Train Time

Family, its that time again!

Wow here we are again, sometimes its hard to believe a week has gone by and then you look back on the week and see all the experiences you have had. A lot has been learned and its neat to think back on this last week and remember those things learned. One thing is the importance of always being a good example. You never know who is watching and not just as missionaries but as members we are noticed and how we act can say a lot. Our example can teach more than we think. As a missionary here in Europe it is not so common for someone to know who you are, but when someone does oh it sure does make me happy. One day on the train we were traveling and we were about to get off when a lady across from me spoke up in English and asked if I was from America. She is actually a professor at the University of Denver and she said she had some students that would go on missions. She thought it was pretty impressive for young men to be doing that and she wished me luck. People do notice us in the world where ever we are and are example can teach them lots.

This week we have traveled on train quite a bit so that has given some time to try and talk with people! Its interesting how lots of the people here in Europe are very personally and dont like opening up and talking, well I guess anywhere you go its a little different talking to strangers in public but thats what we do best here and so its been neat. Two experiences, one was with a younger guy about my age sitting across from me. He had some soccer pants on so I asked him if we played and then told him I played back in America and we started talking about sports and school. He had to get off quick but the thought came to mind, I sure hope he meets the missionaries in the future and will be more open to them! He has got a life ahead of him and the gospel could be such a big blessing for him and his family. Another time I sat down next to an older lady and just asked her how she was doing and we went off on family and life and it was a very good talk and at the end we thanked me for sitting down by her. Building good relationships with people is a big part even if you wont ever see them again you can trust in the God that he will then work with them and that experience they had with you. That is what faith is all about, acting on a righteous desire to fulfill a future blessing! An experience with that this week is we were on an exchange this week with the other Elders here in Rosenheim and we were doing some dooring and one man came out and started going off about how we are wasting our time and how we wont see any success here and that we should go home. I responded with a simple testimony that I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true and the power in that was strong and I could feel it. That is how the Holy Ghost teaches us through small and simple truths. I am grateful for the simpleness of the gospel and how we can always testify of the things we know are true. Its hard for someone to argue with that and for that I am grateful. This work couldnt move forward without the Spirit and a living God who loves all people. God does still speak with his children today and I am so grateful we get to hear from Prophets and Apostles this next week. What they say is what the world needs and what God has in his wonderful plan for us. Grateful for my small part I can be doing in the Lords work for these people here. Many people here dont realize it but as we stay happy and positive and live a strong example of Christ either the ones prepared will find us or we will find them. I just know it!

Hope you have a wonderful week and birthdays wishes to both Dad and Brett!

Much Love,

Elder Jerman

Hey good morning. Yeah we are on a little later today. We were planning to go to the oktober fest and see that in munich but we ran out of time as we were taking some things to the dump and did some unexpected service along the way but that was worth it. Its fun with 4 to play some games sometimes in the apartment or walk around, There is a palace on a lake that I want to go to one of these pdays. We just need to do it, we just have to buy tickets for trains and things but we will go! Hope all is well at home!

Love, Jason

Oktober Fest lasts about two weeks and its already been going on so we will have to make it up there. We are acutally going up there next week anyway for a meeting but for general conference this week we are staying in rosenheim. They will just have it at the church unlike last time where we had to go to stuttgart. Ah i am so excited for general conference!!! Such a wonderful time!

Love, Jason

Hey guys great to hear from you! Love you all so much and thanks for telling me what your week is like! One quick thing about to answer Alicia's question. One fun and really really simple thing to make is spätzle. Its very common here and last week when we were at a members house she told me how to make it and such! Its real easy but way good, its flour, salt, eggs, and warm water! HMM yum! Love you all, keep making great memories. Its so neat sometimes as I go throughout the day and randomly a memory would pop into my head. This week one day I remembered new years eve banging pans. So glad we spent so much time together as a family. Love you guys!

Jason, your brother

Rosenheim District at the ward house.  Opportunity to be the District Leader.

Simple and Small

Liebe Familie,

Welcome to a new day! I think its just the coolest thing that we can wake up every morning and start a new and wonderful day. We are so blessed to live at this time and we all do have many blessings that God has given us, and we learn as we do what he has asked and revealed will bless us even more than what we will ever give. Times can get tough and we sometimes dont understand why and how but as we keep living how we know we should we will receive that joy and peace all of us desire. This week we have done some good traveling in our area to go by on less actives and formers that havent had much contact the last little while and I would have to say that this last week we have been to one of the most beautiful places of the world. Not to boast or anything but God really has given us a wonderful place to live and no matter where we are we can realize the marvelous creations of the earth around us.

