Saturday 18 July 2015

Dielsdorf 29/6/15 - 12/7/15 Week 27 of 2015- Or just Week 2 of being a Papa! & Week 28 of 2015- Austausch und Zweigtempeltag!!

Week 27 of 2015- Or just Week 2 of being a Papa!

As per, P-day Monday! Emails, love 'em! Then we just spent the day chilling around Zürich, checked out a few shops on Bahnhofstr. (Talk about Pricey) then went up to the Zürisee. Then we went to a book shop and I bought a Schweizerdeutsch book, as one of us has to know what people are saying to us when they refuse to speak Hochdeutsch!- and that seems to happen a lot lately! As well as Italian speaking people on the street. They just say like 'No I don't speak German, Italian'? So, I try out my Italian- "We're missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ" and they just shake their heads and walk off!!! I don't know what I'm doing wrong!! I'll have to send Ash a video of me saying it and she can tell me how bad my pronunciation is... or Ash will just have to send me a video of her saying it, so I can learn from that!! Like I wouldn't mind, but I have it down beautifully in German, French, Danish and Slovak!! It's just that Italian people are too picky with me!! Then for the evening we went to Familie Ryser for dinner and FHE!! It was the coolest thing ever! I love having FHE at a members'! It is the coolest, most sweetest thing ever and we did a spiritual thought, which includes playing Jenga! It is so cool! It links with the scripture in Helaman 5:12 and the idea is that you start with playing the Jenga, but as you go round, before you take a piece you have to say something that can weaken our foundation- e.g. alcohol, money, peer pressure, not sustaining church leaders, etc, etc. Then Helaman 5:12 and how we can  
strengthen our foundations, then Luke 22:32 about how we can help others strengthen their foundations!! It's a pretty cool interactive spiritual thought, but I did have to buy Jenga, as not many people in Switzerland have Jenga, but it was a super awesome evening!!

Dann haben wir Dienstag! Genau! So, on Tuesday we had district meeting! It was soooo good and as per it was another pretty spiritual district meeting! Then I had my second to last physio appointment!! Wahey! Ohhh, and the District Leader bought me some Biscoff for my birthday!! I love Biscoff, although I had it for dinner Tuesday evening and I think it was like the most unhealthy dinner EVER!!! Legit, I had like 4 pieces of toast with biscoff and like a whole pack of bacon and maple syrup!!! Sooooo bad, but it tasted sooooooooo Good and before you ask... Yes, I can cook and I normally eat pretty healthy, but Tuesday evening I was dead, so couldn't be bothered to do much for dinner! Oh also, Tuesday we went to the Bürgerbüro, so that we could get Elder Palmer Anmelded, but I completely forgot to remind him that he needs to bring his passport... Oops! #badtrainer! Oh and we did the Technology Training thing on the missionary portal that Pres. has been
telling us we need to do ASAP, so I figured we should probably get that done!

Mittwoch! These weeks fly by so quickly and legit, this time next year it will be over! The thought scares me a little and we finished the Book of Mormon read!! Thank you for joining me with it! There is so, sooo much that one can learn from that book!! I have to say that every time I read it, every time I turn those pages my testimony of it's truth
is strengthened beyond comprehension!! Of the fact that The Book of Mormon is true, I have no doubt! It is pure truth! It is Another Testament of Jesus Christ! This last time reading we were looking for the Doctrine of Christ and it really is on every page, in every verse! Each time I read the Book of Mormon I follow Moroni's promise at the end and each time I receive that confirmation, to renew and strengthen my testimony of it's truthfulness! The Book of Mormon really brings power into life and for that reason I started reading it again, but this time auf Deutsch! I have to say, I'm understanding
everything and learning so much more by reading it in another language! It's so cool! I love that Dad is starting on the Doctrine and Covenants! Again it's such a great book! We had a lesson with an investigator about prophets on Wednesday evening and just preparing
and giving that lesson really helped me to remember how much we need prophets in our day and how grateful I am to have a living day prophet in President Thomas S Monson, in this day!  Oh and we also went to Anmeld, this time I remembered to remind him to bring everything he needed! (I'm still getting used to being a Papa- it may still take a while)!

