Saturday 28 May 2016

Vienna (Wien) 2/5/16 - 16/5/16 Woche 93 & 94 - Stuff, UNO City, Vanrosen und Hochzeitsempfang!

Woche 93 von 102- Stuff....
Servus!
So Montag after shopping we cleaned this place up a bit before us and Wien 4 went to go meeting up with the Sisters at Heiligenstadt, grabbed something to eat and then took the bus up to Leopoldsberg, which is like a little "mountain". It's more of a hill after Switzerland, but whatevs, with a Panorama view of Wien. It's pretty beautiful! Unfortunately it was a tad bit cloudy, so the view wasn't sooo splendid, but it was still pretty nice! Then we "hiked"(more like walked) from Leopoldsberg to Kahlenberg, which was also pretty nice. Then we "hiked" down to the bottom. Got a bit lost and stuff, passed through some crazy vineyards, which was pretty beautiful, then headed over to the chapel to email. 

After that we got changed, did a walk and talk lesson with A.  It was interesting and then finished the evening with some area book work!
Dienstag after a bit of studies we headed off to the centre to have lunch and district meeting! We did Pancakes as a district and they were super good! 

Then DM I did my own thing. I based it on what I set as our district vision for the transfer, which is "Mit Macht und Vollmacht- Lehren, Lernen und Finden!" So I based it all on scriptures and each missionary did their assignment on one of the scriptures. I asked them to study and prepare for. It worked out brilliantly and the Golden of the district (Sister Lundgreen) did the best job, like legit; if every missionary put as much thought into their assignments, district meetings would be incredible! We do our meetings auf Deutsch as well, so she really did a fantastic job! I'm impressed! Then it's Sister Neugebauer’s birthday tomorrow so we all did a sneaky card, including Elder Neugebauer and got a cake and had a little birthday party for her. Then after that we met up with M, M and B. It was a great lesson, then after that we did some vorbeis and finding, before heading to the chapel to meet with the Sisters and the Bishopric to go through the ward list and get a low down on everything and also report a few things we've found. It was super useful! Then home, sprach and dinner! Also, Elder Meiners got a package from M and A (the are a new member couple from Augsburg, who I met a few times when I was in Kaufbeuren and they still remember me, even though I was only there for 6 weeks) and they included a couple of little things for me. How awesome is that?!? 
After studies and mittags we headed out to Johnstrasse to meet an Ehemaliger at Maccies. It was interesting! So we meet this guy there and he's like: ‘Can I get you a Cappuccino?’ and we're like: ‘Nope, we don't drink coffee!’ - so he goes and gets himself one! Then he comes back to us and is like: ‘Are you sure I can't get you anything?’- so we are like: ‘No, it's fine!’- type of a thing, then he disappears again and comes back with another 2 Cappuccino’s for each of us. That was a little awkward.... Then he's trying to persuade us into drinking it; that it's not really coffee, it's more milk, etc. Finally we managed to move on from that subject and then he goes off on one about refugees and gets all racist and talks about how "Uncle Adolf had it all right, didn't he?" It was sooo awkward! We tried a number of times to take control and come to a gospel topic, but he just kept going back to his racist remarks, so we made our excuses and left. Our boiler in the apartment is having some major issues, so the guy was supposed to be coming to look at it and sort the problem today between 14.00-16.00, so we had to wait for that for a bit. He came at like 14.45 and was here for about an hour, so that was fun. Then we did some finding and vorbeis nearby. We got let in by an older couple. She comes to church every week (but I had no idea she was who she was) and he doesn't, because he's basically housebound. So we went and shared a little lesson. It was quite spiritual and we got to know them a bit better. They're a pretty cool couple. Then we headed over to Bishop and family for Abendessen. It was really good and so much fun! He has a cool little family. Then home and that was Mittwoch!
