From Mom 8/16
Dear Family,
This has been another “different” week----a few cancellations and a variety of things to do and think about.
We were sad to hear about President Faust. I think his talk in conference in April on forgiveness was a classic. I’m sure it will go right along with President Benson’s talk on pride as memorable speeches. We got to watch his funeral at 8 PM our time. It was broadcast into our building here over the satellite. It was so very good----no long speeches and everything said was so heartfelt. And the music was beautiful! What a wonderful example he has been for everyone. He will surely be missed.
We were also sad to hear about Uncle Rulon. It has been very hard on Dad. He was a kind, gentle and very intelligent man and we will probably never understand why his life took such a turn. We can be thankful we don’t have to judge. I just remember many good times with him and his family when their kids and our kids were young and that’s how I want to remember him.
(Mom & Dad's mission car... just kidding)
We finished our apartment inspection last Friday. It was a long day and we drove over 500 KM.
We were supposed to go to an appointment when we got back but about an hour out of Wurzburg, Dad said he just didn’t have any more to give and asked how I felt about canceling the appointment. I felt much the same way and thank goodness, this lady understood. Again, it was great meeting with the Elders. We saw a couple of Elders we had known earlier in our mission and it was fun seeing them again. I never cease to marvel at their dedication and their attitude toward this work. It just boosts our spirits to be around them.
We were very happy on Sunday when one of the less active members we have been meeting with was a church. He hasn’t been to church for over a year and he seemed to really enjoy being there. He said he’s never lost his testimony and has no idea why he quit coming to church. His non-member wife has come to some of the ward activities and to some of the Relief Society enrichment activities and told the Relief Society president that she would like to start coming to church but her husband has been dragging his feet about coming. We just hope he will continue to come and start bringing his family. They are an awesome family. It’s amazing how excited we get when we see someone we have been working with take steps to become active again. Makes us feel like maybe we’re doing some good.
Petra is so fun to work with. We had an appointment with her Wednesday morning because she had to go to work in the afternoon. She called and said she was baking bread and that it would be out of the oven at 9:15 and wanted us to be there then. When we got there, she was waiting for us in her car. The bread and other goodies were in a picnic basket and we headed out to her favorite place in “nature” and had a good discussion on a number of things. She had brought butter, honey, salami and tomatoes to go with the bread. We were sitting at a table in an apple orchard out from town a little ways. It was very peaceful and turned out to be a very enjoyable meeting. She has so many questions and we are so thankful for the opportunity to help her find answers to them. She is such a help to people who come to the investigator class in Sunday School. Sunday, a young man the Elders are working with asked her to tell him how she became acquainted with the church and how she came to know it was true. It was a thrill to hear her testimony and to hear her testify to him that he could gain a testimony if he would study and pray to know that what he is being taught is true. A lot of the questions she asks us when we meet with her are questions people she works with have asked her and she doesn’t know for sure how to answer them so she tries to find the answers for them.
Today was our Zone Conference in Stuttgart. We woke up at 4:30 so we would be ready to catch a bus to go to the train station. It was about a two and a half hour train ride. We were on the train with one other couple and 6 Elders. It was nice not having to drive and fight the morning traffic and it was nice to have the time to just visit with this other couple and talk about what we’re both doing. The conference was great. Elder Kopiscke (?) and his wife were there. I think I mentioned that he is a new Seventy. He was a stake president for 9 years, a mission president in Berlin, and area authority and is now in the Central Europe area presidency. He loves missionary work and gave us a lot of good things to think about and to put into practice. He said if we’re not finding joy and having fun being a missionary, we need to step back and see what we need to change. He cautioned about becoming to intent on what we think we should be doing that we fail to hear and feel the promptings of the Spirit that are trying to tell us what we really need to be doing. His wife is so enthusiastic and full of energy. She too loves missionary work and loves to member teach with the missionaries. She says she has to remind herself that she is still a mother to 12 year old twin boys and another 14 year old boy and can’t spend all her time out with the missionaries but that’s what she loves to do. She was very complimentary to the senior couples telling us that our experience in life teaches and reaches places that the regular missionary lessons can’t reach and assured us that we are needed and are valuable to this work. President Rakow was very emotional as he told us how much he loved each one of us and hoped we knew that but was going to try to do a better job of telling us more often. What a great opportunity to be taught by these inspired Priesthood leaders.
