Dear Family,
This past week, we have really worked hard to get caught up with all that had gotten behind when there was no Area Auditor for over a month. We have worked out a system that Gpa George does all the Stewardship Reports from the 29 AAAs all over the Europe Area, and I take care of the Expense Reports and whatever else I can help him with. I am finally getting the hang of the reports, and fortunately, most of the AAAs have some knowledge of English (or their wives do!) or they have Google Translate, which always helps us out so much. In addition, in our office, we have eight different analysts from various countries who in total speak 19 different languages. That is just amazing to me! We laugh the most at the Frenchman. He is really strong-willed and doesn't understand why we don't all speak French! He is very hard to understand, and sometimes when he talks to us across the room to our office area, we need an interpreter in between to help us understand what he just said to us! Hah! But, we all get along great, and we appreciate all the help we can get!
It has been such beautiful fall weather here. Because it has been such a dry summer, the colors aren't as vibrant as they usually are (we hear), but it is still beautiful. We LOVE to go on our P-Day adventure on Saturdays, and then on Sundays, since church doesn't start until 2:00 p.m., we have time to see things close by before we go to church. On Saturday, we visited Mainz, Germany--only about 45 minutes away. This is where Johannes Gutenberg invented the movable press and was able to publish the first Bible. We were able to see one of the 49 remaining original Bibles he published and, also, watched a demonstration of how he invented it. We LOVED seeing the open air market and the amazing churches there.
This past Sunday, we visited Bad Homburg Park called Kurpark--only ten minutes from our house. It is huge and a very famous park that the rich and famous have come to for many years because of its mineral waters they use in their spas. It still attracts the rich, and some of the homes we saw in the area were phenomenal! The biggest homes we've seen anywhere in Europe! Anyway, it was a beautiful day and we really enjoyed ourselves. It definitely is getting cooler, but the other day with one hour time difference between us and Moscow, there was a 20 degree temperature difference. Yes, I think we would definitely be complaining about the cold in Moscow right now! Hah!
This is where the Homburg hat was invented, which was and is worn as a hat of distinction.
This past week, the housing division called us and told us they wanted to paint our living room because it was looking a little dungy (really?!) and they wanted to bring our new couch and love seat. This was all without us having to say a word--they had heard the couches were terrible from the two prior couples. Wow! We were thrilled! It really is starting to look so much better and we are actually enjoying living here now. Although it isn't as large, we do just fine and when any of you come, we can make do very well.
Sunday, we were thrilled to find that Gpa George's cousin is the Relief Society President in our ward! Her grandfather and Grandpa Jim (Gpa George's father) were half brothers--although I remember when Grandpa Jim said he never considered them only half--they were all raised together. When George Fleming Copeland was married, his first little baby died, but then his next two (a boy and a girl) were just young when their mother died when her skirt caught on fire over the open stove. So that she wouldn't burn down the house, she ran outside, which only fueled the flames. When Grandpa George Fleming came home, his wife was on the bed still burning inside her boots with the two little ones inside the house by her. One grandparent took the little boy, while one grandparent took the little girl until Grandpa George Fleming found another wife. They were married and took back the two little kids and she had 12 more children. All 14 were raised in a little shack in the back woods of Georgia--I'm not sure it even had indoor plumbing. Anyway, they raised 14 wonderful children. The girl we met on Sunday, her father came from the little boy whose real mother died burning, while Grandpa Jim came from the second wife, but as I said, they were all raised together and never felt like they were step or half anything--just all brothers and sisters. It is a beautiful story! Anyway, the Relief Society President's husband works for the church in Security and they have been here for quite a few years. They are hoping to do the opposite of us--be transferred to Russia because he speaks Russian. That would be so helpful!
Well, that is about it for the week. We LOVE to read Kade's letters. If you aren't reading them, do go to elderkadecopeland.blogspot.com because he writes so many insights into what he has learned, and each week, he talks about something he has learned in the Book of Mormon. He points out so many things to think about. I LOVE it! And definitely, drop him a line. I know he would LOVE that! kade.copeland@myldsmail.net
Thanks to all of you for your continued LOVE and support! We really feel it and appreciate the strength and positivity it is in our lives! We miss all of you so much, but we definitely know we are where we are supposed to be and that we are all being blessed because of it.
Sincerely,
Gma Laura
PS Dwayne and Elda, the Relief Society President's mother is Ellen, who George said they grew up together. She is William O.'s granddaughter.
