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.