Nov. 4 - 11, 2018 We'll Bring the World His Truth

 Hand carved wooden street signs.  They were in a little village in the mountains.  I loved them.  We went to this little village to find a member of our Church.  We found that he no longer lives there.  Another adventure that we took and enjoyed seeing new places and these amazing street signs.

I was grateful for a quiet Sunday to rest after Church and get rested for the busy week ahead.  I don't usually nap during the day, but after a busy week I took a three hour nap.  Russ usually gets a little stir crazy if I am not around and he starts making noise with music, sports, pacing the floor etc. and it wakes me up and I know it is time to get up.  What he really wanted was dinner.  Some things never change.  Sunday is always a nice day when we get to talk to family.  With the time change and everyone's busy schedules, we usually connect on Sunday evenings.  Best part of the day for me!

Monday was District Meeting in Schwenningen.  Russ drove today for the first time in 2 months and with 3 Elder's in the back seat and having to put the seat up to make room, he decided to have me drive home so he could be more comfortable.  We enjoy the drive, especially at this time of year when the Fall colors are breathtaking. 

 We made about 80 Oatmeal packets for the missionaries to add their favorite flavors and then take home so that they will have some good breakfast food.  It was really a good activity and appreciated by the missionaries. They made S'mores; raisin cinnamon; banana coconut and almond; blueberry almond; craisin, cherry berry;
apple cinnamon and any other combination they decided to put together.  These are homemade instant oatmeal packets that you just add water and microwave.  They are so much better than the ones you buy.  Each missionary got to take 10 packets home so I know they will have

breakfast for at least 10 days.  I gave them the recipe and hope they will make more on their own.  So, everyone made their packets and we got ready to go home.  All but two Elder's had gone outside to get in our cars.  One of the Elder's came out and said, "my companions packets are missing, did someone take them?"  Our missionaries looked at each other and said, Elder Silva, I think you took extra - so he opened his backpack and had 20 packets.  The Elder who did not have any was afraid to say something and his companion said, no way, I am going to find them.  He did not want to share his and he knew someone had to have picked them up. 

 This is catching the Elder unloading the backpack of extra goods!  You can see the reaction on the other Elder's faces.  Glad we can laugh about it and all is well.

It has been a family tradition for over 30 years to make Dinner in a Pumpkin for Halloween.  It is a family favorite.  I made Pumpkin soup on Friday and it made sooooo much.  I needed a lunch for Monday and so we decided to add all of the ingredients that I would use for Dinner in a Pumpkin and put them in the soup.  New favorite soup recipe.  I added the browned hamburger and onion that is cooked, drained and then I added brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic and mushrooms.  I then added cooked rice.  It made it a very hearty soup with  great flavors.  I added homemade bread and Sis. Andreason brought cake.  One of the Elder's said, "Sis. Grimmett, I didn't realize I had had a horrible mission until you came and I see what I have been missing.  Your food is amazing.  I am glad I made someone happy.




We stopped at the little village I talked about earlier on our way home from District meeting. 

It was a beautiful day and fun to walk around the little village.
Monday night was Family Home Evening with the YSA and we were glad when we could go home and rest from our wonderful day.

This is our big week that we are giving a presentation at Robert Bosch College.  We have been working on the presentation, but had not finalized it.  Tuesday is P-Day and we took the morning and outlined our presentation and figured out who would present the different topics.  We had a digital presentation that the Church has prepared in giving discussions.  We were asked to speak on the History of the Church - how did it start, by whom, when and if we have a book of scripture.  We were also asked to answer the following questions: 
Where did I come from,
 Why am I here and
 Where am I going. 
We just happen to have the answers to all of those questions and already in a presentation prepared by the Church.  So we worked on how we would do it and when to show a few video clips.  You can find the presentation only on an IPad, phone or tablet in the App store under LDS Pamphlets.  We used The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and The Plan of Salvation.  We feel really good about this opportunity and look forward to Thursday.  So, with preparations in order, Russ was ready for an adventure.  I just wanted to stay home, but I am so glad he convinced me that we needed to get out. 

wish my camera captured the colors better.  Fog in the valley

Several weeks ago we rode the Gondola to the top of the large mountain called Schauinsland.  When we were at the very top we saw a little village on the other side of the mountain.  I read about it and wanted to visit it some day.  We found out it is only about a 20 minute drive by car or a 1 hour bus ride.  We drove and it was absolutely majestic.  In the valley by our home it was very foggy.  We thought, maybe today is not a good time to go.  We drove and it was beautiful in the fog with the scenery.  As we started to climb the mountain, we actually got higher than the fog and it was beautiful.  A clear cold day. 

 We were on the side of the mountain with all of the ski resorts.  They are not like in the US where it is very commercial and tourist oriented.  These are places like I used to ski at when I was a young girl - Magic Mountain.  Nothing fancy, but lifts on many mountains and just little shacks for the starting point.  They also do a lot of cross country skiing here.  One parking lot was packed with people who had parked and were out hiking.  Most of them older people.  We were amazed.  We were not dressed for hiking and also did not take our hiking poles.  We will go back another day - probably in the spring.  The season ended on Nov. 4, so we were a few days too late to see some of the museums we had wanted to see.  We will go back.  The snow will be here soon and it will be a whole new sight to see.  

