31 October 2011 Fourth Letter from Austria

On Mon, Oct 31, 2011 at 5:21 AM, Scott Sonne <scott.sonne@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Dear familie und freunde,

This week has been especially full of the spirit! We taught a new family who were very interested in the gospel, the church, and the origins of the book of Mormon. They agreed to read the book of Mormon and to pray about it. The spirit was so strong in the lesson that I almost fell on the ground to go to sleep afterwards like Lehi after he had his vision. haha. The church is true and how great is it that we can talk openly to the heavenly father whose whole purpose is to bless us and for us to receive eternal life with him and our families! What a privilege and honor! I love working for him; he is the best boss. The Church is true and Jesus is the Christ, the living son of the living God and our older brother who can help us in every situation. Geniessen Sie Ihre Woche... Enjoy your week!

Elder Scott Joseph Sonne

24 October 2011 Third Letter from Austria

Elder Scott Sonne~ Wiener Neustadt Austria

This week was a typical week in the Alpine (Schaibisch, österreichisch, Byrisch,Schweitzer Deutsch) Speaking Mission! (No one speaks German here), but it was a tough week.

Most of our appointments this week fell through and it was unbearably cold a couple of the days. Despite the disappointments, there is no place I would rather be!!! I am so happy to be rejected over and over and over and over and over and over and over to find one person whom I can influence for the better! It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to speak with so many people and learn from them and to hopefully teach them about the life changing influence of the gospel.

This is the greatest work that has ever been done and I am honored to be herein österreich! The lord has truly prepared people in this area to hear and accept the gospel... to make covenants with God and live in the light of Christ, under the influence of the Holy Ghost and to be on the straight and narrow path leading to the everlasting fountain of love and eternal life. We are so blessed to be the children of God. This past week I have realized that being a child of God comes with responsibility.

I have decided to live each day to be able to say I gave my best and that I couldn’t have given more and that I helped as many people as possible to be happy. I think that this will be my goal for the rest of my life.

17 October 2011 Second letter from Austria

October 17 2011 from Austria

Dear famile und Freunde,
It has gotten very cold here in Wiener Neustadt! it was 6 degrees a couple days ago when we started out in the morning. I’m not sure what that is in American but I think its somewhere in the 40s. And it smells like snow here. It also feels much colder than that because we ride bikes in the wind... but its a good work out so its not too bad. The spirit keeps me warm.

SO this week has been very great! We set another baptismal date with a man from Kenya named Joseph. He moved to Austria 5 years ago and is 29. he has a deep relationship with God and is very excited to meet with us! He was so happy when we gave him the book of Mormon and to speak about god. Wow he is great. He kept saying that he really loved to feel the spirit and he occasionally cries when he reads the scriptures and prays! He is ready for the gospel!

Anthon Bosezky is leaving to get therapy on his legs for the next month or so and will not be here for his baptismal date. He wants time to read and to think about it. Which is good because he will feel that it is the church of god and that the book of Mormon is true. Because it is true!!! When Anthon prays, he thanks our heavenly father for sending his missionaries to him to teach him the gospel!

The week has gone by so quickly and we have been so busy iI am not even sure what we did. Oh yes, we participated in two priesthood blessings this week. Everyone is getting sick because of the cold and it was our privilege to bless two people by the priesthood and authority of God. I can really feel the love of God for the people when I participate in blessings. He is there and stands there waiting for us to choose him. He sends us scripture, the spirit, and the prophets to show us the way. It is our choice to follow them and be eternally happy or to not be eternally happy. The Church is true. Jesus is the Christ.
Bis aufs Wiedersehen,

Elder Sonne

First letter from Austria 10 October 2011

10 October 2011 Austria

Schöne Grüsse!
I am now here in Wiener Neustadt! This place is one of the furthest places away from my last area. It took about 10 hours to get here from my last area. This area is beautiful and it reminds me a little bit of America!!! Oh and I saw two pick up trucks my first day here..I feel like I am home. Its great here I have a new companion named Elder Talbot from San Diego area. He is a great missionary and is very hard working

My address is;
Elder Sonne
Kirche jesu Christi
Zehnergürtel 7/3/33
2700 Wiener Neustadt
Österreich

