JULY 22 - 31, 2017 FREIBURG, GERMANY

        Playing games is one of the ways to spend leisure hours.  When we left home, we brought two games with us - Quiddler, and Rook!  We brought these just in case we needed a little down time, and could find someone willing to play with us.  On Saturday night, July 22, we decided to invite two couples to play, and eat popcorn in our apartment.

GAME NIGHT WITH FILLMORES AND ASHBYS

 The interesting thing about this is that one of the couples we invited, also, brought two games with them when they came on their mission.  YEP, you guessed it, they, also, brought Quiddler and Rook!  I had to smile when I saw these two games sitting on the shelf in their apartment.
 We spent a pleasant couple of hours playing Quiddler and Two Up, Four Down!  We provided popcorn, and they brought apple slices and ice cream and cheese danish.  I think we'll have to do it again sometime.

     Montag, 24 Juli , the temple missionaries had a special day trip  to Luebben, Germany.  Luebben is about 1 1/2 hours North from Freiberg towards Berlin.  The Spree River runs through this town, and this area is known as the Venice of Germany, because many little canals from the Spree River run through areas of the town.

OUR TEMPLE GROUP

 Twenty one of us temple workers traveled to Luebben and boarded one long boat, beautifully decorated with benches, round tables with flowers in the center, and our personal Boatman who, also, acted as tour guide as we traveled.  We floated through beautiful forests, saw many ducks, interesting carved works, and a grass hut or two along the way.  We passed through two locks, like you see in the Erie Canal, or the Panama Canal.  We passed other boaters, and several families using kayaks, and having a great family time.  Summer homes, as well as year round homes line several miles of the River.

GRASS HOUSE & BARREL HOUSE

     Half way through our cruise, we stopped at a beautiful restaurant, Gasthaus Lehnigksberg, for lunch.  It took three tables to seat us all.  Bill ordered schwein cordon bleu ( pork cordon blue).  I ordered trout.  We both thought our food was good.  Bill ordered a chocolate milk shake, which was a disappointment.  It was chocolate milk with a small scoop of chocolate ice cream dropped in the top.  We decided not to ever order one of those again.
     After lunch, we again boarded the boat, and floated back to the dock via a different route.  It was a thoroughly enjoyable day.

GASTHAUS LEHNIGKSBERG

 We arrived back home about 5:30 PM.

     A highlight of this past week, was receiving messages and pictures from our children and grandchildren who were having a family reunion, planned and organized by Eric and Gaby Moss, from Michigan.  All the family arrived at Eric's home in Macomb, Michigan.  They attended Sunday Meetings at our old home Ward in Livonia, Michigan.  They also visited the homes we lived in, and the schools they attended.  It was so much fun for them.  
     Traveling to  Sleeping Bear Dunes, on the shores of Lake Michigan, was a highlight of the reunion.

LUNCH AT THE GASTHAUS

 Three days in a beach house, swimming, hiking, and playing games during the rain storms helped them to bond with each other.  Our three grandchildren, who are leaving on missions in the next few weeks, and a month or so, talked to their young cousins about why they wanted to serve, and shared their feelings.  I understand it was a very spiritual time.  I wish I could have been there to hear them express their feelings.  I am thankful to know that all the families are back home safe and sound.  What a blessing it is to know that they love each other, and really enjoy being together.

     This past week we have had temple visitors from the Salzburg, Austria Stake.  Relief Society Sisters from the Hamburg Stake visited for the weekend.  I was pleasantly surprised that about 35 sisters from Hamburg came, and kept us very busy.  It's was great to see the Salzburg Youth who came to do baptisms each day.
   
     Sunday dinner was enjoyable, as we got to know one of our new Sister Missionaries, Sister Sheffield.  She just arrived in Germany from South Dakota.

GOING THROUGH THE LOCK

 Her Father is in the U.S. Air Force, and is a pilot on the B-1 Bomber airplane.  Sister Sheffield and Sister Wacker serve in our Branch, and are great young women.  She is really working hard on becoming more fluent in her German, but she did bear her testimony in church in German, and did a great job.

SERVING AS TEMPLE MISSIONARIES IS STILL WUNDERBAR!

DINNER WITH SISTER SHEFFIELD & SISTER WACKER

RAINBOW ABOVE TEMPLE AFTER THE STORM

JULY 6 - JULY 16, 2017 FREIBERG, GERMANY

     The city of Freiberg is interesting.  Part of the city is called the Altstadt, or old city.

NARROW STREET IN THE ALTSTADT

 In this part of town the streets are cobblestones, the streets are narrow, and many of the buildings have been around for many, many years.  Throughout the Altstadt, every once in a while you can see the old wall that used to surround the city.  Some of the streets are labeled one way, because they are so narrow.  Other of these streets are labeled for pedestrians and bikes only.  The Altstadt is filled with shops that sell clothes, housewares, shoes, purses, glasses, and many other types of goods.  There are also many restaurants, and plenty of shops that sell eis or ice cream.  Today, our p-day, Bill and I went downtown to shop, and we saw, in the town square , some sprays of water shooting up out of the ground, sort of like our splash parks in America, minus the toys.

