Nov. 12-17, 2018

 We are off and running again this week.  We keep thinking things will slow down and they seem to be getting busier.  That is good and I hope our bodies stay healthy and able to keep up with the pace.  We started early on Monday with a District Meeting on ZOOM (internet conference call).  We have the Elder's come to our home for this meeting and it works out well.  With an early morning meeting this week I had cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate for them instead of lunch.  There were no complaints!  One of our Elder's has ADD and has been out of his medicine for awhile.  Mental Health seems to have the same problems here as at home.  Long wait times to get in to see a Doctor and then trying to find the right treatment that will work.  He has waited 5 weeks for his appointment and today was the day.  Elder Grimmett took him to the Doctor so the other two Elder's could go to an appointment to do a service project for an elderly couple who are moving.  After all of that waiting, they said they needed him to go to another Doctor and have blood work done before they can prescribe a treatment.  It would have been really nice if they would have said that at the time the appointment was made so that he could have had the blood work done and been ready for this appointment.  Oh well, we are trying to help him get through this time and will hope for the best as we work through the process.  We have actually enjoyed the time we spend with him without the other 2 Elder's.  He needs some care and attention that he does  not usually receive.  He has a very tender heart and he has a great knowledge of life and the gospel of Jesus Christ.  He has a hard time being motivated and concentrating, but that does not make him stupid or not valuable as a person.  I wish other people could look into a persons soul and heart and understand them better.  I hope we are making a little difference for him.

As soon as that appointment was finished we were off to Lahr to meet the Fire Marshall for an apartment inspection.  We also needed to complete the Annual Deep clean inspection of the apartment.  No one lives in the apartment at this time, but our Elder's go about every other week and stay overnight in it.  We passed the fire inspection with no problems and then had to clean up some of their mess.  They do pretty good, but we had to spend about 2 hours cleaning.  We need to establish some better guidelines for them using the apartment.  Russ and I are getting pretty good at defrosting refrigerators and shining up sinks and floors.  It is amazing how much garbage accumulates even with no one living there - where does it come from?

We hurried home to make it to Family Home Evening with the YSA.  They made chili burritos and apple cobbler - they said it was American just for us.  I told them it was fitting since it was a Holiday in America today - celebrating Veterans Day.  Not celebrated in Germany.  We had a really nice time - one of the best evenings with this group.  We had a young man from Peru join us tonight.  He has been in Freiburg for 3 years and is here on an Internship in Architecture Design.  He was very nice and enjoyed the good food.  We found out he does not have a stove or heating element in his apartment and so he eats mostly bread with meat or cheese, never anything hot.  He really enjoyed a nice hot meal.  I am going to look for a hot plate for him.  It was a very long day and we were glad to finally be home at 9:30 PM

You have to love his smile!

P-DAY!  It rained most of the day today so we did not get to climb the mountain and instead had a game day with the District.  So, another drive to Schwenningen with the Elder's.  I made Chicken Noodle Soup, Granola Bars and Carmel dip with apples.  Everyone brought their favorite snacks and we had a great day.  When we divided up to play board games, the other missionaries paired up and it left our Elder Odro out.  So we told him we needed him to play Phase 10 with us and the other Senior Couple and we had a long long fun game time.  We love his laugh and his wit.  He is the oldest of the young missionaries, so I guess it was fitting he was with the Seniors.  I know he had a good time playing with us and eating as much food as he wanted.  I hope at the end of the day he can look back and not dwell on what did not happen with the others, but be happy in the true fun we had and that we treated him with respect and just good fun.  The other missionaries are awesome - they all had a great time as well - they just are in their own worlds and don't really know how to include him most of the time.  It is a unique situation and probably why he is here in Freiburg with us. Another Tender Mercy.

Our sweet friend Katrina is back from her visit with family in Croatia.  That means another Wednesday lunch with her.  With our busy schedule and the need to stay healthy, we had decided that we can only eat with her once a month.  I tried to be like Jonah hiding in the whale and I tried to avoid the invitation.  Well, that did not work so well.  She talked with the Elder's and Russ and they set a lunch date for Wednesday.  We want to visit her, just not eat every time, but she is offended if we do not eat when we go.  So, another adventure today.  With three other Elders to eat, we did  not have to eat very much.  They told her only 4 people would be there for lunch and there was 5 of us so Russ and I shared - it worked out fine.  Today was also Apartment Inspection day for our Elder's.  They thought if they went to lunch and then scheduled a service project in the afternoon that I would just drop in and sign off on the apartment. NOT going to happen.  I made Cinnamon Rolls to give to all of the missionaries as we completed the inspections.  After cleaning for over 2 hours on Monday their mess from the other apartment they were not going to get off that easy.  The real story is we have been given the responsibility to check the apartments and this was for the Annual Check and we had to do our job as well.  They had worked really hard and their apartment was as good as it needed to be to pass inspection.  Some of these apartments are really old and there is only so much that can be done to keep them nice.  We check for things like mold and leaking water pipes; working CO2 and smoke alarms, and any broken appliances or furniture.  2 checks completed and 3 to go.

