Germany Week 18

Tell Jerry Powell "hi" from me too. And that it turns out I didn't really need to practice because the keyboards in our gemeinde play by themselves. :P Nah, I've definitely had to plunk my way through a lot of hymns out here. I hope she's doing well.
My week was good. I've had absolutely no problems getting around on Busses, largely because we almost never take them - the time in the story I told you is the only time I've used one since Elmshorn (And there we only used them once or twice). Here we mostly use our car and our feet, but otherwise we use the trains (When we're going to Osnabrück or Hannover or wherever). And we don't have bikes here.
Last week I bought a charger cable for my camera, which was luckily waay cheaper than I expected, but I haven't really taken pictures yet. Sorry ;P And My Old man hat definitely doesn't have ear flaps - I believe the term "newsies hat" might summon the proper image. Elder and Sister Thom call it an Elder Morris hat, but I don't imagine that'll help you much.
Our Thanksgiving here was fantastic. Sister Thom made a proper thanksgiving meal for us using improper German ingredients. It was suuuper delicious and amazing. I highly recommend Ehepaars. The Osnabrück Elders and the Zone Leaders (with whom we'd just been on Tausch) were there too. It was a real blast. And a particularly nummy blast.
Wednesday after District meeting is when we tausched - So I went up to Oldenburg with Elder Evans and Elder Johnson was in Rheine with Elder Ririe. I had a great time with Elder Evans. He's a really cool guy. First we went to an appointment with a recent convert and talked about patriarchal blessings - she was really cool and really excited about the gospel. Then we rode around on bikes, street contacting. That was not my favorite activity. Add to the stress of talking to people on the street some constant starting and stopping on a bike. And mix in my clumsiness. Then throw in the fact that that seat was really uncomfortable. and that it was too loose and shifted into some really uncomfortable positions.... It was alright though. We actually made out 4 appointments.... Then we went to do some doors. At the first door - well, technically the 2nd door, but the 1st door at which anyone answered- this guy just let us in when we said who we were. It was funny too, because he didn't say "come in" or anything, he just said, "is it alright if we meet in this room downstairs, because I live alone and don't keep the heater on upstairs." We were, of course, willing to oblige. He knew a little about the lifestyle of mormons and had been impressed by their activity in communities and everything, but knew little of our doctrine, but was very interested. He was very sincere and thoughtful and we had a great discussion with him as we taught the first lesson. Then, as we really got to the Book of Mormon, he asked, "So you're saying that this book is good enough, that millions of people have believed it and joined your church? Would you be willing to sell me a copy of this book?" That is one of the best questions someone could possibly ask. We gladly gave it to him for free. They made out an appoinment for a couple weeks, because he wanted time to read it and be prepared for the next meeting. It was super exciting.
So yeah, those were some highlights of the week.
Yesterday was the First Advent, kind of the official beginning of the Christmas season. President Pimentel has also put together a really cool program for December centered around the Advents, concentrated on inviting people to Church, and as always, Finding, Teaching, Baptizing, and Keeping. It's going to be an Advent of Miracles. Yesterday we also got the Ausstellung display for our Gemeinde (I don't remember if I said it before, but the District President liked them so much he ordered one for every ward/branch in the Oldenburg District) Now we've got to call the city governments to find out where we can do it, because the places that we're supposed to have are currently being used for Weihnachtsmarkts.
Weihnachtsmarkts are super cool by the way, and very nummy smelling - they've just started going up the with advent of first Advent. Rheine doesn't seem to have one, which is weird - maybe they'll just put it up later or something? Anyway, I'm getting pretty excited for Christmas.
I'm really excited to be here serving my mission in Germany where the Christmas traditions are so strong - I think it will be a marvelous opportunity to really pay attention to and appreciate the true significance of Christmas - the birth of Jesus Christ, the savior of the world. I know that he did come to the earth, that he is the only begotten of the Father, and that through him we may find everlasting peace and joy. I love you all, and I know this Church is true! Happy Christmas!

