March 24-30 Eight Months completed

After a very busy and beautiful last week, we had a little break and chance to catch up this week.
Sunday was a wonderful day.  We had 5 visitors from the USA at church today.  It was really nice talking to all of them.  We had Ward Conference (a meeting held once a year) so we had a lot of Stake Visitors from Zurich attending and then had a pot luck dinner after church.  It made it really nice with all of the visitors to be able to sit and eat and talk.  Bro. Horlacher, from St. George Utah was visiting.  He and his wife were here 10 years ago serving as missionaries doing what we are doing with the YSA.  They were the ones who made it possible for the YSA wing to be completed in the lower level of our church building.  It was very interesting to talk to him and hear their story.  In the end, after they got the city permits and contractors lined up, there was no money to build it so he donated it with the help of some friends in Utah.  He is very proud of what they were able to do and provide.  We had heard the story about a family who made it all possible, but not all the details.  It was nice to talk with him and meet The Man.
We had a couple who both served their missions here 30 years ago.  They currently live in Austin Texas so that was fun to talk with them.  They know The Townsends in Austin - he is the current Patriarch of their Stake.  Fun to catch up on a few things Texas.
We also had a man, Cameron, who is here for two weeks learning German.  He works for the US State Department and will be moving his family to Berlin in August to work at the Embassy there.  They sent him here for a two week intense language training.  He speaks Chinese and lived in Afghanistan for two years and he said German was harder to learn than either of those languages.  I can relate.  We really enjoyed visiting with him and hearing of his life and work adventures.

We did not have the YSA over after Church because of the lunch after the meetings.  This gave us some time to just enjoy Sunday and get ready for Monday.
Monday District Council was back to Singen (we were there all day Saturday).  It is always a beautiful drive and with Spring, it is changing every day with new blossoms and flowers and green mountainsides.  We had a nice meeting and said good bye to Sister Pitcher and Elder Sides who were being transferred this week to new assignments.  We are looking forward to meeting the new missionaries on Monday. 

Our Elder Janousek is the new District leader and with his companion Elder Robertson they are going to be awesome.  We love these two young men and they are so dedicated to the work. He asked us what he could do that would help him as a District Leader.  I told him I would really like a monthly calendar of meetings and activities so we can coordinate them better with travel and other needs.  We seemed to never know until the night before what was happening and that was difficult some times.  He started as District Leader on Thursday and on Friday he sent out a calendar for the whole transfer (6 weeks) of meetings and activities.  He is going to be great and he will be a good influence on the whole District with his leadership and wonderful personality.






Tuesday was P-Day!  It was a much needed day to take care of things at home like laundry, cleaning and shopping.  We also are looking for a new apartment for the Elders so we spent some time visiting Property management offices.  One office said they would not rent to us because the missionaries change about every 3 months.  She was nice, but did not want to work with the Church.  It is very difficult finding housing.  They said for every apartment that becomes available there are about 500 applicants.  It is best to find someone who is moving and talk to them before they tell the owner and work a private deal.  So the adventure begins.  We need a Tender Mercy for this to happen.

Wednesday was lunch with Katrina.  I said a very basic blessing on the food in German and she understood and was so excited that I said it.  She usually walks around the room or cooks while the Elder's pray.  She actually sat down and listened when I prayed.  We ask her every week to pray and she always says next week.  Maybe after my short simple prayer she will realize that she can pray.
It was my turn to cook for Institute on Wednesday night.  I made a wild rice chicken soup, salad, homemade bread and a nutella cake.  I had worked most of the day getting everything ready.  At 4:00 we got a message that the teacher was sick and the other teacher was out of town.  I was more than willing to teach.  Then, one by one the messages came in that people were not coming.  I was not very happy as I had spent a lot of time fixing dinner.  The missionaries and two students ended up coming and so we just ate and did not have a lesson.  They were happy they were able to eat as much as they wanted.  They ate two loaves of bread and almost all of the cake - not to mention over half of the pot of soup.  Always glad to feed hungry young men.

