The Missionary loves Saarbrucken! (woohoo)

Oh, it was so nice to receive such a happy letter. I have worried about Jaren for the week and I'm glad things went so well. Sounds like he and Elder Taylor will get along great. I'm glad Elder Taylor has been in the area awhile. Hopefully they will have something to do on Christmas or somewhere to go. If not, they can spend it together.

Not much happening here this week. I have been sick with the flu and the kids have had a touch of it, but nothing too bad for them yet. I picked Tanner up early from school today because his tummy was cramping. Poor guy. He is outside shoveling snow right now. I think it comes and goes.

Right now I am being bombarded in the head by some catapult contraption Erik made. That boy! He is always inventing. I just have to brag him up a minute here. I guess his science teacher announced last term that Erik had the highest extra credit points of any student he has ever had. That's saying a lot because Steve had him as a teacher at the same school how many years ago? The guy gives extra credit points for watching 'Myth Busters'. . . how cool is that? I have never seen it, but lots of people really like it. Erik goes and tries the same myth-busting experiment he sees even when they say, "don't try this at home." We know this because the nine year old brother told! Oh, and I'm missing all my phone books. . . did any of you see that episode. . .?

Here's the letter for the week.


Dear Mom, Dad, and Holly, Erik & Tanner,

First off Mom, not to worry, transfers went well, (I wasn't worried, just curious) and I was surrounded by a lot of missionaries! I actually saw Elder Crump last Wednesday for the first time in 3 months! It was really exciting to see him again and it sounded like he really enjoyed his trainer as well. I saw most of the missionaries that came with me, I guess they did their first two transfers and are now moving on with their first regular companion like I am.

Saarbrücken is very pretty like you said. I guess it snows here as well. Elder Taylor showed me some pictures from the week before I got here when they got about six inches! Yikes!!! Hanau just got sciffs of it. Good news is that it is usually gone within the next day or two because it will rain right after. Yesterday has been the only day where we have had a clear sky this last week as well. It rained for five straight days without stopping and never saw a break until yesterday. Today is cloudy and it looks like it will rain. Whawhooooo! NOT. Not to mention it has been cold too.

So, Elder Taylor is an amazing missionary! I love him already. I didn´t get to Saarbrücken until 8:00 last Wednesday so we really couldn´t do anything. But Thursday we had appointment after appointment to go to and we didn´t go home until 9:00! He works very hard and has two baptism appointments lined up already. (Yes! I was worried about this knowing it could go one of two ways. . . either the senior comp is so trunky he doesn't want to work, or he will be diligent until the day he leaves!) One is on Saturday the 20th, and the other one is on January 8th. We are doing everything we can to get these two people ready for their special days! The first one is a 20 something year old guy named John Paul. He is English speaking and comes from Nigeria. He is very cool to teach and we just had an appointment with him yesterday. The other one is Nadine Lutz, but I haven´t been able to meet with her yet because she has a crazy schedule. Supposedly she felt that she needs to be baptized on the 8th of January, but she hasn´t come to church once! So we are going to try to explain to her that church is very important and that it isn´t just a few times a year thing. We might have to give her some ideas to help her work around her job schedule as well. John Paul is ready and excited for his baptism, but he has visa issues, and has to leave back to Nigeria in February. He really wants to be baptized, so we are going to try everything we can to get that done, and maybe get in contact with the church in Nigeria somehow to let them know of his situation. First things first though.

All I can say is that Elder Taylor is awesome! He has been working very, very hard. This area used to be like Hanau, but he has completely turned it around. We have so many people to meet with and talk to. We need keep finding people here, but this time of year is very hard to do that. SO many people are incredibly busy as you know, even ward members. This last week we had quite a few lessons fall out on us, but by the end of the week we were able to meet with most of them.

Now, I guess I can describe the area a little bit for you. I really like it here. It reminds me a little bit of home, especially Park City. We live on the top of a very large hill that overlooks the Saar Valley and across this little Canyon we live in. Who would have thought that a missionary apartment could have such a view!!! It's too bad that it is winter. The hills that are around us are probably very green. They are full of trees. It is like New England that way, except with more pine trees. We aren´t right in the city of Saarbrücken, which is a little different, and not as convienient as Hanau was. But the view is definitely worth it. I am also picking up a little bit of French. I know that "exit to the left" is "Sortie a´Droite" which sounds like "Sorrty a Dwaught". Don´t know what left is yet because when you get off the train it is always on the right. They always announce the side to exit in German and French, no English like Frankfurt.

