WEEK 21 6-21-11 - 6-27-11

Hello Everyone.
My week has been good for the most part! So first I want to start off with what happened on wednesday so you all know how I had been kinda worried with what to do because we werent seeing a lot of success cause we werent talking to a lot of people cause my comp had been only doing the minimums for quite a while. Well on Wednesday I had an exchange with the zone leader Elder Wagley and we worked really hard we made out two appointments and talked to EVERYONE! I felt really good after and throughout the day we had been talking and he said you remind me a lot of myself when I was young on the mission. You just want to do the right thing. I said yes but I don't want to tell my comp ok this is what we are going to do and create problems cause I am just the Junior companion. And he told me Its your area too tell him you want to have success and this is how you are going to do it. And I made him a promise that I would do my best to make out an appointment everyday for the rest of the transfer and he said if you do that I will give you a tie! SO my comp came back and I had a really hard time getting enough courage to lay it down to him! But I just finally said it I said ok man this is what we are going to do we are going to turn this area around even if it takes staying out a little bit later walkin a little more and talking to more people! I dont think he was the biggest fan at first but than when we would go outside I would just talk with everyone so he had no other choice! Than he finally got involved and we made out an appointment everyday this week! The other night we were walking and he said this is the hardest I have worked since I have been here! So I felt pretty good about that that I was setting a good example even if I am just the Junior Companion. So we have found a few new people and soon when we keep finding people we will have more people to teach so I am trying to get this area going and that takes hard work! But I am glad I learned the lesson from Elder Wagley that if I really want to do it I can do it. We didnt get a chance to meet with the Italian guy this week sadly he works so much he is hard to set a firm appointment with! But we saw him at home one night it was kinda late and we ran the Proclomation to the Family over cause in our first meeting he talked soo much about what his family means to him and how that is most important so we thought that would be good for him to read. As far as Gisbert goes he came to church this week so that was good but he doesnt totally understand the Priesthood and why it is so important and we dont really know how to just say ok well this is how it is! So we will see I guess! This coming week on thursday we have President Interviews I am pretty excited for that to sit down with Pres and talk to him about what is going on! He is such a cool guy! Than the week after we have mission tour from Elder Causee I dont know if that is how you spell his name but he is in the first quorum of the seventy and also in the area presidency so that will be cool to hear from him. I still get frustrated with my comp sometimes but I think I have grown immune to it! Hahah he sometimes doesnt understand the question rules I have laid down so I have to continue to remind him! And that is frustrating sometimes but it is what it is and I guess thats what happens when you pray for patience!! As far as the 4th of July goes it is a P day so maybe we will be able to do something exciting! I dont really know what but maybe Sister Thom can make us some American Sloppy joes or some hamburgers! She is the lady in the senior missionary couple in our ward so she knows how to cook and she is super nice so maybe we can talk her into it! I got my package like thursday or friday Fedex is really fast here Idk why but it was way cool and thank you I really enjoyed it! I needed a new jump rope and the Ensign was way good too because I didnt have one yet so it was good to get it! I am just working hard doing my missionary things! haha I have really stepped my game up and turned it up a notch which is way good cause I know now the Lord will bless us with more people to teach and will be able to trust us with the prepared people he has! Also Sanga has his trial today so that is going to be interesting to see this trial decides if he can stay in Germany or if he has to go back to Africa! We are all praying for him because he has had such a hard life! We went over to his place last night and we read the end of 2nd Nephi 4 with him and that is where Nephi is talking about how he just needs to trust in the Lord and what not. So we read that and the Spirit was way strong than we left with prayer but this time we prayed on our knees he was really grateful for that and I know he really felt the spirit! He is a good guy we will find out today if he can stay or has to go! It will be hard for him because he doesnt have any documents! Because he is a refugee but there are some things in his favor that might enable him to stay here! So keep your fingers crossed for him! Hmm what else went on this week! Oh so I really liked darlenes Idea about sending the food packages that makes things a lot easier! I havent used one yet but I am plannin on using the Alfredo here soon! Thanks for all you guys do for me! Sorry this e mail is so short and boring I guess I dont have that much to say this week! But I promise it will be better and more eventful next week! We meet the craziest people but I dont know how to describe the conversations we have! I guess I can only do that via Letters! So if I get some more letters from people I can tell more stories!! I love you guys and thanks for your prayers I can really feel them helping me out here! I know this Church is true and through the atonement we can really be made clean! The gospel changes lives you see crazy experiences every single day on how someones life is changed through Jesus Christ and his Gospel!! I am grateful I can be here and serve a mission sometimes it gets frustrating and hard but I have learned keep your head up and keep going!! Thanks again and have a great week!!

WEEK 21 6-14-11 - 6-20-11

Hello!

