Monday, September 26, 2011

September 26, 2011

Dear Mom and Family,
I hope I didn't scare you by writing this so late. We were busy doing some service for some members up in Patsch, a little village nearby. Would you be surprised if I told you that I used a hedge trimmer? Well... you still should be. But I was really close to using one. Then the guy said it was too much fun and didn't want to do it. So I could have done it. Look how much I am changing! Also, you know when people trim bushes with those giant scissors? I totally got to do that today. It was for an older member in the branch. He is super cool. He converted when he was in his 20's, and then he's an Architect and was involved in building probably every church building in Eastern Europe and then some. He is super cool. He loves the mountains and talks about them a lot. He also said he went to Canada to the Rockies and said they were way nicer than here. I don't know though... Look at pictures of Patsch and you be the judge. It is beautiful there! Plus apparently a good place to Snowboard. Bode Miller has his house there. It's funny that out of all of my friends who love Snowboarding and everything, I got sent to The Alps. And I HATE snowboarding. Haha!
As for the transfer, turns out it is next week. Which is good. Speaking of transfers, remember how I sort of wanted to leave Innsbruck? Now I love it! Which probably means that I am leaving....

This week we met with two JAE aged people near the University which was really fun. One was super Atheist, and one was super Catholic. We talked to them and it was funny to see how they would argue about things and then we would make our point and they would talk about it and then would agree that it made sense and then the Atheist would poke fun of the Catholic and vice versa. It was really cool actually to see that there were people here who were open to talk about it. We talked for a good half hour then they asked us to teach them the first lesson right there in the park. Which was good! We met with them again on Friday and sadly, the dropped us, which is pretty poo. But as easy as it is to dwell on what we could have done differently or anything, we learned what we can do better and now we will be that much more prepared for the next time that we deal with that situation.
We had Leadership Training this Wednesday so I got mail! I think I clean up everytime! Actually, I did really good for mail this week. I got 4 letters on Tuesday, and then on Wednesday I got a package from Jordan. Which is awesome. Justin Bieber Stickers!!! What missionary doesn't want that? Haha! And just some other nerdy things, and some Lucky Charms! Which was good because I tried to buy a new kind of cereal and it made me sick so I barfed. It was like Mini-Wheats, but sweeter and more chocolate. Stuffed with Nutella. They are called Nugat Bits. They are a really good snack though. Tastes like a Chocolate Bar. Haha! It's funny!
I am glad to hear that you are having a lot of success with the new member lessons. You really need to do that. The C Family is doing well too. They were at church on Sunday, which was great!
I don't really have much else to report on. The work moves on. Sometimes it seems a little (or a lot) slower than others, but it is always going forward. I am so thankful for the opportunity that I have to be here. It still seems unreal to be here. I know that the church is true. It has to be. There is no way it can't be. The more I think about it the more I love it. Especially how everyone is covered, and that there is a chance for every single person ever. Nobody falls through the cracks.

Say hi to everyone for me! I am trying my best to write back to people but it is hard. And sadly, expensive. So if I don't write back I am sorry! I am trying though! I love you guys a lot!



Sincerely,

Elder Connor J. Thompson

Monday, September 19, 2011

Ugh

To sum up this week I will use one sentence. The week of fallen-out appointments and broken dreams. Mostly the first, but the second makes it sound more intense. Haha! But really, sort of a poo week. Not that I am complaining, it just didn't go that well.
So, Monday we had P-Day, we didn't really do anything to special. We had a YSA activity that was a lot of fun. We played a game called 'Wasser in Gesicht', or 'Water in your face!'. It reminded me of Don't Eat Pete. If you don't remember that game, get Kari to explain it. I remember playing it a lot when she used to have to babysit me. It was really fun. I love the JAE (YSA) group here. They are really good. They are really good when we bring investigators, and good at helping the less active members to become active again.
On Tuesday we went on an exchange so we were working in Salzburg. It was really good. The exchange was great, they made us home made tortellini, and we learned a lot and had fun with their investigators. And it was really fun. Our investigator is really neat. He is the coolest. He is 82 years old, but dresses like Matt (and sort of looked like Matt too...) But he was baptized when he was 20 in California, and then for whatever reason, he went inactive and had no contact for the church for 62 years. Then he just talked to the missionaries in Salzburg on the bus and now they are teaching him again and helping him become active. When he talks though he could be a General Authority or something. It was cool. We went in and he was like ''I have something I want to share with you today'' And then he read us a couple of the scriptures that they had given him to read, and then read out of Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. It was the neatest appointment ever. Being a missionary is awesome.

