Word From Who Knows Where? 2-7-2011

From Mom -
     Remember those erratic emails I mentioned in the last post?  Well, they still are!  Erratic I mean.  This week to my delight, Evan's email arrived on Monday morning, the usual day and time.  Imagine my disappointment when I opened the email and it turned out to be the exact same email that I had received the week before.  After checking on missionary moms (a website that connects mothers with sons/daughters serving in the same missions), I discovered that similar problems are occurring with other parents emails as well.  And, in fact, it doesn't appear to be isolated to the Germany Frankfurt Mission.  The same issues are happening with others as well.  Im guessing that it's an ldsmail.net thing, since all missionary emails go through them.  All I can say is that I hope the situation is fixed soon, where or whatever it's coming from.  It's a real bummer waiting for news that doesn't arrive!  I'm still hoping that a new email may arrive this week.  If nothing else, it would be nice to know which city our Elder is actually in.  Wetzlar may have been temporary, since regular transfers were coming up.  This young man sure is getting bounced around.  Oh well, I guess that just adds to the adventure and to the number of people he can share missionary experiences with.  Anyway, when I do hear something new, I'll be sure to post it here.  In the meantime, we did receive a package from Evan on the 4th of February.  He had sent it the first week of December intending for us to get it for Christmas - ha! ha!  He must have sent the package super, super, slow, snail mail!  It mostly contained German chocolate bars.  One bar for each member of the family including his nieces and nephew!  They were very yummy - BTW!  Much to our delight, the package also contained an SD card with more pictures from the mission.  I'll try to get some of them posted here soon.  

Blitzed Again! - Word From Wetzlar 2-2-2011

From Mom -
     Emails have been erratic in the last couple of weeks.  It's very frustrating!  The last normal email we received from Elder Peterson was on Jan.24th, which I posted here as usual.  The following week on Monday, Jan.31st (his normal p-day), we didn't receive an email.  Now, mind you, that in itself wouldn't be so unusual.  There could have been conferences, computers down, transfers, any number of things that would explain the lack of word from my son.  However, his sister H got an email that day. The bugger! And I know my boy.  He knows that mom comes first (at least until he acquires a wife) and that won't be happening any time soon!  So where was my weekly contact that I so look forward to?!!  As I continued to faithfully (ok - neurotically) check my emails, I continued to be disappointed.  I don't pretend to know how so many generations of mothers (pre-internet), managed to wait to hear from their missionaries via snail mail.  Ugh!  Of course, it doesn't help that I have absolutely NO patience!  Finally, about 2 or 3 days later we received our email.  YAY!  Here it is - - -

2-2-2011

Well, I got blitzed again. This time I get to stay within the same district. I must say that I a really liked Usingen. Now I am in Wetzlar with Elder H. He's a Wiener and when I say that I mean he is from Austria. I still get to see the Usingen Elders every once and a while and our ward is just as solid here. Elder H works a little different. He is not a fan of knocking on doors because it is not nearly as effective as gaining the trust of the members and the investigators that we have. The theory behind this is that you show them that missionaries are normal people and that we have personalities that maybe click with people they know, meaning more referrals! That is the theory. I don't mind trying new things as I want to learn what is effective. I hope it is not just an excuse to get out of doing the other forms of missionary work. Maybe I just have MTC drilled into my brain which was all about Find Find Find. This will be a new experience for sure and I welcome it. Assuming I stay in Wetzlar instead of being transferred with the new cycle I will have a new address. We got a new apartment that we still need to move into. This crazy guy the floor below us hates us so we get to move into a nicer apartment. I'm just spoiled as a new missionary I guess. Right now I am living out of my bags because there really is no point in unpacking at this point. We should get transfer calls this upcoming Sunday so I will be ready for whatever. Oh yeah! The reason for the blitz: An Elder in our district who was actually in my group went home because he had some sleeping problems. Not to harp on him but we all know it was because he had a girlfriend back home and he was looking for a way to get out. He was a good guy, the mission just wasn't for him I guess. But, with another Elder gone there was no more need for the drit so it died. With the end of the cycle we will lose two of my favorite Elders - Elders C and L. I really don't want them to go home because I look up to them a lot.

I can't believe it is February already. I'm ready for like March or April but time is going pretty fast. J will have been out a year come next month. That is crazy! I don't want my whole life to go by this fast. I'm glad there is something like eternity to look forward to. We talked to this lady in Erfurt one time about her family and she said her family meant everything to her but she would not see them after this life because there was nothing after this life. How depressing is that? What is the point? Anyways...

My district and I got stuck in an elevator. The fire department came to break us out and everything. It was pretty fun. There were seven of us chilling in this glass elevator that had barely left the ground and all these people walking by were staring at us. Elder M was outside calling our ZL's and his GML (Gemeinde Missions Leiter) to tell them how funny it was. Whatev.

Eating appointments are different from family to family. We were at this one that went really fast because the Dad was like, 'You need to use your time well!' Which I would agree with. Then we were at this other one where the family didn't want us to leave and they were like, 'You can stay longer, please!' As missionaries you can tell when your stay is over welcomed and when it is time to go. Just feed missionaries food that is safe but also different. Different because I don't know how many times I have eaten Knudeln, Rot Kraut and Gulasch. Not that it is bad, but you see it a lot. We had Burritos at this family's house that wanted us to stay a long time. That was an excellent safe but different meal in Germany. And simple! Simple is key. Missionaries are just grateful to have free food.

I'm still finishing up my journal I had when I entered the MTC and have another full one that you gave me for my b-day. Should last me a while. I promise I write everyday and I get way detailed with the most mundane things even. Probably because I appreciate the mundane moments the most.

I had a question. I know the region code for DVDs is different from here than in the US. But I heard that you can do several different encodes or something on a computer's dvd drive or software or something. Do you think Dad could do a google search or something on that for me if it is not too much trouble? If it is true then I might come home with some German films.

I'm doing well. Good luck with the pool! And I'm proud of you mom for being diligent in your swimming and soon cycling! Love you all!

Tschüss!

Elder Evan