I had a fabulous week and it sounds like you did too! As sad as I was during transfer week, it made up for it because I LOVE Elmshorn! I'm not going to get ahead of myself, there is still plenty to tell before that!
My last 2 days in Zwickau were really quite eventful. I spent Monday packing and getting ready, but it was not enough time because I wanted to make sure that everything was clean and put together for when Sister Harlow joined Sister Grisham (yeah, you read that right. I cleaned!) So I had to take a little bit of time on Tuesday night to pack up, but it wasn't too bad. I'm sending photo proof to show how well I packed my suitcases and nothing was too jammed in! The Sunday before, Sister Riedel had asked us to help her with a project (a huge event for multiple stakes in Zwickau the coming weekend) on Tuesday so I didn't have a lot of time to pack. She said they were just table decorations, but it turns out it was 300 little papers with a chocoloate and the tiniest little bow Ive ever seen that we had to tie! It was really fun, and she was really stressed about doing it all herself (no kidding, it would have taken her weeks to do that all by herself!) I think she was really surprised that we got all of them done for her. She reminded me a lot of you, and put a lot of thought and effort into making them! But it was a really good end to tmy time in Zwickau, I love Sister Riedel.
p.s. the computer is lagging a ton while Im writing this, so Im just going to keep typing and not check my mistakes because it would take forever.
Transfer day was a bit more eventful than yyou hoped! Ugh, that wheel is a pain. Nevertheless, it all worked out. (random thought, one day, grisham and I thought itd be funny to add scripture language to our speech, hence the nevertheless. It was a pretty amusing time.) But I traveled the entire day, and basically over half of our mission! Man that was like the saddest thing when G put me on a train in Leipzig. Once I started moving it hit me that I wasnt going back to Zwickau and I kind of started crying.. Like a lot haha. But it was all good because I got my suitcases configured (p.s. its the same in Germany as Spain. You just put your suitcases where you can, but definitely not in the aisle. (moreso at the ends.) but the guy behind me had a dog with him and the dog was all hyper and came up to my seat, and I think that he was a little angel sent to me, because he was just suddenly calm and stuck his head on my lap to let me pet him. Then the owner dude commands him in English to come back, and then I had two friends! The guy was from Ireland and he was super cool and let me just pet his dog and we talked for awhile. However, the problem came when I got to Hannover. The zone leaders were trying to hurry us along so much, that they put me and one other sister on the wrong train! I actually thought that we were in the Frankfurt mission when we realized the mistake, but it was just another hour out of the way. It was crazy lucky because we had wifi on that train and were able to get ahold of the office like 5 minutes before we would have to get off the train and they ordered and sent me a new ticket 1 MINUTE before we got off! It was crazy, but I finally made it to Hamburg. Apparently there was a train accident and like all of the ways to Elmshorn were shut down. I was crazy tired and hadnt eaten all day, but thankfully we got to Elmshorn by a tram and a bus. I dont actually really remember because I was so tired by then, BUT, I met Sister Decker that day! I have to tell you mom, I LOVE HER! Im so o so so excited to work with her. Within like 5 minutes, I was just like, wow, this reminds me of one of my MTC friends that went to the Frankfurt mission! Turns out, they are like,, best friends and roomed together in college! I was so excited to hear that. Shes really funny and motivated to work too, so we are going to work HARD here!
There is so much to do, this place is crazy! My first thoughts of Elmshorn is that its cold, its pretty small and it smells like cookies. Well, the first is right, then I realized how big our area is, and that one of the biggest müsli (or like granola) makers is here in Elmshorn, and when its cooking the whole town smells like cookies! I think I will always remember the smell of Elmshorn or maybe Im just grateful the whole thing doesnt smell like bier and cigarette smoke like Zwickau did a lot of the time. I wasn't kidding when I said there is a ton of work to do here. We have some really solid young investigators, that just need to commit to a baptismal date, theyve already developed the faith! That was amazing to see. We actually just got a new one too, heißt Joseph and hes from Kenya! His wife and now step kids are active members, so we will see how he does! We teach him and the kids on Tuesday, so high hopes! He also came to church on Sunday! He only speaks English and some tribal language, so he needs a translator for church the first hour. The young adults in this ward are super cool and all speak English. Its kind of weird for me because I speak German to them because c'mon, I want to speak it! And they want to speak English, so they usually end up winning. They are really funny. One of them, I think his name is Basti, he translated for Joseph, and he said that he wants me to do it next time! I really want to, translating is a whole other skill to learn! I think I could have done this weeks though, the primary program was what was for sacrament meeting, so the little kids are really easy to understand.