As for Wednesday and Thursday nothing really great happened. Just a lot of fallen out appointments and heart broken missionaries.
Anyways on Friday, we had our Street Display. Which is always fun. We always end up meeting like 1 or 2 crazy people. Or more. Today our best one was a man. Wearing a dress. Well, it was actually more like a robe. You know like pictures of Ancient Prophets, or what a person wears to Quest? That was it. It was the best! Haha! He came up to us and started asking all of these questions that are always hard to answer to investigators because you never know how much to say, or what is appropriate to say and what not. So he asked us ''Where is God?!'' And we were like ''Well, God is everywhere, he made everything he knows everything, he sees everything he is everywhere'' And then he told us that wasn't enough. And that God lives in our heart. Not like when people say our hearts and mean like our spirits and things. Nope. The actual organ. And then he was like ''Who is God?'' And we were like ''Well, our Heavenly Father, He created all things, he is all-powerful he knows all things... things like that'' And he says, ''No, that isn't enough he is our hearts!'' Again... The Organ. It was awesome. And was like ''You wear your white shirts and dress pants and your ties and silly name tags because someone tells you to. I wear what I do (Keep in mind, he is wearing a dress) because that is who I am. Nobody tells me what to do. I do what I want!'' And then he walked away.

The next day we went to Mutters which is a town just a little ways away from Innsbruck to meet with some of the American people here and show them the Almabtrieb, or as Sister G calls it ''Day of the Cow!''. She is so excited about it. What they do, is in the summer they let the cows wander around in the mountains and everything, but because it's too cold for that in the Winter then they gather them all up and take them to pastures. Before you would have to walk the whole way with them there, but now they just load them into trucks and drive them away. (Anything for that fresh Alpine Milk! MMMmmm). Luckily, what they still do is that all the farmers dress up in their farmer/traditional Austrian attire and then they march all the cows through the town and drink their Schnapps and yell and sing fun German songs. And the best part is that they decorate the cows. So they take big branchs and tie them to the cows' heads or horns. And then they put crosses between them, or a picture of the Virgin Mary, or a picture of Christ. On a branch. Coming off of a cows head. It was so funny! I recorded it all so I will send that home to you sometime and you will enjoy it probably. Haha!
Then yesterday at church it was the funniest day ever. So the general theme was the Law of Chastity. Which is already fun to talk about, but when 2 High Councilors come and they talk about it. In a lot of detail, and you have to translate for the visitors and English speakers it is a lot of fun. Haha! Almost all of sacrament one Sister was looking at us laughing because we were translating things and she probably thought we were idiots, and then even the German members would look at us after particularly funny sentences, see us looking really confused on what to say and do, and then laugh at us. It was sort of a gong show. Let me see if I can remember some of the best sentences ''We were made with beautiful bodies. Everyone was. Bodies that we can see, smell, touch, and taste.'' YIKES!!!! Or some other very explicit things that I would never say in a million years. It was funny. But so awkward. Everyone laughed about it. Also in Sunday School the teacher wanted to help prove how wrong Islam was and made someone pray wearing a Headscarf and then we talked about how wrong that was. It was hilarious. I love the branch here.

I know this letter sounds like we didn't do a whole lot, but we did try this week. I really am not one of the missionaries just here to do stupid things and what not. It just seemed like nobody progressed or did anything notable this week unfortunately. Luckily it seems like on a week like this you really get to do some reflections on what you want out of a mission, what you need to change to get it and how you can be an effective missionary. So I know what I need to change and so this week I am going to do it. Also, that sounds really intense, and maybe it is, but it's true. Haha!!

I love you guys a lot. Thanks for everything that you have done for me so far and keep doing. I have the best family ever!


Sincerely,

Elder Connor J. Thompson

Monday, September 12, 2011

Sept 11, 2011

I heard about a new family moving into the ward. That seems weird since I am half the world away in Innsbruck, but in a letter from the Ward Council. It was really good to get. So, if they feel like it's pointless. It isn't. It seems like things are going good. I wrote them back, but if you want to say thank you to them from me that would be great. It seems like the ward is doing really good. I don't remember really having that much happening all at once. Mind you, growing up I never really cared, but now that I am on a mission it is strangely, much more important. The branch here is so good to the missionaries. Last week we said we needed more people to come teach with us since we can't teach single sisters alone and quite a few people came to talk to us. It was awesome! This week it was hard though because it was the Branch Temple Week. So from Wednesday morning to Saturday Evening most of the ward was gone in Frankfurt at the temple. They go once a year and the kids do baptisms everyday and then they have stuff for them, and the adults go to two sessions a day I think. It seemed like a lot of fun, and I think it's gotten the branch much more excited about the gospel and doing the work. Which is something a missionary always loves to see.

