December 13,
2015
Hello!!
Farwells
were good, I got a lot more pictures this time than when I left Mainz, so that
was nice. (still working on that... being better at picture taking. I just
uploaded the rest of what I have, Christmas promise fulfilled.
New area,
Frankfurt! It´s really weird because I used to go on Splits here when I was
living in Mainz and now this is my apartment and my area, not just splits and
meetings. I was always worried that it would be distracting and not good to
have so many missionaries in one place, but it really isn´t bad. We´re focused
and doing good work. My companion is Elder Robert Taylor from Payson, Utah
(it´s funny since my middle name is Robert, and my older Brother who was born
in Payson is named Taylor. Elders Taylor and Blanchard. Fun) He has 6 months left
on his mission and has been in Regenburg, Saarbrücken und Nürnberg. We speak a
lot of German together and do good things like that. He´s already been a zone
leader for 3 transfers so that´s helpful too, we´re both just doing our best to
get to know Frankfurt. We live really close to our church at Porthstraße 5.
Other
questions and things to answer. Skyping. We don´t have any holiday appointments
yet, so if that doesn´t work out we´ll probably just go to the church and skype
with our iPads. Let me know that times are best for you (and if you could
remind me of Dad´s skype info that would be helpful too) and I´ll let you know
next week what works and what we´re looking at. I did receive your package and
a package from Grandma and grandpa, and my companion s dad had a business trip
here so he dropped a suitcase off full of stuff with President and had a few
things for me in there. I haven´t opened your presents yet. Geduld :) [patience] Yeah, it´s ok, I´ve got plenty of
things to do so it´s honestly not distracting/tempting, not that I´m not
excited. The iCloud thing... Well, the iTunes thing required that I use a credit
card, not debit back when we got the iPad and seeing as I do not have a credit
card with me and don´t want you to send specific credit card info over the
internet I ended up using the family iTunes account to put apps on my iPad over
here. Elder Taylor likes using the calendar app on the iPad and having our
calendars synced, so that required me to use iCloud and thus the family account
again. If mom is curious how I spend my time she can check that out. I think it
would most likely ask for a credit card again if I tried to change accounts...
Maybe something to think about for the skype call.
I don´t know
how interesting 60% of this is for the blog, do what you want.
Yeah, so
week 1 in Frankfurt. I got here Tuesday afternoon, Elder Taylor and I unpacked
a bit, had a lesson with a nice man named Jürgen, had ward mission correlation
then unpacked more. The following couple of days were crazy, so much going on.
We drove new missionaries around and picked them up at the airport (Elder
Hoertig from RSM, he´s in my zone too) We prepped for a Wednesday night baptism
then drove missionaries and trainers to the hotel where they stay the night before
heading off. The next day we spent time with leaving missionaries, driving them
around, doing a street display and then driving them to the same hotel where
they would spend their last night in Germany. Interesting seeing the contrast
between the beginning and the end and weird being part of the process on both
sides for people. We also got to know the ward at the ward Christmas party and
at church. This ward is more like a ward in the states. So much bigger that
you´re average German ward, lots of fun. I got to know a lot of people and I´m
trying to remember a lot of new names, it was good though. Answered prayers as
I was able to remember a lot more a lot faster than I think I typically do.
We had a few
lessons and talked to some people on the street too, on that note I think I´ll
share some thoughts about teaching. Teaching isn´t nearly as hard or as
stressful as I thought it would be before I left on my mission. Of course it´s
not easy, you don´t just go over to people´s homes to chat with them, but it is
very simply and when you teach by the spirit, very powerful as well. Simply
asking questions and listening are seriously the most important.
from the
last Liahona "President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First
Presidency, said, “To ask and to answer questions is at the heart of all
learning and all teaching.”"
If you don´t
understand and care about someone it´s just a bit more complicated to teach
something personally applicable that will help them build faith and answer
their personal questions. We need to teach simply and personally. Bearing
testimony of truth in a way that invites the spirit and speaks to peoples
hearts. As we ask thought provoking questions and listen, we invite people to
take the learning upon themselves, to learn for themselves and understand in an
applicable way. Telling alone is not teaching. Teachers invite people to act
(Bednar). Ask. Listen. Teach. Testify. Ask/check for understanding. Invite. I
love it. Teaching the simple, pure doctrine of Jesus Christ is such a privilege
and a blessing. I know that what I teach is true. It is powerful because it´s
God´s truth. Jesus is his son, they´re there for us and they love us.
Have a great
week,
Love,
Hayden
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