Donnerstag! So, we started the day by meeting with F! We helped him move a few things into the attic! Weird much! Everywhere in Switzerland your like storage area is in the cellar, but in his apartment block they have it in the attic! So strange! Then we read a
talk with him and he said it was exactly what he needed! It was amazing how the Lord inspires His servants, in what to do to help another one of His Children! Then we went to G for Lunch. He is the Assistant GML and he speaks like 7 languages! Craziness!! It was
cool! He's from Sri Lanka, so he cooked us a Sri Lankan meal! It was sooo good! Then I had my final physio appointment! Wahey! I'm so glad to have finished it! Like it has really helped, but it just takes so much time out of the day!

Dann Freitag!! What a crazy day! Plus, it's been major hot all week! I think Friday was like 33*C and the worst thing, like I can stand the heat perfectly fine, but in Switzerland it is soooo humid it's unbelievable! So, it just makes life even harder! So, Elder Hiemer (the
other Golden who came to Switzerland) his GA arrived in the post and Elder Palmer's arrived at their apartment, so first off we had to work out how to get them to each other cause their temporary GA expires this week! Then we headed off to the Walders' for lunch! BBQ and watermelon! Oh man, in this heat watermelon is soooooo good!!! Then we
had a couple of lessons, which were cool and was definitely awesome to get out of the heat and humidity!! Oh, and my hump day card arrived from Papi!!

... and it still goes on, like the 4th of July! We began by walking to die post to send off Elder Hiemer's GA and that was like 9am and it was 34*C, like what the fetch!! Then we did weekly planning with as many fans as we  
could find going! Then out in like 35*C heat to find for a few hours! T'was fun! Then we ended by going by a less active! It was a cool visit! Even if it did make us get home a little later, but other than that, Pres. messaged us this morning informing us of President Packer and that today we are dedicatong the work to President Packer! So finding was a super power finding time! #BK4B (the hashtag has a story behind it! Comes down to our ZL's. They sent out a Zone text like inspiring us all, then they ended it #ButtKickingForBoyd #BK4B), so that was our motivation for the day!! 😕

Sonntag!!! Oh my goodness! It was 36*C like all day and fasting really wasn't good, I was dying for a drink!!! Plus, the chapel was boiling hot!! Not good! .. but we had a really nice Testimony meeting! Sunday School and Priesthood were based on the Spirit and the
role of the Spirit in teaching, etc. It was a really good Sunday! Then we went over to Schw. Marty again for lunch!! It was sooo good, but there was so much food and we all know how your stomach shrinks when you fast! Not good, but it was a good day! Then home to do studies and that was basically the week!

Today we plan on going shopping in Deutschland and then on Saturday we'll be going to the temple with the Branch!! Thursday is Elder Palmer's birthday, so I best get thinking of what to do for that!!

Also... Training is a blast! I love it! It is sooo much fun and the 12 week program isn't
actually too bad this time round! I actually see how it's helped me to become the missionary I am today! Plus, I really see how much German I can actually speak, especially seeing as I'm doing most of the talking now!

Ash is gonna be the BEST trainer ever! White washing is so much fun and I'm certain she will be a fantastic STL! She is the BEST example ever!

All my love,

Elder Ammon Robertson xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Week 28 of 2015- Austausch und Zweigtempeltag!!

I was totally about to start writing this auf Deutsch.... Then I realised that none of you speak Deutsch... Awks much!! So your gonna have to forgive me, as this last week I wrote my journal for a few days auf Deutsch... So I'm trying to translate for some of this!!

