MAY1-7,2017 FREIBERG, GERMANY

BEAUTIFUL TREES ON TENPLE GROUNDS

     The temple grounds are beautiful right now with flowering trees, tulips, daffodils and pansys.  The grounds keepers are busy mowing the lawns and making sure the sprinkler system is working well.  The parking lot is not covered with asphalt, but is made with brick pavers, as are all the streets in the older parts of Freiberg.
     We have leased a car from Apel Auto.  The Apel family owns a car dealership here, and will lease cars to the missionaries for as long as we desire.  It is good to have a car again so that we don't have to carry our groceries by hand to the apartment after shopping.  It also gives us a little more freedom to see the country around us, and to visit other places as we desire.
     We wished that we could have leased a Ford, but our choices were an Audi, or a Nissan, and the Audi was a lot more money.  So, we are driving a two door Nissan Hatchback, and I just LOVE having a set of wheels.   Notice the pavers on the temple parking lot!

OUR TWO DOOR NISSAN HATCHBACK

   

BILL AT MC DONALDS

    

     Last week we were grocery shopping late into the evening.  It was past dinner time and we were hungry, when what should appear in the distance but an old friend from home, MCDONALDS! We were so delighted to see it  that we pulled right into the parking lot and had dinner.  It is the only restaurant from home that we have seen in Freiberg.  

     We were invited by our friends, the Fillmores,to go out to a Turkish fast food place on Saturday night and have Doeners.  They reminded me of our soup bowls, except the bread was not as thick.  They let you fill the bowl with items of your choice, like salad, meat, dressing, and grated cheese.  It was very tasty and filling.  I had a mini Doener, and it was enough for me.  Bill had a tortilla filled up with meat, red cabbage,  white                                                                                         cabbage, lettuce and tomatoes.  When the tortilla                                                                                     was rolled up, it was a foot long.  Bill could only                                                                                     eat half of it.  The rest is in our refrigerator.

EATING TURKISH DOENER'S WITH THE FILLMORES

     When entering the country of Germany, people who are planning to stay a while need to register in the Rathaus, or City Hall within three months of their arrival.  You have to show your marriage license, and passport and tell them how long you plan to stay, and why you are here.  Many times this process can take hours, but we lucked out and took care of all of it within 20 minutes.  They were willing to accept our copy of our marriage license, where other missionary couples have had their copy of the license not accepted, and are on the books as a man and a woman living together.  We all get a laugh out of that! 

     We noticed that the town market was set up right outside the Rathaus in the town square, so we were able  to walk around the market and see all the goods available for purchase.  There were clothes, fruits and vegetables, pastries, plants,  sausage made from horse meat, fried chicken, cheeses, and  fish.  The market is only open on Thurday afternoon, when we are usually in the temple, but we got the afternoon off to go register.   

     

THE DOWNTOWN SQUARE ON MARKET DAY

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FOR SALE AT THE MARKET

THE FREIBERG RAUTHAUS (CITY HALL)

The city of Freiberg also has a  University.  The downtown district is filled with students walking to class, or shopping in the shops of the old city.  All the streets in their area are paved with bricks.  Can't imagine how long it took to pave a street.  

UNIVERSITY BUILDING RIGHT IN DOWNTOWN FREIBERG BORDERING THE TOWN SQUARE

I will now add one more picture of the kitchen in our apartment.  It is very small, but we seem to survive.  We have no dishwasher, and very few dishes, but the cooking utensils and pots and pans seem sufficient.  I wish we had a bigger refrigerator,  but most things in the stores here come in small packages.  You can't buy milk in anything larger than a quart.  

THE KITCHEN IN OUR APARTMENT

     We have been busy in the temple this week.  Bill and I are in charge of the baptistry now, and have been kept busy.  Many groups come to the temple and stay in the Herrberger, or Hostel, for the whole week.  They pay about 9 dollars per night.  Then they come to the temple every day and do baptisms, initiatories, endowments and sealings.  We had a group of 22 youth come from the Leipzig Stake and do about 400 family name baptisms one night.  Other groups from Hannover and Zwickau also came and did baptisms for their family names.  It keeps Bill and Me busy mopping the floors. 

     The German language is coming along slow, but sure.  Bill is much better at it than I am! Bill did a great job blessing the sacrament in German  on Sunday, and I played the piano in Primary aad Relief Society.  Life is good and Temple work is WUENDERBAR!