2019 . . . . the best we will have seen. That is actually saying a lot considering all that he has experienced and seen in the past 97 years. He is looking forward to the new year. He is determined to live to 100 and has surprised all of his new Doctors. Update: he is being transferred to a Rehab Center for the next 3 weeks as he continues to recover from the sepsis. He is definitely a fighter with a strong will to continue living and seeing what is yet to be seen. It is a Day to Day situation. Keep him in your prayers.
For those who have not seen this video on Facebook, this was what was happening all around us on New Year's Eve. It was the most crazy experience I have ever seen. This was just outside on our balcony. It started early in the day and escalated at 11:30 to this. At midnight we went outside to see what all of the noise was about and could not even breath or see because the smoke from the fireworks was so thick. It was just like a war zone. It lasted until 1:30 and then finally was quiet around 3 am. It was amazing watching them shoot off the fireworks and the noise was deafening. It was even more eerie when we got up the next morning and left for a meeting and saw all of the casings and shells and bottles that were everywhere. Sidewalks, middle of the main street, parking garage, lawn, etc. It really looked like a war zone.
Monday was a semi holiday here. All of the stores closed at 2:00 and Banks were closed all day. We shopped early and got a few things for our Tuesday meeting and lunch. We checked out a place we could go to for dinner later in the evening. Our favorite places were closed for the night and the others required a reservation. The fireworks were already starting as we returned home.
I cooked and made preparations for Tuesday the rest of the day. We ventured out around 7:00 pm and went from plan A to plan C as we were trying to find a place to have dinner. We went to a place we had found earlier in the day as one of our options and it turned out to be a great choice. It was a quaint Italian restaurant that actually had a few available tables. We had the best pizza and lasagna and a delightful time watching all of the people. It was an adventure going home as the party crowds were now out and about everywhere. They would walk around in groups with one person carrying a jam box and playing loud music with two people carrying the case of drinks and the others following behind. Then you had the followers who would throw down firecrackers and noise bombs as they were walking along. It was very dark and with the sounds and the burst of sparks flying it really did feel like we were in a war zone. I could not help but think of people that actually live in places that it is real and not for fun like we were seeing. I was glad to get home safely and be able to just watch from a distance the rest of the night.
The Europeanelections and Christians Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland (Church) pick a verse from the Bible every year and select a Watchword for the year. This year they selected Psalm 34:14
"Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it." The Watchword they selected is Peace. It is a nice verse and a very fitting after my thoughts and feelings of New Year's Eve.
I actually like the verse that follows in 15: "The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. " I know that peace can come to each one of us individually as we seek the Lord and call upon Him and He will pour out blessings upon us. His promises are sure.
Tuesday was District meeting. Because it was also New Year's Day and we have a nice YSA Center at our Church Building, we had the meeting in Freiburg. I was really glad we did not have to drive anywhere. I fixed two soups and made bread and we bought the best fresh apple cherry juice and flamekuchen (their version of pizza). Elder Odro said his favorite Holiday treat was Eggnog. I have not found it in the stores so I wanted to make him some. I found a really good recipe and made eggnog for everyone. It turned out amazing. I did not think anyone would drink it except Elder Odro and they drank the whole 1/2 gallon that I made. 12 egg yolks and pure cream. It is the best I have every made. Good thing we only have it once a year.
We had a nice meeting and then everyone was able to enjoy lunch, shoot pool, play Foosball and just enjoy. Transfers are this week and we say good bye to Sis. Griffith in Singen. We have loved getting to know her and to have been a part of her mission experience. This was her first area and she is ready to move on. We look forward to following her experiences and look forward to seeing her again when we all return home.
We also welcomed the new Senior couple who arrived in the mission on Saturday afternoon. They will be serving in Singen with the Sisters. They are Elder and Sister Blanchard from Oregon. Oh how we know how they are feeling. I am glad I have 5 months checked off and the learning curve straightening out a little. We invited them to our home after the meeting to get to know them better and to share a few insights of things we have learned. As I have mentioned before, just learning about the garbage and how to operate the washing machine and dryer are major milestones. Elder Blanchard just kept saying, "You really do a lot for the Elder's, you are enabling the missionaries, I can't wait to get out and teach and find people, don't ask me to cook." He will come to love the missionaries and want to help them and serve them. He will also find that being a Senior Missionary is a lot different than being a 19 year old missionary - our role is a little different and our bodies are a lot slower even if we think we are fit. We look forward to serving with them and getting to know them better.
I will never complain about doing laundry when I return home. It is an all day event and a lot of work, especially in the winter when things take forever to dry. I don't understand why the technology we have in the US is not used here. Our machines look the same but do not operate the same at all. I would rather spend P-Day doing other things, but it must be done.
Thursdays are always a good day - visit Amira day. She had an epileptic seizure last Friday after we had visited her. She has a concussion and continues to have headaches and pain from it. She continues to be strong and has a determination to be happy.
HISTORY EVENT
We were invited to our friend Denise's house for dinner. She has been the best friend to me and my translator at church. We had a wonderful dinner and conversation and then she had made arrangements for us to visit her neighbor and landlord downstairs. They are the Lutz family. He is 80 and she is 81 years old. Mr. Lutz and Russ were like long lost friends - they hit it off immediately. They started to tell us their story and he went and got photos to tell the story with.
They grew up in a German speaking area of Romania. They have known each other since grade school. When he was six years old his father was enlisted in the German military. His mother was pregnant with her second child. His father was allowed to come home when the baby was born because it was a boy. If it had been a girl he would not have come home. He came for two weeks. A friend had given him a camera to take pictures. He showed us the only picture he has of his father - in full military dress waving good-bye as he left to return to active duty. It was snowing outside and very cold. This would be the last time he ever saw is father. Just before the end of the war and about 8 months after his visit home, his father was killed in action in Poland. When the War ended, the Russians came to Romania and took many of the women to come and work in the coal mines. His mother and aunt were taken and their children were then raised by their grandparents. He lived with his grand parents for 5 years. His mother was forced to work in the coal mines in very dire circumstances. It was wet and freezing cold. She was sick when she returned home and never really recovered. She lived 25 more years and then died. The children were required to learn Romanian during this time - they had been raised only speaking German. He eventually married his childhood friend and sweetheart and they had two children. His family escaped the country by crossing the Danube River into Austria and then they came to Germany. He was 35 years old when they came to Germany. They had two suitcases and a little money. The bank loaned them the money to build a home. They bought the property outside of Freiburg in the countryside. He was a craftsman with a specialty in windows and doors. They built the basement and lived in it while he built the next floor. He built the main floor and they lived in the two areas for several years. He then added another two floors with two apartments twenty years ago. Denise was recently divorced and a single mother of 3 children. She was trained in the medical field and came to Freiburg to work. She was looking for a place to live and bring her children. She placed an ad in the local newspaper after many failed attempts at finding something suitable. The Lutz family had just completed their addition to their home and responded to her ad. They said they had a 3 1/2 room apartment they could rent to her. She said she needed more rooms with 3 children. She came to look at the apartment and they told her they had an upstairs apartment that they could also rent to her. It was just the rooms that she needed. For 14 years she lived using the two floors and apartments. Her mother came to live with her and she cared for her for 7 years before she passed away. Her children grew up and moved out of her home. She no longer needed both apartments and needed something smaller and less rent. Mr. Lutz - who was now like family to her - built another apartment on the top floor for her to live in. She has lived in the loft apartment for 7 years and now takes care of the Lutz's and the other tenant who lives in the building two days a week as part of her employment taking care of elderly people. They were so fun to talk with, even in German. I could understand some of it and what I didn't understand Denise translated for me. They shared stories and photos of their family and their 50th wedding anniversary. They asked if we could say a prayer with them before we left. Russ had prayed over dinner earlier in the evening so quickly volunteered me to pray. I prayed what I could in German and then the rest in English. I used to be afraid to do that and now it is more comfortable to just do what I can. They invited us to come back and visit again. They have a beautiful garden and we look forward to returning when the weather gets better. As I was listening to their story I saw and heard a completely different side of WWII. These people saw war in a completely different way than the Americans. They have been through a lot and it runs deep inside of them still today. They are truly a story of survival, hope, faith, overcoming and enduring to the end. They have had a good life in Germany and have blessed many people during their journey in life.
One of my least favorite things to do is shop for clothes. With the new announcement that Sister Missionaries can now wear dress pants, I have looked for the past 2 weeks for some with little success. Everything is jeans or leisure wear workout pants. Their styles are just very different here and also too trendy. I am good with skirts and dresses - been wearing them my whole life - but with the cold weather of Winter and for some activities it is nice that they are allowing us to wear pants - so thus the quest to find some. I finally found one pair of pants in my size. They were on sale and that was even better. SUCCESS.
One of our investigators at church, Marianna had her second surgery for cancer on Thursday. We went to visit her on Saturday at the hospital. She is also from Romania and has lived in Germany for 5 years. She was doing amazing and even surprised the Doctors. Her last surgery was very difficult and a long recovery. Today, she was up and had walked and was happy and very talkative. She was really glad we came to visit. She said the Doctor asked what had changed with her and how was she recovering so fast. She said it was because of prayer. Russ had given her a blessing on Sunday and many people at Church have been praying for her. She said she knew it was because of those prayers she was being blessed. She is hoping for good things to happen in her life this year. She has been divorced for 3 years and would really like to find someone to marry. I told her we would have to work on that as soon as she was better!?
It is always nice to visit and serve others.
We have had snow and rain all day. I wish it had been all snow. The mountains around us finally have snow and I can't wait to drive and see it soon. We enjoyed our New Year's Eve dinner so much at the Italian Restaurant that we decided to go back tonight for dinner. It was busier than on New Year's Eve. I think we have found a new favorite and especially for Pizza. We really enjoy going to the city center and just being with all of the people. It was a nice evening - even in the rain.
Every day is something different and we have also learned we have to be flexible. We are looking forward to the students returning this week and getting back into classes. That also means back into cooking and other activities. That is good. It is also a Holiday here on Sunday. It is Epithany - 3 Kings Day and they celebrate it as part of Christmas. Many years ago my friend Annabel shared with me this tradition and so we have waited to take down Christmas until after this day. Tuesday will be the sad day we take everything down for another year. We have loved the glow of the lights and all things Christmas.
The year is already off like a sprint. We look forward to all that the year will bring. There is much to look forward to and also things to be concerned with. There are things within our control and things that are not. I hope we can all remember the words in Psalm 34, "Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it." Jesus Christ said, Come Follow Me. I know that as we do, we will find peace and live with hope that will help us endure to the end. Wishing you all the very best that life has to offer.
Happy New Year!
The Grimmett's
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