and, together with the Lord, repent and make things right, and then turn them into strengths.

I love being a missionary. I can't wait to find out what the Lord wants to teach me this week!!!! ;-D 

I love you all!!! Alles gute diese Woche!!

Your Little Schwes

Sister Natalie Hannah Motto

Don't You Love How This All Works?

Hello Family and Friends!!

Greetings from Tübingen!! Today is a holiday, and everything is closed. No one is on the street...but us, almost no buses are running, and Sister Wunderli and I are trying everything to try and not feel "stranded" on Tübingen Island. :) Germans take their holidays VERY seriously I have come to find out.

Furthermore my wonderful Germany has been acting a lot like Utah lately and decided that it was bored of last week's cold rainy weather, and the past few days have spiked from 15 degrees C to 35 and 36. Today is supposed to be somewhere around 35 I was told.....and right now it's 34 (That's 95F!!). This dry-climated Utah girl isn't used to the 92% humidity.......tis HOT HOT HOT here in Schwabenland and I'm melting!  

Naja sonst, otherwise, geht's mir sehr gut. This week was a little bit crazy and for a short while we were running around like chickens with our heads chopped off, but because we are determined sister missionaries we eventually got things under control. :)

Tuesday we met with a really sweet less active by the name of Schwester Prein. Missionaries have been having a really hard time getting a hold of her in the past, and one day Sister Wunderli and I tried calling and guess what?  She answered!  We set up an appointment and headed out to beautiful Bad Urach following District Meeting. Schwester Prein was a little, timid and cautious of us when we first arrived, and it was initially a little awkward trying to talk with her. We began asking her about her family, her hobbies, and soon enough she opened up to us. Our one hour scheduled appointment ended up being 2 hours! We began a discussion on the scriptures and the importance of prayer, and Schwester Prein told us about her conversion story when she met some of the first missionaries to be in East Germany.  She talked, and talked, and talked, (to make it all better it was all in Sächsisch-- you would have loved that Mom!) and she needed to, so it was A.O.K with us! 

Personally I have been always amazed at the faith and stalwart dedication the early German Saints had, especially those born in East Germany....and that makes me much more grateful to have been born in a time and in a land where religious freedom is given.  I used to hear stories from my parents about many of the early East German saints sacrifices -- in order to be able to worship how they chose.  What a blessing the ending of the cold war was for thousands and thousands of LDS saints who were able to see a temple built in Freiberg and to be able to see their once very small congregations grow with the flood of missionaries.  At the end of our appointment a happy, bubbly Schwester Prein asked us "now my lieblings. When will you come back?"  Well...nothing short of a MIRACLE!  This woman has wanted no contact from anyone in the past few years, and now wants to start meeting with us regularly and wants to eventually come back to church.  This was no credit to us...we are simply His humble servants who desire to bring Christ's message of hope and faith to the world.  She felt the Spirt from a loving Heavenly Father.  Don't you just love how this all works?

Wednesday we had an eating appointment with Schwester Anders, the mother of Britta Weilguni in Göppingen Branch, who I know very well. Schwester Anders' husband is not a member of the Church, and has been investigating the Church for 40 years. It's a long and somewhat complicated story, and he has a desire to be baptized, he just wants to feel the Spirit first..... Anyway, Bruder Anders is WAY cool. And guess where he is from?......That's right. VIENNA!  Because both the Elders and Sister Wunderli and I have all served in Austria, that's all we talked about during lunch. We ate schniztel and kartoffelsalat, and enjoyed for dessert fresh strawberry shakes. The food is awesome in Germany-- have I mentioned that before?  At the end of our lesson Sister Wunderli and I went to go by on a few former investigators and less actives in the area. The first lady we choose to go by on lives right by Schwester Anders, and after talking with Frau Braun (the lady who lives there currently), she has been dead for 15 years, and our ward list simply hasn't been properly updated. Frau Braun started speaking to us in German, and after I told her I was from America she began speaking in very poor English to me to make sure we knew where Frau Anders lived. "You's Mormone missionaries, yes? Frau Anders....uh....live.....on corner." It was really sweet that she was so helpful to direct us back to Schwester Anders. We met with Schwester Anders, laughed about the embarassing situation, and then went on. Schwester Anders told us that she had wanted to talk to this neighbor about the Church for some time, but just never knew how to begin.....another small miracle that we happened to go by on the wrong address!! Schwester Anders began a conversation with Frau Braun and we hope to maybe meet with her again soon.  Once again.....Don't you just love how this all works?

