New Ways of Finding & Thoughts for Grandma Sarah

Hey, It's great to write and know that within a week we will be talking to each other. President Matern said it was ok to do phone calls on Saturday or Sunday since we have four people. Also skyping is acutally an option. I can go to any internet shop in Offenburg to do it and then we can go as long as we want since it costs nothing for the mission and not much for me. Free for you lol. Just write back when you get the chance letting me know when and what we'll be doing. I'll be checking my email regularly this week to make sure it is ready for Sautrday no matter what we decide to do.
This week went really good. We had our interviews with President Matern and we got to talk about a lot of great things. He asked me what I wanted to improve upon the most and I told him that I have trouble doing doors or streets for long periods of time since it is hard to have fun or keep my spirit up while I'm doing it.  So he told me to not do those things but instead try contacting people by doing things that are fun for me to do lol. So we have been doing a lot of sport in public places and meeting people that way. Also I want to try music contacting. I've already done it right after I got my guitar cause I needed it tuned and some hippies helped me and told me to hang out with them any time and play with them. So I am way excited to try out new fun ways of contacting.
President Matern even said that doors and streets are about the least effective way to do finding. Which is true but still I think some people have it built into them that, that is missionary work and so that is what they do. We are allowed to do internet contacting, sport contacting and whatever we want pretty much!
I love President Matern and I am dreading the day he leaves. But yeah. This last week me and Elder Vanuitert had one of our investigators named Markus come to church. He is about 40 and his only problem is he smokes like there is no tomorrow. We also had this young less active come to church named Simone. We have been running with him every morning for an hour. Me and Elder Baird get up at 6 and run to his house then we run with him for an hour then we run back to our house. It is a pretty intense morning sport. But yeah he came and also Brother Santo.
Now when our Branch President first told us we could meet with Brudder Santo he told us that he used to be the branch president and did a bunch of stuff in the fall and used to be the superman of the ward but then his wife died and he hadn't come to church in 30 years. I kid you not I called him up and said 'Hi this is Elder Hargett we want to come by and meet you if that is ok' and from that he talked for about 15 minutes WITHOUT ME SAYING A THING, and ended with 'you know I will be there on Sunday. Then we can make an appointment for you to come by my house. I would like that.' I LITERALLY SAID HI, OK, AND BYE!!!! It was awesome. This week was his second week he has attended church and not only did he bear his testimony and say the closing prayer but I asked our investigator Markus to bear his testimony and he went up and did it too!
Plus Elder Baird and I taught Simone in a class after sacrament and he admited a lot of things why he didn't come to church or read the scriptures anymore but decided he was going to change that. It has been the best Sunday by far since I have been in Offenburg. Elder Greive and Baird also had one of their investigators come to church as well. In my interview with President Matern he read an email he had gotten from our Branch President thanking him for sending four awesome missionaries to Offenburg and he hopes we all stay for a good amount of time before we get transfered. It was a pretty awesome week.
We got to meet literally dozens of people through basketball and soccer, plus we had an awesome Sunday and interviews. I cannot think of a single thing about this week that was not awesome. It just helps strengthen my testimony that I know our work is being helped. It is easy to have a complete week without a bit of success but it is nearly impossible to have nothing but success for a whole week without some sort of help. (especially since no ones German is super great out here in Offenburg) I am extremely grateful to have this help and bore my testimony of it on Fast Sunday and can't wait to see what else will come of everything that happened this week.
About the competition with me and Owen, I didn't try a number 9, Elder Owen didn't either.  His was more around a 10. It was 1 million sovillal units (I don't know how its spelled) which is almost twice as hot as the number 8. But I will beat him have no fear!! (Mainly cause he's from texas and that just is not allowed). I don't want to hear anything from Lost. I am already set on waiting for everything. This time out though it was video games i missed more.
Well I love you.  I am sorry to hear about grandma Sarah and hope the best for her, you dad, and for all those who know Grandma Sarah. I really hope for the best for Gary and his wife and for all of Grandma family.  I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to be with her in December and I feel some peace from that.  I am also glad that I got to hear her testimony of Christ and know that she loves Him and knows Him as her Saviour.  This brings great comfort.  If she is able to hear or communicate at all please someone tell her how much I love her and thank her for being my grandma.
Love


Elder Hargett