Thumbs Up!

Hey Family!! 

Life just keeps moving on! So crazy to hear about this last week with sending Kayleigh off and now only having 3 kids at home and a new school year starting up. Life brings lots of changes, but life is good. Life is good over here as well. We are moving right along, Elder Howarth and I are getting along great, we are different in person with different interest but its neat to still find similarities and work in unity in this great work. We are learning lots and are grateful for to be here making progress in the vineyard of the Lord. We have seem some pretty neat progress this last week and I have learned lots from it. I have learned about the importance of keeping the commandments. Its so simple but so true, as we keep the commandments we grow our faith in Jesus Christ and then from that grow our desire to follow him. Its all connected with each other and I have seen that in myself as well as others. 

Yesterday after church we were talking with Yisel and she has made great progress in this last week. She was a quite skeptical earlier this week about the Restoration and Joseph Smith but as we talked yesterday she explained to us how she was thinking during the class that if God called prophets back in the day than why wouldnt he still today, why couldnt Joseph Smith be called as his prophet! Ah it was so neat to hear from her, it wasnt anything we had done, we had simply bore testimony and through her own experiences has she gained/strengthened her faith by obedience. We are grateful for her desire to follow His will and see the blessings that God has given her and her family. 

The blessings are also there for a less active we have been working with, Sister Schade who has really turned her life around and you can just see the happiness in her eyes as she lives according to the commandments, she even told us she paid her tithing again for the first time in a while and things are going really well for her. How much love God truly has as he promises to bless us as we promise to follow His commandments. I have seen it and I know its true. 

A fun story this week was on Thursday we were doing a service project finishing up painting at a members house in the middle of no where, with only bus to and from. I think I told you about them last week, well we finished up the job this week and knew what time the bus was coming and we were just finishing up getting the last odds and ends and we really had to go so that we could make it back for our next appointment. We get out to the bus right as it has left and the next one wasnt coming for another half hour and we had to get back to make it to our next appointment. I wasnt going to waste anytime so the thumb went up. Thats right we hitch-hiked back into town and it worked! With the Lord anything is possible when you are on a mission and he knows you have a job to do! So grateful to be out here serving God and his wonderful children. Hope you have a great week and I love you all so very much! 

Much love,
Elder Jerman

Today, in a flower garden in the middle of Vienna

Meeting many in Vienna

Elder Howarth and I in front of Parlament.

Family!!

Crazy to hear that school will be starting back up again for all of you. I wish you all the best as you start anew with new visions and goals! I can truly say that as we set goals, more is accomplished. Its something about writing it down and having a true desire to achieve what you want that helps, but most important the help of God and asking him for his help. Something so simple but true because he loves us and wants to help. 

We have had a great week in Vienna, a place with much potential where God is preparing his children. There sure are many here and you never know who the one is, they also might not recognize they are ready but as we open our mouths miracles can happen daily. A few short neat stories this last week about that is just yesterday we were traveling back home for the day and we always travel with public transportation, subways and such and it truly is quite exciting because you never know who you will meet. Vienna is a place where you could meet just about anyone from around the world. So yesterday we talk with this younger lady and found out she from Ecuador but living here and that her dad is Mormon!!! How crazy is that?! He is back in Ecuador but she knows quite a bit about the church and even so she said she has her own church and is happy with it she is willing to meet with us. Thats all we/the Lord needs is those with an open heart so that we can share his spirit and love with them. Another just this morning is we got a call from a random man who says he was sorry he didnt make it to church yesterday but wants to come next week and asked how to get there and when it was. We give out many cards to people and hardly get a response, it gives me hope that there are people out there ready and waiting for the gospel. We will see what comes of it. 

Probably the neatest one this week happened in a process of two days. Last Tuesday while traveling to our Zone Training we got into a train with very few people on it but decided none the less to sit next to one of them with head phones in and looking down at his phone. As we got traveling we started talking to him and came to found out that he was actually a member here in Vienna in another ward but wasnt active. It was a good conversation but we never really got around to the gospel. In my journal that night I wrote about the small miracle and that we are here to show that love that God has for all his children but as I wrote I thought to myself how yes we showed it by being present but didnt really say it. The next morning as we got in our first train going off for the day we sit down next to someone who we couldnt notice before since facing the other direction and it was him! He only went one stop but I knew that God had given us another chance to not only show his love but also to say to him he is loved and God cares about him. God loves each of us and wants the best for us, I know as we live the gospel of Christ we can feel that love and feel closer to him. 

Our investigators are doing well. We met with Yisel again this morning and she is doing great with her desire to do what God wants. We are praying and hoping her husband will be more open and willing to accept what she is doing. We also got a new investigator from Hungary, her son is already a member and we actually had a lesson where we skyped with her son. This work is hastening and I am so grateful we can all be apart of it!

I love you and wish you have a great week, especially you Zac! Happy Birthday this week!! 

Much love,

Elder Jerman

In front of some other palace.

Message from a missionary mom who lives in Germany

Daniela Fingerle Freimann 11:47pm Aug 11 I Met Elder Jerman in Stuttgart and thought he was Great. He will be a wonderful Trainer.  We were in Stuttgart for General Conference in April and he was the brave missionary who talked with us. I had talked with the sisters before, because some of them knew my daughter, Sister Freimann,  and then Elder Jerman walked up to us. He is a great missionary! Always ready to speak to people.  :) *

Die Liebe

Elder Howarth and me last Pday at Stephandom. We climbed the 343 stairs to the top this time and had a great view of Vienna!   It was awesome! 

Family!! 

Here we are again, another week and it seems like the summer is coming to a close for you. Summer will go a little longer here in Austria and I think school starts up at the beginning of September but the work of the Lord goes on with no breaks. Its been a great week in the Vienna vineyard and we are seeing some good progress. Not just by those we teach but those around us who we might not see so much progress with but the Lord does. Its neat because we have two investigators they are both dads of families and their wives have no interest whatsoever to meet with us or be apart of it, but as we visited both of them this last week they both mentioned how their wives act different after we have come. One of them doesnt believe on God but she is the one that welcomes us in and the husband told us how God is with her if she realizes it or not. I am thankful that we can share a light and message that doesnt effect only one or two but all around us even if they arent as ready to accept it. Their time will come as we strive to keep sharing our love and the love from God. 

Yisel is coming along great, she was at church yesterday and we actually met with her this morning as well. She has been to church every Sunday since the day she walked in on her own. She is truly a miracle and God is the one to thank. Today she said something that touched me dearly, she gave testimony herself that she knows there is a God and that we are here to serve his children and then she said that is what she wants. Its so neat that she has her own desire to do Gods will and to serve him. She is ready but there is one problem with her husband, that he isnt really for the whole thing. Well he is okay with her meeting with us and going to church but he isnt at all religious and has had some bad experiences. We are praying for a miracle that he will be more open with religion so there wont be problems in the future. With God anything is possible and she even believes it. She knows there is a way and I have learned a lot from her desire and faith. 

Something else fun and a little different we did this last week was we had a sport evening. We planned out with our ward mission leader and invited members, non members, and investigators to come and have a sport evening. We played basketball and had a great turn out, lots of younger people and we hope to have something come of it. I am grateful for the gospel and that it involves people, Gods children. We are truly blessed to have this knowledge, to live it and to love it. What more would we want than to share it with others. I am grateful to be here as a disciple of Christ bringing the gospel to his children. 

I love my family, I love God and his son Jesus Christ. I share those 3 things that are dear to me everyday and it makes me happy and I hope to bring happiness to others as well. Have a great week, and I love you with all my heart!

Much love,

Elder Jerman

 With Elder Gomez Torio.   I will never forget that time with him. So great, loved it! 

Die Einladung

Family!! 

Great to hear from you on this great sunny day! Things are well in Vienna, changes have come and we are moving right along. There might be a change here or there is this work but the work is still the same and we grow in it everyday. It was a great last couple days with Elder Gomez Torio, he was a great companion and I enjoyed the time with him very much so. Learned a lot from him and I will miss his presence and excitement. In the beginning of the week, we visited a few members/ investigators and said his goodbyes and then Thursday morning rolled around and it was the day to start new. I was excited and ready to get a brand new missionaries as I set goals to do this great work even better than what I have done and show him how to start it off right (well at least I hope so) It is a great responsilbity and trust and I hope we both get the most out of it and that we can help each other reach what God knows we can. Thursday night came and their train arrived and it all began. Elder Howarth from South Jordan is my new companion and he is great, I love him! That first night we brought back his things and then went off to a "discussion night" where the topic "Families" was being discussed. It wasnt put on by our church but we thought it a good idea to go and share with those that our interested in the family about our belief on the family. It was a great opportunity because it was a place where you know the people there have interest because they came on their own. You dont find many places like that so it was really neat to share our beliefs and also "The Family, a Proclamation to the World" Friday we met with our investigator Yisel, who is progressing very well! She has been to church now 3 times in a row since she first walked in and we have been meeting regularly with her. Elder Howarth did a great job in German and I am very impressed on how well he can already speak it. Saturday we had a service project helping a member in the ward put together a closet and bed and it was neat because it took longer than expected (a life long lesson I have learned on my mission) but then we had an appointment at the church with a potential and he came with us and it all worked out so we helped each other, the way it should be! Sunday at church was great and the testimonies of members were great as a special spirit was there as they testified simply and powerful of principles of the gospel and later that day we had an activity for a young man in our ward gong on a mission. Elder Gomez Torio had promised to bake a few cakes for it but he then got transferred so I took on the job and bake a few cakes, it turned out great and I think I have found a new hobby! 

To end I would like to share a miracle experience for the week. It was Friday evening when we had a lesson fall through but none the less we decided to go by on a less active we had pick out earlier that day to go by on. We get there and knock on her door and she opens and says that she left the church, but was very kind about it so we kept talking a little and then she stop and asked if she could have a Book of Mormon. We were quite surprised but gladly gave it to her and asked if there was anything else we could do for her. She thought and then responded by asking if we could pick her up for church on Sunday. She came and enjoyed it very much so and wants to come again next week. The Lord has a time for everyone, it starts with a desire and then an invitation. We never know when someone time is now unless we invite. 

I love Jesus Christ, I love his gospel and I love this opportunity to learn to love these children of God and share that same love with them that God and his son has for them. 

I love my family and wish you to have a great week! 

Much love,

Elder Jerman

Train Station Transfers - Good bye Elder Gomez Torio

from Elder Gomez Torio's father

The father of Jason's companion, Elder Gomez Torio, served in Spain with Jason father.
So once again, 40 years later, "Elder Jerman and Elder Gomez" serve together . . . this time in Austria.

Here is his 2nd letter (translated) to Roger.

 My son Elder Gomez told us by e-mail this week, that he has moved to
Switzerland as his new working area on Thursday, Elder Gomez was very
sad not to continue with your son Elder Jerman as his partner, he feels a
great affection, respect, and admiration for your son, he said he was the best
missionary, and he learned a lot in the time he worked with your son. Elder
Gomez would have preferred to stay with Elder Jerman much longer. But
above all, it has also been wonderful to be able to contact you again after so
many years. I hopefully await your communication.
A hug for all your family, your wife, and especially a good hug for you my dear
friend.
Fondly.
Jesus R. Gomez.

Farewell Elder Gomez Torio