The Healing Power of Frankincense

My story started when I was 15 years old growing up in Twin Falls, Idaho.  We spent every summer on the Snake River, mostly at the Twin Falls Country Club.  This particular summer day we decided to float the river from the Country Club side over to the Shoshone Falls Park side of the River.   By the end of the afternoon I was fried crisp like bacon.  I had second degree burns on my upper chest with half dollar (if you remember what those are) size blisters.  Part of the healing process was scrubbing the dead skin off.  In a few places, the skin did not come off and created a few raised dark spots on my skin.  About 15 years later 2 of them started being an irritation and were removed by my Doctor.  I had one remaining spot that he said was not a problem at the time.  So for about 30 years I have had this spot that started changing a few years ago and started to puff up and be annoying.  I had put many different creams and ointments on it with no change.

The December Zone Conference for our Alpine German Mission started my journey of healing.  Sis. Brown gave a presentation on the gifts of the Magi.  She talked about the significance of each of the gifts and their value both physically and spiritually.  She then passed around the whole room a piece of gold, and bottles of Frankincense and Muir essential oils.  She told how Frankincense was good for the skin and for inflamation.  Well, back in October we were slicing potatoes for a luncheon and I sliced my thumb very deep.  The wound had healed, but my thumb was still swollen and had a constant dull pain.  I thought, I will just put a little drop of this oil on my thumb and see what happens.  Within a few minutes the dull pain was gone.  I happened to have a small bottle of Frankincense at home just sitting in the cupboard not knowing how to use it.  I started putting it on my thumb and in a few days all of the swelling was gone and no more pain.  In the process, I had a large age spot on the top of my hand and I put some on it as I was rubbing it into my thumb.  Within a few weeks that spot got very crusty and then it was gone.  No more age spots.  So, I decided to do some research on Frankincense. (Boswellia carterii) I found a site by Dr. Josh Axe.  He explains the healing properties and how to use this essential oil. 
Cuts - stops bleeding
promotes healing
fades scars
inflamation
He cautions to not use during pregnancy
He said it has been effective on:
skin cancer
skin - acne, scars, stretch marks, age spots, etc.

For topical application mix 2-4 drops with a carrier oil

So I decided to try it on the spot on my chest.  The above spot was photographed on May 25, 2019.

Second photo was taken on June 22, 2019.  It is starting to change.

Third photo taken on July 21, 2019.  The raised skin became crusty and sloughed off.  Only a small flat mark is showing.

Fourth photo taken on August 17, 2019.  It is completely flat and is just a freckle like all of the others. 

So in four months of routine use of Frankincense, my skin has been healed in several places. 

I used Frankincense Essential Oil from the Melaleuca Pure Line.

August 3-10, 2019

We have survived our first week in Vienna.  I don't even know where to start after the week we had last week.  It has truly been like starting a whole new mission.  We attended the International Ward and The Wien 2nd Ward on Sunday.  It was a wonderful day. It was like a homecoming in the International Ward.  Everyone was so friendly and I was able to talk and feel so at home.  We were asked to offer the opening and closing prayers for Sacrament meeting.  There are people from all over the world who attend.  We then stayed and attended the German speaking Wien 2 Ward.  They too were so friendly and welcomed us.  We were able to meet the Bishop, The Stake President and the Area Authority Seventy for this area, Elder Wondra.  His parents were in the Branch when Russ was here 50 years ago.  They were also at Church on Sunday.  We stayed and attended the YSA Sunday school class and really enjoyed being with them.  We had about 15 in the class and we had met many of them the week before in Switzerland at the CHAD Conference.  We made arrangements to park our car at the Church until we can get the parking permit worked out for the City of Vienna.

The only thing Germany and Austria have in common is speaking the German language and their money.  They are two very different countries in their governments, laws, transportation, food, etc.  We have had some interesting experiences this week as we have navigated the system with the local government agencies.  We had tried to get the parking permit on Friday and they told us they needed a letter stating we were authorized to drive the Church owned vehicle.  We acquired the letter and went back to get the permit on Monday only to be told they would not give us a permit.  They directed us to another office and they took one look at our papers and said, we cannot help you, you are with a Church.  We talked and asked a lot of questions, only to be told, NO.  So, we are still trying to figure out what we will do.  We found a parking lot - not covered for $110 a month.  The City permit is $120 for the year.  That is a big difference, but we may be forced to pay it.  We are the first Senior Couple to have a car here, but it has already been a blessing as we have taken care of some mission assignments in neighboring cities.

