Singing for our Supper...

Missionary Conference

We enjoy attending the Zone Conference every six weeks. The speakers instruct in German and we listen with headsets in English. I thought you might enjoy how the Missionaries thank the cooks at each conference by singing, Called to Serve.

We have a German class every Tuesday evening along with other missionary couples. We attend a German speaking ward and sing in the choir. Funny story...at our first choir practice I was asked to sing the soprano solo in German and was told to start singing so I did. After the first verse the conductor said, "Will someone else will come?" Meaning I didn't know how to sing German or soprano. And I don't. I sing alto. I was so glad I didn't have to sing a solo that day.

We home teach two families where the brethren speak only German. Fortunately their wives speak some English and can translate. The language seems to be coming.

I have been searching for and collecting a list of LDS specialist for the countries we work in. At the Zone Conference I just happened to sit by a doctor from the UK who gave me a list of 26 specialists he is working with. And he just happened to bring the list with him to the conference. We received a copy and an invitation to their November meeting to meet them. As we pray for help it comes and the doors open.

Tomorrow we fly to Sweden for a Nortic Council and have been busy preparing materials to take with us.

We're in the Movies...

We were just informed that our picture made the New Comer's web site. With over 95 booths and 5,000 visitors, the Church received recognition with two pictures of the LDS booth in the movie clip, two in the photos and one on the newsletter. Notice Dad in the front, passing out information about the open house for the new Europe Area and I'm behind him. Don't you think we make a great team. www.newcomers-festival.de

Niederwald Monument

Once a month the missionary couples get together for an excursion. So on Saturday we went 40 miles WS to the Niederwald Monument above Rudesheim. We rode a chair lift over the grape vineyards, then walked for 30 minutes to a beautiful picturesque scene overlooking the Rhein River. The monument symbolizes the rebuilding of the German Empire after the French-German war 1879-71. The main figure is Germania, holding up the German Emperor's crown in her right hand and the imperial sword in her left hand.

We then took another 30 minute walk through a German forest, around a hunting castle and to a game reserve where another chair lift took us down into the town of Assmannshausen. After shopping and refreshments we caught a boat going up the Rhein river back to Rudesheim. We passed three castles and the town of Bingen but didn't have enough time to stop and explore so we plan on going back.

We just happened to have a big bag of carrots for our lunch, but the deer enjoyed them for their's.


The Rhein is beautiful this time of year. A few leaves were started to show fall colors.

New Comers Festival

On Sep.7,at Frankfurt on Romer, the Old Town Plaza, a New Comers Festival was held. Business clubs and organizations presented their services with a family oriented atmosphere. There was traditional, music, singing, dancing and many booths with food. The Church sponsored a missionary booth for the open house. We spent two hours along with 4 Elders and 2 office employees handing out flyers and telling families about the church. After an hour of fun visiting with all sorts of people about the church, a beautiful young mother across from us in another religious booth came over to me and said, "Who are you? I see a glow around your face." I grabbed her hand and told her that "We lived before we came to earth! We live now and we will live again. We are sisters." She thanked me walked away. Then her husband came over and wanted to know more about our church. When we were replaced by other missionaries we walked across hugged and exchanged cards. Then she asked me if she could be my friend. They were from Iran, they saw and felt truth.

Another experience I had was with an Elderly atheist who claimed that there was no God. I grabbed his arm and told him that God loved him and knew him and had a plan for his return to him. As we exchanged ideas I put a card in his shirt pocket. He laughed as I did then he left and awhile later came back. I went right up to him and said, "See there is something here that you need." Just then, as if planned, the Elder stepped in and took over. Our time there was filled with such great spiritual missionary experiences.

Visit to Lucerne, Switzerland

Rheinfalls, Switzerland

Standing at the edge of Switzerland's biggest waterfalls, you can hear the thunder and feel the mist. We are on a platform that hangs over the middle of the falls. So this was a quick picture.

This mountain above Lucerne is called Pilatus, after Pontious Pilot, who is thought to be buried here. Lucerne's government forbids people to climb the Pilatus for fear of revenge. We rode on a cog train to the top at a 48 degree angle. What a ride!

We passed these cattle grazing on our train ride up the mountain. Notice the steep incline of the mountain. If the cow fell down, she would roll all the way to the bottom.

Grant's brother Curtis served a mission in Switzerland, where he learned to make great cheese fondue. Curtis, remember all those fondue parties? Well, we saved the best for you!

Visit to Strasbourg, France

We attended a ward in France looking for LDS therapists. We found two in the ward and one in the stake. We see the Lord's hand in preparing the way for needed recovery programs. The missionary who translated for Grant said that they had fasted that day and this information was an answer to their prayers.

Notice the little round windows in the roof of the yellow building? This was our hotel room. It was across from the Cathedral Notre Dame. We heard the night life and the morning bells chime. The hotel was probably built in the 1500's because our room swayed as we walked around in it, and I'm not kidding. The old wooden timbers were built with wooden pegs that you could still see. I was glad to see it still standing in the morning.