This week we started teaching a lady that we have been doing service for the last while and it will be great to help her and answer her many questions of life and the gospel. She loves to talk and can go off on a story for some time but we are excited to be able to help her in her life at this time. Its so interesting, I have learned about time and the time we are living now. There are few here that are prepared at this time but there are those that are just difficult to find. I am so glad we have the great example of our Savior Jesus Christ and try to live as he would want us to live and help those around us prepare for their time. The Lord works in many simple and small ways and I know as we stay happy and positive and share our testimonies he will use us more than we know even if we dont see the end result. I am grateful to serve here at this time and to keep moving forward trying to live as Christ would want me to. On Saturday we had a finding day in Neuötting one of the most Catholic parts of Germany and I had a neat opportunity to have a good long talk with a man which we talked about both life and the gospel. He might not have much interest now but I have faith for what I shared will help him whether he accepts it in this life or the next.

Also something neat about having 4 Elders here in Rosenheim is on Saturday traveling back from Neuötting we had some time at two different train stations until our train came and so we went out contacting with the other companion and its fun to work and learn from the other two. Things are well here in Rosenheim and I know as we count our blessings and recognize the small things God gives us we can make everyday great and meaningful day with the small acts of service we do to others.

Love you all much.

Familes are Forever!

Elder Jerman

Just a quick note about here in new area. Elder Seamons is quite great we get along well as we both have similar hobbies and personality. We play sometimes soccer in the morning. He also plays the violin and today he and the other Elder went to a funeral for a less active and he played for that so it has been me and Elder Young who was in my Utah state ysa ward! We have a great time together as he is very new on his mission and he is a great humble guy! Times at the apartment are good as we have fun talking about our days and eating sometimes together just last night we had a family invite all 4 of us and it almost felt like a big family eating. Soo fun!

Here is a fun picture of a yarn bridge. 

Love you and have a great day! Jason

The Yarn Bridge

Good Works

Good Works

Family!

What a great time to be alive and living! Things are going well here in Rosenheim as I am beginning to get myself acquainted with the place. Its neat how different areas here are and a big one I have notice is how much we walk! Now Im not complaining or anything dont take it wrong but we sure do a lot of walking. The buses here are different and we dont have a pass like we did in Heilbronn. But its good though I enjoy it and we have more opportunties to meet and talk with people along our way. We have had some really cool experiences actually this week with some really neat people and this week I have learned a lot about service. As I arrived here we only had one investigator so we have spent a fair share of time finding but also we have had some great service opporutinties and not just planned but also unplanned which is so cool!

I will start off with one that just happened yesterday which was a great adventure and I learned there is more to service for just those we serve. We were yesterday in a city to go by on a less active and former investigator. Sadly the less active had no interest and the former no longer lived there. While walking to the less active along the way we found a wallet on the ground and decided to pick it up and see if we could find any information to return it and it turns out his address was inside! We asked a lady as she walked by if she knew the street and she didnt but pulled out here handy dandy smart phone and looked it up. It was an 18 minute drive with a bike in a small village outside the city. We decided to go by on the people we where there for and then if we had time go there. Turns out with no luck with our less active and former we had time so we went for it! We had our goal to return this wallet and we were determined as we walked out of the city and started off down the road. As time went by we werent sure if we were going to make it back in time to make our train but we kept going. We got there knowing we werent going to make our train back but went anyway to the door hoping they would be home. He opens up the door and was overwhelmed we had his wallet. His face was priceless and he was so happy to have his wallet back. One part of service is to gladden the hearts of others and that sure did happen as he saw his wallet. It also gladden my heart and made me happy to see his joy and happiness and I think that is a part of service that we receive joy too as we serve. The thing that makes this story perfect is that they wanted to give us money but we didnt take it. Instead I asked if they could drive us back to the train station and they did! The Lord really does provide in all things!

Another neat experience this week was we met a lady on the street this week and shared a Scripture with her about praying to God both in morning and night. She told us she had a strong belief in God and throughout the years she lost hope. She wasnt too interested in meeting again but after we left we hoped that this scripture would at least help. A few days later we saw her again! She told us we had thought a lot about the scripture we shared and how she was thinking of praying again after all these years. We talked a little more and introduced the Book of Mormon and little more this second time and shared with her Moronis promise. She really enjoyed it and took the book having us mark this scripture because, "it made her feel good." The Book of Mormon can heal all questions in our crazy and busy lives. So neat to share it with others.

