WEEK 5-23-2016 ONLY 5 MORE EMAILS

Hey Family! 

I hope everything is going well back at home.  To the questions from mom straight of the bat... I already gave Kevin my essays so ask him who they went.  Do I need to submit them? If so, where? That would be great.  It would be nice to work in the temple again and I will write that down.  We have to see but that is something definately I will work on when I get home.

Ok, so this week was pretty same old same old.  I am sorry to say that.  We worked really hard and we are really trying to meet with our investigators, but there is really no progress being shown and no one came to church this last sunday.  So its been tough.  Not to mention the weather has just been super crazy, from really hot to raining and sticky and what not.  But we keep going on.

I think something that has been my help this last week is finally getting back into the habit of whenever I open the scriptures to read them, that I have ajournal right next to me to write down notes. It helps me more to think and ponder about what I am going to say and what not. And so I was reading in Alma 38 where Alma is talking to Shiblon.  What a guy he must of been because we learn that he really endured hard ships.  From being in bonds, to being stoned by those he tried preaching the gospel too, and afterwards in verse 5, Alma teaches his son and us the following, " And now my son, Shiblon, I would that ye should remember that as much as ye shall put your trust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of your trails and your troubles and your afflictions, and ye shall be lifted up at the last day."  Man that scripture has been running through my mind like crazy this last week.  I have not had the trials and troubles of shiblon to that extent, but I have my own trials and troubles.  With the transfer coming to an end this next week, I have been wondering a lot about what is going to happen.  Lately, missionaries have been sent to some random area for their last transfer.  But then missionaries stay for like an eternity in certain areas.  So I have no idea what will happen.  If it were up to me, I would like to go somewhere else for my last transfer.  In fact, I was thinking asking President Fingerle about that in my email that I sent him today.  But then this scripture came to my mind.  God wants to help us and he is willing to do, he asks first that we trust Him, and what He has in store for us.  He knows and understands my troubles and He is willing to deliver me out of my troubles, if I just keep trusting Him.  So in the end, I decided not to ask my Mission President.  I know that He has been called from God to be here and so I know that God will play the role in deciding where I will be for the last 5 weeks of my mission.  And He knows that it is for the best.  So that is like my spiritual thought for this week. 

This upcoming week will go by really fast.  We have alot to do and not so much time to do it.  We have Zone Conference in Hamburg on Friday and then we have stake conference on Saturday and Sunday.  So we are trying to meet with alot of investigators and hopefully we can get some really good appointments set out.  

Well, I will tell you how it went next week.  They come faster than we think!  I love you all and I am grateful to have you in my life.

Love,

Elder Bretzing

WEEK 5/16/2016

Hey Family!

Well, since we didn't have the skype phone call, i thought I would write to you this week.  Everything has been going on great here in Flensburg.  Man, did a lot happen this week.  But lets just dive on in...

It started off a little rough.  The weather was great and I was super excited for that. And with great weather, we just walk around in our white shirts and ties.  Now, I have notice a pattern.  Whenever missionaries are seen in their white shirts and ties, that is when the always meet with weirdest people.  For example, the beginning of this week was meeting alot of weird people.  Alot of angry people.  It was just not my cup of tea, if you know what I am saying.  Some people were just taunting us and wanting to fight with us.  I have no reason why.  We had an incident where someone was trying to belittle my companion because he could not speak the language very well, and that made me really mad.  That is something that I do not like one bit, but my comp was a champ and we walked away from these confrontations. But this week I guess, I also met some of the nicest people as well.  For example, we had some visitors this last week from Nuremberg and they were just so nice.  I sat down next to them at church and right off the bat, they knew my name, where I came from, and my job beforehand. (they read my little autobiography at the church building) And we were just laughing and having a great time talking about the most random of things.  But it was great.  When they left, I wanted them to stay.  Buy a house here in Flensburg, or at least that they took me with them.  But they were just up for the holiday.  So I guess that was the Lord telling me, that there are also nice people here too. 

We had an exchange this last week, and all the missionaries came up to flensburg.  I went on exchange with someone who actually served with me in the MTC, but he is going home in 4 days.  He is going home to see his sister graduate.  That is actually also something interesting about the missionaries that I was with in the MTC.  Most of us are being split and there are some that are leaving in 3 weeks.  Then you have me and I go home the first week of July.  But some of my friends are going home with me as well, so that will be fun. But anywho, this missionary for his last exchange wanted to see the danish border.  So we took our bikes and in seriously 15 minutes we were there.  We both got a picture with the sign and then we headed back into the center of town and started to talk with some people on the street.  That was also fun. There are a lot more people on the street because of the holidays and the summer (even though it rained, hailed, and there was thunder and lightning yesterday during church).  So that always makes it super fun to go to the middle of town and talk with people.  But that also means talking with people from all over Germany.  So I got to try to get some referrals for the other parts of the mission.

Other than that, life continues to go on.  We are having a great time and everything seems to be doing really good. I am trying to handle the fact that the time is running out.  I don't know if I am doing that really well, but I am figuring it out.  Every time I see babies on the street, its like that scene from the Best two years where the elder was dear john-ed and when he sees the couple walking through town and he just stops and wants to try to follow them. Yup, that's me but with little babies.  It doesn't help to also know that at home there are 3 new little faces waiting for me.  But that is ok. The deed is done.  I will just have to help with babysitting then.

