Getting To Germany or rather Switzerland

The flight to Switzerland was long, longer than I had expected. While in Atlanta we had met up with a member who bought the four of us lunch. His son was on a mission and he hoped someone was doing the same for him somewhere. Now sitting on the plan I was grateful for that meal but also wishing I had gone with something a little lighter.

The plane was huge. It had three rows of three seats. The three Elders with me Elder Bond, Elder Peterson, and Elder Schmidt were lucky enough to get seats together. I was at least 10 rows in front of them feeling completely alone. However with that said there was only one other person in my row so the middle seat was open.

The women I sat next to on the plane was from Geneva Switzerland. A big black women with a joyful disposition about her, she helped in calming my nerves just a bit. She wanted to know what I was doing and why I was going to Germany. When I told her I was going as a missionary. We talked about religion for an hour or so and then she went to sleep.  While she slept I pulled out the Book of Mormon I had with me and wrote my testimony in it. Later as we prepared to land in Zurich I worked up my courage and gave her the Book. Thankfully she spoke English so I bore my testimony to her and promised that if she read the Book of Mormon the Lord would bless her. She wished me luck on my mission and she was gone. It was the first Book of Mormon of many that I would give out on my mission.

I tried to sleep on the flight but there was way too much going on. Lights flickering, people getting up and down to use the bathroom, plus once you added my excitement into the mix of things there was no way I was going to sleep. I kept on thinking of what the Mission President would look like, who my companion would be, where we would be going, and if I’d be a good missionary. As I said the flight to Switzerland was extremely long.

Getting through customs was actually a bit exciting. There are a few booths more like ticket counters you would find at a movie theater or at a train station. Everyone stands in line and once you arrive at the counter you provide your passport, ID, and a customs form you were given on the plan. They look at you the passport ask a few questions and then you are done. Well that’s how it is for most people. The Elders and I were all split up but got to the counters at about the same time. They all went through with no problems however the man I talked with was not so convinced. When asked why I was here I gladly said to be a missionary. He gave me one of those looks like ‘oh really, you a missionary’. It could have been the dark circles under my eyes or that I hadn’t showered now in over 36 hours.  Finally he handed me my passport back and in a deep German accent said ‘Good Luck, you’re going to need it’. If I wasn’t already terrified about being there and not being able to speak a lick of German I now was.

There is a distinct smell in Germany. The air is filled with the smell of smoke, hot bread, chocolate, flowers, and something else you can’t describe. It’s a smell that you will never forget. As we walked out into the terminals that smell hit us like a wave hitting the sand it was wonderful and strange all at the same time. Once we picked up our luggage we waited, and waited, and waited. We were told we would be met once we arrived, however it had been an hour since we landed and we hadn’t seen anyone.

Finally coming out of a crowd of people we saw two missionaries smiling from ear to ear and looking so happy to see us. The assistants to the Mission President were very friendly. They wanted to know how our flight went and if we were hungry. Then the Mission President and his wife arrived. They were short and stocky – exactly what you would expect the Germans to look like. They welcomed us in Germany and continued to speak German, apparently asking about our flight. My first thought was ‘oh my heavens maybe my mission president doesn’t speak any English.’ The elders seemed to understand but I was so lost and very worried. I left the MTC knowing how to say my prayers in Germany and to say that I was a missionary. That was it.

As we were assigned to cars I drove with the Mission President and his wife and the elder got to drive with the assistants. I was more than jealous I was scared. It was the longest drive of my life. They spoke only German and asked many questions which I could only answer with I don’t understand and I don’t know. Upon arrival at the mission home each of us were taken into the office to meet with the Mission President. There he spoke his first English words to me and said ‘Sister Jensen, everything is going to be ok’. I burst in to tears just thankful he knew some English. He continued his interview in English and told me I was getting assigned to a great companion and that if I worked hard the Lord would bless me. As I was leaving his office he looked at me as if debating wither or not to tell me this next bit, finally he said, ‘and the language will come eventually, just work hard.’

We had finally arrived, this was it. As I sat there waiting for everyone else to finish their interview I could only wonder how I was every going to survive this.

mit freundlichen Grüßen

Jenessa Jensen