Week 50 - "Bratwurst in my left, Book of Mormon in my right"

Found out last night that Germany lost to South Korea 2-0 hahaha RIP to Germany. Win the 2014 World Cup and then for the first time in team history they don’t make it to the round of 16. Amazing. Maybe it’ll humble some people in this country.

This week was sick. Had a sweet street display in Bayreuth for 4 hours. Had a sweet conversation with a pastor who ended up taking the Book of Mormon. He was sick, he was also jealous that our church actually does missionary work. 

We had some sweet experiences this week that I’ll share real quick. First was was we came in contact with a girl from our area book last week. And she wanted to meet us in the hospital cafeteria Monday morning. It was literally amazing. Just this sweet lady from Iran who lives here all alone for 4 years now. We had the impression to rip open the plan of Salvation and she was loving it. At one point she said, “I just don’t understand how people live without God.” And she went on to say like even her friends make fun of her sometimes when she brings up god or prayer. Our lady Mitra is the bomb and we are meeting again Friday. Pray for our girl.

The second was Monday night we went by this family who hasn’t been contacted by missionaries in 2 years almost. This family from Iraq. We show up and they literally were so stoked to see the boys in white shirts again. They brought us in and got us all this tea there was like 10 people just huddled around us. We didn’t get to teach anything but we had a really good convo with the fam and got to know them. I wish so bad I took a picture with them all. We are going to try and bring a big whiteboard next time and draw a huge plan of Salvation for them.

The third is we were just contacting on the streets like mad and then this chick out of nowhere comes up to me and is like “what the heck are you guys doing?” And she’s like this 25-year-old girl from a Vodafone store, not bad looking if I may add, and so I’m just like freak I don’t want some bull crap roast. But she was chill, when we told her who we are and why we are here she was like wait what I want a Book and to learn more. Her family is actually JW but because she married someone who wasn’t a JW she got kicked out🏼 we got her a book and looked up the address for her in her hometown so she could go to church there Sunday.

This week I learned a ton about patience and the small things. As my boy, Bringhurst would say “you can’t just load your toothbrush with a ton of toothpaste one day and the thing that you don’t have to brush your teeth the rest of the week, it’s the constant brushing of your teeth that makes a difference over time.” God has a plan for us, we need to be patient and keep doing the small simple things daily so that he can guide and direct our path in his time. We just need to do our part.  

Tschüssyyyy tschau 🏼

Elder Rothwell🦅⚔️

Germany Frankfurt Mission

Elsässer Strasse 6

Coburg, Germany

96450

Scriptures duh:

2 corr 6 ministers or what?

Romans 5:3-5 

Mosiah 4:6

3 Nephi 9:14-25, 21

3 Nephi 13:24

What you really open the email for:

Nightly teeth brushing pic routine

When your investigator answers the phone 

Germany ain’t movin' on

Week 49- "The way you invest your love, you invest your life - Mumf&sons"

This week was pretty usual. Did a ton of finding and the humidity is relentless. We had a lesson Saturday morning with Beatrice by the train station. She was way confused on all the names in the Book of Mormon so for personal Study I mapped out Lehi’s and his whole family and all of the defendants so she is never lost when she is seeing all of these names and stories. She’s really awesome and has a sweet spirit. She prays everyday and tries to read. Her son has some disabilities and her mom has cancer so she has been through a ton. Pray for Beatrice

We had a homie we found from Syria also show up to church. His german is limited and he has grown up Muslim so Church was really different for him hahaha but he’s a funny guy. Monday we had a lesson with this guy and it was a great first lesson and everything but at the end he digs into his bag and whips out his bible like it’s Excalibur or something and is like this is the only book I believe in. Nobody can add or take away from this book. And I just looked at him and was like dude did you listen to anything we just said and talked about. I quoted the Bible like 10 times in the last 10 minutes. It was a funny experience.

I could go on with a lot more this week but I found this week in the end people just want to be loved. I saw a quote somewhere that said “we are loved when we are born and we are loved when we die, but in between it is up to us how people view and feel about us.”

From the 19 October conference Richard b Wirthin said “Yes, who we are is the sum of all the choices we make. We should always remember that our choices do not begin with the act, but in the mind with the idea. As a poet stated, “Sow a thought, and you reap an act; sow an act, and you reap a habit; sow a habit, and you reap a character; sow a character, and you reap a destiny.”

I’d encourage you all to read this talk “four absolute truths provide an unwavering compass”

Also Germany doesn’t celebrate Father’s Day like we do so I forgot. But happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there and especially mine! Shaun dog has taught and provided me with so much over the years and I am so grateful for him. As well as my father in heaven.

Have a good week!

Elder Rothwell🦅⚔️

Germany Frankfurt Mission

Elsässer Strasse 6

Coburg, Germany

96450

Scriptures:

Luke 15:7

Luke 16:3

3 Nephi 13:24

3 Nephi 11:14

The boys in lederhosen

.Olympus MJU Camera: 30ero, Kodak Gold film roll, 3euro, development of photos5euro photos=priceless 

The boys 

leder

Week 48 - "When it rains, it pours"

I don’t really have much to talk about this week or the desire really haha.