So this week has been pretty slow to be completely honest but that seems to always be the case with the first and last weeks of the transfer so it should start going by a little faster again! First to answer your question President Interviews are next thursday so the 30th of June than we have a mission tour with one of the seventy from the area seventy in Hamburg on the 7th of July so that will be really cool I am excited for President Interviews and to sit down and talk with President. Maybe I will suggest that I am ready to train?? haha we will see! Secondly I just want to wish all the Dads a happy late fathers day! It was not Fathers day here in Germany yesterday but it was Fathers day in Holland and of course our eating appointment fell through because the people are dutch and were going to Holland for fathers day! So we had to fend for ourselves and since my comp doesnt really cook much (I cook everyday!!) But he does the dishes so that is ok. Well he sometimes does the dishes. But I made a nice meal Gma and Gpa would be proud! I made some chicken (cause thats all we had haha) and I just put a little different spices on it Salt, Pepper, Cyann pepper, a little lemon juice, and some garlic salt. And it turned out really good than I made REAL mashed potatoes and I will have to admit they were pretty close to Sunday dinner at grandmas! I am not quite there yet though haha! And this is the shocker I even made homemade gravy for the first time in my life it was pretty good for a first try! So thats what we had for sunday dinner wasnt bad if I do say so myself! Anyways ya so happy fathers day! This week we got a new investigator she is from Ghana and has lived in Germany for like nine years now or something and we taught her a first lesson and made out another appointment I think she really liked it she seemed to be grasping what we were sayin it was also nice because English is her native tounge so we got to talk to her in English!! We had a couple appointments this week fall through but thats the life of a missionary I guess! This Italian guy I mentioned last week we tried to go by yesterday but he was walking out of his door when we got there but he told us to come back next sunday so we will do that. We want to give him the Proclomation about the Family cause he told us his family is really everything to him so I think he will like that and that would be way cool! We are still in the finding stages we just need to find the prepared people like I said before my comp and his previous comp had gotten into a pattern of just doing the minimum and that doesnt set well with me because there is no way we will find more people if we only talk to 10 people a day. It seems to me that everytime we talk to as many people as we can we always seem to make out an appointment! So we are gonna keep trying and using the Pass along cards to chum some streets and to do some more doors! We have only done one street of doors since I have been here and thats cause I said hey we need to do that street and that is where we found the Italian guy. So I think doors will be a lot more effective for us and finding! A funny story so on Friday we had it planned to go visit Lucky who is one of the guys from africa that is a member I think Lucky is 21 and Sanga is 20 so those are the 2 way cool african guys in our ward anyways so we go to Luckys place and we were planning on leaving him a spiritual thought but right after we prayed Sanga called and said him and some of his friends needed our help haha so we went over to see what was going on and one of their friends Samuel he has a car and he had to work but he let lucky barrow the car well lucky let Jeremiah barrow the car and Jeramiah went to school that morning and left the lights on for 6 hours haha so the battery had died and I guess they had been trying all day to get the car started and its manual so we tried to push start it for like 2 hours and it didnt work haha so we didnt get home till about 10 that night cause we were helping our brothas out with their car haha it was pretty funny! Thats way cool Hunter got a new bike early cause he has been riding so much! Ya I dont think I ever got a present early that kinda sucks too though because than when it comes his birthday he doesnt get anything? are you guys doing a party for him or what? Another funny story so I guess you could say I finally just snapped with the question game this week! But I didnt do it in a rude way. we were doing some street contacting and he said now where and I said lets go this way than when we came to another turn he said now where and I was like ok I am laying it down right now! than I said I hate questions so much and especially repetative questions my sister and mom asked me so many questions it drove me crazy and I said some questions are of course needed but some like what is the plan when he has the same plan I have are not needed! And I said when we are doing street contacting just go where we see people not having to worry about which directiong every single turn just free and easy and than this is where I proved that what I was saying is really legit. I said the less decisions you have to make the faster the time goes by! And he said you know what I have noticed that! Haha so now we are all clear on the questions! SO something else really quick I am going to need a new jump rope because mine already broke twice because I have been using it so much! So thanks for that. I can not believe hunter gets baptized so soon I am excited for him I will be expecting pictures from that! I love getting your guys letters and everything and I would love to hear more from the other family who recieves this e mail through letters. Such as Gma Gpa taysom Kipp and Linda and the boys. Sarah Scotty Holly Jeff Rene the boys and whoever else I am forgetting send me letters folks! It really is so awesome to hear from everyone! The Kansas Family too! Gma Lois has been super steady take her example. (Gma Lois dont worry I will send you a letter back today sorry its been so long!!). Anyways missionary work is fun. Sometimes well a lot of the times it gets frustrating but I know the Lord will send the prepared people my way if I am doing what I am supposed to and talking to EVERYONE like I am supposed to. Man I miss the little kids Easton and Iyrlend but they will be even cuter when I get home! Easton will be so old that will be crazy!! haha But ya so I will wrap it up! We are still finding people thanks for your prayers please continue to pray for me so I can find those golden investigators! I will continue to pray for all of you and I am grateful for all you guys do for me. Love you tons!!

