Busy

Did we mention in the last blog post that we are really busy?  Of course we did.  What we didn’t realize when we said that, is that, what we thought was busy for us, seems to be getting even more busy, especially, as time gets shorter before we leave our mission.

We still have over 6 months left, but then we think about all that we want to accomplish and there’s just not enough time to do it all.

We still have not had our meeting with the Area Presidency.  Hopefully that will come about this next Tuesday.  Then we will share the details of what our pilot program was all about.  In preparation that we will get approval to go forward, we have been busy getting things arranged so that we can start off running.

Wednesday of next week is our Senior Missionary Zone Conference.  We’ve been busy preparing for that - organizing and preparing talks.

I’m flying to the States to attend my son's wedding in a few weeks.  I am so happy for him and for her. What a wonderful married couple they will make.  Their relationship has a firm foundation of trust, matching personalities, similar dispositions and thoughts and a strong, stable desire to be together.  Those qualities are important to have for a strong and enduring marriage.

In preparation for flying home for a few days, I want to take home some things I won’t need for the rest of our mission.  Some of the items are the electronics I need to finish the Oma and Opa Show. We’ve been extremely busy filming the scenes and I've been busy doing the editing.  Almost every free moment is taken up with that.



So, downtime has to be carefully planned.  For instance, one day we left at about 7:00 AM to travel to Hannover, Germany.  Most of the day was spent visiting the Stake Center to see how their technology equipment is set up.  Then another 3 1/2 hour ride back home.  We decided to squeeze in a visit to a local castle.  It was a modern castle built in the mid 1800's.  Interesting history; the owner was not able to live in it much after completion.

On another occasion, we had a fun time in our Zone Family Home Evening.  Family Home Evenings for the zone are scheduled twice a month.  This one had an activity.  It was a form of charades using different groups.

Our team lost but, as you can see in the upper right, Sister van Hoff was really enjoying herself.

So, have we been busy?  Yeah, we've been busy, but it is a good busy.

News

It has been a busy time for us. (Have I said this before in the blog?  I'm sure I have because we always seem to be busy.)

So, I'm going to divide this up into 3 categories: Zone Leader News, Europe Area Assignment News, and Personal News.

Zone Leader News: As Zone Leaders we have been personally visiting the other missionary couples. We have noticed a common thread from each of our visits. Even though some of these couples appear to do their job in the office and then spend the rest of their time sightseeing and enjoying themselves, we have found that not to be accurate. We are amazed at all the things they are doing behind the scenes. To give you some examples, one sister has a goal to appropriately give out pass-along cards. She searches for potential people to give them to and contemplates hard to find the right words to say. She does this everywhere she goes. She admitted to us that doing this is way out of her comfort zone.

There is a couple who oversee the missionary couples in Europe that organize and teach Self-Reliance. They are working hard and after normal hours to arrange classes where they can teach those in nearby units. Another couple is serving in primary and they are dealing with challenging children. They have been seeking through diligent prayer how best to help these kids. There are others who are struggling with family issues back home or health issues of their own.

What we have learned, too, is the faith that these missionaries have had to develop in order to be here on their missions. It's a far cry from just having a fun time.

We have also initiated a "Find the Lost Sheep" program and ministering within our zone.  I was really impressed at how quickly the senior couples took to ministering. Within days of receiving their assignments from us, they were contacting the missionary couple they were to minister to. We've even heard of them learning that they had common interests that they hadn't realized.

As for the "Find the Lost Sheep," Sister van Hoff and I were given a list of about 20 members that could not be found. We asked if any couples would like to participate in helping to find these people. Five couples stepped forward. Each is very excited to begin.

See what I mean about these missionaries? They are wonderful and amazing.

Europe Area Assignment News:  We are so excited about how our pilot program is going. Again, it is too early to tell you the details, but we can tell you this much--the response from those involved have been overwhelmingly positive. We have prepared our presentation to give the Europe Area Presidency the results of the pilot. The DTA has approved the presentation and we are now on the schedule to give that presentation to the Presidency later this month.

