OOPS!

As I sat down to write this week’s blog entry, I thought it might be good to just review what was said last week. It was then that I realized that the verbiage part of the blog was missing. The pictures got in but the words just didn’t make it. Last week’s entry has been now fixed. Fortunately, I still had a copy.

On Monday I presented a devotional/thought at our Austria/Switzerland manager’s (Helmut Wondra) biweekly meeting. A copy is attached below. I am trying to take my own advice - sometimes it is hard.

On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, the Humanitarian division missionaries and employees gathered for training. This was our second such event. These events are held three to four times a year. The purpose is to be taught, share best practices, and build relationships. I think all the couples agreed that the best training was a class on using AI in our work. In addition to the employees and four couples in Frankfurt (E&S Sutterfield, Richards & Clemes), five other couples from France (E&S Kershisnik), Montenegro (E&S Murray), Moldova (E&S Schultz), Turkey (E&S Dodgen), and Uzbekistan (E&S Busath) complete our group. On Thursday evening, most of us joined for dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant. It is hard to get good Tex-Mex food in Tashkent, Uzbekistan!

Friday marked not only the 25^th anniversary of the World Trade Center attack in NYC, but also my 71^st birthday. Eileen was nice enough to invite me on an overnight date to Nuremberg. It was fun to get away and spend time with her.   

AUSTRIA & SWITZERLAND REGIONAL MEETING, SEPT. 7, 2026

One of the more memorable stories in the New Testament is found in Matthew chapter 14. After feeding the five thousand, Jesus sent His disciples across the Sea of Galilee. During the night, a storm arose, and the disciples became afraid. Then they saw the Savior walking on the water.

Peter called out, “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.” Jesus replied with a single word: “Come.” Peter stepped out of the boat and did something impossible. He walked on water.

What might have happened if Peter had insisted on finding firm ground before taking that first step? He would have remained safely in the boat. He would have stayed dry. He would have avoided risk. But he also would have never discovered what it felt like to walk on water.

In our own lives, we sometimes spend a great deal of effort trying to ensure that every step is onto solid ground. We want certainty before we move forward. We want guarantees before we accept a calling, serve a mission, change careers, forgive someone, or follow a prompting from the Spirit. Yet faith works differently.

Elder Jeffery R. Holland taught that faith means moving forward even when we do not have a perfect knowledge of what lies ahead. The Lord rarely reveals the entire path before asking us to take the first step. Sometimes the miracle is not that the storm stops. Sometimes the miracle is that Christ allows us to do something we could never do on our own while the storm is still raging.

Sister Camille Johnson said, “I know that life is hard. You can do hard with Jesus, or you can do hard alone. That is your choice. But when you do hard with Jesus Christ, the hard becomes holy.”

So, we can do hard things with Christ, or we can do hard things without Christ. Life is going to present its challenges either way. We will face disappointment, sickness, uncertainty, loss, and difficult assignments. Hard things are simply part of mortality.

In Alma 62:41 we read, “But behold, because of the exceeding great length of the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites many had become hardened . . ; and many were softened because of their afflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God, even in the depth of humility.” They all had experienced the same war, yet some emerged hardened, while others were softened. What caused the different result in feelings?

For us, question is not whether we will face hard things. The question is whether we will carry those burdens alone or allow the Savior to help us. Without Christ, we may survive the storm. With Christ, we can find peace in the storm. Without Christ, we may eventually reach the shore. With Christ, we might discover that we can walk on water.

When Peter began to sink, the Savior did not stand back and watch. Immediately He reached out His hand and caught him. The lesson is not that faithful disciples never sink. The lesson is that faithful disciples know who will catch them when they do.

Many of us are serving, sacrificing, ministering, parenting, or facing personal trials that seem beyond our abilities. The Lord may be inviting us to leave the safety of the boat and trust Him a little more. Perhaps the very reason we cannot see firm ground is because He wants us to learn that His power is sufficient.

If we insist on only taking steps that we can fully understand and control, we may miss the miracles He has prepared for us. But when we trust Him enough to step forward in faith, we discover that His grace can do what our strength alone never could.

My testimony is that Jesus Christ is not only waiting for us on the other side of life’s storms. He is with us in the middle of them. He invites us to come unto Him, to trust Him, and to move forward even when the path is uncertain. As we do, we will learn that through Him we can do things we never imagined possible.

Posted by Eileen-My first week of being the nurse was rather slow. This past week it picked up steam.  I spent until 10p.m. last night writing my weekly email to the area doctor and mission president and wife.  I am enjoying my encounters with the missionaries. Only about 25% of the calls were during normal work hours. 

We started the MEAL conference by doing a temple session at the Frankfurt temple.

 

Sister Busath (in the blue skirt) brought back reversible jackets from Tajikistan for the sisters who have been here for a while. There were a few new sisters who she will bring some more for next time she comes back to Frankfurt. 

Elder and Sister Richards leading a discussion at the MEAL conference. (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning)

As part of the conference we each were to submit a collage of photos and described "me in a minute".  I (Eileen) created these collages which were then presented. 

Each individual had a tree with hearts with notations from others indicating why they were good friends. 

                  

Russell did something very abnormal for him. He organized a dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant for the humanitarian senior missionaries.  The Busaths still had not arrived, hence the empty seats at the end of the table. 

      Fun bathroom doors                                 

                                            We had a nice overnight in Nuremberg.
           

                               

We went to the museum documenting the rise and fall of the Nazis. There was a festival next         door. It seemed weird to have amusement park rides right next to the stadium where Hitler held      his rallies. 

                                     

 This house was built in 1446 and housed the lepers who were only allowed inside the city walls for medical care and food during Holy Week.

                                

A nice birthday dinner for Russell. 

A CHALLENGING WEEK

This past week was one of highs and lows, times of feeling the Spirit and enjoying the work, and times of experiencing contention. We heard from one grandchild for the first time in three years and from another who is just starting his mission experience in the MTC, and then also learned of other family members who are experiencing the heavy burdens life seems to throw in our way. 

On Monday night, for our missionary Family-Home-Evening, President Theurer (Frankfurt Germany Mission) and his wife came to talk to us. In essence he was recruiting for volunteers to attend some of the other wards and branches of the Frankfurt and Friedrichsdorf stakes. Most of the senior missionaries, like us, have attended either the International Ward or the ward located next to the temple. He brought a list of wards and branches that he felt could use some support. He told us how senior missionaries could be of help, even though they did not speak German. Two of our missionaries attending the Offenbach branch told of being involved in helping to teach, fellowship, and baptizing investigators. Both Eileen and I felt like it was something we should do. After the meeting I gave my card to President Theurer and said we would be interested in serving. We will see where that leads.

This week Eileen started taking calls/text messages from the Paris South missionaries. It was fun for me to watch as she interacted with them and their mission president. I could see the lift in her spirit as she did so. Although the assignment took up just a small part of her week, I feel it was God sent to her.

Last night, with about two to three dozen of our fellow senior missionaries, we attended a symphony and listened to pieces by Mozart and Haydn. It was a relaxing change of pace.

The parade came right past our local Rewe which is less than a 5 minute walk away. 

A number of senior missionaries were waiting for the parade to start supporting the Lantern Festival.

President and Sister Theurer who are the mission leaders for the Frankfurt Mission spoke to our zone for FHE. 

This is a new map showing the missions within the Europe Central Area.  The Paris South Mission is quite large geographically and goes south to the Spain Border. 

Kristian Katzenberger was the guest artist.  He is a professor of music/horn. He was amazing.

The symphony on Saturday evening was well attended by a number of missionaries within our zone. 

                           

We didn't get there in time for the group photo as we had gone out to eat with the Clemes. 

Elder and Sister Clemes spent the evening with us. They are a new couple in the humanitarian department. 

Prelude music for church today. I love hearing this organist play.

TWO INSPIRATIONAL MEETINGS

Last Sunday evening we had the opportunity to watch our home ward's sacrament meeting. Two brothers (twins) of a family I (Russell) had ministered to, were giving their homecoming talks.  Both had served Mandarin-speaking missions in the U.S., one in Texas and the other in California.

Twenty years ago, Jon Huntsman Jr. was the governor of Utah.  As a young man, he had served a mission in Taiwan and learned Mandarin.  Later, he served as the U.S. ambassador to Singapore, where he surprised the locals with his language abilities.  As governor, he started Mandarin immersion programs in a number of Utah's elementary schools, one of which was Jenny P. Stewart Elementary School. Those twin brothers, two of our bishop's sons, two of my grandchildren, and many others participated in the that program which continued through high school. 

My granddaughter, who listened with us as the brothers spoke about their missionary experiences is entering her senior year in high school next month.  She has already passed the AP Chinese Language and Culture Exam and the Avant STAMP Mandarin Language Proficiency Test.  If she chooses to serve a mission in the future, it will be interesting to see whether those years of language training will be utilized.  It is gratifying to see our grandchildren who have recently served, are currently serving, and those planning to serve as missionaries for our Savior, Jesus Christ, and his Church. If our years of service as missionaries have had any positive influence on our posterity's desire to serve, our time spent will have been worth the sacrifice.

Last night I (Eileen), went to a women's conference where Sister Kristen Yee from the Relief Society General Board spoke, along with Elder Jack Gerard, our Area President.  There were a number of senior sister missionaries from the Area Office which attended together.  It was a beautiful meeting, spiritually uplifting and sensitive to those who might feel that they are not enough.

Sister Yee brought her younger sister with her on this trip. It happened to be her sister's birthday yesterday, and the first time her sister had ever been to Europe.  It was obvious that they both had a deep love and admiration for each other.  Sister Yee is 45 years old and single. Her younger sister has 6 children, one of whom just left for a mission. Sister Yee talked about how often our lives take a different direction than we had ever anticipated.  

