Things here are really good. My very first transfer calls were on Friday, and I am staying here in Innsbruck. Elder H is going to Vienna to be a Zone Leader so I probably won't be able to see him before he leaves for Utah in March.
My new companion is Elder B. I think he is from Utah, and he goes home in March as well. I have heard he is really nice, and that we may have some things in common, which would be nice. And I have heard is a good missionary. I am excited!!!
This week was really busy! So, Monday we had an exchange with the Assistants to the President (Not AP's) and it was really good. I just assumed everyone knew what an exchange was, but it is where for 24 hours you have a new companion. Either you go to their area and teach their investigators, or they come to yours and help with your investigators. You only do exchanges with the leaders. So District Leaders will only go on exchanges with people in their District, Zone Leaders only go with people in their Zone (Usually the District Leaders), and Assistants usually go with the Zone Leaders so that the underlings (or not leaders) can learn from people in leadership because those are the good missionaries. So we were very fortunate to get an exchange with them! I am not going to lie I was terrified because I thought that they were going to be judging me and then reporting back to President M about everything I did wrong and it would be a bad time, but they weren't like that at all! Elder B (The AP) and I were companions and we had an appointment with the C family. We made sure that they were okay with the Word of Wisdom, and then made sure everything was good with their baptism. After that D made us soo much food! It was ridiculous! It was delicious Zimbabwe food (that I actually liked!) but there was so much. Elder B said it was the only time on his mission that he wasn't able to finish everything (He is a big guy too. Not fat big, but just a big guy). I almost felt sick because it was so much, but when D left I snuck some to Brother C so he finished it. We laughed about that, and it was really good.
Tuesday, was also an awesome day! The Assistants left a little early (Around 12-ish) and they taught about study and using our time better. We have 3 hours of study a day, so we have lots of time to learn and so we can get a lot out of it. Not that I wasn't studying well before, but it was good, not great. However I think that now I am learning a lot more and so it makes it much more exciting. After they left we had an appointment with R and we talked about the Restoration and SET A BAPTISMAL DATE!. He is such a cool guy. I am so excited for him! That was really the highlight of the day. Because it takes so long to get to where he lives (about a half hour bus ride) we didn't do too much else that day. Just got rejected by angry Austrians. Awesome!
Wednesday we met with an investigator M (I think I have talked about her before? ) We talked a lot about baptism with her and set a date for the 18th of September. She said she needed to know more, but if she learned more and felt that it was right then she would prepare for that date. I should also mention that is what R said too. We don't just commit people. We commit them to do it when they know that this message is true and that when they have an answer for themselves. Just thought I should clarify that. After that we got some more doors slammed in our faces, and yelled at by angry old people. And then we met with the C family. We taught them about Thomas S. Monson and shared the Ensign message from the month. It was all about families, which is perfect for them. They have such a strong family and have been through so much! J came here 8 years ago by himself and started working to get enough money to bring the family over. Their oldest son, A has been here for over a year, but D and the two younger boys, T and T have only been here for three months. So for almost 8 years J and D didn't see each other, but kept in contact over letters and now they are together again (might make a good chick flick?). They are awesome. While we were there they told us that English was like Diarhea, you never know how to stop it once you start. I laughed so hard. After we got back we did some dooring, and then the homeless people starting yelling at us. There are so many of them here in Innsbruck, I don't know why, but it certainly makes things more exciting. We decided they were mad/jealous of us because of our homes and our hygiene and our teeth. I know that sounds super bad of me, but Austria is really socialized. There is lots of help for people so they do not have to live on the streets, but these people do, so either they won't get help, or something else. It's strange. And rude to us. They usually yell things at us as we walk by, but luckily my German is too bad to understand it. Haha!
Thursday we didn't really do a whole lot. Just lots of dooring, with no success, sadly, and then we organized the area. We set it into Zones so that we know when we have appointments in certain places then we can go stop by former investigators who are in the same area. It took a bit of time, but I think it will help a lot because those are people who had some interest and maybe just had things happen in their life so they had to stop investigating the church. If we go back to them maybe things have changed or something will interest them again and make them want to learn again. It is easier to do something that is half done than to start completely over.
Friday was transfer calls, which was good. We did some dooring, but to no avail again. Hopefully this just means that we will have tons of success next week! Haha! And then the Zone Leaders came to do the C's baptismal interviews. And they all passed! We knew they would, but it was still a little nerve wrecking. It was so awesome, the Zone Leaders said they were awesome, and it was especially good because they were a family. Something that doesn't happen that often here. They will be such a strength to the Branch here. I am so excited!
I love you guys. I will write more next week. It is a crazy Catholic holiday today so everything is weird. Love you!!!
Sincerely,
Elder Connor J. Thompson
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