It is my Birthday!!

Hello everyone!

First of all, thanks for all the birthday cards and letters, it was really great.  I got the white envelope on Tuesday, and waited until Tuesday night to read them all.  (I think I may get that impatient attribute from Mom) Thanks so much.  I have the best family ever.  I love you guys all so much.  

This past week was really crazy with transfers happening and everything, but it was really good.  On Monday we mostly just cleaned and packed and didn't really do tons of special things, we visited a family and had Family Home Evening with them as well, which was a lot of fun.  

On Tuesday we had our last district meeting, which was a little sad.  It was the best district ever, and 4 of 6 of us left, so it will be interesting to see what it's like this transfer.  We took a lot of pictures, and just had a lot of fun.  And did some spiritual things as well of course.  Afterwards we went to the B's house and it was really fun.  They are pretty much like the missionary parents and so it's always nice to go there.

 

Thursday was transfer day, which was really sad.  I am going to miss Elder H a bunch.  Those of us who were losing our companions (every companionship in the Zone except for two) went to Stuttgart, and then we just had to wait around all day until our new companions came.  Which meant that we just played board games at the YSA center.  Maybe not super effective, but super fun.  Then Elder C came and we went on back to Ludwigsburg.  

A little about Elder C.  First of all, he is awesome.  Second of all, he is from San Diego California (10 for 10 from America).  Third, he is the 10th child of 13th.  A Short pause now, because I am sure that you are imagining some super crazy Mormon family that doesn't watch television or listen to music or anything.  It's not true.  Which is awesome!  I had this terrible image when I heard there was so many kids, but he's just awesome!) Fourth, he is good.  Fifth, he has red hair. Sixth, he also likes shopping which means that before I die, we will have a lot of fun with the credit card :) Seventh, he likes to wash dishes.

In short, EVERYTHING that I ever wanted in a companion.  Since Thursday I have just been smiling tons and laughing, it's been so fun.  It has been great.   And to top it all off, he's a way sweet missionary!  Woohoo!!!

On Friday we did service for a member in the ward.   I love Sister V.  We were cleaning her yard, but it was interesting because we couldn't clean up all the pine cones because she just loved making all the squirrels happy when they got to eat them.  She also made a cool house for the squirrels outside. 

We didn't have tons happening, but we spent a lot of time contacting, and we set some really high goals and so we are going to see success this transfer.  I know it.  The ward is getting more excited about the work, and we are both ready and willing to work our butts off to get things done, which is awesome.  I have been so tired the past couple of days, but it's been so good (as a fun side note being tired makes everything more funny, so we laugh a LOT!).  This week is also going to be really good because we've been able to set up quite a few appointments using the 'Hi, I have a new companion now and he would love to get to know you trick.' Works like a charm.
I hope you all have a great week.  I love you tons! Stay warm and be safe!!!

--
Sincerely,

Elder Thompson

Hey Family!

First of all, I will apologize if this letter is no good.  I think I have changed a little bit since after about an hour of looking at the computer my head just hurts really bad.  I suppose Dad's prayers have finally been answered.  Haha!  I think it's probably just a thing I need to practice.  :)

Anyways, this week was good.  To start with, transfer calls came on Friday, and I will be staying for at least 6 more weeks in Ludwigsburg (hopefully 12).  Elder H is going to be leaving for Vienna and will work in the International Ward, which I have heard is ENORMOUS! I will be working with an Elder C (a different one than the one I was with in Bad Säckingen) who is from California.  I get the feeling I may never get a German companion...  He's also pretty young on his mission, and I have heard he's pretty cool, so that will be good.  I am excited.  

This week was really good.  We went to the Ludwigsburg Palace on Monday as a District which was really fun.  We then had an appointment with a part member family who we have been trying to really meet with since I got here, and it finally worked! It was really good.  They have two children, who are really great, and not baptised.  We taught a little lesson and then played a little game with them which was way cool. I think that we will be able to help them a lot more, and then once the sisters get here it will be really good.  Afterwards we were supposed to have an appointment with a member, but we ended up taking the wrong train (there were two trains coming on the same platform 5 minutes apart, and the first one (that we did not want) was delayed and so do to some poor work on the part of Deutsche Bahn (they had already changed the sign, so it said that it was heading the direction of Heidelberg, when it was really heading to Heilbronn) we took the wrong train, and then spent the rest of the evening getting back.  Luckily, we had enough time to ''drown our sorrows in Big Mac'', and then head back home and go to bed.