This week has been really good though to say the least. On Monday we had P-Day and didn't really do anything too special. On Tuesday we met for a District Meeting and thought about things that we could be doing better with JAE center. Elder Perry was assigned to be over the Europe Area a while ago, and said that he had a vision of the church, and that the success would come through the members aged 18-30. That is why they have JAE centers. He said that they would be the people who would shape the church in the coming times, and that is where missionaries would have the most success. I believe it 100%. These are the generation of people who grew up in a time very different from their parents, without the War, without the Iron Curtain, without the Berlin Wall, without tons of things. They are ready for something different, and they haven't been hardened by such terrible experiences. Anyways, the point about focusing on JAE's is that Innsbruck is a University city. Once school starts again, in a week or two there will be 20,000 more people here. Which is unreal! There will be a lot to do and I am excited. I don't know if I will be there for it, but it will still happen. Which is exciting!! Later that day we went to Telfs, a small city about half an hour away from Innsbruck. We were going to teach a friend of a member but we got super lost, so the member had to come pick us up, then we went to his house and taught his non-member friend. It went really good. I am feeling better and better about my languge skills. Obviously, still not that great (I've only been here for 10 weeks now, but still not bad considering). The lesson went really well, also his name is B. I feel really good about him though, and since he already has a member friend it will be so much easier for him.
On Wednesday we went on a Joint Teach to P and Brother L, the Opera Singer came with us. It was such a good lesson! I love P. She was telling us about how she knew that the Book of Mormon was really the word of God and how one of her friends said otherwise and she got really mad at her friend, and defended it in front of everyone and then nobody made fun of it anymore. She is really awesome. I think she is really close to being baptized and I think that having Brother Lyndsey there was really good. Him and his family are awesome. They are just good people who are nice to everybody and even though they aren't so great with German and everything, they try their best and still help others in the branch. I also had my first real experience teaching the Word of Wisdom. Always fun. We taught it to M and I think she understood it. We've been meeting with her every day this week. She is really making some progress now and now has been opening up more and more which is good because we can help her based on what he concerns and questions are. Yesterday we tried to set a baptismal date with her, but she wasn't too sure about it and felt that it was too soon. So we don't have a date yet, but she is getting really close. She has changed a lot since we met her on the bus 6 or 7 weeks ago and I am excited to see what the future will bring for her.

The rest of the week was really good as well.
All in all things are going good here. I feel like I am sort of fitting into the way that things work and understanding things that I need to change and do to become a better missionary. And there are a lot of things! Haha! Luckily I still have quite a bit of time. I know I have never worked this hard in my life, but I don't think I have ever been so happy. Not laugh until I cry happy, although that happens quite a bit too, but just happy. I am so thankful to be here where I can realize what is important in life and what really isn't. I have been studying a lot in my Patriarchal Blessing and it is amazing! I love it so much. The more I read it the more I wish I could just fast forward 20 years and see how everything happens, but then I would miss so much.

Anyways, I don't have too much time. I love you guys a lot. I know the church is true. The more I learn the more I realize that it is, there is no way that this is made up. I am so thankful for everything that you guys have done for me and all that you have taught me.



Sincerely,

Elder Connor J. Thompson



Monday, September 5, 2011

It's okay that it's raining. It won't mess up your hair.‏

So before I forget, this subject took place about 5 minutes ago. It was raining and we were walking to where we do emails. It wasn't raining too bad, not enough to use an umbrella, but enough that maybe you could get away with it. Anyways, we were walking across the bridge and this older couple were walking towards us. The old man started rubbing his head (he was bald by the way) and then when he got closer to us was like ''Well, I guess the rain is okay. It's not like it can mess up our hair.'' I laughed really hard. It was so funny, and so random. Old people are the best. Or the worst. But usually the best! Haha! And as much as everyone told me that this mission would be so hard and that all of the German or Austrian or Swiss people would be rude and stubborn, they really aren't. They are very nice people. They are just very... firm in their faith... Haha!

So last week was really good. On P-Day, we went to the top of a mountain. I think it is called Nordketten. Anyways, it overlooks all of the city and the valley around it and is BEAUTIFUL! It was weird because of where Innsbruck is located, you could see the German Alps in one direction, the Italian in the other direction. Not too close to the Swiss, but I can live with that if I have to. Haha! It was really fun to go and do that. We wandered around the top of the mountian (no yodelling, sadly) for a while, and then when we came back noticed I got pretty sun-burned. But it's gone now, so I have a nice missionary tan. From the short-sleeve down, with a nice Watch Tan-Line, and a CTR ring Tan-Line. They are the best! Haha!! After that we went bowling with the JAE group. It was really fun.

