Germany, Week Two

Received our newest email Tuesday morning.  Germany is 8 hours ahead of us, so it's nice to know I have something to reward me for getting up so darn early in the mornings.  I usually go back to bed after making sure Holly is up and fixing her a bagel to eat on the run and before getting Erik up. . . but not on Tuesday mornings!  I remember on my way back to bed that I should have an email waiting.  And sure enough!

Jaren sounds great.  We all emailed Monday night for Family Home Evening (except Holly, who was off doing Homecoming stuff. . . more about that later.)  We gave Jaren a hard time about the big knot on his tie and he assured us it looks better than it did in the picture because he had been traveling all day.  He also told us that it was that particular tie that looked awful with a double knot and he will never wear that tie like that again!  In fact, here is what he said about it, "I actually leaned over before the picture was taken and said to President Ninow, 'I lok terrible!  I know I look terrible!'  He just smile and laughed and said, 'you look fine, just smile!'"

Here is what else he said, "As far as teaching Tatjana, we've been struggling trying to set up a return appointment with her.  Her daughter just had a baby, so she has been gone a lot this week visiting her daughter in the hospital.  She is really great though and is very ready compared to a lot of other people I've met.  She practically came to us!  The work her in Hanau is a little slower, at least for Elder Norton and I.  We have two other Elders that are a couple of blocks away from us and they are doing pretty well. But one of them, Elder Roberts, is our District Leader, and he has been in the area for about four months and has done very well.  Elder Norton and I were "white washed", meaning we had no existing records for anything in the area.  That is definitely a challenge when you have nothing to start the work with.  Both Elder Norton and I are new to the area, so neither of us know anyone here.  We have met with a few families and in the past two days, we have had three meal/teaching appointments in members homes.  In a way that is very important so that the members can get to know us and why we are here.  We are trying to gain their trust so we can obtain referrals from them."

"The work here can be a little slow sometimes and we are often out in the town square area talking to people or going to doors.  Now doors are pretty interesting because, as you know, they have klingle boxes, or doorbell boxes outside every apartment house.  You have to convince the person you klingle to let you in, and that certain words or phrases either shut them off from your message or they have interest, or they let you in out of the kindness of their heart to talk to the rest of the people in the apartment but not them.  I've probably done well over a thousand doors, especially when you do a couple of hoch hauses that are 13 stories high and have six or so people on each floor!  Every day!  But it's fun.  And to answer Erik's question, yes, the door has been slammed in my face a few times, and it makes me laugh!  Most of the time it is some old German couple, and they say NAY, ICH HABE MEIN GLAUBEN!  No, I have my faith!  Many people in this country have no clue what faith is, as you can see by that statement, and it is really funny to watch when you're actually talking to people because they try to ignore you and walk away and throw their hands up in the air as they say that line.  Some times it's a NAY! NAY! and they shake their heads vigorously and walk off.  So that is Germany for you.  At least that is the older generation.  The younger generation is definitely more receptive to the gospel, and they will talk to you a little longer.  It is pretty fun to look at the progress that we have here though.  Every little meeting or member lesson is a step forward.  I can at least be grateful for the progress that I have had in the last week and the last two even! Heavenly Father is real and the Holy Ghost is real and the people we talk to have been  lead to us at that particular time as we are led to them.  It is really cool to see that."

He goes on to say, "My companion is great!  Elder Norton is the oldest in his family, too.  He is the oldest of five though.  He has been out since February of this year and was with the AP's on his last cycle.  He is a very good missionary and loves the work.  I am grateful to have him, and I'm trying to learn as much as I can from him before the next cycle.  He is enlisted in the Marines right now and was granted a deferment for the next two years, so that might give you more about his personality.  He is pretty regimented, (Jana speaking here:  so he and Jaren should get along just fine!!) but has fun at the same time, so he is very fun to be around.  He is from Lindon, so not too far away.  His story was pretty cool, too!  He went to basic training and it took about three months and then was at the Marine base in San Diego for a period of time.  He then got his call to serve in the mission, went home for three weeks and then straight to the MTC, so he hasn't seen much of his family lately!"

"And about the numbers, I guess from what I hear, it is about average to have one baptism per companionship per cycle, so about 60 every 6-8 weeks.  Not too bad, and it depends on the area, too.  Frankfurt itself is one of the highest.  Then it is about average to have 6-8 lessons per week with members and about the same with investigators and Elder Norton and I are very close to reaching that this week.  Amazing since we didn't have anything during week one!"

I looked Hanau up on the internet and it said that it was 85% destroyed from WWII!  It looks like a typical German town.  It has about 90,000 people.

NOW. . . for family news.  I mentioned that this is Homecoming week.  For those of you who have never experienced a small town American Homecoming week, you don't know what you're missing!  There has been something every day of the week.  Not only is it Homecoming, but I went with Tanner's third grade class on a walking trip to businesses in the town.  It was pretty cool.  I got to see a potato cutting machine for making french fries at one of the few remaining drug store/soda fountain places in the country!  We got to sample a little swirled ice cream. Mmmm, Mmmmm good!  The kids got a doughnut hole from another place and thought that was the best thing ever!  Tomorrow night is parent teacher conferences for the elementary school and then cub scout pack meeting tonight. . . oh, yes. . . back to Homecoming week.

Holly had friends over yesterday to tie dye shirts for retro day or hippie day or something today.  There is a pep rally tonight, then the highlight of the week. . . drum roll, please! POWDER PUFF FOOTBALL!  That's right--the Junior girls compete against the Senior girls at the annual SSHS Powder Puff football game.  Holly's friends (guys) are cheering and dancing.  I laughed so hard at last years game I thought I would pee my pants!  It's a little late this year. It's at 8:00 p.m.  At least it gives me time to go to the pack meeting. . . for a little while, any way.  Hopefully Steve can meet me there to cover the rest of it, or we will just leave early with Tanner.  I've thought about missing it altogether, but he would be devastated.  He thinks they are getting or making bows (as in bow and arrow bows!) tonight.  His leader mentioned it awhile ago, and he hasn't forgotten!  I guess that was his favorite event at day camp this summer and can't wait to have his own bow.  Just what I need around here.  He thinks he's going to shoot the magpies with it.  I suppose I could let him try.  I mean how easy could it be to shoot a magpie with a bow and arrow when you have no experience. . . right?!?  All I need is for word to get back to Erik's science teacher about my almost 9 year old killing magpies.  He let me know when we were talking with him last week, how important magpies are to the ecosystem.  I was concerned that they were protected because they are Mexico's national bird (which I have actually heard from a few people), but he didn't seem too concerned about that, he was concerned about messing up the ecosystem.  He said we could get rid of all the sparrows and some other little bird because they aren't native to the U.S., but that magpies are.  Okay! Note to self, never bring this topic up again with science teacher!

Guess what I am dealing with with dumber dog again?!?  You guessed it.  He has been yelping all day long so we've had to take him out several times and he's had diarrhea in his kennel. Luckily it's not his crate!  But night is coming when he has to go to his crate for the night.  I had Erik give him a pill so we can hopefully get it under control by night time.  That darn dog has THE most sensitive stomach of any dog I know! (Not that I know that much about friend's dogs sensitive stomachs!)

Hopefully this post wasn't so long you were nodding off before you got to the end.  Have a great week and I will post again next week!