The VERY last letter from Dad in Germany 3/2/2008

Hi everyone,

We have had a good and a very busy week. Mom went to bed this morning at 2:30 (after she knew how the Shelley Russetts die in state and had read a little more in her goal with the Book of Mormon). Of course I conked out much earlier at 11:30 last night. Everything is packed and ready for the big challenge of getting everything into our two door BLUE car for the ride to Munic (Muenchen).

It has been great to learn to love so many more people. They will always belong in our hearts. As of today we no longer carry any authority in leading and guiding them with the teachings of Christ but we can always remain friends.

We look so forward to being with you soon. You mean everything to us. Mom is like it was her first day at school. We love being able to come home. Thanks for all the letters, the love, the packages, the love, the phone calls, the love, and your many prayers helping us to stay healthy, safe, sane, and close to our Heavenly Father. We have truly come to know our Heavenly Father better. We have never felt a time when we have needed Him more. We hope a year from now we can say the same then.

We are excited to learn what you guys have done to the home. Whatever it is it will be good. We are excited to be tackled by Heidi and whoever else. Nothing brings more warmth and joy to our lives than family.

We look forward to sharing many details of our adventures as missionaries and to hear more of your adventures, challenges, funny stories and that goes into being a family. We love you guys.

Have a great Sunday and we will see many of you tomorrow and the rest of you thereafter.


Love always,

Dad and Grandpa

PS. Zach, thanks for being a good missionary. What you have done so far will set a great pace for those who will follow. We look forward to next year to sit down and hear all of the fun and warm experiences as well as the “others”. Life is good. See you too in a few months.

Last Letter from Mom in Germany 2/28/2008

Dear Family,

Nearly 18 months ago when I wrote my first letter from Germany, I thought I would never see the day that I would be writing my last letter. September 2006 seems like such a short time ago now but then it seemed like March 2008 would never come. But it has, well almost anyway. Today was transfer day for the Elders and one of our Wurzburg Elders was transferred. That’s always a hard day because we become so attached to them. But it was time for Elder Tilgner to move on. He is the young elder who won’t be 19 until April and he’s been on his mission for nearly 8 months already. He’s from Germany and got special permission to come early because he didn’t qualify for the German army which most German young men are required to serve in for 9 months after they graduate from high school. He is very immature and very loud-----he never shuts up!! Sometimes you’d just like to tape his mouth shut. But he’s a great teacher and is very knowledgeable in the scriptures. He going to be in a threesome for a few weeks and that might be good. He nearly wears his companions clear out. Maybe his new two companions can handle it. He hates getting up early and complains about how tired he is until about noon. He is always singing or whistling. Now usually some of that is okay, but all the time? It gets a bit annoying. Even with all of those things of said, we’ve come to really love him and will miss him. His suitcases were huge and each one weighed close to 80 pounds. We have a little car and you should have seen us going to the train station. Both big suitcases were in the back seat and he had a backpack, his trumpet and 2 twelve packs of Dr. Pepper that we got in the trunk. The plan was for us to pick up the luggage and the Elders would ride the bus to the train station. But you know Dad. He thought we could all fit. We pushed the suitcases as far to one side as we could and Elder Tilger squeezed in beside them. I was driving. Dad was in the middle shifting the gears and Elder Warner was crammed against the other door. But we made it and it was a fun adventure. We met the new Elder this afternoon. His suitcases we much smaller and both the Elders were able to sit in the back seat with the suitcase standing on the end between them and the other one in the trunk. We are going to miss our association with the Elders.

Today is P-day. We have an appointment in an hour but the rest of the day we’ve been sorting and cleaning. We have both wondered why we thought it was necessary to “save” so many things. We’re making a good contribution to the garbage barrel outside. And we’re not done yet! Dad cleaned the over while I was cleaning things out of shelves that we here when we got here and have never been touched. I think it goes about three sets of missionaries back. Our suitcases are pretty much packed except the clothes we will need until Sunday so I think we’re going to make it. We have a full day tomorrow and Saturday. Dad has arranged for us to keep busy right up until the very end and that’s good. A bit stressful but good.

