LETTER #13 - SCHWARZENBERG/ANNABERG-BUCHHOLZ

Hello Family!
First off, I have a new email, isaac.puriri@myldsmail.net. The church made a new email for all the missionaries and our mission just got assigned our new ones. Pretty close to the old one but whatever, thats the one to use from now on!

This last week was really good. We were able to get a lot done that we didn't really expect. We were driving around alot and back and forth between our two areas, Annaberg and Schwarzenberg. We had an appointment with a guy in the Scwarzenberg area on Friday, it was pretty interesting. We were trying to teach him about the plan of salvation but he kept going off about a bunch of random things and the lesson wasn't going anywhere and it didn't feel like it was going good. Our goal going into this lesson was to set a baptismal date with him for the end of this month but it didn't seem like we were going to be able to do that. Then out of nowhere Elder Killpack found a quick moment of silence and just asked him if he would get baptized at the end of this month. I wasn't sure what the guy was going to say, we had been off the whole gospel topic for a while. The guy didn't even hesitate though, he just answered back 'of course'. We were both kind of shocked, it was pretty cool though. We set the date with him now we just have to help him work towards it. It was crazy how the lesson just didn't feel like it was going good then we just randomly asked him and he said of course. We were definitely happy though.

Yesterday we went to church in Annaberg, we switch off every other week. The fast and testimony meeting was really good. I love hearing the member’s testimonies, and I got a chance to bare my testimony as well. Fast Sundays are always way cool. An investigator that had been taught a few years ago that hasn't had any contact with the church since just showed up as well. We had never met her but the ward remembered her so that was pretty cool too. Miracles happen everyday its crazy.

So on Friday we had a zonenrat (zone conference thing) in Dresden. During Presidents talk to us we got some pretty crazy news. He got a letter and he read the beginning of it to us, this is what it said: “The First Presidency has determined that the Germany Hamburg Mission will be dissolved, and the boundaries of the Germany Berlin and Germany Frankfurt Missions will be realigned to include the area of the discontinued mission. This will take effect 1 July 2010. … It is a positive move as the Church continues to expand throughout the earth and as ward and stake leaders and members take a more active role in missionary work. This consolidation will be announced in the Church News on 13 February 2010. … Thank you again for your excellent service, which has to a large degree, made this consolidation possible.” I couldn't believe what he had just read. When this happens, our mission gives the Erfurt zone to the Frankfurt mission, and then we take all of the Hamburg mission zones except one, which also goes to the Frankfurt mission. Our mission will still be called the Germany, Berlin mission. Except now we will cover pretty much all of northern Germany. All the missionaries in the Hamburg mission when this happens will become Germany, Berlin missionaries. It’s pretty crazy! This means that after July 1, I could be transferred to the Hannover area or Hildesheim and work where I did my exchange! I could be transferred anywhere in Northern Germany pretty much, but the fact that I could work in Hannover kind of freaks me out. Although if I am in the Erfurt Zone when this happens, I will become a Frankfurt missionary for the rest of my mission. I'd definitely rather stay a Berlin missionary but I don't have a say anyway, and where ever I end up is where I'm supposed to be. Pretty insane! Mission boundaries are changing, didn't really expect that one. Anyway though, everything is going really good. There’s so much to do and keeps us busy which is good. Thanks everyone again for your letters, love, and prayers! I hope everyone has a good week. Be happy! I love you all.
Elder Puriri