New Year

Oh meine gute, Hallo!

 

It was great to see everyone for Christmas! Oh my gosh, last week feels like forever ago!

 

So wie gesagt, Monday was pretty fun; we had an Andacht, meaning an hour devotional and I played piano for the ward, because they asked us to do something musikalisches, and there ya go. It was a bit weird, because I've been having a really crummy cold and it was messing with my hearing, like I have to keep popping my ears and so I played the piece like, half deaf. Kinda pulled a Beethoven on everyone. So I hope it sounded good! haha

 

We had our Essenstermin over bei Familie Glomb, they have two craaaaazy little boys and it was a lot of fun. We actually had turkey as our main dish, interesting. With stuffing! Meine gute. But as for presents, they opened all of their gifts on Heilige Abend right before dinner so they didn't feel like eating, either. But we went with them and their grandma in their room and looked in the sky for der Weihnachtsmann while the parents put all of the gifts under the tree. We heard sleigh bells and they said, "Do you hear that? You should check under the tree!" and then paper went flying EVERYWHERE, they just attacked it all and it was over in 5 minutes! They got a racing track, Cars themed, and so the dad and grandpa spent a lot of time trying to put it together so the boys had to find something else to do until the dad let them play with it! That doesn't change! They also acted out the Nativity ("Krippespiel") and Finn, the 5 yr. old was the donkey and carried his mom in the living room. He said, "You are too heavy!" and she said, "I'm not even sitting all the way on you!" But he was a bit wild and cheeky before the nativity scene and his dad said, "Du bist richtig so der Esel!" I thought that was funny.

 

On Tuesday, I woke up at 6:30, said a prayer and fell asleep and didn't wake up til 9am! It was glorious. I made pancakes and we opened our gifts! I don't think Aunt Michelle had time to notice, but the sweater you all sent me was really nice and I wore it when skyping! Thank you so much! We sort of had a really lazy day because everyone here is out of town and aka all have other plans, and it just felt weird to RELAX. Like, am I allowed to relax? :P We had Christmas at Alicia and Sai's and he BBQ'd for us, SO much good food! I have been perpetually full this entire week, blarg.

 

On Wednesday, I had a British Christmas! Mainly because we went to eat bei Bischoff Brown! We had minced meat (meatloaf) and Yorkshire pudding! Which isn't pudding at all, dangit! There was like, no one outside at all the past few days, but we wrapped a Book of Mormon in wrapping paper and wandered around until we found someone who would take it, and we did, zum Glück! He's a pretty Golden Russian man who doesn't know he's Golden yet.

 

This week we also set a new baptismal date! Michael Mauritz! He'll take the plunge 24.februar, leider after I'm home, but I think it's right for him. He finally committed! Yesss! I saw him wearing white pants the other time, and I knew that meant something. A sign!

 

We still managed to teach 13 lessons, and most of them with investigators, all after Christmas, so we felt pretty happy about that. One of them was teaching in PV again! We taught about Joseph Smith and we all colored/drew pictures of the Book of Mormon together--there's like 8 kids in primary, which was pretty good for the Christmas season for us, but they asked us to teach because mostly everyone was gone.

 

And Vladimir was confirmed! Hot diggity! It was great! The ward is trying to be as supportive as they can since they really can't communicate with him. But he'll take some German courses pretty soon, hopefully.

 

And I should probably say why, before I forget: I AM BEING TRANSFERRED. TO DRESDEN!!!!!!

I wasn't even paying attention in transfer calls at that time, but all of a sudden I hear my name and I'm like, "WHERE AM I GOING? WHAT'S GOING ON??" and they said, "You're going to DRESDEN!" "WHAT?? I'M GOING BACK TO THE EAAAAST?!" So that's the next phase of my mission! City numba 5! I am serving with Sis. Tidwell, I served a day with her on Tausch so I know it'll be fun. A major plus is FINALLY serving in a big, beautiful city, and I get to go to the temple in my last transfer before I go home. Major plus. Everyone was joking that I wouldn't be able to understand the German but DOCH, I have spent many a transfer in Saxony! So that's what's up! I don't know if the ward will take me seriously, but I plan on acting like I'm not going home and take time to get to know everyone and leave a mark! A good one!

 

Saying goodbye was sort of bittersweet--mostly everyone is gone, so I couldn't really say goodbye to most of the ward, and not many investigators were able to come, so hopefully I can call them all and say goodbye. Sis. Young is getting a Golden, which makes it the 3rd time I've been replaced by a Golden! Meine gute.

 

It was absolutely the BEST that Jordo and I had a baptism the same day! It was really cool to know that miracles are just everywhere!

 

Ich habe euch lieb! This transfer is going to be CRAAAAAAZY! Who wants a postcard, NOW, y'all?? :P

l

ove,

Sis. Whit