T Minus 15 Days!

Holy Dyna! It is almost Christmas! Can you believe that? Are things there are all crazy? Things here are pretty busy although people generally aren't as excited about Santa Claus (they don't really have him here too much), and things are a little more relaxed than I remember them being at home.  So this past week was really good.  For P-Day, we went to the Christmas Markets with a member in the ward, J.  He's pretty much our best friend.  It was good. 

 On Tuesday, we had District Meeting which is always a lot of fun.  I just love being with other missionaries.  It's like having friends again! Woohoo!!  Haha! Afterwards we had an appointment with the G'.  He is an American, and she is German.  We are teaching them the lessons.  They have four children in total, but the youngest two are pretty crazy, but funny.  It has snowed here lately.  Not lots of snow, it's mostly just wet, which is not fun.  Also not fun is how German people remove snow.  I have seen 1 shovel.  Instead they just throw rock salt EVERYWHERE, which then ruins your shoes and bottom of your pants too.  It's tough eh? Haha!  I feel so stupid complaining about that.  And I am not really complaining.  It just means that I will need to buy pants sooner.  But I will wait until after Christmas to do that.  Germans (and especially Members) really like to feed you well.  I have already eaten so many 'Plätzchen' which are just home made little Christmas cookies.  They are so delicious!  Every one.  So we get to eat a lot of them.  Any weight I have lost will be found again...  But it's totally worth it.
We also had Ward Council on Wednesday, which was the best Ward Council I had ever been to on my mission.  

 On Thursday, the 6th it was Nicholaus which was way cool.  I don't know how much you know about that, but it is German tradition for Nicholaus to come on the 6th.  He brings the kids a present or two, and then when we have Christmas, either the Christkind (Baby Jesus) or the Weihnachtsmann (Christmas Man) brings presents.  We were with a couple from the ward, and they had Nickolaus bring us some stuff which was way cool.  It felt weird because they were a young couple who were closer to our age. (I think they were 23 and 27).  But it was fun.  It was also freezing cold most of this past week.  (In reality I think that it was only like -2 or something).  We were dying though.  I don't know how missionaries at home do it.  I guess they have cars and what not, but it's even colder.  We were probably out dooring or contacting for about 35 hours this week, so that could be why it seemed so cold.  But it was really nippy.  I look forward to having a car next winter. 
Not really anything special happened on Friday or Saturday.  Just tried to talk to people in the cold.  And people generally weren't too thrilled to talk to us.  And the few that did said they were too busy until after New Year's, so that is tough.  But it will be better soon.  It will all be done so fast, it's crazy!
On Sunday it was a really great day.  We had a baptism in the ward (a boy who turned 8) so the ward was really excited about that.  And there was a potluck afterwards (woohoo!), it was really fun and good.  I still don't know as many people here as I would like to, (It's a big adjustment coming from a little dinky branch), but I am getting a little better.  I also had two members comment on my German being superb.  Which was nice to hear.

 We also went to Stuttgart to the Stake House to watch the broadcast of the Christmas Devotional, which was a lot of fun.  It was really great.
Things here are good.  We are getting more invitations from the ward and everything, so that is really good to see.  I love you guys a lot! Stay warm! Don't forget to write!

--
Sincerely,

Elder Thompson

Babies!!!

Woohoo!! The babies are here! That is so awesome! What's even more awesome is that when I get back they will be older and more fun.  Not that you aren't having fun with them now, and not that they aren't cute now, but they will just be that much better when I am home.  I am so glad to hear that everything went well and everyone is doing well.  That is crazy that they let you home the next day.  I remember mom saying something about being in the hospital for a week with me and loving it.  Haha!  But in any case, I hope that you are happy and that the girls are letting you sleep a little bit.  

Things this week were really good.  We were unable to go on Segways last week, mostly because it was so stinkin' cold!  It is crazy! And it hasn't even been that cold here compared to what it is at home.  I think if I was there though, I would die.  It is a little funny though how people react when I tell them I am from Canada and then I tell them that I am looking forward to spending another warm Christmas here in Germany.  They often don't believe that.  If they only knew... Haha!

We ended up doing a little bit of shopping, which would explain the email I sent you from a little stand on the road saying that I spent 29€.  And that is just the beginning! Christmas Markets are in full swing, and I want to send home some sweet packages.  Which on a missionary's budget is a little tough.  But on a missionary budget with mom's credit card, I think I can manage it.  