In this new area we have bikes! They are incredibly nice. We can get places so quickly! I’m super exited to spend less time traveling and more time teaching!!!
Yes...so the new dialect...they pronounce their A as O and their G as a K and their B is a P, so the word gehabt which means to have had something, changes to coped or about there. haha It's actually really funny sounding and some people sound like they are singing when they talk.. especially the bishop. He has a great accent! Well this area is primed for the word of God! We set a baptismal date on Thursday, my first day here. It is for the 13th of November! His name is Anthon Bosezky. He is from Austria and is 83 years old. He has really great insights to the gospel and is a very funny man. He didn’t end up coming to church but he will and is excited to hear the gospel.
And there is Christine Fuchs... Pronounced Christina. She came to church yesterday and I think she was crying after testimony meeting. She is having trouble with smoking but she knows that the church is true! She has had a really hard life and needs to feel the love of our heavenly father! We are meeting with her very often and i have a lot of hope for her!

And there is Völker Schäfer! He has a baptismal date for December sometime. He is a jolly man in his early 40s. He is very well read on everything having to do with the church and already has a great knowledge of the gospel. He said that he felt the spirit speaking through the apostles and the prophets at conference! wow! That is so great and he is so ready to be in the fold. His wife and kids are not too interested in the gospel however and we need prayers from them!

I am loving the area and can’t wait to really get to work here. I love being a missionary and playing for the lords team! It is so great to be here I think I may ask for a lifetime extension!
Bis Nächste Woche,
Elder Sonne

I am loving it here!!

7 November 2011 Fifth Letter from Austria

7 November 2011

Dear familie and freunde,

One cannot imagine what it really means to be a missionary for the lord. It cannot be described in a 1000 page book. It cannot be put into words. It’s tough and rewarding...the hardest and the best. It’s really great. One moment is full of success, the spirit of the lord and pure joy; the next is disappointing and discouraging. There is nothing better. haha. It’s crazy.

This week was not the most successful as according to the number of people or lessons we taught; however, it was successful because we were able to teach some people who really have questions about this life, the plan of salvation, and the meaning of the gospel. They (the Valas Family) are so prepared and I hope and pray they can feel the same burning spirit working through the light of Christ to illuminate their life and fill them with truth and happiness.

Yea we have been having really spiritual lessons lately and that is the only way the work will get done. I have just about gotten used to being rejected and stood up. I realize that all the trouble is worth finding one person who is ready to hear and accept the gospel. The work we are doing is difficult. We are asking people to change their lives. That is the whole purpose of the gospel and this life, but it is not easy it never was easy, not for Jesus, most definitely not for us.

Have a great week in America land.

Elder Sonne

Twelveth Letter from Germany 3 October 2011

Dear Familie und Freudliche Freunde,

Soo the transfer call came... and I am going to Wiener Neustadt in Austria. I am super excited!! I have heard that is the only area that you can see mountains from and that it is very beautiful... I’m not going to say that I miss mountains because that implies that I miss Utah... but yes I do miss mountains and I am very pumped to work there... Oh and apparently, they speak a more difficult dialect there than they do here... I thought I was called to the alpine GERMAN speaking mission... apparently it should be called the alpine schwaibish, byrisch, switzer deutsch, wienerisch speaking mission haha

P-day and the past couple of days have been super relaxing and I’m ready to get back to work. Was that not an amazing conference?! It is such a blessing to have the opportunity to have the prophet, a person like Moses who parted the red sea, speak to us. It is pure scripture coming out of their mouths! It’s like another Book of Mormon being written as they speak....

Anyway the talk about the need for the Book of Mormon was so perfect. It was good to see that I explain the importance of the Book of Mormon in a very similar way and use the same examples as the speaker did... It was cool to see that the gospel is true everywhere and people can be inspired across the world with the same inspiration because there is only one God and one faith and one baptism and one true church. The true gospel cannot provide two correct churches that teach different things. That type of thinking causes confusion and it doesn’t come from heaven.