 This is the Wien Institute were we spend every day from 4:00 - 9:00 PM.  It is in a beautiful building with some interesting history.  It is also a very busy corner for people walking.  It is fun watching the people, mostly tourists.

Monday was Family Home Evening and I had been told that they do Waffles on Mondays.  So, I made waffles with fruit, cream and other toppings and juice.  The YSA who were there loved them and said they were the best waffles.  I said, I just used the recipe on the wall note - don't you have them every week?  They said, no this is the first time in awhile but we really like them.  It was a great way to start the week.

 We had our first District Council with one of the Districts on Monday morning.  I took a fruit tray and made oatmeal no bake cookies.  It was a nice way to be a part of the group. They take turns bringing lunch food and it went great with their bread, meat and cheese.  We will rotate and go to each District every other week.  We have wonderful missionaries serving here and it is wonderful to watch as they conduct meetings and fulfill their assignments.  The experience they gain serving their missions can benefit them the rest of their lives.  We have already found that some of them need a little tender care and mothering and I am grateful to be here and able to serve them.  Monday night an Elder asked if I could help with his very dirty white shirts.  I told him I had just what was needed to get them clean. 

 Tuesday was P-Day for the young Missionaries and we found that they like to be at the Institute.  They have to be back in missionary clothes and back to appointments by 6:00 PM.  Some of them were testing the water and seeing if we were going to enforce the rules.  We had a few Young Adults come in and cooked dinner together and then we went with them to the Film Festival that is running from July 1 - September 1, to watch the Oprah Carmen.  It is an open air venue with a huge movie screen and it was a wonderful evening.  It was in Italian with German sub titles so I did not get most of the words, but the music was good and I could follow most of the story. 

This is a plaque on the front of the Institute Building about Albert Schweitzer who received a Nobel Prize in 1952.
I love the history of this City and especially how well it is documented on the individual buildings.  Vienna was established in the 880's and then became a part of the Hapsburg Empire. The Rathaus (City Hall) is one of the most splendid amongst the numerous monumental buildings in Vienna.  It was built between 1872-1883 in gothical style, with a tower similar to gothic cathedrals.  St. Stephen's Cathedral was built in the 1200's and is one of the oldest buildings here.  It was reconstructed in 1359 and continued to have interior renovations through the Baroque period.  There are many museums and they have taken special care to not only preserve the historical accomplishments of the people and city but also to show the atrocities of the Nazi regime and the crimes to the Jewish people.  They are a big part of the Vienna culture and their history is important.
We look forward to visiting many of these sights when the weather is a little cooler and the Summer tourists are gone.

Wednesday was a wonderful day.  We made preparations for the Institute class Wednesday evening.  I was not sure what they had planned and had been told they just did bread and spreads during the summer.  I decided to make sugar cookie fruit pizzas and homemade bread so it would go with whatever they had.  Esther, the Institute Director wanted to make it nice for our first night and she had heard that I did waffles on Monday.  She brought in onions, potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, chicken, coconut milk and curry sauce mix and said, "just put it all together and we will have Curry tonight.  We worked together peeling, slicing and preparing the vegetables and meat and then she needed to go teach the class.  So, I started putting all of it together and decided we needed to cook rice as well.  It was amazing Curry.  I love learning how to make these wonderful meals they just throw together.  We had 20 in attendance and she was really surprised with the group for a summer class.  They were so nice and loved the food.  They said they would come back with this good food.  They had not had the cookie fruit pizza's before and they loved making their own and being creative.  I think the bread will become a weekly item.
It began to pour rain as the evening was ending.  We were glad we had our umbrella's but were not looking forward to walking in the rain the kilometer to the tram stop.  They are doing construction on the sidewalk just outside our building and I was walking with my umbrella and purse in one hand and pulling my shopping cart in the other and I don't know what happened, but the cart went one way and I went the other  and I landed very hard on the very wet street.  I was in a lot of pain and soaking wet.  I just wanted to get home.  We still had to walk to the tram and then another 20 minutes to our stop and another 8 minute walk to our apartment.  It was not a very good way to end a wonderful day.  We also found out that Russ had taken $300 Euro the day before to take care of some financial business and when he went to get it out of his money pouch in his pocket it was gone.  We don't know if it fell out or if it was taken as we left a store on our way to the Institute.  By Wednesday night we were feeling many emotions from the move and the events of the proceeding few days.  We know that life happens and that tomorrow will come with new hope and also challenges.

