ELDER GABRIEL JENSEN: 3 Weeks!!!

August 14, 2013

Gabe has been gone now for 3 weeks! He is half way done with his time in the MTC!

"Halo Familie!

Guten Tag Familie! Another way busy week in the MTC! So busy that it has taken me 4 days to write a letter to you guys, but I'm hoping to get it off to you today! Deutsch is going better, it's hard for us to notice but I understand more and more everyday, and when I'm pushed to, I can speak a lot of what I'm thinking. Paper wise, like writing, I can translate a lot of sentences, but it's harder for me to gather my thoughts and write them down. This last week felt like General Conference! We heard from 7 General Authorities! Elder Holland, Elder Nelson, Elder Ballard, Elder Evans, Elder Kearon (or something like that) and two others. It was a really neat experience, definitely one I will remember. I love England still! We got called in for our half way interviews with the President, my companion went first and then me. I was asked about our companionship and if it was going good, and I said yeah then I said how I feel bad for my companion because he has to translate from Deutsch to English to French, then French to English to Deutsch. President said well your companion said it's been easier for him to have such a patient companion and how it means a lot to him that you are so patient with him. It meant a lot to me! My companion is such a happy and funny guy, despite the language barrier. I can tell he has such a strong testimony of this church. Sometimes when we are studying together he asks if he can bare/speak in french, even though I have no idea what he is saying I can tell that it means a lot to him..and his prayers..you can tell they are powerful and they are long! Good ol' Elder Moreno! As far as other spiritual things that have happened, we were working multi-district the other day. We were talking about how to start a zero lesson or first encounter with someone, and we practice it in English to make sure that we really get it cause it's really important. My companion and I taught a threesome of sisters. I was speaking most of the time because my companion doesn't speak English. I can't remember all that I said but I know I bore my testimony on Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and how they love us and comfort us. Again I can't really remember, which is crazy, but the next day one of the sisters we taught (she is from France) came up and said "Elder Jensen, I just wanted to tell you that you are one amazing missionary and what you bore and taught yesterday was really, really good!" I thanked her, but said how far I am from being a perfect missionary cause I can't speak the language! She told me no worries, the language will come and when it does you will be the ideal LDS missionary! It meant a lot to me and boosted my confidence! The language is tough and sometimes it's easy to feel that you are helpless.

Some of the good MTC food we have had lately...we had oven roasted-herb parmesan salmon with sweet corn and potatoes. It was wonderbar! Then for dessert we had sticky toffee pudding cake with homemade warm custard! AMAZING! I've become great friends with the Chef, me and Elder Dewey have both. He's a funny guy and we sing with him at nights on the piano during snack time. He's just funny, big guy, 38 I think, from Ireland. I really like him, and you know how I'm not much of a sweet tooth? Well he is changing that, he sneaks me his homemade cookies and I LOVE them! They are so good, all his desserts and food is really good!

Thank you so much for the pictures Mom! We all loved them, because a package for one of us is for all of us - law of consecration ;) I still love all my teachers, love Bruder Jentzsh, his little brother Elder Jentzsh entered the MTC this week and he is just as cool. He plays basketball too and speaks English, just has a strong German accent. We get a long good and I like him a lot. I feel so blessed to have come to this MTC! The pageant is over, so we actually get to go to bed on time! We've gone to the Temple twice, and it's a beautiful temple inside and out! Anyways love you all and hope you are all doing great cause I am!!

TSCHUSS"