Exchanges, Planes Shows and Ferris Wheel!

Hey Guys!
This week was pretty good! We went on 2 exchanges this week and that is always fun to get to know other missionaries.  We were able to find a couple of new people this week!  Right now we are working on getting an English and German class started for the refugees as service, but also as a way of finding more investigators.

We had a lesson this last week with a guy that is Catholic.  We explained to him that Jesus is the God of the Old Testament, that was hard for him to understand.  We make progress with him every week and we gave him some passages in the Book of Mormon to read.  Our other investigator is probably going to have to be baptized in her next area, but we are still teaching her and preparing her for the elders in her new area to teach her.

We got invited by a family to go to an opening of a military airport.  It was super cool!  I was really surprised that President let us go, but at the same time it was a really good opportunity to strengthen our relationship with the members.  There were so many people there, I think they estimated 80,000 people would come..it was crazy!  We took plenty of photos, it was super cool!

There was a huge fair like thing in the city of Neumunster this week so it was pretty loud outside.  But a member gave us money to ride a ferris wheel and it was great!  My new companion and I get along great, it's literally such a blessing.  Well, I don't have anymore time, but I will talk to you next week.
Elder Spangenberg

New Companion!

Hey Everybody,
I am doing great!  I love my new companion, he is really nice and awesome and we just get along great.  He is actually a convert of about 3 years.  He is from Arizona and I'm the only one in the district that is from Utah.  It's like the most multi cultural district I've been in, usually Utah is the majority but now I'm the minority.

This last transfer week we didn't really teach anyone because it was so hectic with transfers.  We had our Ward Party on Saturday and that was really fun.  There were a billion mosquitos out and I decided to wear shorts, so I got bit all over my legs and arms.  I also stepped in some poison ivy playing capture the flag and that really hurt.  My legs used to be like tomato red, but now I feel better after using some oil from a member.

We did have a lesson with our recent convert and she has to move back to Hungary for family reasons, but the good thing is there is a branch in the town where she is moving to and it's only 15 minutes walking distance away!  So she was excited to hear that.  It will be good for her because then she will have church in her mother language so she will understand it much better.

It's super hot here, like approaching the 90s and it's really humid.  I feel like I'm always in a sauna because I sweat so much.  We were outside walking and talking to people and then we passed a grocery store.  So we decided to go in and

get something cool to drink or eat.  Well, we bought a package of popsicles because it was really cheap, there were 11 in the package to be exact and we sat down and split them.  So we each had like 5 popsicles!  After that our mouths were super numb, but it was a good break.

My companion is just really chill and I haven't had someone like him for a while.  We enjoy each other's company.  He doesn't like to go running in the mornings, but hopefully I can change that!
Now I'm really busy with district leader stuff and organizing things for the young men.  I'm always super stressed but it keeps me alert and on top of things!

Elder Spangenberg

Spring Zone Conference in Hamburg

Bruder Apel (German Companion) on front row far left, Elder Spangenberg next to him, then Elder Adler of the seventy and his wife, then President Fingerle and his wife of the Germany Berlin Mission.

Revelation!

This weekend was probably one of the most spiritual weekends on my mission.  It started on Friday.  We had Zone Conference on Friday.  I'm gonna be honest, I wasn't expecting to learn anything and I was kinda dreading it because the past ones have just been about how either kids are the best missionaries or that we should invite people to the temple.  So for the hour long train ride to Hamburg I had the feeling, "Well I guess I could try to prepare for Zone Conference, so I started reading my scritures, and I came across a quote from President Marion G. Romney that really impacted me and it was," Real personal sacrifice never was placing an animal on the altar.  Instead, it is a willingness to put the animal in us upon the altar and letting it be consumed!"(Conference April 1995)  On the same topic, Elder Maxwell later taught," As you submit your wills to God, you are giving him the only thing you can actually give him that is really yours to give".  I read this quote and had never really thought about this.  I thought to myself, "what could I sacrifice to God so that I can be a better missionary?"  Well at this time, it was time to get off the train.  But the thought kept staying in my mind and I sat down for Zone Conference and then the AP's and President talked about the exact same quote!  It was just like, WOW, that was definately revelation.  That Zone Conference was just great, we also had an "Interview" with Jesus Christ and that was really just so powerful.  We split into two groups and we went into a room and there in the room was a picture of Christ and questions on the wall.  No lie, it really felt like he was there asking those questions.

The next day we had the first day of Stake Conference and that was great as well.  I went to the leadership meeting because of my calling in the Young Mens.  Well, President Fingerle was at that meeting and he was pretty surprised to see me there, haha.  I had forgotten to tell him I had a Ward calling as Young Mens Advisor, but I explained everything to him and everything is good.  Man that was such a good stake conference, there was a musical number which was,"Savior Redeemer of my Soul".  I love this song, not the hymnbook version, but a different one.  There was a woman at the piano and a guy playing the flute and singing.  It was so beautiful it almost brought me to tears.  Most of what was talked about in stake conference was helping other people, especially all of the refugees.  And in leadership meeting we talked about service because that is what leadership it.  I talked with President Fingerle afterwards and he said some things he expects of me as his leader, then I was like well I'm not one of your leaders, then he was like, "Well not yet, but transfer calls are today".  So here is what happened..

My new companion is Elder Miller.  Yes Mom, the one who's blog that you like.  I have heard good things about him and I'm determined to get along with him.  But I'm also district leader now so we will see how that goes.  But I know that who the Lord calls, he will qualify as well.  Any suggestions, quotes, or words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated.  I'm scared, but now I really do know that Christ is always there for me, and I'm excited for what the future holds for me.

Life is about to be super busy with being District Leader and Young Men's Advisor, so I would really appreciate your prayers.  I love you guys and miss you, but there's no where I would rather be than where I am now!

