December 28, 2023: Delicate

 isn't it?

Isn't it?

I'm not sure how to describe this week, but it was definitely the least productive week I've had on the mission so far, because of Christmas. It was nice to relax, but it kinda feels wrong as a missionary to relax sometimes? I'm not sure how to explain it. 

We had a big double zone Christmas party on Friday! It was in Dortmund, so we spent the first half of the day getting there, the second half of the day celebrating, and the end of the day getting home. It was really fun though! We did a white elephant gift exchange, ate a bunch of snacks, and played some games with everybody. On the way home we had a train canceled, and the other train was delayed by an hour. We also had our Christmas packages with us so we couldn't bike, so we called upon the all powerful Schwester Ebbert to come pick us up and she did so gladly. We are forever indebted.

On the Saturday that we are calling Christmas Eve (because of the 3 days of  Christmas) we found a farmers market next to the Cathedral here, and bought some plant bulb thingies and a poinsettia for Schwester Ebbert as a Christmas gift. We also helped her dig up a tiny Christmas tree in her backyard to put in her house and decorate. 

Our friend Mike had his baptismal interview on Saturday evening! It was super scary- he didn't pick up the call and we thought we were going to have to push the baptism back again because of that. Then like 2 hours later he was able to make it and passed the interview🥲 it was a miracle. 

Church on Heilige Abend (real Christmas Eve) was awesome! Mike and another one of our friends Fabian showed up, and they became friends. Two of our members played a rendition of O Holy Night as a duet with a piano and an electric guitar, which was very relaxing. I wanted Stairway To Heaven though. Our ward basically took over half of the baptism planning which was awesome too! We also got loaded with goodie bags from members as Christmas presents! We had a lot of candy and chocolate last week, but now it is quite unfathomable. Without fathom. 3 of them also gave us shampoo and deodorant, so we're not sure if we should take it as a message or not. We also now have about 15 oranges.

We went to the Netherlands again! We expected to do something Christmasy there, but we just kinda hung out and ate the usual dinner we do with them, which is always tasty. 

On Christmas I woke up, called the fam (and pookie), opened up some presents, and took a Christmas nap, because its Christmas! We were then on the bikes, and my comp got splashed by a car with a tidal wave. It looked like it was in slow motion and he was soaked! We went to the Polish Omas house with her grandson and ate our Christmas feast, which was very tasty. She always brings out chips and salsa, which is so random but very welcome. She also baked her own Torte! (a fancy cake).

Oh also i hit 6 months!! (25% completion)

On the second day of Christmas, we went to the Bäder family. We ate lunch, including some weird potatoe jelly ball things. Imagine mashed potatoes except in distinct balls and the texture of Jelly on the inside, but still potato flavored. We played a game with them for language study, basically Pictionary but in german, which was super fun! I feel like I righted my wrongs from the first time I went over to their house. I was with them my 2nd day in Germany, and I could hardly understand or speak anything, and I barely ate any food, and I thought they didn't like me because of it. They also hardly ever talk to us at church, and they hadn't invited us back since. But this time I ate everything, and we had fun, and everything's great! Woot!

We had DRat on Wednesday, and ate KFC afterwards for some reason? It's really good but wayyy to expensive here. I never really went in the US so maybe that's just normal. We planned to go finding and have a lesson but our trains were so late that we couldn't go finding, and our lesson got canceled. 

And finally today we woke up, and my companion was sick! That's 4/4 transfers with sick companions so far. We slept in a little bit because of that, eventually went shopping, decided to take a test and he is positive for the 'vid... we have a baptism on saturday so I'm not sure what we can do about that if he is still sick, but we will see. Pray for him and Mike!

Helamen 5:12
And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

Christ truly is a rock that if we build upon we will never fall. I have seen it so many times in my life and especially on my mission. He will never let go, and his hand is always stretched out, waiting for you to take it :)

Much Love,
Elder Tage Rex

Pics:
A teeny Lego Neuschwanstein
Christmas eve with the Vaags
Us with Schwester Ebbert and her 100 Y/O mother
Playing teeny cards
The Christmas Haul (after church)
KFC
Some cool pictures Elder Berndt took of me (he can somehow make everybody look cool)















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