The letters home in which Elder Summers makes his Momma cry

So Elder Albrecht is the one in red and Elder Ward is the one in green (I don't see green, do you?) Yes I did get the birthday gift from Jessie and I loved it!  We are still in with the zone leaders, with our apartment they drilled holes in the floor and are now pumping hot air into the floor to dry it out.  We have to go there every day to empty the buckets that collect all the moister from the air.

S the guy we help with the house was sick so we did not work on it this week. And for stories well nothing really exciting happened, haha.  We did a lot of service this week.   Tuesday we had zone training and we just took our p day that day, like we finished emailing and walked around fancy stores, which we are going to do today as well.  Wednesday we played a game with an investigator and the Wien 3 elders as well and then we had an eating appointment that night.  Thursday not much happened just lesson and Friday we did more service.  We moved a bunch of wood from a Keller(basement) to a trailer then to the dump and every friday is weekly planning so that takes 3 or so hours.  Saturday we met with a less active who is coming back to church, so we are both excited about that, and we also went and moved a wardrobe to a Keller and they fed us home made schnitzel, it was good! 

So,the reason I ran out of time on Monday.  We had a lesson at 10 and after that we had lunch with the brother from our ward that takes the elders out once a month, anyway, after that got done at 2:30, Elder Plumb needed a haircut so we got that done and then we had a family home evening with a family in the ward at 6.  It takes a bit to get out there so we left at 4 but we got there at 5 so I typed up emails for those I did not email yet, and yeah, but I put the most thought into your emails so don't worry.  (he loves his momma)  

Yes, I'm learning a lot from Elder Plumb, he is a great missionary and a great person.  He has really helped me with my German and he is really gun ho about missionary work.   Elder Plumb is a great companion.  It's not really that bad being the freshman with all the seniors, it's really cool to hear all their wisdom and mission tips, it gives me so thing to go for. 

The Z family are doing really great.  Little B is still awesome and cute.  Yeah, I have contact with a lot of families like the S family and the J family, they are all super cool families and they want to help with missionary work.  The bishops name is M, he is a really awesome e guy too.  Plumb told me that this ward is one of the best he has been in his entire mission, so I'm really happy that I'm here.  I love it here in Wien!  

The type of sauerkraut, well I asked Plumb and just said sauerkraut so I don't know, haha.   Nothing I have eaten so far has been gross.   Even all the tomatoes I have eaten, I'm still not a huge fan but I eat them when they are presented, same with spaghetti.   I told you that's what I would do, haha!  (many a table discussion with my son about having to eat food he doesn't like on his mission, like tomatoes and spaghetti, he remembers!) 

Haha, everyone told me they hated the first day of school but don't worry, I said good things.  I gave one of my sisters extra love and words of encouragement.*  I'm really impressed with Hannah! Even though she may struggle in reading, that's ok! Tell her she is doing really great. 

That's really crazy that Jacob leaves so soon but that's just how it is honestly time has gone by so fast like I remember when it was my 1st day in the field but now I'm in my 3rd transfer, and pretty soon it will be Christmas time and I'll be able to Skype home.   

But yeah it's been super good I'm loving every second of it and learning new things about the gospel everyday. This week is fun filled too.  We are going really close to the Czech border because one member owns a cabin out there and we are going to do service on it.  Our area goes all the way up to the Czech border and the Slovakia border also, so its a huge area! 

 So yeah, I love you lots mom.   Have a great week and keep on being a awesome mom.

 Love,

 Elder Summers 

*(Big brothers advice to little sis) One of the many things I have learned out here is that everything happens for a reason you just gotta find that reason. So that's my advice on the crappy start, I'm sure you will have loads of fun in all your classes!  I'm sure it will be great honestly lil sis, I used to complain a lot about things but what helped me is funding the reason for everything.  You may not find it right away but you will. One thing I have noticed on my mission is that people want everything, now. We don't see 5 min ahead of our faces and it totally blinds us. So my challenge to you is to think about the future.  Where do you see yourself in a month, having a crap time or a good time, it's all up to you! I love you lots lil sis.  Remember to read, pray, and to remember who you are. Love Elder Ben 

The letter in which Elder Summers shows that he's "♪♫grown a foot or two♪♫"

Elder Plumb and Elder Summers

Hey sorry this is late we had a busy Pday.  So my day was fun.  We had a lesson at 8:30 it got done at 10 or so, then we went over to a members haus(house) for lunch.  We had meatloaf, the Austrians don't use ketchup in their meatloaf but it was good.  That got done at like 1 and then we got Eis(ice) with the family, so yeah we got stuck in traffic so we didn't get home until 4 or so.  We played 2 touch till 7 or so with some local kids, it was fun so yeah, we did not even shop or study yesterday so that's why I'm late. 

 So anyways, I'm glad birthday dinners were good and I heard that sushi was really good.  Sushi is expensive here so we don't get to eat it at all. Oh, I LOVE Sauerkraut!  It's soooo good here, I don't know why I never liked it before!   Eating appointments were good this week, we ate at the Z's, the one family I sent a pic of who looks at your blog for me, haha.  But yeah it was good, we had noodles with some sauce and mushrooms.  

