Liebe Grüße!!! 

I really just don't know what happened. "The time passed away... like as it were unto us a dream. (Jacob 7: 26)" When you first come on a mission, it feels like you just never will leave. I still never had that feeling until this week. I had my last interview with President Boyer. It was just crazy. He's one of my favorite people, and he's definitely called of God. 

I've had a lot of time to reflect on the last two years. It's just crazy is what I can say. I need to ask myself if that all really did happen. I've had awesome companions and investigators, and one of my favorite parts was getting to know the amazing members here. The church here needs to just grow. It hurts me to see such small congregations in such a populated area. I love the people here. I've met with Muslim missionaries, pastors from other denominations, Jehovah's witnesses (of course), anti Mormons, anti Christs, straight up atheists, and investigators that know there way around the Bible better than I know my way around soccer. My faith has been put to the test like none other, both on a spiritual and doctrinal level, as well as putting faith into the practice. It's been hard. Really rough and hard. Like, really. But I have a testimony of his statement: "dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." and "whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast... (Ether 12: 6, 4)"  This is my favorite scripture: "...the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1: 7)." 

In my last district meeting I was asked to talk about what I learned throughout my mission. First of all I want to say that I could list 100 things that I've learned, but I will only name three that kind of overarch them all. 

1. Elder Ballard said, "What matters most is what lasts longest..." 

So what lasts the longest? Our relationship with God, and our relationship to our family. 
Jesus Christ said, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. (Matthew 6: 19-22) Our goals and ambitions determine our actions. If our goals are eternal, then our actions will show it. God has the first priority in my life. I know he's there. Families are eternal. I'm thankful for my family and I love them more than anything. "For our conversation is in heaven... (Philippians 3: 20)"  

2. I love this quote from Joseph Smith, "If men do not comprehend the nature of God, they do not comprehend themselves." 

The first and greatest commandment is, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (Matthew 22: 37)" "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (John 17: 3)" I could talk about this topic for hours. I've had so many experiences hat have brought me closer to God, and that have helped me to learn His nature, how He is. "Ask yourselves; turn your thoughts into your hearts... What kind of being is God? Does any man or woman know? Have any of you seen Him, heard Him, or communed with Him? This is a question that may occupy your attention for a long time." It's hard for me to put my thoughts and feelings into words, but I think the word of the Prophet Joseph Smith explain it best: "These ideas are incomprehensible to some, but they are simple. It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God, and to know that we may converse with Him as one man converses with another... When we understand the character of God, and know how to come to Him, he begins to unfold the heavens to us, and to tell us all about it. When we are ready to come to him, he is ready to come to us." I know that God is there. He is our father and we are His children. He loves us, and I love Him. This doctrine that we learn as sunbeams has carried me through the darkest parts of my mission, and has made me cry like a little girl. 

3. And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order. (Mosiah 4: 27)

God doesn't expect instant perfectionism (which is one of His characteristics). He expects that we do our best. We reach perfection only through His Son, Jesus Christ (Moroni 10: 32-33)

I've loved serving in Germany, and I'm going to miss it like crazy. It hasn't been easy, but definitely rewarding. I love the people here. I know that this church is the true church of Jesus Christ. It's been restored through Joseph Smith. The Book of Mormon is true. The Bible is true. We have prophets today that continue to receive revelation from God. God lives. Jesus Christ is His Son, and He really did perform the Atonement for us. I have experienced it, and I can't deny it. How could I receive answers and feelings from someone that's not there? "and this because you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand. O then, is not this real? I say unto you, Yea, because it is light; and whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible, therefore ye must know that it is good..." 

Yes! This is real!

Vielen Dank für alles! Ich habe euch alle lieb! My homecoming talk will be on the 29th of April at the Church Building at Park Haven Lane, Riverton, Utah (~4500 West 11800 South) I don't know at what time. I think 11:00 am (it is at 1 pm). I'll get back on for those that want to come.

Auf Wiedersehen!!!

Liebe Grüße!! 

This week has been another good one! Elder Rothwell and I get along really well. We've been starting to work with students at the college here in Coburg. They're way cool and way open. We've got a couple of cool appointments set up for this week! 

Other than that not too much new going on. General Conference was awesome! President Nelson is really a prophet. I can't remember who said it, but he said "If something doesn't change, it stays the same." Pretty self explanatory, but also a true statement. If we want to make progress, we need to change. 

Vielen Dank für alles! Ich habe euch alle lieb! 