The couple that was supposed to be here today aren’t going to be able to come for at least another month. She had surgery last Thursday. One of the assistants called today and told us to meet with the Elders and give them all the people we could and have them work with them until the couple gets here. The down side to that is that some of them live way out of town and the Elders don’t have a car. But we’ll do what we’re told and hope and pray they can somehow stay in contact with these good people.

Sunday was a wonderful day and a sad day all at the same time. We had four of our less active people there as well as Sister Meyer (who isn’t really “sister” Meyer yet). We had stake conference and it was broadcast all over Germany. President Uchtdorf was the main speaker along with Elder Perry, Sister Lant from the Primary and Elder Neuschwander from the Seventy. Now how’s that for a stake conference? It was great! The people here are so thrilled about President Uchtdorf. He is very much loved and respected. He is fun to watch as he speaks. I think if you cut off his hands, he wouldn’t be able to speak! It was a great conference. After conference, which was broadcast into our building, the ward had a “linger longer” luncheon in honor of the Merkley family and us. The Merkleys are being transferred to the Army base near where Jeri and Dave were stationed. Brother Merkley was the bishop of this ward a few years ago and he got back in December after being in Iraq for 15 months. They are such a great family. It was a fun time but a sad time too. Lots of tears were shed as hugs were given and goodbyes were said. How we do love the people in this ward! They have been so good to us. We are very thankful that we were able to be here for as long as we were.

I think I sent a picture early in our mission showing our little red Opel Corsa. It is a four-door, automatic with air-conditioning. We have been the envy of many couples! The new couple in our district also have an Opel but it is stick shift and Brother Koraleski has never driven a stick shift. He about scared the Elders clear to death when they were riding with them. Well, to make a long story short, President Rakow asked us last week if we’d be willing to trade cars with them since our time was so short. We did that yesterday and it was hard giving up our little red car that we’ve had since we first got here to Germany. But this one is blue so Dad is happy and we only have three more days to drive it. It will be a bit of a challenge getting 2 big suitcases and 3 small ones in on Sunday but we’ll figure something out.

This is a difficult week. Everything is a mess in our apartment as we’ve spent some time each day sorting and packing. Suitcases are all over the floor and there are piles of “stuff” to go through. I’ll be so glad when we’re on our way to Munich on Sunday and even more glad when we’re in that plane heading West Monday morning. It’s just so close and I just want to be there. We still need to finish a list to leave with the couple who will replace us telling them where people live and all about them and about all the other things we do. Monday night was hard----our last Family Home Evening with these kids. Everything is “last” and is just plain hard. Dad says he thinks this is as hard as the first week of a mission and I think he’s right. But at the same time, we’re both really excited about getting home and seeing all of you. That’s what makes these days bearable.

I need to go get ready for this appointment. We’ll have lots to talk about next week. One of the sisters in the ward told us to be sure to tell our family “thank you” for letting us come on this mission and being so supportive. So “thank you” from Sister Raab and from us too. It has been a wonderful experience with it’s share of hard times but getting through those times has made it that much more rewarding. We appreciate the letters and the support and love we’ve felt from you.

Until next week---just four more day----know that you are loved!

Much love,
Mom

From Dad 2/24/2008

Hi everyone,

Life continually reminds us how short the time we have to be together. We are thankful for the eternal nature of the gospel. It brings a lot of peace to know when we work at keeping the commandments nothing can ever take anything that is good away from us for very long. We give away and give up many things for a time with the knowledge it will come again.