One more story of the week is the last few days we have notice a man on a bench by the train station and so one day we asked him how things were going and if we could at all help out. He is from Hungarian and is here for work but wants to get back to Hungary to his family. He is a very humble man and we really wanted to help him out, so last night as we saw him we decided to get him a little something to eat before he left today back to Hungary. Last night during are planning we felt that we should give him a Book of Mormon in Hungarian and try and get his address so we could give it to the Elders there. So this morning for morning sport we decided to take a jog down town with a Hungarian Book of Mormon hoping we would find him before he left and after a while we did find him! He took the book and gave us his address it was the coolest thing ever! What a miracle to find him this morning but something I have really learned is miracles happen according to our faith and if we have faith we act. We act and go about doing good to those around us and desire righteous blessings to be fulfilled. We sure hope that now we have acted on our faith and gave him a Book of Mormon and received his address he will meet with the missionaries in Hungary and that righteous desire will be fulfilled. This is a wonderful work and as we do good works according to righteous desires miracles will happen!

I love you all very much and pray for you daily.

Elder Jerman

This is Jason's reply to some questions we asked about his area, the ward, living with 3 other missionaries, (even in the MTC, he has always been with only one companion) and his time with our exchange student a few weeks ago.  What we can learn about his new area, Rosenheim, is that it is half the size of his other area, but twice the members. :)

Things are going great in the new area. It sure is different and interesting from going to a place I knew so well and the people and then coming here and now learning a new area and new people but its all part of the growing process. I unfortantily did not give him a Book of Mormon but we did talk about what I was doing now as a missionary and he didnt seem too interested in it as he is Prodistant and active in that but I will for sure keep in contact with him and see if I can have the missionaries in his area give his family a visit that is a great idea that I didnt think about, thanks dad.

Its been pretty fun living with another companionship there is both pros and cons. Its so fun to come home at night and cook and have dinner together and talk about the day as a missionaries and all our adventures and neat things that happened and this week we had a chance to go to a members house for dinner all 4 of us which was so fun! It was just like a big family. It is tough though sometimes getting ready in the morning and so we can start studies on time and then also at night getting to bed on time. We make it work though and we have spilt our area in half, its one big area but they work on one side and we in the other with the members, less actives and investigators there. If we find a investigator that lives on their side we give it to them to teach. The ward is way fun we have about 50 to 60 active members so its not overwhelming big like 100 or something but its good and there are a few members that are great with missoinary work and actual we have an investigator that was a refferal from a member but we have just met with him once and wont until october again. But members are so important. Thanks for all your words, thougts, pictures and ideas. You are so supporting and always remind me to go a little harder. Thanks for all you do and I love you!

Love,

your son Jason

This is what he said about the two pictures he sent.

1. This was a crazy day as we had to walk on the side of the street through small villages like this one to reach a less active but it was so soooo soo beautiful with the green fields, the rain and the mountains!! Such a neat adventure.

2. More beautiful mountains and a church. Our area borders Austria so we were almost into austria but not quite! ;) We did service for a less active that practicually lives in the mountains. Its her house and then forest and I absolutley loved working in the yard right on the mountain side. Oh that is for sure one thing that gives me joy! :)

Change

Liebe Familie!!

3 Missionaries in Heilbronn! -  Elder Lappalainen (from Finland),  Elder Lichner (just arrived back home to Heilbronn from his mission in Berlin and not yet released), and me!  Elder Jerman

Oh man what a wild ride it has been this last week! Lots of great experience and stories that are now in the past from a great 1st area and now lots of exciting and new adventures to come in my new area Rosenheim! There is a lot to tell so lets dive right in! At the beginning of the week we had till Wednesday until we left early Thursday morning to say goodbye to all the great members in Heilbronn. We spent most of our Pday at a members house enjoying the time together,Tuesday night and Wednesday night we enjoyed the time as well with members. It is pretty unusual for both Elders to leave the area which was a bummer for the members to have to say goodbye to both of us. It was neat too though for both Elder Lappalainen and I to spend our last days there together. Tuesday afternoon we had a Zone Training meeting so got to meet with the Stuttgart zone one last time and fun to see everyone and take pictures. Wednesday we had a less active lesson in the morning and then we probably had one of the coolest afternoons ever!! So one of the families in the branch had a son on a mission serving in the Berlin Mission. He was going to get back around the same time we were leaving and it was too bad because I have heard so much about him the last 6 months! So we get a phone callWednesday morning and I pick up and on the other line is Elder Lichner from the Berlin Mission! He had gotten home and wasnt getting set apart until that night and so asked if he could go to any appointments with us and it worked out perfect. We had an appointment made out with a potential investigator. It was a older couple and so we went and it was the neatest thing ever! Having 3 missionaries there was so cool and on our last day there and his last day of his mission! Soo cool! I also learned lots from him especially I loved when he shared testimony of living prophets and how we have been given restored truths through prophets that bless our families for eternity! It was a great last couple days in Heilbronn. Then Thursday rolls around and off we both go with our suitcases in hand heading out of Heilbronn on train for the last time. Well who knows maybe I will make it back there one day but for now it was off to Munich and then on to Rosenheim.