NOTICE RATHAUS FLOWER BOXES

 Little children were dancing in the water, because it was a warm day.  It was beautiful looking at the Rathaus, or City Hall, and seeing all the beautiful window flower boxes.  The shopping in the Altstadt is called the Obermarkt, or upper market.  Outside the old city, many more modern shops and streets have been built.  The Temple is in the newer area of town, but not far from the Altstadt.
     I have been surprised that  so many of the people here live in apartment buildings.  Most of the apartment buildings are about six stories high.

TYPICAL APARTMENT BUILDING

TYPICAL HOME AND FLOWERS

 There are, also, single family homes, but they are usually quite small.  Most of them are nicely landscaped with hedges and flowers, and a small patch of lawn.  The hedges are everywhere, because that's how they have a little privacy, since the homes are so close together.  We walk past a home close to the Temple quite frequently, that is just decorated with the most beautiful flowers.  The owner, a woman, is outside most of the time we walk past, busy watering and caring for her flowers.

     Bill and I had a special experience this past week.  We were visited by Detlef and Jutta Adler.  This couple live in Bielefeld, Germany, and came to the Temple to do work for their ancestors.

BILL & ANN WITH DETLEF & JUTTA

 We knew Detlef and Jutta about 30 years ago when they came to the United States and lived for three years with their four children.  They were in our ward in Columbia, Maryland.  Detlef says that he still remembers the first time they walked into the church in Columbia.  Bill walked up to them and welcomed them and started speaking to them in German.  He still remembers that after all these years! Detlef and Jutta took us out to dinner to the Schwanschloss Restaurant, and then we walked downtown and found an ice cream parlor for dessert.  We spent about four hours together visitng and catching up on the past 30 years.  The Adler's have four children that our daughter, Jennifer, used to babysit.  They are now all grown up.  Caroline lives in Boston with her family, Yannich lives in London with his family, and Gina and Nicolai still live at home.  Their  youngest, Nicolai is now 26.
     Detlef serves in the church as an Area Authority Seventy.  He had been serving as a Stake President for 1 1/2 years, when he was called to be an Area Seventy.  He will be released July 31st, having served for five years, covering areas throughout Africa and Europe.

DETLEF TAKING A SELFIE

 He said that he has met some wonderful people throughout the world.
     We have been invited to visit them in their home in Bielefeld.  I hope we will have that opportunity while we are still in Germany!


     Last Thursday night, Bill and I were invited to attend a special testimony for 16 returning missionaries.  The Berlin Germany Mission President, President Fingerlie, and his wife,officiated at the meeting, and it was conducted by an assistant to the president, Elder Lex.  Fifteen of the returning missionaries were young Sisters.  One was an Elder.  Each of the missionaries attended the temple earlier in the day, and the testimony meeting was held that evening, since they were all scheduled to fly home the next morning.  I noticed that each missionary made reference to their love of the Savior, their love of the German people, the wonderful opportunity they had had to serve in this country, and their love of the Plan of Salvation and the knowledge they have of eternal families.

SISTER BROOKE DARTON

SISTER CELCIONNA VOLLUZ

 Sister Brooke Darton and Sister Celcionna Volluz had invited us to come to the meeting so we could say a final good-bye to them.
 We have had these sisters in our home, and have come to know and love them.  I now know that they made it home safely, because they have both posted on Facebook saying they love being back home.

     The highlight of our Temple service last week, was helping patrons from the country of Hungary.  A whole busload arrived, and were involved in all temple ordinances throughout the week.

HUNGARIAN SAINTS BUS

 Bill and I are Endowment Coordinators for July and August.  One day we had four Sisters, and three Brothers, go through a session for their own endowment.  It was a challenge,at times,to find enough temple workers who could speak Hungarian, to help them, but the Lord does provide and all things seem to work out.  They are very faithful members.
     The country of Hungary only has one Stake, and the Stake President is from Sugar City, Idaho.  Bill and I knew his parents, Neil and Marilyn Southwick.  We didn't know the Stake President, because he grew up while we were living other places.  One evening, his counselor in the Stake Presidency, was having a meeting with the Stake President in a room in the Herrberger (or temple hostel).  He invited us to come into the room and talk with President Southwick via Skype, while he was conducting the meeting from Budapest!  It never ceases to amaze me what modern technology can do.  It was great to have a visit with President Southwick.  He teaches at the Internationl School in Budapest, and his wife is from Hungary.  SMALL WORLD, ISN'T IT!

UNIQUE SHAPED EVERGREEN TREE
LOCATED BY THE GEMEINDE HAUS

CUTE FOUR WHEELER

As we walked around the neighborhood, we spotted this four wheeler.  I just want my son-in-law, Ben to know that they, also, have four wheelers in Germany!
   
