Culture shock part 3 - Transfer to Cologne

Hey yall so I got transfered to Cologne, aka a freaking huge city of a million people and I have no idea where to go or where to start. I guess I can start with my first day.

The moment I got off my train with my suitcases and such I watched a hobo get in a fist fight with the train ticket checker people. That was intense. And then I went to buy food at the KFC here and this chick was waiting for her food and was a pain to the lady working there. Then she screamed and yelled, picked up her sandwich and threw it in the trash and ran away. This old German guy though made me laugh so hard. He flipped out with his hands over his head and just started screaming and ran up to me and pointed at her as to what the heck just happened. I didn't know either. Elder Koch if you are reading this he sounds just like you when you scream.... Haha! 

Oh yeah and the train station was also on strike so we couldn't take the trains and such. It was a great first day. 

I will always miss saarbrücken. Lots of good memories were had there and the members were way hard to say goodbye to. I loved them so much. Great people and I will always remember what they did for me and taught me. 

For example with the investigators there as well. Gulmeral, or in other words the lady we taught English to saw me going to the train station with my luggage and she flipped out and said it wasn't fair that I had to go and that as I was a "volunteer" I didn't have to listen to the president because that is not what volunteer work is. Haha sorry about that, but then she gave me an ackward hug and I had no idea what to do. White handbook would have roasted me on the spot. I felt the book burning through my soul. 

Now for Cologne. Our apartment is massive! Well okay but we live on the 15th floor on a huge building so we have a sweet view of the entire city of Cologne and my new companion is Elder Stark. He has four weeks left so I will be sending him home pretty soon so I am doing all that I can do know how this city works and how to even balance my time. We have no time to contact as we are constantly on our way to appointments at the church for activities with the members and such. Lots of young people here to in the church that are awesome! So much food! It's a miracle! Elder Stark loves cooking and he cooks fast and huge Mounds of food. It's heaven on earth. Apartment is sparkling in cleanliness and life is good. (And this guys personality is legendary. He is hilarious. It's gonna be sad that I only have four weeks with him.) 

We have massive groceries stores right next to us like a place called Real (walmart) and barber and restaurants at our apartment complex. This is so much fun and easier here. Like I feel guilty not contacting for multiple hours a day, because that was all that we did in Saarbrücken. Here I just do a lot of contacting on trains and honestly said, I need it. My contacting on trains is trash! Haha the guy gave me his number and such but I felt so ackward and I know he did as well. I have lots to learn here.

On a higher note the members adore us here. First couple of people I met were way open and just cooked us food. It's nice! 

I don't even know what to say right now other that I am happy, excited and totally lost. This place reminds me so much of Duisburg. In fact they are right next to each other. The church looks exactly like the one in Duisburg and I got hardcore area trunky. The city smells like it to. Haha I guess big industry and stuff like that will always be the same. 

Really all to say, oh and BTWs Saarbrücken. We got Elder Ritchie in our group. He's being trained here haha. 

I love yall! My third area is going to be a blast! 

Elder Monroe 

1.Elder Deus and Elder Stark. These guys are amazing. 

2-4.Saying goodbye to a couple of awesome members. It was a stab in the gut when Bohan said he would really miss me and didn't want me to go. Ya gotta hold back tears for that one yall. It was a good seven months. 

5. The Bonn University. 

 

Best Email Ever

Yea so things are looking up here for us this time around. Not only is today my year mark but this week was probably the best week I have ever had for finding. But here is really what happened.

Starting on a low note Stalin just told us he doesn't think it is possible to live the law of the Sabbath day because of work and we took off his Baptismal Date... But he is still willing to meet with us. So we haven't officially lost him yet,but it looks like it is going that way. 

Phillip is just really busy as well, (that's just the problem of having college investigators) but he is also still willing to meet.

But on a higher note! The Espinoza family gave us a very long text, just saying how much they appreciate us and love the spirit we bring. They invited us again over to their house and I just love their family. This family will probably be the hardest family to say bye to when I go... If I go. (Transfer calls is in a week)

Then we decided to go finding by their house, when we were about to door an area and an older lady who lives in this large complex saw us through a glass door they had there. Turned out it was Sister Franz! And we told her we were just dooring and I totally forgot where she lived but she quickly rushed us inside her house where we found out that her husband was lonely and needed company. So we chilled for an hour and ate cookies while talking about his mission stories back in the day. Turns out this man converted the entire ward of Hagen back in the day and he always visits the members there whenever possible. His stories are hilarious. Old Germans are the best. 

Now with finding, we literally got I dunno how many potentials and investigators. Me and elder Neighbor are killing it here. For example last week we were about to go finding and this guy who lives in our neighborhood (second contact the first one we also got his number) just let us in. As we were teaching him some lady at the bottom of the stairs needed help bringing groceries up and our friend we were teaching says

"I got help!"

So we helped her out and we found out she was also American! And she liked us and had interest on the church as well so we have a dinner appointment now with our friend and this woman with her family. Pretty awesome. 

Then we met this old lady on the street who was just loaded with bags and backpacks. She was carrying groceries home for a long ways so we talked to her and she said she said she always noticed us on the streets and such and she loved how happy and friendly we are. So on that note we took her bags and helped her carry these bags and such a very long way up a mountain and she was really grateful. She spoke a little English with us so we told her we just started an English course! She said she would think about it, but then she came! We had a wonderful lesson prepared and she was so happy! It was so awesome, because we were playing a game where we drew a paper out and we would draw it. (Pictcharades). She got the last one and it said.

"What is your favorite book?"