We rode a street car from the train station to the stake center where the conference was and as we were coming back to catch the train after our meeting, Dad and I sat across from a really nice lady. She looked at my badge and asked what Sister meant. I told her that we were missionaries and that while we served as missionaries we went by Elder and Sister. Then she asked about the name of the church on our badge and asked if it was a Protestant or Catholic church. We told her it was neither but was the restored church of the church that Jesus Christ organized while he was on the earth. We also told her that we were Christians----that the name of our church showed that. She seemed interested and we asked her if she would like someone to come and tell her more about the church, to which she said she would and she wrote down her name, address and telephone number. So we have a referral to give to the Stuttgart missionaries. She was such a nice lady. We’ve had several people look at our badges. Some almost turn and run! Others are curious enough to ask questions. It’s an interesting life.
So life goes on for us here in Germany. I hope you don’t get too tired of hearing pretty much the same thing each week but we do pretty much the same thing each week so that’s all I have to tell you about. We feel very much a part of this ward. I hope we will be here for the rest of our mission. It’s almost seems like it has taken the people most of the time we have been here to really feel like we want to be a part of their lives. Some days we’re almost too much a part of their lives but we’re glad they feel like they can call and ask us for help when they need it. I’ve gained a whole new appreciation of how important it is watch out for and try to be friends to everyone. There isn’t anyone who doesn’t need other people in their lives.
We hope all is well with everyone at home. We’ll be anxious to hear about the first few days of school for everyone. It’s an exciting and busy time of the year. Know that we love you and are so thankful for you. You are in our prayers every day.
Much love always,
Mom
P.S.
A new Elder is here in Wurzburg now. We were talking about learning the language and he showed us some funny things about how difficult the English language is. Here are a few of them.
The bandage was wound around the wound.
He could lead out if he would get the lead out.
Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
Why doesn’t “Buick” rhyme with “quick”?
If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn’t the plural of booth beeth?
(Sister Schoenfeld, 86, whom Dad taught on his FIRST mission to Germany, Fall 1959!)
This has been another “different” week----a few cancellations and a variety of things to do and think about.
We were sad to hear about President Faust. I think his talk in conference in April on forgiveness was a classic. I’m sure it will go right along with President Benson’s talk on pride as memorable speeches. We got to watch his funeral at 8 PM our time. It was broadcast into our building here over the satellite. It was so very good----no long speeches and everything said was so heartfelt. And the music was beautiful! What a wonderful example he has been for everyone. He will surely be missed.
We were also sad to hear about Uncle Rulon. It has been very hard on Dad. He was a kind, gentle and very intelligent man and we will probably never understand why his life took such a turn. We can be thankful we don’t have to judge. I just remember many good times with him and his family when their kids and our kids were young and that’s how I want to remember him.
(Mom & Dad's mission car... just kidding)We finished our apartment inspection last Friday. It was a long day and we drove over 500 KM.
We were supposed to go to an appointment when we got back but about an hour out of Wurzburg, Dad said he just didn’t have any more to give and asked how I felt about canceling the appointment. I felt much the same way and thank goodness, this lady understood. Again, it was great meeting with the Elders. We saw a couple of Elders we had known earlier in our mission and it was fun seeing them again. I never cease to marvel at their dedication and their attitude toward this work. It just boosts our spirits to be around them.
We were very happy on Sunday when one of the less active members we have been meeting with was a church. He hasn’t been to church for over a year and he seemed to really enjoy being there. He said he’s never lost his testimony and has no idea why he quit coming to church. His non-member wife has come to some of the ward activities and to some of the Relief Society enrichment activities and told the Relief Society president that she would like to start coming to church but her husband has been dragging his feet about coming. We just hope he will continue to come and start bringing his family. They are an awesome family. It’s amazing how excited we get when we see someone we have been working with take steps to become active again. Makes us feel like maybe we’re doing some good.