Donnerstag after Personal and Comp, we headed over to the chapel, as there's a Sister in the ward who deals with all the garden stuff and she asked us to do something for her; so we went and did it. Then we came home for mittags, got changed and did some Sprach, before heading over to the Familie S. So these guys, Elder Brady and I tried each week to get an appointment, then each time, just 1hr before they would call and cancel. I decided that this transfer we'd give them a break for a few weeks before calling them up, then he got in touch with us, so we finally met them. They are such a cool family! Then we headed over to the centre for Englischkurs. We do that during Deutschkurs, then we also have an extra one for Deutschkurs students who also want to do Englisch! So we had back to back English today, or more so, I did, whilst my companion just sits there taking a chill hour! Then after that fun, we had a lesson with M and B! It was cool! We spoke about the family and read through the family proclamation, as we got hold of it in Farsi, so that was cool! Then we headed home and the day was over! I am soooo dead!
Freitag gave a lot of time for reflection and thinking and that type of stuff, so home was on my mind a bit and can you believe that 2 months today I will be in Munich for my last evening, as a missionary in this mission. Weirdness! No getting trunky! Home can wait another couple months! Anyways, after the normal morning business (studies, mittags, etc.) we decided that today we were going to take a day out of the city. We had a few less actives and formers who live in a place not too far, but still a good way out of the city, called Klosterneuburg. It was sooo refreshing to be out of the hustle of a city and to get nice clean country air. It was soooo good! Legit, I have missed the middle of nowhere! So we did a load of vorbeis there, loads of walking, I think my feet are wrecked after all that walking. We legit walked miles and miles today. Craziness and because of that, we had loads of thinking time, as some people lived in legit the middle of nowhere on the outskirts of this little town. It was super pretty though, but that filled up like all of our day and now I am wrecked, plus it was super sunny, so that was fun! 
Gemeinde Putztag Samstag! So after studies we headed to the Gemeinde Putztag, to clean the chapel. That was fun! M and B also came to help, cause they are little legends! So yeah we helped the ward clean the chapel, although the missionaries, M and B were about 50% of who turned up, but hey! After that, we popped back to get changed and grab lunch before heading to the centre to help out Wien 4. Their person never turned up, so they did a member lesson instead with their joint teach (she was female; for a female investigator, which is why they needed us there to help). Then after that, we went to meet N again. It's been a while, cause he's been super busy.... So we met him at work again. He made us a pizza again and he had a friend there who was speaking to us the majority of the time. It was interesting and we were there for quite a while. Then we headed home, which took way longer than it should have, no idea why. Had dinner and that was the day! 
I don't actually know where to start on Sonntag.... Church was interesting, sacrament was Mother’s day-based, which was super sweet. Before that we headed home, had mittagessen and did a bit of studies before heading back over to the chapel for Skype time!!! After that, we had a lesson with a former. That was interesting; then home for dinner and that was Sonntag! 
All my Love,
Elder Ammon Robertson xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Woche 94 von 101.5- UNO City, Vanrosen und Hochzeitsempfang!
Hallo!
Well P-day was fun, sort-of! After studies we went and did shopping before cleaning the apartment quickly and heading out to Donauzentrum with Wien 4. So we went to this place for lunch called Burgerista. It's similar to five guys, but not soo messy looking Burgers. It was really good! Then we headed to the Vienna International Centre (UNO City) to check it out, ‘cause some people say it's super cool, so we went to see. We got there and had to pass through like airport-style security just to get to the Visitor Centre part with the gift shop area and stuff. Legit, the UN take their security pretty seriously. Then basically the guided tour only happens 3 times a day and costs like €10 and it would be a 40 min wait for the next tour. You can't leave the visitor centre part unless you are on a tour or accompanied by someone who has invited you. So we're considering leaving, then we realise that actually Wien 4 have a load of members who work there and it was lunch break time, so they text their GML who works there and whilst waiting for a response, another one of their members walks through and speaks to us and gets us in. 