Service is going really good.  We moved more hay bales at the farm and played with the 15 or so cats they have for about an hour or so.   Anyways, then we helped a member with the haus we have been helping him with for the past couple of months.  It's coming along really well.  I love doing service here, it helps you connect with the members.  The ward here is awesome, i love them a lot.  My week was not too eventful nothing crazy happened just teaching.  Teaching is going really good, we have been talking baptism with a couple of them but we will see how it goes.  I love all our investigators, they are cool. 

The smell is going away because it's cooling off.  It's almost sweather weather, so I'm excited.  I might get a cool looking one form H&M, C&A have some cool stuff too but the real place is Primark, its like Walmart.  Everything is super cheap and a lot of missionaries get stuff from there, hahah but yeah. 

 So I have noticed a few things: 

1. All of the people I'm friends with on the mission are about to die, like I have no friends that are 8 or so tranfers out, so I'm basically like a freshman hanging with the seniors, and.. 

2.  I have been thinking about all the missed missionary oppertunities back home, and with the stuff I know now, telling people about the gospel is so much eaiser.  So my advice is when you get done reading a chaper in the Book of Mormon, talk about what you just read and how it could apply to missioonary moments.  Not everything will apply but try and get somthing out of it.  You get so much more out of things when you talk about it with soemone else.   Another good book is the Blueprint of the Gospel, it's a really good read. 

So that's my advice for you.   My testiomoy of the Book of Mormon has grown so much, with all the opposition we face, it makes me believe in it's truth even more.   Anyways,  I love you mom.   You have a great week and stay amazing.
I love you.

 Love,
 Your Missionary

Tigers and Pandas and Bears, oh My!

Riding the trolley around Wien

August 3, 2015:

 Hey sorry for no pics next week for sure I'll send we don't have time to go the the church today that's when we do the pics cause we are going to the OLDEST ZOO IN THE WORLD today so yeah I'm excited for that!  The Wien zoo or Tiergarten is what it's called. 

 No, it has not been really hot in the apartment,  it's cooled down a lot and it's really nice.   Haha, yes all four of us are getting along. So transfers are on Thursday and Elder Barnhart is leaving and I'm staying and getting Elder Plumb.   Elder Barnhart says he is a really cool, good guy so I'm excited to take over the area. 

 Yeah, I really like the Austrian people, they are cool and sometimes crazy I'll tell the story at the end.  Yes I have had Semmelknödeln und Apfelstrudel they are both really good, you should try making them, but really that's about it.  We don't have a lot of member appointments that we eat at and when we do its sausages and bread haha. 

 So, crazy story.. On Friday on the way home from waffle abend it was me and elder Barnhart and the zone leaders on the train.  When we get on there's this drunk guy with his drunk friend and preggo wife.   The 1st guy started calling us gay, then he gets up and comes over to us and asked if we were gay, so we said no.  Then he goes off about how alcohol is not in the 10 commandments, all while he was swinging around this cheap bottle of wine.  He kept talking about how he was orthodox and how he loved Jesus and what not, so Elder Barnhart said, well I forget, but in English it translated over to could you throw that away but in German it meant could you give it up. So he says yeah, and throws his almost full bottle on the steps of the train and glass and wine go everywhere and gets in our shoes and pants.  Then we get off and we give him a Book of Mormon while his wife and drunk friend are holding him back, so yeah that was fun.   Drunk people are everywhere and it smells like beer and BO but that's Europe haha. 

Hope you have a great week and stay cool

 Mit Liebe,

 Elder Summers 

Visiting the oldest zoo in the world!

All us Okies squealed with delight that Elder Summers got to see a Panda

 August 10,2015:

I sent all the pictures form the past couple of weeks, we went to the zoo and the private tour around Wien, but yeah. My week honestly was not that eventful.  

Me and elder Barnhart said our goodbyes to the people of the ward he was packing and we worked on the Tschuss(bye) book and that was it with him.  Then Elder Plumb got in and on Thursday we met some of the investigators so he could get a feel for them.  Friday we went out a did some Vorbei(past), it was super hot outside!  I might buy a water bottle for the summer.

 So the other Elders in the place is Elder Ward and Elder Albrecht ( i think that's how you spell it) and me and Elder Plumb. Yeah,me and Elder Plumb get along.  We both like classic rock and he loves his wiener dog named peanut haha but yeah. I sent a pic of us in our Lederhosen, so yeah that's us.  

Church is going really good, it's been hot but that's ok no new stories yet, but I'm sure they will come.  No, we did not get cut when the drunk guy threw the bottle of wine on the ground.   We will call the house lady today to try and find out how things are coming with the repairs.   They said that they would come in and dry it out but they have not done that so its going to be a while.

 Its been super hot here too like 40C (104F) or so.  At night we are drowning in our sweat so it really sucks, but other than that everything is all cool.  Sorry its so short but nothing really exciting happened this week.  I loved all the pictures you sent. My German is coming along, I think it improves every day i hope, but yeah.  Have a great birthday week and stay cool. 

MIt Liebe 

Elder Summers

Elder Summers Rockin' the Lederhosen

Diggin' the snazzy new threads

First companion and trainer, Elder Barnhart, saying goodbye to Elder Summers