The love we build each time we accept a new friend into our lives has an eternal nature about it when that is what we want. We are also thankful no one can force us toward or away from anything we really want or don’t want for any length of time. In the Book of Mormon after the many heavy years of war and want discussed earlier in Alma we read: “Many had become hardened because of the exceedingly great length of the war; and many were softened because of their afflictions”. Alma 62:41 So each day is a small chapter in our lives. Our hearts grow harder and unmoved, or they become softened and open to the promptings of the Spirit, which is sent to us to teach us of our Father’s love and mercy over each one of us. We know life is a war zone and will remain so, because the destroyer used his power to fight against all that is good and is convinced still today he will win. It is right to honor the agency each of us possesses and cherishes and we would never deny it to anyone, if they so choose, to follow the promptings of him who seeks endlessly to divert us from the love, strength, guidance and support of our Eternal Father. Each of us chooses to listen with our heart and to know the truth or reject it. Something is either good or it is not. It cannot be nor will it ever be both.

Our hearts have been softened. Our feelings are tenderer and our care for each other has deepened. The tender mercies of our Father in Heaven are clearer and more evident in what we see and experience each day. It was wonderful having three less actives and an investigator there today and the elders also had two investigators there as well. The “linger longer” was full of warm, pleasant moments. Mom was busy taking pictures and talking with people and never did become too involved in finding something to eat. We are so happy.

We are even happier to think a week from tomorrow we will be hugging some of you and hearing your stories and sharing our lives together once again. We look even more excitedly to the middle of March when we will be a complete family (knowing Zach’s call to be elsewhere is right and will bless him and all of us in spite of the miles). When serving the Lord is the only thing keeping us from spending time together how could we ever be more happy and full of joy?

We are thankful to be your parents. We are thankful you are our family. Each day is a treasure and we will do all we can to make it a good day for you no matter where you are and no matter where we are. We love you guys.

Love always,

Dad and Grandpa

From Mom 2/22/2008

Dear Family,
Wow, what a week this has been!! Dad is determined to work hard right up to the end of our mission and that’s what we’ve done this week. I think he forgets that we still have to pack and clean our apartment. I’ve threatened him with his life if he makes any appointments for next Friday and Saturday!! But the harder we work, the faster the time goes and the excitement for getting home and seeing all of you again grows more each day.

Tomorrow is Saturday again already. It’s a Saturday we’ve looked forward to for over a month as it’s the day we take Alex to the get his Patriarchal blessing. He is so excited about getting it and seems so grateful that we offered to take him to get it. It’s about 50 miles to where he goes to get it. He does that at 3 o’clock in the afternoon then at 5 o’clock is the evening session of stake conference. They are showing the broadcast of the worldwide leadership training meeting and have requested that all the missionaries be there as well as everyone else in the stake 18 and older. I’ve heard nothing but positive things about it so we’re looking forward to it. We have a teaching/dinner appointment at 11:00 that morning then its back to Wurzburg, pick up Alex and the Elders and head for Erlangen. Sunday will be a regional broadcast with Elder Perry conducting. I’m sure that will be a wonderful meeting. Following conference the ward is having a “linger longer” for the Merkleys, a military family who are leaving and for Elder and Sister Price. So that will be a busy, wonderful day, our last full Sunday here.

We have to be in Munich at 2 o’clock the next Sunday for our final interview with President Rakow and to finish up all the little details at the mission office so we will just go to Sacrament meeting then leave. Sunday evening we will have dinner at the mission home and we will spend the night there. The elders who are going home with us will stay in a motel not far from there. We leave for the airport at 6:50 AM. That’s going to be a long day!! In the letter from President Rakow giving us all this information he told us that we would be missionaries until we have been released by our Stake president and expects us to conduct ourselves as such. That included how we dress. There goes my dream of waking up Tuesday morning and putting on my Levi’s! But missionaries play games and they laugh and have a good time and senior missionaries don’t have a specific bedtime so we’re expecting to join in all the fun when we’re together in Utah. But it does make me want to get home as soon as we can and have our interview with President Cutler. We’ll probably leave fairly early Wednesday afternoon and try to see him that evening. I think the stake presidency sign temple recommends on Wednesday so maybe we could sneak in then. Whatever—I’m just looking forward to no panty hose!!!