She said she couldn't answer that question but commented that she loves books that help her find answers to life's questions and help her become a better person. So we just looked at each other with big eyes and Elder Neighbor explained his favorite book, aka the book of Mormon. She loved it and read a bunch and now she wants it! So we set up another appointment with her to read some more of the book. 

Now another miracle is this random guy we met on the street who said. 

"Mormons! I love you guys!"

Great! So we talked with him and then he lead us into a Cafe and had an awesome lesson with him where we answered his questions and now he came to the conclusion that he wants to live in Utah.... Lol. But he says he wants to repent and make changes in his life as well as read from the book of Mormon. Than he showed us to his house and is desperate to meet again, but literally at the moment we are so crammed pack with lessons we had to adjust our days around. What an awesome feeling. 

Another guy was a referral from the French elders! He has already made so much progress but he lives closer to Saarbrücken than he does to the city of metz. (Metz is in France). So they called us up and we just got another solid guy working on Baptism just like that. Mokrane is his name and I look forward to meeting with him. Let's turn this mission in a Mexico mission! Haha (regarding success and such).

Really cool seeing these things in life. My year mark came around and time we are checking out the zoo again today. Last week we checked out an American diner where it was all 50's style and American 50's rock was in the background. It was legendary. I ordered a six patty burger. (720g) and that was pain. It was massive. Like every bite was pain, but amazing. Kudos to you Elder Neighbors mom for paying for a luxury dinner!

Oh man. Life goes on I hope it keeps getting better.

Love yall

Elder Monroe

1. Massive burger of doom.

2. Chilling in the mall 

3 We looking good

4 with all American Diner

Once again... Your ups and downs

Man it's been another rough but good week. I am just going to say this mission is bipolar. It really feels like it.

I am just going to say we have had lots of days where we had three appointments and they all fell out and it was one after the other. And it is so weird. Everytime someone sets up an appointment with us, all of a sudden all of our investigators write and say they have time with us. So that's great. We are just at the point of setting solid appointments with our investigators.

We had another very good lesson with Stalin. We kind of roasted him on reading and praying and he took it seriously and came to church the second time so that's always awesome. But then he dropped the bomb on us saying he doesn't really have too much time to meet with us this next month so we are fighting with him on that one as well as his schedule. It's starting to turn into that stressful part of the transfer. :/

And we invited like 3 Investigators to our Nye family meal plan but ya know... They all called us and said they can't make it. Schande. That's a rough one but we still had a good appointment with their family anyways.

Now back to our favorite Espinoza family. We still meet them weekly but we had a very important yet extremely powerful lesson with them regarding the priesthood and how we use it in our families. We talked to Darin (the father) and how it is an honorable calling, in which we tend and care for the family. We showed the video "Power of God" and the church did an excellent job on that video, as it is a video where Thomas S Monson shared the importance of the role of a priesthood holder in the family as well as those around the world. Darin usually just loves talking and is a great energetic guy... But this time he was very quiet and the silence in the room was so powerful you could have heard the dust hit the floor. There were three dogs and two kids in the room who were usually quite loud, but after this moment everything was quiet and the kids randomly just got very quiet. So legendary. Than he looked at us and the poor guy was sobbing as we bore testimony to him and the power of the role he holds. Apparently he (not too much details) had struggles in the past as well as with the family and they were under stress with a few things as a family and caused conflict. He said that he needed to hear exactly what we had to say and will continue to make changes in himself. He than began to thank us and really appreciated what we did for him, but in reality the man and his family has done so much for me. I love this gospel and how it has changed the lives of others including my own. Many people we meet say all the problems and war come from religion and there is no need for it, but as a witness of this truth I say otherwise. A pure and righteous belief in God is when we show charity and love to all, and is easier and more powerful when we follow the commandments of God and live it. Only by the experience of living it and understanding what the scriptures say will change a man to live righteously. As Elder Ballard says in Pursuit of Happiness. "Confusion and misunderstanding is the reason why all wars and contentions happens". This misunderstanding leaves when we pray, read, and live it.

Another book along with the book of Mormon that is awesome to read is "A marvelous work and wonder". I would recommend it and if you want another testimony booster about the church, it is awesome.

Now to end on an easier note... As a missionary we meet people. And you know, one understanding from the mission I have received is that there are strange people out there. I don't think I wanna hang out by Johanneskirche anymore haha. There is this huge church here that is famous in Germany and all of the people that are either high or drunk hang out there. I don't know why but they do. We contacted someone there and was way cool. He wanted to know if God was there. About to get his information but this Very Big Russian guy comes behind us and he is totally drunk. He can't stand up straight and is literally tripping all over the place. Just think of an overexaggerated drunk and you got him. Our contact freaked and left and it was literally just me and this guy. He had a large cigarette with weed in it and he kept asking me for a lighter. Obviously as a missionary I am too poor for that stuff and said I don't have anything. Over and over he asked me and yea, I got nothing. But he was SOS drunk that he kept dropping his cigarette on the floor and he accidentally kicked it and ruined it. Than he realized he had no cigarette. So he asked me for a cigarette. Didn't have one sadly and he was desperate to get a cigarette from me. Then he said he wanted to fight me, so I replied I am not good enough to fight. Sorry. :/

"Oh... Okay."

Than he asked me again for a cigarette, so I got one of those pass along cards and rolled it up like a cigarette and gave it to him. The sucker took it and then asked for a lighter. Didn't have one, so he told us he needed help going in a direction cause he can't walk straight. So we help him out and then he goes up to the Rathaus and starts taking a leak. So we book it and he chased us for a good way. But we good cause he couldn't think straight.

Anyways that was our week really. Hope all goes well. 

Much love 

Elder Monroe

1.Sunset home from zone conference

2 Darin is the guy on the right

3 Yours truly

4 smore sunlight.