Goodbye Teenage Hormones!

Hey family! Thanks for all the birthday wishes. It has for sure been the most interesting birthday I have ever had. Mostly because I have been pretty sick as of late. Remember how I had Strep throat or something? Well, I think I maybe caught a flu or a cold, or whatever was wrong with Elder P because I was feeling pretty bad. Just lots of chills, and nausea, and being really stuffed up, and fever, and achey. All in all, it makes missionary work less than desirable to say the least. But it was pretty good.

It is General Conference next weekend, so we are a little busy. They should be getting the broadcast in Ingolstadt, except for the Priesthood Session, so we will have to go to Augsburg. If we don't get it here, it means we will watch in in Augsburg, but probably have to spend the night there too. Which is okay. It's always fun being with other missionaries. And Elder S from my MTC group is there.

As for this week, it was really good. We spent the rest of my time in Landshut just saying good bye to some less-active members and to investigators. We had a really nice concert from H on Wednesday night. It was good. We also went out to eat with the W's. It was sad to say Good Bye to them.

Anyways, things in Ingolstadt are good. It has a pretty small apartment from what everyone says, but it is bigger than Landshut and Innsbruck. So that's good. We have the kitchen in a separate room, which is a really nice treat. Haha!

The work here is very similar as it was in Landshut. A little ( or very) slow. People here are very Catholic and Bavarian. But we have spent a lot of time finding, and we are ready to work really hard. Elder M is really great, he's just one transfer younger than me, but I think he will do a lot of good things on his mission. We actually have some of the same interests and stuff.

Also, you are probably wondering why I am writing to you so early. Well, we are having a District P-Day to do in Kaufbauern area. Which probably means nothing to you. But we are going hiking.... I don't think it is too bad of a hike though. And, it is because we are hiking to go see a castle. A pretty well-known one by the name of Neuschwanstein. In other words, the Disney Castle. Which is pretty cool. I haven't bought any Lederhosen yet. Otherwise, I would be wearing that and then all the pictures would look super awesome. I think I may buy a pair soon. When in Bavaria.... Haha!

Things here are great. I am feeling a little healthier and will be much better once I write you again next week. I love you guys a lot. And miss you.

--
Sincerely,

Elder Connor J. Thompson

The Church is True!

Hey Family, so first things first, you are all probably wondering about where I am getting transferred to. Well...It is actually pretty amazing. I could hardly believe it. It was just pure awesome. I am going to... Ingolstadt! Which is where Eichstätt is!! For those of you who don't really know what that is, it is where I lived for three months on a foreign exchange almost exactly three years ago. I am actually not too far from Landshut either. About an hour away. Which in our mission is just one area over. Our mission is huge. I am still in Munich Zone and everything too, which is great. I always felt like I would go back to that part of the world, but never imagined it would happen on my mission. But I am very, very excited about it to say the least.

This week has been really good. On Monday, we had Family Home Evening with some members, and the W's children from America. It was really good. I really love the ward here, and I am a little sad to be leaving it, but I think that it will be really good. We might be coming back here at some point though because General Conference is only broadcast in a couple places, and so some members might be coming to Landshut, so that would be really fun. But who knows. I think after my mission I would like to come here. Maybe if you pick me up then we can come here. It is beautiful!

We did a lot of dooring this week, and we got a lot of potential investigators this week, so I am sure that we will have some investigators by next week too. Of course it has to be when I am leaving.... Haha!

On Thursday, we had a meeting in Munich with the whole Zone and it was really good. I really learned a lot. Wasn't a Zone Conference. Just a smaller meeting. I really love missionary meetings. It is like Christmas. You see all your friends, you get to get packages and mail. It is awesome! We really felt the Spirit a lot and talked about our mission goals. It was really good.

You already know about Friday. With Transfer Calls. It was really good.

On Sunday we went to church and it was so strange. I gave my testimony and it was weird to think that I probably won't see the people there again. I am really going to miss them, and it was great to see that I had helped them a little. There were quite a few of the less-actives we work with at church, and H was too, so it was a good last day of church. Strange to think next week, on my birthday, I will be in Ingolstadt. Haha! Crazy. I still can't get over it. We still have a couple of days so I will get to say goodbye to everyone too.

All in all, a great week. I love you guys a lot and hope you are all doing good!

--
Sincerely,

Elder Connor J. Thompson

A New Baby!

First of all, Luke looks exactly like Brigham. Crazy! I cannot believe that there is a new Thompson. That's exciting though! Strange to think that he will be 15 months old when I come back. That is weird.... But kind of strange. It's weird. I am hitting my 9 months this week, which really has made me think about a lot of things.

This week has been interesting. It started off with our crazy P-Day adventure to Dachau... Haha! Which was really funny, but not the best P-Day I have ever had. After that on Monday, we went to to FHE with some members and some less-active members. It was a lot of fun. We ended up just talking, and it was super funny. I really love the branch here. They are really supportive, and make sure that we are taken care of, which is awesome.