 This is the cemetery behind the Church.  I like cemetery's and especially the ones here.

Many of the homes are heated by wood stoves.  You see piles like this all through the forest.  This a one of the resorts stack for the winter.  They cut the wood and then it cures for 2 years before they burn it.  So you see stacks all over with the 2 year cure, 1 year cure and those they just cut.
We drove home and went shopping to get the food for Wednesday night Institute.  It is our turn to cook again.

I made an old favorite from home - American version of a German meal.  Potatoes, onions, apples, sauerkraut and sausage. I made 2 big pan fulls and it really looked good.  I spent time layering each food so it looked just right in the pan.  I was ready to take them to the church to bake and made bread and a salad.  I usually cook it in a crock pot but the oven has always worked as well.  WRONG!  I don't know what happened, but I cooked them for 2 hours and everything but the potatoes cooked.  They were not raw, but they would not get soft.  I dumped the pans into large soup pots and tried to boil them to get them soft and they still were crunchy soft.  It was supposed to be so good and perfect - so much for time layering.  The YSA were very kind and ate it, some even had 2 helpings, but I was not happy and decided I will do it the German way while I am in Germany!  Boil the potatoes first and then add to the pan.  It had a great flavor but not what I was hoping to serve.  Looks can be deceiving.  

Thursday was the BIG DAY we have been preparing for.  We were invited to participate in an Inter-faith Day at Robert Bosch College here in Freiburg.  It is College that has 17 campuses across the World with students from 93 countries and a total of 180 students at this campus.   We arrived at
9 AM and found our classroom.  We got all set up with the projector and our handouts.  I took a large bowl of trail mix and cups - food is just in my nature.  I knew it couldn't hurt.
We then went to the opening ceremony and introduction.  This is a small college but unique in its design and focus for learning.  One of their motto's is:  "We are all of the earth, which does not see difference of colour, religion or race." - A world in miniature.
We were so impressed with the opening remarks and their beliefs and desires to help each other and break down barriers between people, religions and countries.  We were already glad to be there.  They assigned a student to each presenter to help them with their rooms and questions.  We went to our room and were already prepared to meet the students.  The students were given the opportunity to choose 2 classes to attend.  They chose their classes the day before so that each class was divided equally.  We had 10 students in each class.  We had mostly Christian students but most had never heard of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  We were so impressed with the students and their desire to learn and their friendliness.  Not the age that is always kind or helpful.  Even with a few technical challenges - that the students quickly solved for us - the presentation went as planned.  I think we surprised ourselves.  We had a question time at the end and they asked really good questions.  One young man asked if he read The Book of Mormon, would it answer his questions about life after death.  The students heard some very new ideas and asked very thoughtful questions.  We had a great time talking with them.  The time went very fast.  When I told the first class they could have a treat, they were hesitant at first.  They were not used to having food in the classroom.  It was actually not allowed, but by the end of class they were glad to have some. 
The next group came in and we were ready.  This group was not shy about each taking a cup of nuts and then an amazing thing happened.  A girl came in and said she was so excited when she saw us on the program and couldn't wait to come to our class.  She said, you were not here last year and I did not know there were "Mormons" in Freiburg.  Some thought we came from Texas just to speak at the college.  They were very interested that we were missionaries - not the typical missionaries they had ever seen or heard about (nice dressed young men standing at the train station stereotype). 
So, she had our attention.  She said she had been a foreign exchange student in Houston Texas 2 years ago and live with a family that were member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  She said she attended church with them every Sunday and Wednesday night youth group.  She said she didn't realize how much she missed it until she did not have it.  She even got the other students excited to hear about it.  The presentation went as planned and again we enjoyed the questions and visiting with the students.  Lunch was next and our new friend was eager to take us to lunch and be with us.  They had each table labeled with a different religion for each one so that the students could come and eat with you and ask questions.  We were there for 1 1/2 hours and our table was full the whole time.  As a student would leave another students would quickly come and fill the seat.  They finally had to come and tell the students they had to leave and go to the next presentations.  A young man from Mexico City came and told us he had a friend in Mexico that was just called to Peru on a mission.  He was very interested to know how you get assigned as a missionary and how it works.  Jowita (our new friend) is of Polish heritage and raised in Germany.  She came and asked if she could come to church with us on Sunday.  She gave us her name and contact information and we are planning to have her with us at church. 