P-Day in Bamberg

Liebe Grüße! 

This week has been good! Elder Rothwell and I work really well together, and the work is pushing slowly forward. 

So this week we did a ton of service with members. It was really good. The members here are awesome, and we have a really good relationship with them. 

So last week after p day was pretty funny. We were in the train back from Nürnberg, and a huge group of Italian high schoolers got into the train and sat all around Elder Rothwell and I. After a couple of minutes, one of the girls turned to us and asked if we are Mormons. We said yes, and then she asked for an explanation about angel Moroni and Joseph Smith. So we did. It turns out that she already downloaded the Book of Mormon on her phone. By this point, pretty much the whole group was listening in on our conversation. We then just started talking. We talked about Juventus and AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, and the World Cup (funny because Italy isn't in it, neither is the US). Then they started teaching us Italian words. I couldn't resist it, and I started talking with an exaggerated Italian accent, like I did with Giacomo when he was in the US. I don't think they liked it too much, but I did it anyway. There were probably about 30 of them. 

So for Easter, I wanted to share a quote from Elder Ashton in 2004. He said, "What possible pearl could be worth such a price--for Him and for us? This earth is not our home. We are away at school, trying to master the lessons of “the great plan of happiness” so we can return home and know what it means to be there. Over and over the Lord tells us why the plan is worth our sacrifice--and His. Eve called it “the joy of our redemption.” Jacob called it “that happiness which is prepared for the saints.” Of necessity, the plan is full of thorns and tears--His and ours. But because He and we are so totally in this together, our being “at one” with Him in overcoming all opposition will itself bring us “incomprehensible joy.”" 

Frohe Ostern!!

Puma Headquarters

Die Missionsarbeit 

Liebe Grüße! 

This week was pretty good! We were able to meet with some of our investigators, which is always good. My toe is finally at least 70% so that means I can go outside and do missionary work. It feels good. 

We were asked from the ward to hold a class for all of the stake youth. The topic for the conference was "There is no death, here is only the force." So it was Star Wars themed, and we had to tie that all into the gospel. It was pretty good. The word "force" in German is translated "Macht" which means "power," so we talked about bringing the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ into our lives. All I can say is that I hope I wasn't so awkward and quiet as a teenager. I probably was. Schade. The class was good though. 

So Elder Uhlig was transferred to Heidelberg, spanisch speaking. My new companion for 4 weeks is Elder Rothwell. We get along well. He's funny. We're doing work. 

So something I've been thinking a lot about recently is the nature of God, his character, and traits. In John 17: 3 it says "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." Joseph Smith said "if a man doesn't understand the nature of God, then he doesn't understand himself." In my opinion it's the most important thing to have a correct view of God. We learn about God by reading the scriptures, going to church, and speaking to Him through prayer. 

Vielen Dank für die Unterstützung! Ich habe euch alle lieb! 

Elder Uhlig and I on his last day.

Wir sind tatsächlich in Bayern! 

Liebe Grüße! 

This week has been good. We had to stay in the apartment a lot because of my operation on my toe. A lot of missionary work didn't get done, but we did what we could! 

It also gave us a lot of time to study. The scriptures and words of the modern day prophets are amazing. I feel like the more I read them, the more impressed I become from them. I've been spending especially a lot of time in the words of modern day prophets. I like this quote from President Kimball: "If men are really humble, they will realize that they discover, but do not create, truth." The truth is there. God created it. We don't create it in our opinions. It's up to us to discover it through, prayer and study. 

The members here are just amazing. The ward here ist really like a big family. That's the purpose of the organization. 

Vielen Dank für die Unterstützung! Ich habe euch alle lieb!

Our Hike in Bad Staffelstein

Liebe Grüße! 

This week was good! We had Zone Conference in Nürnberg. It was good. We talked about how we could use the Book of Mormon more effectively. 

So cool experience. I have an ingrown toenail. We were on the way to the doctors, and had time to talk to literally one person. It turns out, that the one person we talked to was a girl with a newborn child, and she is pretty interested. So we have an appointment tomorrow, and she asked if she could invite a friend to also meet with us. That was cool. 

So this week I read this quote from Elder Hales: "Some wonder, why is belief in God so important?... Without God, life would end at the grave and our mortal experiences would have no purpose. Growth and progress would be temporary, accomplishment without value, challenges without meaning. There would be no ultimate right and wrong and no moral responsibility to care for one another as fellow children of God. Indeed, without God, there would be no mortal or eternal life." I know that God lives.