So, now with the Questions:

Q. Tell us all about Elder Taylor. How long has he been in Saarbrucken? Where's he from, when does he go home? How many in his family and where does he fit in?
A. So, Elder Taylor has been in Saarbrücken since August. He is from Ely, Nevada and he goes home in February. He says that he has 5 brothers and sisters and he comes in 2nd to last.

Q. How did the transfer go? Tell us all about the trip there. Were you by yourself? You probably were. . . was it strange?
A. Well, it went pretty well. All the missionaries being transferred gathered together at the Stake Center in Frankfurt. Sometimes the new companions are there to pick up their new companion (mitarbeiter) as well. Elder Taylor wasn´t there because they need as many missionaries as they can to stay in the area. Then, they split up into two groups, one large group goes to the train station and heads North and the other goes South. The group slowly gets smaller as missionaries get off at their designated stops. I wasn´t by myself ever, so it was nice. I don´t think I could travel by myself, President wouldn´t allow it.

Q. Does Sister Stevens send you the ward newsletter by email?
A. She actually send the real copy in the mail, but it comes around the middle of the month. I guess it takes about 6-10 days to get here.

Q. Any idea what Elder Norton's favorite American candy is? Too late to find out about Elder Taylor's. He will just have to get what he gets and not throw a fit! JK :)
A. I have no idea what he likes, maybe snickers, Almond Joy, Butterfingers something along those lines. I had extra candy when I first got here from the MTC and he really likes my Butterfingers! and the Snickers too.

Q. What is Saarbrucken like? Is it pretty? Is it the same there as in Hanau as far as Christmas preparations in the city?
A. Well, I kind of answered this already, but as far as Christmas goes, every German city has a Christmas market. There are Christmas trees everywhere and lots of really good goodies. There are Waffles, Crepes, Chocolate, rides for the little ones, lights, singing, choirs, bells, bands and a lot more! Christmas here is very cool and I wish you could see it! The Festival of Trees shops and stage is what it is like here, except it is right in the Pedestrian zone of the city and there are a ton of these littles shacks everywhere! So, now I know where the Festival of Trees got the idea from. It's a German thing!

Q. What is the teaching pool like?
A. A lot better here. We have several appointments and several different people we are teaching. They also have a University here, so we have that age group to work with as well.

Q. How many missionaries are in Saarbrucken?
A. We have four in Saarbrücken and two in Trier, about an hour and a half to the North. Those two missionaries and the four here make up our districkt.

Q. Do you know where the missionaries are you went to Germany with?
A. Elder Crump is in the Mannheim Zone and he is in Worms, (remember that v's are pronounced w and w's are pronounced v, so it's not as funny looking to them as us!) that is about all I can remember. But for the most part, they are all doing well! P.S. Mannheim is cool, I had to stop there on my way to Saarbrücken, and now I can say I´ve been in the city that Mannheim Steamroller is named after, Mannheim, Germany!!! (That probably means more to Jaren than any other worldly-type thing Jaren will come across in his mission. . . he loves their music, especially their Christmas music!)

Well, I´d probably better be going. Work here is crazy but fun and I love it!!!

(FOR MOM/DAD TO READ TO THEMSELVES!!!)

Mom, just so you know, I have also sent the family a package. I sent it last Tuesday after emails and it should be there today, tomorrow, or Thursday. It was sent by DHL since that is how the Post Office here in Germany works. All packages go through them. It isn´t very big, but hey it should be good. Nothing is wrapped and it is just chocolate. (I can't wait!!) Please make sure that Tanner gets the Kinder Sticks because they are the only chocolate thing he can have, no Hazel nut crap. (Did he just say that?!?) Maybe you can give them to the kids for stocking stuffers from me, it is up to you.

Hope you all have a wonderful week and enjoy the season! President Ninow gave us an advent calender with scripts and such and poems and songs and hymns for each day. One of the songs was "Mary did you Know?" I love those lyrics a lot and hope you all can listen to it closely when you hear it on the radio. That is my spiritual though for you this week.