Entrance to Robert Bosch College

 A little history:  Freiburg is one of the only cities in Southern Germany that did not participate in the Reformation.  They chose to stay Catholic and not allow any other religions into the city.  I wrote about Constance diocese leaving that area and transferring to the Munster in Freiburg back in October.  As a result of this, there are not many religions in this city even today.  The Jews were destroyed 80 years ago Friday.  We attended a ceremony on Thursday evening in commemoration of that event.  Their synagogue was burned and over 100 were killed that night.  The rest were taken to camps and killed.  There is now a small Jewish group here again,  There are many Islam, a few Anglican and small congregations of Christians of different faiths.  The Quakers have 6 in their congregation.  More than 50% are considered non-believers.  It is interesting that of the 18 presenters there were only us, the Quakers, Anglican, considered Christians and the rest were Sunni Islam, Zen Buddhist Nun, Baha'i, Hinduism, Jainism, Judaism, Shintoism, Sufism, Kadampa Buddhism,, Vajrayana Buddhism,  Shia Islam, and the faith of non-believers.  I have to admit, I had not heard of some of those before. 

 The location of the College is a beautiful setting on a hill on the edge of the city.  It is housed in an old Monestary.  5 years ago it was purchased by the Bosch foundation and renovated for the College.  A dining room and Auditorium were built literally in the mountain.  They also added new, very modern dormatories for the students and some staff. 
This is along the trail from the parking lot up to the campus.  It is absolutely beautiful with sheep that roam and a full garden.  They grow and use their produce from the garden and vinyard.  We understand they even have a license for a brewery. 

We had to park at the bottom of the hill and walk to the top along this path.  It was very nice, but a workout of stairs all the way up.  Great workout!  We told them we would like to volunteer we were so impressed with the campus.  They said no one had ever offered to do that.  They said they can always use help on Fridays in the garden.  

 At the end of the presentations, they all gathered again for a closing program.  Only 5 of the presenters stayed all day and we were asked to share a scripture or spiritual thought with the students.  We shared a quote on the importance of serving our fellow man - no matter who or where they are and then shared Mosiah 2:17  "And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of our fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."  Most talked about peace and unity.

They also had students perform songs, dancing, poetry and chants from some of the different groups.  Below is Alex, the faculty member in charge of the event and a couple of students who concluded the day with a George Harrison song.
We rushed home and got warm coats and headed to the tram to go to the Jewish Commemoration with some of the  students and faculty.  I cannot even comprehend most of what happened to the Jews at that time.  As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ we know something of persecution.

 We were then treated to dinner at a Turkish restaurant.  These pictures are of a few of the dishes.  Very good food, atmosphere and company.  We were the novelty of the night. There were only 10 of us and they all wanted to know more about our Church and what we were doing in Freiburg.  They were very interested in our being missionaries and leaving our home to come and serve.  The Quaker couple were the nicest people.  He was from England and she was from Germany.  They were the salt of the earth and we got along wonderfully.  We have truly made some wonderful new friends.  One of the faculty members that we had talked to about

volunteering earlier in the day came to us and said, "we can find a place for you.  I know now your desires and willingness to Just Serve."  We all left as friends.  Alex, the faculty member in charge said he would really like to get with us just socially to visit and become better friends.  We are planning to invite him to our home.  We have already been invited to come back next year.  This is one of the highlights so far of our mission.  As we testified of the doctrine we know to be true and just testified that we know there is a God and that He sent His Son Jesus Christ that we can all return home to Him, that was enough. 
Needless to say, we did not get home until 10:00 PM and we were mentally exhausted.  I am looking forward to Friday. 
I just wanted to sleep all morning, but duty called.  We cleaned our apartment for the annual deep clean that the whole mission is doing.  It shines (at least for today).  We visited Amira because we were not able to visit her on our normal Thursday time.  That is always a treat.  Her mother had stopped to visit her so we got to meet her.  That was nice.  Amira gave me two handmade candles from Africa to use for Christmas.  We talked about light and what it means. She is truly a light to me and has made a difference in my life.

Saturday we were up early and off to Bern Switzerland to attend the Temple.  It was a very foggy morning and made for an interesting drive.  The Elder's were supposed to go with us but canceled at 10:00 the night before.  It was a Stake Temple Day - lots of people from our Area that we know and it was nice to be there together. 
The YSA decided they want a spaghetti dinner after church tomorrow so I came home and made bread and spaghetti for Sunday.  Always something going on.  I am already looking forward to Tuesday P-Day ...Oh wait - we are going as a District to Triberg to climb the mountain to the waterfall again.  Rest will have to come another day.
Last week I couldn't get the photos to work so I am including pictures from the cemetery.  I just love cemeteries and wanted to share how nice they are decorated for their Memorial Day.

 These are all individual or family grave sites.  These flowers are planted and will grow all Winter.  Instead of grass, you have a planter type box to plant and put things in.

 Russ along the path.

It is turning cold.  Thank you Mark & Kellie for the beautiful neck warmer.  It is very nice and warm and wonderful colors.

Happy Birthday to our cute grandson William today.  Happy Birthday to our daughter Emily - 35 years - Celebrate!
Remembering our Veterans and the country they represent.  My Dad, my brother and my son are counted among those valiant soldiers.  Thank you!