Petra is so fun to work with. We had an appointment with her Wednesday morning because she had to go to work in the afternoon. She called and said she was baking bread and that it would be out of the oven at 9:15 and wanted us to be there then. When we got there, she was waiting for us in her car. The bread and other goodies were in a picnic basket and we headed out to her favorite place in “nature” and had a good discussion on a number of things. She had brought butter, honey, salami and tomatoes to go with the bread. We were sitting at a table in an apple orchard out from town a little ways. It was very peaceful and turned out to be a very enjoyable meeting. She has so many questions and we are so thankful for the opportunity to help her find answers to them. She is such a help to people who come to the investigator class in Sunday School. Sunday, a young man the Elders are working with asked her to tell him how she became acquainted with the church and how she came to know it was true. It was a thrill to hear her testimony and to hear her testify to him that he could gain a testimony if he would study and pray to know that what he is being taught is true. A lot of the questions she asks us when we meet with her are questions people she works with have asked her and she doesn’t know for sure how to answer them so she tries to find the answers for them.
Today was our Zone Conference in Stuttgart. We woke up at 4:30 so we would be ready to catch a bus to go to the train station. It was about a two and a half hour train ride. We were on the train with one other couple and 6 Elders. It was nice not having to drive and fight the morning traffic and it was nice to have the time to just visit with this other couple and talk about what we’re both doing. The conference was great. Elder Kopiscke (?) and his wife were there. I think I mentioned that he is a new Seventy. He was a stake president for 9 years, a mission president in Berlin, and area authority and is now in the Central Europe area presidency. He loves missionary work and gave us a lot of good things to think about and to put into practice. He said if we’re not finding joy and having fun being a missionary, we need to step back and see what we need to change. He cautioned about becoming to intent on what we think we should be doing that we fail to hear and feel the promptings of the Spirit that are trying to tell us what we really need to be doing. His wife is so enthusiastic and full of energy. She too loves missionary work and loves to member teach with the missionaries. She says she has to remind herself that she is still a mother to 12 year old twin boys and another 14 year old boy and can’t spend all her time out with the missionaries but that’s what she loves to do. She was very complimentary to the senior couples telling us that our experience in life teaches and reaches places that the regular missionary lessons can’t reach and assured us that we are needed and are valuable to this work. President Rakow was very emotional as he told us how much he loved each one of us and hoped we knew that but was going to try to do a better job of telling us more often. What a great opportunity to be taught by these inspired Priesthood leaders.
We rode a street car from the train station to the stake center where the conference was and as we were coming back to catch the train after our meeting, Dad and I sat across from a really nice lady. She looked at my badge and asked what Sister meant. I told her that we were missionaries and that while we served as missionaries we went by Elder and Sister. Then she asked about the name of the church on our badge and asked if it was a Protestant or Catholic church. We told her it was neither but was the restored church of the church that Jesus Christ organized while he was on the earth. We also told her that we were Christians----that the name of our church showed that. She seemed interested and we asked her if she would like someone to come and tell her more about the church, to which she said she would and she wrote down her name, address and telephone number. So we have a referral to give to the Stuttgart missionaries. She was such a nice lady. We’ve had several people look at our badges. Some almost turn and run! Others are curious enough to ask questions. It’s an interesting life.
So life goes on for us here in Germany. I hope you don’t get too tired of hearing pretty much the same thing each week but we do pretty much the same thing each week so that’s all I have to tell you about. We feel very much a part of this ward. I hope we will be here for the rest of our mission. It’s almost seems like it has taken the people most of the time we have been here to really feel like we want to be a part of their lives. Some days we’re almost too much a part of their lives but we’re glad they feel like they can call and ask us for help when they need it. I’ve gained a whole new appreciation of how important it is watch out for and try to be friends to everyone. There isn’t anyone who doesn’t need other people in their lives.
We hope all is well with everyone at home. We’ll be anxious to hear about the first few days of school for everyone. It’s an exciting and busy time of the year. Know that we love you and are so thankful for you. You are in our prayers every day.
Much love always,
Mom
P.S.
A new Elder is here in Wurzburg now. We were talking about learning the language and he showed us some funny things about how difficult the English language is. Here are a few of them.
The bandage was wound around the wound.
He could lead out if he would get the lead out.
Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
Why doesn’t “Buick” rhyme with “quick”?
If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn’t the plural of booth beeth?
(Sister Schoenfeld, 86, whom Dad taught on his FIRST mission to Germany, Fall 1959!)
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