Thursday we were asked to help some Sisters in a city about an hour away.  So, we had a little road trip.  It was nice seeing new places in the area and we were grateful we could help.  Missionary service is very rewarding as we serve others and help where we can.  Sometimes the younger missionaries just need to know they are OK and that someone is aware of them.  It is not easy for them to be so far from home and speaking a new language and experiencing new cultures.  It is a great experience and they want to be a missionary and serving, but some days are just hard.
Thursday was also the day we applied for our Visa's.  It was a two hour project, but they were very nice and accommodating.  We had all of our paperwork in order and we got a really nice clerk.  We were only missing one form that she wanted and she said, I will just type it up for you.  She typed it and had us sign it and then she took it to the head man and he approved it on the spot.  It took us 6 months in Freiburg to get our Visa, so we were very appreciative.  We paid our $350 Euro and they made an appointment for us to come back and pick up the Visa.  Tender Mercies.  It is turning out to be a very expensive week however.

Friday is movie and game night at the Institute.  We just had one student come and she picked a Harry Potter movie to watch.  I had made homemade Salsa and took chips and we had a great time with her.  We talked for about an hour getting to know her.  She is from Maine in the USA and is a PHD student at the University of Wien.  She just really needed to talk to someone and needed some friends.  We enjoyed watching the movie - not bad duty for a Friday night! 

 We returned to the Film Festival on Saturday night to watch the Broadway play of KISS ME KATE.  It was a beautiful evening after a really hot humid day.  We thought it might rain, but it just cooled off really nice.  It was a really late night, but we enjoyed the production and it was in English so we could enjoy all of it and not just the music. 

Kiss Me Kate

 Today was a very special day.  It was the Baptism of Odion and Wisdom.  We have been meeting with her for the past 2 months and teaching her with the missionaries in our home.  It has been a wonderful experience.  She is from Africa and has been in Germany for 4 years.  We have become friends and I was so happy when she said she wanted to be baptized in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and that her 10 year old son, Wisdom said he wanted to be baptized with her.  She has overcome many trials to be ready for this day.  When she found out we were moving from Freiburg she cried and said I was a mother to her and that I had helped her in making the decision to change her life.  I was so hoping she could be baptized before we left, but she needed a little more time.  When they sent this picture today, it made me cry as I looked at her and she looked like an angel to me.  She has so much faith and she knew this decision would be good for her and for her family.  We  have been praying for her and I hope that we will be able to see her again some day.

This is why we are here.  We have had so many opportunities to serve and help other people.  Just the work we are doing helping the other missionaries has been important and blessing our lives.  I am being stretched in ways that are helping me to become a better person. 

Viel Liebe,
The Grimmett's

July 28-Aug.2 2019 Moving Week

Sorry for the long blog - we have had a life changing week and a lot to tell.  Read at your own risk!

Moving Day has arrived.  The car is all packed and the items on the table and our overnight bag is all that is left to fit into the car.  We had to play Tetris with the car and a few things will have to stay behind - like all of the food that I had packed.  We had to exchange cars today with a missionary couple who moved from Austria to a city about an hour from us.  They got the good end of the deal.  We had a new really nice car with navigator, blue tooth, back up camera, nice seats and a lot of power - we exchanged for a smaller car with NO navi, blue tooth, back up camera, etc and a lot less power.  We have actually been very spoiled as the car was nicer than any we were driving at home before we came on our mission.  We had just gotten really used to the nice features.  We have been reminded the the mission speed limit is 130 so I have to remember that I am a missionary and life moves at a whole new speed.  I am grateful to have a car, so really no complaints - just trying to fit everything in is a challenge.  The car is packed to the roof and we hope there is room for us to fit in!
The Elder's are ready to move in and already have brought a few things over.  Out with the "old", In with the New.

 This has been a whirlwind week getting everything done.  The Bishop hosted a bar-b-q at his home on Saturday night.  Unfortunately it rained so we had to move it indoors, but it was a nice evening with a few of the Ward members.

Sunday was a memorable day that we will remember.  We were asked to speak in Church along with Elder Letort who is going home.  I have been working on a farewell talk for several weeks - even before they asked - so I would be prepared just in case they asked, and they did. 

I would study it in English and then German so that I could understand what I was saying and it really helped.  When I realized I was doing OK, I got a little emotional and that was not good because I needed to be able to read my notes.  Russ did really good and it was emotional for him as well as we are telling these wonderful people good-bye.  At the end of the meeting, we were getting ready to leave the podium where we were sitting and the whole congregation stood and sang "God Be With You Till We Meet Again".  I don't think there was a dry eye in the congregation.  It was very touching and a real surprise.