Germany Week 17

Hey there Mom, sounds like you had a pretty good week.
I've had one too.
So last Monday I did buy myself some gloves, a scarf and an old man hat. They came to 34 €. I love them a lot. Though 34€ is sounding like more to me now than it did at the time. But I promise, they were the cheapest ones I could find that didn't have Hello Kitty on them. ;P I actually love them very much. Now I have the same type of hat as every old man in Germany. Some old men in America have them too, but not as many. Once I have a camera again, I'll send you a picture of how amazing I look as an old man.
What else happened this week...? Well, we went to Osnabrück three days in a row, which was quite the party. Monday we went for Vorbereitungstag, then Tuesday we went to babysit Elder Crowther between the time Elder Bossart left and Elder McCallister came - and we wandered around there for a while trying to get in contact with people. We were also using our Niedersachen trainticket, which may or may not work on the Busses there... You see, we took one bus, the driver said it was good, and took us to the next bus, where the driver said it wasn't - so then we went to another bus that was going to the same place, and he said it was good, but then when we caught that same bus on the way back, the driver said it wasn't good, but since the other driver had brought us out there with it, he'd be willing to bring us back just this once.... I don't know if my words were too garbled for that story to make sense, but hopefully it at least conveys the confusion we experienced as to the validity of Neidersachen Tickets on the Busses of Osnabrück. Then on Wednesday we went there again with the Thoms for District meeting, which was also quite the party.
We had a couple pretty good lessons this week, but we had more fall out. We were able to make out several appointments for next week, which will hopefully go well (mostly with former investigators...)
One really great thing was that M showed up to church yesterday with her two daughters even though she was late and had a terrible headache. I ended up staying with her in the Primary when we went to drop her kids off - I think it was really good for her. First, her kids seemed to really enjoy it, she saw that they enjoyed it, and there was a very simple lesson that touched on a lot of different things like Church Attendance, the Sacrament, Prophets, and the Scriptures. With her level of German, I think it was good that it was very simple and directed at children - I think she understood a lot of it. She was also able to meet and talk with some of the Spanish speaking members, which was really great. We've had a few appointments fall out with her, but she really seems to like church, and I think she could really make a lot of progress.
So that's most of what I've got to say, so I hope you have a marvelous week. I know the church is true, I know that as we turn to the saviour we will find the greatest measure of happiness, and we will receive the comfort and support that we need. Love you!

