Week 63 - December 9, 2018

Dear Family, (writing one day early because tomorrow I have to help decorate for the Area Christmas party)

We are surely missing all our family at this Christmas time (it's definitely the hardest time of the year for missionaries), but we are enjoying the Christmas season here in Germany with our new family members we have met here.  In addition, we LOVE seeing all your activities that you are doing with your families, your wards, neighbors, and friends.  It is such a beautiful time to reach out to others--which reminds us to keep extending ourselves the whole year through, right?!   The four gifts President Nelson talked about were so beautiful and reminded us of the beautiful way the Lord has shared with us gifts that can't be purchased, but mean everything to us and our happiness.  

This past week, on Tuesday, we had our Finance Department Christmas party.  There truly are some wonderful people who work for the church here in Germany.  We are the only ones who aren't paid employees in this department.  There were about 50 people there from all over the world.  It is so different to have pictures of Christ on all the walls at work, each morning starting with a prayer and telling what you are thankful for, and then seeing so many of those you work with at your ward (some go to the German wards so we don't see them, but most go to the International Ward.)  It is such a different feeling than what I felt each day in the high schools hearing many un-mentionable words in the hallways--and even from many of the teachers.  It is a great feeling--not that everyone doesn't have trials or down days, but everyone is working through their problems the gospel way and looking forward with hope and faith.  It certainly is a better way of living, for sure! 

 I was asked to read a Christmas story.

 Evidently, you must divide the "sweet" and the "savory."  Who knew?

Lots of fun games!

In addition, we are really loving our Book of Mormon class that we attend each Wednesday during lunch time with all the other senior couples that can break away to come.  There are usually about 24 seniors there.  We have to drive to Frankfurt to the chapel there, but we have decided that is something we just can't miss.  We come out of there having learned so much and feeling even more excited about the scriptures and how they help us everyday.  We really see the necessity of staying close to the scriptures, and love seeing you using them in your family home evenings, plus your own studying.  Even if you just read a few verses a day, you will get something out of them!  

On Friday, we had to go to the German Immigration Office to get our official Visa to stay in Germany, which everyone must have that isn't a resident.  You have to do it before three months have expired, but you have to wait for the invitation to come.  We were getting a little scared because our three months of being here is almost here, but we finally got the call, so we went and paid our 56 Euros apiece and got the Visa inside our passports.  German visas are much cheaper than Russian visas and they will last as long as you are here--for us they put us until October 2019, although we won't be here that long.  As you know, in Russia, we had to renew every 90 days at a cost of $200 apiece, which the church had to pay for every missionary there.  It is a great expense to keep missionaries in Russia, for sure, but it is something that the church is willing to do to keep our presence there and help the 20,000 saints we have in Russia.  

On Saturday, we went with a group of four other senior couples to the Ronneburg Medieval Christmas Market.  We had such a great time--even though it was sooo cold, the wind was blowing, and it was raining lightly the whole day.  Never fear--we didn't pack those huge Russian coats for nothing!  It was unfortunate that many of the activities and music had to be cancelled because the weather would ruin the instruments, but it was such a great time anyway! 

Inside the torture chamber!

So many people came dressed in Medieval dress, with all kinds of booths to buy food and very unique Medieval items like swords, horns, knight armor, etc.  We even went into a torture chamber where Gpa George had to see what lying on the stretching table must have felt like--minus the stretching, of course!  This castle has existed since about 1250!  We climbed the 143 steps and then two ladders clear to the top of the tower and looked over the whole valley below!  That was incredible!  We had some wonderful soup and bread baked in a big open oven, which certainly warmed us after being in the cold weather.  It certainly was a unique adventure, and we were both so glad we went! 

Today was our church meetings, of course.  Again, it was pretty windy and cold, so we just stayed home before our 2:00 meeting, did some studying because Gpa George has to teach the Book of Mormon class next week.  And we just were assigned a ministering family consisting of a woman who happens to be from Cape Verde and her four grown children who all live together in one apartment.  They all work to pay the rent.  So, I made chocolate chip cookies since we would be meeting her for the first time today.  She only comes about one time a month, but fortunately she came today and we got to meet her.  However, we discovered, she doesn't speak any English (she does speak Portuguese and German), and unless her kids are around (who do speak English), it is going to be difficult to talk to her as was shown when we told her we would take her home since she has no car.  Through hand signals, which we didn't always understand and we got so many signals and had to backtrack, go here, go there, and finally got to where she motioned for us to stop.  As she got out, I gave her the cookies all in a box with a big bow and card attached.  You would have thought I gave her a million dollars!  She hugged and hugged me and was so excited!  It really did make us feel so happy!  After she got out, suddenly our GPS wouldn't work, and we were so confused where we were, it ended up taking us an hour and a half to get home!!!  We were so frustrated, but who said ministering at times wouldn't be difficult?

Well, better close.  This week, December 13th, marks the fifth year since our little Cannon Boy left us to go on his mission.  We know he is working hard and being such a fantastic missionary, just like the other six grandsons have done here on earth.  We surely LOVE him and will never forget him!

  The same day marks the birthday of our wonderful son-in-law, Jeff!  If we only got to have two sons-in-law, we are so blessed to have the two that we have!  We appreciate the great father he is--he LOVES his family so much, as well as the gospel.  I know the kids in his early-morning seminary class LOVE him, too.  He was such a fantastic Gospel Doctrine teacher in our ward in Florida.  He truly knows and lives the gospel, for sure.

Hope you all enjoy the wonderful Christmas time!  We love you all!

Love, Gma Laura