And I actually don't have to much time to write a long e-mail, so taking into account that a picture is worth a thousand words, I will post some pictures as a reward for my wonderful beautiful diligent Mother for spending who knows how long working on my College Transcripts. :-) I love mom, Thanks for doing that. :-)
Anyway, we set a 3rd baptismal date this week! That was awesome, but we found out that she doesn't live here, but is under Assyl in Padova Italy, just here for a short time (wanting to move to Germany however...) So I will refer her down to the missionaries in Italy who can hopefully teach her.
We had a solid week and taught a number of lessons, saw miracles. IT WAS AWESOME. On Tuesday we had planned to meet with an investigator in Markdorf, then go buy on people in the vicinity. Well that morning we get a call in which the Investigator cancels the appointment (he has done this the last 4 times) because his friend just got really ill and needed his help. So that opened up our day. We decided to go by on some potentials in Markdorf anyway.
So we set out, it was a sunny day with some clouds in the sky, but I, having served here last year know how fast the weather can change, and know that I ALWAYS need to carry an umbrella with me. My dear companions however, despite being Eagle scouts, didn't come prepared that day. Sure enough we make it to Friedrichshafen and it starts to get really stormy. But we continue out to Markdorf and it starts POURING Rain. Luckily we were in a bus, but it was pouring.
On the bus ride, I notice that a man sitting just across the isle from me is trying to read my name tag, I look over and he immediately looks back at the window. Ok, so I turn to look out the window, for 30 seconds and turn back to see him leaning well out of the chair trying to read my name tag, I smile, take it off and give it to him so that he could read it, and he asks, "Are you protestant" I say no, and right then another lady walks up takes a seat not to far and was like "are you a sect?" (which here in Germany is equivalent to the meaning of a "Cult") So I start explaining to them what we are, and the conversation takes off with the lady and I talk to her for a good 10 minutes on the bus. She says that she has no interest in switching religions, but at the end she very happily took a book, and said she would read it. However she didn't want to give me her phone number.
Then I turn back to the guy and try talking to him, only to find out that he is from Macedonia and can't speak German, just then his wife walks from the front (where their two daughters were sitting) to the back to translate for him. She is also from Macedonia, but when she was a girl, her family fled to Germany during the war in her home country, and there she learned German. She went back later to Macedonia and had only been back a year, but her German was still good enough that we could communicate. I talked about exactly what we believe, they were excited and I was able to make an appointment to come and visit them. :-)
Long story short, we arrived in Markdorf the storm got worse, with Lightning and despite having much Faith in God, I decided that their is a reason God gave us the ability to think and reason, so we stayed under the pavilion and hoped to wait the storm out. The Buchanans were in Friedrichshafen and were almost done visiting someone, and they eventually came to our rescue, having a car, and we went and visited all the potentials that we wanted to. That was great, going through the area book I came across a record which I really wanted to visit. The phone numbers didn't work, so I did some "Research" (as Elder Buchanan refers to it) and eventually found their address and a new phone number. While in Markdorf, we stopped by and they were VERY interested and excited to have us come back. :-) We will visit them on Tuesday.
It is so great being here, God truly works miracles, with that family that I found on the bus (and the other lady that I talked to) and leading me to find that record of the family who want´s us to come back.
Thursday we helped moved a friend of Sister Hofmann, That was awesome. They needed our help with the heavy objects. You can imagine the joy we felt when we arrived and were greeted with the words "alright, lets start with the Piano". If you go to a help someone move and they say "alright lets start with the Piano" you know you're in for a fun day ;-). But we did, we moved that Piano (thank goodness it wasn't a grand piano) outside and up into the van. The whole time I was repeatedly reminded of the talk "Lift where you stand" by President Uchtdorf. :-) That was neat.
They were incredibly grateful for out help moving the piano out of their old house and into the new one (That was a great work out!) luckily it wasn't too ridiculous, they lived on the ground floor in both locations. (nothing like "Mini Everest" :-) ). Sister Hofmann, who had seen me playing the Piano one day, told them that I could play, and because none of them could play they asked me if I wanted to play the Piano as the first person in the new home. Something that I may or may not have mentioned is that in my spare time (which I nearly have NONE of ) I have been trying to learn hymns. At the first it was slow, but now I have 10 hymns that I can play memorized and a number of others that I can play with the notes in front of me. So I played Church hymns, which they probably didn't recognize at all but it was cool. The Piano was very old I wouldn't be surprised if it was over 100 years old, as most of their furniture that we moved was well over that age. It was mostly there for look and not purpose and hadn't been played for many years, and was very out of tune, but the hymns still sounded beautiful none the less. Especially "Hark all ye nations", they like that one. After they walked out of the room to prepare something to eat Elder Kingery made the joke "I like the subtle brain washing". :-)
Later that day we went on splits with Elder Buchanan, and we met with the lady that I met in the bus. That was awesome. :-) Friday was transfer calls. I am staying, and Elder Kingery is going to Freiburg. Which is sad but it's still in the same Zone, which is good. :-)
Elder Wasden who will be staying in Ravensburg.
On Friday night we were asked by the stake President to attend a stake Priesthood meeting in Winterthur. Here is proof that God loves us, we needed to go, but the Buchanans had to do apartment inspections, and would spend the whole day and make it there later in the day (in time for the priesthood meeting, but it would take all day). So we called around the ward to find a ride from someone. No one could take us, so we had to go by train and boat. Yup you read that right a BOAT. The only connections that would get us to Winterthur on time required a 45 minute Faerie ride across the Bodensee. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. I will post pictures of that. It was our "last adventure" as a three sum, and what a way to end it.
This was amazing, only under these circumstances would we ever have gotten to do that. No other missionary will ever probably do that again. Because Switzerland isn't in the Zone anymore only under the circumstances of a stake meeting without the Buchanans being able to take us, are we able to go to Switzerland across the Bodensee. It only can happen if you serve in the Ravensburg area, no other area in the mission needs to take a boat. That was awesome.
Romanshorn Switzerland
The meeting went from 7:30 to 9.30, and because we were nearly the first to arrive (the Buchanans picked us up from Winterthur Bahnhof) we were the last to be able to exit the small Winterthur parking lot and didn't end up getting home until 11:30 that night. It was approved, but it was LATE. The way we traveled, the fastest way back was a 10 minute Faerie ride across the bodensee from Konstanz to Meersburg which we caught at 10:35. Nothing like a ride across the Bodensee after Curfew ;-). It was fantastic.
So Elder Wasden and I are staying together, and are so excited. Our goal (and this is by no means out of reach) is to teach 20 lessons per week. We have 10 scheduled already and we have 4 additional families who should be returning in the next few weeks who we could then teach. :-) (Remember how I mentioned how there was nothing happening here? THIS IS A HUGE MIRACLE). I, being a district leader, have been able to look over the old numbers for the area, and solidly for the last year or more the most lessons taught in a week has been upwards of 4. No more. And we have had two back to back weeks with 9 and 8 respectably and coming up on a week with 10. This is huge, and I am so grateful to be apart of it!
We have been praying and fasting for miracles, and they are happening right and left. This Branch is going to become a ward someday. Despite it being on the point of being disbanded now, It will become a ward. AT LEAST. About a month ago I was pondering on the ward and the area, and God gave me a VERY STRONG impression that this area would blossom, and become a ward in a short amount of time. It being around 11.30 at night which this impression came I thought "I will write it down tomorrow". I was then instructed that I needed to write it down RIGHT THEN or else I would forget it. So I got up, and wrote down my thoughts in my Journal. But it's going to happen. I know it.
We haven't had a baptism here for 2 years, and before that it probably had been a good 4 or 5. But we currently have 2 active baptismal candidates and are finding people quickly. We hope to spark excitement into the branch, and to start something completely new. I am so excited to be here! I know this church is true, and that God leads us and will bless us as we go about doing his work.
I wish you all a great week! love,
Elder Ryan K. Christensen
P.S.
So I forgot to mention, Mr. Embley's (My German Teacher)
Brother lives in Chur, which is in this stake. I have been wanting to
meet him ever since, so I had hoped to meet him in Winterthur, but I found out
that it was his daughters birthday and he couldn't make it. :-P Go figure.
Maybe if I stay till November I can see him at Stake Conference! :-) Hence the
"almost got to meet my German Teachers brother"
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