We’ve had a good week. We had another meeting today with the couple I told you about last week----the one where she is from Brazil and he is from Germany. They are such a neat couple and are so excited about their baby that is due in June. It’s fun teaching them. I should tell you that Dad does most of the teaching. Diana, the wife, is picking up German quite well and Jurgen, the husband, is very good and very patient as he explains to her what we’re saying. She is a member and is loving the chance to talk about the church. They have been reading in the Book of Mormon this week.. He calls the Book of Mormon the Bible and said they have enjoyed reading together. We have an appointment with them next Friday------forget the threat I made to Dad-----and then we’ll have to let someone else work with them. We have another appointment with Leng, the lady from China, tomorrow. She just seems like a member of the ward already. She’s been to church for the last 6 weeks and is very friendly with everyone. She does better communicating with people each week. We hate to leave her to someone else too but that’s what happens when your time is up! Tim Palmer is making great progress. He just called and asked about the stake conference meeting tomorrow night. He wants to go and asked if we knew of anyone who needed a ride. The Elders quorum president asked us last night if he could ride with us and we have no room so when Tim called, Dad told him to call Brother Pinder. He’s an awesome man and it will be good for Tim to get better acquainted with him. When we finished our meeting with Ron Peterson and told him that would be the last time we would be able to meet with him, tears came to his eyes. Then tears came to my eyes. Every week we drive up to his house my stomach goes in knots. His wife just plain frightens me. She can be so mean and so cutting. But all was well this week because she wasn’t there. She did call the night before and asked Dad to bring some of the information we had talked about when her Jehovah Witness friends were with us a few weeks ago. I thought she was going to be there and it would be another loud battle. I’m just thankful for small favors. Out meeting went really well. Ron told us that he was really thankful that we’ve stuck with him this past year and he has come to realize that the church is important and wants to overcome his smoking and become active again. He was brought up in the church and went to church every week before he joined the army. Now he wonders why he quit going. But it’s not too late and he is just a super guy. We were very disappointed last night when we met with Sister Meyers and went over some very basic things about the church. She admitted that she just plain doesn’t believe that Joseph Smith really did see our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. She also admitted that she doesn’t read and she doesn’t pray regularly. How we hope that someday she will feel a need to gain a testimony and do whatever is necessary to do so. Her dear husband wants more than anything for them to be sealed in the temple. He gets tears in his eyes when she says things like she did last night. We just hope she will continue to come to church and that one day something will touch her that helps her want to gain her own testimony.

Saturday night the Young Single Adults had a going away party for us. There were 11 there. They had fun food and we just sat around the table and talked for nearly 2 hours. Then they had Dad and I sit on the couch and each one of them gave us a small gift that we would remember them by and a tribute to us. Nearly every one of them thanked us for bringing them all together-----that until we came and started having regular Family Home Evenings and institute classes that they weren’t really very close. Now they all feel like they are best friends and are so close knit. We can’t take the credit. When we were sent to Wurzburg, President Rakow told us to make the young single adults our primary concern and that’s what we’ve tried to do. They are just really neat kids. Working with them has been another highlight of our mission. We’re going to miss them but will try to stay in touch. We gave them strict orders to send us wedding announcements!! One of them is getting married this summer.

Sunday we were invited to dinner at the Rosels. She is the Relief Society president. Her husband is not a member. Their son in now in Russia serving a mission and they are so proud of him. Mr. Rosel promised his son that he would read the Book of Mormon. He has already finished that and is reading the D&C now. He is another fantastic person. Sister Rosel is just a go getter! The bishop always kids about “talk to Sister Rosel” if you need to know about someone in the ward. They also have a beautiful daughter who is just finishing up her schooling in Stuttgart. She too is very active. They are just a wonderful family. We’ve met so many great people here. I can’t let myself think about them too much. I’ve shed almost as many tears on this end of our mission as I did on the front end.

