Week 4

This week has flown by as we have settled into the rhythm of our routine. We have had a few important events we wanted to report on.

The first item of interest is a followup to the recent visit of my Chinese student, Tong Chongyang (Phoebe). After receiving a very positive response to my email asking if she would like to receive a copy of the Book of Mormon in Chinese or English, John contacted the missionaries in Bamberg and asked them to deliver a copy in English (her choice).

We were delighted to have them call us to report that not only had they done so but had had a wonderful visit with her and a member they took with them. She had asked them how to go about coming to know if the book were true--we had told her such knowledge was available to her and all who read with real intent. Before they left they invited her to give a prayer and she did so! (I think her only experience with prayer had been with us in Church and when John had blessed the food.) The elders are planning to get together with her again as soon as she returns from Salzburg where she was heading this week. We pray that in the short months before she returns to China on March 1 she will gain that most important knowledge and will have the courage to act on that knowledge. It is exciting for us to contemplate that possibility.

We found it interesting that our bishop gave what seemed a wonderful power point presentation on this fifth Sunday about the blessings of the Book of Mormon in our lives, based on Elder Neil L. Andersen's talk in the October Liahona and Ensign, called "The Book of Mormon: Strengthening our Faith in Jesus Christ." I don't understand a lot of his German but I could certainly feel the spirit he had and that of the Saints who were quick to jump in with their comments and testimonies.

A second highlight of our week was another testimony of the kindness of those we are surrounded with. After a month John and I were both in need to haircuts and were a little at a loss as to how to find where to go to get some. Our neighboring missionary couple, just happened to be going to a member's saloon close to Chemnitz--an hour's drive--and offered to take us along. The wonderful couple, Elka and Knut Meyer, both temple workers on Wednesdays, when they have for years closed up shop to so serve, willingly provide the service of cutting our neighbors' (and now our) hair without charge--after all we are missionaries, they say! We would have been happy to have paid, being relieved to know where to go, but they won't accept. (In appreciation, we did manage to cram a 20 euro note into their tip jar).

We left early in the morning and enjoyed the beautiful fall drive through the hills to Chemnitz and our visit with the Meyers before Elka's doing each of our heads with her flashing scissors. We also meet one of their handsome sons who is following suit in his parents' profession. He is a returned missionary having served in New Zealand, who, not surprisingly, spoke very good English.

Elka and Knut have hanging on their wall their temple certificate showing that they were married in 1976 but sealed in the Freiberg temple the first week it was opened--in July 1985. Theirs was one of some 300 sealings performed that first glorious week (this was, as you may remember, before the Berlin Wall came down and members were not allowed to leave to be sealed in the Swiss Temple, or any other, for that matter).

Following our visit and much less shaggy, we headed back to Freiberg, stopping to visit an interesting pottery shop where we enjoyed seeing their wares and watching the potters at work.

Later we stopped at a delightful Gasthaus along our way home and enjoyed a yummy lunch of pumpkin soup and salad. We love these little discoveries as we are out and about.

Our activities seem to often revolve around food, but it does seem to be the best way to socialize with others. We enjoyed having Bruce and Jean Harper for dinner last Sunday, my first foray into trying to entertain. It worked out fine.

Bruce formerly worked in the missionary department of the Church and served with his wife as mission president in Munich some 20 years ago. Even before that he was a missionary companion of my brother, George. It is a small world in the Church.

We enjoy the couples serving here. We are a pretty close-knit group since our numbers are small and we are together every day.

I guess if I had to choose the most significant event of the week it would have to be our being part of our wonderful temple president and matron's last week of service. The previous three years have been the highlight for them of their many, many opportunities to serve in the Church. President Frank and his wife, Helga, Apel have been marvelous to be with. We are so glad to have had this month with them before our new president and matron, the Huszes from Austria, begin this Tuesday. They were in attendance at our church meetings today and we enjoyed meeting them as we came from our apartment. (The temple president lives just off our own apartments.) I have no doubt but what they will be wonderful to serve with as well. But that said, it is difficult to bid farewell to the Apels. He and Sis Apel have filled our lives with sunshine this last month.

John and I have recently been reading President Monson's book Faith Rewarded, about his some 27 years of service with the eastern European saints, many of those years from those bleak years behind the Berlin Wall. We have been thrilled to read repeatedly the names of those we have meet in the temple. Few are mentioned more often than has been that of Frank Apel, a third-generation member who simply views the Church as his life! And so it has been.  President Apel, who spoke in Church today and who has just been called as Gospel Doctrine teacher, said he feels he has come full-circle to now be asked to teach in the Church. It has been many years since he had that opportunity. He didn't mention it but he served as the first stake president behind the Iron Curtain, as mission president, and now as temple president. Isn't it marvelous how the Church leadership works as one is called, then released to go on to serve elsewhere in the vineyard. We are grateful to be among the workers.

I keep trying to show their signatures--Frank and Helga Apel--but the dumb thing keeps cutting them off.
Oh well, it may be me that is the dumb thing!