RATCATCHERS AND HISTORY IN GERMANY

As I (Eileen) have mentioned before, Sister Engers is a local German sister who teaches a German culture and language class for the senior missionaries each Tuesday.  This week we went to her garden. Germans often have garden spots which they lease from the city. Sister Enger's garden is lovely with a multitude of different kinds of flowers, fruits and vegetables. She shared some kohlrabi with us which was very good. We also picked some gooseberries, which also were delicious. We read the story of the Pied Pieper of Hamelin. This legend dates back to the Middle Ages and the story is based in Hamelin of Lower Saxony, Germany.  The earliest written record is from the town chronicles in an entry from 1284 which states:  "It is 100 years since our children left."  No one knows what actually happened to the children. It could have been disease or an accident. The first record of the rats being added to the story was in 1559.  Although I am not sure we will ever get to Hamelin, it was intriguing to hear this story was based on some sort of historical event.  

Eileen and Sister Engers

Sister Engers cutting some kohlrabi for us

Sister Swenson (YSA for Europe Area) 

One of the beautiful flowers from the garden

During the month of July things get rather slow in our office.  It is a combination of Europeans taking long vacations during the months of July and August, and July being the designated month when our Area Presidency (as with all Church General Authorities) take vacation.  And as you can imagine when the leaders are gone many of the Church employees also take time off.  For several months we had planned on taking a two week road trip (last week and this coming week) to visit several of our missionary couples in the Balkan countries.  Unfortunately for us that trip had to be cancelled leaving us without a lot to do this past week.  When we heard that the humanitarian couple serving in Albania was going to be at the Freiberg Temple yesterday we decided that we would go meet them there.  The Weidmans were going to see a young couple sealed in the temple who they had worked with while on their prior mission in Austria.

We have known Elder Brent and Sister Teri Weidman since before our mission to Indonesia.  They had a call to serve in Austria and where taking German language lessons at the Provo MTC at the same time Eileen was taking Indonesian lessons.  Periodically Eileen and Sister Weidman would call each other between Austria and Indonesia.  Speaking with Sister Weidman was one of the few opportunities my wife had to talk to another a female missionary her age.  It was therapy for my wife.  Yesterday at the temple Sister Weidman apologized to Eileen for talking so much the night before when we went out to dinner.  Being somewhat oblivious to these kind of things I had not noticed anything unusual.  But for Sister Weidman it was a break from the relative isolation they experience in Albania.  As I observe Eileen talking to other senior sister missionaries I can tell her experiences in Indonesia have made her more compassionate and understanding of others who are experiencing life’s trials, particularly those brought on by being isolated.

It was truly a joy to be in the temple again.  This was our fourth time visiting the temple in Freiberg.  I was surprised, but pleased, to find that some of the temple workers now recognize us from our prior visits.

On the way to Freiberg we spent a day in Berlin.

Eileen and Elder and Sister Weidman

Eileen and Russell at the Freiberg Temple

On the way to the temple we did a short stop in Berlin.  It was helpful to learn about the conflicts of the Cold War and the significance of the Freiberg Temple being built prior to the Iron Curtain coming down.

Eileen in front of the Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall has sections still standing. When originally built it was 106 km long and 3.6 meters tall. It was made so that even an athlete could not climb it.  

Photos of some of the people killed crossing the wall

This "limo" was in front of the train station

This rye is planted/grown each year in what was once the Berlin Wall's death strip.
The metal object in the middle was once the steeple of a church which was torn down during the Cold War. 

Monument expressing the grief of loved ones separated

"Checkpoint Charlie" is more of a tourist trap now