Frohe Weihnachten! (Merry Christmas)

Liebe Familie!!
Great to hear this Christmas season is going well for everyone. We are
enjoying it very much so in Vienna, and I am personally grateful to be
serving at this special season and helping others have a special time
where they grow closer to their Savior and Redeemer. We have some
unexpected news that are going to make things exciting this next week.
We got a call on Saturday night from the Mission President and you
know when he calls, something fishy is up. We find out that Elder
Anderson will be leaving on a emergy transfer to go fill in for
someone that left. Well we just came from the train station as we sent
him off this morning! So this next week it will be 3 of us spreading
the wonderful message at this Christmas time. It will be great,
different for sure, but we will love every moment of it!
We had a great week, and the Christmas Spirit is in the air, there
might be lots of stress and such in the air as well but we are doing
our best in helping others remember the true meaning of Christmas and
we have had some neat experience with those we meet but also with
members. We were with a new convert of about a year on Monday night
and we had a good talk about standing up for what we believe as she
was at a Christmas party with alcohol for work and had her friend
making fun of her. Its hard and it takes courage and strength and help
from the Lord but we can withstand it as we let his power be apart of
our lives. He wants us to take part of it and we need to accept and
use it. We helped another member with some service this last week, he
is building an appartment and at the end he got us together and said,
"We are brothers of our loving Heavenly Father but I can also call
your friends" as he then explained to us his work and problems he has.
Neat to be there for him and lift him as he is weak, and that is what
Christ is for, to lift our burdens. We can try to carry them alone but
it will be a hard and long journey throughout life, let him help.
Another was on Saturday when we helped some members clean the church
and afterwards I had the idea to show them the short "He is the Gift"
video as I had read from another missionary sharing a message with
them after cleaning the church so we sat down and watch it and at the
end it had them in tears and we had a great discussion. There are so
many lives we can touch and brighten, most things we can do our small
and simple but I know each effort is worth it in making someone else
have a special Christmas time and that is accomplished as we discover,
embrace and share the gift of Christ.
I love this work and so grateful at this time of year to share it, I
have come to appreciate the opportunity we have as missionaries to
teach those we meet on the street, trains, buses and so on. It might
just be one time but I have had many neat experience throughout my
time on a mission of giving testimony of Christ no matter if in a
lesson or on a cold windy street in a small town in Barveria that it
counts as we are all children of God and everyone needs the gospel. We
might not see much success with those we meet once but I know they are
in Gods hands and at their right time will accept it. I am grateful
for the capibility to work diligently in all we do. To do many good
things out of our own free will. As we work we are happy and then we
can make others happy which just makes it all the more better. Thats
one thing I have learned that I dont want to forget about in life,
diligent work brings great joy and happiness and as we are grateful
for it we will see the blessings both us and others receive having us
then desire to serve the Lord with more willingness.
I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas week and that you make it
special for someone else whether family, friend or stranger. We are
all one big family that need each other. I love you and wish the best
for you!
Liebe Grüße,
Elder Jerman