Word from Wesel - March 21, 2011

3-21-2011

I'm not ready to be a senior companion! But I guess with how young our mission is, it is unavoidable. Elder C is being transferred to Essen and I am staying here in Wesel to golden-bust Elder H. Transfer day is Wednesday. Elder H is only one cycle younger than me and considering the fact that I have only been in the field for four months should make this transfer a pretty humbling experience. I wouldn't say I'm struggling with the language but I still have a long ways to go before I can understand 100 percent what everyone is saying to me. It will be an intense transfer just from the standpoint that Elder C and I planned on some pretty intense appointments with our eternal investigators. I need the Lord's help more than ever!

I've slowly heard more and more about Japan. We actually were at a less aktives house this last week and he was devastated by it all. He had us watch the news while we were there, which isn't mission rules but he felt very strongly that we needed to see what was going on. I feel so cut off from the world!

I will get a picture of my shoes off to you next week. I haven't seen a shoe repair place since Erfurt but I will look for one. Depending on how expensive it is it would definitely be worth it to repair them.

That family in that picture should probably be Familie F. We didn't get too many pictures with members (leide) and that I think was one of the few that we did.

My allergies have not started acting up yet. Being the first day of spring though I did start taking my nose spray today. St. Patrick’s day was uneventful. I don't think it is very big here. I didn't see anything St Patricky.

I wanted to ask for some addresses if that is at all possible. I would like one for Gpa, K & M, P & J... I think that is everyone. That would be the best favor ever!

Also, a member here, who’s from South Africa, wanted me to find out about a certain missionary serving in England who’s from South Africa and had an accident. I told her that I had a couple friends in England and she thought I could find out some more about the situation. It think she said the London, England mission. Was R in the London or the Leeds? I thought London. If so, have you heard anything from the R updates your getting about a missionary from South Africa who had a really bad accident?

How's the missionary work in Marysville doing? I know a couple of weeks ago you said the missionaries were coming over to make a mission plan or something. How did that go?

We had an appointment on last p-day right after I sent my weekly email with a guy who could be way legit. He walked 5km to come meet with us and was reading in the B of M on his own and said he really wants to find out what is true. We teach him in English because he lived in England for 2 years and likes the practice. But I hope he stays interested. He's met with people from other religions before; trying to find out what is right but felt they were too pushy. I don't want to get my hopes up but he could be our golden investigator. Everyone else needs to be kicked in the pants. Maybe I'm too cruel or too impatient. But seriously, if you want to know, you will DO something about it. You can't get an answer unless you DO something.

Well, a new week and a new cycle. Maybe this is the experience that has been placed before me to get me out of my comfort zone. I'm going to need help!

Thanks for all of your love and support and prayers. This work is important!

Love you all! Tschüss!

Elder Evan

Word from Wesel - March 14, 2011

3-14-2011

Family!

I was incredibly surprised to hear that Elder D. sent you a letter, but then at the same time not. That is a very Elder D. thing to do :) All missionaries should do that. Actually, all missionaries should just try to be a little more like him. I’ll send him your thanks when I get the chance.

I just barely heard about the Tsunami this week and that was from other people just passing comments about it back and forth. I can't tell you how grateful I am to have the gospel in my life but I'm sure you probably feel the same. One day this last week I just kind of sat there and realized how blessed I have been to be born into the gospel. How was I so blessed with that opportunity? As a missionary you hear and really come to understand that there are a lot of different opinions and beliefs out there. That is obvious of course but the magnitude of that becomes more evident I think. To then be blessed with the gospel in all of that mess is a miracle I think.

I promise I'm not discouraged! It is just tough when you have to teach your best investigator the same principle about reading and praying about the Book of Mormon every week because he can't find time to do it. And when the missionaries have been meeting with this guy for about 6 months. He still hasn't prayed to find out if it's true. Maybe I'm just impatient, but I think if you really want something I think you make time to give it some attention. That is just the general attitude with all our investigators, potentials and just Germany I think. Which is why I said what I said last week. But that faith and hope is not gone! Thank you for the words of encouragement. It's nice to know that these feelings are normal.

Transfer calls are at the end of this week. Meaning next email you will know if I am staying or leaving. After last cycle, anything could happen. There is the potential that Elder C. could leave and I would take over the area. That worried me in Erfurt as much as it does here. I think that relationship that Elder C. has with most members and some of our investigators is just not there for me yet. But! we do what we have to do and take it as it comes. I'm really excited for this week because I think we can unlock the potential we have here. If not, then we will learn from that as well. I don't want to burn myself out in the first 6 months. But I think that is the general attitude of the mission. At least the sense I get from ZoKos. Not complaining but merely stating a fact. I don't think that the Lord wants us to drive ourselves crazy or just be unhappy. But maybe I'm rationalizing! I'll figure it out.