I’ll have to admit that it’s a bit difficult staying focused on our work this close to our release. When the young missionaries get transferred or when their mission is over, they just pack their bags and leave. It’s a big different have an apartment to clean and leave a detailed list of people we are working with, directions to their houses, etc. We found out today that the couple who are taking our place won’t be here until a few days after we leave. We had blocked off next Thursday and Friday to spend with showing them around and talking with them about the people we are working with. I guess she had some kinds of medical problem and now they don’t know for sure when they will come. We’re scrambling to figure out how the bases will be covered until they do get here. We just hope it isn’t too long. No, we wouldn’t extend even for a few more days!!! But we haven’t been asked to do that and I doubt we would be. I find myself driving along thinking about seeing all of you again instead of thinking about what we’re going to talk about when we get to our next appointment. I hope that’s a normal thing to be doing.

I’ll draw this to a close for now. I have just one more letter to write from Germany. It just doesn’t seem possible. I thought at one time that it would never end but it is ending and it seems like the time has just flown by. We will always be grateful for these 18 months and the experiences we have had. I feel we’ve all been blessed by our coming on this mission and I know for sure that “absence makes the heart grow fonder”. I can’t even begin to put into words how much I look forward to seeing each one of you again. That will be soon!

Much love,Mon

From Dad 2/17/2008

Hi everyone,

We have had a good week. It has been interesting to see and feel the response of those with whom we have been working as the final days of our mission close in. We are thankful for the letters we continue to receive from home. Nothing brightens our day more than to know we are still in your thoughts. Thanks.

We had a tender, warm and very funny get together with the young adults Saturday night. At times everyone was laughing so much no words could be spoken. They have an awesome ability to make humorous situations that originally were more embarrassing and frustrating than anything ever seemed possible. There were lots of brother and sister stories. We couldn’t resist sharing a few of our own including the time in Church when Camille was three and she was standing on the bench twirling her underwear on the end of her finger! There is no protection for the innocent when no harm is intended. It took four hours to eat a simple meal and to hear a lot of heart warming and truly funny stories. When the dishes were done and everything was put away and group pictures were taken, they sat us down and a very tender moment had arrived. In turn they each told of things that had happen with them in their own personal lives that had strengthened them and prepared them for their coming responsibilities and years ahead in their lives. They expressed the feeling of being a family. How happy Heavenly Father must be to know and see how his children truly love and care about each other. Two have moved away for work and more schooling. One is on a mission and one will be married later this year in the temple. Our cup is full.

In the investigator class yesterday “Sister” Meyer was so positive in her answers. It was clear she had been influenced by the Spirit. The lesson was on the Holy Ghost and that he is a personage of spirit who can come to us and teach us.
We talked about mother Eve and her very important decision to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. We talked about her innocence before hand yet she had the ability to still decide on her own. Once the decision was made and she had knowledge of good and evil good things as well as difficulties to place. Yes, they now knew they would die and they were taught how the Savior would come in time and redeem them and all of their family from this death. There Spirit bore witness to them that because having children is a good thing it was only possible after they had gained the ability to both recognize and do things that would be good. When things that were not good happened a way was prepared through repentance to have the stain of those things removed from our hearts that we could reenter our Heavenly Father’s presence again clean so His presence too would remain forever clean and holy. Sister Meyer thought for a long time about how it was only after Eve chose her path she would follow that the Spirit came and confirmed and bore witness to her of the importance and the goodness of her choice. So often the hardships and challenges in life are seen by others, to be only a curse instead of a blessing. In truth they are the source many times of our greatest growth and development when we can see past the mistakes and still love and care about those who offend us. When we look for the good the Spirit will come to us as well and give us a witness when we make good choices. Forgiving others when they say and do things that can potentially harm and hurt us is one of our most important assignments in life. To emphasize this point the Lord explains truly the greater sin lies with us when we are unable to forgive t hose who wrong us. Eve needed to forgive Satan for lying to her and leave the judgment for his act in the hands of our Heavenly Parent. We look forward to Thursday to see if Sister Meyer will want to make the decision to be baptized. It can only be then that she can see if the Spirit will bear witness to her of the goodness and the blessing of such a choice. At no time will the Spirit interfere with her agency and tell her before she makes a decision whether it is right or not. What a wonderful protection we are given in life.

