Germs in Germany

Well there were a lot of missionaries that came down to Sønderborg this week. Anders has investigated for a long time so we had a big sleep over in my apartment and then headed down across the border to see this great guy make an important decision.

 

 

It was a great day. Anders was extremely happy and his wife came to support him. Me and Elder Reber got another picture just after.

 

​

But in all honesty it has been such an incredible experience to see someone make this decision. He's a great guy and after he was baptized I asked him how he felt and he said it was as if he had no cares or worries in the world and that it just felt right. He's incredibly in tune with the spirit. 

 

Being in Germany again was also great, I grabbed a souvenir at the stand by the bus station for you Mom :) I tried contacting a lot of people on the street on the way back and even handed out a few cards all on my own completely in German! Haha it was pretty rough.

 

Germany :) It looks kind of like Denmark...

​

 

The hardest part of the week and the trip to Germany is just that Elder Reber brought some strange virus with him from the MTC and now me him and another Elder in the apartment have throat infections and have been coughing our lungs out all week long. Mine actually got so bad it spread to my ear and I couldn't hear out of my left ear for a day or two... It hurts to talk and swallow. I was about ready to go to the doctor for Antibiotics but it's been getting better today and yesterday so I think it'll just go away. It's kind of sad because doing the extra studying that they make you do while training already takes up so much time that I feel like I haven't even been able to do any real work with Elder Reber between being sick and training and going to Germany and what not.

 

Pretty much I can't think of a lot of other interesting things we've done... I've just been doing quite a bit of thinking about desires though. It's way hard to be able to change what we want. But it's also where the greatest power lies. We can bite the bullet and do what we are supposed to, but if we are resenting it the whole time it doesn't really benefit us at all and when we are rewarded ''according to the desires of our hearts'' it's not going to be what we might originally think. So my challenge recently has been trying to desire all the things I'm doing and working for instead of just doing them... a lot harder than it sounds if you're honest :)

 

Love you all!

 

Ældste Durrant                        

Borups Alle 128 1.tv                  

2000 Frederiksberg

Denmark​

More pictures

Check, check, and check!!

Alright ready for another week packed full of information and not a lot of time for me to type about it?

First, transfers. Lost of my companions and got a new missionary. Then I left on a long journey to Copenhagen. Funny story. Literally as the new missionaries were landing in Denmark the workers in Copenhagen started a strike and refused to unload the luggage.... Lame. So they showed up with only the clothes on their backs and a carry on. One of the Elders carry on was his bagpipes. Don't worry I didn't get that one =) I got Elder Reber!

He's way fun. Most people have a hard time adjusting and are very shy for the first week or five. Elder Reber is roaring to go though and is way talkative and super teachable so it's been a way fun first week. Because his luggage was late we got the unique opportunity to tour Copenhagen while we contacted on the street. I showed him Nyhavn and Vor Frue Kirke, both of which I'd never seen before because I haven't served in the city! We talked to some guy from Germany after he took pictures for us at Nyhavn.

​

Our first lesson together was with Anders and he accepted giving up Coffee. He also acceted tithing this week with no problems! It's been so awesome to see someone with faith as strong as Anders prepare for baptism. We gave him a spcheel about tithing with the branch president and asked him what he thought about it all. ''It's just something that's there... not a problem. I trust the people in the church and if you say it'll bless me I believe I'll see the same blessings you talked about''. That was incredible! He is on his way. The baptism should be in Germany this Saturday. I was stressing out about getting everything in order but now I feel a lot calmer. Hopefully not complacent =)

Speaking of Germany we got to go two days ago for an eight year old kid that got baptized! I met two of the German elders and I don't know if any of you know Elder Conley? He went to PHS for half a year and knows Sam and Bronwen... He's serving in Flensburg and we met him and his companion during the service. I got to translate the talks for them because they were all in Danish haha.

​

But he's a lot of fun and he taught me a few sentences in German so I could contact people. It was actually really humbling to be brought all the way back to square one for a day. I couldn't talk to people... understand them... read signs... or do anything. I told someone we were missionaries in German and then just had to look at Elder Conley haha. I walked up to some German guy on the way home that was dressed up as the Hulk and painted green. I held out a card about families and told him ''Ich habe ein Geschenk fur Sie'' which means ''I have a present for you''. He just said Nein and proceeded to growl at me and make a gesture like the Hulk. Then said something I didn't understand that Elder Conley said was making fun of Jehovah Witnesses. Even in Germany they still think we are J-Dubs... Anywho, way awesome experience to leave the country and to see a child from the branch get baptized. Unless something comes up we should be headed back again for Anders' big day. It's been a surprisingly smooth road thus far.

Also we caught a hedgehog.

Also Elder Reber brought some strange disease with him from the MTC and now our entire apartment is fighting a sickness and it sucks.

Also we saved some drunk guys life because he kept stumbling into the middle of the road looking for ''Sønderborg'' even though I kept telling him he was already in Sønderborg...

Oh! And Elder Reber got quite the experience knocking his very first door. There was a quiet ''come in'' and we hesitantly walked into the entryway. Some guy came around the corner in very tight and very small orange underwear and a t-shirt. I think something might have been missing upstairs. I was ready to take over but Elder Reber pressed on like a champ and started his approach haha! He wasn't interested but it was still super funny. 

I have to do a lot of the talking but I love it. Elder Reber is picking up on the tips I give him way fast and he's going to have incredible Danish before too long.

Love you all! Hope everything is going great!

Ældste Durrant                        

Borups Alle 128 1.tv                  

2000 Frederiksberg

Denmark​
​