I'm glad to hear that I'm not missing out on Harry Potter and that Angel Moroni disapproves :) However, I have heard from one of the young men here that it was excellent. This young man doesn't like movies either so that is saying something. I won't think about it though... worrying about other people's salvation is better. I think...
I must say I was hoping to get you before you sent the Christmas package. Our name on our klingle box says Kirche Jesu Christi so my fear is that they won't see our name and then the package will be lost! There might be a way to squeeze my name in there or something. I'll have to see. I probably won't see the thanksgiving package until next week during Zone Conference when we see the APs. Most stuff that gets sent to the office is held until the APs or someone from the office comes in contact with the missionary, so maybe once a cycle. We didn't really have a thanksgiving :( But that is ok. Elder O and I wanted to do something but there is of course no time. The other two elders don't have thanksgiving so it wasn't a big deal anyways. One thing I've noticed here is how precious time is. Always I#m wondering if it is a good use of time. Thank you for even sending me something! I'm way excited. It is always nice to know that I am thought of. Sometimes I forget that I am in a foreign country. I've gotten used to the idea that everyone around me is speaking German and that I can't say much back. I understand a lot though! I've learned that listening actively and talking when possible helps.
My companion is Elder D. He is dutch and speaks fluent English and German! So that is a bonus. He is great and really patient with me and my learning. I can't really describe his personality. He is very calm and very wise. His humor is a little different too. But we get along great! When ever we are doing “finding time” there is always the attitude, “someone is ready”. We are going to find someone.' Which is the way I like it. It keeps me focused and it's a good way to start off the mish. I heard from a lot of leaders at the MTC that the first part of your mission will be a lot of sitting and listening to your companion teach and then bearing your testimony. Not so with Elder D. He makes sure that I am involved and that I am communicating as much as possible. While it is difficult and extremely out of my comfort zone, I appreciate it. I'd rather get all of that uncomfortable stuff out of the way now. Which most of it is gone! I'm pretty confident when doing doors and talking with people on the street. Even when they say 'Kein bedarf!' or 'Kein intressant.' My favorite is when they think we're the Jehova witnesses and then slam the door in our face. It is really too bad because A LOT of people think we are. We say we're from the Church of Jesus Christ but it is all the same to them.
Last Sunday we met with this awesome Turkish teenager named B whose mother let us in and fed us some food from her garden (not a fan) and made us tea and stuff. Yesterday we went back to talk to him again and as soon as we
got there his mom rushed off to the kitchen to make us something. She made us soup, served us bread and seasoned tomatoes, more tea and some dried fruit to take home. So nice! I liked the food more this time. They just talked and talked and talked with us and we would bring up the gospel and they were really interested. But they are strong in their own faith so Elder D thinks it won't go anywhere. We'll go back again and have a Christmas message or something. Hey! While I remember, would you be able to do me a huge favor and send me in the next email a list of our favorite cookie recipes? Including a gingerbread one if possible. And possibly some fun FHE (family home evening) activities we did when we were little? We want to make cookies for members and for some of our investigators. It will be tough though because I know a lot of our favorites involved peanut butter and peanut butter is hard to come by here. When you walk into an American store you have a large variety with different brands, sizes and types. Here we go to this one store to get it which has one small row of this weird off brand in a tiny little jar about the size of a baseball. It's better than nothing I guess. Nutella is
in large supply here which is like my new favorite thing! I like to toast two pieces of bread and put peanut butter on one side and then Nutella on the other and then sandwich them together. It melts a little bit and it... I don't even know! It is like the perfect combo.
I got a letter from K saying that C was home? :/ Which is really what I didn't want to hear. I'm not judging him or anything but it really makes me sad. IDK He did so much to get out there. It's rough. I understand that it's tough. This is one of the hardest things I've ever done and I think it is the not seeing the Family aspect that is the hardest for me. I have to admit as Christmas approaches that I've been a little homesick. Nothing extreme but I do miss the Christmas at home. Once we are out and working it's not a worry but it can be a little distracting back at the apartment. I think once I get into the swing of things and past the holiday season that it will go more smoothly. I know satan is working hard on me! If it is not one thing it is another. I did a lot of changing at the MTC. Now that I'm past that there is something as little as homesickness. There is opposition in all things! I won't give up, but I won't deny that this is hard work. We were out doing doors the other night for a couple hours and it was -7.5 degrees... celcius of course but that is still way cold. It's been snowing off and on here. I prefer it when it snows because it is a little warmer. We went to the Weihnachtsmarkt last week but really brief. We are going again tonight and will spend a little more time there. You might look out for a package from Germany!
got there his mom rushed off to the kitchen to make us something. She made us soup, served us bread and seasoned tomatoes, more tea and some dried fruit to take home. So nice! I liked the food more this time. They just talked and talked and talked with us and we would bring up the gospel and they were really interested. But they are strong in their own faith so Elder D thinks it won't go anywhere. We'll go back again and have a Christmas message or something. Hey! While I remember, would you be able to do me a huge favor and send me in the next email a list of our favorite cookie recipes? Including a gingerbread one if possible. And possibly some fun FHE (family home evening) activities we did when we were little? We want to make cookies for members and for some of our investigators. It will be tough though because I know a lot of our favorites involved peanut butter and peanut butter is hard to come by here. When you walk into an American store you have a large variety with different brands, sizes and types. Here we go to this one store to get it which has one small row of this weird off brand in a tiny little jar about the size of a baseball. It's better than nothing I guess. Nutella is
in large supply here which is like my new favorite thing! I like to toast two pieces of bread and put peanut butter on one side and then Nutella on the other and then sandwich them together. It melts a little bit and it... I don't even know! It is like the perfect combo.
I got a letter from K saying that C was home? :/ Which is really what I didn't want to hear. I'm not judging him or anything but it really makes me sad. IDK He did so much to get out there. It's rough. I understand that it's tough. This is one of the hardest things I've ever done and I think it is the not seeing the Family aspect that is the hardest for me. I have to admit as Christmas approaches that I've been a little homesick. Nothing extreme but I do miss the Christmas at home. Once we are out and working it's not a worry but it can be a little distracting back at the apartment. I think once I get into the swing of things and past the holiday season that it will go more smoothly. I know satan is working hard on me! If it is not one thing it is another. I did a lot of changing at the MTC. Now that I'm past that there is something as little as homesickness. There is opposition in all things! I won't give up, but I won't deny that this is hard work. We were out doing doors the other night for a couple hours and it was -7.5 degrees... celcius of course but that is still way cold. It's been snowing off and on here. I prefer it when it snows because it is a little warmer. We went to the Weihnachtsmarkt last week but really brief. We are going again tonight and will spend a little more time there. You might look out for a package from Germany!
Elder Evan
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