Monday, November 14, 2011

Nov. 14 part one


  
            First of all I need to say thank you to everyone who sent me letters for my birthday! You guys are all the best, and man, it makes a missionary`s day when there is stuff in the mailbox. I will try to write back to all of you as soon as a can, but p day is only so long, so I wanted to get a quick thank you out now. Hahahaha tell everyone hi from me, and tell Grandma and Grandpa Jepperson thank you for the letter. And thanks for the brown sugar options. We used the fake brown sugar that you can buy here last week and it wasn`t too bad, but it wasn`t the same. We will see what we can find today. 
            So this week has been UNBELEIVABLY busy. Well since Thursday. So Thursday we had leadership training in Zurich with all the district and zone leaders in Switzerland, and it was good. Pretty much just about what we can do as leaders to help the missionaries who are struggling with disappointment or other problems. And then Pres. Miles told us about a change that he had decided to make in our temple policy. Before the rule was that missionaries were only allowed to go to the temple with newly baptized members. But he has now changed the rule and all missionaries in Switzerland can go to the temple once a transfer. YES!!!!! That was the best news ever!!!! I am so excited to go to the temple next transfer. Good thing I got into Switzerland when I did.
            Then Friday was transfer calls. I am staying in Wetzikon, but Elder Jacob is leaving. He is going to the Zollikon ward, which is the ward right around the temple. I am getting a new companion, obviously, and it is Elder Williams. He is from America, and is one transfer younger then I am, so I got to know him a little bit in the MTC. Anyways, I am excited to get to stay in a place for a little while, and I will get to celebrate Christmas here, but unfortunately Elder Jacob has to leave :( oh well, I guess the Lord knows what he is doing). Anyways we got that phone call at about 8 in the morning. Then at about 12 in the afternoon Pres. Miles called me, and asked what we had planned for the day. We had an appointment with a less active member, then weekly planning, then we wanted to go dooring. Pres. Miles asked if we could change around our schedule so that at about 5 o’clock he and Sis. Miles could take us out to dinner, and then afterwards he wanted to do weekly planning with us. So we got to go to dinner with Pres. and Sis. Miles at a sweet Italian restaurant and then we did planning together. It was a sweet pre-birthday treat, and Pres. and Sis. Miles didn`t even know it was my birthday the next day. I have to confess that we celebrated my birthday with the cakes and candles (see picture) and I opened my presents on Friday, so one day early, but I hope you can understand. It isn`t every day that our mission president takes us out to dinner and comes home with us to plan. So that was Friday.
            Then Saturday was pretty normal day. We had an appointment with A______, and then we went by on a less active family and the dad isn`t a member, but they let us in and we talked forever, (the dad liked to talk politics and economics) and then on our way home one of the young men called us and told us to come over to his house right away because he had food for us. He and one of his friends made this fast food lasgauna. (yeah sorry, my spelling is off today)(and I didn’t fix it!) they got the idea from epicmealtimes.com, so those of you with less restricted internet access then myself can check it out. Anyways, it is practically a heart attack on a plate. It was a base layer of bacon, then a layer of Quarter Pounders from McDonalds, then more bacon, spaghetti sauce, some cheese sauce, swiss sausages another layer of quarter pounders, sauce and cheese baked in a big metal pot. It tasted so good!!!! I was actually very surprised. Anyways, it was pretty awesome, and they had way too much so they invited us over it eat it. And they didn`t know it was my birthday either. So I am thinking that you probably prayed too much because we got way more food and fun times then I had expected.
            Oh and then Sunday was stake conference. So we had a pretty busy extended weekend, but it wasn`t so great investigator wise. We told one of our investigators who has been investigating the church for 6 years but has only been to church once that pretty much we were done meeting with him until he came to church. Then we also had a number of fallen out appointments. But we did have a super high light with a less active we met with. She is from Peru, is married and has a 7 year old daughter. We met with her on Friday, and we talked about the message of the Restoration, and committed her to preparing to go to the temple next year. It was a great lesson, and afterwards she told us that she wants to bring her sister who is not a member but lives close by to church next Sunday, as well as that she has someone she works with who she wants to give a Book of Mormon. I am so excited to work with her, and all of our other investigators. But we also need some new investigators because our teaching pool is pretty shallow right now, so please pray for that. I know that prayer works. It is the best! God lives and He answers prayers. He loves us and wants us to be happy. I also heard a good thought at stake conference yesterday. God isn`t interested in changing our circumstances, He is interested in changing us. I know that I have felt God`s hand in my life directing and changing me as I have prayed to Him. I know that this is his work, and it’s the best! I love you all!
Liebe
Elder Terry

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