Welcome to Austria!

November 3, 2014

"Well Fam,

I'm still alive after literally traveling ALL day by train last Tuesday to my present area, Wiener Neustadt, Austria!  Yes the culture is different, yes the language is different and yes it's a different experience.  You wouldn't probably be able to notice it, but being in Germany was my home for over a year, I just became a part of it!  I love Germany and miss it, not going to lie, but Austria is also great.

Last Monday night was awfully sad.  Saying goodbye to my new life long best friends - M&A.  It was a great night, we ate dinner, told stories, laughed, but then it came to the drive home.  It hit me for the first time that from now on I will rarely be able to see them.  None the less we will always have contact and keep in touch.  It was a hard, emotional goodbye..I love them.

Then I came here to Wiener Neustadt.  I talked to this one new Elder at the bahnhoff and he was going all the way to Wien.  I tried to make him feel comfortable.  After we arrived in Wien we drove to Wiener Neustadt, got there around 9ish.  The next day we ended up on the streets for 4 hours..with no direction..just choosing random places to walk too.  Tried talking to everyone, the dialect is different here.  

The next day we were out on the streets again.  This area has so much potential!  The members here are really nice and are just waiting to get involved and help.  We just need to get the work going!  We had a service project we helped at and we went to a birthday party too.

Sunday was awesome, I love the ward.  First Sunday there, they ask me to translate for sacrament meeting (there is a few 'only English speakers' in the ward so I translated everyones testimonies for them).  I also bore my testimony and introduced myself.  We need to become one with the members, use them a lot more and work together, gain their trust and find out what the Lord wants us to do, then strive to do our best to do it.  Most importantly as missionaries, we need to be 100 percent obedient.  That's key.  

I love you all and hope you have a great week.  Remember to always be positive, see the light amidst the darkness, and shine it for others. My favorite scripture that I share so often with people is Ether 12:4 - stay anchored in the gospel and YOUR faith, then nothing can break you down.

Love Elder Jensen" 

Wiener Neustadt, Austria