ROTHENBURG AND NUREMBURG AND RHEIMS

During Chris' visit to us we went to see the city of Rothenburg, it was founded in 970 A.D.  In 1241 the first fortified rings of the city were built.

The old city wall at Rothenburg

The Kathie Wohlfart store sells all things for Christmas

Inside the Kathie Wohlfart store. It seems to be Christmas all year long

The view across the valley just at dusk.

We also visited Nuremburg.  There was a museum that was fascinating discussing the rise of Naziism in Germany. We spent several hours there.  A few days later, on our way back from the Paris temple, we stopped in Rheims.

The German people are trying educate their children about the dangers of Naziism

Chris listening to the tapes of  Hitler talking to the masses

You don't see these cars often

Chris and I went to Versailles for just a few minutes. We saw the crowds, the price and the guards and decided against staying.

Guards in front of Versailles, the palace of King Louis the 14th

Versailles gardens

Rheims cathedral

Rheims cathedral with beautiful stained glass windows

There was a huge bike race leaving from the Cathedral the day we were there

Statue of Joan of Arc outside the cathedral

SENIOR MISSIONARIES ZONE CONFERENCE

This past Wednesday we had zone conference for the senior missionaries who serve in the Europe Area Office.  We have zone conferences three or four times each year.  When missionaries are getting close to being released and going home we usually have the opportunity to hear from them and learn of some of their experiences during their mission. This conference we heard from five senior missionaries who spoke to us. 

Elder and Sister Malcom have been serving with the Records Preservation department. Their mission has involved obtaining records (birth, death, baptism) from throughout Europe and digitizing them.  Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints use family history records to perform sacred temple ordinances; such as baptisms, eternal marriages and sealing of children to parents; for deceased family members who were unable to perform the rites themselves during their lifetimes. This gives deceased ancestors the opportunity to accept and benefit from these ordinances.

Elder and Sister Jensen have been serving as Area Legal Counsel and Senior Missionary Concierge.  Elder Jensen is one of several missionary attorneys in Frankfurt making sure that everything the church does in the Europe Area is legally sound.  Sister Jensen has helped new missionaries become familiar with shopping, restaurants, and the metro system.

Sister Lovell has been working with individuals who have accepted loans from the Perpetual Education Fund. The Perpetual Education Fund (PEF) loan program helps members of the Church of all ages get an education that leads to a self-reliant job. Most of those she has dealt with started the program in a developing country and have moved to Europe after the loan was initiated.

Listening to Elder and Sister Sabin speak was the highlight of the zone conference. Elder Sabin is a Seventy and a counselor in the Area Presidency.  Sister Sabin spoke about recently being in Berlin and told the story of "Hal" Halverson, a former pilot in the United States Air Force.   He is best known as the "Berlin Candy Bomber" who dropped candy to children during the Berlin airlift from 1948 to 1949.  What started just as giving two sticks of gum to a few children mushroomed into literally tones of candy being dropped by airplanes for the children of Berlin.  Sister Sabin reminded us that many times we cannot foresee the wonderful long-term effects of our current efforts.

Elder Sabin addressed the importance of always reaching out to those around us. He said everyone has problems, most of them we just can’t see.  Perhaps saying hello to someone or finding something good about them and sharing it with them could make a total change in their day. Elder Sabin also talked to us about our families we have left while serving missions.  He said he believes that angels are sent to look after and help our loved-ones while we are away, particularly during their most difficult times.

Elder Sabin also fielded questions from the senior missionaries.  In answer to the question, “What do you think is the greatest problem confronting the Church today?” he said it was the lack of commitment on the part of most Church members.  He reminded us of his recent talk in General Conference, Stand Up Inside and Be All In (April, 2017), view talk at link below.  His talk caused me (Russell) to think even more carefully about what I should be doing following our release from this mission in the fall. 

