The Black Hole

Hello!

Those kids really did a good job at destroying that bear! That was a pretty impressive photo! It sounds like you all had a pretty awesome week. Marions sounded amazing! I could really do with a nice hamburger and a shake! But i guess swiss food will have to do for now.

We had a lot of fun in the last week! We spent some time helping some of our members move apartments, and luckily both their new and old apartment were on the first floor! They had so much stuff, I was amazed! But we had fun because alot of the other guys from our ward came and helped as well and they are all really funny.

I had an exchange this week with the zone leaders in Winterthur which was pretty cool except that it is a two man apartment in winterthur so it was a little quiet. But this guy took me and elder Torapeinen (the zone leader) to this really nice italian restaraunt and I ate tons of gnochi and it was awesome! I started to hurt because I ate so much but I just had to eat the cake too.

On saturday and sunday we had stake conference which pretty much took away all of our time on saturday ond most of our day on sunday. But the conference was really good! The best part about it was that I got to see the elders that work in germany and austria! We call switzerland the black hole because all of the european elders get sent there and than almost never come out. So Elder Brose, I, and two other people, are the only americans that get to work in switzerland. We sometimes make jokes that president gave us space suits and tied a rope to our ankles so that we could go into the black hole and someday be pulled out again. But ya it was good to see all of our friends that we haven't seen for a while.

I tried to send some photos a few weeks ago but i didn't really get to it before my time was up but I will try again today.

With regards to the question about the language differences; The differences are huge. In germany, they speak really good german compared to what I had in Austria, but it still isn't amazingly beautiful german. But in switzerlan, they pretty much don't even speak german anymore. So many of the sounds are changed and they make alot of harsh, back of the throat, sounds. They also have a smaller vocabulary in switzerland. Also, in german, there are three different types of past tense, but in switzerland they only use one. So it takes a bit of time before you understand. But they have to speak normal german when they give talks or classes so it is ok at church.

Well thanks for writing! I hope you all have a great week! Love you all!

Elder Eldredge

It's not an angel - it's just a Turkish Guy

Parker's New District (Photo courtesy of Sister Miles)  His companion, Elder Brose, is on the left.

Hi!

Those halloween costumes look pretty cool! Sadly nobody over here really does anything for halloween. There were some parties that we saw signs for, and a few kids had some costumes on. They thought that we were trying to be hogwarts characters. But other than that we kinda forgot that it was even halloween.

Life here in Konstanz is pretty great! To answer the questions, there are four missionaries in our apartment, and we live in germany. The other two elders walk to switzerland each day and we work in germany. We are allowed to go into switzerland anytime though. And because it is a swiss zone, and elder Brose is the district leader, we do a lot of exchanges in switzerland. I worked in St. Gallen on wednesday and thursday actually. It was pretty fun and I learned some more swiss german (Swiss german is just simplified, less pretty sounding german).

We had interviews on tuesday with president Miles in Winterthur. Interviews are always combined with district meeting and it took a long time because my district is huge. We have twelve missionaries in out district, making it tied for the biggest district in our mission. We do a lot of exchanges because elder brose is the district leader. I held an exchange in konstanz on my fourth day, and we somehow only got lost about two times. It was pretty amazing.

We have been having a lot of fun over here! It is a lot more fun to be in a four man apartment, and I am glad that I will be here for christmas. It would be a pretty quiet christmas with just two people. Luckily we haven't gotten any snow so far but it will probably come soon. It has been raining a ton lately which isn't the best because we walk everywhere and the rain means that there are less people on the streets. But we are doing really well with finding people who give us numbers or addresses! Our problem is that none of them are really turning out to be very good investigators. One of the problems that a lot of missionaries here have is that there a lot of people who live here but are from other countries, which is only a problem because most of them don't have a job, don't speak german, and can only live here for a certain amount of time. And these are in most cases the people who are most open to being taught. But if they don't speak german and they only speak bad english, then it is hard for the ward to help them very much. But there is a woman who we are teaching who wants to be rebaptized before christmas and her 16 year old daughter has a good amount of interest in the church as well so we are hoping to set a baptismal date for the two of them this week!

The ward here is really cool but some of them have a really hard time remembering my name because it is really hard for them to really say correctly. At church, people are always coming up to get a better look at how it is spelled and the ask me how to say it. I have been finding it harder and harder to say myself because nobody has said it right in a long time. The most common thing that people say is "Elder Elgreg." It really made me laugh at first but now it is just normal.

I don't know if I ever told you all about what a döner is, but it is basically the best food on earth. It is a fresh baked bread taco sort of thing, with a lot of thin meat slices in it, and than you put on onions, lettuce, tomatoes, this awesome yoghurt döner sauce, cabbage, and sometimes some cheese. Everytime I eat one I think it was made by and angel, so I turn around to say thanks and it's just a turkish guy. But it's still that good! They have a really awesome Döner shop here and I only need to buy a few more before I get a free one!

Well anyways, things over here are good as always! I hope everybody has a great week and has a lot of fun! I love you all and I will talk to you next week!

Love,

Elder Eldredge 

"I Used to Have Faith Like You Two."

Howdy!

It sounds like there is a ton of stuff going on at home! I had no idea that they did an evening for parents with missionaries out in the field. That is pretty cool! How many missionaries do we have out in the field from our ward now? I had forgotten that Isaac was already gone!

My week was pretty awesome! This area just gets more fun everyday! I will try and send some photos today if I get the time, and if the computer cooperates. We did a lot of finding this last week and we saw some really cool experiences! I even got to work on an exchange with one of my friends from the MTC who i didn't think that I would ever see in the field because europeans go into switzerland and never come out. But we talked with a billion and one people! I had a really cool experience that was like a miracle to me. We stopped this man and asked him what he believed about Jesus Christ and he said that he used to believe but he now thought that it was all nonsense. He tried to prove us wrong with his logic (he was a very intelligent man), but we simply bore testimony. As I was giving my testimony he began to cry, and once I was finished he said, "I used to have faith like you two." We told him that we could help him get it back, but I think he was a little bit proud and upset that he didn't get the last word so he told us no. But it was a miracle because this man felt the spirit for the first time in a long time, and I know that will be on his mind and help him regain his faith.

We also had an "Area book finding day" where our district all got together and we looked at each others books and helped organize and update. Our goal was to call every single person in our book and set up appointments and renew old potentials. We found several really cool people that sounded like they really want to meet with us. It was the first time that I had one of those finding days and It worked out really well!

Elder Brose and I get along way good and we work hard everyday. It's also fun to have two other elders in the apartment to talk to at night and at meals. They are both crazy but really funny too.

I haven't seen any october fest stuff around here yet. But it is starting to feel a lot like halloween and there are some decorations going up in the shops. But halloween isn't really that big here. I'm sure they'll have parties and stuff but trick or treating doesn't really exist. that's weird here.

But ya, that is a little bit about what is going on over here. Thanks for writing and letting me know how you all are! I love you all and am thankful for all that you do. Talk to you next week!

Elder Eldredge

Hello Germany! (and Switzerland!)

Hello from Konstanz!

Image courtesy of www.langenargen-tourismus.de

This was a pretty crazy last week with transfers and everything. I can't believe that i was still in haag just a few days ago! My last few days there were really amazing! We met with a lot of members and investigators that i had known so that I could say goodbye. It was pretty sad saying goodby to b----- for a while. I spent a few days slowly packing whatever i didn't need just a little at a time. But finally the time came for me to leave.

Transfer day was absolutely insane! I got on a train at 8 that went to Attnang Puchheim, then a train to salzburg where I had to wait for about an hour. I got on a train at 12 to munich which takes an hour and a half. From the time that my train arrived in munich, to when I was supposed to take the next train was 4 minutes and that didn't happen because the first train was late, so I waited in munich for about three hours. That was really fun and I got to see a lot of my friends from the MTC and other places that I hadn't seen in a while. I got on a train at 4:30 to zurich and I was in charge of three goldens with a sister katey lewis, who knows matt gowans. But that train takes about 4 hours, so I got into zurich at about 8.30, dropped off the goldens and took a train back to st. gallen with elder stank, who is in my apartment. We got into konstanz at about 10.30 (don't worry, our leaders knew) and it was about a 20 minute walk to our apartment. Luckily we got permission to wake up at 7.30 the next morning. But that was how my day went.

My new area is way awesome! We walk so much it is amazing! But it is really pretty so I am ok with it. I am still a little lost and I never know where I am but I am starting to get a hang of it. Elder Brose is way cool and we get along way good! We have a four man apartment and the other elders are Elder stank, from germany, and elder pugh, from england. They are in charge of the swiss part of our area, and we are in charge of the german half. Our apartment is way cool too! It has two floors to it with a big spiral stair case in it. We have a lot of fun. Our district is also pretty huge with 12 people in it. One of my european friends from the MTC is in it which is awesome because I didn't think that I would see him until we go home. Our zone is about 40 people. Me and elder brose are the only americans that really see switzerland besides a few people who have a certain amount of european blood, so we are pretty blessed.

Image courtesy of www.germany-christmas-market.org.uk

Our branch has about 70 active members in it which is really big compared to haag. Everbody is really really nice and they treat us very well. Alot of them are very excited for missionary work. I got to give my testimony in sacrament meeting yesterday, as well as elder stank because we are new in the ward.

It seems that everything at home is going really great! Stinks that grandma took a tumble! I hope she is doing better now. All the kids seem to be growing up way fast or I have just been gone longer than I think. That picture of the guys having ultimate practice made me want to be right there! 

Well thanks for writing and sending the photos! It's nice to feel somewhat up to date so thanks for those. I think and pray about you all every day. I hope that you have a good week! I will talk to you all soon!

Love,

Elder Eldredge 

So Long, Farewell, auf Wiedersehen to Austria!

Where he is going!

Well, it is time to say goodbye to austria :'( But I get to say hello to Germany and Switzerland! Ah yeeeaaahhhhh! I am a lucky guy. I will be one of very few americans who ever see swiss alps! I am going to a place called konstanz. It is in germany right on the edge of Bodensee, and it is a part of the St. Gallen stake which means that P-days, district meetings, zone training/conference, and interviews will all be in Switzerland! The wife of the missionary couple in linz was actually baptized in konstanz, and she said that it is the most gorgeous place! It is right on the water and there are swans everywhere! Well I am excited!

But life at home looks pretty fun! One of the Elders in our district is pretty jealous of ben being able to be on the field and do that stuff. Those twins look pretty cute! And big too! Before i get home they will probably speak better english than I do! 

Well this week was pretty good! I was pretty nervous for transfer calls all week so I was glad when the day came. But we had zone training in salzburg and president and sister miles ended up coming to surprise us which was fun! We talked alot (again) about how we can work together with our members. It is a pretty serious topic I guess because everybody around the world is getting drilled on it all the time. Elder Armstrong made muffins for everybody at zone conference which was way good. His muffins are pretty impressive.

 

We have been passing out a lot of invites to our german/english class for the last two  or three weeks and our first one was this thursday. Only two people showed up and one of them needed to learn german and the other wanted to learn english. so we did a small split class. I was trying to teach this guy german but he didn't know english and he didn't bring a dictionary for armenian so there were a few times when I got pretty animated and it probably looked like we were playing sharades instead of working. But he was cool and we ended up getting onto the topic of religion but he said that he wouldn't care if the book of mormon was true or not so I couldn't do to much for him before it was time to go. But he will come this week again and bring his wife so that is good. 

Some things never change!

B----- is doing really good lately! he came to both sessions of our stake conference and got to know a lot of people. He really likes wearing a cross because it's black and matches his jacket so it is funny to see him. He keeps asking why nobody else wears them even after we have explained it to him several times, but that is ok. He promised me the other day that he would read the entire triple combination that I gave to him, which is good because his only problem is that he has less desire to study the scriptures but he is getting better at it. Only two weeks until his baptism and than he can work on getting to the temple!

A little more detail

Yesterday we had the second half of stake conference in wels at 10 in the morning so we went there and all of the missionaries in the whole zone came and that was really great to see a lot of them before we all go off to other places. After the meeting there was lunch at the ward building in wels so everybody went there, and since it was sunday there weren't very many trains so we had to wait until almost four to catch a train so we got to talk to a lot of people in those hours. It was really fun though and I got to say goodbye to the members in haag before I go. 

Well that was my week this week! alot of meetings and learning! It looks like you all are doing well and having fun! I miss you and will talk to you all next week!

Love,

Parker

Ben, 

would you like a chicago bulls hat? I'm pretty sure that's all they sell here because every turkish kid has one. and have fun with baseball before it finishes up for a while. Tell lisel hi, and that she is cool.

Conference Weekend

Hello!

This week was great! We got to do a lot of fun stuff because of conference. We spent the weekend here in Linz because they weren't showing it in Haag for some reason. But we got here on saturday afternoon to help pick up the new couple missionaries that we be working here because the weidmans are going home on wednesday. We helped them with their bags and we showed them their apartment and all that before going to the first session of conference.

 Because of the time change the first session was saturday night at 6. One of my favorite talks was Elder Dube's. I really liked when he said "Look ahead, and believe." Because you can watch conference at home on your computer, most of the members just stayed at home so the church wasn't too full but there was still some really fun people there. On sunday, we watched priesthood session at 11, the saturday session at 2, and the sunday morning at 6. I still haven't seen the last sunday session yet but i should be able to soon if not today. 

B----- is doing awesome still. We watched "The testaments" with him and I think that gave him the push to start reading in the book of mormon a bit more. I actually ordered a triple combination for him and wrote my testimony in the front for him. I am planning to give it to him before I leave. Speaking of that, we get transfer calls this friday, and I will almost surely leave Haag. Sadly we have stake conference this sunday so if I get transfered I won't be in Haag for my last sunday to bear my testimony.

Things with E. Armstrong are good. We still don't talk much but I have grown to be ok with it. It was nice to be in Linz for a few days with the district because I got to talk as much as I wanted. We had a really fun pancake party between sessions with some of the YSA's and the whole district. It was really fun to get to know some of the people in linz better. Plus the pancakes were awesome!

We have zone training in salzburg tomorrow, and it will be the first one of this transfer which will be weird because alot of people left and came since I last saw the whole zone. I have been the only one of my mission age in my zone since i got here besides one sister from germany who i didn't meet in the MTC. Hopefully I will get to see my MTC buddies soon!

It looks like you all had a good time watching conference! Cody looks like he's been cutting down trees and wresting bears before going to the mens club to arm wrestle with his mates. I am a fan. I also thought that ben was haley because his hair looks crazy long! Thanks for those pictures. I will send my cards in the mail this week now that i found the right packages.

Well not too much else has happened this week. Actually we did have a street display and we gave out a good amount of books and flyers. I even met some americans in a small town in Austria. I don't know what they were doing living there. But they were nice and really excited to see americans.

But ya that is what my week was like. Lots of fun and lots of work! Thanks for writing and sending those photos, and I am glad that you got back from china safely. I love you all and I will talk to you next week!

Love, 

Elder Eldredge 

P-day in Linz

Hey!

Hong Kong looks awesome! I sure hope that i get to go there someday! This  week was pretty good! We were given an unreal amount of food this week so our fridge is stuffed full! My capacity for food has really increased and I can eat for quite a while before stopping.

B----- is doing really great! He came to church again this week and he even spoke up during the mens class. He really impressed members with how smart he is. It was funny because it is only his second time in church but he knows everything so the members are pretty impressed by him. We moved his baptismal date to the 27th so that more members could be there.  He is really excited and hasn't had problems with the word of wisdom for over two weeks!

We met with a less active woman in our ward a few weeks ago and she has come to sacrament meeting for about a month in a row now. It is really cool to see how well the members invite her back and make her feel welcome again! One of our members came up to me and asked for five Books of Mormon that she is planning to give out. I was pretty impressed because she has already given about five away before.

Yes the apartment is still very clean. And still pretty quite. This transfer has gone by extremely fast! I can't believe that I have been with E. Armstrong for almost five weeks now! I will almost for sure be transferred somewhere else in a few weeks and it is a weird feeling just imagining that I won't be here for a while.

Today for P-day we went up this big hill in Linz and there is a way cool viewpoint where you can see all of Linz. It was really windy but a lot of fun. I forgot my camera but the weidmans took a ton that I will send to you.

We had a street display in linz on friday. they only get one per year here so we had everybody there from 10 until 6. It was a long time in one place but it was really successful because we gave out around 20 Books. We had some members sing hymns while we talked to interested shoppers. I made a really cool Muslim kid think real hard about Christ being the son of God (they don't believe that). He seemed to really be touched and he even took a book.

I realized yesterday that, because of general conference and stake conference in two weeks, this last sunday could have been my last time in that ward building and that it could be a long time until I see a lot of the Haag members. It was pretty sad because I didn't get to bear my testimony before I left.

Well not much else has happened. Just working a lot. The whether is getting colder and it definitely feels like fall now. The colors haven't changed too much but there is a lot of cold wind and crunchy leaves.

I guess I will talk to you all next week! Thanks for writing. I hope you travel safe back home.

Love,

Elder Eldredge