Vielen Dank für die Unterstützung! Ich habe euch alle lieb! 

Liebe Grüße! 

This week was good! We had Zone Conference in Nürnberg. It was good. We talked about how we could use the Book of Mormon more effectively. 

So cool experience. I have an ingrown toenail. We were on the way to the doctors, and had time to talk to literally one person. It turns out, that the one person we talked to was a girl with a newborn child, and she is pretty interested. So we have an appointment tomorrow, and she asked if she could invite a friend to also meet with us. That was cool. 

So this week I read this quote from Elder Hales: "Some wonder, why is belief in God so important?... Without God, life would end at the grave and our mortal experiences would have no purpose. Growth and progress would be temporary, accomplishment without value, challenges without meaning. There would be no ultimate right and wrong and no moral responsibility to care for one another as fellow children of God. Indeed, without God, there would be no mortal or eternal life." I know that God lives.

Vielen Dank für die Unterstützung! Ich habe euch alle lieb! 

Liebe Grüße! 

This week was cold! We spent a lot of time outside going either from door to door or talking to people on the streets. We were able to talk to some way cool people though in spite of the cold. It's been below freezing for about the last week or so. 

So every Wednesday we are in a little village called Ebersdorf to visit a member that's too sick to come to any activities. In this village there is a Bratwurst stand that sells probably the best Bratwurst that I've ever eaten. The lady that runs the stand is also really nice, and we were able to share the Restoration with her as well as give her a Book of Mormon. We should be able to start working with her. Not because of Bratwurst, but because of her eternal happiness. 

So this week we read this quote from Brigham Young in Institute. I really liked it. "So live that when you wake in the spirit-world you can truthfully say, “I could not better my mortal life, were I to live it over again.” I exhort you, for the sake of the House of Israel, for the sake of Zion which we are to build up, to so live, from this time, henceforth, and forever, that your characters may with pleasure be scrutinized by holy beings. Live godly lives, which you cannot do without living moral lives." This life is short, and we should live it to its fullest. 

Vielen Dank für alles! Ich habe euch alle lieb! 

Coburg

Liebe Grüße! 

This week has been pretty good! It seems like we've been finding a lot of cool people that seem ready, but they slip away somehow. We do have a lot of really cool investigators though. One of them cooked us some food from Egypt. It was amazing!

So we found this lady from Iran. She is Christian. We met at a cafe and taught her the Restoration. It was really cool, because she said that she prayed two weeks ago to ask God to help her understand the Bible. She said that the Book of Mormon was an answer to her prayer. She also came to church Sunday, and the members here are really good about making investigators feel welcome. It was pretty cool! 

So this week I read this quote from Elder Christifferson: "Our invitation to the world is to come unto Christ. Coming unto Christ is an abbreviation, a way of describing in three words the plan of salvation. It means to obtain the fruits of His Atonement and Resurrection--ultimately eternal life. Eternal life depends on the exercise of our moral agency, but it is possible only through the grace of Jesus Christ. To come unto Him means to do what is required to lay hold upon that grace--the pardoning, sanctifying, transforming, redeeming power of His infinite, atoning sacrifice. This good news (is) the gospel." That is why Christ is the center of everything we do.

Vielen Dank für alles! Ich habe euch alle lieb! 

This week was pretty good! Our investigators are making progress. Slowly but surely! We also have a couple of appointments set for next week with some new people that we found. Should be good! 

So my companion and I tried to cook some German food for a Persian family that's investigating the church. It turned out ok. Persian food is a lot different than German, and they didn't have the best cooks either. Yeah it was interesting. 

So this week I read a cool quote from James E Talmage in the book "Jesus the Christ." He wrote, "A characteristic feature of the (church) is the guidance afforded by modern scriptures and the explication of the Holy Writ of olden times in the light of present-day revelation, which, as a powerful and well directed beam, illumines many dark passages of ancient construction." Because of the Book of Mormon and modern day revelation through God's prophets, we understand so much more from the Bible. Doctrines are very thorough and very clear. This church is true! 

Vielen Dank für die Unterstützung! Ich habe euch alle lieb! 

We cooked German food for the Persian family. I think they would have had enjoyed it better if they have had better cooks.

Liebe Grüße! 

