40 Mark Strasse

This week we were in Braunschweig until Wednesday, Elder Brimhall’s surgery went super, and he got to keep the metal rod! Then Sister Kosak had us spend another day in the apartment in Braunschweig, while Elder B was asleep I studied and played with a soccer ball because the apartment there is huge! The next day we had a few hours before his checkup so we went to Primark! It’s like Macys but everything’s super cheap. I bought two ties for 5 euro! And then went to his checkup, then on the 5 hour train ride home some drunk couple was yelling at each other (in German so it was pretty intense) for like an hour…  It was a long ride.

We got to teach one of our old guys this week, really though he’s super old, he lives alone and his wife died about 5 years ago. He’s pretty open but I think it’s because he has nothing else to do, but we taught him the plan of salvation and he agreed and liked most of it, but he’s still not sure about the Book of Mormon, so he said he would keep reading and praying.

Our other old guy (that waved us down from the window) actually looks about 90 but it turns out he’s only 55. He has diabetes and smokes and drinks a ton. The man has crates and crates of alcohol in the room. He said his doctor said if he quits drinking he will die… so he needs quite a bit of help. Two of the three times we were there he was drinking, so it will be hard but we have faith in him! On Friday we went street contacting but there was no one anywhere… after about 30 minutes we noticed someone behind us and it was one of our less actives with his girlfriend! He was on his way to go buy a ring because I guess he’s now engaged. Way cool.

Then we decided to walk by the huge church in the city and some old couple came and asked if the church was open, we told them we didn’t know because it wasn’t our church. Then they asked where we were from and it turns out they were in California and the Grand Canyon last year. Then the lady talked about those weird and crazy Mormons that crossed the plains, then she asked what church we were from. “Wir sind die mormone”. She was a little shocked and tried to recover by saying they were “the nicest people she’s ever met”… haha but they were nice and it gave us a chance to explain who we are.

Also we found out more info about Mission Conference on the 24th in Berlin! Because the whole mission will be there they’re assigning where missionaries outside of Berlin will be spending the night, so Elder B and I will be staying with the AP’s, our Zone Leaders, and the office Elder in the Mission home. It’ll be way cool.

For church yesterday we watched the Conference Sunday afternoon session, but I could not stay awake because it was in German… I can understand quite a bit but in the background you can kind of hear English, then mix that with what I can’t understand, then my head dies… But it was funny when Uchtdorf spoke in German… the ward died laughing!

This week we go to Braunschweig one more time for one last checkup. That also means 9 hours of being on a train that day, but it will be good.

This week I studied about humility. Ether 12:27 talks about if we humble ourselves the Lord will make our weakness our strengths. Our weaknesses are what keep us from reaching our full potential, but when we humble ourselves and ask the Lord to help us He WILL help us reach our potential. Our Savior Lives! Easter is over but the time to celebrate that He Lives isn’t, we can always become closer to our Savior.

mit liebe

Elder Winkel

We watched the stars all night.

Braunschweig Elders!

Huge apartment! Even had a first floor.

With festival poster.

My first shot at cinnamon rolls.