We have to like Sign in with our Passports and stuff. It was sooo official. Then we got these little Private Visitor badges. We got in and then their GML came and met us and he did a little made up tour for us (cause obviously he just works there. He isn't no Tour Guide) - it was cool. 

Then ‘cause it was lunch time, we got to go to the UN Cafeteria. It was huge! We had some cake as well and yeah! It was pretty cool and probably way better than the actual tour and we got it for free! After that little adventure we headed to the Insti Centre to do emails and then met up with B and M for the evening! It was a cool day! 
Dienstag! Oh Dienstag! After studies we headed over to the 2nd ward building for Zone Training! That was interesting! After that, we headed to the centre to quickly prep for Englischkurs and then taught English. That was fun! Then we headed back home to have a bite to eat before going to Gemeinderat for the rest of the evening! I also got an email from Bishop with a very similar picture (but not the exact same) which Mom sent and he said with it: "Dear Elder Robertson, This is what I found of my Romford time...I believe the picture looks much like the one you showed me the other time.... Anyhow, please give my best regards to your parents and if the habit remains in the family, I'll be excited who gets to be your eternal companion! Liebe Grüße, Christoph" What a joker! He is such a fun Bishop!
So Mittwoch after a block of studies, we headed over to the Tennis Club for the Bruder V lunch. It was the first one since transfers. It was pretty cool, but different, without any Brits with me! 'Twas cool anyways! Then we headed to the Centre to meet with M and B. We started going through Christ-like Attributes and also did a little extra German Class for them, which was good! They really want to try and learn the language as much as possible now. So we're doing an extra Deutschkurs for them, along with the one on Tuesday and Thursday they do at the centre and the other one they do online. After them, we headed out and did a few vorbeis and some finding before heading over to B and R for GMK. Oh, I never mentioned on Sunday that F finally received the Priesthood and got called as Gemindemissionar. So we had GMK. That was cool, and F was great; and was giving a load of ideas of how we can get some more young investigators and even offered to go dooring with us in Student Accommodation Blocks. Pretty sweet! After GMK our GML and F left and then we spent the evening with B and R. I love them sooo much! They're the BEST! Then we ran to catch the train and home! We've had some pretty packed out days recently and it looks like tomorrow will be pretty similar! 
Donnerstag! After studies and mittags, we headed off to the 8th district where we did a bit of finding and vorbeis in the pouring rain. I think it was more walking in the rain and vorbeis than anything. Then we headed to the centre to meet up with F. That was a cool lesson. Then we did Internet and learnt how to use family search. I still don't have a clue, but hey! Then prepared for Englischkurs and taught English! Then we met up with the Sisters, as they were coming to help us out with a lesson; so we got there and they weren't even home, so we did a few vorbeis with the Sisters on people who lived nearby, who we may potentially need a JT with if we taught, but nobody was home. It kind of sucked, so we headed home and had dinner! It wasn't the best day!
Happy Birthday Ashleigh! So what did we actually do this Freitag.... So after studies we headed to the Centre to do Sprach. Then once we got back we had to head over to the chapel, as we were helping the W's set up for E and A's wedding reception thing for tomorrow evening. That was fun! It lasted a little while longer than we thought it would, but we got a lot done and helped quite a bit. It was looking really quite nice when we left. Then we got home and had a very late lunch before hitting weekly planning and appointments.  After that, we headed back home, had abendessen and that was Freitag!
Samstag after studies we headed off to meet M and B and went off to the Familie E to help them move. That was fun! Legit, I have never helped so many people move house/apartment as I have since being here in Wien! I'm becoming quite a pro at this business! That filled a good chunk of the day and we got Pizza out of it! Then we headed home to shower again and get ready before going out for a bit of finding and to go by on a new member who hasn't been to church for a few weeks. His address was wrong and finding really sucked this week, like legit, nothing, not a single person. We headed back for a bit of Sprach before going over to the chapel for the Wedding party of E and A. It was the strangest thing ever to be at a wedding... but it was cool! The food was incredible! They also had a band there. That was strange- normal music that was super loud.... I'm not sure how I feel about that! Oh, also highlight of the night- so we were eating and we were sitting with the Sisters and a few other members on our table, and I hear "Englander" being said, so look up to who said it and it was a lady in the ward talking about me to the guy sitting next to her. Then she goes and tells me what she was saying about how you can tell I'm from England, because I have my food well presented on the plate and eat it with manners. Then she turns to my companion and she says and I guess the Deutscher has been learning a few things! Then to the Sisters … and she goes off on one about these American girls, not knowing how to eat properly, etc. It was soo funny! Then literally 2 minutes later, one of the Sisters was pouring a drink and the cup just falls and messes up the table and this lady's face was a picture! Way to prove a point! Haha! Then after it, we helped clear up a bit before really having to head home! It was a fun day!
Church was actually really nice this Sonntag! Sacrament was led by the Young Men, with it being Priesthood Commemoration Day! That was super cool and we had 4 investigators at church with us! So that was super cool! We were supposed to be teaching the Investigator class today, but we were having another investigator come who wanted to have a lesson with someone who speaks Polish and Sunday school was the only time this member could have helped us. So the Sisters covered the lesson for us and we had this lesson with A and a Sister in the ward who speaks Polish. That was interesting! I always love lessons when you have no clue what's being said. Then we had Priesthood and that was the best Priesthood class I think I have ever attended. There's a part member family in the ward and the man isn't a member, but he comes near enough every week and this week he was teaching the Priesthood class; like this guy isn't even a member, but he did such an amazing job and everyone was respectful and listened and participated! It was just incredible! After church we headed to Schw. K for essen and it was amazing! Then home for some studies and out to meet A to go for a 'walk and talk' lesson. That was interesting! Then we had a little bit of time left and finding this week has been atrocious. We've been doing it, but it's just that we have had absolutely no success from it whatsoever! So I really wasn't up for doing any finding anymore. I was just so demotivated from finding that there was no point, but my companion wanted to do it, so we went. The whole time just constant rejection, rejection, rude, snarky comments, etc - but then we were almost back home and the very last lady we speak to was soo cool! We had a pretty cool conversation. To start with, she said that there was no point in meeting with her, ‘cause there’s plenty of other people who need to hear us, as she already believes. Then we kept talking and ended up exchanging numbers. It was soo cool! We're excited to see how it goes with her - and that was my week! 
Well, I wish you all a wonderful week! Love you loads and loads!
Alles Liebe,

Elder Ammon Robertson xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx