This past week was filled with some wonderful opportunities.
I (Eileen) will share some thoughts from this week. I am grateful to Sister Yvonne Bausman and
the efforts she made to take detailed notes and share them with all of the
missionaries.
On Monday evening, Elder Matheson spoke to us on
relationships. The Mathesons are serving here in Frankfurt as part of the
Welfare department. They are serving in
the Europe Area office supervising LDS Family Services. Elder Matheson is a marriage and family relations’
therapist and a popular BYU Education speaker.
Some of the thoughts he shared are as follows:
“We are not to think alike, we are to think together.
The objective is to never win an argument but to build a
marriage of love.
We create a lot of our own pain. Whether we suffer is
our choice.
Learn from the past, but don’t live in it.
Many like to stay in their ‘victimhood.’” He talked about how many individuals going
through the same trials react differently. Some like to relive their pain over
and over.
“The power is within us to change. If we don’t change, it’s
because of pride, discouragement, lack of charity, and stubbornness.
It takes two to make a marriage, but only one to make a
divorce.
Relationships can be healed. It’s worth the
effort. Own your behavior.”
After the FHE talk, we had a variety of apple desserts. We tasted
several unique and delicious ways to prepare apples. There are many good cooks among the
missionaries in Frankfurt, and one smart shopper – Russell bought the dessert we
brought.
We felt very honored to be able to attend a special devotional
this past Wednesday. There were six
General Authorities present at this devotional including Russell M. Nelson,
President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
We heard from Elder Kearon, Bishop Caussé, Elder Hallstrom, Sister
Nelson, and President Nelson. The general authorities had been meeting together
as part of an Area review.
President Kearon, as President of the Europe Area, has many
responsibilities and tasks to take care of. It was touching to hear of his deep
appreciation and gratitude for being able to serve with us. He expressed
that he was grateful for us—our faith and our devotion, and he celebrates us
and our goodness. As it says in 3 Nephi 17—“…my joy is full.”
Bishop
Caussé was happy to return to Frankfurt, having served here several years
ago. He stated that, “we need to have
harmony between our spiritual and temporal matters. John the Baptist was
a great example for us. He prepared the way for a higher purpose.
Even though our tasks may seem menial, our purpose is to build up the kingdom.
We should lift where we stand. There should be humility in being involved
in temporal affairs. We are preparing the way for all to come to Him!”
Elder
Hallstrom expressed joy in being able to assist our Area Presidency. “The
employees of the church are in a unique position. It’s not a calling… but
it’s more than a job. ‘Wherefore be not weary in well doing…’ (D&C 64:33) may
seem a small thing, but it is not! We all contribute to holy spiritual
purposes. The Lord requires the heart and a willing mind. The heart
is a symbol of love and commitment. We do things for love that we would
not do for any other reason.”
Sister Nelson was planning to talk about Family History; but
the Spirit spoke to her, prompting her that someone in the room needed to hear
her story. So she shifted gears. Many years ago, she listened
to General Conference looking for the answer as to whether or not she should
marry the man she was engaged to. Every talk was about marriage. As
soon as the conference was over, she went to the phone and called off the
engagement. No one in his family was happy about that. He went on
and got married shortly after that. Then years later, she received a
letter from him stating that his marriage and family were falling apart because
he was turning to a gay lifestyle. Later on, she was asked to teach a Relief
Society lesson on marriage. She was still single, but hoped to be married
sometime in the future, so she decided she would teach the lesson. In
preparation for her lesson, she decided to return to those talks given in General
Conference that had influenced her so deeply, to see if she could pull some
things from those talks about marriage. She reviewed every talk given
during the session, and not one talk was about marriage! What she had
heard/experienced during the conference was the Spirit directing her, applying
the words of the speakers to her specific need and circumstance at the time. She also mentioned that she had a dream in
2004 where she was sitting on a stand much like ours next to a man that was her
husband. She wasn’t married then, but she is now, and President Nelson
was that man. She also mentioned that the “dead” that we are finding and
doing the work for, do not like to be called “dead.” She has focused a
significant amount of her time doing Family History work and bore fervent
testimony of the importance its importance.
President
Nelson told us that President Monson asked him to please give us his
love. He said that this meeting was a lot like General Conference.
We had six general authorities in attendance. All we needed was the
Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Wilford Woodruff wrote in his diary, “You
brethren know no more about this work than a babe on his mother’s lap. This
work will fill North America, South America. It will fill the world.”
President Nelson said we are now seeing this being fulfilled. He said he
bounces out of bed to see what new developments will come each day. He
also said our leaders have given us high marks in reaching out to the
refugees.
President Nelson talked about the Europe Area Plan and the
simple, succinct; direct to the point card we have for it. He compared it
to the Father’s plan, which is one sentence, “This is my work and my glory - to
bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man,” (Moses 1:39). He
then stated that God “wants his children home, to come home safe and
successful. He sent His beloved Son, who paid a debt He didn’t owe, because we
owed a debt we couldn’t pay. God wants us to choose to come home. No
force. He wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s an inspired plan.”
Elder Nelson went on to say, “Our work is mostly
temporal. All work we do relates to the Holy work that is done in the
temples. D&C 84:20. This is the reason for His work—so we can
have ordinances performed. Enjoy your work. Focus on the Lord so
you can find joy—even on a bad day. We are instruments to prepare for the
second coming.”
After the devotional President and Sister Nelson and all the
other General Authorities and their wives lined up outside the door to shake
our hands as we left the chapel. It was
a wonderful uplifting experience.
On an entirely different note, Saturday evening we attended
our ward’s Trunk-or-Treat. Russell and I
have never been too interested in participating in Halloween events. Perhaps it
is because we aren’t very creative at coming up with costumes. It was fun to see
so many of the ward members dressed up in such creative costumes. Gilles
Francois, the Welfare manager we work with, wore a blue suit with a red tie,
had put on orange facial make-up with a bad blond hairpiece, and carried a sign
“Make Halloween Great Again!”
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| President Nelson greeting Russell and Eileen |
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| Donald Trump, aka our Welfare Manager |
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| Our primary chorister and family |
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