Well, I love you all and I will let you know how things are going next week! But I will definitely send some pictures!

Love,

Elder Bretzing!

WEEK 5-2-2016 MOTHERS DAY PREVIEW

Alright Family!

Time for role call! Mothers day is fast approaching!  Family Bretzing... ASSEMBLE! (You know, if I had it my way, I would not be calling this last phone call, because I am going to see you in 2 months anyway... but in order to keep good feelings and to protect myself from any injury when I land in America, I will consent.)  But get your ideas and what not ready.  Anything you have to talk about, prepare it! I cant believe that this day came already. But alrighty then.  The phone call will procede at or around 17:00 hours here in Flensburg. (I believe that will be 08:00 back at home) But just be prepared at 07:00 in case I call early.

This week was really great.  It started off with a really bad turkish haircut.  I remember walking by this hair salon, and it was in the middle of town square so I thought it was going to be good and I read on the sign the words "oriental".  So I was like huhhh, i wonder what that means.  Yup, it was interesting. Let alone, the guy couldnt speak that much german.  And he had some magical powers with his shears and so it looks pretty turkish.  If you have no idea what I mean, you will see on sunday.  But he also used a blow dryer, and I got to admit, that part of my hair looked really good.  But yeah, that was the silly beginning of our week.  

Alot of our investigators have been not really coming around.  That has been sad.  But the sun is shining, the church bells are ringing, spring is in the air.  Leets home that people start having time again.  I mean seriously, this is the first week where the whole week should be sunny.  We are walking around in only sweaters that is how warm it is.  And we have had a friend of ours at church lately.  She claims to be a prophetess and she really likes our church.  I forget if I mentioned her to you before or not, but everytime she writes us a text message as the "new member of our ward"  But I just smile, and say to myself, soon.... But she has been hard to meet with and we fortunately made out an appointment for tomorrow and I hope it sticks.  I am looking forward because she is actually a really nice lady and I am excited to share the gospel with her.  She has even been reading alot in the book of mormon lately, so I have hope!  Most of the rest of the week was filled with finding.  We are going to start teaching german to some of the refugees or immigrants who have been having a difficult time learning the language.  And it was just a wonderful expierence, because as we planned to do that and to give our flyers for that, we ran into some of the greatest people and almost everyone we talked to couldnt understand us in german!  Which is great when you are looking for students for a german class.  

But other than that, we are pushing along.  My personal studies have been some of the greatest times on my mission.  Lately, I have been reading the Book of Mormon and now I am taking some time to read some of the gospel topics that you can find on LDS.org and now they are on the gospel library app and that has been a great testimony builder.  I just feel like I am being refined more and more to talk with people about our church.  Some of the topics are harder ones to talk about, but it is always good to be informed and from the right sources too.  So that has been great.  You should see us during our companionship study, i look at Elder Vasai and I go, "Man you will not believe what I learned today!"  Its great, the scriptures are great, modern day revelation is just great.  

It is a small world if you met Elder Gallacher at the temple.  He is great guy as well. Its weird to think that he is already home.  But everything is weird at this point...

Today, we are going to viking museum so I will try to remember to take pictures and send them your way. 

Well, I love you all and I am glad everything is going great back at home.  We see us on Sunday!

Love,

Elder Bretzing

Week 4-25-2016

Hey Family!,

Well, I really dont know how to describe this past week except for saying that it was interesting.  Allow me to elaberate....

So the beggining of the week begun with us going back to Kiel to do an exchange with our zone leaders.  That was really fun.  We had a great time, and everytime I go back there, its like I never left.  Which was super funny because I was able to go back to ward council and alot of people looked confused to see me again, and then afterwards somewhat happy.  Of course there were some interesting expierences.  But it was nice to see the members in Kiel.

By the end of the week we were back in Flensburg doing the work.  Unfortunately almost all of our lessons that we had planned fell out.  It was a bummer to see that happen.  But we tried to make the most of it.  We even had our Ward Mission Leader go finding with us and we did alot of contacting.

But the highlight of my week was actually my personal study and time that I had to read in the scriptures.  It has been a while since I had a study journal, so last monday I bought a nice study journal so that I will always want to use it and write in it.  And that has truly made such a difference this past week.  I have been able to read and remember more in the scriptures.  I am still no profi when it comes to having a study journal, but it is a small miracle that I am really grateful for this week.  

The weeks have been getting harder here in Flensburg.  It seems that we find people, and we have a great first meeting with them, but then afterwards, they never respond to our calls.  I wonder why this is so sometimes.  I think what helps is just really focusing on the small things that I can do to be a better missionary or maybe things that I ahve not been so focused on in the present time.  But even though that its been getting tough, I am happy to be here and to give my all.  I will still do all that I can to be able to see the fruits of my labors, but if it be the will of God that I help pave and prepare the way for the missionaries after me, then His will be done.  I know that God is happy with what I am doing and that I am here right now.  I come to know it through my personal study and the small little miracles here and there.

Well I love you all and I am very grateful for your prayers.  They truly do help me and therefore I am grateful for all of you back at home.  You are always in my prayers as well.  I am looking forward to when we can see each other!  But I still have an eternity to go so that is ok (only 9 more emails... that means 9 more weeks to do something!)

Love,

Elder Bretzing