I have been really thinking about the talks I have heard and about the missionary work and going through tough times and how I will be able to continue on... I continue to think about the scripture... Schriftstelle in Deutsch... where es steht well I think its a scripture... if the lord is with us, who can stand against us?? wow that gives me so much comfort and I love that scripture; if it is even a scripture, I don’t know. It sounds good though I’m pretty sure it’s a scripture.

The German comes and goes, depending upon how much I have spoken throughout the day... . My German is definitely improving and the Lord has really helped me to understand it as I give my best to try to focus on the people with whom I am speaking and as I truly study and memorize the rules of the language!

This week has been really great... I found a woman as we were getting off a train. Her name is Regita Schif. She agreed to meet with us and we committed her to baptism on the first appointment. It went picture perfect, but not quite as well as when Joe Schwarz asked us if we would baptize him, however it went really well! She agreed to be baptized on the 30th of Oktober! But, unfortunately I will be in Austria at that time.

Also, we met with the people we found at the street exhibition. Mathias and Anja Schoenfeld. We helped to do a little renovating on their house and talked about the Book of Mormon and faith and prophets while we were working on peeling paint off of a wall haha. It was really great and they fed us some amazing food.

Also during the week, Elder Hamilton and I spoke to a crowd of 15 or so 10 year olds who were pretty interested in us and our message...

I felt like an apostle in Jesus' time who had followings and crowds that waited on them! It was so cool! haha I love being a missionary!

The church is true. I know that it is true and it is our responsibility to tell the world about the greatest thing which has ever been established. The church of Christ! Bis Naechste Woche!

Elder Sonne

26 September 2011...Eleventh Letter from Germany

26 September 2011

Grütze familie und freunde,

This week has been just about the same as the other weeks.. some good and some bad... but with the help of the lord we can endure anything...

This week, we have received so much food from people... on Wednesday or Tuesday we got a 20-pound gift basket of vegetables from a less active member. On Thursday, we received three pizzas from one family and 2 meals worth of food from another family... we have actually ended up with more food today that we had a week ago after shopping... so we don’t actually have to shop for food this week haha.

My German has been getting much better this last week. I’m not sure why, but I think something in my head just clicked and I can pretty much communicate what I want to say. It occasionally comes aus (out) slow, however, it comes out eventually.... we had a street display on Saturday and towards the end, I started talking to some Americans and I couldn’t think of some English words to say because I had been thinking in German and speaking so much :) Also, during this street display, I found a couple who were actually very interested in the gospel and the Book of Mormon... He actually quoted to me Galatians 4 verse 10 to 12... do you have that scripture memorized?? It really caught me off guard because I was just about to quote it to him. It is about the gospel being laid upon a foundation of apostles and prophets... I also was telling him about Joseph smith and he said all right... that is great, but what does it mean to me? If God still speaks to men, shouldn’t he have a living prophet right now? YES HE DOes …it was so great... their names are the Schoenfelds!

So yesterday, I gave a talk in church.. It turned out to be the longest talk I have ever given because I was speaking super slowly... I spoke about the apostasy and the restoration.. I compared, as best I could in German, the apostasy to the darkness which covered the Nephites and Lamanites after the death of Jesus. It was so thick that the people could feel it. There could not be any light it was so dark. The gospel, the light and truth, came back to the world when Joseph smith had the first vision.. The heavens are once again open and we have the light of the gospel.. But most of the people in the world are still living in darkness.. They are living as though the restoration never took place. It is our responsibility to share the light... We are to be the light of the world. A city which is set upon a hill cannot be hid. Let our light shine and show people living in darkness to the light and the iron rod of the gospel. ... That’s the shortened version of it in English... it didn’t go over very well because I hand wrote it instead of just telling the story. My handwriting is awful so I could exactly read it; it was a little embarrassing but I got through it.

Today I found a talk from Elder Bednar in the apartment. In this talk he describes 3 ways to study the scriptures. The first is to read from front to back and understand the story and to feel the spirit. The second is to study by topic while reading from front to back. The third is to search by finding connections, patters, and themes within the scriptures. It was really good and it has changed the way that I plan to study. The church is true and I am so excited to hear the words of a living prophet who receives revelation for the entire world; For each and every person.

Bis Nächste woche!

Elder Sonne