Yea yall, so this has been one of the most craziest as effective wise as well as I don't know wise. Like really I don't know. For example...

This week I... 

Have been proposed to. 

Asked on dates. 

Oh yea and of course I got to play for Elder Rasband! That was great! 

Anyways there is this crazy woman around here who found me and asked... 

"what comes after love?"

And I was like I have no idea. Hey do you know where KFC is? 

But then she just flipped out and asked me to marry her and stuff so Elder Golden pulled a quick one and just gave her their card and said phone number and booked it. Haha worst idea ever, because now she calls them like five times a day and asks them for "Monroe" and starts speaking French as to where I am. They blocked her of course but it keeps showing records that she keeps calling. Haha! I'm invincible.️

And then one day we were contacting near our apartment and the rain was insane. Like so hard the first five minutes my umbrella exploded and was placed in the trash. The was depressing. She and I went through lots together. :/

But like anyways I was still contacting people and I contacted a girl who actually looked pretty cool! Then I noticed she was sobbing and kinda asked if she needed help. (Elder Hunter was nearby contacting someone else.) she just stood there and honestly just started sobbing even more, so I like tried to help her and asked for the problem. She didn't want to say so I gave her my card with my phone number and said if you need to talk let me know. 

Well two hours later or so she starts texting me. First she apologized about the situation and then we talked to see how we could help. Then she told me how nice I was and how handsome I was and wanted to go out and I was like shoot. So I explained as a missionary I can't really go on dates... So she asked if we could be best friends... So I explained what we do more as missionaries and such and how we don't go the movies for a while and stuff like that until we go home. She didn't understand but was still down for the lessons. Cool. 

Next day was the appointment with her and I was looking for her and thought I saw her. So I smiled and waved... Apparently it was someone different and she smiled and waved back too! Well turns out this lady lived with Mormons for a year in Utah and she loved them so much. She is from Iceland and wants to see the Mormons here and have the lessons. We will see but that kind of blew my mind. Haha

Then we found the real person. Her name is Alva and we had a good lesson. She listened and had great questions. She is currently a progressing investigator and keeps commitments. 

And for the Elder Rasband conference... Well let's just say it was awesome! So much power behind his words. The idea of where our works on the mission, how perhaps we may not see much in the future but the missionaries in the future will benefit from our works, and how much of an effect we have had on the work. We find lots of investigators, but not too many are baptized, so he gave a little pump up speech. 

He also stated that we change our attitude and how effective we are with our testimony of Jesus christ and who he is, and this atmosphere leads to a loving and obedient mission. We are already quite obedient, but now it's time to clean the places where we can do better. True love comes from christ, and when we develop that we can grow a relationship with our investigators and members like no other. 

Oh and then we had stake conference and I met EVERYONE from Duisburg. I missed them so hard. Man and Ali (the guy me and Elder Burch searched a suit and tie and all that jazz for so he could go to church) was there! He goes to church every week, every activity, and is very involved. He just needs to be baptized! For some reason he is too scared to be baptized but also wants to serve a mission as an Arabic speaking missionary and boy, we need them! Man I miss that place. I even got to meet the crazy awesome old guy Bruder Suhl, the guy we would hang out with every Friday and read the scriptures with. 

Everyday now seems to be booked, as we have four appointments a day. These are our normal schedules. So far it's been good and life goes on. 

Much Love

Elder Monroe

Clock is ticking

Hey yall so transfer 10 came by and I got a new guy. His name is Elder Hunter and yea! We will see what happens.

Otherwise we had many lessons today. People who are ready it seems, for example our great pal Cassandra is meeting us still and trying to come to church, except the problem is this Sunday is stake conference so that's a bit of a problem as it is in Düsseldorf. Looks like we have to wait till next week. She cracks me up and she is interested. Let's go. 

Another one is Gero! Who might actually come to the conference with Elder Rasband! Like I didn't even say "hey come along." but just that we couldn't set up an appointment on Saturday morning as we had an important meeting with an apostle of God. Apparently that piqued his interest and he really wants to go. I can't say no. 

Oh yea and I just sent Elder Stark home. That guy has been extended twice. Don't even know how that is possible but it is. It was fun serving with the guy and "may the force be with him." haha

And I guess another thing yall might enjoy is when Elder Stark and I were trying to get on a street train near our house this man was  driving by and his trunk randomly opened, and cartons of beer just launched everywhere. Like all over the cars and everything behind it. Everyone on the train just started laughing way hard, but what was really funny is that there was already a guy there in his Machine cleaning the streets and all he did was simply turn around and just wash the street, nothing happened. Everyone got back in their cars and it was back to normal. I guess this happens a lot here because most the time I am on train, people just bring beer on the train and then they either throw it somewhere or just drop it and then the train smells like beer the rest of the day. Like I have become way acquainted with the smell of Alcohol and Marijuana. Haha. I don't know if that is a good thing or not.

Had another cool experience on the train. Someone once again spilled his beer all over the train and people came to my seat for safe haven and such. Then these other kids came around my seat and asked me. 

"Woah! Are you a priest!"

(My companion was on the other side of the train talking to someone.)

And I was like yea! In a way. More of a missionary. 

And they thought it was so cool. And then as they asked these questions, other people listened and started asking questions. Like I had an audience of 8 people. And as they left I gave them cards because sadly I had no time to get their info and they nodded, smiled, and went forward. Coolest thing ever. Maybe we should bring ten year olds with us or something.

Other than that that was really all that was remarkable this week. Let the good times roll. 

Love yall

Elder Monroe 

I think I'm gonna die

Well yours truly is playing a piano piece for Elder Rasband the Saturday after this one. Elder Ritchie will be singing as I play and my brain hurts right now so send prayers my way. My pride is going to need it here pretty soon. Just gonna say. Haha!