   

JUNE 26 - JULY 5, 2017 FREIBERG, GERMANY

WE ARE FINALLY LEGAL IN GERMANY!  It has taken us this long to get our Visa's.  It is a little plastic card that looks like a credit card, or driver's license, and has our picture on it.  It expires April 14, 2019, and cost us a $120 each.  We are thankful to have that task behind us.

     It was hair cut time again, and I thought I would add a picture of our hairdresser.  Her name is Angela Froebel, and her shop is in the basement of her home.  She has a beautiful shop, which she furnished from IKEA.

ANGELA AT WORK!

 She is, also, our Relief Society President.  She does a great job on me, and this time she even got Bill's crew cut haircut done the way he likes it.    She said that she had never done a haircut like his before, but she is learning.  We really appreciate her!

     On June 24th, we went downtown to shop at a store called ROSSMAN.  When we got downtown, the store was closed because the town was celebrating the 32 FREIBERGER BERGSTADTFEST.  The whole street was filled with thousands of visitors and many little booths, all with people selling things to buy and eat.


 AND I MUST SAY, THE BEER WAS FLOWING ABUNDANTLY!    We mingled with the masses for a few minutes, and then decided to try buying something at one of the shops.  We stopped at Dresdner Hardbrot and bought a ham and cheese sandwich to share.

 It was topped it with sour cream and parsley.  The homemade brot was good, but I'd rate the filling inside at about a 50%.  It was fun to try something new, however.  It was amazing to me that so many people attended the event.












     Becoming a little more acquainted with the town of Freiberg is always fun.  We learned of an Abendmusik Organ concert being presented in a church downtown.  The church is called the Dom St. Marien zu Freiberg, or Domgemeinde Freiberg..  It is famous for the Silbermann organ that was built inside the church in the 1700's.

THE ORGANIST!

The organist was a young man who looked to be in his late 30's or early 40's.  He was very talented, and played seven organ numbers, showing the capabilities and various sounds that this famous organ can make.  We went to the concert with our friends, Ed and Judy Fillmore.

THE ORGAN!

 It lasted about and hour, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.  These churches we visit are always so old and ornate.  As I walk through them, I am always thankful that I don't have to clean the building, like we do as we take turns cleaning our church buildings at home.


     A special pair of Elders serve in Freiberg, as well as a pair of Sisters.  We have become acquainted with these Elders, and wanted to get to know them better.  So, on their last P-Day we invited them to go to McDonalds with us.

ELDER DRAKE & ELDER COLMERE

 They are Elder Drake, from Logan, Utah, and Elder Colmere, from Sandy, Utah.  The young missionaries really do bring life and added joy to our mission.  They serve sprecifically the Freiberg Ward, and the Sisters serve in the Freiberg Branch boundaries.  We have invited the Sisters to dinner in our apartment several times, but this is the first time that we have had a good visit with the Elders.  These young people are great to associate with, and they really are an asset to the Church.


     By the pictures I post, you would think that all we do it eat!  However, I must tell about the Italian Lasagna Dinner Party, the missionary couples held on July 3rd.  Sister Spizzirri, from Italy, is a single sister temple worker who serves with us in the temple.

SISTER SPIZZIRRI!

 She wanted to cook an authentic Italian lasagna and serve it to the temple workers.  She, and several other Sisters, made the lasagna, and some of us brought salad, some drinks, and others dessert.  We all met in the missionary room for our dinner.  It was served, and Bill and I ate, and enjoyed it immensly.  As I was almost finished eating my piece of lasagna, someone asked Sister Spizzirri what the little pieces of white were in the lasagna,  We thought they might be little chunks of mozarella cheese.  She told us that they were chunks of chopped egg.  Well, right then and there I wanted to throw up.  You know I can't stand eggs, and the thought that I had just eaten some egg, made me sick.  It's funny, but I was ok until I found out that it was egg!  Needless to say, I pulled the rest of the pieces of egg out of my lasagna!  My son, David, told me that it just goes to show that my dislike is all in my head!  He could be right!  For dessert we ate a delicious strawberry, pudding and cookie concoction!  

DESSERT!

  After dinner we all watched a church movie entitled "One Good Man."  It was about the life of a Bishop in the church.  Bill and I had never seen it before, but it was a great movie!  President Wagner, of the Temple Presidency, is displaying the movie cover!

PRESIDENT WAGNER - ONE GOOD MAN!

          This past week the baptistry has been full of Hungarian Saints.  They come in each morning and do baptisms, then spend the rest of the day doing the other ordinances for their ancestors.  Some of the people from Hungary have been trained to serve in the temple, and help us with their members, especially in using the Hungarian language as we perform the ordinances.  We have met many of them one other time, and by the time our 18 month mission is up, we will probably see them several more times, and get to know them even better.  We are so blessed to get to know these faithful people. We count our blessings every day.

VIEW OF APPROACH TO TEMPLE GROUNDS!

     I learned a new sentence in German this week.  It is "Ich gehe essen!"  In case you didn't know, that means "I am going to eat."  All people need to know how to say that in the country they are living in!!!   RIGHT!!!!!