We had a cool street display last week in Coburg and everyone was able to find some really cool people. I was getting wrecked all day and then the very last person I talked to is now an investigator that we are meeting with tonight at the church. His name is Patrick. He’s a homie. Afterward, I asked the homie Elder Johnson to give me a blessing and I’m just grateful that we have the priesthood power on the earth and the ability at any time to receive a priesthood blessing.

We also have a new investigator named Beatrice from Ghana. We went over to her house last night and she was like “I started reading this book but it is very confusing, can we meet again when I’m not surrounded by the noise at home and you guys explain to me all the names of these people and the story?” And I was like well yeah duh that’s what we are here. we have an appointment with her tomorrow morning so that should be good.

Other than that just the same old same old. Bought some sweet hats for way cheap at the Coburg market and had the best-roasted mushrooms on this German toast thing with garlic sour cream sauce. Was way good.

Tschau 

Elder Rothwell🦅⚔️

Germany Frankfurt Mission

Elsässer Strasse 6

Coburg, Germany

96450

The boys 

Sprinting to catch a train #humidityrocks

Coburg market

Die Veste Coburg 

OG hats out of nowhere for 10€

Week 47 - "Sriracha sauce or no sauce 🔥"

We are still a love here in Coburg. I’m way stoked that I have my man Elder Whitney again this transfer to finish his training. The kid is awesome we have so much freaking fun together. Like if I didn’t have him rn idk what I’d do.

Big shout out to Jake Wertner on having his 3rd child and being the older brother I never had! 

Not much has happened this past two weeks. Just on the streets or from door to door for hours a day, and nobody really cares what we have to say but honestly, that’s not what I have to worry about. We just work hard and leave the rest to God.

I've been taking President Nelson’s council and reviewing and re-reading/ listening to talks from this last general conference and I am just amazed at what I am still learning from conference. “Teaching in the Home - a Sacred and Joyful Responsibility” given by Devin D. Durrant blew me away this week! Everyone review that one like holy cow. And the one from Elder Renlund on Temple and Family History work.

I have seen the effects of Satan wrecking the family unit and the home out here. I feel like sooo many people are just “stuck in the traditions of their fathers” out here. I’ll share a few experiences.

I stopped a man on the street who was walking with his young daughter. (probably 87 or 8 years old) I told him who we were and asked him if he believes in Jesus Christ. He then replied “no I am not Christian, I don’t believe in those stories” at which point his little daughter with Ice cream cone in hand says “kein Christ!” Meaning (we aren’t Christian) I then bore small testimony and we went our separate ways. This experience made me think a ton on the influence that parents have on their children and the example they set for them. If parents do and say and act in certain ways, then, of course, the children follow suit because that’s what they’ve learned and watched growing up. Super sad experience for me honestly.

One night this week I asked a lady to be baptized through the doorbell speaker and she said she already was. I then asked her if she chose for herself or if her parents chose for her and she replied her parents chose. I then asked if she would like to have the opportunity to choose for herself and she was like actually, that would make much more sense if I chose! I then told her why and how baptism should work and what Jesus taught and that the authority to baptize is again on the earth and she said well I don’t have time for that and I don’t want to make my family mad. 

I had another experience at the door where a woman came hauling out furious that I rang the bell AND knocked on her door. She told me she’d love to get back to her tv in peace. I then asked her if she had faith in Christ and that if he was here would she listen to him or go back to watching TV? She did not like that question and slammed the door in my face.

Yesterday walking to an appointment a man rolled down his window and yelled out to the local Coburg missionaries “f#$* you guys” and drove away. I laughed a little and then just thought about all the things that were said to Jesus and how he was persecuted and how Joseph and the early saints must have felt. I love the people that have gone before us, that paved the way and paid the price.

I have a testimony that the church is the church of Christ. He has restored his gospel on the earth through Joseph Smith and that revelation and the administering of angels continues today through Prophets and Apostles. We see soooo many examples in the scriptures that God truly blesses all of his children who come unto Christ and build their foundation on him. So why not continue to do that?

I invite you to do as the prophet has asked and review conference, be familiar with the spirit and learn how to receive personal revelation, take time for the temple and family history work, be in the scriptures daily, make sacrifices for you as well as your family’s spiritual well being. The gospel and priesthood power in the home and the blessings and protection that come from them are something that I never want absent in my home as a father and husband. I’m so glad that we have the gift of the Holy Ghost and the Priesthood!

If you’re feeling generous, pray for the missionaries in Coburg Germany as well :)

Habe a good week and enjoy summer!

Elder Rothwell🦅⚔️

Germany Frankfurt Mission

Elsässer Strasse 6

Coburg, Germany

96450

Too good not to share:

Luke 8:48

Luke 9:23-25

Luke 9:62

Luke 11:17,28,34

Heleman 5

Past few weeks:

Street display in Coburg  

Dope quote

Art

Elder Whitney messing around with photoshop

Mans gotta do what mans gotta do sometimes