Monday, July 20, 2015

WEEK 7-20-15


Well howdy Family, 

Yet another week come and gone.  It was a really stressful week too.  And I will explain why to the best of my ability and capability.  But time to walk down memory lane.

So on Monday, well we talked to each other on Monday, as we started an exchange.  And exchanges are always really fun, but sometimes I feel like you have to work super harder during that time because you or your companion for that day is not used to the area or the friends they have that you will teach there.  So I was able to go on exchange with Elder Simmons, which is ironic because he was in my district back in the Meißen days.  So we got to reminisce about those days and talk to each other about how East Germany is doing and all the fun stuff like that.  And it is his last exchange because he goes home with my companion, Elder Weakley. 
 
 So we have this goal in the zone to do a lot of finding, but finding that is planned where we have a focus and a purpose every time we go and try to find new friends to teach.  So Elder Simmons and I really wanted to focus on something in Preach My Gospel "Talk to Everyone."  Man, talk about tiresome.  We talked to EVERYONE that day.  If we saw someone on the other side of the street, we crossed the street.  If they tried to avoid us and go to the other side of the street, we would follow them and cross the street again.  If they were sitting at their mailbox, we would walk up to them. Or more commonly here in Germany, if they were sitting on their apartment balcony, we would yell up and talk to them. 
 
We had a good time and we found a really cool lady from Ghana that we have an appointment with her on Tuesday.  Oh, yeah, so I never really told you this but because I have been here in Hamburg for so long, I have picked up some TWI (the major language in Ghana) and so sometimes when we talk to people from Ghana, we are able to talk to them in a short conversation like where they were from in Ghana, if they like it here in Hamburg and what day they were born on (because that is also a name they carry from the day they were born.  I am Yao.)  So we were exhausted at the end of the day but felt satisfied that we did all that we could in our power to help all that we came in contact with to share the gospel. 

We then had another two exchanges after that!  It was really crazy and sad.  They were an Emergency Exchange and unfortunately two of our missionaries had to go home early.  It was a sad experience and my heart goes out to them and their families.  President Fingerle told us that the best thing that we can learn from this situation is that we are striving constantly and paying the price to live worthy lives in order to have the influence of the Spirit with us at all times.  And that how important it is that when we receive a spiritual prompting, that we act on that prompting like what President Monson always teaches us.  So that left an impact and we are working the best we can to continue going forward and making sure that we are living our lives in order to receive these precious spiritual promptings.
 

Through this, we have been working with President Fingerle more closly and I know that he is truly called to be here at this time.  I have not yet had a personal interview with him but from all the times that we have talked on the phone and discussed things for the zone or for the missionaries, I am excited to work more closely with him.  It is really an interesting approach, but every thing we do together is always in German.  I am not used to it but it has probably been the most fun and new experience with working with my mission President.
 

So that is my week in a nutshell.  The others can tell you how fast a week goes by when you have an exchange there and we had 3 this week.  So I can barely remember what happened during the middle of them.  


Well, my love goes out to everyone and I will talk to you all next week!

 
Tschüss!
Elder Bretzing

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