I met up with Elder Seamons at the Munich train station where lots of the missionaries are as they are transfered around the mission so it was fun to see some familiar faces but we didnt have much time as we went to catch our train. Elder Seamons is such a cool guy! He is from Preston Idaho and had just finished his training so he is younger than I am on our missions but he is so great! We are both really excited to work with each other and push ourselves as we work hard, be obedient and not complain. I really believe we can push ourselves to become who the Lords knows we can become and so neat we can be doing it together. I am excited to what the future will bring and Rosenheim better be ready! Rosenheim is so pretty and its interesting to notice differences from here and Heilbronn. Down here in Bayern area there are hardly any wine vineyards which I saw all over the place in Heilbronn. Here there is more trees and forests, and they have mountains here!! Oh so beautiful! We have had a great last couple days as we have had some less active lessons and finding. No matter where you are the work of God is the same but its neat to meet new people and share your light. Church was great as my German is much better than my 1st Sunday in Heilbronn and fun to talk to members and start to get to know them.

Also so fun news is that there is 4 Elders here in Rosenheim and we all live together and so now its really like "The Best 2 Years" It will take some getting used to and hopefully we can get everything we done we need to but it will be neat to be with them and share how each others day went and have contact like that with other missionaries! Just today we had a fun time going to a bakery and getting something to eat and then eating together at a park. I am excited to serve them and all these wonderful people here. Its been a humbling experience to come here after leaving an area which I knew so much about. The streets, how to get around, the people and then to come here having to trust in my companion and go along with it with a good attitude. Its been a great few days and the future is looking good as a new change has come and a new opportunity to set goals and learn more about the gospel and the children of God. How great it is to know we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father and we can show our love to him by following his wise council that he has given us to succeed in this life. We can put our trust in Him as we follow his commandments and love and serve those around us and I know we will be blessed for it as we feel the joy it comes from it. He is aware of all of us, and we can feel his love everyday. I love you all very much too and am so blessed we can live as a family forever!

Liebe Grüße,

Elder Jason Jerman

p.s.Oh one other thing. Here in Rosenheim they are having their own little mini october fest before the one in munich and its so insane. so many people in the streets dressed up in lader hosen and traditional clothing, I love it!! so fun walking the streets. I will have to share that next week in my letter but things are going well and I love you very much and so glad you are keeping busy and doing such great things. Till next week.

Elder Jerman

I will have to take and send pictures of me and Elder seamons and also of this beautiful city! also so that you know the new address of where I live is, (just of fun fact Heilig Geist means Holy Spirit in english) 

Elder Jason C. Jerman

Heilig Geist Straße 54

Rosenheim 83022

Deutschland

Rosenheim crest

streets in Rosenheim

This just in

Familie!

What an exciting time it is in Germany. So the big news for the week is that we received transfer calls on Friday morning from President to see if we were staying together another transfer or if one of us was going. I pick up the phone and he asked me to put it on speaker phone and so I did so and then he told us that we are both getting transfered! Heilbronn will be getting two new missionaries! Elder Lappalainen will be going back to Switzerland I will be heading a little more south right next to the Alps to the beautiful city of Rosenheim! I am very excited to go to a new area now that my German has a good foundation and have a little more knowledge of whats going on. I will be working with a missionary who has just finished his trainer so he is younger than me but more info on that and such next week. Its sad to be leaving Heilbronn after the last 5 and a half months. I really gotten to learn to love the ward and the people here but we know that change always brings something better and we can share our light with many more.

I dont have much time today as we have been with members today spending time with them before we both leave. Its kind of crazy we are both leaving and that usually doesnt happen but the Lord knows what is whats best for this area. So I do though with the time I have tell you about a experience this week that we had. It was early in the week we went to visit a less active that we had no info about and no number so we had to go on by. Sadly he wasnt there so we had a little time before our bus came. We decided to make a few phone calls and one particualy to a potential we had found a couple days before. He answered and said he had time tonight to meet. We had some time and so we went for it. As we showed up he was outside his place with some friends and they saw us and started making jokes and saying that we were Jehovah Witnesses. We handle the situation good and went with him inside and had a lesson with him. He was totally different from the others and very interested in our message. As we left his friends said some things I didnt really understand but probably not too important. I have a strong testimony there are those prepared amoung those who have not quite caught on. Its so neat we can find the one in the many who is prepared for this wonderful gospel.

I love you all and I am doing well, I will hopefuly have more time next week but things are great!

Elder Jerman

 Me in front of the ward house in Heilbronn! Loved that place.

 Tuesday at zone training. This was my district this last transfer.