Long time, no see

Hey everyone!  Sorry that I haven't emailed in the past couple weeks, I've honestly just had no time to sit down and be able to write emails.  Today I also have to write really fast haha.

What's going on with me?

Well, I visited the following cities this week:  Chemnitz, Bischofswerda, Mittweida, Schwarzenberg, Dresden, Augustusburg, and all the cities in between.  Honestly it was an adventure and super fun. I slept in my bed in Freiberg only once this week.  

Some great memories from the past weeks: visiting a friend that lives in a tiny village outside of Dresden and realizing that because buses only come once an hour that we wouldn't be able to make it home on time.  We went to Schwarzenberg, a little mining town among the hills where people speak a weird dialect and accidentally talked to a huge group of Jehovah's Witnesses, who didn't let us walk away until they had given us each a copy of their magazine.

Funny moment:  I have become a legend among all the primary kids here, because I buy there love with my little rubber animals... (by the way, I may need some more haha).  And there are several little kids that now call all other missionaries "Elder Openshaw _________"  as if ElderOpenshaw is the title of all missionaries.  For example, they call my companion ElderOpenshaw Lorenzen.  It's hilarious I'm glad that they remember my name so well haha.  It has even got many of the parents to learn my name! The adults normally just always say "Elders," even if they're talking to just one of us.

I love you all and I hope you're doing well!  

Glimpses of Glory

Hey everyone!  This week I have some pictures that might help you to understand what my mission has been like for the past 3 months.

1. Ali, this guy is amazing.  I have a very strange relationship with this man.  The best way that I would describe it is that despite a language barrier, it is still possible to have a sarcastic relationship with someone.  

2. This rock museum was very impressive.  If all of my plans fail, I think I will end up trading precious stones for the rest of my life. 

3. Also at the rock museum.

4. Abdahllah is also a really funny guy.  He has slightly better piano skills than Ali, but that doesn't say much.

5. We rode a double decker bus in Berlin, one of my favorite experiences. Double decker buses are really cool, we need some in Provo.

6. We had the chance to teach all the Ward mission leaders a couple things this week.  It was probably the best moment of the week, watching Bruder Albrecht, a 90 year old man, learn how to use Zoom.  It was actually very impressive to me that he figured it out.

That will be my spiritual thought for the week, I think we all need to be a little bit more like Bruder Albrecht.  He is a great example to me that no matter how old someone gets, they need to always be willing to change, grow, and learn something new.  All the apostles are also fantastic examples of being life long learners.  I hope that I can continue to change and grow for the rest of my life and that I won't ever be too stubborn and grouchy to learn something new.  That's also one of the principles of the gospel, repentance. 

To me, repentance literally means being humble enough to change oneself.  I hope to get a lot better at doing that.  I love you all! Hope you have a great week!

Elder O