October 2, 2012 Captain's Log 10-2-12

Well I think the big news this week has got to be that I am going to Berlin on the 14th to see President Monson give a talk. That's going to be cool. Only the Elders in the Erfurt District get to go to Berlin. Everyone else in our mission has to stay in their wards. Haha. It's going to be fun, but obiviously, they are going to keep us quarantined  and babysit us for a day or two. I wish we were going with the Kempes.

 

Oh my gosh, I just looked at the date. Like the American form of the date... 10.02.12? I go home in like 4 months... Oh man. Well, I gotta get crackin' on some stuff! My mission book is coming along quite nicely, I must say.

 

1. So how is Elder Birth? Happy, sad, excited, trunky, all of the above? 

It's a lot like a roller coaster of emotions. He has been all over the place. I think today he has 9 days left until he leaves Gera and 10 days left until he leaves the country.

2. When do you find out if you are going to a new area, getting a Golden companion, etc.? 

I find out this Saturday who I get. I already know that I am getting a new companion. I am kinda excited especially since in the next transfer, 80 percent of the missionaries in the mission will be at 8 months or less. It means I might be the senior companion for once... woah.

3. How does it work when a missionary goes home? Do they travel to the mission home, etc.? 

They get transferred, go to the Temple, go eat dinner with President Schwartz, spend the night at a hotel, and then fly home the following morning.

4. Would you like us to try to come get you in Germany if we can? 

NO, I want to go home. I have done the visiting Germany thing. I definitely want to come back during the summer or something. I would rather come back as a normal person.

5. Did you send in your early voting? 

Yes, the deed has been done! Unfortunately the Deutsche Post robbed me blind with a three euro stamp because of the letter size. Grrr. I think they were lying to me.

6. Any exciting mission stories to share this week? 

Nothing of special value to report.

7. What did you do last p-day? Anything fun to report? 

Last Pday was spent writing emails and Elder Birth working on his mission history.

8. Did you ever get your camera? 

Oh yea, I took some amazing looking pictures with it. The zoom is incredible. I am sending some pictures today.

9. What would you like for Christmas? 

A new furnace.

10. Do you ever want us to send you mail in the regular way so you have something physical to open? Where should we send it if so? 

No, it's a waste of time and money. I like emails more.

11. Do you have a favorite hymn in German? 

It's number 156 in German. It's the shortest hymn in the Hymnbook.

12. Does your mission have a special term for trunky, or is trunky the word for it? 

Yes, trunky is still "in." So is "black" and "Blitzed."

13. What did your mission president think of your area plan you turned in to him? 

He loved it. Now we just have to stick to it...

14. How many more areas do you think you will be in for the remainder of your mission? 

I will either get one more area, or I will be in Gera for the rest of my mission. I am hoping for staying in Gera. I love the ward.

15. Which of your companions do you think you will be friends with for life? 

All of them. I just got my Tschuess Book back from Elder Baum. It's like a sister book where we write in some of the stories and things that we did with each other with pictures and everything. All of my companions have been awesome.

16. Is there an area that you would want us to see in Germany if we get a chance to come there? 

Saarbruecken for sure. Gera doesn't have much to see, but the people here are awesome. We would also have to see Krefeld and Wesel -- You know, we might as well see all of them. I have been in some of the best cities in the mission.

17. Any investigators this week? 

No, it's been lacking in this category for some time.

18. What are you going to do for p-day today? 

We went to Werdau! We thought that we were going to see a castle, but we ended up looking at a hotel feeling really dissappointed. It was supposed to be a cool pday activity, but we spent 24 Euro to get out to the middle of nowhere to see a Castle turned Hotel. It was Schloss Schweinburg or something like that. It would have been a really bad pday except we made it fun by taking a ton of pictures.

 

Well, it was good news to hear back home and I will hear from you all next week!

-- Elder Trevor Joseph Baker