So Montag! Emails- need I say more! You know how much I love email time!!! Then we had to go to Deutschland for shopping and we bumped into the Luzern Elders, so hung out with them for a bit! Then home and we made some chocolate m&m marshmallow cupcakes! I used Mom's recipe for the choc cupcakes and they turned out great! I have a pic, so I'll get that sent. We didn't make cupcakes for ourselves, we did them to Personal Touch the R Family, but they caught us leaving! They had a water fight for FHE outside, round the back of their apartment building, so as we were leaving they were coming back in! Awks!
Personal Touch Cupcakes!
Dienstag!!! District Meeting- 'twas cool! I had to teach Deutschtipp! It went well! Then we had our Austausch! I stayed in Dielsdorf! Natürlich!    I worked with Elder Murray! It was a pretty cool day! We found 2 people and taught a less active lady, then we had a pretty
cool evening!

Mittwoch! I just realised how awesome Wednesday is auf Deutsch! Mittwoch! So our lesson with F moved, so we went by a few people before going to the park to do our Auswertungsgespräch! Then we went to a lunch appointment- soooo good! They called it Enchiladas, but it was more like an Enchilada style Lasagne- it was sooooooooo goood!!!
Then we tausched back, so as we were tausching back, I called the Hatch's (medical senior couple), as they were already coming to see us about done thing else. Our fan broke on Monday, so I called 'cause everywhere in Zürich was sold out of fans! I called to ask if they were still in Deutschland and could pick us up a fan! They were in Zürich already! Sucked, but when we got home to meet them, they had looked in a load of shops and eventually found us a fan! Like it was one of the last ones in this shop! They are the best!!! Then we headed to the Schnyders! Then I called up Jeffrey (from Bonstetten) and I invited him to come with us on Thursday!

Donnerstag! So we finally had our lesson with F! We shared my all time favorite General Conference talk with him. The Music of the Gospel with the Dance! I love that talk! Then to a member's for lunch! Soo much food! It was soooo good! Swiss people cook sooooo well!! It's craziness!! Then in the evening, as it was Palmer's birthday and I never went out for dinner for my birthday, I decided I'd take him to this Chinese Restaurant we went to for District P-Day last transfer! ... and that's what we invited Jeffrey to! It was a really nice evening! Then we ended the day with Zweigrat and for the majority of it we were speaking about Missionary Work and the Ward Mission Plan. For part of it they turned to Family Mission Plans and how we can encourage families to have them and actually work on them... So a bright idea came to my mind! I do get them every now and again! So my idea was that once or twice a month, a family is assigned as the first (5min) speaker to talk about their FMP, how they are trying to work on it and any experiences they've had with it. That way it is making sure the families actually create a family mission plan, are actually using their FMP and encourages other members to do the same as they hear the
success that is coming from it .. reminding the ward/branch about their role in missionary work!
Celebrating Elder Palmer's Birthday
Freitag- Weekly Planning and the Ryser Family for dinner! I legit love their family! You have to meet them and we have another appointment with them this coming Friday!! :D

Samstag- So today was Zweigtempeltag! It was really nice! We also went with the Richterswil, Chur and Wettingen Elders, which was cool and again, I bought a few cool things from the Book Store! A new journal 'cause mine's gonna be full this week and I also bought another puzzle thing (like the plan of salvation one) - it is so cool! It's 'Die Kirche,
wie sie von Jesus Christus errichtet wurde' (so like, the church as Christ organised it). I'll send a pic of that as well and then I bought some root beer! I have been craving it for quite a while, so Saturday was a really nice day!!
I bought some teaching aids at the Temple
Well, Sonntag was pretty good!! Church was cool! Then we did studies and headed to the Beever's for dinner! Awesome food, again! Then we did the Jenga/foundations spiritual thought, then had GMK! 'Twas a pretty good day, but I am soo dead it's untrue! This heat and humidity is horrid. The amount of times I've woken up recently with a nosebleed is
crazy!! :( .. but other than feeling dead, it's been a great week!

Also, the humpday keyring arrived!! :-) 
 
Hump Day Keyring

I believe that is everything from this week! I hope you all have the BEST week EVER! 

All my Love,

Elder Ammon Robertson xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx