Wunderbare Woche! (wonderful week)

October 14, 2013

"Halo Familie!

It has been a truly amazing and busy week full of walking and talking and other missionary doings!  Beginning with Monday...same old regular P-day, I think I'm going to go "kaufe" (buy) some things.  Tuesday was zone training.  It was in Stuttgart, I really enjoy our zone leaders Elder Gibbons and Elder Horlacher.  Top Lads.  After zone training I had my second Tausch in Ludwigsburg!  The district leader, Elder Morrill, had it with Elder Peterson, my trainer, so I went with his companion Elder Peppinstock.  He is only one transfer older than me so a Golden as well.  He is a native German, doesn't speak any English, so I was forced to speak the German language for a whole day!  It was really hard and my brain just hurt after but it was really good for me because it forced me to speak it!  While on this "Tausch" we taught a new member "G" that the sisters baptized in August.  (There's a set of sisters in Ludwigsburg too).  She is an older Nigerian lady!  She is awesome!  She goes back to Nigeria the end of this month, and she only spoke English.  So I guess in Africa "JEN" means a woman and she kept telling me "Elder Jensen...you are not a woman...why is your name JENsen."  Then she said in Africa a "john" is a male so she called me her "JOHNson son" and she is my Nigerian Momma!  I will miss her but we will stay in contact.  She really wanted to cook us a feast before she leaves but we told her I was going back to Pforzheim the next day.  She was awesome and had a strong love for our Lord! After that Tausch I came back to Pforzheim and Elder Morrill and Peterson had a great tausch, they found like 10 new people!  

The rest of the week we had a lot of street contacting, but we do it differently now.  We just talk to people like a friend, and ask them what is important to them in this world and what is their purpose...they usually say families.  Then we begin teaching them the gospel right there! We found 20 PUs (potential investigators) this week and gave out 15 Book of  Mormons!  It was awesome!  Elder Peterson and Elder Morrill got a hold of "P" during their tausch, which is a MIRACLE!  They made an appointment too, but the day of he text us and said don't come by and that he no longer needs us.  It was a dagger to the heart.  We didn't know what to say, so I said lets pray and see.  I was still confused at first but then I came across this scripture in Alma 37, I believe, that talks about leaning unto the Lord for all our helps and crying unto the Lord.  I felt like we should share that with "P" so we did through text and let him know we loved him and we are here if he needs help.  I felt a comfort after - who knows what will happen, but I feel like he'll eventually come around.  

Friday we have our usual English course with the Russian and Roland and Bruder Kämeling.  Roland we could tell was different, he just had something about him.  Well he usually gives us a ride home after.  Usually on this car ride, he asks a lot of questions about our church, we don't speak about it at the English class.  This day he was asking all these questions about missionary work and he was really nice.  The time felt right and Elder Peterson said that we would be happy to teach him and his little family if they wanted.  He has a little 1 year old and 2 month old.  He said YES!  We see a lot of potential there as well, we have been taking it really slow with him and just becoming friends with him. So this Sunday our branch choir sang, a whole 4 people, haha.  Sadly it was just sad.  After Church, the head person in charge of the choir "asked" us to join.  We had no choice, so now we are in the Branch choir and we had singing class after church.  Our ward college started this week in Pforzheim so we gained some college students in the ward.  We had probably close to 25 members on Sunday!  We told  some members how we found a lot of success this last week and they were all really happy and supportive.  

It's gotten really cold here this last week,  I was 'European' and had on all these layers and wore a scarf.  Yes I wore a scarf, they are cool here and it was really warm!  It's really humid here so it makes it feel a lot colder.  Elder Peterson and I like to think we are chefs sometimes, we cooked us some spicy curry this week, it was pretty good!

It was a good week!  I love this mission and it's crazy how much you learn each week and how much more you grow to love our Savior and gospel.  I was truly blessed to have been able to be born into our Church.  Everyone has to make the decision for themselves if they believe or not, obviously I made my own decision otherwise I wouldn't be half way around the world trying to learn German and sharing what I love so much!  We are all so blessed!  Love you all and hope you have a great week!  Please pray for our investigators, I love you and am thankful for all the support.

Liebe,

Elder Jensen"

General Konferenz!

October 7, 2013

"Hey Fam,

This week has gone by pretty slow waiting for General Konferenz and trying to find people to teach.  General Konferenz was amazing and I hope you all listen to what they told us!  The Lord is TRULY HASTENING HIS WORK!  I get to witness it everyday, and you guys do too!  I hope we all listen to what Elder Ballard challenged us to do...even though St. George is mostly members of the church, reach out to just 1 person from now until Christmas and MILLIONS will feel the pure love of Christ.  I wish to share with you all the notes I took from General Konferenz because this one was really neat as a missionary, but not enough time.  No worries though I'll let you all read them - in 22 months, haha.

So this week... 
Monday was P-day, normal P-day, we ate at KFC, best KFC I've had and they had ICE!  We looked at european suits in this factory store for most of the day, then we went to "M's" house for FHE and had german pancakes.  
Tuesday was District meeting, we meet in Stuttgart so it takes up most of the day.  
Wednesday we met with "J", the less active who lives in Calw, we went over the Familie Proklamation to the World, she really enjoyed that and really believed it, she has two little kids of her own. 
Thursday.  Thursday was just a tough day.  It was a national holiday here in Deutschland, so the whole town and city pretty much shuts down.  We had lunch in Königsbach with a couple from the ward.  We gave them the sacrament and then shared a message on the spot about how infant baptism isn't needed, all children are perfect in God.  I told them how it was my nephews birthday today and he is turning 8 and so excited to get baptized and how big of a deal baptism is.  They fed us lunch and showed us their little garden and had me pick their apples since I'm tall.  That went well but we still had the rest of the day, all our other appointments for that day had been cancelled.  All the stores were closed and no one was out on the streets to even street contact.  So we had to go "klingling" or door knocking, which is not that successful, especially here in Germany.  With not a single person giving us a chance to come in or say more than one sentence I was loosing my faith.  Nothing was going good, when we door knock it makes us sound like we are trying to sell a free book called the Book of Mormon, but we are doing so much more than that.  After hours of that with no success it was time to come home, I came home and opened that picture of Jesus with a light and mom's little note that said "keep the faith going..." it was just what I needed and it's hanging up on my desk.  It meant the world to me that day!  
Friday is weekly planning, so that takes up most of the day.  We called "P" cause we haven't met with him for over a week, he hasn't been feeling "good." He told us how he wants to take a little break and hung up on us.  It was devastating, but we cannot get devastated.  We just need to pray that his heart will be softened again and he will realize he needs this gospel in his life.  Later that night we drove to Stuttgart on the Autobahn with two members to set up all the chairs for General Konferenz the next two days.  There were 5 of us and the chairs had to be set up perfectly so it took us about two hours.  On the way home I asked one of the Bruders what he knew about the Dierks family (the family with all the kids we ran into on a previous week).  I remember reading in the record book how he helped joint teach them in the years past...so he told us what he knew and we told them how we were helping them move later this month, so now he is willing to help with that!  
Saturday and Sunday we spent watching Konferenz.  Saturday we watched the morning session live in the afternoon, then Sunday we watched the Priesthood session in the morning, the Saturday afternoon session in the afternoon, and then the Sunday moring session live in the evening.  It was all great!!

Yeah, it was a slower week, we only found 2 Potential Investigators.  But this next week is bound to be better.  I love you all and hope you are all doing great!  

Bis Spater"

SCHWARZWALD

September 30, 2013

"Halo Familie! 

Another week already, crazy!!  So this week I entered the Black Forest for my first time...and second...and third!  On Wednesday we had an appointment with a less active member who lives in the town of Calw.  It's a little town deeper into the Black Forest!  It was the prettiest ride on the sbahn or train.  We went through all these tunnels and it would be pitch black then you would come out on the other side and there was just a huge opening of valley and hills with trees and streams!  One of the prettiest rides I've ever been on!  Calw is an older german town and the person we were going to teach lived up on the top hill - where there is more green fields and hills without trees.  We taught "J" and she had a good testimony.  She believed in the Book of Mormon, believed in Joseph Smith and that God knows us, but she has a problem with the Church standards.  That's really hard to teach.  She shared some personal stories with us and afterwards me and my companion were talking how if you have a real testimony of Christ and the Book of Mormon, you just begin to know that the Church standards are of Christ.  We have some scriptures and topics we'll teach her next week. 

The next day we had to help a ward member pack up and move.  It was a long day of moving and heavy lifting!  He lived in Bad Wildbad, a BEAUTIFUL stadt in the Schwarzwald (Black Forest).  We drove there with Präsident Setner, Bishop and the 1st Counsilor on the Autobahn through the Schwarzwald.  I didn't know which to enjoy more - the beautiful scenery out the window or the crazy drive there, as fast as you can possibly drive around all these windy roads through the forest!  It was about an hour drive.  The next day we returned to Bad Wildbad but on the other side of town.  It was the most beautiful little city.  It's where a lot of older people live.  There was a clear water river running through the town, then an alley of trees.  Rolling hills with houses scattered and different patches of trees changing colors.  It was really pretty!  Well we went here searching for "M", this man who came running up to us about two weeks ago in Pforzheim.  We had his "address" but it just wasn't there...we found the street and everything - but no house.  We called his mom, because that is the number he gave us and she said she didn't know where he lived and that she didn't have his number.  We were a little confused because people don't usually run up to us.  So after searching for "M" for 2 hours we came down the hill and worked our way back into main town to catch the little trolley back to Pforzheim.  So yeah, this last week I went to the Black Forest three different times, three different ways and they were all pretty!

The coolest thing, I found the local Basketball gym, haha!  We stopped and watched for a little bit - two german clubs playing.  They weren't bad athletes and varied in ages from 18-50.  Some of them had really good shots and could even dunk, especially this one, he jumped out of the gym!  I was so tempted to play with them.  They had a mini Oktoberfest down the main street here in Pforzheim this week, roasted pig, beer everywhere, and everyone in there lederhosens!  It was really crowded.

This week I was really thinking about what truly separates me from all the other 18 year olds we come in contact with.  There was a nice 18 year old who wasn't a member who helped us move on Thursday.  I thought of many things, but the one I studied more was the Priesthood. The Priesthood is such a great thing we have been blessed with.  We all know the just of Priesthood and what it is, but I wanted to know more about Melchizedek.  So I found out as much as I could about this great man that we call this great priesthood, which it's real name is The Holy Priesthood after the order of the Son of God.  He was a really amazing guy that I can't wait to meet someday.  I am really excited for General Konferz this week!!  WE GET TO HEAR FROM THE PROPHET!  We watch it in the Stuttgart Stake Center.  Everynight I have tried to read a previous talk from the past General Konferz  I strongly suggest you all read the talk: "Of Regrets and Resolutions" by Uchtdorf, it is really good! We found 11 PUs, or potential untersuchers/potential investigators.  That is really good for this mission!  

I love you all and hope you are all doing well."

Old church in Calw

 Bad Wildbad river

Bad Wildbad church

On top of the hill (Black Forest)

Searching for "M"

basketball gym in Pforzheim

Placed in our Path

September 23, 2013

"Halo Familie,

Another week has sped past us...since when did time decide to move so fast!  This week was really eventful so I'll just try to begin at the start and work my way through the week ending with the best!  

So I participated in my first "Austausch" (missionary splits) this week with our district leader Elder Morrill.  It started Tuesday after our district meeting, I went back with him to Ludwigsburg and it ended on Wednesday!  It was the BEST!  We began by having an appointment with one of the local investigators, he is an elderly man who is starting to forget things, but the gospel is finally starting to make sense to him.  He lives in a typical old German house, I think it use to be a barn.  We had to climb up a steep set of stairs, then climb up a ladder and enter through a door in his floor.  We taught him the Plan of Salvation through the Proclamation to the Family, it went really really well. The spirit was strong!  Elder Morrill asked me to explain and share a part in the lesson, it forced me to speak the language and it was a little broken but they said they understood my message.  Later that night we headed over to Elder "S."  He lives in the coolest historical German town, cobble stoned streets, fountains and lots of German shops and houses, it was really neat!  When we got to Elder "S", he cooked a wonderful dinner of pasta with all these spices and stuff with wurst in it.  It was really good!  After dinner he told us all about himself and his family and growing up.  What some amazing stories, we talked for awhile about some of his stories growing up and his beliefs and everything.  After our visit it was pretty late and we had to walk home.  The bus didn't come for another hour, so we began walking and just talking and sharing stories.  We came across the BIGGEST jungle gym and slide, I kid you not the slide was at least 50 feet tall.  We looked at each other and said we had to go down it!  So we climbed these nets to the very top, then this guy who lived across the street shined his flashlight at us and told us to get down...so we took off down the giant slide, ha ha.  After we got back home we made homemade milkshakes, then Elder Morrill played his acoustic guitar and sang.  He was really good!  I really enjoyed Elder Morrill and had a great experience.  (P.S. this austausch was called the "Austausch of the BIG SLIDE and MILKSHAKES," because every great austausch has a name). When we got back to Pforzheim we headed over to a members house to give her a blessing.  They fed us this homemade soup and bitter pear juice.  She noticed that I didn't have a jacket and it was raining, she felt bad for me and said I needed a jacket.  So she went and grabbed this huge green girl jacket and a flattering scarf and said I must wear it. 
On Sunday we were on our way to church and were waiting for an investigator at the bus stop.  They never arrived on time so we missed the bus.  We were frustrated on missing the bus, but we must put our Untersucher or investigator first.  We crossed the street to look at some maps when this lady came up and ask my companion if he was headed to vote...he said "no we are going to church."  She then told us how she had been searching for a church and asked if she could come with us!  So she gave us a ride to church and we weren't even late.  The Lord provided a way.  She attended class with the ladies from the branch while we went to priesthood, then we met together after that.  We asked her how she was enjoying it, and she said it was pretty overwhelming, which I can see.  She knew nothing about the church.  Afterwards she told us she was still searching to find what she was looking for and thanks for the invite, but now she knew that this is not what she was looking for... It was a knife to the heart.  She just wasn't ready, but she now knows of us and maybe she will look us up later on down the road.  It's just so important we don't get too discouraged though because discouragement can hinder your faith and hard work.  After Church we had "Gemeinde Essen" or Branch lunch, where everyone in the branch brings food and we eat together.  It was really good.
Back track to Saturday, I was just expecting a bad day.  I thought I was finally getting a hang of the language and then something happened which made me realize I am still lost.  I felt hopeless, it was obvious my attitude was not going to be the best for that day.  I went into our room and said a little prayer and was telling Heavenly Father how I felt and asked for his help.  Then we went off "finding", the same as any other day.  Running into people telling us they have no time, hearing excuses of why they can't listen to us, or asking us not to return.  We still love those people though.  Then as we were working in this neighborhood we had never been before, we came around this corner and notice across the street little kids running with a mom pushing a double stroller.  They were all packing groceries and it was obvious the mom was having a hard time, so we go and offer to help.  Turns out this was the family we had written down to go visit - this family had not been contacted for at least two years.  The oldest girl said "it's the ELDERS!" She tried to read our nametags, I was smiling so big!  It has been the longest time since I've actually seen little kids and played with them!  All the kids were running around us.  We helped pack in the groceries and I played with the kids!  They were following me around everywhere and climbing up on me and jumping.  It was obvious I was having fun I guess because one of the little girls asked me in German, "you love kids don't you?"  Well I told her yes I do and how I am an uncle to 1 niece and 4 nephews back at home!  Running into that family was just what I needed to lift my hopes and spirit, it was a little answer to my prayer.  Our timing was perfect, I don't think it was just a coincidence, I think the Lord placed them in our path.  We are invited back to help them move in Oktober.  I love this little family!
Well that is the just of my week, very eventful and each week comes and goes so fast.  This is all for this week from Elder Jensen.  Church is true, spirit is real.  God answers prayers and the gospel blesses everyone personally.
Tschüss"

Gabe's companion Elder Peterson

Castle view on the way to District meetings

 Elder Morrill

Gabe on top of the "giant slide"

"Born in the hood"

September 16, 2013

"Hallo Familie!

So I was born in the hood, who would have thought?  The first area you are assigned on your mission is known as where you are born. Pforzheim is known as the hood in our mission.  It's mainly known as the hood here because it's full of immigrants from Turkey, Russia, Iraq, Italy ect.  The people here still have hardened hearts and our branch isn't big but we still love them all.