This past week was really good! It felt like everything just clicked. Nothing too special happened in the first part of the week. Tuesday and Wednesday were spent dooring and trying to get a hold of our investigators. It seems like most of them have fallen off the face of the earth, but we'll find them soon. Hopefully! Haha!! We did meet with M again and had a better appointment. I hope that she is understanding more, but sometimes it is hard to tell with her. She is an interesting lady though. We talked a lot about reading again.

On Thursday we had Zone Conference. Which was awesome! I got to see two missionaries who went in the same day as I did. Elder S, who is in Wels now, and Sister B who is Klagenfurt. It was fun to see them. Apparently they changed the way that the German missionaries are in the MTC because now people only come every 6 weeks instead of Alpiners coming every 6 weeks, and then Berliners and Frankfurters coming every 6 weeks. Now just everyone comes every 6 weeks. No overlapping or anything. That probably doesn't make any sense, but the moral is, its different and now you meet less people. So I am glad it changed after. Anyways, Zone Conference was really good. It is always fun to be with missionaries. We are idiots. Haha! But in a good way, I think that just after a while of being on a mission everything is funny to you. So I will be crazy after 2 years! Haha!
At Zone Conference I also got all my mail. It was awesome! I cleaned up!!! Haha! I got your package, which is awesome. I was going to carefully ration out my peanut butter, but then I have already eaten 4 of those things and only have 7 left, so that might not happen. But it is so delicious. I also got a couple letters, and a package from Laurel Hill. I love her.

On Friday, we had our Ausstellung, or Street Display. The Zone Leaders came from Salzburg to help us out and it went really well. Usually I hate Street Displays a lot. But for some reason this one was so much fun. I gave out 3 Book of Mormons, which is 3 more than I have ever given out! And it was fun. I met a lot of cool people and talked to everyone! Something that I have struggled with a lot. I still do actually, but it was just good on that day. We met a lot of cool people, and of course some crazy ones, but we always get quite a few investigators out of it. The best part that happened though was when I went to talk to this women. Most of the time they just give you excuses about how the can't talk right now or anything, but hers was the best I have ever heard. ''Sorry, I can't talk to you I'm Mormon.'' Mind. Boggled. I don't know what she thought we were or anything, but I was too shocked to respond. Haha! She might have thought we were Jehovah's Witnesses, which a lot of people think actually, but apparently she doesn't know too much about Mormon Missionaries. I am sure that she will be really embarrassed when she sees that one again.

Saturday was another really good day. We met with a lot of people that we met at the Street Display and so we have 3 new investigators that I feel really solid about. Elder B hasn't seen a baptism his whole mission so our goal is to get one this transfer. It will be hard, but I still think that we can do it. We met with 2 new investigators, one is named L and at first it seemed like he only made an appointment to bash us but by the end it really changed. I am always amazed at how a short simple testimony in horrible (and I mean horrible) German can change someone's mind so much. There is no other way we could do this, than through the Spirit. We just have to get out of the way. Even talking to people on the Street I find that I am saying words that I don't know what they mean and people are understanding me, so either they take compassion on my little brain and just pretend like they understand what I am saying, or they are able to understand in the language of the spirit, which sounds lame, but is in Preach My Gospel so... it's true.
The other is named L. When we went to her house we just talked with her at her doorstep. It was really good. She said that she had already read a bit in the Book of Mormon and really liked it.
Sunday was really good, we had 2 investigators just randomly show up to church who we hadn't been able to contact for a couple weeks so it was awesome! We have appointments with them and I think that things are going to be picking up here soon. We also had an appointment with S. She has two little girls about B and B's age and is from Nigeria. We didn't meet her husband, but she said that he was excited. She is is originally Muslim and said that she wasn't sure about the church, but wanted to learn more. But said her husband would be very interested. It would be so nice to have another family to teach. And another family for the branch. That is what we need most. We taught her a really good lesson. I am feeling much better with teaching people and everyday am getting more confident at just saying what needs to be said and realizing that the Spirit doesn't only speak to one companion, but to both of us so I need to be more bold.


All in all things are going really good. I don't have a lot to report, other than the work is good. The ward here is super good. I love them a lot. I am really trying to love the people because everything is so much easier. And that is what being a missionary should be about. I love it a lot.


Sincerely,

Elder Connor J. Thompson

P.S. Sorry I complained about not getting any letters. I got so many last week I felt like a huge jerk.