I had an amazing Austausch, exchange, with Sister Beth Winters this week in Stuttgart. Oh I love her!  It was so wonderful being reunited with my cute Lindon and elementary school friend!! We had a lot of fun together, including meeting a woman and having an appointment in a Psych ward......and that was a fun, laughable experience that I will have to share with you later. My computer time is running short.....

Love sister missionary exchanges with this sister!! 

Thanks Sister Winters for your hard work and great attitude!

I wanted to share what I learned this week during my personal study. I was reading in my "personal revelation journal" and was reflecting on the gift of personal revelation. What a special thing it is that our Heavenly Father answers our prayers, and so directly and personally. I have had a question in the past while, and through scripture study and prayer I have been hunting for my answer. Ofttimes, most of the time, we do not get our answers right away, and sometimes we have to act "blindly", using our best judgement. But because God cares about us SO MUCH, He will always answer. Pertaining to my concern, I was sitting on our couch one evening before bed listening to some quiet peaceful church music. It was then, in perfect stillness the thought came clearly, albeit softly to my mind "Give me your time now, and I promise I will make it worthwhile." And then the thought was gone. I can testify I know it was as in the scriptures, that as I was still, God would let me know my answer. I found that to be true with my mission as well. I got a "kind of, sort of, halfway" type answer, and as I acted upon my very small amount of knowledge, using my best judgement, Heavenly Father directed me to letting me know that yes, indeed, this was the right decision.  Don't you just love how this all works?

"Learn from the past, Dream of the future but live in the present"

I am so grateful to be a missionary. Sometimes, a lot of times, it is really hard. It is such a daily growing experience. And it's personal -- everyone faces challenges and its designed for each of us to figure it out for ourselves. How are we going to grow from this? What am I going to learn because of this? No one else could have, can, or ever will be able to learn and grow the same way I am learning and growing, even if they were in my exact position.....because my mission is personal and was made for me. Bottom line....... How grateful I am to be the Lord's servant here in the amazing Alpine German Speaking Mission. It is the most incredible gift I have ever been given.  I am just amazed how this all works. 

Me with Rachel from Goppingen.  It was so fun to see her again!

I love you all! I pray for you, and I hope you all have an amazing week!!!

Your little Missionary

Sister Natalie Motto

Fortune Favors the Bold

Liebe Familie und Freunde,

WHAT A WEEK!!!!  It all started with a super fun District Pday at the one and only Rittersport factory, here in the Tübingen area. It's the only place in the entire world Rittersport chocolate is made, that's why it is often so expensive outside of Germany. We were able to walk through the Museum and purchase chocolate bars for 30 cents each!!! (I bought about 30 bars for 10 Euro. I'm so proud. :) Now my problem is WHAT to do with that chocolate come transfer day.....)

Elder Badders and Elder Byers, our Elders here in Tübingen, joined us at our appointment visiting Maria. We talked last time about priesthood blessings, and this time we discussed the restoration a little bit more in joint with the priesthood. It was a very, very good lesson. Elder Byers was the one who gave Maria a blessing of comfort. Just like  a warm bucket of water, the Spirit flowed softly and sweetly into the room. Maria began to weep, and after the blessing she said she felt more whole. She expressed that she didn't feel anything extra powerful or overwhelming, but she felt just a Little more "whole". We talked more about the Book of Mormon and gave Maria a brand new Portuguese Book of Mormon for her to read, having lost her other one. I also gave her a  copy of "The Master", the new Lyceum Philharmonic CD. When we called Maria Saturday after we returned from Munich she said she had been listening to the CD all day. She said it made her feel so peaceful and good inside that she began to hum along while cleaning her apartment for fun.....something she hasn't done in a long, long time! I have such a testimony that positive, good, uplifting music heals the aching Spirit in ways that words cannot. We meet again with Maria on Tuesday.....this time to talk about the gift of the Holy Ghost and commit her to baptism. Fortune Favors the Bold!! (That's for you, my wonderful MTC district.)

