Wir bleiben zusammen! .....Week 12 in Ellwangen

     So the biggest news from this week could be that the 4 Elders here in Ellwangen are staying together. Together forever it seems! I'm sure we can pull it off ...haha. We already had a sick week this week, so whats 7 more? The weather here is just above 0, it snowed once this week! Only a little but still snow! yessss!

     OK so there's this weird thing here called fasching (a carnival). It goes from November to February. The Germans do some way funny things during this time. One of which happens in February and the girls go around with scissors and cut off peoples ties and kiss them. So guys all wear ties and its like a girl competition. So needless to say when this day comes we are required to wear scarves... lol

     This week was really cool! We taught some awesome lessons! I had an epic experience! So after P-Day was finished we went to teach a lesson to a 19 year old dude. We have tried to go by on him so much but he was just never home. So we set up an appointment through his dad lol. So we went by.... and he had just left lol, so we were still invited in and talked to the parents for a while... then we started to teach the 1st lesson because the son never came home and they said we could  give them a message lol. So my German was the best its ever been this night and I did a real good job with Elder Carlson in teaching. Then near the end I bore testimony and after the father asked me what the difference was between believing and knowing because in my testimony I said.. I know... many times. So I able to give him an awesome answer in German. It was completely through the spirit because there is no way I could have done that alone, even in English. The way that I said it in German was just so clear and to the point.It satisfied his question and it really made the end awesome. So I was like...whaatttt! It was way awesome! I was like a real missionary for that lesson..haha!

     We had another lesson later in the week with a family. The father is a less active and the mom and 5 kids aren't members. they have an amazing family! I love them a ton! Such great people! So we had a great lesson with them and food as well. Again, our teaching was really good I think, I could totally feel the spirit working through me this week! Awesome eh!

     Then Sunday just topped it off because of the primary presentation. Our primary here has a whole 8 kids in it! haha and they did an awesome job! They absolutely did amazing! I loved whenever they sang in German! because its such simple words and so much easier for me to understand. I really love talking to the kids. They understand that I don't know words and they are so loving and help me so much! So sick! They sang'A Child's Prayer' and it was like my most favourite ever! It was sooooo sick!  The only sad thing was that no one came! None of our investigators came to church. Hopefully next week! 

     The rest of the time this week was filled with finding. Not much success there, its getting colder and people aren't into talking as much. But we keep trying! hahaha. I love Germany so much! 

Thanks all :)

<3 Elder Rodgers

The snow!

Just inside the church

In the chapel

Way sick hat that a girl in our ward made! She made some for all of the elders!

Christmas corner

Our apartment. We live in the top

Our apartment

Weihnachten ist um die Ecke.....Week 11 in Ellwangen

     Christmas here seems to start really early. People like Christmas! Which is awesome cuz so do I! well I think this letter may be a tad short. But just a little bit of other news to catch up on!

     

     So we did eat at the salad lady's house last week. I'm getting to the point where I can eat salad without having to pray for strength first.. lol I can definitely manage now! Even cooler... she is making us 4 elders knitted scarves! She had one and we talked about it and she offered to make em! We have 2/4 already and they're awesome! Then another person in our branch is making us knitted toques! How sick is that I love our branch! The members here are awesome!!!!!!!!

     Well the biggest fall out for us this week was that no one came on Sunday... bummer. But hey! Next Sunday is still available! We are always here haha. I gave a talk in church, it was like way cool! I wrote it first in English then translated it to German while I was on tausch (exchange) with Elder Hill (who is from Germany) so we made it into perfect German! It was way sick! 

     Well we did a lot of dooring and streeting again this week. It finally got cold enough to wear a scarf and gloves! I love how sick I look! lol I look like a way epic Canadian! lol and people talk to us more... ok not really. But we sure try! Lots of people to talk to, only 4 of us here haha. That's why the members are such a huge help for us!

     Well we had 2 appointments fall out this week but we were able to get an investigator back because he is finally home from his 5 week holiday lol. So we have an appointment this week. This week will go really fast, lots to do, lots of trains too. Just a slow week overall, but it still went by so fast! 

     Sorry for the shortness of this! But we really were relatively uneventful this week! Love you all,!

Whoever reads this! know that missionary work is the best! Get into it, its awesome :)

Love <3 Elder Rodgers

Me getting my cook on...

me and the Carlson

pic of Carlson eating. I was bored.... lol

We bought food for the week. Filled the fridge. €70 for all 4 of us. We bought a lot lol

Dir gehört mein Herz ...... Week 10 in Ellwangen

     Translated it means 'My heart belongs to you'. How beautiful is that!!!! Best part about it is that its from Tarzan! haha so Phil Collins is the guy who sings it. He knows English and German so we have the Tarzan music in both languages. So in the song that's one of the lines. I really like that! Its way cool hey! I love German! 

     Well... I have to say that this week was indeed one of the quickest yet. Likely because we were on trains for the whole thing! We have a way cool story tho! Monday Elder Carlson wanted to buy a Nerf Gun with his Christmas money. Elder Oviatt couldn't go without one too so they both bought one. This was in Aalen. After we got to Ellwangen Elder Garrett and I decided we couldn't be left out so we both got one. So now our whole apartment has Nerf guns and they are so fun!!!! Whenever we are eating or whatever we just have like wars. Way cool! All because Elder Carlson bought one... hahahaha!

     So! Tuesday was Zone Conference in Stuttgart! We stayed Monday night in Waiblingen. The mission President and his wife were there and so were the AP's. We had a 6 hour conference and learned and did so much! It was way awesome! So we were there the whole day and we stayed the night again in Waiblingen cuz we wouldn't be able to be back on time if we went back to Ellwangen. So the next morning was interviews with President! So we went back to Stuttgart and then had those as well as a district meeting! So we ate lunch and hung out for a bit till the train came. Then got back to Ellwangen at 5:00pm and went to a members for supper! 

     This member appointment was so sick! We had amazing food as usual, then had a great thought after. So we had already introduced a bit about missionary work as a family through the video we have and so this time we helped them find a way to create a family mission plan and we will go back again to follow up and see how we can help them do missionary work! But they were already on the ball and really had been doing a ton and they came up with so many people for their plan and they all have ways they can share the gospel!

     This family is so good at missionary work! Now our job is to make sure they have the appropriate tools to be  able to accomplish what they need and when the family feels comfortable giving us their names of friends we will start teaching. But the best thing is that we aren't just there for referrals, we are there to support the family in all they do and its up to them when they ask for our help in teaching. This way we build that bond with the family and have them be more involved in missionary work! I love it so much! 

So Thursday we went north to visit less actives and that didn't really get anywhere. No potentials either. So a real long day of finding! haha and lots of trains and busses!

     Friday was beautiful as usual. Weekly Planning and then we went by on potentials. Nothing came but we also stopped by on a family and gave them a card saying thanks for all they have done for us! We love that family! 

     OK Saturday was our area book day. We finally got a separate book for me and Carlson so we all came together to sort it out and help each other go through them to sort them and call people who were former investigators. This was a mission wide thing so all missionaries did it. We were in Waiblimngen for it because that's where our district leaders live. So that day was spent on that, and a bit of finding that got no where lol. Still trying!

     Sunday was straight up a miracle. We had finished sacrament meeting and had almost finished Sunday school when 2 people randomly showed up. Elder Carlson was prepping a lesson for the YM and so he was in the foyer at this time. So he talked to them with another guy from the ward. Soooo.... Me and Elder Garrett taught them and they are now 2 new investigators! So elder Carlson and Oviatt taught YM's and we taught the investigator class. Hahaha it was awesome! They just simply were curious! Oh and they are in the area of Elder Carlson and me! They are coming next week again and its like so awesome!  So really a wonderful day! I hope they continue to want to know more!!!

     Then we went to a families for dinner after church and that was hilarious. so many funny things said and then just building such a good relationship with the ward. Back home for studies and that's our week!

     So this next week we have hopefully a ton of stuff and its really looking up. If our plans go as follows we could have more than 10 people in church next week! That's like a 20-25% increase in church attendance hahahaha. Way cool! This week will be a week I wont forget! I hope! 

Thanks to all who support me! Love You! Germany is awesome :)

Love

Elder Rodgers!

Whats life without a few selfies? This is elder Hill's shirt in Waiblingen lol

New Clothesline sent from Mom

Ohh I forgot! We found a deep fryer! So we deep fry everything now!

Way sick with our guns!

Kontakt!......Week 9 in Ellwangen

     This week was a ton of contacting! I had no idea what to call this email haha so that's what you get! Well to start out, I'm gonna relay the bad news. Our investigator has dropped us. We had a lesson scheduled and the morning of we got a call and out appointment fell out. That makes 8 with this guy! Its too bad! Really. But he is still gonna make it! Someday. He has been really sick recently and so his doctor said to avoid being sad and to always be happy. So he told us when he meets with missionaries he feels the Spirit so strong! But when we leave, the Spirit does too and then he gets sad. So he cant meet with us until he gets better and he said he would call us in 2014. But we still text him 3 times a week and give him spiritual thoughts and scriptures to read. The things we wanted to tell him though is that one of the greatest blessings of baptism is that we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and we can have that good feeling with us all the time! So yeah its too bad. But he wants to do all he can, he just needs a little more time! So in time! 

     Well this week went by probably faster than any other. Tuesday we had district meeting in Ellwangen and after it Elder Pugmire and I were on a tausch (exchange). So we stayed in Ellwangen for the day and then switched back on Wednesday. We went out contacting, door to door and streeting for about 3 hours. We were able to get 3 potentials! It was was good!!!! That's like a ton for this area in 1 day lol. So we were really happy! Came back home and played around with the camera during supper and got some sick pics! hahaha

     So then on Wednesday we switched back. Me and Elder Carlson went.... contacting! hahaha for like 4 hours! Many many doors and apartments knocked on. In ending, we got 4 potentials! Like omigoodness! Way sick!!!!!! So as we were out along this one street a lady came up on a bike and talked to us. It was a lady in our area whose husband is a less active member and she and her 5 kids aren't members. We've had 1 meeting with them already and so she knows us. She invited us over for cake! So we finished the street contacting and went on over. It was so nice! Like way sick! ahh I was so happy hahaha. We got another appt set up and we got the OK to teach the 1st lesson. So I'm very excited about that! They are an awesome family! :) That made our night awesome! 

     So Thursday was when our appointment with our investigator got cancelled so we just went further out from Ellwangen... to contact! hahaha No way! Didn't find much success but... the area we were in hasn't been contacted before. No one had even heard of our church! So we are surely going back! I know that area will be way great! So much potential!

    Friday and Saturday we had planning and other stuff, just some street contacting around the house, nothing from there. Slow 2 days but we got a lot done. Then came Sunday! Such a great day!!

     So we started out in church, good old awesome church. Fast Sunday, so it was testimony meeting and I was able to muster myself up and bear my testimony. I felt it went well! I am so grateful for the gift of tongues! I said this scripture... Luke18:27... so it says that whats impossible with men is possible with God. Very true! Very true! So I loved that opportunity. Then I taught Young Men's again! hahaha I like teaching :)

     We went to a members house for dinner and shared our video. The families here are awesome! They are so nice to us! I really am blessed to have such an awesome area! Then the best part of our week came. We got home at 6:30 then went out to Neunheim. Walked out there, 30 minutes, then went by on a house that we had been by like 4 times and she kept saying come back. So finally, we got let in! So it is a wife and husband whose 3 kids are older and moved out. We had an awesome lesson and talked a lot about the church and how we are different. We gave them a book of Mormon and the man was interested and said he would definitely read it. They are interested especially in missionaries. Why we give 2 years up to learn a new language and to serve for the church. So I invited them to church in 2 weeks because I'm talking on that day! So maybe they'll come to hear me! We'll go by in 12 days and check up on them and invite them again. Hopefully all goes well! They are an awesome couple! 

     So this area is amazing. I love being out on a mission! Thanks to all those who email me and support me! I love everyone! 

Thanks, 

Elder Rodgers

Elder Oviatts shirst and Garretts glasses: I LOOK SO GOOD! HAHAHA

Elder Garretts glasses and Elder pugmire's coat hahahaha

It was dark walking to Neunheim! Hahaha

dooring!