Germany Week 16

OOh.. I´d practically forgotten about transfer calls. It´s a good thing you mentioned it. As you might guess from my having entirely forgotten about them, Things will be staying the same for me. Elder Ririe will stay with me in Bad Bentheim. The only change in our district is that Elder McCallister, who was my Distrikt leader in Elmshorn, will be replacing Elder Bossart in Osnabrück. I just can´t get away from that guy! ;P nah, it´ll be good to see him again. We have this crazy theory though. So you see - Elder Ririe is the District leader here, and Elder McCallister has been stripped of his District leader position - something which only happens once every other blue moon - But wait! there´s more! Midway through the transfer apparently 5 or so District leaders are dying (going home). So we suspect Elder Ririe will be siphoned off after 3 weeks to fill one of those positions, and Elder McCallister will reascend to his former Glory as Distrikt leader. Once again - I just can´t get away from this guy! so yuppers. I´m writing this email from Osnabrück, we decided to come spend our Pday here since we´ll never see Elder Bossart again - at least for the two weeks between now and President's interviews. So far we´ve done a whole lot of nuthin'... hopefully I'll have time to buy that wintery stuff, because this last week has taken a turn for the ridiculously colder. It´s really not too bad, but it´s bad enough that I´m really glad that I can write an effective run on sentence while still maintaining the intention to write what I had originally intended to write which is that I´m glad that I finally, after several repeated weeks of forgetting, remembered to include a question in my latest email ensuring my eventual ability to purchase some Mittel with which to more efficiently warm myself, a word here which I´m not entirely sure I used correctly, but if I did, it means basically what the context ought to imply. It still hasn´t snowed at all, and it´s just been hanging out around freezing. And the last couple days there´s been this ridiculous fog - which is actually super awesome. If you walk into a bunch of trees, it sounds like it´s raining all of the sudden, and if you're driving under them, you´ll get an occasional large drop of water on your windsheild, and I must apologize for my sentence structure, but you see, I'm just stuck in run on mode, which I certainly hope my loyal fan base is enjoying as much as I am, though If they find themselves unamused, I find myself extremely greatful for their inherent loyalty, as is implied in their title, which reminds me that the trees would seem to be collecting the moisture of the fog and dropping it onto the ground, such as to be comparable to rain, as is apparent from my earlier description - a description which was surely to be lost in all of the muck of the monstrosity that is this sentence - which again brings me to the idea that my readership is likely excersizing a great deal of patience in reading this overblown grammatical framework, containing only meager bits of meaning, and I must again thank them for indulging such an atrocity, an atrocity, which I will soon be bringing to a close as a concession to appease those readers who are on the verge of dropping out of the 'loyal' section, and perhaps even the 'reader' section.
As you may`ve noticed, I don´t really have that much to say. I can´t think of anything that happened this week that is worthy of report. Things are going pretty well - we´re pushing forward, but It´s time to get ready to do some harder pushing. We´re excited to really try to work harder and more effectively this transfer.
Wow - for not saying anything, I took foreeevvver writing this. I figure I´ll try to make up for my lack of substance with a few pictures I've managed to take. I won´t be able to take anymore until I manage to get my hands on either another charger cable or a converter deely from American to German outlets, because my battery is dead as a doorknob. Elder Baake had a compatible charger cable, but now I´m on my own.... ok, fine, here they are.

1. Church in Rheine

2. Place in Frankfurt Mission when we went there to help a lady in the ward move

3. View from my desk

4. View from our walk around Rheine the other day

5. Classic

6. nuther view

7.Elder Ririe

8.nuther, more Rheinecentric view

9.The Only picture I´ve managed to get of Burg Bentheim... I´m always forgetting.

Anyhoodles, I know this church is true, I love you, and I'm glad to be able to be out here spreading the gospel. Have a nice life!

Germany Week 15

It´s been getting pretty cold here, but it´s warmed up a bit a few times. Most days recently when I go out I wear a light coat and usually end up taking it off and putting it back on a couple times - so it´s been chilly, but nothing super cold for the most part. It´s a gorgeous fall though - you would be super jealous - All the trees are turning colours, and it´s amazing. Due to the nature of our area, that is, having a whole bunch of small cities spread out in a large geographical area, that means we end up driving through the foresty areas a lot. Of course it also means we´ve got the Zone Leaders breathing down our necks alot about kilometers. And we end up taking more scenic countryside routes because while they take longer,they´re physically shorter. So it´s beneficial in some ways.

I very much enjoyed your little story of seeing Carly, Emily and Martha. I´m glad you recognized Carly, and I hope they enjoyed the Play.

Umm... I don´t really know what I want for Christmas... My socks are doing just fine, though I do love ties - I don´t need any more but would gladly accept some - while you´re at it, you could send me all of the ties I left sitting around my room. I would enjoy having more of a variety. Of course, I can probably get new ties cheaper here - there are 3 € Ties at C&A pretty often.. So basically, I don´t know. I certainly wouldn´t mind a couple american candies. Like smarties... or sweettarts. Of course, that has much more to do with my current cravings than anything I actually need. I haven´t seen any candies like that here, but I also haven´t looked. I also wouldn´t mind some peanut butter, but that´s actually not very hard to find here, so if I ever decide I need some, it´s not a big deal... So basically, send me whatever you feel like. One thing I sort of want are German books.. like Literature and Fairy tale books and stuff. But President´s statement about books at Zone Conference made him sound far less liberal than certain other missionaries have made out... But those would obviously be better to buy here anyway. I have been considering buying some and shipping them straight home. Mmmmk... I´m just rambling now.