We had dinner with the relief society president and her husband who is not a member of the Church. We talked a lot about their son who is on a mission. When their son was still at home he seemed so uncomfortable when anything religious was discussed. Yesterday as the time for us to leave was at hand he turned to his wife and said, “Shouldn’t we have a closing prayer?” Then he proceeded to ask mom to say t he closing prayer. Little steps may seem to go unnoticed nevertheless they are very real and change our lives for the better every single day.

Tim Palmer was in Church yesterday for the fourth Sunday in a row. Mom has it pegged so clearly. His greatest obstacle is being able to forgive himself. It is so amazing when we talk about forgiveness to realize the one person we have the most difficult time forgiving is oneself. We are thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who knows how difficult this step is and patiently helps us through.

We meet with our mission president today and will have a good handle on our timing for what needs to be done and how best to accomplish it in these last two weeks. Reality has hit. We are ready. We love our German family. Many times when you were growing up people would ask, “which of y our children do you love the most? Or they would comment doesn’t it take away y from your ability to love those you already have when another comes into your life? The truth is and will always be each person we love only increases our capacity to love even more those we have already come to love. Our love for you only grows stronger with each new person who enters our lives who we learn to love.

We love you guys with all of our hearts and nothing can or ever will take your place. Thanks for being family. Y you are what makes our life worthwhile.

Have a great week. Your snow stories are amazing. We have forgotten what snow even looks like!


Love always,


Dad and Grandpa

Coming Home

Dear Family,

We got our flight schedule today. We leave Munich at 10 AM on the 3rd then go to Atlanta then to Salt Lake. It’s a 161/2 hour flight! I can hardly wait for that! We arrive in Salt Lake at 6:39 that night. We will be on Delta flight # 67 from Atlanta.

It’s real! It’s happening! We really are coming home!

Yesterday I taught the lesson in Relief Society and as I stood up in front of those sisters, I felt like I was in my home ward. It will be hard to leave these dear people. Right now we have more eating appointments than we have teaching appointments between now and when we leave. We’ll try hard to even that up a little better. How is it possible to be so happy and yet so sad at the same time? We are really excited about coming home and seeing everyone.

I’ll write more later in the week. Just wanted you to know what our plans are as of today. This information came directly from the church travel coordinator so I think it is pretty accurate.

See you soon.

Love,
Mom

From Mom 2/7/2008 - HOMECOMING PLANS

Dear Family,

We just got off the phone with the mission secretary. We are leaving Germany three days early. We will be leaving on Monday, March 3 and will arrive in Salt Lake at 6:50 P.M that evening. Right now we don’t know what airline or what flight number or anything else but will be receiving a letter with all this information from the mission office soon. We’ll let you know as soon as we know more.

There are five more missionaries coming from the MTC in Preston, England that week. That was a surprise to Pres. Rakow! In order to make room for these new missionaries he’s sending four Elders and us home a few days early. Later that week more new missionaries will arrive from the MTC in Provo. What a task a mission president has accommodating everyone!

I hope this doesn’t mess everyone’s plans up too much. We’ll probably stay in Utah a couple of days then come home. I hope the roads are better by then!

We have just three more full weeks in Germany and we have a full schedule. It will go by so quickly. There are beginning to be lots of “lasts”. It’s a time of mixed emotions but we’re excited to be going home.

We’ll let you know more as soon as we know more.

Much love,
Mom