From Dad 7/21
Hi everyone,
Thanks for all of your letters. They are like oil to the machinery. What an awesome experience a mission is to spend 18 months day and night with someone you love! How could life be better than that? Yet when we are home again and busy with family and friends we will be happy to be back in our element again. Mom’s adjustment to missionary life and life in another country has been nothing short of amazing. I will always remember the first time seeing her out of her element when a brother and sister on the Placement Program needed to go home to South Dakota for the funeral of an 18 year old brother. When we went into the teepee and sat cross legged on the dirt floor to eat a meal before returning to Idaho mom expressed on the way home such radical changes were beyond her ability to handle. Last year when we put our mission papers in we left the part blank when asked if we had any preference where we would be called to serve and after we opened the call to go to Germany, mom told me her preference would have been to go to Africa. You have a pretty gutsy mom.
Our Muslim friend is facing likely the most difficult decision of his life. He started an internet café business with a partner (who put 1 thousand Euro into the business to get it started). He finds himself very much in love with a very pleasant and nice looking young German girl. His partner said, “Abed, it is either the girl or the business. You can’t have both.” Abed is so frustrated and angry. He would do almost anything to obtain 1 thousand Euro and be able to buy out his partner. The business has gone well. Things with his girl friend have gone even better. Having to choose one or the other is more than he is willing to do. We said we will come back in two weeks. If his desire to do good and have good be the basis for how he decides to conduct his life continues to be the basis for how he will make his decisions, we told him an answer that would be acceptable to him and that would bless his life would still be possible. He told us yesterday how cruel and unbending life was for him when he was very young. You could see the horror register on his face as he thought back on those horrific experiences in his early life. Although he was from a large family he still had to grow up on his own without the support and influence of his family. We hope he felt hope was possible and the nightmares he lived with for so many years and the anger and the hate do not need to return and are not a true reflection of how life is meant to be.
Our 74 year old tennis playing friend and less active member called and wasn’t able to meet with us this week. We talked for quite a while on the phone about prayer and answers to prayer and how important it is when someone begins to search for answers to consistently approach our Father in Heaven in prayer in order to experience for themselves that He is really there and for them. When they first feel someone was listening and what that can mean to them, we experience some of the greatest moments during this mission. Brother Vollrath welcomed the idea we could actually speak and hear a prayer together from our hearts over the phone. He was content and there was a good Spirit when we knew it would be two weeks before we could see him again. He did agree to continue to seek a connection to our Father in Heaven in prayer.
Yesterday we met with Gunther Jindre who has wandered over much of the world in his 45 years. It is unclear whether he can hold still long enough to get a grip on life yet or whether he will move on again. Some very mean things were said to him and about him in the foyer of the Church two weeks ago. His heart has softened much the past two weeks. Tonight he said he would see us in Church tomorrow. We will hope. It will take great courage and forgiveness of others on his part. He too experienced much of abuse as a young child going through orphanages and foster care homes. He has many gifts and when he is happy he is very, very happy. Each time he keeps coming back one more rough edge has been loosened or dropped off to the side.
We are getting our second wind. Our momentum, regardless or whether obtained through the successes or failures of daily missionary work, is gaining. We can do so much more in a day than we could in almost the first 11 months of our mission. Mom is so patient. When it is necessary to speak German and there is no one who can translate for her and the situation calls for my full attention, she is so accepting and supportive. Of course she would love to know everything that is going on and to be able to express openly and freely her own desires. She still has and continues to develop an ability and an interest to use the German language. She has such great courage. Neither one of us will be proficient but at least we can make ourselves understood. Mom’s cooking is still the # 1 influence (outside of the gospel of Jesus Christ) on this mission. People just love her and so do I!
Have a great week,
Love always,
Dad
Thanks for all of your letters. They are like oil to the machinery. What an awesome experience a mission is to spend 18 months day and night with someone you love! How could life be better than that? Yet when we are home again and busy with family and friends we will be happy to be back in our element again. Mom’s adjustment to missionary life and life in another country has been nothing short of amazing. I will always remember the first time seeing her out of her element when a brother and sister on the Placement Program needed to go home to South Dakota for the funeral of an 18 year old brother. When we went into the teepee and sat cross legged on the dirt floor to eat a meal before returning to Idaho mom expressed on the way home such radical changes were beyond her ability to handle. Last year when we put our mission papers in we left the part blank when asked if we had any preference where we would be called to serve and after we opened the call to go to Germany, mom told me her preference would have been to go to Africa. You have a pretty gutsy mom.
Our Muslim friend is facing likely the most difficult decision of his life. He started an internet café business with a partner (who put 1 thousand Euro into the business to get it started). He finds himself very much in love with a very pleasant and nice looking young German girl. His partner said, “Abed, it is either the girl or the business. You can’t have both.” Abed is so frustrated and angry. He would do almost anything to obtain 1 thousand Euro and be able to buy out his partner. The business has gone well. Things with his girl friend have gone even better. Having to choose one or the other is more than he is willing to do. We said we will come back in two weeks. If his desire to do good and have good be the basis for how he decides to conduct his life continues to be the basis for how he will make his decisions, we told him an answer that would be acceptable to him and that would bless his life would still be possible. He told us yesterday how cruel and unbending life was for him when he was very young. You could see the horror register on his face as he thought back on those horrific experiences in his early life. Although he was from a large family he still had to grow up on his own without the support and influence of his family. We hope he felt hope was possible and the nightmares he lived with for so many years and the anger and the hate do not need to return and are not a true reflection of how life is meant to be.
Our 74 year old tennis playing friend and less active member called and wasn’t able to meet with us this week. We talked for quite a while on the phone about prayer and answers to prayer and how important it is when someone begins to search for answers to consistently approach our Father in Heaven in prayer in order to experience for themselves that He is really there and for them. When they first feel someone was listening and what that can mean to them, we experience some of the greatest moments during this mission. Brother Vollrath welcomed the idea we could actually speak and hear a prayer together from our hearts over the phone. He was content and there was a good Spirit when we knew it would be two weeks before we could see him again. He did agree to continue to seek a connection to our Father in Heaven in prayer.
Yesterday we met with Gunther Jindre who has wandered over much of the world in his 45 years. It is unclear whether he can hold still long enough to get a grip on life yet or whether he will move on again. Some very mean things were said to him and about him in the foyer of the Church two weeks ago. His heart has softened much the past two weeks. Tonight he said he would see us in Church tomorrow. We will hope. It will take great courage and forgiveness of others on his part. He too experienced much of abuse as a young child going through orphanages and foster care homes. He has many gifts and when he is happy he is very, very happy. Each time he keeps coming back one more rough edge has been loosened or dropped off to the side.
We are getting our second wind. Our momentum, regardless or whether obtained through the successes or failures of daily missionary work, is gaining. We can do so much more in a day than we could in almost the first 11 months of our mission. Mom is so patient. When it is necessary to speak German and there is no one who can translate for her and the situation calls for my full attention, she is so accepting and supportive. Of course she would love to know everything that is going on and to be able to express openly and freely her own desires. She still has and continues to develop an ability and an interest to use the German language. She has such great courage. Neither one of us will be proficient but at least we can make ourselves understood. Mom’s cooking is still the # 1 influence (outside of the gospel of Jesus Christ) on this mission. People just love her and so do I!
Have a great week,
Love always,
Dad
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