March 7, 2024: Am I a part of the cure

 Or am I part of the disease?


This has been a crazy week. I feel like I say that every other week, but this one changes a LOT. 

On Saturday we did the cool service project on the house again, and this time we carried like 40ft long 2x4s up to the top of the house. Theres also a steep set of stairs, probably about 4 flights all the way up until you get to the house, so that was actually kind of fun just to figure out how to maneuver the boards and get them up. We also got American pizza afterwards so it was all worth it! We also had a little sport night and played pickleball, which is always a gas, as they said in the 1930s. 

Oh also, on Saturday they did a new thing where the Zone Leaders now call you to let you know if you will be transferred on the Saturday before transfer week, so that you can say goodbye to people. They don't give you any more information though, so you have no idea where you're off to. Elder Perez got a call, so we found out he'd be leaving next week. 

At church this week the piano player called in sick, and somebody else stepped up to play, but I guess forgot to tell the Bishopric (the church leaders) and they said because of that they weren't letting him play or something, so they made me play on the spot instead. Not sure how they came to that solution or why it was needed, but it worked out haha. Luckily they let me pick the songs!

Not too much crazy happened on Monday, but we visited a member who'd just had a surgery
and hadn't been to church in a while because the recovery has been rough. We gave him some cookies and he asked for a priesthood blessing, and we were able to provide that for him! I'm really glad we were able to go and comfort him. We also had the leavers testimony meeting that day, and my old companion Elder Gibert (I love that man) is going home 2 transfers early. It totally caught me by surprise and it was kinda sad, but apparently he has to catch a school semester or something. 

Tuesday was absolutely wild. It was D-day (the day we get news about transfers), and we got a call from President Cropper in the morning. He loves to do little sneak attacks with these calls. He was just checking up on Elder Perez to see how he's doing and let him know that he is going to the city of Erlangen. Then at the very end he said "and Elder Rex? I would like to assign you to be the district leader of the Kaiserslautern district. Can you accept that assignment?" I was shaking (in my custom baby seal leather boots) and said "Y-yes". That was basically it. Let's just say I'm a bit anxious and afraid, and uncertain. I have no idea what next transfer will entail, but I know I'll get the chance to learn and grow a lot. 

After that a member in the branch took us to this legendary breakfast buffet in the middle of an alleyway. They even had a waffle maker!! It was like waking up at a hotel except you didn't wake up and you aren't at a hotel. 

THEN, another member, an American, took us to the American base nearby! We ate at a massive American food court, including... TACO BELL!! I got to eat Taco Bell on Tuesday. Doritos Locos Tacos are a dream. I also ended up buying the giant Kinder Egg that day, so I knocked off two things on my mission bucket list!  After that we went to a mission call opening for a priest in the branch, and he got called to the Southern Alpine mission! Super dope!

We got to look at the transfer boards, and to my surprise my new companion is actually Elder Evans from the MTC! That was totally unexpected. Hopefully we can work well together and strengthen the branch here. 

Wednesday we had our last D-Rat of the transfer. We had a testimony meeting at the end, and I was asked to lead it. It's really weird, but my district leader throughout the transfer has been giving me little tips and advices on things he's learned in leadership, and asked me to lead the testimony as practice for that, and would always say "the time will come when you're going to lead, and I think it's going to be soon", and it always made me anxious, but he had no clue that it was going to be literally next transfer. I even talked to him about it and he was just like "the spirit does things sometimes", which was crazy. 

I opened my giant kinder egg, and out pops a Hulk action figure from the avengers! That was incredibly cool. the 10 Euro tag was totally worth it. I don't know why, but I am obsessed with those eggs. They're overpriced for the amount of chocolate you get, but it is really good chocolate, and theres just so much happiness  to be had when you find the toy inside. I don't know how to explain it. (also the American ones are different if you didn't know.)

Anyways, we went to a really good burger place for dinner called "Sissi und Franz". It was delectable!

That was basically the week! A lot of highs and lows, but it'll be ok. I know the Lord will be by my side, and I know he qualifies people as they are called. There's a lot of uncertainty, but I know that everything will work out for good in the end. Christ will carry me, and he can carry you, if you reach out to his extended hand of mercy. God lives, His Son lives again for us, and they see each of us personally. 

Much love und bis nächste woche!
Elder Tage Rex














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