On Tuesday, we had our district meeting, which was really good.  We have a Sister here who is doing a mini-mission (She is as a missionary for 2 weeks, and is from Munich), and so it was good.  Our District is really great, and afterwards we had the opportunity to have a finding day in Pforzheim (Sister's Area).  We also did an exchange then so I worked with Elder M, it was a lot of fun.  We spent the evening in Heilbronn where he works contacting people and then we traded back to our normal companions Wednesday morning.

On Wednesday, it was cold and wet, and rainy.  I bought an umbrella, which I then proceeded to break (accidentally, I ran into a roof.  (I think I have bought about 10 umbrellas and broken 10 of them.  (No worries though they are only like 2€.  Oops...)

I think one of the toughest things about a mission is that we want everything to happen in 6 weeks, whereas the rest of the world does not seem to think in transfers.  (Other than mothers of missionaries).  We spent the rest of the evening trying to get in contact with some less actives, but ended up cold and hungry and tired.  Which has happened a lot since I have been here.  I didn't realize how nice it was to be in a car area, but walking everywhere and then having to wait for trains and buses is not that fun.  It does mean that I will hopefully get to work off some of the German goodies that I will be eating.  We have quite a few more eating appointments here than I have in other areas so that is nice.  And we are going to get a Meal Calender next week!  Woohoo!!!  (Doesn't that seem strange to be excited about? Missionaries at home are so spoiled...)

On Thursday, we went and had lunch with a member here named J.  I don't know what to tell you about J other than that he is awesome.  He knows everything about the ward ins and outs (which is important to know, to a certain degree).    We were going to do Segways with him, and today we are going to go to the Christmas Market together.  It will be a lot of fun.  After that I got registered here in Bietigheim (which is the only 100% debt free city in Germany, 

Things here are going really good.  The members are warming up to the missionaries here, and we have gotten quite a few people who they have told us to go by on, which Elder H said didn't happen at all last transfer.  I think the Bishop is really making part member families an emphasis, and we are for sure as well.  It is going to be really good. I love you guys a lot! Have a great week, take pictures! Say hi to Spencer for me.  It seems so strange that he is home.  I remember him leaving like it was just a couple of months ago, and I feel like I barely left after him.  Yikes!!  Time is going so fast!  I love you guys so much! Stay safe and warm! Drink some Egg Nog for me.  They don't have that here, and I am afraid to try too many of the local drinks.  Germans and their beer... sigh...

