WEEK 6-20-2016 MY LAST ZONE CONFERENCE

Hey family,

Well, this week was a mile marker for lasts.  We had our last zone training meeting.  It was weird, I have to be honest.  I didn't really know any of the missionaries that were there and so it was just a new for me.  I also was asked to bear my last testimony at a zone training meeting and that was also weird. I just remember watching other people and giving their last testimonies and now it came to me.  But I have gotten to the point that I love sharing my testimony.  If anyone ever asks me, I love to do it!  So that was good.

We spent also two days in Oldenburg, because our district leader is there and so we both went there for exchanges.  That was fun.  I was with our district leader and he is learning Persian on his mission, and so he had this little skype conference with other missionaries, studying the Persian langaauge.  I was just sitting in the background, twiddling my thumbs until we could go back out to work.  But overall it was really good.

This week, we have been working really hard with our Persian friends.

Unfortunately, we found out yesterday that they are not able to be baptized.  We sort of knew this, but in the middle of the week, they sent us a text message and we thought that they had some legal things explained, but it turns out that they are still not elligble for baptism.  But that is ok.  Like I said earlier, I know that one day they will be able to do it.  Other than that, we did a lot of finding.

Sorry, the weeks are going by really fast and so I am sorry that there is really nothing else to report on.  I am happy.  I am working. Trying to do my best and forget the rest.  I am not going to lie, some days it is really hard, but then there are those moments, where I think that I can keep going.  So I try to have the keep going moments more than its really hard moments.

I love you all and have fun with the week!

Love,

Elder Bretzing

22 HAS COME AND GONE

Hey family!

Well, it is official.  I am no longer 22. (No more Taylor swift song of her singing 22) being 23 really feels no different. I just woke up with back pain and was like great, the old is starting to settle in. But I am going to get that checked out this week. And for the birthday we went out to a Mongolian restaurant. So that was good. Thanks for all the love and support!

We had a lot of finding time this last week and we saw some good success out of it.  We found some people who would like to meet with us and that was good.  I am looking forward to this week.  We even found a guy who speaks Portuguese and so I am able to do some small talk with him.  Hopefully, by the end of the week I will be able to say some good gospel stuff with him. We even met with a teenager this last Saturday, and it was really funny because she was soaking it all up like a sponge, but didn't really talk. For me, it was a little funny. But I hope that she wants to keep meeting with us.  Bremerhaven has been an interesting city.  We live in a crazy part of town, but I guess that is makes it interesting. It has been fun.  I even had some friends in Hamburg come and visit me this last week.  That was great. Turns out, that their family comes from Bremerhaven and a small city in the area, so it was great to see them.

These last few weeks I have sure learned a lot.  I have seen how much the lord has been helping me even when it comes to finding.  It's hard to explain, but He is even helping me to endure to the end and keep pushing forward! I am excited to be able to tell you all this in person. Oh, and Hana will be in my prayers.  Is everything ok with the baby and everything. I have no idea what that means.  Keep me updated please!

I love you all and we shall see each other soon!

Love,

Elder Bretzing

WEEK 6-4-2106 LAST ZONE CONFERENCE

Hey Family!

Well this last week went by like a flash.  It is weird to be in my last area on my mission and I will explain to you why.  But I hope everything is going good back at home.  Hey, my first question is... Have we heard back about BYU?  Do I need to do anything else on my side?  I havent submitted anything on my side, but if i need to, I can take some time next week to do that.

Ok, so the week started off really well.  My days in Flensburg ended off with a really high note.  We met with the new convert in our branch for the last time and we were just really saying goobye the whole time.  Afterwards, we asked him if he would say the closing prayer for us as we parted ways.  He then started to cry as he prayed to bless and guide me on my travel to Bremerhaven.  He then said after the prayer thank you to me for the things that he learned.  I never knew that our meetings meant so much to him but he said that he learned a great deal about the plan of salvation.  We had to laugh together a little about that, because we had one appointment where we talked alot about deep doctrine of the plan of salvation and we both left that day confused, but just laughing.  I will surely miss him.  It was such an honor to get to know him.  He was also sustained to recieve the Melchesidek Preisthood so it will be sad that I wont be able to see that.  And then afterwards, some of the ward members threw a little going away party.  I was happy for that, but at first a little upset.  I dont like going away parties.  It was first a family home evening but then it became a goodbye party for Elder Bretzing.  But I was still nice and thanked them for what they did for me.

