Week 60 - November 19, 2018

Dear  Family,

Here it is Monday again!  These weeks are just flying by now!  This past weekend, as most of you know, we traveled with another Senior couple, the Thornocks ( who are from Layton, Utah), to Freiburg, Germany, to attend the temple there.  It is a long journey, it seems, even going on the Autobahn.  There were a couple of accidents, which backed the traffic up, but we finally got into Freiburg about 7:00 Friday night.  Elder Thornock had reserved the room in a hotel that he said was right in the heart of town--the older section so that we could look around in the area.  As we maneuvered the streets and tried to imagine this area in the time of the Wall, with this little town being in East Germany, it was pretty easy to imagine.  This side is still much poorer, it seems, and items do cost less.  As we turned down the deserted street and saw the neon sign stating the "Pension," we were a bit taken back. 

We had arrived at an old building that we understood later was built in 1880.  We had to ring a doorbell and finally a woman's voice said in German, probably, who are you?  We told her we had a reservation, so she buzzed us in.  After we were inside, we were taken to the office by the German owner--a desk piled high with papers that looked like mountains of work either done or undone, but not filed.  Wow!  What had we gotten ourselves into?  He told us all the rules of his hotel (which looked and sounded entirely empty, but he was such a nice man), and told us the breakfast was included.  He asked us what we would like to drink--coffee for breakfast?  We said, "No, how about orange juice."  He said, "Are you Mormons?"  We all laughed.  Of course!  He then took us on the journey to find our rooms up and down stairs and through a part that actually went outside and then in, we were actually quite pleasantly surprised with the rooms.  He had definitely put some money into getting them updated.  The rooms were comfortable--not flashy, but clean and comfortable.  The bathrooms were definitely updated and everything worked well.  He did warn us that the lights had a timer on them, so if we were on the toilet and they went out, just "jiggle gently," and they would turn back on.  Hah!  

We put our luggage down and then told the German man we were pretty hungry.  He took us back on the journey to the front of the hotel where he pointed out to some small lights at the end of the street where he said we would find a restaurant where we what they served us would be "satisfactory."  As we walked down the dark street, we came to the little lights, went inside and were so pleasantly surprised!  There were all kinds of people inside and the smells were divine!  The owner, actually was from Macedonia.  The food was seriously "very satisfactory," and we later heard this was one of the favorite places in all the city.  Who would have known!

The next morning, we were down to breakfast at 7:00 a.m.  The German man's wife had the table all fixed up for us just beautifully!  Orange Juice, a hard boiled egg, a few cold cuts, a couple pieces of cheese, and two pieces of cucumber--but divine roles and jam!  So, it was "satisfactory!"  

While we ate, another woman came to check on us.  When the German owner came, we asked if that was his wife who had cooked for us.  He laughed and said, "Both are my wives!"  Not sure whether he was just teasing with us thinking of us as Mormons--or just that we had seen two women.  Anyway, he told us that he had lived in this house since he was 8 years old.  He had been a miner--educated miner, so he didn't go into the mines that much, but was more on the office side of it.  When he retired, he fixed up the house into a hotel and now he and his wife ran it.  I surely wish I could have heard stories about his growing up through the years that East and West Germany were divided, but it didn't seem to be the time or place.  

At the temple, we had lots of work that the Thornocks asked us to help them do.  We all had 13 Initiatory names apiece, and then we each did an endowment.  The temple was packed with Young Adults who had come from the Czech Republic.  Most of the girls were returned missionaries.  It was amazing!  The people were so friendly in the temple, and as I say, whatever temple we go to, we always feel like it's "home." 

After we finished in the temple, we drove to the town plaza where we walked around for a couple of hours until another Senior couple named the Thornocks who worked at the temple from Hawaii, finished their shift, then we all went out to dinner at a German restaurant.  

It was great food!  We were starved!  Afterwards, we made the four hour trip back home--which turned into about three hours because I am certain Elder Thornock was driving about 150 mph on the Autobahn.  Actually, it was pretty scary, but he is a good driver and we just sat in the back and talked about other things!  

Tomorrow, we leave for a week to go to Cape Verde and Portugal.  Cape Verde is a group of islands off the coast of Africa--and you would think they would be part of the Africa Area's supervision, but because they speak Portuguese, they are included in the Europe Area.  We have a very young new Black AAA who we met in Madrid who is really needing some help in training Stake Presidents and Audit Committee Chairmen, so we are going to help out.  Then we will stop in Lisbon on the way home to help with a AAA there, who we, also, met in Madrid.  All we hear is how very poor the country of Cape Verde is.  We are trying to stuff in as many children clothes and shoes as possible, given to us by another department, to take there because there is such a need.  All we have heard is to take lots of hand sanitizer, don't drink the water--not even to brush your teeth, be careful what you eat--eat only in the hotel, basically, watch out for the cliffs as you drive on the small roads around the mountains--etc., etc.  Seriously, I don't think we have ever had so many instructions given us.  It should be very interesting!  Luckily, we are going with an analyst from our office who is from Portugal and speaks Portuguese.  He has been there many times and really knows the place.  I may not be able to write until next Tuesday because we will be gone a week.

Lastly, we hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I love the words from Elder Hales when he said, "

Gratitude is a state of appreciation, an act of thanksgiving, which causes us to be humble because we recognize an act of kindness, service, or caring from someone else which lifts us and strengthens us.

Ingratitude is the attitude of being unaware or not recognizing when someone has assisted us or helped us or, even worse, when we know we have been helped and have not given thanks privately or publicly.

May we feel true gratitude for the goodness of God for all the blessings that have been given to us and express those feelings of thankfulness in prayer to our Heavenly Father.  

So, we need to thank the Lord every single day for our blessings, as well as thank those around us who we appreciate.  We are thankful to all of you for your many kindnesses and words of encouragement that you always give us.  You will never know how much that strengthens us!  We are thankful to our Heavenly Father for this calling--it has been far above anything we ever thought possible.  We just pray daily that we will be up to the challenge and do as we have always said to the missionaries in our family--"Don't go home with any regrets."  

We send our love, Gma Laura

P.S.  Today, by the way, is little Copeland's 3rd birthday!  Wow!  He has been such a wonderful addition to the Barlow family.  He is such a sweet little guy that we all love so much!

Also, this week on the 21st, is Kent and Natalie's Wedding Anniversary!  Happy Anniversary to them!  They have worked so hard through adversity of losing a little one and been a great strength to others who have needed their strength in their time of need.