I think I will just get into a better habit of writing J. Starting today! Does J get to see my emails at all?

My Pez really says Dead Men Tell no Tales. Maybe that was a mistake on the designer’s part.

Question: So towards the beginning of my mission I heard that eccos, like mine, over time would start to crack on the soles of the shoes. Sure enough mine have started to do that. But I know there is also a warranty or something with the shoes. You can take a picture, send it in, and get a new pair. Is that so? It's not too much of a problem now but I have noticed the splits starting to get bigger. Brother W from the MTC called his eccos like fortune telling shoes or something because they told him when the ground was wet. If anything I can probably get some super glue or something. But I was just wondering if that warranty is still there.

We talked to this one guy yesterday (there are a lot here). He kept repeating himself saying that he doesn't believe any prophets came after a certain time. We kept repeating ourselves that this book, the Book of Mormon, is a record of prophets around this time frame that he was describing. He himself said that he believed in all of the prophets around this time and so when the time frame of the B of M was finally in his head he looked confused. He said he was going to do some research on this book so we gave him the right address before he could find something anti-Mormon. Once he finds out we have a prophet today he'll freak and also that we believe Christ was the Son of God. But, it is those random conversations like that, which make my day. We have quite a few of those actually. Simple pleasures in life. Like knocking on a door, hearing the person press themselves against the door to look through the peephole, then moaning and groaning telling us to go away. I'm glad that stuff like that doesn't get me down. That actually makes me laugh.

Well! Time to go. Thanks for the love and the support and the prayers. I pray for you all as well and can't tell you how grateful I am to be blessed with such a family. Love you!

Tschüss!

Elder Evan

Word from Wesel - March 9, 2011

3-9-2011

It's weird to think that next week we get transfer calls again. The time just kind of goes by I guess. These past few weeks have been a little harder. It's starting to become really repetitive with the people we meet and the new people we find. They are all people and children of God but it is really hard to help someone understand the importance of our message. I think the desire is just not there for most people. Still we work hard and have faith that someone is ready. Before I thought it would be pretty easy to get over the discouragement thing. I don't think it is even that that gets you down, but more that it is hard to stay excited when those you teach don't get excited with you. We're working on it! But that is where we have been at.

Good to know the fried SD cards is not a regular thing. I started taking more pictures after I sent the last to you, but I lost about that weeks worth of photos when one of the members kids was playing with my camera and managed to delete them all. I was kind of sad about that. At least it was only a week and I decided not to wait to send those other ones!

Brazil! ... Das stimmt. Everyone is going to Brazil. But I guess that is where they need the missionaries.

You can forward Js' emails to me. Pretty sure I can print them out. I'm working at being a better letter writer I promise! J sent me a letter telling me I need to write him more so I will do that for sure. I didn't really write anyone at all until this cycle. Shame on me.

Dad, I am very grateful for the Babylonish updates. Es freut mich einfach. I get really excited whenever I here a little bit of movie news from a member or an investigator. Maybe I shouldn't concern myself with such things, but hey... Yeah I have no real excuse :) Your opinion is one that I can trust. Concerning the Babylonish, news gets around. I hear Star Wars is coming out on Blu Ray in September? And the Hobbit is coming out right before the end of the world in Dec. 2012? Is this true? Also that Jack Sparrow PEZ I was sent says Dead Men Tell No Tales on it. I thought the fourth was supposed to be on Stranger Tides... What is the dealio?

Random: My companion knows David Archuletta. He went to school with him and had seminary together and everything. He was showing me pictures from home. These particular photos were of a friend's farewell. `Here's my friend so 'n so. Here he is opening his call packet. Here is with David...'

Wait, what? It was really random.

Karnival was really crazy. It was pretty much an excuse to take work off and dress up like something random and go get drunk. While we were trying to do missionary work, flocks of people were herding to the Bahnhofs and city centers to go to different parties. EVERYONE was dressed up like something and it was pretty much madness everywhere. It made Elder C uncomfortable. We even saw some Na'Vi! OR however you spell it.

Well, don't have much time today. But this next P-day should still be on Monday.

Love,

Elder Evan

Tschüss!