--
Sincerely,

Elder Thompson

Baby Time

Hey everyone!  How are you all doing?  It sounds like you are all going to have a very busy day today.  I am too.  We are going to ride some Segways and go look at castles, the usual things one would do in Germany.  Hopefully we can do a little better than all you old people did on your cruise :).  Haha!  Your day may be a little better than mine, maybe a little more intense, but good.  Know that I am for sure praying for you all, and especially the twins.  Since I don't get to find out their names until next week probably, I will just pray for Heidi and Gretl.  .  I have never ridden a Segway or had twins in the family so both will actually be once in a life time experiences for me.  I am pumped for both.  Haha!  Really excited.
Anyways, things this week were pretty crazy with transfers and what not.  But still a really good week.  On Monday, we didn't really do tons since I was packing.  On Tuesday, we had District Meeting in Singen, and it was a really good experience.  I am really going to miss the Elders there, and actually may not see them for quite a while, but I suppose nowadays with the internet and everything it's not too crazy because we can just all be Facebook Friends.  We also had an appointment with the K family in Bad Säckingen.  They are way cool.  They have two little kids, and it was weird to notice the difference they had made since I got to Bad Säckingen.  Especially their daughter.  She was still in the womb when I got there!  She changed quite a bit in the past 6 months.  Hah!
On Wednesday we got everything ready,  We went by on a couple people to say good bye, and then went to the Titz for supper, and they made... SCHNITZEL!  Woohoo!  Have I told you all about how much I love Schnitzel before? It is so good.  I really need to find me a lady who can cook German food.  It was sad leaving the Titz since they have done so much for the missionaries there, and especially for me (especially because in the past couple of weeks we had been working quite a bit on a Ward Mission Plan), but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was silly to be sad since I will for sure be seeing them again when we come to Europe.  Plus they want to come to Canada so maybe they can come visit us! 
On Thursday was the big transfer.  It was pretty ridiculous I am not going to lie.  I think to understand the craziness of this all you would need to look at a map.  So, ideally I could have just taken a train from Bad Säckingen to Singen, then get on a train that would take me to Stuttgart, and then take a train from Stuttgart to Ludwigsburg (they are so close, that it is actually on the tram line, not even a train so-to-speak).  What the plan was however, was we take a train to Basel (in Switzerland), then from there take a train to Zurich.  Then a train to Munich.  Then a train to Stuttgart, and then to Ludwigsburg (Actually, Bietigheim where we live, but that's beside the point).  Look at the map and see if that makes sense to you.  It was crazy.  Instead we phoned and got permission to drive to Zurich instead, and then still had to go from Zurich to Munich to Stuttgart, but it was a little nicer.  The worst part was actually for Elder Hansen who had to wait in the Zurich Bahnhof for 13 hours for his companion to come there from Munich.  Ouch...
Needless to say, after a day like that I was super tired. 
On Friday, we went out and went to work.  Elder H, my new companion, is great.  He is one of the most happy people who I have ever met.  We have a couple people who sound really good, but I haven't been able to meet them yet.  But we actually have a couple appointments lined up for this next week, and we also talked with the bishop to find out part member families who we could be working with so that will help too. 
As for Saturday, not a whole lot happened that is of note.
On Sunday, we also had out Primary Presentation.  It was so awesome.  They are so much funnier to me in German.  Weirder is the Primary Songs.  Especially because now I feel like I have just gotten used to hearing everything in a different language, so when I go home and hear things in English again that will be weird.  The ward here is pretty big.  I think there were about 110 or 120 people in church on Sunday.  Which was INSANE!  Especially because there were 45 Primary kids, so almost half the ward.  There are just tons of young families here, so it is really neat.  I am excited to work with them all. We also have an actual church building, which I haven't had since I was in Landshut (in Ingolstadt and Bad Säckingen we were in rented spaces), so that is cool too.  And we have Sacrament Meeting in the first hour and not in the last one too!  (Shouldn't be that big of a deal.  But it is)
On Sunday because of all the craziness though, we weren't invited to eat, which I was a little bummed about because things were so crazy and I didn't really get the chance to meet too many people, and then I just felt so strange being in such a strange, big ward, where I didn't know anyone, which is different from Bad Säckingen where I knew everyone.  So while we were making the walk back to the train station I was praying that someone would drive by and honk and then pick us up, but it didn't happen.  So we got to the train station, and then sat down, rather depressed.  I know that sounds weird to be upset about something so simple.  And I don't know why it was so upsetting to me, but for whatever reason it was.  I think being on a mission here is a little different because we are so much more part of the ward, and we really get to know the members a lot better and work with them a lot more.  Luckily, the Bishop phoned and asked if we were busy, we told him we weren't and then he offered to pick us up and take us to his house to eat with his family.  Which we gladly accepted.  He has such a great family. His kids are 11, 10 and 2.  And super funny.  Their youngest son who is 2 is just in the phase where he is always talking.  And it was so funny, and reminded me a lot of how Dex probably is now (Luca Jay (the little boy) turns 3 in April).  It was so great.  He also said that he would work on making sure we were invited over a lot more and especially make sure that we are well taken care of around Christmas and for the other holidays.  Which was very nice to hear.  That is my week in a nutshell.  Not really anything crazy or spectacular, but I have learned that those are not the things that make up missions, or even life in general.  It really is the small and simple things that make the biggest difference, just like it says in Alma 37.  I love you guys a lot!  I will make sure to pray at 4:30 right when the Kari is induced, and will also pray that you can get some sleep with them as well.  I have a feeling they might not sleep the best at first.  Sorry!  I love you guys tons!

My new address is:
Elder Connor Thompson
Kirche Jesu Christi, HLT
125/1 Stuttgarterstrasse
74321, Bietigheim-Bissingen
Deutschland

 Bring on the letters!  We live in a sort of sketchy place.  Not enough to be really worried.  But maybe a prayer or two wouldn't hurt.  Hah!!
--
Sincerely,

Elder Thompson