This week I went on exchanges with the Elder Allen in Groitzsch. We promised their 16 year old investigator and her mom that we would make them some American pancakes with some good ol’ Aunt Jemima high fructose corn syrup. To sum it up, they loved it. So it was a good time.

We also visited “Omi”, their 94 year old member, who seems very ready to move on to the next life… She gets around great, but I swear she was going to fall at any minute and break a hip. She also asked me if she should be cremated or buried… So I told her I had no idea.

After our exchange we attempted to make our way back to Halle… As we got ready to switch trains in Leipzig we found out our train was canceled due to an unearthed unexploded WWII bomb somewhere close to our train route… So after a few hours of trying to find a train, we decided to just go back to Groitzsch. Well those trains were connected to our other route so they were canceled as well, haha. So we spent the night with Elders Mika and Halbleib.

This week’s German class was once again a hit! We’re up to 13 people now teach a beginners and an advanced class. And because our teaching pool is a little dry we are doing some other types of finding, Tuesday nights we’ve started playing basketball at a park with the guys that show up.

I realized late yesterday that it was Pioneer Day. I’ve gained a deeper love for the pioneers. It amazing what they went through, but they did it. It shows once again to me how the Lord supports his people – especially through trials.

Elder Winkel

Today we went to the zoo with the sisters and a couple members…

Water rats.

First week down in Halle. Tuesday night we overnighted in Hamburg to say our goodbyes to Elder Adams 🙁 also got to drive Suicide Sarah for the last time.

Halle a good city, about 200,000 people, it’s in East Germany so the people very honest, so I guess that’s a good attribute. Not much is going on here, so we’re looking to build the program up. Our focus right now is our German/English class, so we went around on Thursday and gave out 40 flyers or so, and Friday we had 4 people show up to our class! A tender mercy from the Lord, we’re going to keep it up and see if we can really get the class going.

We also had district meeting in Leipzig, afterwards we went and got lunch with Elder Pilling, who went home last week but was touring his areas with his mom so, said goodbye till next month or so…

Gave my testimony on Sunday about hope, we always have a reason for hope. Brighter days are always ahead of us.

27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Elder Winkel