We were up early and off to Bad Sackingen for another inspection.  Russ actually drove today - a nice break for me.  This is the apartment we cleaned 8 weeks ago that was left a disaster when the old missionaries moved out and did not clean when they left.  They now have Elder's living in the apartment and so we needed to do the Annual Inspection.  They did the bare minimum, but I knew how clean it was when they moved in so they did not have too much to do to keep it clean.  Garbage here is difficult at best and seems to be the biggest challenge of what to do with all of it when it won't fit in the weekly bins.  We left cinnamon rolls and thanked them for their efforts.
We had a full schedule today and had wanted to stop at the castle ruins for lunch (the little place we discovered last month) but there was no time.  We hurried back home so we could visit a lady who is in the hospital recovering from surgery for cancer.  She was very glad to see us and grateful for a few friends.  She moved to Freiburg from Romania with her 29 year old son.  She speaks her native tongue and English.  She said it is difficult being in the hospital because the German nurses are like Icebergs and it is difficult to communicate.  I thought about that and know how hard it is for me even with Russ who most of the time can help me.  It would be hard to be in a hospital and feel so alone.  I hope we brought a little joy to her today.  We left her visit and went to our weekly visit of Amira.  She is always the bright spot of my week.  She has had a hard week and was really glad to see us.  We almost had to cancel and I am so glad we were able to work it in.  I had been asked to take in dinner to a family that just added a new baby to their family.  I made the dinner on Wednesday knowing how busy Thursday would be.  We delivered the dinner of chicken spaghetti, baked squash, bread and granola bars.  We did not get to eat before the delivery and then we were off to another meeting at church, Ward Council.

 Off to foggy Bern Switzerland for another day of Apartment Inspections.  It has been foggy for over a week, I don't know if they see the sun during the Winter.  It is pretty but makes traveling a little harder.  We packed a lunch to take because it is so expensive to do anything in Switzerland. 

 We arrived a little early and took the opportunity to walk around downtown a little before our appointment.  Julie Grimmett, I thought you would like to see the window display of a local yarn shop.  I loved the wreath and the banner and thought of you.  You do not see all of the acrylic yarns in these shops like to see at home.  These are more expensive yarns and are very beautiful.

The apartments today were of the Zone Leaders and we were very hopeful they would be the examples to the other missionaries.  They did not disappoint.  We had wonderful visits with both the Elder's and the Sisters.

One Elder is from Boise Idaho and completes his mission next week and will arrive home just in time for Thanksgiving.  We had fun talking all things Idaho.  Elder Parker is from Norway.  There was a really nice spirit in their home and their obedience to complete the task of the annual deep clean was a direct result of their positive attitudes and the spirit that was there.
They really deserved their cinnamon rolls for a job well done.
The Sisters were also a delight.  They live in
Zollikofen about 10 minutes outside of Bern.  It

is the little city the Swiss Temple for our church is located in.  They live across the street.  Picture of Temple above.  Sis. Breinholt is from New Mexico and Sis. Kjeldsen is from Finland.  They are amazing Sisters and were a delight to be with.  They too are great examples to the other missionaries.  They said they were so glad to have the deep clean and to have cleaned out so much old stuff that was in their apartment.  When missionaries leave to go home or other areas they always leave behind things they no longer need or cannot fit in their suitcases.  It accumulates over time and that is one of the reasons for the deep clean.  They were told to donate all clothing, dishes, etc. to charity.  They said it felt so good to have such a clean apartment.  It is so nice when they understand the purpose behind the visit.  They were a little worried how it was going to go, and I think we all enjoyed our time together - and the cinnamon rolls helped.
We had parked in front of the Temple and church behind a row of other cars and also where cars had parked the previous Saturday that we were there.  We returned to our car to eat our picnic lunch to find a parking ticket on our window.  The car in front of us was also ticketed.  They had Swiss plates and so we didn't worry that it was not an OK place to park.  There were no signs that said no parking and Saturday it was filled with cars and no problem.  The police women  walked past us as we were fixing lunch - we were about 5 minutes too late.  Apparently there has to be a blue line on the road to be able to park.  We continue to learn the hard way.  I   really wanted to see the Bern Bears this trip, but it was so cold and foggy that we decided we would do that another day.

Back home just in time to finish the Chili I had made in the morning, cook the rice to go with it and try a new salad recipe for the Ward Talent Show, dinner and youth fund raiser.  Great night of magic tricks, singing, dancing, piano solos and poetry.  It was a fun night and so much good German food.  They are starting to like my American food and really enjoyed the chili and rice.  Most of the people brought bread with meat and cheese, desserts and always potato salad.  It would not be a German dinner without potato salad or potatoes of some kind.

I was ready to go home after a very long day - no rest for the weary.

