ELDER GABRIEL JENSEN: Happy Thanksgiving!

November 25, 2013

"Schönen Guten Morgen liebe Familie!

Today is Thanksgiving for us…they don't celebrate it here in Germany so we are headed to Stuttgart to have a zone thanksgiving feast! Oh yeah and I am staying here in Pforzheim! Elder Peterson is too. About this week, Tuesday was our Tausch. I was here in Pforzheim with Elder Piepenstock, while Elder Peterson went to Ludwigsburg with Elder Morrill. It went well, Elder Piepenstock doesn't speak any English, but I could speak to him a lot more this time and express my thoughts more. We got a long and it was fun. We went to Bad Wildbad to check on this person they knew but we couldn't find the place, it was about a 30 minute train ride. The ride was cool because I talked to this middle aged lady the whole way there! I think she was getting a little upset though because I couldn't understand everything she said but at least I gathered the mut or courage to talk to her. I pulled out some pictures of my niece and nephew that I had just received and showed her the pictures and she loved them. Then I showed her one of our whole family and we started talking about families - she told me this story about her son and how they don't really keep in touch and how it makes her sad.

On Wednesday Elder Peterson and I had an eating appointment with a sister and her daughter. We had lamb and fresh veggies, then finished if off with star fruit and ice cream and then some Christmas tea! I always said I didn't think I would get used to the mineral water or carbonated water here…well I have, it's all we have and I LOVE IT. I can't remember the last time I had regular water.

Thursday we went and stopped by a lot of peoples houses through out the day then that night we had a stake thing in Stuttgart. It was really cool, Bruder Wengert and President Setner gave us a ride there. The meeting was all about hastening the work and working with our missionaries (all of us missionaries from the Stuttgart stake were there). I'm telling you the work is truly hastening and it's from the members. Members work is HUGE! Missionaries are here to übersetzt or support the members.

The next day, Friday we went and stopped by some peoples again and we ended up meeting with this sister we met on the street. We went to her restaurant she works at, answered her questions and talked a little more about the gospel. Friday we were also finally able to meet with Sister "M" (the lady we met over a month ago on the street who stopped us and was interested in family stuff). She was really cool and the lesson went well. We talked and got to know each other a little more at first, then her baby fell asleep and we started talking about temples. She thinks our temples are so beautiful...and it led into the first lesson! She seemed touched and the spirit was there. We were suppose to have a lesson with Sister "E" that night also but she called and cancelled.

Saturday morning was cool, Bruder Wengert came to meet with us in our Wohnung and talk about how we could work together. It was really good and the right intentions were there. He wanted to make posters and cards, and it's neat - but sadly we don't have the money too. He wanted to make a HUGE poster or banner and hang it up down town that says, "KIRCHE JESU CHRISTI, WIR HABEN EINE GEMEINDE HIER IN PFORZHEIM…" It's cool how they want to get involved and work together. Afterwards we went and visited a member together, "M" and his mom. Then we weekly planned.

Sunday we only had 6 men, including us in Priesthood, probably a total of 14 people at church. Transfer calls came and a lot of our distrikt will change. Elder Peterson and I are the only two that stayed together. I love this mission, and even though Pforzheim is known as the "armpit" of our mission for some reason, I'm growing to love it. The ward is small but you can't help but see potential in them. I'm happy to stay another 6 weeks here in Pforzheim and just want to speak the language now!! It will come, I have just got to be so patient with it. It will improve. Love you all and hope you have a great thanksgiving! Christmas markets are starting up this week and I'm excited, I had my first kinderpunsch yesterday, and kept the glass. They serve it to you in a christmas glass or mug and you can keep if if you want or return it for one euro. Everyone says it's a lot smaller here (the christmas markets and what not) but I still think it's HUGE and AMAZING!

Bis Nächste Woche

Liebe Elder Jensen - got to say it like a German now (yenn-sen)"