Liebe Familie und Fruende:
Well, the transfer call of all transfer calls came! Präsident Scwartz called Saturday morning and said that the Lord wants me to work in a new city. I am being transfered to the Wiesbaden-Mainz area! It is down by Frankfurt. It is a "white-wash", meaning the two current missionaries are being transfered out, and two new ones are coming in. I am also District Leader for our District with Koblenz and the Sisters in Mainz and the senior couple at the Young Single Adult Institute/outreach center. I am so excited!!! I am so grateful for my time in Mönchengladbach- quite literally all of my learning and growing and understanding and feeling has been here in this city. But I know that the Lord has a plan for my mission, to learn and experience things in Wiesbaden that I could only learn there. There is a German ward and an American Military ward in Wiesbaden... so it looks like I might just get some sweet potatoes and banana cream pie for Thanksgiving this year!! haha we'll see :-) The military base there is just like America soil, so mail and everything, from my end mailing home, is just like being in America- what a blessing! Präsident Schwartz said we are mainly assigned to the German ward, but have the area for both, sharing the whole area with the sisters and all the members of both wards. And the sister in Mainz will be training a new sister missionary this cycle- is Sister Garlick coming this week to Germany of after Christmas? I thought it would be so fun to be in the same district as her! Elder Friedrichs was in Koblenz for 6 months, which is the same district as Wiesbaden, and said the area is so pretty and one of his favorite places to serve. We are in the Frankfurt Zone, which means we will be able to go to the Temple on P-Day- what a great blessing! My new companion is Elder Shepherd from England. He has been here since October, so it will be fun to still be learning together! I am so excited and know that this is where I am supposed to be, and this is the right time to go. I am not sure of the new address, but will send it as soon as I can.
It will be a grand adventure starting over in a new city with a new companion, both with no idea of the city or investigators or even where the apartment is! It's going to be so much fun! And it's already Christmas season here, and that makes everything that much greater! And my testimony of the Lord leading us by His hand has been strengthened so greatly the last few weeks, that I know that He will continue to do so.
One of the problems with staying in one city for seven and a half months with the suitcases under the bed is... well, just take a look at the pictures!
We leave Wednesday morning at 730am from Düsseldorf to Frankfurt Haupt Bahnhof, where all the missionaries that are transferring meet. Then we get in our Zone/travel groups and head to our new areas. It is always so much fun to meet with other missionaries and feel the unity and love we have and hear of all that they are doing in the work of the Lord.
This was a really neat week, a great exclamation point to the end of the cycle and to my time in Mönchengladbach. But like with everything in the Lord's vocabulary, His exclamation points aren't big explosions or fireworks- it was the delay of a bus that allowed us to meet with Rainer and feel of his spirit and help him recognize the hand of the Lord. It was Martin and Michael coming to church and recognize the Spirit and feel the power of the love of God. It was the families Lenknereit and Luchs and Wenzel from the ward that were so full or love and kindness to say goodbye and wish me well. It was the miracles and blessings in the other cities of this district and the great examples of missionaries that I was able to learn from this cycle. That's the way the Lord works: through small and simple things to bring about His marvelous wonders. And this truly is a marvelous work and a wonder!
I was able to speak in church yesterday, bearing my testimony of the living reality of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. I love and treasure the opportunity I have to bear testimony that They were, that They are, and that They always will be. And especially, I love testifying that I know that Jesus Christ will come again, and that this work is in preparation for His triumphant return; for it is, and I know it!
so ich muss "Auf wiedersehen" sagen zu Mönchengladbach, aber ich bin voller Glaube und Begeisterung auf Grund der Zukunft! Vorwärts, immer vorwärts!
Danke schön für euer Liebe und Gebete.
Bis nächstes Mal- aus Wiesbaden!
Alles Gute,
Elder Nathan Garlick
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