All is good up here in Paradise! We had this huge ward meal festival thing from "around the world". As almost all of our members are from somewhere across the world, everyone brought food from their country including Madagascar, Albania, Turkey, everywhere. Our bishop though came wearing his wedding ceremonial clothes from Eritrea(his wife is Eritrean) and that was quite interesting! I'll just say that, especially his dance moves haha!

We had a lesson with one of our new investigators Cassandra and she is making progress. She is so cool and ready for the gospel. She was previously Buddhist, so previously she wouldn't kill anything, which meant flies as well. And then the flies went crazy in her house and she decided it was either her or the flies, so she sent an email to the Australian group of Buddhists... They replied with a blank email so she burned them all. Haha! She still wants to be religious but doesn't know which way so we are there for her. She wants to come to church!

Than this random Chinese girl I met on the train was just staring at me for a while on the train, so I was like "hey whats up?". Apparently she lives in my building and we told her to come to church and stuff and she was like

"Why not?" That's exactly what I thought too! Haha. She is really cool and her name is Yui. And we have a teaching appointment as well with her at this bread shop in our apartment building so it's really easy to say hi. Cool stuff.

Right now at the moment we are on our way to Leverkusen but bad news... I lost my wallet lol. It must have fallen out of my pocket on the bus but no worries I know exactly what bus it was as well as when I was on it so we should find it very soon, and we were the only ones on the bus so that should relieve a couple more concerns. Prayers everyone. 

We are also on our way on a higher note, to see some dope monkeys! Apparently there is this park here where people and monkeys get to hang out with another and chill. So far this week has been very eventful and insane is what I can definitely say. 

Oh yea and one of my investigators started writing me from Saarbrücken. His name is Daniel from Egypt and he was that one guy I was talking about a long time ago. Apparently he has interest on the church again and asked me when church starts because he wanted to check it out. So that was pretty cool! Then he asked me if I need help financially and stuff, but yea I don't need money haha. Hope he went to church... Don't know yet. 

Other than that it is a real good week.

Love yall and hope it's good. 

Elder Monroe

1. Us at Cologner dome

2. Goat pal

3. I miss my bird! 

4. This epic ride where I lost my hat and someone had to ride it again and save it

Fast Month

The ward has been kind enough this month to do a "fast month" for us this month, and where one member fasts a day and then another does as well the next day for specific blessings for us. So far it's been pretty good.

We went out once again in the soaking rain and we found two great people, one in particular who seems really quite ready and enjoys the standards that we live by. It was just extremely odd how friendly people were that day. Especially in the rain. They just stood there without any umbrella and just ate it up. Awesomeness. 

As for another guy we found this guy called Oleg, who is from Ukraine and had interest, as we sent him this always there video for Easter about christ. 

He just replied. 

"Who are you guys?"

We answered and he remembered us and asked if he could have the lessons again and asked where we were. I just answered General conference and he asked if he could come. So yea he totally came for conference and loved it. Then we had a lesson with him the next day and is making commitments. Hope to see more success from him. He seems quite solid and all the members like him, so that should be great. 

Conference was great. The famous "stand up" part really got some members. (Some spoke English and watched it in English with us.) Poor brother Marki just stood up and started sobbing. It was great. Haha the spirit was quite powerful that session. I loved it.

Easter time was an interesting time to do finding. Let's just say we got roasted. Haha they asked us as religious people why are we talking to people on Easter and not celebrating it... I think they just wanted to get rid of us. 

Not really much to say. Just a normal week with member appointments and activities from the ward. Let's see if we can do amazing things here. 

Love yall. 

Elder Monroe

1,3 Places we contacted

I have already met a couple of really friendly people here in Köln; one of which I believe is already ready for the gospel. We shall see.

We were in the City of Leverkusen on our way to an appointment and I just had the feeling to talk to this guy, turns out he wants to be a missionary and come closer to God. He is a German student with already very high standards and we explained to him everything about the book of Mormon, and how it brought us closer to christ. 

He loved it and asked for a copy so of course we gave it to him, and not long after he (as we got his Facebook) he started asking us questions about the book and did a lot of research on it. We were a little afraid but he came across the section of the baptism of little children... And he loved it! And he keeps telling us about it so that's cool! We hope he makes progress. Just a cool little miracle that we saw.

We were also giving these invitations out to our ward conference to some members when we ran into the house of this older man from turkey. At first I thought he was an odd guy, but he invited us in because he keeps telling us everything he was grateful for because God was there for him, because he was literally broken apart and placed together. Craziness. He wasn't supposed to survive but somehow did, so in his gratitude he goes around and collects bottles. (Bottles cost money here. Around 25 cents a bottle). With the money he collects from bottles, he buys vegetables and fruit and rides around on his bike with this food and gives it to the poor people who need it. He says he is extremely happy with his life even though he lives in a very trashy room. (Think of a small garage.) And thus garage is already full of fruit, vegetables and glass bottles that he has collected. It really increased my perspective with what I should be grateful for and how I can be more serviceable myself. His life was literally a life of service. I hope we meet him again.

Other than that our area where we are serving is quite enjoyable. I so love it here. Like everyday is simply so nice. I can't explain it. The members are just so friendly to us and I am happy with what I am seeing. I think these next couple of days is where we get to focus on finding by the university as that is where we live, but we have just been so busy with member appointments! I dunno, I guess that also goes along the lines of gratitude here for me.

So yea! Gratitude and service. I decided to focus more on this subject after I met the man and my scripture for the week now is.

Mosiah 2:17

When ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God.

I love it here yall! Hope you the best. 

Much love 

Elder