Die Worte des Todes... ohne Fleisch, nur Gemüse...Week 7 in Ellwangen

     Mom. The Words of Death to a boy who eats meat. 'Without meat, only vegetables'. We had another eating appointment with the 'Salad Lady' again. It started out way promising! Probably some of the best soup I've ever had! After that she brought out a huge pan of fried potatoes and they looked amazing. Then a huge bowl of salad.. OK .. then the main dish. I almost died. I was almost begging for salad. It was like a mix of like thousands of different vegetables in a huge pan with melted cottage cheese in it and on top. I can honestly say I have never prayed harder. Legit... I'd musk the taste by eating salad with it at the same time. I was sweating and dying inside. I drank like a liter of soda too. BUT! Thus we see how the Lord blesses those who trust in Him and so i was able to live. 

     Now don't get me wrong. I love this lady! Shes so kind and generous! But... she isn't my favorite cooker! hahaha but we eat there like every week. But I count my blessings and realize that we still get food to eat and for that I'm grateful! 

     But this week was the week of food. Any who knows my eating habits would be proud. I will include them in the stories! 

So this week we started out on Tuesday and we spent the whole day in Ulm. We had a district meeting there and then after we stayed at the Ulm apartment and helped build Ikea stuff cuz they're getting another set of Elders there. So that was that day. SERVICE!!!

     Wednesday was spent on a train. We went North to a city; went by on 2 potentials and a less active. Then to a members house for dinner and to share our new DVD we got about members and missionaries working together. So for supper we had broccoli soup and then spaghetti! But wait... Mushroom sauce and mushrooms! hahaha so I pounded those down! Again though, so grateful for the food and it was a great meeting! Missed the train by 3 minutes so waited in the dark for an hour and got home at like 10:15 haha.  Whoops! 

Thursday.. probably one of the funnest days here. So we started out regular with studies and stuff. Then we had to go by to a member who just moved here. We were like the welcoming committee. So we only knew a general area of where he lived. We took a bus to Ellenberg then went into the Rathaus (town hall) and asked for directions. They informed us where it was and they said its way hard to find and get to. hahaha Legit.. this man lives in the middle of nowhere. They thought we had a car... they were wrong. So our appointment started in like 15 minutes. Well needless to say we were a 15 minute car ride away so that wasn't gonna happen. And he has no phone yet. So yah....Awkward.... 

     Well we started walking down the road and got to the first turnoff. Off the main sidewalk and this next road had no shoulder so we were in the middle of the road. Walked for a bit... then took another side road on the little map we had. So we had been going for half hour at this point. Then came the point where we guessed. Do we take the shortcut we found... or go the long way. Needless to say... YOLO RIGHT? Shortcut it was. This shortcut sent me back to my times in Belly River when we illegally climbed the cutline. Because here, we were walking through the forest down a cutline hahahaha. It was way epic!!! We got to a point where there was a 3 way fork. it was like a quad trail haha and so we prayed in the middle of this abandoned road on which route to take. Kinda had the thought to go left, so we did. Wandered throughout the wilderness for another 15 minutes then magically popped out at this guys house. The one house in the middle of the forest. It was nuts! Then we had our meeting and went to catch the next bus. 

    Waited for half hour... then the bus came. But it drove past us and didn't stop. IDK WHY!!!!! so we walked back... and this was the day we had the salad lady so I had a stomach issue with her food and I had to use the mens room so bad. But we were in the middle of this forest... and i had no TP ;) haha. We finally got back to Ellenberg. Got the bus back and missed our lesson that night because we were stuck in the wilderness. But it was OK cuz he was gonna miss it anyhow. But. IT WAS AN EPIC DAY!!!

     So another epic story. We spend a day contacting potentials. There is this guy who we call 'The King of the Ostalb Creis' I may have mentioned him before. Well all he does is laugh and yell when he sees us. Always drunk but always funny! Well we found out where he lived. So we went by to contact him! Nuts. And he was home! and we are now friends! hahaha he wasn't drunk... but it was sick! We got his name and we are allowed to imformally speak to him now. In German there are 2 ways to speak... 'Sie Sprach' and 'Du Sprach'. Sie is for people older than you and people in authority. You need their permission before you can 'Du' sprache them. But you use 'Du' for younger kids and people your age. So that was way sick!!! hahaha.  We walked so much this week! So much walking! So many slammed doors! But it was so much fun!

     One last story. We were contacting in this place. Tür zu Tür (door to door). One house this lady was so nice! But kindly declined. I asked if she knew anyone with interest and she said no but we gave her a card and said when you find someone could you give this to them please! She said sure. So the next house, the lady was about ready to like call the cops. So we left lol. Got on the street and then this first lady came out and called us over. She said a name came to her mind and we got a referral! It was so cool! Totally nice of her to come out and tell us that! So we went by but no one was home. Way cool story though! That's what makes it worth it! Those people who treat you kindly! That's why we always try to treat others kindly. Then they'll wanna help us! And come unto Christ! Ah Missionary work is the best!

     Oh and on Sunday we had like an after church ward dinner. I ate.... Chili, Egg like salad... salad... spaghetti.... and some other stuff that I have no idea what it is. BUT... I ate it. I'm being transformed. Food. WOW!

Love you all back home! Thanks for all you do!

Love, Elder Rodgers

District Pic. They’re all gone now lol. New district now!

Elder Carlson and Me walking to the member in the woods

YOLO right!

Elder Carlson walking down the cutline lol

We made it!!! The middle of nowhere!

The lovely colours on the walk home

Leather Jacket from the salad lady and my green wig. Jealous?