On Tuesday, we had a Zone Training Meeting which was good.  We are really focusing on planning and how we can be making it much more effective, and being productive and not just keeping busy.    I am not going to lie... I don't remember what happened that evening. I don't think too much.  My memory is really bad as of late...    Oh! I remember now! We had an exchange and I worked with Elder B. We stayed in Ludwigsburg and had an appointment with the Ws.  He is a Ward Missionary, and so we planned for Saturday, which was our big Street Display! (more to that later) It was really good.  They are a really sweet family,they have a son who is a couple months older than Lukas, which is cool.  

On Wednesday, we met with the R family (they are one of the grandparents of the ward) and it was really good.  Again... I don't remember what we did after.  In any case, it can't be too exciting.  Haha!

Oh dear... I also don't really remember what we did Thursday either...  Sorry guys!  Maybe I am just at the point in my mission where all the days blur together, and all the doors blend together too.  But I am trying hard to stay super focused and working really hard.  

On Friday, we had an appointment with M again, which went pretty well.  We read a chapter with her and talked pretty openly with her.    Johann was also with us, so it was pretty fun too. 

On Saturday was the big Street Display.  It was planned that we would have 10 missionaries there, but the night before 4 told us that they couldn't come.  Bummer... We also had planned to have 10 members, but due to some illnesses, or other things only 5 were able to come.  Which was still okay. But the people were super rude on Saturday. I honestly don't think I have had a day where we got shut down more, or talked to more rude people since I got here.  And to top it all off, we didn't get any potential investigators, not one address or number, after 4 hours.  Ouch....But surprisingly, everyone was okay with it, and nobody was too bothered, or upset.  Which is good because I was really worried that the ward members would be bummed and tell everyone about how terrible it was, but it was quite the opposite.  The ward is now excited to do another one in a month or two, and really do it well, and get tons of people there.  It was also good, because now we have quite a few ideas of what we can do better, and how we can be helping members more.  Hopefully it will get better.  But I am pretty sure it will.  It always does.

Sunday was also good. Elder H said goodbye to everyone which was pretty sad. 

Anyways, that was my week in a nutshell.  I hope that you are all doing well.  Thanks for the emails too! It's always nice to hear from you guys.  I love you a lot!

--
Sincerely,

Elder Thompson

Guten Tag!!!

Hey family, how are you doing? This week was super great.  Not only was the weather nice enough to work without a coat on (which makes you stand out WAY more, something I had sort of forgotten over the winter since a black coat doesn´t stick out too much), but we also got appointments with two people who we have been trying to meet with since I got here.  Finally!!

The first one happened on Monday, where we had Family Home Evening with a family.  The family is really awesome.  We have eaten with them a couple times  and their kids are awesome.  When we walk up to the door they all yell and cream ´Missionaries!!  Elders are here!!` That`s so awesome to hear.  And it happens just about everywhere we go when we see members.  Have I mentioned how much I love this ward? Just in case, I really do love them a lot.  On Sunday during Fast and Testimony Meeting (We had Stake Conference so it was postponed a week) it was neat, I sat there and knew every single person in the ward, and more then just their names and everything.  Then I started to get really sad because I thought that meant I am leaving and getting transferred.  Hopefully not.  We will see on Friday.  Fingers crossed!!!

Anyways, on Tuesday we had Zone Conference which was really sweet.  I had to translate for J into German the whole time so I wasn´t able to pay as much attention as normal, but I still got a lot more out of it than I normally do when I have to translate (which is not that fun). 

Another thing that we have been working on is really getting contact with all of the less-actives who the members don´t know.  Which is not super easy to do.  Or sometimes that fun.  We sorted out the ward list into different areas, and then went by on quite a few people this week.  Sadly, nobody was there at all, except for one persons angry wife.   But we will keep on trying.  We are working with a couple families too so things will pick up in that area.  President Miles told us that if we just wanted to work with less-active families and stop dooring he would be pretty happy because that is just as important.  (Of course we would still talk to people on the way, and maybe still do a bit of dooring, but not for a whole day or things like that. I think that will also go a lot better with Sisters here too.  I don´t know if I mentioned that last week or not, but as of May 1 (or sometime that week) we are getting a set of Sister Missionaries here in addition to the Elders.  Which will be really cool.  The members are really pumped.

Anyways, the other appointment we had was with M.  She is an older lady, who is really friendly.  It was a pretty good lesson  and she was really excited and asked about quite a few of the members, and had a lot of good questions.  We will see what happens there, she had a baptismal date before so maybe something good will come.

