Week 72 - February 11, 2019x

Dear Family,

This past week was actually sort of a quiet week.  We attended Book of Mormon Class on Wednesday; then on Thursday evening, we went to this wonderful Chinese Restaurant, which isn't quite as good as the Japanese restaurants when they cook it right in front of you, but it is very fresh and they cook it right then and bring it to you at your table.  It has been one of our favorite restaurants here in Frankfurt.  We were sending off a wonderful couple who have just finished their FOURTH mission--the Lindsays.  They have been the Area Welfare Humanitarian Specialists.  It is really touching to see the many Senior couples who have gone through such a great deal to be able to serve.  I have always admired the young missionaries who basically put their lives on hold to serve, not realizing that a mission is much more than any college education or whatever else they decided to do could ever be.  Plus, they have the added advantage of developing a deeper love for their fellowmen and their Savior.  But until we came out on our mission, I never realized what great sacrifices the older missionaries make.  Most of us have had to box up our entire house (never easy doing that!), sell cars, get renters or sell houses, change banks and ways of paying bills, plus rely on family members to help out with all the other myriad of things that go on at home without your being there.  In addition, Gpa George and I have felt so grateful for the health we had while we have been serving.  I see so many Seniors who have bad feet, aches and pains, stomach problems, you name it--yet they power through in order to serve.  I am so grateful seeing so many of these wonderful people giving so much to serve!  It truly is inspiring--plus we have made lifelong friends who we will never forget!  

Saturday, we had our P-day Adventure and visited Braunfels Castle.  

It looks a bit like a fairy tale situated way up on top of a hill, which you can see from far away. 

For centuries, it has been owned by the family, which is still living there, but you can still tour the part they aren't living in--you just can't take pictures inside. 

The town of Braunfels is a charming little place where we truly enjoyed eating German food for lunch and then strolling through the streets.  

Afterwards, we stopped by Wetzlar, a little town right next to Branunfels before returning home.  

It is just amazing how many castles Germany has--it is truly a prince and princesses' dream country!  It is still pretty chilly, but with no snow to slip and slide on, we can't complain!

Saturday night, a Senior sister from Canada who is a number one person who knows everything about Familysearch, helped me for almost three hours on some questions I had on Gpa George's family lines that I am working on.  I can't believe the many stories and interesting facts I have learned while doing this.  I work on Familysearch every time I have a little time each day at work and am really starting to see a lot of progress.  Gpa George's dad, uncles, and aunts all formed the Copeland Family Organization and all contributed in making a book about their family, which they typed up in 1974.  It is amazing, that without the help of computers and all the information available we have now on the church sites, let alone all the other available sites we now can access, they went by foot to land grant offices, made calls, wrote letters and put out a Family Genealogy Book written on an old typewriter.  I have been taking that and adding many names that haven't been on Familysearch from that book and what I have learned by branching off that so that work can be done for more family members.  I never thought I would be able to get into doing this--I have loved writing the history, but doing facts and figures didn't really interest me until now, so I am fast and furiously trying to get as much done as I can before we leave on July 29th.

Today, we had an Area Meeting where it was emphasized that the church is really trying to simplify and cut down on many things that are not essentials.  You have seen how they have been closing some MTCs, plus they are trying to combine offices and church employees in order to better utilize and help accomplish the work while doing it as cost effectively as possible.  They already did this in Russia.  While we were there, they cut down the church employees there by about a third, I would say, plus they are bringing in very few Senior couples now--rather they are sending them to Ukraine where they don't have to go out and in on Russian Visas every three months like we all had to do.  When we went there, we were amongst probably 14 couples--now there are six--and most of them are on the legal team because that is where the Russian lawyers, also, are and where the laws are looked over so diligently so that the church can remain in Russia.  

We are so grateful for this opportunity of coming on this mission!  The gospel is true!  The Lord is in charge of his church, and if we will but listen to the Prophet and stick with the Plan, holding on to the iron rod, our lives will not be without trials, but the end result will be so worth it!

And, I can't forget the Birthday Shout-outs!

Our special Valentine family member (on February 14th) is Cassie!  Cassie is truly an amazing person that I always liken to a beautiful swan that looks like everything is so smooth and peaceful, but underneath the water, those legs are just churning to keep afloat!  I seriously don't know how she does it with four little kids under nine, a large, frisky dog that thinks it's a lapdog (Hah!), and a cat that loves to get right in the middle of whatever you are doing!  Somehow, even with all the traveling Craig has to do, she gets those little kids to their piano, violin, dance, cheerleading, soccer, pre-school, museums, and basketball games.  I know I've probably left out something!  She is a dear DIL that we LOVE so much, and hope she has a great birthday!

The day after, we celebrate our wonderful granddaughter-in-law, Ellie!  We are just amazed at how much she is enjoying being a new mother!  She reads every book she can get her hands on in trying to be the best mother she can.  Little Otto is truly a lucky and blessed little guy to have the parents he has who truly love him and take such great care of him.  Ellie is always smiling and so pleasant--she certainly has been such a wonderful addition to our family!  

That's it for the birthdays this coming week!    I, also, wanted to do a shout out to our grandson, Tyson!  We were so proud of his soccer team's record this year--they ended up beating his old school, plus for the first time in almost forever, they beat De la salle High School, the Catholic High School that has even been featured in movies--they recruit athletes to come there where the tuition is over $18,000 a year!  Amazing!  We are so proud of this young man who plays so hard and is such a joy to watch--he truly "runs like the wind!"   

Plus, I want to congratulate Allison, Jerry and Shelly's daughter.  Wow!  The girl has not only had such an outstanding high school and college career in soccer, she has now received a mission call to serve in the Denver North Mission--the same mission that her brother, Tyler, served in--plus the same mission that Gpa George served in when it was called the Western States Mission, with headquarters in Denver, Colorado.  So proud of Allison and her wonderful attitude and desire to serve the Lord!  She is going to be such a loving and dynamic missionary!

We love you all!  Gma Laura