Elder Spangenberg

Mini Missionary

Bruder Apel and Elder Spangenberg

Hey folks!  Its been a while since I have written, so I'll catch everyone up.  So my last companion, Elder Anderson, I killed in mission talk, which means he went back to America because he was done.  He went back 2 weeks early for his sister's graduation and for his last Pday we went to the Beach in Kiel and took pictures.

I rode the train to Berlin to drop off my companion and went to the mission office to be with the APs and that was not fun.  I would literally rather slit my writs and do pushups in salt water than work in the office.  It felt like prison in there waiting for my new companion to show up!

My new companion is a mini missionary.   He has put his papers in to go on a mission and is waiting for his call.  The APs knew I needed a companion and so they called him up.  His name is Bruder Apel and he is from Freiberg, which is the place where the temple is.  He doesn't speak much English so we have been speaking all German.  I feel like my English is getting progressively worse.  But he's really funny and totally German.  We get along pretty well.  We are only going to be with each other for 2 weeks and then its real transfers and I will get a new companion.

This week was pretty boring aside from a ton of traveling to Berlin and back.  All of our investigators are doing pretty good.  One that is moving wants to be baptized, WOOHOO!  I'll either baptize her in her new area or she'll come back and I'll baptize her here.
Elder Spangenberg

Elder Anderson and Elder Spangenberg

Changes on the Way!

Things have been crazy...My companion, Elder Anderson  is going home this week and I get a Mini Missionary for 2 weeks!  He is German and is 18 years old from Freiberg, Germany.  Apparently he speaks a hard German accent to understand, but I'm really excited!  I'm going from one ending his mission to one who has never been on a mission.  I have so many things to do with him it's ridiculous.  I will do my best.  Just pray for me that I can get done everything that I am supposed to.  Wednesday, I will take a train to Berlin and pick him up there.

You asked about Boy Scouts here.  No, they don't really have Boy Scouts here.  It's separate from the church here.  Some do it, but it's not part of mutual.  None of the kids in this Ward do it.

I have been trying to run in the mornings.  My companion doesn't like to, so I finally said,"Come sit on the curb and watch me so I can then."  The rule is we have to see each other.  He did a couple of times this week so I could exercise.

Well I'm excited for the changes this week.

Love,
Elder Spangenberg

This is the previous Ward Mission Leader and he really liked us.

These are members from the Neumunster Ward.

Almost went to Denmark!

District Lunch in Kiel at a Doner Shop with one of the Sister's Investigators.


Our week was a little slow, because almost every one of our appointments fell out!  We had an exchange and I went to Flensburg.  While there we were going to meet with this guy who lives in Denmark.  He lives  closer to the church in Flensburg than the one in Sonderburg Denmark, so we had permission from the President to leave the mission boundaries.  Sadly, the appointment fell out, but hopefully I will get the chance to go later.
 It rained pretty much everyday this week. That's common for Northern Germany.  What isn't common is for EVERY appointment to fall out!  One investigator was packing for her trip to Turkey, another one had to take care of his sick wife, and the other ones, the people just didn't show up.

We did meet with good old George.  When we walked in, he had incense burning, haha.  Well, he still hasn't read in the Book of Mormon because he doesn't feel he needs to if his relationship with God is good.  We talked about the Brother of Jared and different ways we receive our answers.  Sometimes the Lord will tell us what we need to do and sometimes he expects us to come up with a solution.  Like how the Lord asked The Brother of Jared ,"What will ye that I shall do, so that you shall have light?"  Then The Brother of Jared got the stones and asked the Lord to touch them.  George really liked that and it helped him.  We also showed him the church newsroom and there it talks about anti mormon topics like The Book of Mormon and DNA Studies.  We told him to google the website and then he gave us a lecture of how the NSA(National Security Administration) owns google and Microsoft.  You just gotta love George.  He said he is coming to our ward party this week too!

Speaking of the Ward Party, the Youth had planned a party on Christi Himmel Fahrt.  Which is the day that Christ ascended up into heaven after coming to the Disciples after his resurrection.  Well, the Germans celebrate it like most holidays with beer and walking through the city pulling wagons full of beer with boom boxes on their shoulders!  It's also throughout the years been called Father's Day in Germany. So we planned as a Ward to go to the Lake and do a barbecue. Well, it turns out that is the ONLY day that the city doesn't allow people to have a barbecue because they think people will get drunk and it would be dangerous.  So that was a bummer to hear, but we are still going to have the barbecue, it will just be outside in the church parking lot.

I don't know if I have mentioned A in any of my emails but we met with him this week.  He is 21 and from Afghanistan, but has been in Germany for about 4 years.  He is an investigator only if he has nothing to do and then he'll meet with us.  He is Muslim, but doesn't really follow it and is really a nice guy.  Lately, he has just been interested in party life.  This time his girlfriend caught him cheating on her and broke up with him.  He was broken hearted.  But through this experience he started to pray for the first time in a while.  So we talked a lot about the atonement with him, but the problem is that he doesn't believe in Christ.  He is convinced that he is in love with his past girlfriend and just wants her back, so he asked us if Christ could help him get his ex back.  I said, "Mmm, that's a tough one", but my companion said, "Ya, I think so."  Obviously he needs to believe there is a Christ!  We talked a lot with him and now he is living the law of Chastity and not drinking anymore and his perspective seems to have changed.  Sometimes people need an experience like that to change themselves!

We helped a couple of families with service by gathering stones again.  It rained us out and the ground got all muddy, but we are going again this week!  We also helped a family that is remodeling their whole house.  They gave us a hammer and chisel and we went to work breaking mirrors and tiles on the wall, it was pretty fun!
Have a good week and see you next Sunday on Mother's Day Mom!
Elder
Spangenberg