I'll start out by sharing about our FHE last Monday with "M" and his elderly mother, both or who are members.  Our investigator "P" came with us, which was really good.  We had wurstsalad for dinner.  It's a salad with sliced meat, pickles and such.  Then she brought us fresh garden tomatoes with bread.  The bread here is very popular.  It is the bread mom would love with all those different seeds in it.  Well I'm not a big fan of bread - as you know.  But I was hungry, so I quickly finished the wurstsalad and my tomatoes.  And then they brought me more.  It's really mean to turn food down here in Germany and it's also REALLY mean to leave food on your plate.  So I took a small second serving of wurstsalad, I was getting full, the bread alone was filling me up.  I'm sure you can see where this is going.  Well, I finished the second serving, but did not know how to say "No, No, I am full" in German.  So they said, "Elder Jensen have some more," I tried explaining no, no, I am good thanks...but the mom said HAVE SOME MORE and gave me another whole loaf of bread.  I'm eating it slowly, because I can't waste it and again I don't know how to say "I'm full."  So the next thing I notice, she is bringing me fresh cheese to put on my bread.  Then she brings me out radishes, finally "M" started to laugh and could tell that I had enough and told his mother that I was good.  "Ich bin Satt" is how you say "I am full" in German.  I won't forget that phrase!  For the rest of the FHE we sung German hymns, read the Liahona, and then played Skip-o the card game.  We do this every week, haha.  It will be good.  At the end of the evening we sang one last hymn and then after the hymn, "M's" mom pulled out her harmonica and started playing it.  Elder Peterson was trying so hard to not laugh! haha.  The next day we taught a lesson to an individual who was from the middle east and WOW, what a sad, sad story.  It is unbelievable the persecution these saints and all the Christians suffered in his country.  His dad and mom had to move out of the country to avoid persecution.  At the end of our lesson I shared the story of Ammon/Alma watch the believers get burned to death, but how the Lord welcomes them all with open arms in the kingdom of God. I got yelled at this week for having my lucky "Tiki" keychain I bought in Hawaii.  I forgot I had it attached on to my backpack, some lady saw it and freaked out at me saying it was my idol and stuff.  I kept apologizing and saying it was just a little thing I bought in Hawaii, but she came and took it off my backpack!  So yeah, I got accused for idolism.  Our English class is going good with the Russians, we think one of them might be interested in the church.  One of them speaks really good English, so we don't really have much to teach him.  This last week was PfahlKonferenze - Stake Conference in Stuttgart.  It was great, I got to see everyone in our zone and stake.  It was nice seeing Elder Oviatt and the Elders serving with him.  Elder Peterson saw his last son (the new missionary he trained right before me) who is actually training Elder Oviatt.  We talked at the train station where we met and then  on our way to conference.  We told stories and all that stuff, so that was good and nice for all of us to be together.  At stake conference we met someone who just arrived in Stuttgart from Provo that day for his work. 
Now for the miracle of this week, last Friday our Branch President asked if we could help him move some heavy metal roof panels.  He has a long driveway up a hill to his house and the panels were at the bottom of the driveway.  Each panel weighs about 40 kilos or 85-90 pounds and is 20-25 feet long.  It required two people to lift them, and when we carried them up the hill, one of us had to walk backwards all the way up or we had to side step all the way up the hill.  An ultimate test for my weak knee right?  Well it's obvious that the Lord is watching over me and has blessed me, because I was the one who was walking backwards up this steep hill.  It took us about 2 hours and my knee handled like a champ - I didn't even notice it.  Although my arms were very sore and tired, haha.
"P" is doing good, he is trying so hard to quit smoking.  He reads the Book of Mormon everyday and we meet with him every other day.  We try and contact him everyday.  I want him to be able to give up his addiction so bad!  He is doing the churches 15 step program and every other thing he can think of. The German language is continuing to take a lot of patience.  I'm trying so hard to understand it and am currently working on the grammar.  I am able to make out what most things say when I write them down, but when I try to speak it then it is more difficult.  I know it will come, I just need to be patient and okay with sitting in the passenger seat until I'm more comfortable.  My gospel input for this week is found in Mormon, chapter 9.  It talks about how God continues to work miracles today and it is so true.  It all comes down to our faith and us knowing that the way is prepared, with faith comes miracles.

Love, Elder Jensen"

More Pictures of Pforzheim

First Week in Pforzheim, Germany!

September 9, 2013

Gabe sent us quite a long email this week, answering our questions and telling us all about his first week out in the "mission field," the language has been tough, but he still seems to maintain a great attitude and enthusiasm for his mission!

"Well Hello Familie.  Its your Elder writing again.  Another week, the first week in the field, the first week away from the MTC.  I miss the MTC, weird huh?  I miss my friends and roommates in the MTC, I miss our teacher, I miss being able to communicate with whoever I want, I miss the chef...I couldn't have asked for a better MTC experience.

