Week Ten

So much has happened since my last big email, I dont know were to start.  If this email doesn't make sense, it is because every single word is underlined in red because they are not german words, and the Z and the Y are switched.  So this whole typing experience is throwing me off.  But, I believe my last email was two weeks ago from tomorrow.  So that would be my last week in the MTC and my first week in Germany.  I will start with my last week in the MTC.

So last tuesday we had our last MTC devotional, and we were so fortunante to hear from Neil L. Anderson.  So finally, after 9 weeks of waiting, we got to hear from a general authority, and it was amazing!  Just being in the same building is amazing.  It was a fantastic talk on the teachings of President Thomas S. Monson.  And a fantastic way to end our MTC experience.  The rest of the week was exciting and fairly busy.  It was a mix of saying goodbye to everyone, trying to stay focused, and packing.  I have to say I really enjoyed my MTC experience, I learned so much and I made some really great friends, and it was hard to say goodbye.  But at the same time, not too hard because we were leaving to go to Germany.  

If Brother Corey, and Sister Covey are reading this, and you should be, my mom should have added you to the list.  I have no clue what is going on.  I pretty much just walk around with my goofy smile and say, Entshuldigung, (then whatever testimony I try to give) and then they reply with german that is way to fast and complex and I just smile and look at my trainer.  I swear everyone thinks I am not all there.  haha, but I can atleast bear testimony.

Just so everyone knows... I love flying.  It is my absolute favorite part about traveling.  The small seats and the dumb people making things hard.  Also the fact that the airlines dont even know how it all works.  It is my favorite.... So this flight was just a blast.  About 30 seconds after I had checked in the whole system crashes.  So we have 3 elders who can not check in and can not go threw security, and we did not even figure that out untill waiting for them for 45 minutes on the other side of securitz, because the security officer, TSA's brightest, kept telling us that they were coming.  So then I had to leave again, go check on them, because our flight was boarding in 15 min, and they said the whole system crashed.  So I went threw security for the second time, another one of my favorite things, and got them all food because they had to run to make our first flight.  Oh the excitement of flying.

So we all knew we were in trouble when we got on the plane from Denver to Frankfurt, and they started saying the directions in German and we cant even tell if they are speaking german or greek.  So after being frightened by that experience, I then had the only flight in my entire life I have not been able to sleep on.  Go figure, it also happens to be the longest flight of my life, and the only one where I am not allowed to watch the free movies or listen to music.  So I watched our plane fly over the ocean on the little screen in front of me... awesome.  By the time we were in Germany I had found places that sweat had never reached before, and I am pretty sure that was a visible odor coming from my body.  But we were in Germany, so everything was ok.

My bag was obviously the last one to get unloaded, 15 minutes after everyone else's, naturally.  But then we met our mission president, President Schwartz.  He has got to be one of the kindest and most loving and exciting men I have ever met.  He greeted us all with a hug and that was the moment I realized I was in Germany for the first time.  I couldn't read anything and everyone around me spoke in some made up language that was not what I had learned in the MTC.  But we were free, so I was just smiling away.  We took the trains (coolest system ever) to the mission office and did some paperwork.  We then went to our mission presidents house for dinner.  Delicious! I know that I am going to love my time here even if I cant understand anything, because atleast I can eat.

We were then transported to a hotel were we stayed the night.  We were all so tired, everyone passed out before 6.  But elder Richards and I were able to stay strong and stay up till almost 9 before we passed out.  We all woke up with a trainer in our room.  It wasn't our own trainers but it was still 20 questions.  We wanted to know everything about Germany.  So we traveled to the church and awaited our assignments.  And after a few words by President and the APs I was assigned to...... Hagan! yep I was probably thinking the same thing you are... Were is Hagan.  Well it is a small suburban town south of Dortmond.  It is not a huge city, but our boundaries are huge so we have a couple cities.  It is pretty modern though.  My trainer is Elder Butcher.  He is from Texas, and went to the Airforce acadamy before his mission.  He is so awesome.  Hard working, great with the members and just determined to get some stuff happening in our area.

So on my way up to my area, a three hour train from frankfurt, I talked to my first german.  He hated america and capitalism and thought that religion was a capatalistic society.  And the only reason I know this is because he spoke english.  I would try to speak german to him and then he would try.  It was very multilanguage conversation.  But for someone who sounded so mean at first, he was really nice, and talked to me for over half an hour.  It was pretty cool.  But then when I got to Hagan I was told that we had no progressing investigators, and there hasn't been a baptism in the area in over a year. Apparently the elders before elder butcher did not work well with the members, and he has spent the last 3 months repairing that relationship.  But the work seems like it is moving forward.  We have appointments this week and we have a couple potentials that we talked to that seem truely interested.  So the work is moving forward.  The members are way excited about missionary work.  We have a ward street preach on saturday and It looks like almost everyone will be there.

So that is going great.  No one has to worry about me gaining much weight, atleast untill the next two transfers are up.  My companion is a healthy eater and not much for the street food.  Which means I still have not had a Döner.  It is funny I have almost been here for a week and we haven't had german food once yet.  Our first member appointment they took us to an American resturant of all places... I had a bacon burger.  Second we had lasagna, yep even in germany thats what the elders eat.  And this afternoon we had a lunch appointment and we were taken to a chineese resturant.  So not anything german yet. So all these wonderful days spent dreaming about german food in the MTC, Brother Corey and I still havn't had any.  Haha. But its probably better for me or I would get fat.

But we are doing great here in Hagan.  The work is picking up and I am excited to work hard.  I like a good challenge, and the work here in Hagan right now is just that.  Oh! and for a confidence booster, my first day contacting out in the street, I went up to a man and said something to him, he looked at me and said, Dein Deutch ist Schleckt! and then walked away... Ha it was kinda funny.  But I love being a missionary.  It is hard right now with no one to teach, but that is going to change this week.  I just know it.

I haven't taken many pictures of germany yet but I will try to soon.  But here as a couple as well as some pictures from the MTC.  So I guess I will have to send the others in another email, So there may be more than one email going out to all of you guys!

Much love,

Elder Blackley