Dresden!

So, so much happened this week, that I really don't know where to begin. Not at all.......

Suffice it to say at the start, that I am loving it. learning so much, growing a bunch, and really just...enjoying service.

For some wonderful reason there are 2 mattresses on my bed in Dresden, which is helping make things even easier on my back. I still pop very loudly in the mornings during morning sport, but my back is doing great. I wish still that I could do more morning sport without problems, but we are getting there.

My study of the book of Mormon is going great as well. I do not have my study journal with me--unfortunately--but will be sure to bring it next week to share an insight or two that I have had recently. I would already say, that as Elder Gerhartz and I have really focused on helping others receive revelations--through the Book of Mormon, through prayer, through sacrament meeting--that I have also felt the power of revelation in my life. Really to ''Find out for myself,'' and to help others to do the same thing, that is our purpose as missionaries. I love it!

Elder Gerhartz is doing great as well, I believe. 5 weeks left before he goes home, and still not trunky. He works hard, and I think has taught me more in this 1 week with him then I learned in almost any other week in my mission--at least as much as Elder Poch ever taught me. While Elder Poch was a good trainer, and a good missionary, I really am learning a whole new side of missionary work. Elder Gerhartz gets so excited to talk about the Gospel, and to help people understand it, that one cant help but become excited himself. In a lesson with an investigator just yesterday, we both felt the spirit so strongly that we know that we are doing something right.

Speaking of which, with Elder Gerhartz, we are also really living up to the full standards for the first time in my mission. nine to nine German was always seemingly unreachable before. Now, it is easy, and we almost never use English with each other, regardless of the time. I speak more English with Elder Sagmeister--who is from Bavaria-- then Elder Gerhartz!

We are also speaking with EVERYBODY, which does wonders! No, the numbers don't show it yet, but I believe that they will. With Elder Sagmeister's help, we are really improving our finding, our teaching, and our learning.

Honestly, I could go on for pages about what I have learned this last week. Suffice it to say, that I love Dresden. Beautiful city, lots of people to talk to, hard working district, and a great opportunity to learn from so many great missionaries.

As a district leader I had kind of a rough start, unsure exactly what to do, and how to help. But we had a great district leader school with Elders Roth and Sagmeister, and since then I feel that it has improved greatly. Nightly calls are productive, and I am starting to find new ways to help the other missionaries in my district.

Shortly about the other 3 companionships in my district:

Elders Sagmeister and Roth: Zone leaders, and great missionaires. Elder Roth is from Switzerland, somewhere near Zürich, and Elder Sagmeister is from Passau, Bavaria. Needless to say, I am learning some very new, very different accents, but it is also a great opportunity to learn a lot how Germans really speak, to practice my colloquial German you could say. They are also great leaders, and a great resource to have in the apartment all the time.

Sisters Hill and Bills: The self-dubbed ''Hill Billies.'' They said it, not me. Sister Hill is actually training sister Bills, and is only in her 3rd transfer, which was exactly how I was. That means that between them, they have exactly 2 transfers of experience. So, they are learning. But both great, hard workers, and a lot of fun. One just needs to learn to be careful what questions one asks during nightly calls, or the Sisters can talk for nigh on hours.... :)

Elder and Sister Packsten: our lovely Ehepaar. Older couple. Senior missionaries. They are awesome. They work a lot with the young single adults in the ward and stuff. Oh, and they are actually driving Elder Roth and I to the TEMPLE TOMORROW!! Yay!! I get to go!! It closes from this February till May 2016, so this may be my only chance, which means I am way excited. Yeah!!

Elder Gerhartz: Like I said, my companion, and a really great guy. Seriously the most spiritual and loving guy ever. He was also a boxer for years, and has a goal to do 1,000 pushups a day, so needless to say he is beyond muscular. Awesome guy.

Yeah, that is my brief introduction to Dresden...Answers to Questions:

Our Warm Mission Leaders name is Brother Barsch, and he is really cool. We are going to his house for dinner NEXT Monday, which we are really excited about, I guess his wife is a great cook. He seems like he really wants to help too.

Only 1 ward in Dresden, with about 200 active members. There are also about 300 inactive members, so...we have work to do.

Well...that is pretty much all I got this week. I am so out of time...love you all!