A GENERAL AUTHORITY'S EMOTIONAL GOODBYE

Each Monday morning we have a short devotional meeting to start the week with all the employees and senior missionaries that work or serve in the Europe Area office.  Last Monday Elder Kearon (Seventy and President of the Europe Area) spoke for the final time to us before his transfer to Utah for his new assignment.  He repeatedly told us how much he appreciated our efforts.  Speaking specifically to the missionaries he said, “. . . you even pay for the opportunity to serve!  You launch yourselves out of your Lazy-Boy recliners to come and live in an apartment smaller than your big screen televisions back home.”  After the closing prayer he quickly walked back to the pulpit and said, “I forgot to tell you how much I love you and will miss serving with you; I don’t want to go.”  It was a very tender moment, one that we did not want to end.   

Elder Patrick Kearon-a remarkable man, we love him and will miss him

Our replacements were called some time ago and they will be arriving in Germany mid-September.  Welfare Department senior missionaries only go out once a month due to their training schedule in Provo and SLC, Utah.  Our mission release date was October 18^th which would have had us overlapping more than four weeks.  We really only need a week or two but I (Russell) have been reluctant to initiate the needed change in our release date.  This week we finally decided to pick a date and start the official process; we will be returning home on Thursday, September 28^th. 

I have quite mixed feelings when thinking of returning home.  While I look forward to seeing family members again, I also know from prior experience that there will be a certain subtle feeling of loss that occurs when I am released from serving as a full-time missionary.  Knowing this I will appreciate even more the last three months we are here, the places we will visit on assignment, and the people we work with.  For the first time during our three missions I had the thought, perhaps I am actually, at last, “living the dream.”

Eileen got a “new” used bike last week and yesterday we took a ride to test it out.  It must be quite an improvement because Eileen wanted to ride further than we have in the past.  We rode 36 km, mostly along the Nidda River out to where it runs into the Main River.  The Germans have done a wonderful job of preserving green spaces around the perimeter of Frankfurt with walking and bike trails.  Probably only 10 percent of our ride was on public streets where we had to watch for cars. 

The river isn't big, however this family decided to go for a canoe ride

I never did see the duck water skiing however I loved the billboard

This beautiful house along the Nidda river looks more Swiss  than German

Poppies lined the road, I have a grandson whose favorite colors are orange and black. This photo is for you!

We are the Rueckert's home teachers and have been helping water their plants while they are out of town. This pigeon was just an egg 2 months ago, then last month was tiny, eating worms from it's Mom. He is growing fast, but is still a squatter.

This photo was taken by the missionary upstairs from us. Russell tending our "garden".  We bought a fake owl to put in our flowers to scare the pigeons away.