We also met with Theresa, our investigator from Ghana. We found out she is meeting with Jehova's Witnesses, and a couple other religious groups, simply because she wants to obtain a better understanding of the Bible and who Jesus Christ is.  I have been reassured by the Spirit that He will do His job of testifying of Truth, as I continue to do my part of being prepared to teach to His promptings. Theresa had a lot of questions about Adam and Eve, and doesn't fully understand that we are NOT responsible for Adam's Transgression, and that we will be punished for OUR own sins. Because of that, she does not understand how Mary the Mother of Christ was a "pure and Chosen vessel", and in domino effect does not understand the role of Jesus Christ. It's been a road block, but we encouraged Theresa to keep reading in the Book of Mormon, which she has done so well! We asked her to read 1 Nephi 1, and in one week she read to chapter 5! She loves Nephi and admires his Courage. Our next lesson we will be really focusing on 2 Nephi 2, and the articles of faith. Theresa is a very, very intelligent individual who loves God and just wishes to find His true Church.

Etwas lustiges, we had a super funny run in with a man in our neighboring City of Reutlingen. Sister Wunderli and I got off the Train and a random man came up to us and said, "Hey are you Mormons???!!!"  He was SO EXCITED!! Before even getting in a word this man, Otto (ha! Otto-Motto), gave us a 5 Minute spiel of how he loves Ronald Regan, how he disagrees with a lot of things Obama is doing (like I know what he's doing? Im a missionary!) and also how he really likes Mitt Romney. Otto was in SLC quite a few years ago, and that's how he was introduced to the Church. Sister Wunderli and I got a total of maybe 5 words in before Otto grabbed our hands and said "God bless you, God's missionaries, God bless you!" And then he walked away. It was really cool and quite encouraging, I guess. I was just really disappointment and a little bit annoyed we couldn't give him the Book of Mormon that was in my hands!

This week we were also able to go to Mission Leadership Council!! Outside of having to take a bus to Munich this time, getting stuck in traffic for 2 hours, and being 1 hour late and the last ones into the Meeting, the travels went well. We sat next to a really neat greek lady who had just moved to Germany and was also going to Munich. She spoke a little bit of English, and we were able to talk with her the majority of the way about the Church. I was kicking myself a little because that morning before we left I had taken out of my bag a Greek Book of Mormon. This woman didn't have anything to read on the bus ride, and she didn't know enough English to read my English Book of Mormon. I felt so guilty and promised Heavenly Father to carry this Greek Book of Mormon around with me so that I am always prepared, and that the next Greek person I meet will be the posessor of  this precious gift. This Greek woman lives in nearby Pfullingen next to Maria, and so we are planning to simply go by one day and see how she is!! And, of course, bring a member who can translate Greek for us. :)

Mission Leadership Council was absolutely spectacular. Being a Sister Training Leader is really just about organizing transfers with the other sisters in the zone and helping them when needed, but I was so grateful for the opportunity to go to Munich again. Last time was a little different with Mission Tour Because the Miles are leaving soon, this particular Mission Leadership Council was SO spiritual and uplifting and tender. Sitting at the feet of President Miles, I was able to hear him bear the most powerful testimony of missionary work. The two days we were able to be with President and Sister Miles, to be under their instruction and hear their inspired Messages, was one of the greatest gift I have been given so far here on my Mission. It was THAT incredible. These two individuals have come to mean the world to me, and I feel so immensely blessed to have been under their care here in the Alpine German-speaking Mission. 

I just read in my personal scripture study 3 Nephi 11 and 12, the chapters where Jesus Christ appears on the American continent. I have the goal by June 12, my year mark in the field, to finish the Book of Mormon in German. For some reason, as I read these chapters in German, took on a completely different and powerful meaning for me. These chapters play such an important role in my testimony of the Book of Mormon. The very fact that Jesus Christ DID appear to the people in the Americas, that He ministered unto them and taught them and blessed them.....my heart swells with such gratitude. Truly, no man could have written the Book of Mormon alone. I am so grateful for the prophets and inspired and humbled men, who simply wrote down their testimonies, and for the Prophet Joseph Smith who through the power of God translated that book. It's hard to describe, but the Book of Mormon has come to mean the world to me here on my Mission. I KNOW without a doubt the Book of Mormon to be the word of God, that it truly is another testament of Jesus Christ, and that in partnership and in perfect harmony with the Bible, contains the fullness of gifts, blessings, and truth of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I am so grateful to be a missionary--I love you all so much! Have the most magnificent week!!!

