Bianca in Berlin: Verzetzt worden (week 23)

Well, I don't know where else to start except with TRANSFER CALLS...

Things got crazy Friday night when we found out there would be a surprise conference call with President Kosak and we would be taking part. We called in at 10 p.m. and were informed that Sister Schwantes (and my MTC companion, Sister Bell, among other missionaries) would be training new missionaries this next transfer. So all of a sudden, before I even had time to mentally prepare myself, I found out that I'd be leaving this wonderful little city of Hildesheim, in which I had found a home.

We got called for the official transfer results as we were riding our bikes to the church (which technically we weren't even supposed to do, as we are supposed to be home during transfer calls... haha...) and we awkwardly pulled over to the side of the road when I found out where I'm being transferred to... Let's just say my last week's prediction of something big happening came true...

I'M GOING TO BERLIN!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow, I'm taking a train straight to Berlin, where I'll be meeting my new companion, Sister Meyer, and we'll be in the Neukölln, Berlin area. I've heard some crazy things about Neukölln... one of which being that we have to be inside every night at 6 because it gets super sketchy outside after that. I'll let you know next week if that's true or not! I also found out that Sister Stuart, my trainer, is going to Berlin as well and will be my Sister Training Leader:) I'm so excited!!

In other news, we had some major troubles with the German transportation system this week. Our train to Hannover only went half-way there and dropped us off in a little village, so we had to take a street car the rest of the way, and it took three times as long to get to District Meeting than expected... Good thing we went early! We got on another train to go help a family in our ward move, and while we were in the second car, we watched the first car accelerate and drive off without us. We had to wait another hour for the next train. Yesterday, we took the bus home from the church, only to be home for 10 minutes and find out that we had to take the bus back to the church, so we spent like an hour just leaving and returning to the church. For some reason, the trains and busses were not in our favor this week.

To sum up this week, I will use the word "service" and the phrase "love is in the air." We helped the Glück family move twice (they gave us new cabinets they weren't using! Our apartment looks grand), we helped Sister Becker pick Johannisbeeren (translated... currant?) and then made jam with them, and cleaned up the plants in the church parking lot. As for the other topic of this week... I will refrain from naming names... But an Elder in Hildesheim and one of the YSAs are basically in love. Somehow almost the whole ward found out and we've found ourselves stuck in the middle of it all. It's actually pretty funny/dramatic/weird and it's super good that he told President he should be transferred.

Anyway...

I'm sad to leave my bike, our new apartment, Emily and Isabel and Abigail and Hoang and "KLS" and, and, and, but I'm excited to go to Berlin and get a new companion and learn so much more. I'd be freaking out if I didn't trust the big man upstairs.

Neukölln sounds just about right, right now.

Sister Bianca Seamons