From my notes, a few things she said were as follows. The Lord sees our capacities and understands our needs. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we must be willing to follow promptings even when they lead us in unexpected directions. Faithful obedience does not guarantee an easy path, but it does invite divine help and assurance that all things can work out if we diligently strive to do our best. 

We were taught that in a world that often feels challenging and uncertain, we can take comfort in the assurance that we are never left to walk alone. The Lord lovingly sends messengers from both sides of the veil to strengthen, guide, and encourage His children. Often times we can be the angels who are the answer to another individual's prayers. 

Early this morning I received a long text from a granddaughter who described how she had been given some food yesterday which was more than what her family could eat.  As she considered what to do with the extra food, the thought came to her to share it with a friend. As she arrived with the food to her friend's house, her friend started crying. She had no funds to buy food for another week and her fridge was empty.  My granddaughter asked me if perhaps this was God or the Holy Ghost telling her she should share her food with this friend. I agreed with her that it probably was and shared the counsel we were given last night which was originally taught by Sister Kimball (wife of President Kimball), "Never suppress a generous thought."  I truly believe my granddaughter was guided to her friend, and it was a beautiful teaching moment for both of us. 

Sister Yee told of a time when she was with a group kayaking in Hawaii. The guide asked if there was someone who would be willing to kayak alone. She offered. While going with the current she felt it was quite easy. Then she realized the real challenge was when she had to go against the current. She taught: like two people paddling a kayak, we are stronger when we have a partner. The Savior invites us to become yoked with Him, promising that as we take His yoke upon us, we will find rest for our souls. At times, we may feel as though we are paddling upstream against powerful currents. When our strength is insufficient, His grace compensates. Through prayer and constant communication with Heavenly Father, we can move forward in partnership with the Lord. We closed the meeting singing "It is Well With my Soul", one of my favorite songs.

This next week, I (Eileen) will begin taking over the role of Paris South Mission Health Advisor from Elder Woods who will be returning home soon. I am grateful for the brief training he has given me. He is an orthopedic physician and is currently covering both Paris North and Paris South missions, (about 500 missionaries).  He has been very, very busy. Being able to serve as an MHA at the same time that I serve with my companion in our calling as Area Welfare/Humanitarian Specialists is a blessing I look forward to. 

 

This was a screenshot of our meeting back home during the closing song. It was so nice to hear the two young returned missionaries (twins).  We taught their Sunday School class when they were 12 years old.

       

Our grandson Cameron this past week with his family just prior to entering the MTC in Provo. 

Translation of Sister Yee's talk was in 5 different languages:  Spanish, Portuguese, French, German and Ukrainian. The opening song was Faith in Every Footstep. It was remarkable to hear a women's group with so many languages being sung at one time. 

This photo wasn't taken by me, but was shared by someone else during Sister Yee's talk. 

Eileen, Russell and Sister McConkie.  Her husband is serving in the Area Presidency.  She asked if we were related to any Healys in SLC. It turns out our nephew and his wife tended her children on several different occasions and even named one of their children after her husband. She asked if we could have a photo together. I thought SURE!

A VISIT FROM FAMILY

When we first arrived in Germany, we had an interview with Elder Jack N. Gerard. Elder Gerard is now the president of the Europe Central Area. Due to his work prior to being called as a General Authority Seventy, as head of the American Chemistry Council, he had met the Jon Sr. and Peter Huntsman and members the Huntsman company’s board, who I had worked with.

One of the things Elder Gerard told us during our interview was that he encouraged us to have family members come to see us during our mission. He felt it would be a good influence on our family to visit us while we are serving, see where we live, and learn more about what we are doing. I believe he felt it would encourage future missionary service, for both for our grandchildren when they come of age to serve and for other potential senior missionaries.

This week, our daughter Jessica and her family came to visit us. It is wonderful to have them with us. We appreciate their love and support.

                                                          

The 3&1/2 year old woke up at 10pm the first night and stayed awake all night.  Here Russell is entertaining him on the porch while Eileen and his Mom slept. 

                                                 

 

The only time it rained this day was while we were on the paddle boat at the Palmengarten.  We parked under a tree to stay dry and then finally made a race for the dock.  When we arrived back to the dock sopping wet, the rain stopped.  Memorable to say the least. 

                                                  

We went to church in France. It was a small branch. Between our 8 people and another family visiting from the UK with 5 children, we increased the attendance significantly.

My (Eileen) maiden name is Cannon. It seemed appropriate to get a photo by the Cannon. 

There is a statue of liberty in the middle of a traffic circle in the city of Colmar. This city was the birthplace of Bartholdi who designed the sculpture. 

In front of Little Red Riding Hood's house in Colmar. 

This 3 year old is an independent sort. 

Glacier caves in Grindelwald. 

Monkey refuge. 

Comparing wing spans at the bird park. 

Lots of games were played.