Well another week past in the MTC. It was a harder one for some reason, but it's in the books. I cant believe tommorrow we'lll have been here for one month, crazy, then again not crazy. It's like a mission is a new life, and if you dont reflect on your life before it seems like you've been doing this forever, on the other hand, it has only been 4 weeks. I think i know also why the weeks fly by so quickly here too... every day is like groundhogs day... it's like when you get up it's like, "i wonder what im going to do today?" hmm, ya probably study the gospel all day and work your tail off. :) Which is fabulous dont get me wrong, it's just funny how all the days run together sometimes.
Well anyways, we will not dive deeper into my mind than that last confusing paragraph did hopefully the rest of this email...
So i shall now convey what i'm dealing with here at the moment that has been a bit of a struggle the past few days. Trying to live the German Culture and speak the language. (oh and on a side not... if you're a prospective missionary... DONT ONLY SPEAK YOU MISSION LANGUAGE WHEN SPEAKING WITH OTHER MISSIONARIES) A word of caution. Because honestly, i might punch the next person who tries to speak spanish with me in the face. Wow, that was harsh. But rreally tho, my goodness, we understand you can speak spanish! Woo hoo. But i cant and i dont like it. There's my vent for the week:) Oh and allso portuguese too, because they're all waiting for visas so they're still here. But anyway, back to my original thought. It's weird trying to abide by a foreign culture. Probably the hardest on for me has been always keeping my hands in sight. Supposidly you never should have you hands in your pockets or under the table while eating in Germany, they should always have your hands in their view, otherwise you appear shifty. Also, you never shake hands when you first meet or ask how it's going. It's very impolite and rude. You really have to be friends before you ever do that. The idiums are crazy too, i'll share my favorite real quick. English: Pushing up daisys German: Looking at the raddishes below. Hahaha so awesome. One more Enlglish: Beat around the bush German:Frolick in the flowers. So those have been fun. Oh and here's a couple words to show you how hard ausprache, or pronounciation is. I will do so with this german keyboard i am using which is also weird. ( the z and the u are switched) Two really hard words are Eichhörchen and Streicholteszschächtelchen. The first means squirrel and the other means matchbox. The first is pronounced liek eyen-shkeur-shen... haha i dont even know and the second is strike-hole-shay-shueel-hyen. They are quite difficult among other ones. It's fun tho, i'm really trying to form a legit accent. Oh another cool thing is Germans in the north where i will be say ja when they agree, but they do it while you're speaking and as they take a breath, it's really fun and addicting to do, it's very subtle, try it sometime.
Well on the other side of the spectrum gospel study has been awesome too. Oh and we also committed on of our T.E investigators to be bapstised on November 15th, it's fake, but still cool. I've been studying Alma and Amulek and the Sons of Mosiah a lot lately. They are so cool. It's amazing how much more you get out of scripture when you're really emerssed in it. Ammon might just be my favorite BOM character. Haha who cuts off arms and then faints when they get happy, (i;m not implying the first time he faints but the second time when bumps in to alma) I love how it specifically points out that no one else faints in the next verse haha. I like to picture him going for a handshake with king Lamoni's father after they come back to teach him... awkward. But seriously tho, i've learned so much from those men. I love in alma 26 when Ammon reports his mission, he finds so much joy in it, and he loves the people so much. I hope my report will be the exact same. I love verses 26:11-14 also, that's how i feel. Things are so humbling out here, but it's good, because this work is so much above us, the sooner we realize we cant do it on our own the better. I loved a qoute the other night Bishop Eckersely, i think, said in a devotional by James E. Faust about missionary work, "Faith is the power, Obedience is the price, Love is the Motive, and Christ is the reason" Love it. Love is what keeps us going, and i want to form that with the German people so so bad. When Jesus died on the cross, and had all the reason in the world to rest, what did he do? He went and preached in the Spirit world. Our leaders in the church do the same, they never rest, and it all comes from love. I hope that i can get to that point where it drives me, lifts me, and sustains me like that.
Well other than that, not much is knew. This new diet im trying stinks, booo for salad and water, but i feel better than ever. P90x with Elder Anderson also stinks, haha my abs are so sore, i look like a senior missionary from behind, all bent over and what not, but it's great. No news on Elder VM yet, we'll know for sure next Tuesday. Love you all, vielen dank und Alles Gute! :)
p.s. write. :)
p.p.s Hoorah for Israel!
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