From Russia, With Love: Weeks 80 and 81 - April 30, 2019 - Eltz Castle, Nuremberg, and Easter Celebrations

Dear Family,

Yes, I am having to do a combined two-week letter again! The month of April has been a LITTLE busy, so I have not been very good about getting my weekly letters off on time. Anyway, we are loving having all the company we are having! We appreciate so many of you who have come to visit and are still planning to visit in these last THREE months! We, also, realize for some of you it just isn't possible at this time. We'll all get together at another time and visit this part of the country again! We got our packet about going home--no airline tickets yet--just lots of instructions. But, it is starting to feel more real all the time! Gpa George asked me if I was ready to go home, and I said, "Yes, I certainly am." It has been such a wonderful and amazing mission--more unique and life-changing events than I could have ever expected. But, we are definitely going to be ready to be involved in family events and just spending lots of time with those we love.

A brief (hah!) review of our last two weeks:

Sunday, April 14, 2019 - Each Fast Sunday, we have a Friedrichsdorf dinner with the five couples that live in our area. This time, the Witts were in charge of the dinner assignments. They did something so unique. The table was all set with plates of bitter herbs, unleavened bread, a hard-boiled egg, a little bowl of salt water, etc., a ritual-filled meal marking the Jewish ancestor's exodus from Egypt. It is called a "Seder" meal. The main meal consisted of roasted lamb and small potatoes with a special salad and red grape juice, and of course, there was one seat empty which is how the Jews set their table awaiting for Elijah to return. They then reviewed what everything stood for and how we are so blessed to know that Elijah has already returned in the Kirtland Temple to restore the keys of the sealing power, which binds husbands and wives, and children to parents for time and eternity. It was a beautiful evening, and we all enjoyed it so much.

Monday, April 15 2019 - Every other Monday, we hold Family Home Evening down in Frankfurt. This was a fun evening with games of Bingo where the senior couple read a portion of a conference talk and we had to remember who said it (or look it up quickly--which was legal!), and then mark our Bingo card with the correct General Authority. It was very fun and made us all realize how much we need to go back and re-read or listen to all the talks.

Tuesday, April 16, 2019 - Today, we had to be down in Frankfurt by 9:30 to the dermatologist. That pesky Florida sun (and years without sunscreens for protection) has given Gpa George quite a number of questionable places mostly on his back, that we have checked by a dermatologist every six months. So, today, he needed to have several cut off (two needed several stitches) and some taken off by other means. Anyway, he was pretty sore afterwards, but we went into work for as long as he could stand it. He is pretty tough after the years of back pain and arthritis he has gone through, but we just wanted to make sure the cuts woudn't keep bleeding. We eventually found out none were cancerous, but it was good to have them removed!

Friday, April 19, 2019 - The office was closed for Good Friday, so we took off for Eltz Castle. It was a perfect day for this adventure, but everyone else had the same idea since everything in Germany shuts down for the four-day weekend. My sister, Joyce, told me we must see Burg (Castle) Eltz that she read about, so off we went for an hour and 45 minute ride--but today the Autobahn was bumper to bumper, and the trip ended up taking five hours! FINALLY, after getting off the autobahn and going through country roads and small towns, we arrived! It just took our breath away when we finally saw it nestled in the hills. It is a medieval castle that is still owned by a branch of the same family (the Eltz family) that lived there in the 12th century, 33 generations ago. I couldn't take pics inside, but it was absolutely amazing that this castle is in such wonderful shape after 800 years and has members of the Eltz family who still live there.

Saturday, April 20th through Monday, April 22, 2019 - We traveled to Nuremburg, about three hours away and not nearly the traffic as we had on Friday. The city extends back to the medieval days with its fortifications and stone towers in the Old Town. We visited the Kaiserburg Castle and loved wandering around the central square where we saw the gilded "beautiful fountain" that was enclosed with concrete so that it wouldn't be damaged during the bombing of the Second World War.

We attended church at the Nuremberg Ward and definitely felt it was one of the friendliest wards we have ever attended while we have been on this mission. We LOVED being there--especially since it was Easter Sunday.

Such a special time to think about that Easter morning so long ago when those who mourned the death of Jesus, came to find the tomb empty the third day--just as he said it would be! Jesus Christ LIVES! He overcame death so that we might all live again, too! What comfort this gives to all of us! We were so thankful that no matter where we live, we can find a church in which to worship and there find immediate friends who, also, LOVE the Savior!

While we were in Nuremberg, we, also, visited the Documentation Center of the Nazi Party. It was absolutely intriguing and sad going to the exhibit called, "Fascination and Terror," which is concerned with the causes connection, and consequences of Nazi Germany. It was, also, interesting seeing the place where Hitler would parade his soldiers in front of him and his plans for a huge indoor stadium (which was never finished) but looks like the Colosseum in Rome but much bigger where he planned for the party's mass meetings for the Nazi Party. Even with all we saw, I still fail to understand how he became so revered by his people at that time when he (and so many of them) were participating in such atrocities. So sad!

We, also, stopped at the Marienburg Fortress and the Kappelle, where we climbed the 352 steps up to the top where the Pilgrimage church is. There are 77 sculpted figures (life-sized) in total on your way up that are depicting the last week of Christ's life. So well done!