Love your Little German-Austrian-Swiss Missionary,

Sister Natalie Hannah Motto

The Reality: This Work is Truly the Errand of Angels

Dearest Family and Friends,

What a marvelous and magical week this was!  We saw many, many miracles that truly led me to recognize and be more fully grateful for the importance of my calling as a missionary, that in all reality this work is truly the errand of angels.

We had a great appointment with a very sweet less active woman in our ward, Schwester Börner. We went with our Relief Society President Schwester Cyron, and had  cheesecake (German cheesecake, that is....not American at all!), and talked about the blessings of the temple. Schwester Börner did not know Schwester Cyron, her long time friend, was coming along, and Schwester Börner began to weep with joy when she saw Schwester Cyron with us at her door! An even more addition to this story is that Schwester Börner came to church on Sunday! We will be visiting her every other week and helping her with various house help, and giving a lesson.

We met with Mirjam also this week. When we first met Mirjam she was so very hesitant to take a Book of Mormon, and this lesson Sister Wunderli and I really wanted to stress the importance to her about the Book of Mormon and how it is the "keystone" of our religion. We enjoyed lunch together by making homemade käse spätzle....much like our American Mac N Cheese but SO much better!!  We wanted to talk to Mirjam about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the five steps of Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End are all essential and a process that is continuously repeated, but the lesson through the beautiful guidance of the Holy Ghost switched to the Restoration. We talked about Joseph Smith, his journey for truth, and at the end we shared our testimonies of the First Vision. I even got emotional when I shared it with Mirjam!! Sister Wunderli and I both have the blessings of the Gospel in our lives, we know what the Gospel message entails, and it is with greatest desire we wish others to have it as well. I think that's why I felt the Spirit was so strong when we taught Mirjam the Restoration, because I could see her for who she really was, I could feel her aches and frustration in confusion, and I desired more than anything for her to understand what we are giving her. At the end we gave her a Book of Mormon with our testimonies written inside, and she graciously accepted it. We challenged her to read the introduction, to write down questions she has about anything, and then to read the first chapter. We hope all goes well this week when we meet again....

We also met with Lian and her mom Lisa. We enjoyed freshly pressed apple juice, a few rounds of the game "Blinde Kuh" (German version of Marco Polo) and then talked about the ten commandments. We even watched the way old Church cartoon film for it on the church website, but Lian loved it and ate it up. She now has the goal to memorize the commandments in order in German and in English. So proud of our little girl!!

One miracle we witnessed this week was that with Maria. Maria was an investigator found by Elders in her homeland of Portugal, but she lived here in Germany. After teaching her three lessons she came back and told the missionaries here she wanted to be baptized. Within a few short weeks something happened, and Maria was afraid, and still had the desire to be baptized, but had many questions. We decided to stop by on this former investigator and she how she was. Our guidance to her on Friday was completely led by the Spirit. After getting lost and taking the wrong bus, being late to GMK, and thirsty and needing to use the restroom, we were about to turn back, but we still felt the impression to visit Maria. After arriving (finally) we klingeled Maria and no one answered. "Well great" I thought. But I wasn't about to not leave at least a note.....we traveled the entire way to her so might as well leave something. We klingeled her neighbor and told them we were to visit Maria so they'd let us in, and they didn't. Then, right before we were about to leave, Maria answered the door and let us in.

Our meeting with Maria was quite unexpected. She told us she was sick, very sick, and it was not anything nobody could cure. She broke down into tears and told us how she has very serious depression. She has sought help and was in therapy for 2 months, but that didn't help. The day we dropped by was the day she was thinking about taking her life to rid herself of the pain. We spent one hour testifying and teaching and sharing testimony of the incredible healing of the Atonement, and that this cross that Maria said she was carrying could be lifted. Perhaps not right away, but it would be lifted. Maria sobbed and at the end grabbed me in the biggest and strongest hug I've ever felt a 75 year old woman give, and she thanked us and thanked Heavenly Father for sending her "her angels." Maria is leaving to Portugal for a few weeks at the end of June with her daughter, but she said that we should come see her often before then and reteach her everything. She says she wants to be baptized because she knows the Church is true.


We also met with Lu this week! Lu is from China, and was first taught by Sister Smith (whom I replaced here in TÜ) and Sister Wunderli. He's a student at the university and has no religious background, but wants to know who this "God" everyone talks about is, and how he can relate his perspective of God to that of the laws of nature. In his mind, everything has a purpose for existing. We used the Elders, Elder Badders and Elder Byers, as joint teaches. It. Was. AWESOME. We talked about how God is our loving Heavenly Father, read in Alma 32 about faith, and how developing faith is something that takes time but once there and we continue to nourish it, it will be strong and mighty. Lu loved the metaphor to a mustard seed. At the end of our lesson, we taught him how to pray, and Lu, this sweet Chinese student who has no previous knowledge of his Father in Heaven, said the most humble and sincere prayer I have ever heard anyone give. He said, "I don't have to ask for anything if I don't want to, right?" I found that cute/really sweet. Lu then said his prayer, which consisted of "Dear Heavenly Father......" opened his eyes and looked at us and said, "did I say that right?" and continued to thank Him for the fun he had with the missionaries and that he could learn more about who He is. The Spirit was SO STRONG. It was incredible.

Etwas lustiges(Something funny).....one time Sister W and I really, really needed to use the restroom while waiting for our train. We were in a teeny, tiny little dorf in the middle of nowhere, and the only available WC was the local gambling center. We got so many strange looks when we walked in!! Thankfully I had my handy dandy disinfectant spray! 



Sister Wunderli, my cute little Hungarian companion, also asked me this week if they translated the Harry Potter movies from British English to American English. She's so funny and cute and we are having a wonderful experience together. Her German and English is coming along well!

We spent our Sunday dinner with Familie Dornhausen in the southern most part of our area of Albstadt. WHAT a GORGEOUS area! The Dornhausen's are our genealogy experts here in Tübingen, and have been doing genealogy for over 11 years. With the permission of President, we will be going every other Tuesday to help them with Genealogy. Schwester Dornhausen made delicious chicken and rice for dinner, and then played her accordion for us! Quite the German moment.....and it was heavenly.  I LOVE GERMANY!!!!! So so blessed to be here.

This week I read a talk from Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson titled "Be Ye Converted" and studied a little bit more about the prophet-warrior Joshua in the Old Testament. I absolutely love what Sister Oscarson taught when she emphasized the importance of being converted NOW. NOW is the time to gain our testimonies, and not just that, but to share them and be steadfast and immovable in the Gospel. This week I watched carefully as God taught me just a little more how my mission is another step in the conversion process, how this life-changing experience is one that blesses, tests, strengthens, and solidifies our conversion, if we but consecrate ourselves. It is that with each of us! We do not need to be full missionaries to have the experiences that lead to conversion as Joshua the prophet warrior experienced. We simply need to apply the LITTLE things into our daily routine, as prayer and scripture study and weekly partaking of the sacrament, that give us the spiritual nourishment that in today's world we so desperately need. It has therefore become my resolution to be as Joshua of old, to be converted and be converted NOW, because the time is running short! We need to harvest that white field and get to work!!

I love you all so  much. I feel your prayers strengthening me each and every day. How grateful and demütigt I feel to contribute if but even a small part to this great and marvelous work.

Have a wonderful week!!

Love your missionary
Sister Natalie Hannah Motto

A Mothers Day Miracle

Dearest Family and Friends,

What a blessing and wonderful gift it was to talk with you yesterday for Mother's Day!! I honestly thought I would come away homesick, but rather it was the opposite. I came away feeling so incredibly GRATEFUL for the family and support I have at home. Missionary work is hard, but knowing that there are prayers and support all in my behalf is very, very humbling and helps me resolve to work that much harder.  I know I am über-blessed to have the kind of family I have...I know for a fact that there are quite a few missionaries who I serve with who really have no one championing them from home.  Your sweet words of encouragement and your tears of joy are going to continue to carry me when the days get a little long.  It is with the knowledge of eternal families that this point really hits home.  We are eternal with no limits on our love.  Isn't that overwhelming to comprehend?  Wow, I sure love the Lord. 

Sister Motto and her horses…..never too far apart

This week was wonderful!!! Sister Wunderli and I are seeing our hard work begin to pay off as we had a week full of lessons! We saw the miracle yesterday at church when 3 less active families we have tried to contact came to church, along with 2 of our investigators!! It was so rewarding to see those people sitting in Sacrament and attending the seperate classes, and then to tell us later of how special it was for them to come and to see so much peace and happiness in their faces. It truly was a Mother's Day Miracle!!

One investigator in particular, Patricia, loved her first experience at church. Her daughter passed away 3 years ago to Lukemia, and since then Patricia has felt that there is something more to life, that her daughter isn't gone forever. Patricia is about 53 years old, and does facepaint for a living. She dresses like I did when I was 15, with flower headbands and skinny jeans and ballet flats. She is proud of the fact she cannot speak High German. Patricia believes in God and Jesus Christ, but also believes in angels....she's a character for sure, but has a heart of gold. We met last Monday at McDonald's, and outside of that being a little bit awkward, it was a wonderful appointment as we explained the entire Plan of Salvation. When we taught Patricia about the Spirit World and Resurrection, she slammed her hand down on the table and in crazy Schwäbisch said "I knew it!! I knew it!!" Patricia then promised us "mit meine' ganze' Herze'" that she would attend church Sunday. She was late, but made it for Relief Soceity, where Sister Wunderli and I taught the lesson. Patricia met Bischof Dobin, our Relief Society president, and many other wonderful members. Sunday night around 10pm Patricia texted us and said "I think this is a new beginning for me. Thank you for a wonderful and uplifiting time at your church. I love you both." She's coming again next Sunday and we have a meeting following with our Relief Society President.  Isn't that great?!   Our members in Austria and Germany are just the best.

Tuesday we met with Carina, our very sweet Neu Apostelische investigator. Her husband Oliver was baptized a member of our church last summer. Carina knows our church is true, but due to unrest in her family with her parents being completely against the Church (her father is one of the Anti-Mormon ringleaders in this area......), she has decided not to be baptized until a little bit later. We meet with her weekly at a member's house to crochet and eat and talk. Carina asked us how we came to know the church was true, because she had a concern that because she didn't have a big, angelic type of experience, she wanted to be sure that she could still recieve answers in smaller ways. We said OF COURSE!!!! Our awesome joint teach Samira (whose family is in Vienna stake and I know them well!) said something that ended up being an answer to MY own prayers. She said "It was all the little tesitmonies along the way that let me know it was true, instead of the individual moment."

This week I have really focused on how I personally recieve answers to prayers. As I go about my mission and teach people how to recieve answers to their prayers, I recognize more and more the way I find answers to mine. Heavenly Father is a God of Order. He is organized and perfect. In my little-bit-oldest-child/OCD female tendencies to want to know every little detail, and oftentimes immediately, I have been humbled as a missionary to learn that answers often come with TIME. Time is precious, and the greatest but most sparse here on a mission. As I begin to understand the divine nature of our Heavenly Father, I learn that He gives us understanding little by little because we (hopefully) learn to apply what we are given and use that, and then He will give us more. It's like a chocolate cake! Heavenly Father is wise in giving us only one slice at a time, rather than the entire cake, because He understands that we can only eat so much and if we ate the entire cake in one sitting, we just wouldn't appreciate it.

I am so grateful for the answers to my prayers I have recieved, and for the personal revelation I have been able to enjoy and treasure. God loves us and will give us the righteous desires of our hearts. In Matthew 7:7-11 it reads
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock,and it shall be opened unto you...For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seekethfindeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will hegive him a stone Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto yourchildren, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven givegood things to them that ask him?

It is my testimony that Heavenly Father treasures each of us so dearly, more than anyone in our Earthly life could even fathom to love us (and that being said, trying to comprehend the love of a mother is even too much!!). As we truly, deeply, and earnestly seek for Him, just as in D&C 88, when we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. I testify that He hears us! I know He hears me, even when we feel as small and forgotten as a fallen sparrow. And because of His Son, Jesus Christ, and His Atonement, They understand with perfection what we endure in this life, whether it be joys or sorrows and everything in between. I know He is there. Do you??

And, to end, a wonderful poem I found this morning during personal study.
When God makes a promise,
It remains forever true.
For everything God promises
He will unaterably do.
When you're disillusioned
and every hope is blighted
Recall the promises of God
and your faith will be relighted.

Let us always remember that because He will always give us His best, let us return the favor and give Him all we have, all we are, and all we will become. I promise it makes for a happier life!!

All my love this week dear friends and family!

Your 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