This week was really good! My companion and I have been seeing so many miracles! For example, last Saturday we had pure finding time. 9 hours of door to door and talking to people on the streets. But that morning, as we were talking to people on the street, we met two people who invited us over for that afternoon. One of them came to church the next day, and the other was a Persian man, who has a wife and daughter. They invited us over again, and even cooked us some amazing Persian food. It was way cool. We are meeting such cool people! 

This week I have been studying a lot about the great apostasy and the Restoration. I like this quote from Elder Holland: "Yes, our message is most certainly the Atonement of Jesus Christ and all that it stands for, but we have no way to make that unspeakable gift accessible or redemptive or effective in the lives of people unless we declare the latter-day Restoration of divine truth and heavenly priesthood. Take away Joseph Smith and the First Vision, take away the events which followed, take away a direct restoration from heaven, and what do we have? We don’t have much--at least not enough to distinguish us from a thousand other good groups of people." There really was a Restoration. Because of the work of Joseph Smith, we know more about Jesus Christ and the purpose of our life more than ever before. Or at least that is what it's done for me. 

Vielen Dank für die Unterstützung! Ich habe euch alle lieb! 

So this is where Hitler stood when he held rallies with the nazi troops...

Captive audience

Liebe Grüße! 

This week was really good! We were able to meet with a lot of our investigators. They are all really solid, and are making really good progress. These people here are amazing. 

So a couple of days ago may companion and I had a lot of time to go finding. Before we went finding we had to go to the church to print our stickers with our contact information to put on the cards we give out. For some reason the computer wasn't working right with the printer, and it ended up taking a little bit longer than expected, which was pretty frustrating. But then the first person we talked to on the street after that was a really nice German lady. We talked for about 15 minutes, and then she kept on saying "that was really inspired." When we asked why, she said that she was on her way home from a meeting with her friend, and she just got done telling her friend that she is at a point in her life where she doesn't know where to go anymore. She then said that she doesn't normally take this route home, but for some reason felt that she should go in this direction this one time, and that it was really weird. We were able to give her a Book of Mormon and bare testimony about divine guidance. It was pretty cool. 

This week I studied a lot about the great apostasy, after the time that the Apostles of Jesus Christ were no more to be found. It's a way cool topic, and I really do believe that it happened. You can see the effects of this apostasy today. There is lots of confusion and conflict within religion, and it causes people to believe that it as a whole cannot be from God. Without this apostasy, there would be no need for a restoration. But there was a Restoration, and if people really do want to find truth about God, they need to know where to look.

Vielen Dank für die Unterstützung! Ich habe euch alle lieb! 

Der Inbegriff des Glaubensabfalls, aber coole Kirche

Liebe Grüße! 

This week was pretty good! We got to meet with a couple of really cool investigators. They are really making progress! We also had Zone Conference in Nürnberg. That was also really good. 

So cool story. I was on a split in Bamberg, and we were talking to people on the street. We talked to this one guy, and it turned out that he was on his way to his own church service. We asked if we could walk and talk, and he said it would be ok. So we started talking to him about Joseph Smith and the Restoration. As we talked more, it turns out that this guy is a catholic priest, and that he was on his way to his congregation to run a service. We got to the church, and we were talking outside for a little bit. He was really interested, and then he looked at his watch, and then without warning just turned around and ran into the church, leaving us just standing there. Long story short, the other Elder and I prayed and had he feeling to visit his service. After the meeting he came and found us, and said he wanted to hear more about this Joseph Smith and his teachings. So now the Elders in Bamberg are meeting with him. Pretty cool. 

So I found his cool quote from Elder Hafen: "This earth is not our home. We are away at school, trying to master the lessons of “the great plan of happiness” so we can return home and know what it means to be there. Over and over the Lord tells us why the plan is worth our sacrifice--and His. Eve called it “the joy of our redemption.” Jacob called it “that happiness which is prepared for the saints.” Of necessity, the plan is full of thorns and tears--His and ours." And gen in the same talk: "We cannot really feel charity--Christ’s love for others--without at least tasting His suffering for others, because the love and the suffering are but two sides of a single reality."

Vielen Dank für die Unterstützung! Ich habe euch alle lieb! 

Liebe Grüße! 

Germany is still awesome. I'm loving it. A mission is the best.

James chapter 2. Read it. 

Vielen Dank für die Unterstützung! Ich habe euch alle lieb!

Liebe Grüße! 

This week was pretty good. It went by super fast. Elder Uhlig and I did a ton of door to door and talking to people on the streets. We were able to find a couple of cool people who are willing to listen. We had an appointment with a family that we were so excited for, but then as we knocked on the door, they said they actually don't have interest. So we went door to door in the neighborhood, and found a way cool lady that excepted a Book of Mormon, and said she would read in it. Pretty cool and sad sometimes how missionary work works.

