Week Fifty-four

Hello!

Hello hello hello everybody.

This last week was kind of cool. We actually didn't have the BEST week if you looked at the numbers. We had a lot of appointments fall out, which was rough, but in retrospect, I think it was a good week. Especially for my study, and the relationship that Elder Collins and I have. Before I talk about the week, I just need to let you know how thankful I am for T. The ward mission leader/2nd Councilor here in Rostock is awesome. He is so integrated into the work here, and really cares. Like the perfect help that missionaries could ask for. And I don't know why it took me this long to figure out, but I just figured something out in my head this week. I am just super stoked to be teaching and finding and just being a missionary this week haha. I love it, and I'm looking forward to this next week. The week we just had has been preparing me for this somehow. NAJA!

This was my last week:

Montag: Last Monday was wonderful haha. It was my Birthday celebration day! We went to Karls Erlebnis Dorf again - the big strawberry farm turned mini Disneyland - and it was just way cool. We emailed early in the morning so we could go there. I got a couple of little presents. T gave me a calendar with little trivia facts in German for every day of the year. I love that thing haha. We got there and went to the ice sculptures first. This crazy room filled with ice sculptures all in this Alice in Wonderland theme. It was pretty cool. Kind of weird haha and trippy but the ice sculptures were legit. I'll send some pics. After that we ate. OH MY GOSH THE FOOD AT KARLS IS HEAVENLY. I had Kohlroulade, Jägerschnitzel, Sauerkraut, Gemüse, and just straight up delicious German Food. I loved it. After that, we went shopping around and saw all the cool things to see there. After we got home, I got my haircut, because my hair was REALLY long haha. I don't know how I let it get so long, but like it was bad. I'm so happy that I got it cut before President interviews. And we went grocery shopping. That night, we had an appointment with an investigator named L. We had a good lesson, he's really nice, but doesn't really want to 'investigate' anything because he thinks he's got it all figured out. We're giving him a little time.

Dienstag: Tuesday was rough. We had 2 solid appointments, and 4 or 5 potential appointments....and they all fell out. We didn't teach anything that day, which always makes days long and difficult, but we got some good work down. We ended up making invitations for the institute here and printing them and cutting them out. We have this goal with the ward to really pump the institute attendance up. Hopefully we could find some people who would want to meet with us through that. We had institute, which is always good! I always learn so much from it. Sister Wunderli made spare ribs and homemade BBQ sauce for the meal, which was just amazing haha.

Mittwoch: Wednesday was a good day. We got up early to ride to Greifswald and have President Interviews. We got to hear some solid workshops and what not from the leaders and from President. I also had a really good interview with President Kosak. It was a little strange though. It was like 15 minutes of him being nice to me haha. But I did promise him to speak more German during the day. He said it shouldn't be a problem, and told me that I have really good German, so that was really motivating. But at the same time, I realize how much I wouldn't be able to say exactly the way I wanted to in English, so I've made a big push on my language study again. After we got home that night, we had a lesson with the K family! And Sister Frömling came as a joint teach! It was so awesome and it was such a blessing that Sister Frömling came, because she was able to clear up a lot of things. It was just a testimony builder to me that the best type of missionary work is when we work together with the members to accomplish our goals. It was a huge lesson.

Donnerstag: Thursday was also kind of disappointing because of appointments falling out. Even our member appointment fell out haha. We had two other appointments fall out too. But we ended up using the time wisely and making more institute invitations. Also, T went with us the the Ausländerheim to find a less active member named N. We got there and actually found him! Haha I had never meet him but I had hear a lot about him. It was cool to meet him and share a little lesson with him. After that, we went back and had FHE, which Elder Collins and I taught. We taught this cool little thought about 'the adventure of prayer' haha. It was ok.

Freitag: Friday was cool! We studied, had Gemiko in the morning, studied some more, and went to Bruder S's to eat lunch. They made potatoes, rotkohl, and some sort of meat haha. I asked and they just said 'beef' but it was really good, so I didn't ask again. I love Bruder S. and his wife. They take care of us so much, and are always so friendly and willing to do stuff! It's great. I'm happy that Bruder S. likes us. We helped him carry stuff to the church after we ate. We did weekly planning, which is always fun, and then we had a ward activity! Which was game night. It was really fun and I got to know some members better. After game night, we finished weekly planning and studied more.

Samstag: Saturdays are always fun. We studied a lot in the morning, ate some delicious home made Chinese food, and Played basketball. I did well. Beasting on the Germans. We were going to pick up J. for Tisch-Tennis after, but he canceled. So we just played Tisch-Tennis´wih D, and all the other people who came. It ended up a tie between Bruder S and me. Bruder S is almost 70, but he's a beast ping pong player. We wanted to have an appointment with D after, but he was sick and wanted to go home.

Sonntag: Sunday was way cool too. We had church in the morning. J didn't end up coming, but the K's came, and so did F, which was really good. Church was fun. I had to translate for the sisters African investigators in sacrament meeting. That's always just draining haha. After church we ate with the E's. The made rice and curry chicken stuff which was just delicious. SO GOOD oh my gosh. After church, we passed out institute invitations, and had a lesson in the student dorm while we were doing that. We did more doors and studied a lot that night. GOOD DAY!

My study has been on fire! I love studying. There's just so much to learn! I really regret not reading more when I was at home. But right now, we're reading the BoM as a mission. We're in Mosiah right now. I'm also reading the Old testament in my free time, gospel principles in German for German study, and just reading whenever I'm bored. I like the Joseph Smith teachings of the presidents of the church. Joseph Smith was insane haha. But I'm really digging scripture study. When I get home, we HAVE to study as a family! That would be so sick! It's happening.

I'm sorry to hear that people are still sick at home! I'm just getting over this hidden sickness that was just wearing me out all the time. I feel a lot better and I have a lot more energy. But I hope everyone at home gets better soon! I'm praying for you! I'm looking forward to getting my birthday stuff! I miss my friends a lot! It's cool to hear about how you see them all the time! I'm jealous. And I should stay here in Rostock for another 7 weeks i think. I'm definitely staying for the next 2 weeks, but I have a pretty good feeling that I'll be staying for at least 7. So send stuff to Rostock haha. 

 

Thanks for all the emails and support!

I'm really praying for all of you and hope everything is going well!

Love, Elder Pollard

P.S. Sister Fallentine sent me a picture of mom and the Mitt Romney/Elder Pollard Frankenstein cut-out! It's really funny!