On Tuesday, we had District Meeting. Which is interesting. Being the District Leader is always interesting because I have to sort of lead that and take charge, and really, not my favourite thing in the world. After that we had exchanges and I went to Passau to work with Elder B. It was really good. We taught J a really good lesson. He is pretty good. We also met with the H's family which was really cool. They are the funniest people ever. He is from Chicago, and she is from Munich so they speak English. They are about 70? They speak English and she speaks with a German Chicago accent. Awesome. Haha! It was good.

Another exciting thing happened on Tuesday. Elder P got hit by a car. He was riding in the bike lane, and had the right of way, and there was a car pulling out of a parking lot. He stopped like he was going to stop from Elder P, and then didn't see Elder P so he went and ran into the front tire. Luckily, Elder P is unharmed, but his bike tire now has a 90° angle in it. Haha! Luckily some members gave us a bike because they are moving back to America.

On Thursday, we had a meeting in Munich for all the District Leaders.

The rest of the week, we didn't do a whole lot as Elder P was sick. I got a lot of study in so that is good right? All in all, a pretty slow week. But this week is looking to be much better. On Sunday there were about 4 non members at church and we are probably going to start meeting with them, and then we will be able to help some less-actives through that. Win/Win! Haha! The ward is really doing good. I think we are helping them to be more excited about the work here, and they are going to be helping us more.

--
Sincerely,

Elder Connor J. Thompson

March 5, 2012

Hey family! How are you guys doing?! I am getting sort of excited for my birthday because they make a HUGE deal about it in Germany. Grandpa John talks about that in his book I think. It's true. Actually, today I met someone from not too far away from the town he was born in. She had heard the name and knew it. Cool eh? I have never met anyone who knew of it before.

Anyways, this week has been good. Once again, a whole lot of rejection in the investigator aspect, but we are working hard and that is all we can do. It is sometimes really frustrating, but we can only try our best. I honestly can't remember the days too well, and after a while it is a little tougher to remember the difference between dooring on Tuesday, dooring on Wednesday, dooring on Saturday. Haha! On Wednesday, we had to help a new family move into the ward. Which was awesome. Except it was at 900 so there were 5 people there, and then right after we had District Meeting, so we sort of stunk real bad the whole day because we had gotten sweaty. On Thursday we had a real Bavarian Eating appointment with Knudel, Schweinebraten, Sauerkraut (which I actually like now. Which is strange... I hated it at first, but it has grown on me. Especially Blaukraut (Blue Cabbage), everywhere else they call it Rotkraut (red cabbage), but Bavaria's colour is blue. So, Blaukraut it is! Haha!

On Friday, we had to go to Passau so that we could do a baptismal interview. More really, so that I could do one. It was really a great experience. I felt a little strange doing that because I don't feel like I should be the one, but I felt really good about it, and he was really ready. He's a really nice guy, and his baptism on Sunday was a very good experience. After that we met with H. I love that man a lot, but it's tough. He didn't come to church either, which was really tough.

On Saturday, we had a funeral. We helped set up a lot of stuff, and then I sang in a quartet at the cemetary. Then we raced back and I helped sing there, and then we helped make sure there was enough food and everything. But there were quite a few less-active members there. I think about 5 or 6. Which is good, I think they realized that the church was good. A couple who were at Stake Conference too, so that was really good to see.

On Sunday, J's baptism was in Landshut (since they don't have a baptismal font in Passau, the last little girl there was baptized in a river). It was good. He was a little afraid of the water, so it took about 16 tries to finally get him all the way under. All the kids were laughing, but it was really good. I sang there too. Which went okay. Just same old Elder Thompson, sharin all his talents. Oh dear... My sense of humour is ruined... Haha! It was really great to see. A baptism is great.

Today was an interesting day. We went to Munich with the Passau Elders (Neuötting decided not to come) and we had to meet with the Zone Leaders to give them a Suit Jacket they had forgotten here last week. So they were late getting to Munich Bahnhof, so we missed our train to Dachau. Then we took the next one, and it stopped in a little town about 20 kms away and because of technical difficulties, the buses weren't running through Dachau and a couple other little towns, so we had to get off the train. So we had to wait for a bus to come which took about 20 minutes, and then we finally got to Dachau. When we went there we got on the bus to take us to the camp, and SURPRISE! it is closed on Monday. Luckily, the bus driver told us, so we were able to stay at Dachau Bahnhof, but of course the trains weren't running so there was the chaos of finding a bus or taxi to take us back to Munich. We had no luck. So, we had to wait about 30 minutes for the train to finally work again and then finally we got back to Munich at about 1445, and we had to take our train at 1524. So we went and walked around Marienplatz for 15 minutes, and then we were done and took the train back. It was fun still. A little sad that we couldn't go, but it happens. Especially with some unprepared missionaries.... haha! But so is life. Haha! We can't do anything about it now. And it was still fun. Next week we might all come to Landshut and go see the castle and play some games and stuff. I think that will be fun too.

This week, we still haven't found any new investigators, but not for lack of trying! It has been a tough week, but really good. I am much more happy when I am working hard and doing what I need to do. I have learned so much. It is strange to be starting my 5th month in Landshut. Transfer calls are the 16th, and I am a little anxious. If I stay, it will be good, but tough. But leaving will be just as tough. Who knows. I have learned its best not to worry about it.

--
Sincerely,

Elder Connor J. Thompson