From Russia, With Love: Week 55

Dear Family,

This past week has been crazy busy! I have now been trained in a Reimbursement Program called Ian that the church uses for a person’s gas, hotels, and airfare for when a church employee has to travel for the church. It is so complicated with all the different country’s currencies, receipts for everything, and exchange rates. I have to classify everything just perfectly or it gets rejected by the banks. Anyway, it is making me crazy. I‘ve never felt so unsure of my abilities in my life! But, hopefully it will get easier soon! Gpa has been so busy contacting all of the AAAs and responding to all their reports. There is really never a dull moment!

Tomorrow we make our first presentation to the Area Audit Committee under the direction of Elder Sabin. He is the one that offered the opening prayer in General Conference Sunday afternoon session. Anyway, these are always stressful, especially since this is our first one before this new Audit Committee in Germany. We worked really hard to finalize our Power Point Presentation and hope all will go well.

Friday night we went out to dinner at a German restaurant in our little Friedrichsdorf town that had delicious German food.

Then, this past Saturday, we had big plans to go downtown Frankfurt since we had never been there before although it’s only 25 mins. away. But, there were so many people there and so few parking places, we drove around the city for an hour and a half and never found a parking place. Finally, Gpa George told me to hop out and see the famous Römer Townhall that has existed there for 600 years. I really wanted to see that square and the River Main, which flows through the city. I had such fun walking through and taking pics of the locks of love and crossing the pedestrian bridge that brought back memories of our bridge in Moscow, but I would have enjoyed it more if Gpa got to see it, too. He just drove around about a half hour while I walked around. Anyway, next time we ride the train in!

Well, that’s it for the week. We are much busier here with so many more AAAs—29 here compared to 3 in Russia. So, we come home after a full day pretty tired and then we just sort of veg!

So happy that Taylor and Ellie were able to bless little Otteson. He looked so adorable! We are so happy and LOVE their little family so much!

We’re also so happy the Copeland Girls’ Get-away turned out so well and so fun! Next year, hopefully all seven will be able to join, plus ME!!! And thanks so much to all the dads who helped with the kids so the moms could go! I know how much work it is for the dads! Way to go, Dads!