Friday was our day to visit Amira.  The lesson from Come Follow Me this week is Matthew 14-15 and Mark 6-7.  It is titled "Be Not Afraid".  Jesus Christ came not just to do wonderful things for the people but to empower people like Peter to do wonderful things too.  Even if it meant facing his fears and doing something that seemed impossible - like walking on water.  Miracles can happen if we, like Peter, will set aside fears, our doubt and our limited understanding and follow Him in faith.  When we fear, we cannot have faith.  The Lord is inviting me to Come Follow Him even, especially in the storms of Life.  I know as I study, learn, come to know Him, ask in faith and Act upon the things I learn, I will trust Him and know He will always be there for me.  This section of scripture also talks about the story of the loaves and fishes.  I baked some bread and took it to Amira to share with her as we talked about how this story applies to us in our lives.  How has the Lord magnified us as we have served others?  In John 6:48, 60 we also learn that Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life.  He not only fed the masses to fill them with food, but he fed them spiritually with what they would need to know to have Eternal Life with Him and His Father in Heaven.
We have grown to love Amira and continue to be amazed at her enduring life even amid so many medical struggles.  She is facing her challenges with great faith and teaches me so much.

The corner Gelato store opened back up this week after being closed for the Winter.  So, we had to stop by and get us a scoop. Great way to end the day.

We went to the City Center today and it was so busy with people you could hardly walk.  Spring was everywhere.  Easter is really big here and I love it!  The store windows are decorated just like at Christmas.  These are the largest Lindt bunnies I have every seen.  This is a store window and the bunny is about four feet tall.  I did have to break down and buy us each a Lindt bunny to have in our Easter baskets.  There is a discount Chocolate shop that we like to go to and I was good today and just looked, except for the bunnies.

All things Spring.  This is at the market in the City Center that is open every day until 2:00 pm.  Flowers, produce and lots of brats. 
The Munster is getting a new organ and it will be unveiled in April.  We are looking forward to the Saturday organ concerts to begin again.

I made a Salad for the Pot Luck last Sunday and it was enjoyed by many.  So many people came and told me how much they enjoyed it - and I actually understood when they said,"die essen ist lecker"-  meaning the food is delicious.  Recipe below for those interested:

Spinach, Chicken and Pasta Salad (Sis. Diane Lake shared it with me)

450 g. Bow Tie Pasta, cooked al dente

Dressing:
1 cup vegetable oil               6 Tbl. Sugar
2/3 cup Teriyaki Sauce         1/2 tsp. Salt
1/3 cup Rice Vinegar            1/2 tsp. Pepper
1/3 Cup Cider Vinegar

Salad:
1 (10 oz.) bag fresh baby spinach
3/4 cup Craisins
3 cans of Mandarin Oranges, drained
1 (8 oz.) can Water Chestnuts, drained and slivered
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped (I used just 1 stem)
1/4 cup Toasted Sesame Seeds (slightly brown in skillet on low for about 5 min.)
3/4 cup honey roasted peanuts (I used a mix of peanuts and cashew honey roasted)
2 cups Teriyaki Chicken, cooked and chopped.  (I marinated 2 chicken breasts in Teriyaki sauce and then baked in the oven, cool and then chop.)

Blend dressing ingredients together.  Mix 1 to 1 1/2 cups of dressing and cooked pasta in bowl and marinate for at least an hour. 
Combine the rest of the salad ingredients in large salad bowl.  Just before serving, add pasta and dressing and toss.  Add more dressing if needed.
This sald is a bit of work, but SO worth it.
The dressing can be made ahead and stored in the fridge.  It is great on regular salad.

