It is ridiculously crazy how fast time has gone!!!! I've been out for 4
months already!! I'm about to start my 3rd transfer out in the field!! Time
here in Bern has gone ridiculously fast … it's untrue!!!! I love this area. I love Switzerland and the ward members so
much. As a missionary, the ward really do become a part of your family!! I'm
going to miss Bern so, so much!! Yesterday was a pretty sad day with it being
my last Sunday in Gemeinde Bern! I had to do a goodbye testimony, which I
really didn't want to do, but it was okay. And the members said how much my
German has improved since my first Sunday here!!! I can only hope that
Kaufbeuren will improve it even more!!! It's crazy how I'm going already!! We
were speaking with the Zone Leaders Friday night after a dinner appointment and
we were all thinking if one of us leaves it will probably be Elder Little. Zone
Leaders normally have 4 transfers and neither of them have had that yet, and
Elder Little just felt like he was going to be moved. It turns out Elder Dewey
is moving to Wettingen (or however it's spelt) and I'm going!! So I don't
actually know how I feel about it.... I'm excited but I'm also really sad to
leave as well!! I'm going to Deutschland!!!! So, Kaufbeuren is a branch with
huge boundaries, in the München Zone. My companion will be Elder DeLeeuw from
Utah and I’m going to be in a car area!!!! I'm both scared and excited about
that, since I haven't driven since passing my driving test over a year ago...
:/ Kaufbeuren is a pretty huge area, which borders Austria and possibly a small
border of Switzerland!!! So I'll be in Deutschland for Christmas!!!! Also Zone
Conference is on the 10th instead of the 8th, now I'm in a different
zone.... But in better news, München Zone share Zone Conference with the Stuttgart
Zone and from what I've worked out from the train time list they sent out this
morning, Jake is staying in Heillbron, so I 'll see him at Zone Conf. :D
Exciting!!!
So, I think I sent you a group photo from the Zibelemärti (Onion Fest.)
It was actually such good fun!! We aren't allowed Zone P-days, but it
unintentionally ended up as being one as most of the zone turned up and we just
bumped into them, as we were going round!! So it was fine!! But it was such a
good day!!! We still keep finding little bits of confetti all over the
apartment... ridiculous!! But it was such good fun. I'll try and send a few
more photos today!!
So Tuesday we had Distrikt Versammlung in Interlaken!!! It was fun and
we had a great role play as part of it, that I actually played a pretty big
role - instead of leaving the talking to the other Elder... It was great!! We
also had a Tausch with the Zone Leaders on Tuesday, so I was with Elder Dewey
this time in Bern 2. It was fun and we had our inspection again, which we
obviously passed!!!! :) That’s two tausches this last week, as on Thursday we
had one with Interlaken and I was with Elder Lossau in Bern 2 again. I actually
enjoy tausches. It brings a different perspective to the area, which is always
good!! Also, the advent calendar was from Elder Little’s mom. She sent a
package this last week with one for him and one for me - it was so nice!!! I'm
going to miss serving with him to be fair. He's such a great missionary and I'm
so glad that he is my trainer!!!
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| Advent Calendar from Elder Little's Mum :-) |
Wednesday was great, because we had 2 dinner appointments, one lunch
with our GML and family. I love our GML and his family. They're just the
absolute BEST!!! We had Spaghetti Bolognese, which was the tastiest Spag Bol I
THINK I HAVE EVER HAD - IT WAS AMAZING!!!!!!! And the spiritual thought at the
end was also pretty good. It was a Mormon Message based on a talk by Elder
Wirthlin, (so quite old), but there was a quote that really stuck out to me
from it which says: "Each of us have our Fridays... but Sunday will come."
Don't ask why, but I just really loved that quote, and it really is so true. We
all have our hard times, difficulties will come to all of us, but Sunday will come!!!
It will get better, we can have joy in our life, as we focus on our Saviour and
turn to Him. Our second DA was with The Scotts, (they’re an American family,
who are here for Bro. Scott’s work). The food was so good, that we had to get
the recipe off Sister Scott yesterday, so we can try it out some time!!! We did a practice lesson 3 in English, which
was so weird, plus we'd been on a tausch all day, so we hadn't planned it or
practiced, so it was completely just done impromptu, and it was actually really
good!! I love practicing lessons with the members. It's great for when a real
one comes along!!
I told you about Family Kaspar last week and the Schnitzel, right???
Well, we made them this week at home and they were so good... that is
definitely one I will have to remember to make when I return home in 20ish
months!!! So good!!!
So SATURDAY WAS TRANSFER CALLS!!! CRAZY STUFF!! I still can't get over
it!! But we had Football again in Zolikofen. It was sooo good this time. I
think it was because it was so cold, plus the fact that I may not get to play
for a while (come on, we all know how bad Americans are at football) haha!! But
it was actually such good fun when you throw yourself into it...
Then here goes the tipping point of this week!!! Saturday we received
our first Church HQ referral. So naturally, we make contact within 24 hours!!!
The phone number we received was invalid, so we checked up on SBB for how to
get to the address. It turns out that it was either 2 hours there and then no
connection back til the next day, or a whole day getting multiple busses back,
or going through Fribourg, which would take an hour each way with frequent connections.
But that would mean topping off the prison visits by leaving the mission!! So
we called President and he said just go to Fribourg. Make sure you aren't out
of the mission any longer than you have to be. So, yesterday we went to go by
on this referral, going out of the mission to come back in, as they live in a
little village right near the mission boundary. So that explains the photo!!
