So first, no, we did not get to see Elder Nelson when he came. They have a 3-hour rule, where if you have to travel more than 3 hours to get to München, then you don't go. So yes, we were sad to miss that. NO one in our district got to go, actually. We are basically as far away from the mission home as possible here in Klagenfurt. But I don't really mind, because I love our ward, we have the COOLEST ward mission leader EVER (Br. Heinz Mauch), and I just love the people in the ward, and all the people we see often. So we didn't get to see Elder Nelson. Probably why I never mentioned anything about it haha. I may have mentioned him coming, but we couldn't go, so I stuck with the more relevant Klagenfurt news haha.
Meine Gute, Brian Buckner is getting married?!! That is so awesome! Tell him congratulations for me. And it was also funny to hear that apparently Malcolm and Ashley are now going out (if it be true...) Haha. I am glad that she won Homecoming Queen. So yeah, that is Allie and then Ashley the last two years-- two 2nd Ward LDS girls. Cool haha.
Um... oh, okay, I know what the next one is... Klagenfurt is part of Kärnten, which is the big southern "state" of Austria. Look up "Kaernten" online (the ae is a substitute for the umlaut ü) and that WHOLE area is our area. The weird thing is that we are the only two elders in the whole area (Villach is just a 30 minutes' train ride away, so we go there often, and it is therefore in our area). We are in the Salzburg zone, however. But, the rest of our district is in a Vienna zone. Our district is really weird. So we have our Salzburg zoneleaders, and they have their own in Wien. It's crazy trying to report numbers, because Elder Eaker is the District leader.
SO, is that all? I can't rememember.... So, on to my stuff, oder?
Nathan and Kate, congratulations on your recent wins!!!! Kate I bet you rocked it up when you got to play! Keep showing everyone how it is done and work harder than everyone else! :) Sorry that your coach is being weird... But, have the most heart out of anyone on your team, and then playing time doesn't matter. Everyone will remember you regardless. Nathan, nice job beating BK! BK and Middelton make for a good win record :) Keep up the good work! I hope Sydney and Cara are having fun coaching soccer! Best of luck to them with work, coaching, school, etc. Say hi for me haha.
Also, before I forget, transfer calls aren't until the last Friday of the transfer, so not this Friday coming, but the next ( I believe it's the 5th?), so yeah, don't worry. I will let you know wenn möglich. (when possible, sorry)
Well, I had some Land o Lakes hot chocolate from a package this week, and it was freaking delicious! Perhaps in a care package you could send me some of their hot chocolate mixes.... I enjoyed it tremendously whilst singing Christmas songs in my head. haha :)
Haha, so a funny story from yesterday in church. Well first, I had a great time in church gestern! I really felt loved and like I belonged. I mean I have felt it already, but I kinda felt like I was still just a guy with a nametag, and they have been through a lot of people like me haha. But that is not true! We got a bag of Reeses PB cups from the bishop's family, with a note that said "Für unsere Elders, von Familie Kaiser" with a big heart :) Then I sat in the back during Sacrament meeting and made faces with Konstantin Pfabigan, who is less than a year old, or maybe almost two, and he is so cute! I would roll my eyebrows and he would just blink and then giggle. Anyway, the meetings and classes were still great too, but these people are my friends now! Our Armenian sister came again to church! That was awesome. Also, we had a great time in sonntagschule with our new converts and Br. Mauch (who teaches it). We were laughing and making jokes, but we talked about faith. Bruder Mauch shared a rather personal story with us, and then he told us about how he was comforted. But I loved what he said about it: "Ich habe die Stimme Gottes gehört. Ich darf das nicht leugnen!" (I have heard the voice of God, and I am not allowed (literally translated) to deny that.) Mensch, that made me think about my own such experiences, of course just talking about revelation throught the Holy Ghost. He only speaks the truth, and He speaks for God, so it is the same. But it was the same thing Joseph Smith said, and I can say it too! So can Br. Mauch, and how many other people? My worry was, though, if how I lived and what I did everyday showed that I held that as sacred for me. That made me think. Think about it yourselves. You cannot deny it. You are not allowed to deny it.
We played Fußball for like 4 hours last Monday! That was fantastic for me haha. I think everyone else enjoyed it too, especially Sister Homestead, who played for Dixie State. My highlight was rainbowing it over her and then running around and putting it in the goal. I can still do some stuff!!! Yeah, it was great.
Oh, I forgot my funny story from earlier haha. Anyway, we were invited to the Suppersbergers' to eat after church (another reason I felt really loved :)), and we were supposed to ride with Bishop, who left when we weren't watching. We called him and Elder Eaker said "I thought we were supposed to ride with you..." and the first thing Bishop said was "Falsh gedacht, Würstchen!" which is a quote from Back to the Future (auf Deustch, obviously). He loves saying that, because he asked us what it said in English. Something like "Thought wrong, wiener!" We don't know for sure. Bishop is hilarious haha. I love our Ward!!!!! Oh, we also ate Quark for dessert over there, which is made with the bacteria that is in yogurt, except it is still alive in the quark. But it was so good! It has an indescribable texture and taste, from the bacteria. Yum :)
Well, to end, I wanted to share something that Elder Eaker brought up in study this week. Alma 48:17 is the classic "Capt. Moroni is the coolest guy ever scripture," which is true. But I never really noticed 18 and 19, where it talks about Ammon, his brothers, and Alma and his sons. So wait, remember Alma 39, the whole talk with Corianton? He seemed like he really had some repenting to do, no? Well, now look at Mormon saying this in verse 18 of Alma 48. They were all men of God, and were being compared with Capt. Moroni, who shakes the powers of Hell. What a great example Corianton is of turning around. He had to repent, as do we all, for whatever things, but repenting didn't subtract from what he was capable of doing! Repentance does not mean that our potential lowers. It is not too late to change, and Heavenly Father won´t hold back greater blessings because you had to (well, there might be some crazy circumstances, but hopefully none of you are there). We learn and grow and in doing so we get even closer to our eternal potential. A potential which we always need to have in our sights. The things on the side, in the peripheral vision, will take care of themselves. Know who you are, what you are capable of, and don't let anything tell you that you cannot! If you don't know exactly what you can do, or who you are, I can testify that you are a son or daughter of our Heavenly Father, and He wants you to live with Him again in happiness, for all of eternity, after this life. He has given us ways to be happy in this life, family, friends, the gospel, and we cannot take that for granted!!! Remember who you are, and where you are going, and find out if you don't know. Our Savior Jesus Christ is there to help you through anything, and the gospel will truly have answers to anything that troubles you.
Go forward with faith, in every aspect of your life. Ask yourself, where do you need faith right now? Then do it. Never stop helping others, serving your fellowmen, and do it with a smile :)
I love you all and hope everyone has a good week!!
Elder Jalen L Gibbons
PS. we have at least one appointment this week with Alex, who we found in Villach! We are excited. The work goes on.
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