I am in another little branch here in Bremerhaven.  About 20 active members who come to church. My first few weeks have been fun.  My new companions name is Elder Rogers.  He is a great kid and I hope that I will be a great support to him for my last few weeks.  Its funny, because he tries to get me to talk about how I feel about going home and so I always joke that he is more trunky than me, but he is great.  Bremerhaven is a beautiful city and I am happy to end the summer in another harbor city.  It is alot cooler here and I am happy for that.  We really have no investigators here in Bremerhaven, except for 2 Persian couples.  I still dont know their names right, but we will call them my persian friends.  They are amazing.  I remember, the first time I met them, that they wanted us to pray before we did anything else.  Like that was funny.  Usually I ask if we can pray but they beat us to it.  They are refugees here in Germany.  And they were able to get permission to stay here but because of the status as refugees, they cannot be baptized. They are soo ready. They even call themselves Mormons.  They have been explained the rules and are waiting patiently for the day that they can be baptized.  But they have been such a pleasure to get to know and see how they are doing is amazing.  They even come to church in white shirts and ties.  And they are all really so warm welcoming.  Before the end of our first appointment, they were hugging me and letting me know that I was their brother.  Man, what a great group of people.  We also had a street display in Bremen, because the sisters there do one every week.  That is also a beautiful city.  Everyone was making fun of me because I didnt let a single mom and stroller pass me without talking to them.  When missionaries saw a mom and  a stroller, they let me talk to them.  I guess I am trunky.  But that is ok.  I thought it was funny.  This district is definately one of the different ones I have been in on my mission.  But I am looking forward to working with these missionaries.

Ok to the question to mom, yes.... we will go somewhere for my birhtday.  But dont think that I am going to make a big deal out of it, because I aint.  But I will be excited to see you at the end of the month.  That will be a great birthday gift for me.  I also was just not planning on emailing on that last week of my mission and just tell you in person what I learned.  Can I do that? Or do I need to write?

Well, I love you all and I hope all is well.  I always say this at the end of my emails so you know that I am leaving.  We hear from each other next week!

Love,

Elder Bretzing

Last Zone conference of the Mission

WEEK 5-30-2016

Hey Family!

Well, like it said, this last week marked the beginning of the lasts.  We had our last Zone Conference.  Well... my last one.  Elder Adler from the 70 talked to us and that was great to hear from him.  He promised everyone there success in, and he used these words, within the next month as they follow what we learned during that meeting.  I immediately thought to myself, hey I only have 1 month left!  I am starting to understand a lot more what it means to trust our leaders and their promises they give us.  We also had an area seventy at our stake conference this last weekend and he is from italy and he promised everyone there that if they do the things they learned at stake conference, they can double their numbers before 2020.  He even gave them a promise that they can double their numbers by next Stake Conference if they start today.  And he said that he is not one bit afraid to give us that promise, in the name of the Lord, because our church leaders have also promised us these things and we can do it as we follow their council and guidance.  So these next few weeks will be great.  I can feel it.  And I think there is still yet something that I need to learn.

Oh my goodness, I almost forget.  Well I got my last transfer phone call. I have been transferred.  They call it in the mission being ghosted because you go somewhere for your last few weeks.  So I am going to a city called Bremerhaven.  Its more north, but another harbor city.  I find it interesting that the lord knows me so much because almost all of my areas, I have served near a large body of water, or a large river that cuts our city into two.  But I had to laugh at that.  My new comp is called Elder Rodgers. I dont know him.  I dont know almost all of my new district.  Now I am starting to get old.  So I will be there on Wednesday.  That will sure be interesting.

It was weird here in Flensburg, because of Stake Conference, not so many members know that I am leaving.  Shoot, they all thought I was going home this transfer, but I told them not til July.  But I was able to say goodbye to a few but not all.  That will also be somewhat interesting.  I am going to also miss Elder Vasai.  He will do great.  We were somewhat bummed, but I am happy that I am going.  I will get a little bit of refreshed energy working in a new area.

Well, that is basically our week in a nutshell.  Alot of traveling.  This week was the week that we also found alot of new people.  It was really cool.  We even had a girl come up to us in the bus just saying she wanted to learn alot more about our church and she was there for our appointment!  So I am super excited for Elder Vasai to take over.  It is all in good hands!

Well, I love you all and miss you and we shall see each other soon!

Love,

Elder Bretzing