Elder Zachary Dotschkat's Mission Blog: I'm naming this post 5 kg down & 13 to go!!

So my birthday was great! Thank you all very much for your support and wishes and gifts and just everything wonderful that you did to make this day truly special even though I was away from home! :)

So as I told you (in my email Wednesday morning) Elder Fischer woke up to make us breakfast and then I emailed you from that point! After that we went and had a lunch with Brother Jubb at his house and boy was it ever spicy! We had some Filipino rice and some curry that was so spicy! Then he brought out a chocolate gateau! After that we went to contact a referral but they were not home so we went to email president. Whilst emailing president I got a nasty bit of chest pain, the stuff that I have been getting for years but the doctors cant figure out what is broken inside of me :( Either way it took all of my energy out and so I just kinda passed out :P Hahahah....fell asleep more like it! When I woke up I felt a lot better! Then we went back to Brother Jubb's house to have a lesson with our investigator Jack, he is scheduled for the 22 of March! The next 3 weekends are so busy! A passed his baptism interview and is getting baptized this weekend! Next weekend we are having stake conference in which Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the 12 is coming here and then the weekend after that Jack is getting baptized!!!! YAY!!!! Soooooo happy!

After the lesson with Jack we went to Mavis's house for tea (where we skyped at Christmas) She got me a 1D cake :) Yup! then we went to the bishops, or rather we ran to the bishops and their kids all under 10 had made me cookies and they gave me the game called words with friends! Its like scrabble so I wont get rusty! Watch out Grandma! Then in the evening I opened my package from Cassie who had made me a wonderful pair of pj bottoms!!!! I love them! They are so soft !!!!!

The next few days were kind of a blur, Thursday Elder Li was SICK, like REALLY SICK! so that day I just had a pajama day, updated my journal, prepared DDM and wrote some letters:) In the evening some members came by and dropped off some home made hamburgers that were absolutely delicious! Oh do I ever miss burgers! They would probably be the last meal that I would have before I left this mortal existence if I had a choice :)

Friday was a classic Friday with planning and study and stuff but in the evening we had organized it so that Jack and Alex could go to the baptism in South Shields! It was a great time there! The guy who just got baptized is either a really good story teller or crazy because he told me that he jumped out of a plane without a parachute and trusted his dad so much to put it on! CRAZY!!!! I would go sky diving if I had the chance but DEFINITELY not like that! So anyways, the baptism was great because of all of the support that the ward was giving the missionaries there! Also Alex was interviewed for his baptism and passed! WOOOOT!!! Then when we went home before bed we wrestled for like 40 min! OH SO FUN!!!! I'm a little rusty but still can throw my weight around!

Saturday was another good day! We had ward correlation and then went and did some service for bishop! He was chopping down this tree in his yard so we went to help cut the wood and gather it so that they can use it for their homemade pizza oven! Its like a little brick house that is insulated and it just smells great! When we were chopping the tree this huge branch fell into the neighbors yard :S I went to pick it up and it was like 130 pounds!!! YIKES! It hit the fence post on the way down and dropped it into the ground a good 5 inches! Anyways, after that we went to Mavis's house for our tea again and I nearly could not finish it! It was the same amount of food that she normally makes us but I have been eating less and a lot healthier things! In the last week I have lost 5 Kg and my goal is to lose another 13 Kg!

The biggest thing that happened yesterday was I had a bowl of my favorite cereal to break my fast! REESES PEANUT BUTTER PUFFS!!!!! sooooooooo GOOD! Throughout the day Elder L. and I were finding, went and visited a less active who was watching football (proper football, not american) and Sunderland was playing against Man City for the cup! They lost 3-1 though. Anyways, was all in all a good day!

Today we are going to Durham Cathedral! I will take pictures mom - promise!

Have a great week! Love you all

You are in my Prayers

Elder Dotschkat