Hmm... let´s see... what have I been up to this week?
Wednesday was Zone Conference, which was really nice. It´s kind of a day when you get to relax, but at the same time are getting excited about the work and it´s a great platform to take off from. President encouraged us to be terrible missionaries (see D&C 105:31,5:14) He talked about our church becoming as clear as the sun, coming out of obscurity, and really being well known here. It´ll be marvelous to have less people mistake us for Zeugen Jehovas. One thing the Assistants revealed was a new fancy stand thing for Ausstellungs (Street booth type deelios) that Sis. Pimentel put together. We´re getting pretty excited about the idea of doing Ausstellungs. (Maybe in part because It´s much easier for me to talk to people when they come to me) Elder Ririe and I had already been talking about doing them - I don´t know how wide spread they have been throughout the mission, but in this gemeinde they apparently used to do them all the time, but they sort of died out a while ago. Each zone has been given a stand to rotate between whoever needs it, but Elder Thom´s already asked about getting one just for our branch. I´m excited for this new (at least to me) approach to missionary work. I know that I´ve noticed in myself much more motivation as we´ve kept ourselves busy with more diversified types of work. Like that one day last week (or the week before, or however one refers to that one week that I already wrote about) when we spent the whole day doing street contacting and doors and I was about ready to staple my head to a wall... Even in that situation though I need to just have a better attitude. This week I felt like I was doing a lot more good, we were really keeping ourselves busy with visiting members, doing service, Zone Conference, and the like. Though it was a bad week for finding, something we really need to work on this week, I felt much better this week, like I was busy, like I was actually making progress. So I really want to keep that up, but slip in a few more hours of finding time in between. I feel like I´m kind of just talking to myself, but hope it also makes a semblance of sense to the rest of the world.
Another fun thing is on the train from Zone conference we decided to have a Tausch with Osnabrück - so Elder Bossart came with me back to Rheine, and Elder Ririe stayed there with Elder Crowther. It was a lot of fun. Unfortunately our appointment in the morning fell out, but later we had English class with the Blanken kids, a tiny bit of time for street contacting, and a short appointment with M from Venezuela, to which we brought a member from Nicaragua - they seemed to get along quite well - then we went to Osnabrück to tausch back. Oh man - and I had to drive that day because Elder Bossart hasn´t gotten his German license yet, but you can drive with an American one for your first 6 months there. Let me tell ya, I haven´t gotten any better in the last several months of not touching a steering wheel. And the streets and drivers here are ridiculous. But I survived! Though I did drive a lot more timidly and slowly than would´ve been best.
And On Saturday morning we helped the Blankens put gravel into their yard - it was a lot of fun, it also felt really great and rewarding to do some manual labor service. I´m super sore from it right now. It made Morgen sport this morning just that much more difficult - but that much better too.
So yeah, things are going beautifully out here. What I don´t believe is that it´s the last week of the transfer. So we´ll see on Saturday who´s going where and if anything will change around here.
I know that whatever does happen will be for the best, and will be for our prophet and learning. At the very least it will be character building ;P I know this work is guided buy the Lord and I know it will keep marching forward regardless of how much I slack off, so why try, right? Nah, I´m just Joshin´ya. Though that is true, it´s something that rather excites me to want to be part of it. To be a more involved part of it and to really help the Lord´s work move forward. I know he´s got a plan of how I can contribute to the Kingdom, so long as I am willing to do it. It is marvelous to know that I am in such a position to move it forward, and I pray to live up to that calling. I know this church is true, and I know God loves his children.
Love you! Keep up the amazingness!