Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Unexpected Transfer Calls!

Elder Billings, Elder Ebisch, Elder Larsen, Elder Spangenberg, Elder and Sister Gill, Elder Horrocks, Elder Rot, Sister Lisonbee, and Sister Brim


Well this week was great, but it ended on a cliffhanger.  We got transfer calls and all I can say is WOW!  So Elder Larsen got transferred which was almost expected.  And I also got transferred!  Which means they are shutting down the Elders here.  Which honestly makes no sense; we have a baptism this week and lots of appointments.  We were both floored.  We talked to the AP's about it and they pretty much said,"Sorry, but it's out of our hands".

 Elder Larsen got transferred to Annaberg, which is pretty much the best area to be for Christmas, I am really jealous of him.  I am transferred to Pinneberg, in the Neumuenster Stake, I just came from there.  It is a lot like my last area because we are right next to Hamburg.  Elder Larsen is also going back to his old stake and zone.  We are losing missionaries so quick.  They all go home and not many are coming out, so lots of programs had to be shut down this transfer.  Elder Larsen and I were both very sad.
We held everything together on Saturday, we mostly cleaned the apartment.  But Sunday was too much for me, I cried all day Sunday and so did Elder Larsen.  I bore my testimony at Sacrament and right after was in tears.  I love Nienburg and Elder Larsen.  I have never seen so much success and happiness from one area.  This has been my greatest time on my mission.  I have learned so much in this area.  I pictured myself here for at least 3 more months. but I guesss God has a different plan for me.  Nienburg will be the first area I would ever think about visiting when I come back after my mission.  My dream now is to whitewash train here in Nienburg when there are more missionaries.  I mean I've already pretty much whitewashed it so why can't I train as well.

Andre is still going to be baptized this week.  I will be coming back for it to baptize him.  Which is gonna make it even harder to leave this area.

 My new companion is only 3 months in Germany, I'm golden busting him in mission talk.  Which means I am his first companion after his trainer and my job is to fix up that the trainer did wrong or just to help him.  But I'm excited because he's still young and full of energy.  But it's been really hard.  Never have I felt so sad about  leaving less than 20 members and about 10 investigators.  I'm afraid to go back to the big ward because you don't get to know the members as well but in these small branches it's like a big family.  And it really was here.  Every month we would all eat together and we would see most the members throughout the week.

As I was praying I felt a calm feeling come over me, but that doesn't mean that I'm not gonna bawl all day Monday and Tuesday.  To make things worse the Schmidts and a couple of members as well as the senior missionary couple are saying goodbye to us at the train station so when I meet my new companion my eyes will be full of water.  Pretty much all we are doing this Pday is saying goodbye to the people that I love so much.  It has felt like home here as well because my Grandpa is from Hannover and every week we went there for district meeting.  But I am grateful that I had the opportunity to serve by where my family is from.  I recognize that this is all part of life, saying goodbye to friends you love and meeting new ones.

Well that's pretty much everything.  I am excited and sad to leave but just like the saying, "When one door closes another one opens."  But hey I'm coming back here on Friday for the baptism and we are staying overnight with the Gills, so that will have a lasting impact.  Have a good week!
Elder Spangenberg  

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