The Volger Family

P-Day at Moritzburg

So today we went to an awesome castle in the middle of a lake called Schloss Moritzburg, it was really cool! Sadly they did not allow pictures inside, so I took some pictures of the outside cause they can't stop me...rebel status! We also wrote some helpful websites in the guestbook!

Last night we got probably a foot of snow, and it's about time! 

Its kind of hard trying to tell you what happened in the last three days since I just emailed last Friday, but we taught some awesome lessons and we found a new potential investigator!

 




Elder Bretzing



Cinderella Lost Her Slipper



And it does not fit me :(

 

And here is a picture of the family we spent Christmas with, they are pretty awesome!

 

Christmas 2014

So this last week was Christmas, as you all know and I spent it:

Singing in a senior home!

Watching German children open presents!

Eating a ton of awesome food!

Learning and growing closer to my Savior! and

Teaching lessons and finding new investigators!

Christmas is my favorite holiday, I absolutely love it!

I can honestly say that this Christmas has been the best one of my life! I love being here in Germany and I love doing this awesome work. Hopefully next week I will get all my pictures and I can show you how awesome my Christmas was.

I hope you all had an awesome Christmas!

 

I found out that I will get to go to the Freiberg Temple I think the first week of January before it is closed for renovation :) and I am so excited.  I might still be in Germany when they re-dedicate it!

 

Skyping home was so fun:) and mom, I will start taking more pictures of myself.

Christmas Eve

Here are some pictures of our awesome Christmas Eve with the Volger clan (with opa and oma ortleib and also steffi). He is our branch president. We spent the night caroling at the alteheim (retirement home), and went to dinner at their home. This is what our dinner table looked like, and after dinner we all got gathered around and some of the members of the family prepared something for us to listen too. We got to hear stories about Christmas in the DDR time, and that was really cool.

 



P-Day Is Friday This Week...

but highlights from this past week were....

 

1. A huge gust of wind attacked me and blew my magnetic name tag into the river... identity theft by mother nature.

2. I spoke German (not exactly new).

3. We taught some Germans how to make Mexican food and sloppy joes to great success.

4. Oh and four new investigators!! (and you all thought I wasn't working)

 

So, you will hear more from me on this Friday!

 

Fröhliche Weihnachten! Merry Christmas!

Remember the reason for the season

 

-Elder Gavin Schmalz

Week Seven? Is it, I've lost count

So this week I turned 19 but that wasn't the biggest thing that happened this week.

On the 13th we woke up to a phone call from our mission president and we were told to be in Berlin by 3:00. It took five hours of train rides and walking through cities we didn't know but we made it to Berlin. The whole reason for the call and the rush to get to the City was some sad news. Elder Bretzing found out that his dad had passed away in a car accident on the 12th... My birthday.

He was able to Skype his family for a few hours and that helped him to decide to stay on his mission.

Elder Bretzing is a stud. Can you all keep him in your prayers this week? You can also shoot him an email to tell him how awesome he is! His Email is Matthew.bretzing@myldsmail.net

While my companion was Skyping with his family, the office Elders gave me a tour of Berlin and I got to see all of the sights. Loved it! When we got back, President asked me to help him give Elder Bretzing a blessing, the spirit was soooo strong. Yesterday we got driven back to Meissen by President Kosak and he went to church with us.

It's weeks like this that make me really appreciate the gospel of Jesus Christ and the plan of salvation.

We can live with our families again and that is why I am here in Germany. To help share that amazing truth with everyone I meet.

Thank you all for the birthday wishes! Thank you for the love and the support also!:)

 

Here are some pictures...

 

The Beautiful German Countryside

Weihnachtmarkt

My Birthday Haul

I bought myself a hat with deer fighting on it (pretty legit) and a Michael Buble Christmas cd.

The ward made me a cookie cake and gave me some chocolate and this really cool limited edition Meißner Weihnachts Käse (Meissen Christmas cheese) cause they know that I love cheese.

Elder Bretzing gave me a mug with a bunch of bears on it. (super cool)

and I opened my birthday cards! So awesome! I absolutely loved reading what everyone said 

and thank you for the birthday and thanksgiving cards in the mail:)

Here is our Christmas Tree!

 

 

 

 

Dresden, Leipzig, and Chemnitz December Zone Conference and Christmas Packages