Our investigators are making slow progress, but they are making progress. A couple of them are pretty promising. Now we just need to find a way to get them to church somehow. The members here are awesome, and they make investigators feel so welcome. I don't know why anyone would not want to be a part of it. 

So I found this quote from Elder Hafen, who was an apostle in 2004. I really liked it. "...if you have problems in your life, don’t assume there is something wrong with you. Struggling with those problems is at the very core of life’s purpose. As we draw close to God, He will show us our weaknesses and through them make us wiser, stronger. If you’re seeing more of your weaknesses, that just might mean you’re moving nearer to God, not farther away." I think that answers the question of why "bad" things happen to good people.

Vielen Dank für die Unterstützung! Ich habe euch alle lieb! 

Nürnberg

Liebe Grüße! 

Im thankful to always have a living day Prophet on the earth to lead and guide us in a confusing and fast paced world. The prophet has a special connection to God. 

This week was pretty good. Not too much happened. New Years was good. The fireworks here are crazy. No limits. It was literally like being in the middle of a battlefield. 

Coburg is still a crib. We are pretty much stuck here for pday, because we have to pay for train tickets everywhere we go. It's a good place to be stuck though. It's a beautiful area and the members are awesome.

Our investigators are doing pretty good. We haven't met with too many of them during the Christmas break, but now it's the new year. I hope a lot of people have set the right goals. 

So I've been studying a lot of the teachings from Joseph Smith, and I found a quote that I really like: "I want to ask... every man, woman and child, to answer the question in their own hearts, what kind of a being God is? Ask yourselves; turn your thoughts into your hearts... This is a question that may occupy your attention for a long time... Here is the question that will, peradventure, from this time henceforth occupy your attention... It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God, and to know that we may converse with Him as one man converses with another.."

Vielen Dank für die Unterstützung! Ich habe euch alle lieb! 

Liebe Grüße! 

This week was really good. Christmas was awesome. We were able to celebrate Christmas with some members, and of course I was able to skype with my family! Kind of weird because that was the last Skype call before I go home.

Other than that, not too much has been going on. The members were awesome at inviting people to church on Christmas Eve, and we are meeting with a member and one of their neighbors in the new year. That's missionary work! 

For the new year, I want to share a pretty cool scripture: "this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, (Philippians 3: 13)" 2017 has gone by so fast. I remember being scared of this year, because it was a whole year on a mission. But, like Paul, I am going to try and learn from the past, and concentrate on the now, and prepare for the future.

Vielen Dank für alles! Ich habe euch Lieb! Guten Rutsch! 

Elder Augat
Deutschland Frankfurt Mission

The best Christmas present when you have a missionary!

Liebe Grüße! 

His week really good! We had a couple of lessons with some amazing people! We are pretty excited about them. I don't want to write about them, or else I'll jinx it. 

This week we've been preparing for Christmas. Lots to do in the Ward. This ward is just awesome. We put about 300 invitations for church on Christmas Eve in the mailboxes around the church, so hopefully at least one person comes. 

So of course, this week is Christmas (in case you didn't know). I just want to share a pretty cool scripture I read recently: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; (Romans 3: 23-25)" Just a pretty fancy and deeper way of saying "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3: 16)" Please remember why we have Christmas! Everyone who celebrates Christmas accepts that Jesus Christ was born into the world, so that He could unite us with our families for eternity.

I just love Germany. I don't think I'll come home. Maybe home should come here.

Vielen Dank für die Unterstützung! Ich habe euch Lieb! Frohe Weihnachten! 

Liebe Grüße! 

This week was pretty awesome. We still had a lot of finding, but we found some super cool people. We are meeting with a lot of them next week, so we have pretty high hopes. There was one girl that we talked to on the street, and we literally talked for an hour. It was pretty cool.

We did a lot of finding in the student housing for the community college here. Students are way open and willing to talk. It was pretty fun, and we had a lot of cool conversations. 

The people here are pretty open right now. Probably because of Christmas. Which reminds me, the food here around Christmas is amazing. 

As far as studies goes, I've been reading a lot about Godly chastening and punishment. The more I study it, the more I realize that it isn't really punishment, but rather purifying or correcting. Hebrews 12: 5-11 are the best verses I've found so far: "...we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby."