Week Seventy-four

Hello friends and Family! I'm happy to email you this week. I'm at the W's house right now. They are so nice and let the missionaries do emails! And Sister W just made some bomb chicken that we ate. So everybody wins. Well, we win twice. It's just nice, because otherwise we have to ride the train to Hamburg and do emails in a loud internet cafe. Naja, I'm just grateful that we can do them here.

 

Last week was kind of longer. For no real reason though. I'm just looking back to last Monday and it feels like a long time ago.

 

Montag: Last Monday was cool! We were in Hamburg and did a lot of shopping haha. I bought my new suit with the money from Grandma and Grandpa. It's like blue with stripes. And way too tight to wear in America. And then I bought a comp tie with Elder Loitz, some new running shorts, really cheap and nice shoes, and a sweet pin from Hamburg. My pin collection is going strong! I have a bunch haha. Other than shopping, we ate a delicious Döner, and then just checked out the shops. Being in Hamburg is nice. It's kind of stressful too, though. Naja. After that, we came home and had an appointment with M, who was this Free Mason guy who we talked to on the street. It turns out that he just kind of wanted to propose his business to us. He's way cool though.

 

Diesntag: Tuesday was wonderful. We emptied a 440 Liter fish tank that hasn't had a working filter for the past 10 years......I now know how Shrek smells. We got about halfway done haha. We were helping a member out. I learned from that experience that I never want to own fish. We then spent a lot of time trying to find the address of somebody that we were supposed to have an appointment with. We didn't find it haha. Well, we found the address that she gave us, but it was wrong. Kind of disappointing. We had another appointment with M that night actually but it was like the same thing. He's not too interested in the Gospel, but he likes the talks.

 

Mittwoch: Wednesday was Zone conference in Hamburg. Even though we're in the Neumünster Zone, we live and work in Hamburg. Our zone leaders live in Kiel. It takes about 2.5 hours to get to Kiel. It takes only 20 minutes to get to Hamburg haha. Kind of weird. The conference was fun. 

 

Neumünster Zone

We heard some good workshops and got to be with the other missionaries. I got to wear the new pimp suit. Too bad it was like 90 degrees with 99% humidity. It was hard just to sit haha. The night we went on exchanges, so I was with Elder Gleason in Delingsdorf. We came home and ate with the R's.

 

Donnerstag: So I was with Elder Gleason from Lübeck for the most part of the day. We were tired because we were up all night watching the lightning storm. It would've been useless to try on sleep haha. But we still went to work. We went to the W's, which was a good lesson. It was super hot that day too. The lesson went well. We're teaching Mrs. W mainly because Mr. W has some memory problems....he forgets like every 5 minutes. He's super cool and nice though. He just asks where we're from like 10 times an appointment haha. It was a good lesson. That night Elder Loitz came back and we had Gemiko with Bruder Z and then ate at the W's house. It was way good.

 

Freitag: Friday was fun haha we were in Bargteheide the whole day. We walked around a lot and had an appointment with a lady who really didn't want to listen to us. That was fun. She basically tried to get us to convert to whatever she was preaching. So many people believe that the church or institution is evil. I don't get those people. Naja, that night we had an appointment with E form the Congo. Bruder L came because we needed a French translator. It went well haha even though we didn't understand any of it.

 

Samstag: We played soccer in the morning. I love it haha. I'm defiantly not the worst there. So that makes it fun. We also had to go emergency shopping on Saturday haha. So we did that. Then we taught some African kids English and came home and studied/I prepared my talk.

 

Sonntag: Sunday was great. We went to church. There was a returned missionary there, fresh from the mission, so he talked. I talked and an ex-mission president talked, so it was like super missionary day in church, which was great. After church we had gemeinde essen, which was also great haha. After church we planned  for the week and then had an appointment with Herr F, which went well.

 

The week was like long haha. It even took me a long time to try and explain everything. But next week will be better. Like a lot of our investigators dropped this week haha. But this week coming will be Wunderbar haha.

 

Well I didn't get to see the missionary broadcast , but President sent out a letter so I think I got the big news. I have no idea how soon all this stuff will be happening in this mission. Probably not so soon. The Germany Berlin Mission is like one of the biggest in the world. I think we have the most missionaries. So like....that's a lot of kids running around with I-pads and stuff haha. There is over 70,000 missionaries right now. And I'm sure I-pads are expensive. But we'll see.

 

Well, I'm super jealous that you went to the San Diego County Fair again! The last time without me. I'm a fair fiend. Other then that, I'm doing well. I love Germany haha.

 

I hope you all have a good week! I pray for you.

 

Elder Pollard

Week Seventy-three

HEY!

SO this past week has just been primo. That's all I can say about it. We had some crazy weather...no flooding, yet. But we just went to work and saw some crazy cool things. Met with some sweet people. I love meeting new people and making new friends haha. I actually met some guy the other day who knows O F from Hannover (Free Mason buddies) and there was a member from Hannover in church....Hannover was a long time ago! Haha. But this last week was such a breath of fresh air. Let me tell you about it.

Montag: Last Monday was sick. We went bowling again actually haha. The Sisters in Lübeck didn't want to come, but the Elders did, so we bowled. I also got my haircut, because my hair was cray cray. Other then that, not much haha.

Dienstag: Tuesday was transfer day. I dropped Elder Lykins off at Hamburg Hauptbahnhof at 9 in the morning.

Hamburg Hauptbahnhof

Elder Loitz arrived at 4 haha. So I waited around Hbf for a while with the Elders from Hamburg. It wasn't a problem. I ate some delicious Döner. So Elder Loitz arrived and we rode back to Ahrensburg. We had to take care of shopping but we also got to meet with H that night. He bought us some chicken, which was way good. It was a good first day with my new companion.

Mittwoch: Wednesday was crazy. We were in Lübeck in the morning and had District meeting. We had to read the whole missionary handbook, so that took forever. Elder Loitz is the only new member of the District, so we're pretty tight and got to know each other well. After coming back from Lübeck, we ate with the K family. That was tight. They're super nice and make good German food. I showed Elder Loitz the Ward building, too. And we made out an appointment with an earlier investigator. It was goooood.

Donnerstag: Thursday was super good. We ate some delicious fried rice for lunch. We had an appointment with Frau W and her husband, who had a heart attack a couple years ago and it all somehow affected his memory. He has extreme short term memory loss. He asked us where we were from like 9 times. He's super nice though. He's funny and loves Americans. We taught a little and basically wanted to set up expectations. It was sweet. We then went by a BUNCH of older investigators, and walked around for like 3 hours. We talked to one guy and made out and appointment to come back. And then we did some doors and ate with the Z's. We had Gemiko after.

Freitag: Friday was weekly planning day. We ate some delicious bratwursts and had an appointment with Frau S. She is amazing. Her son in law is the grandson of Howard W. Hunter.....and is the guy who made the Singles Ward movies. We teach his mother in law hahaha. She doesn't want to be baptized though. We'll see about that. Hopefully she'll make some spiritual progress, because she's such a nice lady. She made us delicious ice cream. That was the day also that we met this super fancy rich Free Mason guy who is like a crazy successful business man. We made out an appointment to meet with him. SWAG. We ate at B's house that night, which was super good.

Samstag: Saturday was insane. We walked around SO MUCH. We had a really awkward appointment trying to teach English. We didn't prepare too much and the 3 kids who want to learn didn't really talk. So that was weird. We also found Y, this younger mom who accepted to meet with us and learn more about baptism. She was way cool and our miracle of the day. Right after we were done talking to her on the street, it started pouring. And we were wearing short sleeve white shirts. Mmmm. Not fun at all. But the day was just sick.

Sonntag: Sunday was also really good. We got to meet with the Bishop right before church, and there were like a lot of people there that we didn't know, because our members go hard in the month of June. Invite your friend to church month. We also asked in Priesthood for joint teaches, and WE GOT THEM. So good day. We ate with the Z's in Bargteheide on Sunday, and then tore up Bargteheide and went by on every contact and less active member. It took all day. We got one return appointment though, so worth it. The field is already white and ready to harvest.

The week was: new comp, new investigators, new suit. New new new. I loved it too. We were outside all day and talking to people. Elder Loitz is super cool and we already get along pretty well. We're friends. :D. Awkward smile.

Mother, I already bought a new suit. It's dark blue and kind of stripey and super shiny. Slim fit euro style. So I will go and buy some shoes today. And I'll write Grandma and Grandpa a nice letter. That's so nice of them.

Elder Loitz is from Pleasent Grove Utah. He knows Elder Thorley and went to school with him haha. He's way chill and cool. He's really Polynesian at heart. He plays Uke and Rugby. It's nice having him here.

I love you all and miss you a ton!

Elder Pollard

Week Seventy-two

How's it going? I'm doing pretty well. Actually no, haha I'm sick. This last week was also very interesting. I can describe it very briefly.

Monday was really fun, we did District P-Day in Hamburg. We ate KFC........and then went bowling for like way cheap. We saw some cool things around Hamburg and it was just nice to be with the district and stuff. But after a Long day of walking Elder Lykins' toe was starting to hurt really bad (he kicked someone in soccer last Saturday) and we called Sister Kosak. So we were in the Hospital that night...not fun at all. It took FOREVER to be taken care of, and then they looked at it, said it was fine and told him to ice and elevate it for two days.

Tuesday: Icing and elevating.

Wednesday: Icing and elevating. I also like cleaned and studied and good stuff. We had district meeting that morning, which was nice. It was the last district meeting of the Transfer. It was good though.

Donnerstag: Thursday was good, we got to do some good work and had an appointment with Herr S. It went alright. That night we went on splits, so I was with Elder Gleason that night.

Freitag: Friday was spits with Elder Gleason. We got to make out one appointment and talked to people. But I got like sick that night ahah I couldn't even talk. My throat was just bad and it hurt to talk. I also had like an earache and a headache. So I was down and out.

Saturday was Transfer calls, and the news is that Elder Lykins is leaving. I am getting Elder Loitz. He's like as long on his mission as Elder Lykins and Elder Lykins says he's way cool. So I'm looking forward to it!

Sonntag was just kind of normal.  We went to church and then ate with Bruder S, who made delicious food. I'm now a fan of rubarb by the way.

But yea the week was SLOWWWW and we were injured and sick. Other then Transfer calls, nothing really exciting.  I have been realizing how short my time left is haha. LIke 7 months. It's all good though.  I'm not in a funk any more. Just kind of sick. I need to get healthy. The change in companions will be a good motivation to get back into the grind of things. I'm looking forward to it.

I pray for you, too all the time. I hope that me being here and working is Blessing you at home!

Love you,

Elder Pollard

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