That was an experience alright!! And I definitely think it tops the prison
visits... haha!!
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| "Just Popping Out- or through" - to do a Referral |
So for the second week of this fortnight….Monday
was a chill P-day and we did a bit of shopping and stuff! Stuff to remind me of
Bern, etc. And then we looked around the Bärner Weihnachtsmarkt (Bern Christmas
Markets), which were pretty cool, but they were quite tiny as well... I'm
guessing they weren't all out yet, so who knows!!! But Monday was a pretty cool
last day in Bern!
Tuesday we did Raclette for our District Lunch just
before district meeting, which was so cool!! Then after our DM we had a finding
day prepared in Thun (in Gemeinde Interlaken). It was a pretty cool day and we
did a few Tauschs. Me and Elder Simon worked together and we had quite a few
amazing conversations with people! It was an awesome finding day and I really
do miss the district!! We then had my last Institute. :( Major sad times!!!! We
watched a CES devotional for it, which was pretty cool!! Then just chilled and
chatted with the JAE!! I really miss being a JAE Missionary!! :'(
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| With the Family Schirm - I love them! |
Wednesday we had a couple of appointments with
members!! We had Family Schirm for the last time and they did Fondue!!!!!
SOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOD!!!! I love it there! And we obviously had to get pictures
with them, as it was mine and Elder Dewey’s last time there!!! I'll attach a
pic! Then the plumber finally came round and fixed the sinks. We only waited
like 3 weeks, but.... better late than never and all!!!! Then we had the Römers
in the evening!!! I love them so much! They are a newly married couple in the
ward; he's from Switzerland and served in London South on his mission and she's
from France and served in Temple Square. They are such an awesome couple!!!
Definitely one of my favourites!!! But then who isn't one of my favourites in
Gemeinde Bern!!!! Then we went back home and I decided it was probably time to
start packing, as it was transfers tomorrow!! So I did!! I just put it off as
long as I could, because I really didn't want to leave... and the longer I put
it off the less real it was!!!
Thursday was a long, tiring but great day!!! We got
up at 6 to get ready and be at Bahnhof for 7.30 for our train to Zürich. I may
have explained before, but for transfers, everyone moving meets up at the major
Bahnhofs throughout the mission, so in Switzerland, our one is Zürich. So we
got into Zürich for just gone 8.30, bought my ticket to München and then caught
up with missionaries moving or with comps moving, which was cool to catch up with
some from my MTC group!!! Then I had a nice long 4 and a half hour ride to
München with missionaries who were dying (going home- in case you don't
remember mission lingo, haha) It was cool though!!! Then we obviously met up
with those in München Bahnhof, as that’s the central bahnhof for the mission.
It was so cool seeing others in my MTC group there and catching up before we
headed to Kaufbeuren!!!!
Friday was a pretty awesome day!! I love it here
already!!! We had an appointment with Fam. Spring. We had lunch with them,
share a message and then do service!!! They own a farm with a stunning view of
the Austrian Alps. I'll have to get a pic on a good day! So we helped him
around the farm for a couple of hours, which was such good fun!!! I love doing
service like that!!! Then in the evening we went to Familie Löflath! He is the
Branch President and they have a relatively young family, the oldest is 10 I
think and the youngest probably 2ish! They are such a great family!!!! So,
early in December St Nick comes and fills your boots/stocking - whatever! You
can probably research and find out a bit about this as I'm no expert!! So we
got a stocking full of goodies!!! Soo cool!!
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| A Gift from St Nick |
Then Saturday In the evening I met our GML-
Wolfgang!! He was holding an activity for the kids of older Primary age groups.
His cellar, which you normally use to store boxes and rubbish (like an attic
back home) is just one giant, awesome Scalextric set!!! It's so awesome, but
ridiculously crazy at the same time!! So he asked us to help him out with this activity,
which was just a Scalextric race. So fun!!! I'll have to get a pic of his cellar,
as it's one of those that you have to see to believe!!!! So crazy, but so fun!!
Then yesterday was great!! My first Sunday in
Kaufbeuren!!! We have an actual church building, unlike the one in Bern, which
is cool!!! I had to give my testimony, which went pretty well!!! And a load of
members who I spoke to were like - ”I thought you'd been in Switzerland from
your German”.... I don't know if that's good or bad!!!!!! :S I'll take it as a
good thing as I freakin' love Switzerland and miss it ridiculous amounts!!!
Although I love it ridiculous amounts here as well! We are always busy with
appointments and stuff that we rarely do street finding, crazy!! It's super
weird how attached you get to an area!!!
We had Gemeinderat yesterday and they said how
they'll get a list up for us for next Sunday for Christmas. The members are so
good here. I'm pretty sure that we'll
have so many appointments over Christmas it will be crazy!!!
Shout out to everyone
who’s given me something for Christmas!! THANKYOU!! I LOVE YOU!!!!
Being in a car area is so weird from a busy city
with public transport! But it's fun!! I haven't driven yet, as I have to watch
a church-made safe driving video, which we only started this morning. It’s
based on simple stuff we cover in our Theory test back home... (I think it may
be for the Americans and other countries who aren't so strict on the theory
side of getting a license), but oh well!!! It has to be done before I can drive,
so Endure to the End and all!!!!
Zone Conference came and went and I managed to
catch up with Jake (Elder Robertson - my
cousin)! More details in my next blog instalment.
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| WIth my Cousin - Elder Jacob Robertson at Munich & Stuttgart Zone Conference |