Enjoy!
The Grimmett's

Week in Switzerland March 17-23, 2019

Sunday began with a bus trip to Zurich Switzerland for Stake Conference.  We had a wonderful Saturday - very busy and up early to be on the Bus.  It was so nice to not have to drive and to just sit back and enjoy.  It is always nice to see people from other areas that we have come to know and to visit with them.  President and Sister Brown, our mission president spoke at conference.  It is always a great experience to hear from them.  Pres. Brown shared some very personal stories from his childhood that have made a difference in his life today.  He shared a story of his being healed when he was 11 years old after a one year stay in the hospital after his parents had been told he would not live.  He learned to not fear death and to follow Christ.  His name is Christopher which means Follower of Christ, bearer of Christ.  He wears his name on his badge every day, his life belongs to Christ and he has dedicated his life to Christ.  He serves Christ.
Sis. Brown shared a story of a little boy who was following his mother around in everything she would do.  It started to annoy her and she turned around and asked him why he was following her.  He said he had learned in church to follow Jesus and since He was not there he was following her.  Oh, the power of influence.  We are so fortunate to have the influence of Pres. & Sis. Brown in our life.  They are wonderful people who are committed and devoted to serving Jesus Christ.
The bus ride home is always more festive that the ride early in the morning.  We eat lunch and visit and have a wonderful time.
Sunday evening we finished preparations for our week of Apartment Inspections.  We left Freiburg on Monday morning and started our inspections in Basel.  We had three apartments to visit.  The hardest part is finding the apartment and then finding parking close by.  We went into a shop and asked where to pay for the parking and they said that we needed a permit and that the police station was next door.  They were very nice and gave us a permit and said it would work for the whole city.  We had to stop by a bank and get some Swiss currency (francs - they do not use the Euro)  The Sisters had just moved into this new apartment and we had to install smoke and CO2 detectors.  It took a little longer than planned, but we made it to the other apartments almost on schedule.  We inspected 4 apartments on Monday.  Our last apartment was in Solothurn with one of our former missionaries, Elder Falkena.  We took he and his companion out to dinner after their inspection.  It was so nice to visit with them and catch up with all that he has been doing.

Bern Switzerland Temple

We arrived in Zollikofen and stayed in housing on the grounds of the Bern Switzerland Temple.  We took a walk around after a day of driving.  It is so beautiful at night.  This was the view we had out of our room window.

The Picture Tour begins.  Sorry, but there are so many to share as we toured this week.  I hope you enjoy the beautiful sights.

 We started our day attending the Temple with all of the missionaries from Switzerland.  There were 55 missionaries together.  It was wonderful to be with them and also Pres. & Sis. Brown.  So many languages were represented with most of these missionaries from European Countries.  They are a great group of young people. 

We spent the afternoon inspecting apartments.  So our main purpose is to check and make sure they are keeping the apartment clean and repairs reported or fixed.  We check to make sure they have adequate bedding, dishes, pots and pans and a working vacuum.  We have an opportunity to visit with them and get to know them a little better.  We let them know we are there to help them and to provide the best living conditions possible.  We take an inventory of items needed and also repair the things that we can or refer them to their hausmeister (landlord).  I have to teach a few of them how to use the cleaning supplies that are in their apartments and what is expected for a clean shower and toilet.  We were so grateful that 90% of them were ready and happy to see us.  It really makes a difference for all of us.  Elder Grimmett gets the job of testing the smoke alarm and the CO2 monitor - he always did like loud noises!  We inspected 3 more apartments and then finished the night at a wonderful dinner.

It is very expensive in Switzerland.  We found a Mexican Restaurant called Desperado that was wonderful.  I loved the shirts the waitresses were wearing that say, "Mex you Happy"  I asked our waitress if I could take her picture - from the back side!  It was some of the best enchiladas I have ever had.

We decided to share a dessert and ordered their !Ay Caramba! Deconstructed Cheesecake.  I was not sure what deconstructed was going to look like.  This is a Lime-Cream Cheese with Mango, pineapple, pomegranite Salsa with Cookie crunch sprinkled on top.  It was a very different presentation, but it was very good.  Seemed like less calories being Deconstructed!
We spent another night in the Temple housing and had to check out by 8:00 AM so another early start to the day and on the road again.  Two more inspections were completed on our way to Interlaken.

 The Beauty Begins.  Everyone told us this was the most beautiful place in the whole of Germany, Austria and Switzerland.  It did not disappoint.  The Black Forest is hard to beat, but the Alps have a beauty all to themselves.  It was the first day of Spring and it was absolutely gorgeous.  We could not have asked for a better day.  We had a picnic in the city park on the main street and then we walked through the small town of Interlaken.  It is mostly a tourist town. 

 Three paragliders were in the sky and then they landed in the park in the center of town that we had our picnic lunch at.  It was fun to watch them come over the mountain and then come in for the landing. 

This is the Victoria Grand Hotel.  It was beautiful.  We have been collecting magnets from each city that we visit so we purchased one from here and then it was time to check in to our Bed and Breakfast.

 This was the view from our window.  We are staying in Wilderswil, a small village on the mountain side outside of Interlaken.  The mountains we are looking at are the Eiger, Monch and the Jungfrau.  You may be familiar with the movies that have been filmed on these mountains - The Eiger Sanction and the famous 1969 James Bond movie, On Her Majesty's Secret Service.  The Piz Gloria, the worlds first revolving restaurant was completed during the filming of this movie and is located on the top of the Jungfraujoch.  The sun was so bright coming off of the snow on the mountains it was hard to take good pictures. 

 The Host at our BnB gave us some wonderful suggestions on what to do in the area.  He suggested a hike through the village and on a trail that was built by the Swiss Army during WWII that took you to a castle ruin.  He said, "follow your nose and you will find it."  This picture is looking out over the valley below with large dairy farms and the city beyond.  There is a mountain but the glare of the sun coming off of the snow just shows white haze.  It definitely smelled like cows, but it was beautiful.

 Castle Ruin.  There is not much left of this building, but it was a nice hike to see it and the views were wonderful. 

 Russ is climbing the scary stairs to the top of the ruin. 

 I loved the first signs of Spring.  These are the famous edelweiss plants that grow all through the Alps and this region. 

 This is the back of our BnB.  (the dark brown building)  It is about 200 years old and was the summer home to the grandmother of the current owner.  He suggested after our walk/hike a few restaurants to eat at.  He told us of a local hotel that had a specialty of Veal Cordon Bleu and that the proprietor was an 82 year old woman that made it worth the visit.  Russ did not have to be convinced to go and have Cordon Bleu.  The restaurant was amazing.  It was so much better than eating down in the city with all of the tourists.  We were all tourists, but not large groups, just individuals.  The 82 year old lady was our waitress and a pure delight.  I tried to say a few things in German to her and she asked if I was from England.  We laughed and said, No, we are from Texas!  We could see that it was going to be way too much food so we just ordered one and shared it.  I got my camera out to take a picture of it and then was so enthralled in the presentation of the food I forgot to take a picture and just started eating.  Russ had a barley soup that was the best I have ever tasted and I had tomato - my Dad's favorite.  He would have loved it - so rich and thick with a dollop of cream on top.  We were so glad we only ordered one plate.  We could barely finish it between the two of us.  There would be no dessert tonight.

We have been spoiled by our Bed and Breakfast stays in Granbury Texas.  They are famous for their breakfasts.  Patrick asked us the night before if we preferred tea or coffee.  We told him we did not drink either.  He had NEVER had someone tell him that before.  He said, "What do you drink?"  We told him juice or water and he gave us a funny look and we said, Hot chocolate.  He said, great - I can do that - you have redeemed yourselves.  He served a wonderful Swiss Hot Chocolate and toast with 4 different jams and honey.  It was very simple, but tasty.  A good start to the day, especially after the large meal the night before. 

 We drove to Lauterbrunnen and boarded the cable car to ride up to Grutschalp.  We went from 796meters to 1486 meters - straight up the mountain.  It was an adventure.  When we arrived in Grutschalp we boarded a train for the ride further up the mountain.  The train stopped in Winteregg to drop off skiers and anyone else who wanted to stop at the little village.  Then we climbed higher to Murren at 1638 meters or 5,374 feet.  I had no idea we would end up at a village that had homes and many hotels and ski lifts.  You can only get there by this train or by helicopter or hiking.  So many shops and restaurants.

 We watched the skiers, an airplane that circled above, hang gliders, people on sleighs and hikers.  It was a clear crisp day and the snow was quickly melting.

Map of area we visited.  The picture below is the location of the James Bond Movie.  It is a restaurant and we were looking across the mountain to see it.  It sits in the dip between the two mountain ranges and is accessed by train.

You can see the top of the building on the mountain below.  We were directly across from it on the other mountain.

 You can see how the wind was blowing the snow on the high peaks that are about 13,000 ft.  We did not have wind, but at the higher elevation you can see what it was doing.

 These were the water fountain all through the village.  They say it is the best water to drink.  It is definitely ice cold.
We had a wonderful day and enjoyed the beauty of God's creation of the earth.

 We felt like we were on the top of the world. 

 This is a picture of our decent back to our starting place.  It does not really show depth, but it was very steep.  You can see how quickly you are out of Winter and into Spring.  It is still amazing how many villages dot the mountain sides.

 When we were getting off of the gondola, we all looked over and saw this beautiful waterfall coming off of the mountain.  Another marvel of nature.
We have been asked to do the apartment inspections every 12 weeks.  So we have at least 3 more trips to this area.  We will get to see it in all of the different seasons.  It is only a 3 1/2 hour drive from where we live, but it seems in a different realm.  Well, at least it is in a different country.
So we drove home and did one last apartment inspection for this trip.  These were the first Elder's to ask me what score they got on their inspection.  I told them they got 98 out of 100 and he asked what they were marked down on.  I top him one of the beds was not made and the sink needed to be cleaned a little better.  He said, next month we will get a 100 - and he meant it.  It is so nice when they want to do good and I really did not have to say anything.  Basically, a 90 or above is a clean apartment. 

Friday was a busy day just regrouping and planning for the weekend.  We had to shop for food for our Saturday trip to Singen, Sunday Dinner at Church and Monday District Council back in Singen.  We had our weekly appointment with Amira in the afternoon and it was a great way to end the week.  On our way home, the Elders called and had locked themselves out of their apartment.  So, they met us at our house and we gave them the extra set of keys.  I felt bad that I could not offer them dinner before they went to their 7:30 appointment, but we were on our way to the store to purchase all of the food we needed and I didn't have anything to offer after being gone all week.  Can't feel too bad as I was going to get food to feed them on Saturday and Monday - they are getting spoiled.

 So we ended the week going to Singen for an ausstelllung (display in the city center that is held once a month for groups that want to participate)  We did one in December and today.  It was a beautiful day and a good day to be on the square visiting with people.  The missionaries have this bike (common in Europe) that is used for the display. 

 Sister Penner and Sister Pitcher manning the display.

The Elder's and Elder Grimmett having fun figuring out who would ride the bike back to the Church. 
We found that more people talked to us on that very cold wet day in December than today when it was sunny and warm.  I think the Christmas Season had more people thinking of Christ and being willing to stop and talk. 

We left Singen and headed to Offenburg for two appointments with our Elder's.  It was a 2 hour drive and through a lot of farm land that was getting ready for Spring plantings.  We met with two men from Nigeria and then met with our new member who is the refugee from Iran.  It was a very interesting evening.  We finished at 7:30 and then took the Elder's to dinner.  It was at a gourmet burger restaurant (not many of those in Germany) and it was the first hamburger we have had at a restaurant in Germany and it seemed to be the happening place for a Saturday night.  They were very good and the Elder's enjoyed it.  We took them to the Lahr apartment for them to spend the night so they could attend church in the Lahr Branch on Sunday.  We finally arrived home at 10:00 pm. 
We have been asked to conduct a workshop at the upcoming Senior Conference in May - they have asked us to present on the topic "Making the Most of Our Time as Senior Missionaries".  So, we will begin planning for that - we certainly have many experiences to draw from and we certainly do not have many slow times and we try to make the most of the time that we have while serving here.  And so we began the week on the road and ended the week on the road.  It is so good to be home at least for Sunday.
Enjoy!
The Grimmett's

March 10-16, 2019 Castle Adventure

Sunday was another quick drive to Lahr to visit the Branch.  We are always welcomed by the members there and we enjoy our time with them.  There were about 50 people in Church that included 7 Primary age children, 3 Nursery, 7 Youth and 3 YSA included in the group.  We had to hurry home to be with the Freiburg YSA for Family Home Evening and Lunch.  I made the soup and bread on Saturday so it was easy on Sunday.  The Brownies were their favorite part of the meal.

Monday was District Council with Skype at our home.  I was so glad we did not have to travel again this week for the meeting.  We always enjoy having the Elders in our home.  I just served them leftover soup, bread and brownies and it was even better the second day according to Elder Grimmett.  I just know there was nothing left.  We quickly went to town to pick up a few items for our Tuesday P-Day Activity and for our Dinner Guest that was coming over.

I was brave and tried a  new recipe - a German specialty of Rouladen.  It is very thin beef that you spread with a good mustard and salt and pepper.  Then you place a very lean bacon slice on top.  Then you put chopped onion and chopped dill pickle.  Roll up the beef like a jelly roll and secure end with toothpick or bakers string.  Brown and cook until tender.  Then you make a gravy and serve with mashed potatoes and red cabbage.  It turned out really good - I learned to not cook it so long, but it was still tender.  The mashed potatoes were the best.  The potatoes are different here - not bakers and they make really good mashed potatoes.  Most people don't make them homemade because the potatoes are little and a lot of work, but worth it.  I splurged and bought a chocolate truffle cake for dessert and it was divine - the best dessert I have had in Germany.  Most of their desserts are not sweet.

Tuesday was District P-Day and it was FANTASTIC!  We visited Sigmaringen Castle - the first working castle we have visited. We also toured the Armory.
This is a picture of the back side of the Castle.  It was first built in the 1200's and then additions were added over the years.  It has been the House of Hohenzollern since 1576 to current. The 13th and 14th Centuries left no remarkable remains.  It was not until the 15th Century that a new construction period began.  In 1650 another major construction period began that turned the complex into a Renaissance palace.  Changes were again made in the years 1860-1880 when changes in the neogothic style were carried out.

It was very modern for its day and had electricity as early as 1860 and indoor plumbing.  There was a large electrical fire that destroyed a large part of the castle.  The castle underwent a major redesign in 1893 after the great fire.  The completion of these conversions was in 1902.  The family was in their home at the beginning of World War II when suddenly Hitler's army stormed the residence and took possession of it for the use of the French Military Commanders.  The family was taken to the outskirts of the town.  They are no longer the ruling government of Germany, but they continue to live in the city and are regarded as:

This is a picture looking out of the window down into the city

His Highness Karl  Friedrich Prince of Hohenzollern and Your Highness Katharina Princess von Hohenzollern.  There are still social events held in the great hall.  No photography is allowed inside of the Castle.  It was truly a fairy tale.  It has been beautifully preserved with the belongings from the 1800's family time.  The women in the family were very strong and held high prominence.  The dresses were absolutely beautiful.   

This was in the walkway leading up to the entrance for the tour.  They were avid hunters.  One room in the castle had 640 Roebuck antlers and other wild game from one of the Princes.  There were three areas of influence shown.  The hunting trophies, the weapons in the armory and the Public service and business dealings of the family.

These are weapons on display.

This is the entrance to the castle.  The tour was in German with a guide book in English for those who needed it.  It was so nice to be able to read about each room and then hear the guide say it in German.  I actually understood many of the things she said.  We learned that the Rest room was the room next to the bathing room where the Princess would rest from taking her bath and also decide what would be worn that day.  She would then move to the dressing room that had doors large enough for the large hoops of her dresses to go through.  Several families lived in the Castle with each family having their own wing for sleeping quarters and only sharing the dining hall and main living area.

Our current wonderful missionaries in Freiburg,
Elder Janousek and Elder Robertson.
We love serving with them.  We have spent a lot of time in the car with them and they are very quiet, but wonderful to be with.



The Family in the Castle is very Catholic.  They were very much against the Reformation and even one of the sons of the family was killed trying to defend the Catholic religion.  There is a beautiful Church on the Castle hill grounds.  We took the time to go in and see it.  It was beautiful inside.  I especially liked the large organ.

We ended the day having a picnic in the parking lot where we parked.  We tail gated and had a good time.  We find it interesting some of the things we do here that we would never think of doing at home.  It was like having a picnic in a Target parking lot.  Fun Times.

We took the Elders to an appointment to see a lady that we visited two weeks ago.  She lives an hour away in a very quaint village.  I told about the farm house last week.  This week I took pictures.

This is a working farm and they have turned many of the rooms in the barn into apartments.  It is amazing.  I love the antiques.

 There were many of these water pumps around the property and they really work.  This is a beautiful collection of tea pots.

Across the street was 2 Cranes (birds) building a nest.  It was so neat to watch and to see the large nest they were building.

We ended up not seeing Maria today.  She had to go to work and so we drove a long way to just have me take pictures!  All in the life of a missionary.  We enjoyed the scenery and the nice day.

Cranes building a nest on tower

Friday is baking and cooking day.  I made Granola Bars, gluten free peanut butter cookies, chocolate chip cookies, salsa, Homemade Enchilada sauce, Chicken enchiladas, homemade corn tortillas for the enchiladas, and black bean dip.  

I am not a really good cookie baker but today they turned out just like I needed them to. The key is good ingredients, a good recipe and a lower temperature on the oven for a longer baking time.  This makes them crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.   I made Chocolate chip cookies to take to Apartment Inspections next week for a Thank You for making an effort to have a clean apartment. I made the Peanut Butter cookies for District Meeting on Saturday.  The recipe suggests a Hershey Kiss in the middle.  They DO NOT sell Hershey kisses in Germany.  I have not liked how just putting a chunk of chocolate turns out so today a made a chocolate truffle filling and added my own kiss on top.  This is my new favorite - they are soooo good. 
We have had an awesome Saturday.  I was so tired when I went to bed last night - well more like 1:30 AM.  I was not sure how I would feel in the morning, but the pain reliever I took did wonders on my sore back and I was good to go.  We had a wonderful District Council and Interviews with Pres. Brown.  The enchiladas turned out so good - a lot of work making my own corn tortillas and enchilada sauce, but well worth it.  I will make my own tortillas now - at least while we are in Germany.  The missionaries feasted on the homemade Salsa.  They all said they had not had TexMex since they had come on their missions and that the Salsa was the best.  I made enough that they each got to take a container home.  The granola bars and peanut butter cookies did not last long.
After the morning meetings and lunch we had a break before the 5:00 meetings started so we took Sis. Brown and Elder and Sis. Blanchard to see our city.  We took them on the Tram and to go see the Munster. (Cathedral)  It was the first really nice day and it was wall to wall people.  We ended at the Italian eis (gelato) shop and each got a scoop or two to eat.  The line was out the door and down the street.  We waited in line for 30 minutes and it was worth it.  They all loved it.  They were amazed that we walk that route just about every day and sometimes two or three times a day.  We returned to the Church for our evening meetings where Pres. Brown was one of the speakers as well as an Area Authority Seventy, Elder Phillips from England.  It was very uplifting and spiritual.  It is always good to see so many people as well.   We invited all of the missionaries to come downstairs to the kitchen and finish off all of the food.  We had a wonderful gathering and I served the leftover meatball sandwiches from Wednesday and they loved them.  It is fun to feed the European missionaries these new foods.  I tried to hide the last of the granola bars so I could take them on the bus to Zurich Sunday, but they found them and did a good job of eating them.  There is a power that comes when we are with all of these young missionaries.  They are doing a great work and making such a difference as they teach the people in their areas.  They are dedicated, hard working and obedient servants of the Lord, Jesus Christ.  We are so blessed to be able to serve with them and learn from them as well.  I know that we are also an example to them and are helping in some small way.

This week has also been a time to again be grateful for the great Plan of Salvation given to us by Jesus Christ.  We received word that our neighbor on Peyton Place passed away this week after a fall at his home that then led to a stroke and other complications.  He was 77 years old and leaves his wife and a daughter.  Stan was our good friend.  He would always watch for us to put up our Christmas lights and then he would come out and join us by putting up his lights.  He and his wife Lou are wonderful people who have served others and made a difference for many in their Church congregation.
Another dear friend passed away this week as well.  Kathy Trowbridge returned to her Father in Heaven after a very long battle with cancer.  She was a devoted mother to 5 children and a grandmother to 6.  She was so talented and made a difference in so many lives as she taught piano lessons for many years.  We served together in the Stake Relief Society Presidency for several years and I was truly blessed with a dear friend and daughter of God.  She taught me so much and together with Claudia Pickering we met every week together and served the Sisters in the Arlington TX Stake. So grateful for the peace that comes in knowing that there is a place beyond the death of this mortal body and that we can be with our Father in Heaven again.  Yes, Families are Forever.

This has been quite a week.  Sunday will be a full day of travel and meetings and fun on the bus with many people from our Church congregation.  Then, 4 days in Switzerland doing apartment inspections.  Hopefully good pictures of our adventures next week.
Viel Liebe,
The Grimmett's