Last month I posted pictures of a service project we did at this home moving dirt.  They finished their drive way and the flower beds in the front.  We returned early Saturday morning  to continue working on the project.  We hauled and hauled and raked and raked the dirt for about 3 hours.  I cannot believe  how much dirt was moved in that time - our bodies know how much.  Russ is moving a little slow tonight - he worked really hard. 

 They made us take a break about 11:30 for hot apple cider and the best pretzel rolls.  They said, "Sister Grimmett, I know you don't take breaks, but we are going to make  you this time."  It was a nice break and then we continued for a little while and then had to leave.  I work real good until I stop and then it is hard to get started again - that is why I like to finish a job before I stop.

You can't really see the depth of the hill of dirt, but it is amazing how much has been moved.  Five men filled three wheel barrows and then Russ and I spread all of it out in the front yard after they dumped it.  We had to remove the large rocks and then smooth out the dirt to grade.  When we left, the hill those men are standing on was gone.  They live in a little village outside of Freiburg that is rural, but changing as more people build where they can afford to live.  It will be sad if it looses its rural charm with too much growth.  

We had a list of items that needed to be purchased for the different apartments so we spent the afternoon shopping.  The effects of the morning were starting to take effect and we were anxious to just be home and rest.  I had told the Elders to come by our home and that I had some leftovers of Chicken spaghetti that they could pick up for dinner.  It was getting late and then they called and said they were on their way.  I decided to heat it up and have it ready for them to eat.  They were so glad that they could just stay and eat and not have to carry it home and then still fix it.  I told them it was clean out the fridge night of left overs.  They said, you can invite us to come anytime you want to clean out your fridge.  They do get spoiled.  Elder Silva will be completing his mission and going home on Tuesday.  We will be sad to have him go.  He has been so good to us and has helped us get adjusted and comfortable to our new surroundings.  We will be getting a new Elder in his place.  He is an Elder we already know well who has been in our District.  He is from Oklahoma and we have shared stories of home and also of the people we both know.  Small world when we know some of the same people.

I keep thinking of Thanksgiving and all the preparations I would be making at home.  We keep thinking we could invite people over and then realize it is not a holiday and they will be in school or at work and cannot come.  I am cooking on Wednesday night for Institute so I will be making my traditional Institute Thanksgiving feast of Chicken bundles and all of the fixings that go with them.  That will have to do for us this year.  So far we have only found Turkey breast and legs in the stores - no whole turkeys.  They have lots of goose and duck.  Already looking forward to putting up Christmas next weekend.  We will probably spend Thanksgiving day decorating.  I am not sure how I will get through the next week with no Nativity set-up.  Twenty four years of doing something that was so special to both of us - will really be missed.  The bright side is the Christmas markets start on November 22 and we can't wait.
There is a new Book by Brad Wilcox, "Because of the Messiah in a Manger".  He says, "No matter how many try to take Christ out of  Christmas . . .it will always and forever be about the messiah in a manger."  The wise men came to know the Savior when they were come into the house, Matthew 2:11.  We too, learn to know the Savior when we come into His house.

I would love for you to share your Thanksgiving stories with us in the coming weeks. Joe Thompson, have a great time in Utah with your family.  We look forward to hearing all about it.  We will miss family and friends and the festivities of the season.

AMAZING SUNDAY!  Last week I told you about the opportunity we had at Robert Bosch College.  We met Yowita (Yo vee ta, a Polish name)  who is a student there who had been an exchange student in Texas.  We have stayed in contact with her this past week and she came to church today.  Today was our annual Primary Program.  This is held once each year where the young children ages 3-11 participate with speaking parts and singing.  It is always a favorite service to attend.  It was wonderful today.  I love how the people here relate to the children and everyone helps each other.  The theme was I Am A Child of God.  Yowita really enjoyed it and even remembered some of the songs.  She said it felt so good being in Church and with such friendly people.  She is planning to come to Institute on Wednesday - especially when she heard I was cooking a Thanksgiving dinner.  She applied to Stanford University and is waiting for Dec. 15 to find out if she is accepted and with a scholarship.  I hope and pray it will work out for her.  She is a really sharp young adult and has some wonderful goals for life.
We went and visited Mariana in the hospital again today after Church.  There are so many people who just need to know that someone is thinking of them.  There is always someone who can use a visit or a call or a text and even a letter in the mail.  It truly brightens your day when you serve other people. 

This statue is just outside of our building driveway.  We walk past it many times every day.  Today there was a wreath placed at the base of it.  We stopped to read what was on the inscription.  This is a memorial for the 600 mentally disabled people who were killed in 1940 as part of the regime to make Germany a pure race.  The building is a center for Mental Health.  Again, I am so grateful to know that there is a plan for each one of us. God loves everyone of His children and we each have a purpose for being here.  We each have our own challenges - some more visible than others.  Through Jesus Christ and His Atonement and Resurrection we will be made whole and free of our physical infirmities when He comes again. 

Wishing everyone a great week.  Enjoy the Fall even with Winter knocking on your door. 
Happy Thanksgiving!        The Grimmett's