This Saturday, we also had the great opportunity to dejunk our apartment, which was awesome.... Missionaries are gross.  There was so much junk.  And we found a nice patch of mold in our bedroom... Right under my bed... Gross!!!  Don´t worry, it has been disposed of.  Ha!  And our apartment looks a lot better now.  It will suck to leave.  Especially if I go to a messy apartment since we were all supposed to clean our apartments on Saturday.  

We also did a lot of work in the garden for a member which was also really fun.  I got to use a pitchfork for the first time in my life! Check that off the bucket list! 

Sunday was also a great day, we went to see a baptism which was really neat, and really spiritual.  Then we had to race back from Heilbronn to Ludwigsburg because we had an appointment with the D's.  They are such an amazing family.  They have a daughter who is 7 who should probably marry Ben.  She´s the cutest little girl.  It was really great.  

Anyways, that was the week.  This next week will be really good.  I love you guys a lot!  Feel free to write or email me!!!  Hint hint!! Haha!!

Oh! I almost forgot, President Miles said that we are now allowed to email EVERYONE!  So all of my friends can email me, and then I can email them.  If you could pass that on to people at home who are good friends that would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks a lot!  I love you guys so much!!  Happy St. Patrick´s day this week!!!  Don´t forget to wear green!!!

Hello Fam Jam!

Hey everyone! So, I am going to make this letter a little shorter today because we are having a Zone P-Day in Stuttgart where we are playing some games, and having a cookie Iron Chef competition.  It may be a little difficult since brown sugar is one hot commodity here in Germany, but we will make due.  It really is a good excuse to wear normal clothes, which is always really nice.  Always.  Luckily it's also not as ugly here as it is at home.  Glad to hear everyone is safe though.  

This week was pretty good.  We spent last P-Day in Stuttgart as well since we can go there for free, and we played Soccer.  Which meant that I stayed on the side and talked to the Elder who twisted his ankle (he's better now though) while others played.  Mostly we just laughed at people, since us non-Europeans don't know how to play Soccer so well.  I'll just say that I would not have been the worst, so there were some really bad people.  Haha!

On Tuesday, we had an exchange and I worked in Heilbronn with Elder M.  It was way good.  It's just nice to have a break from a companion.  Especially after 15 weeks together.  But it was good.  They have a cool investigator who is preparing for baptism this week, so it was neat to get to teach him.  

On Wednesday we came back together, and did some contacting, and it was not so successful.  But it was okay.  In case you may have forgotten sometimes I get a little over stressed and it's not that fun at all.  I don't really know how to describe it, it's just strange.  But I am feeling tons better now, there is a super good Mormon Message called 'Mountains to Climb' that is really good.  When I watched it because I felt like it was EXACTLY what I needed to hear.  I would recommend it.  I just need to remember that life just has its ups and downs.  

Thursday was good.  We  went Home Teaching to a part member family which was really good.  Before we had dinner with the D (they are the family who we were with on Christmas, and I love them so much) which was great.  They have a daughter who is almost 8 and is just hilarious.  It's so nice that here I feel like I can really be myself a lot more.

On Friday we went and had lunch with J which was good.

On Saturday we had Finding Day in Pforzheim, not tons happened. But it was strange because they had quite a bit of stuff about how it was totally destroyed by bombing in the war.  As in 20000 people died.  Of the 60000 who lived there.  Look it up on Wikipedia.  Haha! That was about it.  We also had to do an exchange with the Zone Leaders in Stuttgart because we are really close and one of them has very minor pneumonia, and they had an appointment, so Elder H went to teach and I got to stay and play board games with the other Zone Leader.  Woohoo!!  

On Sunday we had Stake Conference and an Area 70 from Holland came.  It was crazy because he had almost a Texan accent, but it's because Dutch people have way good English and speak with an American accent almost.  Even when they speak German.  It was really good though.  Afterwards we had an eating appointment which was fun and then did some contacting.  

In general it was good.  Nothing too special, but this week will be good because we have Zone Conference.  I am really excited.  Say Happy Birthday to the boys for me! And take some pictures.  I am pretty sure I won't even recognize them any more when I come back.  that will be weird.  But I don't need to worry about it.  it will come whether I worry or not.  I love you guys a lot!  Thanks for the package Mom and Dad.  It's great.  Elder H loves Scripture Scouts. .    

  

--
Sincerely,

Elder Thompson