Speaking of German, my GOSH its a whole other language up here! Hochdeutsch is the most beautiful sound to my ears. Imagine I was learning English in southern Georgia, and then went to like, Harvard university and listened to some prestigious dude that spoke really good English. Okay that was lame but you get the point. These people are so dang easy to understand it really is crazy! However, I definitely need to relearn some pronunciation because I have been learning sloppy German! Its not too hard though :)
Other that that, we have been working!! I really love that both of us are just simply missionaries. No extras, no training, we are just here prepared to work! I love it so much, and she is just amazing with her German. I think we are going to try to speak 24/7 German with each other. I have really found a love for German now that its so dang easy to understand and speak with these people!!!!! We made a ton of transfer goals even though its only going to be a 4 week transfer, and I think that we can get a lot done. This ward is so willing to work with us and support us with whatever we need. Everyone says that this ward should be filmed for a special edition of the district: ward style. They are really wonderful and I already love them! Its funny, I think its getting easier to remember names now, I actually think I got the majority of them by the end of the day on Sunday! We had missionary and ward missionary meeting and also ward council and they were just awesome. I am really excited for what is coming up and who we can reach out to.
Im realizing how horrible my spelling has become. Whoops I hope that you can understand this email.
OH, there is one scary thing about Elmshorn: the eating appointments. We have one 5 days a week, the ward just loves to feed the missionaries. Everyone said that its impossible not to gain a ton of weight here, and that just terrifies me. The legend of Sister F. has traveled around the entire mission. She feeds the sister missionaries pancakes. Not just any pancakes, HUGE, THICK PANCAKES. Every sister says it was traumatizing and that you have to finish the stack of them. Then, to wash that all down, you eat pudding. Thick, gelatinous PUDDING. I shiver at the thought of this eating appt. Pray for the welfare of our souls, because I think we go over there next week. (Im being a little dramatic, but thats for humor and only like 56% kidding) It is a bit of a blessing because sister decker is a vegetarian!!! We think that is why we were put together. Maybe haha. But its been really nice, she made sure everyone knew about my food preferences and about the red meat thing before we had eating appts. so its been just wonderful. The ward is totally understanding and I appreciated it so much. They end up just feeding both of us vegetarian food and its been really delicious and healthy! Im glad we are together and I dont have to worry about getting sick at eating appts.!
Thats about it on my week! dang i write a novel though when I dont worry about spelling haha!
Answers to questions:
Do you have enough warm clothes and tights?
Im good on warm tights and everything! Its funny, in my last ward some of the members would just give me boxes of them on Sunday and they were that important! It was really funny. You definitely packed me more than enough warm tights, I am so so so grateful. They are a necessity in cold northern Germany! Especially with bikes!
Do you ever use all those workout plans you made before you left?
Every morning so far here! We were trying to get into a routine again, so we just started with those workouts which are awesome, but we made an exercise calendar a couple nights ago! So we plan to only use those workouts 2 times a week. I am doing a thing with sister Grisham and we arent eating any sweets this transfer (unless at eating appts when they just set it in front of you!) Ive been feeling really good and energized! Chocolate makes it sooooo hard to get up in the morning, its actually a blessing not to eat it.
I thought you said that the purple skirt was way too big for you - did wash and shrink it?
Okay I was probably being a little dramatic in the MTC, because its really lose fitting but yeah, I washed it and it shrunk a little. Its not tight in the least bit but a tucked in shirt helped! Makes me feel really skinny haha!
Did you ever find your cash wallet? What happened to it?
Ugh I have absolutely no idea it just makes me sick. Im glad my cards werent in there but I still lost a good chunk of my monthly money. Good thing we are fed so often hah! But we were all over and I completely retraced all of my steps, I still think its going to show up sometime at one of the members houses that we were at. Either that or it was stolen when I was on the bus. I dont remember sitting by anyone else though.
The soccer socks were hilarious! She has pretty skinny legs to fit those. Did he give them to her to keep or just wear to warm up?
Just to warm her up, she gave them back! Yeah shes skinny, but we got buff together this last 2 transfers! She has official Zwickau calves!
Did you get your package of cards yet? You still don't need to start opening them until the 1st or 2nd of December so there is still time. Will you be able to wait and only open one per day until Christmas?
I should get it on Thursday at interviews! Im so excited!! That will be my only chance to get them before December though, so lets hope! Ughhhh thats a hard question... Dang missionary status and I have to be all honest and patient and stuff. Hehe I kid, yes, I will be able to wait! You put so much work into those, I want it to work like you planned!
I hope you have a happy week Mommy! I love you a million days as a missionary. Im truly happy and just ready to do what Heavenly Father wants me to do.
Love, Sister Macey Ingalls
p.s. I again apologize for grammar and spelling, I promise I can still English
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