Week 43 - Life in Hannover Week 3: A Dumb Week

This week was dumb. Very dumb. Much dumb. Dumb.

Not really, I actually really enjoyed it. What was dumb is how little it felt like we actually got done.

Last Tuesday were interviews with President, which the Zone Leaders are responsible for. It's generally a crazy day for them, so I've heard, but there were no hitches  at all. That just meant that it was boring; we were confined to the church from about 9 am to 9 pm.

Wednesday was a good Austausch with Göttingen. I went there with Elder Thompson, the district leader, and we had a few really good lessons. I absolutely love Africans! One of the lessons was supposed to be with a single African guy, but it turned into all 6 of them in the apartment listening to us.

Thursday we ran around to a few appointments that all fell out and did some finding. We doored a man named Harry Pott. He wasn't very nice, but it was hilarious. We also doored someone named ArabiTürk (according to the doorbell) and expected that we would get someone that Elder Hughes could practice his Arabic on. Instead we got a German Buddhist woman, so that was interesting.

Friday was mostly spent in Hildesheim, a neighboring city, to do a baptismal interview for the elders there. I also ended up on Austausch and lost in the woods, and took these pictures. Enjoy them. Yes.

Into the woods...

Liebe Grüße,

Elder Austin Spaulding

Week 42 - Life in Hannover Week 2: And the Rain Came Tumbling Down

Hello friends and family, just a short update on life.

This last week has gone by super-fast, as will most weeks going forward, I think. We had tausch on Tuesday into Wednesday (as a zone leader we try to do tausch with every district leader every transfer).

Sometimes we do more as well (when necessary). That means that we have at least one tausch every week, so things go pretty quick.

Other than that, the work has just been going and going here. There are several new converts in our ward, and a lot of our work is with them. It has also rained just about every day this week. I actually like the rain, so it's been good, but it interfering with the work is definitely getting old.

Anyway, I love you guys!

Elder Austin Spaulding

Neues Rathaus in Hannover

Access denied???!

 And a note from the mama:

Imagine my surprise opening an email with a picture of Austin in it!  The Kroes family of Hannover were sweet to send this quick email and picture to the families of Elder Hughes and Elder Spaulding! Thank you so much!

Greeting from Hannover Germany!

We had Elders Spaulding and Hughes for lunch today. Elder Hughes shared a powerful testimony about a priesthood experience afterwards. It was wonderful to have them!  Thanks for supporting them on theirs missions!

The Kroes family :)

Week 41 - Life in Hannover Week 1: Der Erschöpfte Zonenleiter

This week has been pretty great. There were a lot of goodbyes in Cottbus, but a lot of hellos in Hannover!

So far being a zone leader is mostly just a lot of planning. I really get along well with Elder Hughes, so I'm excited for the work going forward.

I wish I had more to talk about, but it has mostly just been exhausting. I love it, though! Sorry for the weak email... I'll try again next week! Love you all lots!

Liebe Grüße,
Elder Austin Spaulding

Our church has a drinking fountain! Those don't exist in Germany!

Pretty much sums up the new district. There are, however, two sisters in our district who are not present for this.

Week 40 - Life in Cottbus Week 21: Life in not Cottbus

Hello friends and family, this week will be short because I have many things to do. You will understand why shortly.

But first, the week. It started out normal. We knew that later in the week (Thursday) we would have a meeting in Berlin, so we planned accordingly.

Wednesday night I got a phone call from the Assistants to the President.

Them: "Elder Spaulding, tomorrow night you will be overnighting in Dresden-"

Me: "I have trainer trainee meeting with my son tomorrow!"

Them: "... Oh yeah... Well, you will need to do it anyway. President wants you to take part in MLC (Missionary Leadership Correlation or something) Friday morning. You will get to go to the temple, so you will need to be in Freiberg at 7."

So, that is how I got to make the fun trip from Cottbus to Berlin to Dresden to Freiberg to Cottbus in two days.

For the lazy:

You can see that it's a pretty big trip.

Trainer Trainee was great, though. I got to see a few friends, I didn't take many pictures, though. Enjoy some selfies with Sister Willis.

That night in Dresden there were 14 missionaries sleeping in a 4 man apartment. That was fun. Thankfully they were well equipped, so only two had to sleep on the floor.

I then got to wake up at 3:30 to be one of the first to shower as we tried to get 11 people showered and to the train station by 5:30.

The Temple was fantastic, I have now taken a name I found through Baptism, Confirmation, Initiatory, and Endowment. I can't wait to do the sealing after the Mission!

MLC was a nightmare, I was just trying to stay awake the whole time. I did get a great quote from President though.

"Alaska has no internet!?!"

No, I will not give you the context. It's funnier that way.

Anyway... For those of you who follow, MLC is for Zone Leaders. I found out that I am going to Hannover as a Zone Leader! My new comp is Elder Hughes! More on that next week. I am feeling pretty inadequate, but I know that the Lord will qualify me!

So tired!

Geeking out with Elder Jordan

I loved getting all the responses last week. Keep them coming!

I love you all,

Elder Spaulding

Week 39 - Life in Cottbus week 20: Dear Elder

Hello friends and family, I'll keep it short and sweet this week.

To several of you who have been writing me personally the last couple weeks, you probably know that I have kind of been struggling. Feeling a little depressed, forgotten, and discouraged. One evening this week, though, Elder Jordan and I were listening to some talks at home in the evening. I was looking through the 15 gigabytes of talks that Elder Mayer left me (спасибо, mein Vater) and a folder stood out to me. It was called, "Dear Elder". I opened it up, and all that it held was a single, short MP3. As we listened to it, it touched my heart. I am sending it here so you can all listen to it as well.

"Dear Elder" by Al Fox Carraway https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npe-RwInkTU

Since I listened to it, things haven't all been easier, but I know that my Heavenly Father is with me. He is helping me to overcome my weaknesses, and he wants to help you as well. He is here, and his Gospel truly does lead us to find happiness. Sometimes things are hard, but he has the power to help us now, and one day, when we return to him, all things will be made right.

I love you all!

Elder Austin Spaulding

ZoKo shenanigans...
not sure what is up with his eye there...

Something something...
 an eye single to the glory of God or something...

For this my comp was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, 

and is found.  And they began to be merry.  With Tandin White.