Solingen, Germany

Solingen.

Well It's been a crazy week. Both of us are new to this area so we had no idea where we were where our area is and so on and so on. But finally we've gotten a pretty good idea. Solingen is not far away at all. but it's way different, more like Wesel. It is pretty small, but it's way pretty. It's in the mountains, so there's lots of hills but also tons of trees, also way pretty. Elder Gruber is way cool. Way excited to do missionary work. He's only been out for three months so I feel a little old. Soo, I'm getting more accustomed to the city. I'm warming up to it. The ward's way sweet! A little smaller than Köln but way nice and way efficient. I was given this packet that every missionary gets with my name on it and the goals, stats, members and whatnot in it. It was awesome. This ward is ready and willing to do crazy good missionary work, and Elder Gruber and I are more than willing to help them do it.

Well, I'm glad the holiday is over. Don't get me wrong I love Easter but holidays are a little different in Germany than in America. All the stores are closed and everybody makes a point of going somewhere where we (missionaries) can't find them. Holidays in Germany are really boring for missionaries. Normally I set up appointments, but then again, I got here on Wednesday, so I didn’t really have much opportunity. We'll dig down and do some great work this week.

Alright well I love you all. Stay cool.

Volle liebe
Elder McDonald

Find the Elder

Note: This is a picture Russell sent recently. Find him in the picture.

Solingen, Here I come

Well I will be leaving the beautiful city of Köln and go to the far far off city of Solingen. Actually it's not far off at all. Two stops away. I don't know a lot about the city, so I'll have to fill you in next time.
This week has gone by really fast. Luckily I was able to see all the members I wanted before I leave tomorrow. Plus we have stake conference not to far away. So it's not like it'll be a long time before I see my old ward. What I do know about Solingen is that my companion and I (Elder Gruber, I don't know him at all) are opening an apartment that was closed a couple of months ago, so we'll be hitting the streets. That's nothing new. But yeah, I'm sad to be leaving, though that's the life of a missionary.

I really enjoyed conference, as always, I hear just what I need to hear.

Well I gotta pack. Bis nächste woche. (Until next week.)

Elder McDonald

Meine neue adresse
Werwolf Str. 32 (that's right werewolf how sweet is that?!?!)
42651 Solingen germany.

Transfer time again

Note: I asked Elder RAM about a box of goodies that I had sent to him a second time (we sent it the first time at Christmas time, and it came back to us.) We wanted to try one more time to get a box to him in Germany. I included Easter wishes and goodies too.

I got the Christmas package...and some Easter mm's. Stop the mail at the moment, this weekend’s transfers and I have a feeling that I'm going to get transferred. It's about time this little ol’ elder get a fourth city. (After a year in Germany, most missionaries are working on number five or six.) I'm doing a lot better aka “Not sick”. It was funny though, the ward thought I was getting into fights or something because of the scabs my cold sores left. This week is general conference- it's going to be sweet! UMMMMM We played basketball today so I'm tired and way out of it. Well life's sweet, the weather is great, and a year ago I wouldn't have imagined that I'd be able to communicate in this language. (It's so weird that I've been in Germany for more than a year.) Loves,Elder McDonald

Blow by blow account of the week

Well, It's been an adventure. As a background, since the area conference I'd been fighting off a cold, then Elder Jackson got it, and at the end of last week I had it again. So we were pretty...humbled. We started these 20 minute member appointments where we ask them where we should go do finding time and then come back and report. We did that on Tuesday for the first time. We found a really nice old man who let us in and sorta listened. Then on Wednesday on our way to an appointment I started to get really tired and started to shake. The three minute walk from the Haltestelle to the church made me rather tired and I knew something was wrong, so I told Elder Jackson he'd have to do most of the talking. He gave a really cool lesson, but I just got colder and colder and started shaking like crazy. It took a lot of strength to teach, but the spirit was strong and I could really tell that the Lord was helping me. Our investigator noticed and told me to go home and lie down. Which we did as it became clear to me just how hard it was for me to walk around.

We went home and I had a fever of about 103°. So I got bundled up and got in bed. The other Elders came, gave me a blessing, and made sure everything would be fine. The next day I was still tired, but the fever broke and we went and taught this awesome, sincere lady a first lesson. She really liked it and asked questions that pertained to the plan of salvation and wants to hear it. Unfortunately she doesn't know a time in the next two weeks where we can meet.

Then on Friday I started feeling that I was getting some cold sores, but I had a wax that usually helps. Well by the end of the night my lips were covered. I woke up Saturday morning and I had large white bubbles on my lips under my nose and on the left side of my mouth. Well, we went and helped somebody move, and I called the doctor and got that taken care of.

Sunday and half of Monday we stayed home to make sure everything was fine and that I didn't get sick again. Monday night we went to an appointment that fell out on account of rain and hail. We got drenched! It was fun!

I don't usually give a blow by blow account of what happens in my life, but the way it worked was interesting. We'd have a spiritual experience, then we'd have opposition. Then we'd have another better experience followed by greater opposition. This weekend simply means to me that a miracle's around the corner, and I'll be keeping an eye out for it.

Elder McDonald
3/24/2009