First Transfer!

Fist email out from the Dirty D, and it lives up to its name.  I dont smell it as bad anymore, I think I am just getting used to it, but the first day I was here the whole city smelled like pee, and a hint of ripe poo.  Everyone just said that was normal and that I wouldn't notice it soon... Great.. Not to mention on my second day here a pigeon pooped on me... Welcome to Duisburg...

 

Despite the smell and lack of anything beautiful, I love Duisburg.  This city has so much going on, and it is like 5 times bigger than Hagen.  We have a university, which means lots of young people, and it is just a huge city.  Not to mention that the work here is going crazy.  Before in Hagen we were having like 8-12 lessons a week, and that was a huge improvement from when I first got there when were were having 1-5.  But just over the weekend here in Duisburg we had 10.  In three days and in a normal week about 20... We have so many investigators and so many people that we are teaching, the ward is huge and super awesome.  I am so excited.

 

Not to mention my companion is so cool.  He was a pitcher for BYU's baseball team, but try not to hold that against him, he is still great guy.  His name is Elder Hutchings and he is one transfer younger than me and he has great German.  It is kinda weird to be in a companionship where both people can speak german.  Makes things super easy.  I am loving it.  He is a super hard worker and has worked really hard to build up Duisburg into the missionary city that it is.

 

The ward here in Duisburg is super young and really active in missionary work.  We have already in the past 4 days, contacted more referals than my whole 6 months in Hagen.  This ward is so awesome.  I dont really know what to say more about Duisburg, I am so stoked to be working here with Elder Hutchings.  We have had some crazy appointments already, found like 6 new investigators in the past 4 days and it is just going great.  I love it.

 

The hard part about this week was saying goodbye to everyone.  I spent half my week in Hagen, and then arived in Duisburg on Thursday, but in those first couple days where I had to say goodbye to everyone I think we had 7 meal appointments... Thank goodness my mom thought I was going to get fat when I left, because I needed the extra 4 inches of pants this past week. And on the Wednesday we had grilled chicken and french fries, chinees buffet, and mexican food..... did not mix well...... 

 

The good news is that if I ever want to go back to Hagen, there are about 5 couches that I could sleep on.  I am going to miss everyone there.  It was an amazing way to start out the mission and I have learned so much, but I am kinda excited for the change of scenery and the opportunity to meet new people.  Like our Italian Investigator Guarino, who owns a super fancy italian resturant and gives us a free dinner every week :)  Oh yeah.... Thats right :)  Duisburg is going to be so amazing.

 

I am sure there will be plenty of fun stories from Duisburg, this place is crazy and I think I fit right in.  So I am excited to see how the weeks unfold.

 

Viele Liebe,

 

Elder Blackley