My arrival in Germany: The field - well I arrived in Munich on Wednesday, stayed the night with everyone in the mission home that night, woke up and had meetings then they sent us all off from the Munich train station.  I loved President and Sister Miles and Munich is such a beautiful city! Saying goodbye to everyone was hard.  Especially since I probably won't see the European Elders for 2 years, they are stuck in the black hole a.k.a. Switzerland.  
My Trainer: It's different being with one person 24-7, I can't think of enough conversations to last us all day, haha.  I like my trainer, he is really nice.  Our apartment is nice, really small kitchen, nice living room/main room with our desk, then our bedroom. We live on the 3rd story, the people on the same floor smoke, everyone smokes.  Including one of our investigators.
Mr. "P": We have one true investigator at the moment "P".  He is an older nice guy, but sadly he has an addiction.  He was contacted by missionaries in 2001, and people have been teaching him off and on since then.  We are "white washing" this area from 2 sisters, we have met with him once.  He reads the Book of Mormon, he believes in everything and has a testimony, goes to church, prays...he has just had a life long addiction of smoking and it's just sad.  He wants to be baptized and is willing too, and is constantly trying to quit.  He ("P") has a baptismal date for Oktober, we hope he can keep it and we pray he can over come this terrible addiction.  Tonight we are going to pick up "P" and head over to a members for FHE and have a joint teach, and then tomorrow we have a district meeting and will try and find more lessons to teach.
My introduction to Germany: I gave my first talk on Sunday, auf deutsch.  It was, well I don't really know what it was, haha.  To tell you the truth I don't know all what I said.  I try so hard to be out going and want to talk to all the church members and everyone I see because that's just how I am, but I can't. We need to become way good friends with these members to gain there trust.  I promise as soon as I can speak and understand German I am going to speak to everyone!  I try to study German the best I can and pray for help.  A mission is full of ups and downs.  We all will experience great life changing times that we will love and enjoy, but we will also go through times where we feel down and pray for help and guidance.  And even though they might seem like terrible hard times, we got to look and find the good that comes from it.  Cause I know first hand that some of the greatest blessings and life learned lessons come when you're at all fours, when you are most humble.  Wherever we go or are walking I wear a smile on my face.  I smile at everyone and try and say hello to all those I can.  The message we share is nothing but happiness and if only the people who reject us knew how great and valuable this message is we have to share.  If only they knew that this great message we share is what keeps us going when we are down.  That within this great message, I personally am able to find comfort day after day.  
Sweetness at the end of the day: You know a neat thing, every night before I go to bed in my prayer I ask Heavenly Father to allow me to feel his enduring love he has for us before I fall asleep..and I tell you what and I'm not lying, right before I fall asleep every night I feel the ultimate burning in my chest and through out my body.  It's the most comforting thing.  God hears our prayers and knows the intents of our hearts and actions.  He is with us every day and wants nothing more than to comfort us and pick us up when we are down.  He knows what we can endure and he's there to pick us up when we feel like we can't endure any more.  I love this work and know that this is where I am supposed to be and wouldn't want to be anywhere else.  I love my mission and embrace all the challenges that it may come with.  BRING IT ON.

Send Letters: I LOVEEE letters and emails.  Letters are great, but I love emails too!

Love you ALL and please pray for "P" and the people of Pforzheim, they need their hearts softened. We are off to buy groceries and stuff now.  Tshüss

Elder Jensen"

Gabe's MTC District with Bruder Jentzsch (teacher) and Steve-O (chef)

Gabe, Elder Oviatt and Elder Dewey

Gabe with Elder Gubler (from Santa Clara too)

Yummy breakfast!

Apartment kitchen

Greetings from Germany

September 4, 2013

We were so happy to hear from the Mission President and his wife that Gabe made it safe and sound to Germany!  Can't wait to hear from Gabe and see how his first week went, he sure looks great!!!

Dear family of Elder Jensen-

We are delighted to tell you that Elder Jensen arrived safely in Munich this morning.  He is tucked away in bed now after a long day of orientation.

We thought you might enjoy these pictures from this evening.  His new companion is Elder Peterson, and they will be serving in Pforzheim, Germany.

We are thrilled that he is here and are very impressed with his preparation and enthusiasm.  He will be a great missionary.  Thank you for all you have done to help him become the fine young man he is today.  We love him already, and we will do all we can to help him grow as a missionary and have a successful mission.  Your son's preparation day is on Mondays and that is when he will be emailing you home each week.  If you would like his apartment address where he will be serving - please email him before next Monday and ask him to give it to you in his first email next Monday.  If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.  May the Lord bless you and your family at this wonderful time of missionary service.

Sincerely,

President and Sister Miles

Alpine German-speaking Mission

All the new missionaries being picked up!

New missionaries at the mission home

Gabe, President & Sister Miles

Gabe's companion "trainer" and mission assignment