 

Ps. Gpa Chuck Happy B day this last week!!!

WEEK 20 6-7-11 - 6-13-11

Hello Everyone!

My week has been pretty good/crazy and everything that a missionary goes through every week of transfers! So first and foremost I was so positive that my comp would get transfered that he ended up staying haha we were both really shocked so we have 6 more weeks together. We get along really well but after a certain amount of time anyone can get on your nerves sometimes haha I figured out though that he is a cool guy but not someone I would choose to hang out with he is just different with certain things so sometimes we clash but we make it work. Another cool thing Elder Carlson my first comp got transfered to Dellingsdorf which is in the west and got made district leader and will be serving with Elder Lloyd from my district in the mtc! He is way excited about that I am excited for him he is a stud! Something else that is pretty cool. Elder Wilson who was serving in Osnabruck which is in my district also went to highschool with me he got transfered to Lankwitz Berlin to serve with Elder Jake Walter who is the one from our highschool that came the same day as me! So he was excited I think they are actually related somehow 2nd cousins or something! So that was the info on transfers.

 

As far as mission work goes. It has actually still been pretty slow this last week which isnt cool. I swear yesterday we were going by on some potential investigators and we had the worst luck we went by on 5 and none were home! Of course today is some stupid German holliday (excuse to get drunk) so they may be doing that. The highlight for the week also happened last night. So we were at the apartment and we were wondering what we should do because we had already gone by on 5 people and nobody was outside and I got this feeling we should go do this one street of doors that we had chummed before which means we had gone by and put our cards in the mailbox so when we knock on the door they know who we are. So we didnt have a lot of time like 1 hour to do doors cause after 8 o clock the germans dont like people knocking on their doors! So we went and we started doing some doors and there were a lot of old people which is never good cause they are always too set in their ways and dont like talkin about religion so about the first 45 minutes of doors was very unseccesfull. Than we came to this one door this middle aged guy answered and we started talkin to him and he let us in and so we got a walk in appointment taught him a first lesson he is from Italy and is baptized catholic but has had many bad experiences with churches because his wife is Protestant so the catholics didnt want him to marry her and all this crazy stuff so he is pretty skeptical when it comes to churches so he said he believes in God and just wants to leave it at that. But we introduced the Book of Mormon to him and he liked it he kinda seemed like he understood what we were saying and when we told him we were giving him the Book of Mormon he is like wait what your giving this to me he said that doesnt happen very often there is usually something behind it. We said well we want to share the truth with people so he took the book said he would read in it and also said he would like to come to our church in the near future! That was way cool! So thats the lesson for the week if you fallow the Holy Ghost cool things like that will happen! haha. As far as everyone else hmm Gisbert is still Gisbert I kinda feel bad I kinda laid it down to him this week but my comp said it was good so thats good I just told him like man if you know the book of mormon is true that means Joseph smith was a prophet and the Church is true and he didnt have much to say back so hopefully we can get him to budge!

 

Soo my watch did come its pretty cool I will have to send you a picture of it. It doesnt look like a watch just looks like a metal armband than you press a button and the numbers light up so its cool especially for 1 euro! haha. The branch here is way cool there are a couple weird people but you can find that anywhere but they are all really nice! There is about 40 members on paper I would say but 25 to 30 are active so ya a couple less active members. So church goes like this. The first hour is priesthood/relief society and the second hour is Sacrament meeting. This week Elder Hardman taught priesthood and I gave a talk in sacrament about how you receieve a testimony that was a really hard subject to talk about because a testimony can come through so many different ways!! So we are really involved in the ward just because there isnt tons of people! I am sending my Sd card home tommorrow too so no worries with that you will get pictures soon. We found this cool old windmill that was right on the Holland Boarder that we went and took some pictures by so that was cool.

 

Thats about all for this week! I am grateful for all of your support and your prayers I can feel them with me! I am workin hard trying to get this language down so I can be a more effective missionary! But I know that it will come before I know it! Thanks for everything!! Love ya!!

WEEK 19 5-31-11 - 6-6-11

Hallo Von Deutschland!
So first and foremost I havent heard of anyone from the mission getting sick with this e coli outbreak or whatever. Secondly I probably figured that that is the case because not a lot of missionarys eat vegetables! I really like vegetables but they are a little more expensive and hard to prepare fresh ones! We eat a lot of easy to make food actually this last week we made some African stew it was sooo SPICY I about died of course that is because an African made it for us or showed us how to make it!! President actually sent us a text the other day telling us that they found that the cause of the outbreak was from bean sprouts so really we should all be fine and its easy to defeat when you just wash your vegetables and cook your meats all the way through!! So just to let you know my comp and I are both healthy actually just kidding he got a cold about a week ago and has been coughing and sometimes he doesnt cover his mouth and I tell him everytime if I get sick I will punch you square in the face and I kinda started getting a sore throught but it went away no problem! As far as the week goes it has actually been somewhat slow and dissapointing. We had some pretty solid appointments with some people that we had met on the street and they all fell through which was rough on us cause we were really excited about it! We are still teaching Gisbert I just wish he would understand the whole authority thing which I dont think he does. Its kinda like he is just content with where he is and doesnt need to join the church even though he has read the whole book of mormon and started over again!! He told us he knows without a doubt that the book is true but I dont understand why he wont get baptized sometimes I think we are just not straight forward enough! He really likes my companion so we will see what happens If my comp gets transfered at the end of this week! I cant believe its the last week of the transfer I am about 100 percent positive I will stay but I am also  pretty sure he will be going! There is 6 zone leaders that are finishing their missions and one of the APs so thats 7 leadership positions that need to be filled and he has been district leader for 6 transfers now and I guess president had basically told him he will be a ZL this summer I guess we will see haha. Anyways we have a pretty solid appointment tonight with a guy we met a couple weeks ago that will be cool to see how he has progressed he has been on vacation for a week so I am not sure if he has gotten the chance to read out of the Book of mormon this week hopefully so! I am actually in Osnabruck with the elders here for P day we decided to do a district P day and I think we are planning on going to the Zoo. Its way cool because Elder Wilson is in Osnabruck and he went to Snow Canyon so its like I am back at home cause we can talk about things back there haha its cool he is a sweet kid! And we are going on exchanges Elder Wilson is coming to Rheine with me and Elder Hardman is staying with Elder Stoe is Osnabruck. Ya my comp had to go to a training meeting a couple weeks ago but I just went with the elders in Osnabruck for the day and ya he tells me stuff but a lot of it is just stuff I already knew or had heard at zone conference or what not! I can't believe Easton is already 1yrs old thats freaking nuts! Happy Birthday to Dad and Easton! I will be sending a package home soon for Fathers day. For Dad and maybe he can share! Its hard for me to find candy he likes here because they have so much chocolate but I found these things that are delicious that I think he will like so we will see! Thats cool about the Thomas S. Monson book I want to read it as well I guess I have 19 months and I can haha. So nothing really new for me still trying to find some new investigators and its hard cause a lot of contacts have fallen through. Oh I got a new watch! A member in the ward collects watches well her brother does that lives with her he is and older guy he is deaf and what not so that is why he lives with her but he is way way cool. Anyways he found some watches on e bay from hong kong and he showed us one he had purchased and I though it was way cool and it was only a dollar and shipping is like 7 so an 8 euro watch so they ordered one for me!! I am super stoked to get it haha!

Now for the more spiritual part! I have been reading the war chapters in Alma well actually I am just reading through the Book of Mormon and that happens to be where I am at. And I love the war chapters just cause there is so much action going on! I always wonder what can I learn from this cause I don't plan on ever being in a battle with swords and what not! But hey I am in a battle right now! I fight everyday to spread the gospel to people who sometimes dont want anything to do with it thats a battle in itself! I learned something really valuable from Alma chapter 47 the story of Lehonti and Almickiah or however you spell his name! Almickiah wants to become king but first he has to take over the armies so he can become king. Lehonti and his army are on the top of a mountain and Almickiah has this great plan to get them so he sends up a messanger and says Lehonti come down I want to talk to you. Lehonti says no! So he tries that 3 more times and Lehonti wont come down so than Almickiah thinks if I can only get him halfway down. So he sends up his servents again and says hey Lehonti come halfway down and so he says ok! So than Almickiah makes this deal with him that sounds so great as long as Lehonti puts Almickiah second in command! So than Lehonti agrees and what happens Almickiah slowly poisens Lehonti and when Lehonti dies the armies are now all controlled by Almickiah because he is second in command. That is such a crazy story and how many comparisons you really can make with it! With Satan the whole goal was Satan wanted glory! And that is what Almickiah wanted people to follow him. And than that just shows us we have to keep our standards high and not even come down at all! We need to stay on our mountains and not let Satan bring us halfway cause than we are done for! I thought you guys might like my message for the week! I love you all and am so Grateful I have such a great family and friends I pray for you guys and I feel the prayers for me! Thanks for Everything!!