Delayed P-day again

3-7-2011

I’m just sending a quick message to let you know that we are having p-day on Wednesday this week. So that means full-fledged emails will have to wait until then. President wanted to make sure we didn’t have P-day on carnival because it gets pretty crazy. Talk to you soon.

Happy Birthday Chelsea!

Elder Evan

Word from Wesel - Monday, February 28, 2011

Monday, February 28, 2011

Well, life seems to go on when you’re not there in the middle of it. C D is getting married? What the crazy!

We ourselves were revisited by snow but not very much, just a skiff. It is raining more than anything, which brings me home and puts my companion off. He is from Utah and much prefers the blue skies and shinning sun. What’s that about?

I will try sending some pictures today! They go all the way back to late December up until now. You get two cycles worth of pictures! Also, tell me if I look fat. According to the scales in Wetzlar I gained like ten pounds last cycle. I don’t know why! I’ve weighed the same since I gained like 20 pounds during swim team. Now I am ten pounds heavier. I think it all went to my face, but you can be the judge.

Thanks for the package! My companion appreciates the treats just as much as I do. The article was really cool to read considering the last dedicatory prayer that was just given. I sure hope I can see some of those promises come true that President Uchtdorf gave. I am convinced that the families of missionaries, especially moms, are just as involved in the work as the missionaries are. Thanks for everything!

And meine gute! C informed me that my Avatar is sitting in my room right now. As disturbing as it was to see my face plastered to that... that thing... I really appreciated it :) Now I understand what you were talking about! Really creative I say, and quite the resemblance. I even got to light off fireworks! Haha *sigh* I love my family.

Couple side notes real quick. I heard Facebook deletes your profile after a year of inactivity. Have you logged into that at all? Also, when do I need to start worrying about BYU again? Thanks for the thought but I am doing alright with the deo and the toothpaste.

I am going to summarize for you real quick one of the strangest experiences I have had thus far which occurred just this last Friday. A couple days before that we contacted this guy on the street named J. He is from C and said that he had met the Mormons before and would love to meet with us again. The catch, he was drunk at that time. We figured he would be sober the next time we met and that we could have a good gospel oriented conversation with him. Long story short, come Friday we pick him up at Bahnhof in one of the other cities we work in so that we could ride to the genealogy night at the church together. He was a little less drunk this time but still drunk. From that point through the next five hours we spent with him I was looking for ways to get out of this situation we were in, while Elder C was determined to get him to this church activity. We collected stares from people on the buses and the trains and we also learned a lot about him in that time. He speaks English, Hungarian, Polish, German and Russian. His grandmother was the Baroness of Norway and his Grandfather was General Lutz (General over all of Europe). He knows more about the Mormons than the Mormons know about themselves, including the fact that Joseph Smith was from Hungary but changed his name when he moved to the states. The golden plates also originated in Hungary. Actually, everything good comes out of Hungary. He has an ancient Hungarian sword worth 2 million dollars in his closet and he knows how to build a UFO. Well we got him to the genealogy night and he spent something like 30 minutes in the bathroom as soon as we got to the church. Turns out he was smoking in the church bathroom as evident by the smoke filled room and ashes in the sink. He denied it when the Branch President asked him. We decided it was time to go when J was determined we were practicing scientology, when all he heard was stuff about ancestors and dates. As we were leaving, the Branch President realized something was up and helped us out. We were driving J to the Bahnhof when he said he had no place to stay and that he might as well throw himself in front of one of the trains. Not wanting him to do that, the Branch President took us all to the local Rewe to get him some food and then to the police station to find a place for him to stay for the night. After all this was over I realized a couple things. One, never take a drunk man to a church activity. But two, I just need to be more charitable. The whole time I was with this man I was thinking of ways we could ditch him. Not once was I concerned about helping out. Our Branch President handled it well and I am really glad he was there. He was a good example for me.

Well, we keep getting calls from J asking for our help but President Ninow just told us to ignore him and block his calls. J isn’t really homeless he was just really drunk that night. The police were actually surprised he wasn’t dead. While waiting for a train he walked to an Aldi to get something. He came back more drunk than he was before. But a miracle happened! In that time at the train station we made contact with a 24-year-old student who was really cool and potentially could be a new investigator. He was wondering why two Americans were hanging out with a drunken guy and just wanted to help out. Then every time J walked off somewhere we were able to talk to him about the gospel. Sweet!

Yup. Crazy stuff. Doing well. Cold is nearly gone. Talk to you next week!

Love

Elder Evan