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/04/stand-up-inside-and-be-all-in?lang=eng

Our zone of senior missionaries, Elder and Sister Sabin are in the middle of the front row

Russell and I talking with Elder Sabin

Eileen and her sister Chris who is visiting

HONORING OUR MOTHERS

This past Monday for Family Home Evening the senior missionaries went to Kurpark which is about 20 minutes from our home in Bad Homburg.  I (Eileen) am not sure how we went for a whole year without ever visiting this beautiful park near our home. The park is 40 hectares big and has been cared for over 150 years. The flowers were an array of beautiful colors. There are numerous historic buildings throughout the park.  A bathhouse has been in use since 1890. It is now considered a famous spa.  The spring nearby is 191 meters deep and the water is supposed to be considered medicinal.  I tasted it and thought it was horrible-fizzy and salty. It tasted just like Alka-Seltzer to me. This spring was used by the Romans-drinking bowls and the remains of a Roman bath were discovered close by. Two Thai pavilions are in the park. They were a gift from the Thailand as a token of their gratitude after the King of Siam came to Frankfurt in the early 1900s to be cured of an illness and fell in love with the spa town.  The evening with the senior missionaries was a good opportunity to visit with others and enjoy the beauty of the park.

Pagoda at Kurpark

Bath houses at Kurpark

This bench was made for those 5'3" and under

This bench is made for those 6'3" and up

These are the special waters supposedly to help with digestion

Every Tuesday Sister Engers (a native of Germany) teaches a class on German culture and language. This past Tuesday we visited some greenhouses and were able to buy some flowers for our homes.

Sister Johnson, Sister Engers (our German teacher) and Sister Swenson buying flowers for their apartments. It was just announced that Sister Johnson's husband will be the new Europe Area President starting this summer.

Greenhouses growing flowers at the flower shop

Wednesday night we had two young sister missionaries join us for dinner. Sister Harris is from Nevada and Sister Griffin is from New Zealand.  After dinner we read “The Living Christ, The Testimony of the Apostles” document.  The sister missionaries encouraged us to memorize a portion of the document so that we would be prepared to share it with someone else in the future.

Sister Harris and Sister Griffin

Saturday was a beautiful day here in Frankfurt and we took our bikes out for a long bike-ride. Sister Keyser (Chris) who is our Area Mental Health Advisor joined us.  At one point the chain fell off of my bike. It seemed like an odd thing to happen as I wasn’t changing gears when it happened. Russell joined me to help me fix it while Sister Keyser stood under a nearby tree for the shade. It wasn't long before I saw her talking with a woman. Apparently this American woman (Jennifer) heard Russell and I speaking English to each other and then saw Sister Keyser standing nearby and assumed we were together.  Jennifer asked Chris if we were visiting Germany and Chris told her that we were missionaries serving in Frankfurt. Immediately Jennifer asked if we had a card for our church. We don’t typically carry any kind of pamphlets or business cards with us as we exercise. Jennifer expressed an interest in where our church was and how she could find more about it. She said she had just joined a church a month or so ago, but seemed intrigued with our church. She was given the Internet address of the church and the address in Frankfurt and time of our English speaking meetings. She then determined that maybe she should go catch up with her husband who had continued walking.  Chris, Russell and I all felt like this was more than circumstantial that my chain fell off the bike at the same moment that Jennifer walked by. We hope that Jennifer will be able to look up information about our church and perhaps even come join us someday.  It was unfortunate that none of us had any information to have given Jennifer. We should remember to always carry cards with us, as we never know when we might run into someone who might be interested in learning more about our church.

Russell as a baby with his mother

Today we celebrate Mother’s Day in the United States. Russell and I have been most fortunate to have wonderful mothers.  I didn't know my mother-in-law well as she died just 13 months after our marriage. She was diagnosed with cancer when Russell was about 15 years old.  Much of his teenage years were spent helping with his younger siblings while his mother was in and out of hospital visits. When I met his mother (Joyce), I was impressed with how gregarious and happy she always seemed. She was very enthusiastic about life while being terribly sick.  I wish I could have known her longer. She very much wanted to be able to be a grandmother.  I found out I was pregnant the month after she passed away. Perhaps she was able to meet our children before we did.

Russell as a toddler and his mother

My mother (Elsie) is 89 years old and extremely remarkable.  Her personality is very similar to Joyce's. Both have a love for life, and are outgoing, friendly and fun to be around.   My mother made sure that all 8 of her children had every kind of lesson they could possibly want. I took swimming, violin, piano, judo, horseback riding and ski lessons. In addition to many instructive lessons, Mom made sure that all 8 of the children in our family knew that she had a testimony of the gospel. We prayed morning and night, had family home evening weekly, attended church even while traveling, read scriptures daily and knew of her love for the Lord.  Mom tried very hard to teach us good health principles. She was a health and nutrition enthusiast. She baked bread weekly, having ground the wheat to make the bread. To this day she still goes for walks around the facility where she is living, and exercises at a small gym. I feel very fortunate to have both of my parents still living. They communicate with us on a weekly basis. I appreciate the support they give us on our endeavors. Although I am sure it would be much more convenient for them if we were home to help meet their needs they have never once complained. Instead they always tell Russell and me how much they love us and our proud of us for our missionary service.  I truly have been blessed with goodly parents.

Eileen's family in their younger years

Eileen and parents

Eileen's parents, siblings and spouses

Russell and I have tried to follow our parent’s example in training our children in the way that God would have them live their lives.  We have six children. Three daughters are biological and we also have 3 adopted children. I love my children very much and feel blessed to be a mother. I have also been very fortunate to be a grandmother. I adore my thirteen grandchildren and look forward to being with them again in a few months. 

Eileen, Russell and our children on her parent's 50th anniversary celebration

Russell bought these flowers for me for mother's day. 

BAPTISM

A little over a week ago our daughter Jessica asked us if we would be interested in participating in our granddaughter’s baptism program by recording our remarks on the Holy Ghost which would then be played prior to the baptism.  We readily agreed and each of us prepared a short talk, video recorded them and sent them to Jessica.

Saturday evening we had the opportunity to witness our granddaughter Bailey’s baptism program/meeting in Utah via Skype.  It was a wonderful experience!  I (Russell) was totally unprepared for the feelings that overcame me as I watched as members of our extended family entered into the meeting.  Perhaps it was seeing the family together for an important event, but for the first time since coming to Germany I felt really homesick.  When we talked with Jessica and Bailey a few hours after the baptism I told them that we shed many good tears of joy during the meeting.  We are very proud of Bailey and the decision she has made to become a member of our Lord’s Church.  We hope that all our grandchildren will have this opportunity someday.

While we have talked over the phone with various members of the family and Skyped with Jessica and Heather’s families, as we caught glimpses of several family members we noticed changes that have occurred in the last year.  Kalli looks to have really matured; it is hard to believe she is learning to drive.  Today was the first time we have seem a full-length picture of Jessica and seeing her pregnant; we look forward to coming home shortly after the baby’s birth.  Eileen was very emotional after seeing her parents. She has been concerned about leaving them in their old age; but it was comforting to hear her mother (Elsie) singing the primary songs and actually see both parents again. 

Saturday was one of those great days you cherish.  Not only did we get to participate in the baptism, we also went to the gym and played squash together.  Eileen has been playing with another senior sister missionary a couple times a week and is better at it than I am; this was my first time.  Afterward we enjoyed the beautiful spring weather by going on a bike ride down by the Nidda River.  We are both feeling the effects afterward.  We need to get in better shape.

Today we went to Darmstadt for stake conference.  The meeting was translated into both English and Spanish.  It was a great experience to listen to the local Church leaders and feel of the Spirit in the meeting.  Several years ago Elder Uchtdorf gave a talk entitled “Lift Where You Stand,” about some men trying to lift a piano.  That experience occurred in this building and a picture of the piano is attached below.

Grand piano in Darmstadt ward

Music at the baptism

Russell and Eileen watching the video of Eileen speaking 

Family members after baptism

Eileen's parents. Her father turns 93 years old in May

Rapeseed plants near the Nidda River

We are not sure what kind of bird this is, but it sure was beautiful