  In Relief Society, they had asked the week before when I was out of town for all of the Sisters to write a note to us.  They presented the notes in a really nice folder and then we took this picture.  Several Sisters came and told me they were going to miss us, but they were more upset that I never was able to teach the bread making class.  I was asked to teach it in February but had to go to the USA for my father's funeral and we had not rescheduled it.  I would have had them over to my home if I would have known they wanted to learn.

Elder Letort invited his grandparents who live an hour away in Strasbourg France to come and hear his farewell talk on Sunday.  He asked if I would have them for lunch after Church.  We had a lovely visit with them and really enjoyed having them in our home.  He is really ready to be going home this week.  So, I tried to use up food for the dinner and came up with this Berry Cream Torte to serve for dessert.  It is a yellow cake split in half, chocolate cream cheese layer, then a berry layer, then cream and topped with the second cake half in a springform pan.  Sliced,  I topped it with more berries and cream.  

Berry cream Torte

I just have to cook for District Council on Monday and I am done cooking until we arrive in Vienna.

 This is our final District picture for the District.  It was a really nice meeting and a little different because we have Elder Carroll and Elder Letort going home and us transferring to Vienna.  So we each bore our testimonies and wrote in each others missionary books.  They have been a great group of missionaries to work with.  We will really miss being a part of a District.  The Sloppy Joes were a hit - they ate the whole pot full and we ended with homemade granola bars. 

We received a call early Monday morning before we left for Singen from a Ward member.  They really wanted us to visit them before we left.  We told them we just really did not have time as they live deep in the Black Forest.  Then we told her we would be driving home from District Council in the afternoon and would be coming in the area of their home and could stop by to say good-bye.  She was elated and said they wanted to show us something and it would only take 1 hour.  So we left Singen and drove to their home and the Adventure began!

 The last time we visited their home was during a snow storm.  They are wonderful people and they were so excited that we came to see them.  She then told us that she had made dinner and wanted us to stay for dinner and also to go see this special place.  We asked how long it would take and they said about 30 minutes.  So we followed them in their car and thought we were just going down the road a ways.  It was a 30 minute drive to get to the first place on their list! 

 He is a hunter in the forest and their home is filled with stuffed animals - his trophies.

We had no idea where we were going and just knew we were going further into the forest and we were committed at this point.  It did not disappoint.  Out in the middle of nowhere, we came upon this little village and in the middle of it is this huge square with
DOM ST. BLASIEN built in the 1770's .  It burned in the 1870's and was rebuilt and most recently renovated in 1980's. 

 It is one of the largest dome churches in Europe.  It was beautiful.  It is amazing to me how they built these - and where they built them.  Today it is the Church and also a large school. 

Inside Dome

Organ

Russ by marble pillar

Bridge crossing to Dome

 The inside was pure marble.  It was massive and very beautiful.  We also got to hear an organist practicing for a concert on Tuesday. 

River around city center

We were so glad they wanted to show us this beautiful place.  We were a little concerned about the time and said we needed to get back on the road.  They said the next stop was on the way back to their home.  We said we really did not have time for dinner and she said, but I have it all ready for when we get back.  So on we went.

We drove another 30 minutes in a different direction, but who really knows when you are in the middle of the Black Forest and driving up and down mountains and don't really know where you are.  Again, we were worried about how long it was taking and we had so much to do.  Once again, it was a charming place and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

 This was the entrance to a park and small zoo with amazing woodcarvings from trees.  I had never seen anything like it.  The wood carver is a good friend of these people and they love showing the area to people.  We were amazed at what we were seeing.  At this point the Elder's had to call and cancel an appointment they had and they said, it is OK, we are on another adventure with The Grimmett's!

 These characters (not us) were some of my favorites.  The owls were so interesting.  I had not seen so many owl  up close.  The way they turn their heads is fascinating.  Again, it was a treat to see all that they were showing us.  It was a large fish hatchery and we also got to see a lot of fish.  They have a restaurant and hotel there and specialize in their fresh fish.

Friendly Goats

Owl aviary

Beautiful white owl

 Elder Brown getting a little close with the Goats.  It is fun that they let you in to just roam with the goats.  He had a captive audience - if only he could get the people on the street to listen to him like the goats did!




So we returned to their home and now it had been about three hours and so she just put her homemade spring rolls and other food in a dish and sent it home with us to eat.  It was a wonderful day, but we lost the whole afternoon to pack and take care of things.

 Tuesday afternoon we said good-bye to our Frenchman, Elder Letort.  We grew to love him and his French humor.  We have a new appreciation for the French.

We left the train station and headed to Lahr to welcome the new Senior couple and give them the keys to their apartment.  They had flown all night from the USA and then drove from Munich and were very tired.  We only stayed a minute so they could get some rest and we would come back on Wednesday to exchange cars and orient them.  On the drive home - another detour but beautiful drive - we came upon this huge herd of deer.  The deer here are very small.

 Wednesday, the day for final good-byes to places that have become very dear to us.  We had one last picture at the Institute - A great Experience that we will always cherish.  We met and served with wonderful Young Adults.

 The Garden at Robert Bosch College was our next stop.  We wanted to just stop and see how it was growing.  A pleasant surprise was that they were having a special day for visitors that they do once a month on a Wednesday and Jana was there  so we were able to say good-bye.  A tender mercy.  We really enjoyed getting to know her and working with her.  She is a volunteer director of the Garden.

 The potatoes are growing and we hope producing a lot of potatoes.  They will harvest in the Fall.  They do not irrigate this part of the garden and just rely on the rainfall.  We have had a lot of rain this year and so the garden is doing well.

 Have you ever seen a blue tomato?  Yes, they are almost purple black and they say they are really good.  We could not pick as they use the first ones for seeds and then they let volunteers come in and pick.  They also grown tomatillos, not grown in other areas and not available in stores.  I am sorry I will not be here to harvest and make fresh tomatillo dressing for a Cafe Rio Salad.

This has been a happy place for us and we have really enjoyed the people and the service that we have given.  They were very appreciative of the work that we did.

 We then went to dinner at a restaurant that we have been trying to go to since May.  They specialize in Schnitzel and it is always booked.  We were able to get in today and it was some of the best we have had.  The Texas Chicken Fried Steak is good, but I would have to say this is a step above - they have mastered the breading and the potatoes they serve tops it off.  It was a good day amid all of the packing and cleaning.

We hurried home just in time to drop me off and Russ headed to the train station to pick up our Elder's.  We have a new Elder from Lindon Utah.  This is his first day in the mission and we gave him a warm welcome with Dinner at the corner Kabap Shop that we had them bring to our apartment and eat and then they finished off the berry cream torte from Sunday.  They helped us load the car and they were off to home as it was past 9:00 PM.  So - a long day and a whole lot accomplished.

Vienna here we come!

 This song is playing in my mind -
"All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go . . .
Don't know when I'll be back again,
Oh babe, I hate to go"

So, the journey begins.  It did not take us long to really miss our other car.  Google maps said it was an 8 hour drive to Vienna.  We thought we were only driving about 5 hours the first day and the other 3 hours on Friday.  It took us 5 hours to get to Munich because of construction detours and traffic.

 Last pictures in Freiburg.  We are finding that we already miss our apartment with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.  Our new apartment is 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom.  No parking garage and a lot more walking.  We decided we started in Zion and now we are experiencing the real mission life. 
This was just down the street from our apartment and at the entrance to the highway.  It was always the marker to know we were almost home.  We loved living by the Dreisam River and especially this year with water in it all summer. 

 I will always love this view as you start into the Black Forest.  We never tired of the drive and the beauty that was found there in every season.

We arrived in Munich at 3:00 and that was our first stop after leaving.  We had to pick up paperwork for our new Visa's and car.  We got back on the road, just in time for rush hour traffic.  It took us over an hour to get out of Munich.  We are always just driving through and have never had time to stop and see some of the nice places in Munich.  We would have liked to visit the BMW museum and also Olympic Park that is just across the street.  We thought we only had three hours to Vienna but it was 3 hours to Passau where we had a reservation to spend the night. 

Passau on the Danube River

Markers in sidewalk of home of  Jews

 We arrived in Passau about 7:00 pm and met our friends, Elder and Sister Meacham who are serving their mission there.  We went to dinner at a wonderful restaurant overlooking the River and the city and then walked through the city at night.  It was a beautiful city.  It is where the Danube, Inn and Ilz Rivers come together.  Known as the Three Rivers City, it is overlooked by the Veste Oberhaus, a 13th-century hilltop fortress.  It is home to St. Stephen's Cathedral, featuring distinctive onion-domed towers and one of the largest pipe organs in the world with 17,974 pipes.  We were not able to go in and see it as it was too late. 

 It is Holiday time in Germany and Austria until the middle of September.  I tried to find a Hotel and they were all booked until October.  I finally found an AirBnB in this wonderful castle about 10 miles outside of Passau.  It was a golden nugget.  It was truly a fairy tale.  We stayed at Die Neuburg am Inn.  It began in December 1676 with the marriage of Eleonara von Pfalz-Neuburg and Kaiser Leopold I.
It has been restored and has two hotels a museum, University college for Tourism and marketing, Restaurant, Reception Center, etc. and further renovations are in process. 

wood beams in foyer

 This was the landing leading to our room.  We were in the building that was probably the servants quarters.  The view of the gardens from our room was wonderful.

 The gardens had the Callot-Figuren (1592-1635) statues in it.  This is the same artist who has figures in Salzburg that I posted back in September last year.  They were placed in this garden in 1990 by Karl Mader. 

Building we stayed in

 This is the Church and is currently being renovated.  Part of it is used for receptions and other gatherings.  This is part of the main castle buildings.

 Outer Wall of Main buildings.  It sits on a large hilltop overlooking the river that served as a natural mote.  It is a very steep drop-off on both sides. 

 We arrived late and could not see anything until morning.  We spent a little while walking the grounds and enjoying the wonderful morning.  It was well worth the 15 minute drive out of the city.  We continue to have wonderful adventures as we travel.

 The drive to Vienna is beautiful.  Lots of farm land and hills.  Lots of green, but not the pine trees of the Black Forest.  You come out of the hills into the city and it is actually very nice.  Austria has traffic cameras on most of the autobahn.  The speed limit is 130 km for most of the way.  It is not like it was 40 years ago when we were here and there was no speed limit and NO Cameras.  We arrived at Noon and that gave us 1 hr. to get to the city building and register and try to get a parking pass for the car.  We made it just in time to get registered in the city - you are given 3 days to register in a city and that has to be done before you can do anything else - including a parking pass, mail service, internet, tram passes, etc.  We then tried to get a parking pass and did not have the correct paperwork from the mission office.  We had to find a parking garage that was available weekly and park until we can get it worked out. 

 This is our apartment building.  We are located on the 5th floor in the 3 windows on the left.  Bedroom, living room and kitchen windows. 
We spent all day Saturday getting settled.  We found 3 grocery stores within walking distance and others a bus ride and walking.  We have walked and walked today.  This is a very big city and I thought we walked a lot in Freiburg!  It is an adjustment going from a 2 bedroom 2 bath apartment to a 1 bedroom 1 bath apartment.  We got everything unpacked and the kitchen set up so I am ready to go. 

Elevator

 We are so grateful for the Elevator.  We have decided we will walk down the stairs everyday and ride the elevator up.  It is about 70 stairs and we went down them about 4 times today.  They are in a circle and you get a little dizzy walking down them.  We were grateful to have 4 Elder's come and help us unload the car.  It only took two trips and we were all unloaded. 

Russ, christening the door!

 We found it is going to be more expensive for food and especially meat - good thing we don't eat meat every day!  It will take us a little time to find the best places and get back into a routine with shopping.  I will not be cooking as much here and that should help. 

We went into the city center for dinner tonight.  We went to a restaurant that was one of our favorites 40 years ago and they still had their famous chicken and fried potatoes on the menu.  Yes, that is what we both ordered.  Comfort food.  It was a nice way to end the first full day here.

This is the Weiner Mozart Konzerte haus.  It is a big tourist area and the city was filled with tourists.  We met a family who was visiting from Miami Florida. 

So, not a lot of missionary work this week and yet we did a lot with the missionaries and supporting their efforts.  We are looking forward to meeting all of the missionaries in the next few days.  We start at the Institute on Monday and things don't seem to be slowing down any. 
I am grateful for all of the experiences I have had in my life that have prepared me and continue to bless me in all that I do.  I feel at peace here and I am looking forward to this new chapter in my life.  I know the Lord will continue to bless us.  In my morning Scripture study I was studying in Acts 22-28, Paul's experiences are an inspiring reminder that when the Lord's servants accept His call to "go...and teach all nations, He will fulfill His promise to them.  Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."  I know this to be true.  He has blessed us so much as we serve and teach.  Pres. Thomas S. Monson said, "When we are on the Lord's errand we are entitled to the Lord's help."  I am grateful for this knowledge and know that He has sent us here for a wise purpose that we do not yet fully understand, but we are ready and willing to serve and do the work.  I hope you will enjoy the adventure with us for the next 9 months.
Viel Liebe,
The Grimmett's