I still get my Africans!!!

Guten Tag from Köln everyone!!!! Adventure is out here. It's everywhere. It's fantastic. So. Turns out that my new area (Leverkusen) basically just means Köln sisters part two. We go to church in the Köln ward and we mostly work out in Köln. Which is kind of annoying because we have a long commute everyday. But it's also good because we get in some really good contacting. It takes us an hour and a half to get to the church building with 3-4 different modes of public transportation. I love it. There is seriously so much work to do here and so many people to talk to.

I think it's pretty funny that I went from big city, to biggest city in the mission. Hahahahahaha. Maybe one day I will see a small town.  But I'm actually very excited to be in the city, because life is NEVER boring there. And I still get to work with Africans!!! A ton of our investigators and people we meet are African. I honestly love Africans with all my heart. They have so much faith and are such joyful people.  I was really afraid I would get called to some small weird place where I couldn't contact by talking about FuFu.

So my week: Transfers were crazy. We still had to be at the Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof to help, but we also had to have all our luggage with us.  Man. Were sister weeks and I a sight to see as we lugged six pieces of luggage by ourselves through public transportation.  Sister weeks almost got trapped crossing the tracks as a Straßenbahn came. But don't worry. All is well. Then I got to ride an ICE, but by myself.  That was very strange and slightly terrifying traveling by yourself struggling with your luggage on the train, but there are always people there to help you. Hahahaha. Then luckily the Köln sisters and my new companion sister balls were at the Bahnhof ready to pick me up. I was only alone on the gleis for about two minutes. Then we jumped right into teaching a Lesson at the McDonalds. McDonald's really can be a holy place.

On Wednesday I had my first german lesson. That was rough. Hahaha it's a struggle when you can't say everything you want to express. But I feel like I did okay. Also on Wednesday we met these two very high but very hilarious Africans. They asked us if we prayed in tongues (we said no of course) and then they started to show us what they thought it was. Hahaha it was hilarious. They then offered us snickers. Yeah.  We declined.  Then that night we met with a member family that recently moved here from Italy and hasn't been to church yet. It was interesting..... they were sadly living in government housing and she fed us some very interesting food. We didn't trust it. But we are still alive today. So blessings.

We also had the opportunity to all meet the bishop and discuss missionary work in the ward over dinner. (Since we had 4 new missionaries in the ward because the Köln elders were reopened) so.

Yeah. Funny story while we were there: I had to use the bathroom and I LOCKED MYSELF IN!!! It was terrifying. My only thought was: man. This bishops first impression of me will be me locked in his bathroom like an idiot. So I said a prayer and just keep trying to get out by myself. Luckily after a couple minutes I got myself out. But man. That would have been not good. Not good at all.

So German. We have had several german member appointments and visits and man. I just have to smile and nod a lot hahahahahaha.  But my German is starting to improve a lot faster. Also church in German for the first time. I left very exhausted from trying. And relief society.

Oh boy oh boy. It was about self reliance type stuff. So I didn't know most of the vocab. And they were talking so fast. So I just took a mini zone out time. It was much needed to shut my brain off for a minute. Also our ward is small and full of old people. It's so cute !

Also. I HAD MY BIRTHDAY!! Look out world I am now 20. Not 19. I feel so much cooler when people ask me how old I am and I say 20. Anywhoo my birthday was on zone training. So it was really fun to be in a new zone and see some people from the MTC again. One of the Elders had actually remembered it was my birthday. So that was cool. So zone training was good and we learned a lot about inviting the spirit into the lesson and teaching the restoration.  Then we had a lesson with a recent Convert named Akbar. He is seriously the cutest. He always gives the missionaries little gifts and cakes. And he was upset that it was my birthday and he hadn't known. So on Sunday he brought me a little cake and some other little gifts. It was very kind of him.

So a cool miracle from the week: on Monday morning I talked to this interesting Orthodox man on the Bahn. I didn't know how interested he was or anything and then we had to hurry and get off the bahn before I could ask for contact information. So I left him a pass along card. HE CALLED! That night he called us. That like NEVER happens!! (Apparently he also checked out the website that was listed on the card! ) Then we met with him last night and at first it was a little weird and he kept asking tons of weird questions, but we taught him the restoration and the farther into the lesson we got the quieter he became. Then we had him say the closing prayer. And he asked us if we had our prayers written our or if he could say his church's prayer. We told him no.

Speak from the heart. Talk to Heavenly Father. Now we don't know what he said. Because he awkwardly prayed silently. But when he was done.  He looked different. His countenance had changed. I know Heavenly Father had heard his prayer and gave him confirmation that he was there and loved him. It was awesome.

Sorry this email is extremely long. It's just so weird because it feels like FOREVER since we've had a pday and then the adventures of being in a new area and new companion.  So my new companion is sister Balls. She is very cute and energetic and ready to work. I'm very excited to learn from her. She is from south Jordan Utah and has been out for a little over a year. So her German is really good and I am learning so much from her. This will be a great transfer!!! I'm just a little scared because sister balls has already been in Leverkusen for four transfers. So she is most likely getting transferred after this.

I'm doing awesome. Missionary work is wonderful. It's hard but so much fun and so rewarding. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help any of you!!!

Love, Sister Losee