Arm in the door (SP)

August 12, 2013

Family and Friends!

Last week was crazy!  We met that lady and she´s investigating further!!  Woot woot!  I´m so glad we met with her.  I don´t know exactly what she needed, but it was so filling to speak with her and hear her just tell us ALL these wonderful things I couldn´t understand.  People are amazingly the same everywhere you go.  She was so sweet and although I couldn´t understand it all, she was just a gem.  The saying, "It´s the thought that counts," is so applicable haha.  Most of the time, I just sit there and smile with all the warmth my cheeks can muster and somehow the eye-communication I developed as a girl translates and I think they know I care.  What a blessing there´s so many people we can practice on!  Haha, some of them, poor awkward moments... But good times to laugh about :).  

Speaking of awkward hilarious moments.  Friday was my first taste of European rain.  It was actually a little cold but so beautiful.  That day we´d worked hard.  We´d set goals, we´d talked with people, done our best to invite (and understand the language).  We were on our way to a members house, the Arnolds, for an eating appointment and were riding the S-bahn (S-bahns and U-bahns are fast suberb trains we use for transportation).  We were about to board when we passed a guy who was smiling so huge at us.  Ahem, smiling does not always mean warm and friendly in my book of experience and when people smile at us first, I always have my creeper alert on.  People, men in particular, don´t always smile first unless there´s other intentions behind it.  You know.  So I always keep my creep alert on.  I categorized him as creepy and boarded a door down.  But my dear Sister Smith thought it would be a nice idea to go sit NEXT to him to strike up conversation.  Um HELLO, were my thoughts.  But we sit down with him and... turns out he was a really cool guy!  Hehehe...  Ahem.. ANYway...  He had tons of interest in what we were doing here as missionaries!  Um WHAT?!  We told him about the church and invited him.  He said he´d love to come.  I´m handing him a card and our stop comes.  Sister Smith is on her way out while I´m handing him a card and shaking his hand.  She exits and I go for the door, but it´s closing!  I run.  But I clearly see I won´t make it out.  There´s a moment of panic between us poor sisters that aren´t allowed to separate and would be scared to anyway.  Sister Smith being so obedient and loyal does the only thing she can to stay with me.  She keeps her arm in the door.  CLAMP (not to be confused with ´´snap.´´  No bones were broken).  I scramble to the door, and can hear her say Ow.  Ow.  Worried about my companion I use my muscles to pry the doors apart, which don´t move.  Now I´m really panicking.  The guy we met comes up behind me and pries open the door.  Sister Smith relieves her arm and I squeeze out.  If you´ve ever seen Horton Hears a Who, when the Mayor gets his arm shot with a numbing shot, THAT was the depiction here.  SO FUNNY.  I could NOT stop laughing.  The people I´m sure wrote all their friends on facebook about it.  I hope that guy comes to church.

The work is real.  On a more serious note, I´m so grateful for these moments.  Life is meant to be happy.  Til next week!

Faithfully Sister Packer