Germany Week 6

It sounds like you had quite the exciting week. On the 24th I realized what day it was about halfway through the day and started wishing all of the missionaries around a happy Pie 'n Beer day*. I really want homemade ice cream now. Thanks for reminding me of it mom.

Nothing too crazy happened here this week, but it was a pretty exciting week. Friday was probably the best day. First Elder Swan and I went out to go by some former investigators and some less actives and to contact some people along the way. The very first (and she actually ended up being the only) person we talked to, took a Book of Mormon and gave us her number because she said she was interested in learning more! It was awesome! A bit later in the day we met with the other Bamberg Fellas and Elder Sprunt informed us that he just got a text from one of their investigators saying he wants to get baptized!!! It will be in at least a month because he wants to be living the standards of the church for at least a month before he gets baptized and he has to quit smoking and break up with his girlfriend. We were with him all day yesterday and he didn't smoke one cigarette, which is really impressive since he has been smoking a pack or two everyday since he was about 11. He only left us when he went to go try and break up with his girlfriend, so he definitely seems like he's going to make it, but I sure don't envy him because it's going to be hard.

We also had transfer calls on Saturday, but it doesn't really affect me too much. Elder Jackson, our District Leader, and one of the other Elders in Bamberg is getting transfered out, but that's about the only change in the entire district.

You're great!

Love you more!

*the folks on our street have a block party on Pioneer Day which they call "Pie 'n Beer Day

Germany Week 5

Hey Mom!,

So is Joseph's new car brand spankin' new? Because if it has that new car smell it's hard to imagine it being a new used car. Speaking of which, I had to buy a new used bike today because the gear shifter on my old one completely busted a little over a week ago. Anyway. I hope you understood more of the Spanish church service than I do of the German one. It's not actually that bad because they translate everything into English here in Bamberg. I'm not exactly sure why though. Well it's actually because there's an American Army base here, but it got shut down a few months ago so there are no more American families, so there's not much of a point anymore, but they still do it anyway. I try to use it as a way to learn the German words I don't understand, but that doesn't always work out.

The work here's about like usual. Slow. But we have met with a few people, and one of them, that I don't think I told you about, is named M-. He's from China, so he's a bit skeptical of just about everythihng, but he's really cool, and if he can just start believing in his spiritual promptings he will be golden.

Love you more!!!
Isaac

Germany Week 4

Hey Mumsy! Sounds like you had quite an... interesting week. So are you already in Texas then? You said you'll be there for Joseph's Birthday right? You should wish him a happy Birthday for me because this is the closest I'll get to talking to him on his Birthday.

My week was pretty interesting. The work seems to be picking up. Yesterday we taught a Polish girl, named S--
, at the Bishop's house. She's sort of been meeting with the missionaries for about two years, but it's been more of hanging out than anything else, but yesterday we explained that we wanted teach her a few lessons and she was totally down for it!

Also on Friday night we were starting to plan and Elder Swan kept feeling like we were supposed to do something. He looked at all of of investigators, and potentials and what not, but we had already called all of them, or knew what was happening with them. He decided to look through the contacts in our phone anyway, and randomly stumbled across a potential investigator that the last missionaries had found. He called him up, but he couldn't hear a word we were saying and hung up on us. Oh well. Then, a few minutes later he called us back and we set up an appointment for Saturday. Our lesson with him was awesome, and when we told him that faith grows in us like a seed grows into a tree he told us "I want to be a tree." He also said he could feel the truth in what we were saying and is meeting with us again today!

 The View from the other Elders Apartment.  It looks way better in real life.  You can see Michaelsburg, a cloister, over on the right of the picture, and on the left is the top of Bambergerdome

Also, funny story, we did some Sport Contacting this week, so we went and played some basketball at a park. Unfortunately there were only little kids there, but we decided to play with them anyway. We were thinking that we were going to have to go easy on them, but they totally schooled us. We Nicknamed one, who was ten, John Stockton because I don't think he missed one shot. It was ridiculous.

The View from my apartment.  At least you can see if your train is late or not.

You're the best Mom!
Have a jolly week!
Love you more!
Elder Isaac Cloward

Germany Week 3

Sounds like you had quite the exciting week! Mine was much less exciting and consisted mostly of walking around the beautiful streets of Bamberg trying to get anyone to talk to us. We acually met a few people that seem like they're really cool and might just end up being awesome investigators. We'll have to wait and see on them. Unfortunately the one real investigator we had decided he didn't want to meet with us anymore so now we more or less have no actual investigators, but a couple of potentials.

We also went over to the Bishop's house yesterday, and let me tell you, he and his wife are really awesome people. What's more, they cooked Enchilads for us. They were delicious and brought a little bit of home.

Well, I don't think I really have much of anything else to say, there's not exactly a lot going on here in Bamberg, though there is a Giant Magic Show coming up. We're also hoping that if Germany makes it to the final Pres. Stoddard will let us watch that game, but I digress.

Love you more!
Elder Isaac

P.S. You should totally go read "Following Up", Elder Ballard's last conference talk.