Once the Presidency makes a decision on this pilot, we will share that with you and describe in more detail what we are trying to do.

Skoubyes and us in front of the Temple in Bern

Personal News:  Yesterday we got back from Switzerland. We and Elder and Sister Skoubye spent a couple of days there. Our main purpose was to spend a day at the temple in Bern. What a great experience that was. We were able to do a lot of temple work and that was great, but even greater was the strong spirit we basked in during our time in the temple and the couple of miracles we experienced.

In the Celestial Room, while quietly praying, I asked the Lord to convey to me what He wanted me to know. I did my best to clear my mind to receive whatever message He had. Without going into detail, suffice it to say, his message to me was unexpected but touching. The strength of the Spirit I felt during this was overwhelming.

The miracles had mostly to do with the Skoubyes. Again, I can't get into much detail here, but there has been a situation that has weighed heavy on them for a long time now. Temple prayers were offered up that day regarding that situation. Before we left the temple, they received confirmation in the form of a text, that things were changing for the good. It was clear from the information they received that the Lord was intimately involved in making that change.

A cloudy day at the temple

Another small miracle happened upon our return from the temple. Diane and I were fixing dinner and the Skoubyes came in from getting a few things from the store.  As they entered, she informed us that somehow she lost her wallet and passport. They had searched the car completely. Their only thought is that she might have lost it at the temple.

We tried to call the temple, but no one answered. As tired and hungry as they were (it was about 7:30 PM), they decided they needed to drive back to the temple and hope to get in before it closed. To get there and back would take well over an hour.

We had a prayer.  During the prayer the Spirit witnessed to me and to Sister Skoubye that the items would be found.

They went out to the car. I tried to call the temple once more to see if I could save them the long trip. Someone answered and then hung up. I immediately ran out to the car to tell them that we should call again. While I was dialing, Sister Skoubye once again searched the car and this time found the items. Miracle?  Maybe, maybe not, but it certainly was an answer to a prayer.

We were able to do a little sightseeing while we there and on the way back. We stopped in a tiny town to take a picture of the main street. A man walked up to us and, in German, told us that there is a castle up the hill on this side street. We took off up the hill. It wasn't an old castle, but the things we saw were awesome.  Here are several pictures.

Cathedral in Bern

House down the street in Gampelen from where we stayed.

Front entrance and dining room of the place we stayed.

Erlach Main Street

Overlooking Erlach

What we found on top of the hill.

Bern, Switzwerland

On top of the hill.  These are all residents.  Kids were playing 

in the streets and there were no tourists.

On our way home we stopped at this covered bridge.  It was huge.

That is Diane and Sister Skoubye is way down there.

Master Weaver

We have often heard the analogy of a master weaver intricately weaving a beautiful tapestry. This analogy describes how the Lord works in our lives. Sometimes we are able to step back and look at the big picture and see just a glimps of that intricate work. Lately we have had those opportunities. We'll share a few of them.

When a missionary couple arrives there is a lot of preparation on our part as zone leaders. Once we receive the notice that they are coming, we email them things they need to know. We also video conference with them to answer any questions they might have and to tell them what to expect. We need to make sure the apartment is ready, the computers and phones are ready, their work station is ready, and we determine which car will be theirs. We also have to coordinate who will pick them up at the airport and which vehicle to pick them up in. And then there is lining up which missionary couples will invite them over for dinner during their first week, and who will show them around the apartment or take them on their first grocery shopping expedition. Finally, we arrange a meeting with them a few days after getting here to orient them with the rules and lifestyle here in Germany.  That's the norm. It does not include all the extra little emergencies or last minute adjustments that come up.

One day last week we were getting prepared to pick up a new missionary couple the next day. The elder of the couple they would be replacing asked us to join him to confirm which pool van we would be using to drive to the airport. With keys in hand we walked over to parking lot where the pool vehicles are parked. As we were walking, the elder got a phone call. It was the Area President.  Word had just come in that the arriving couple announced that his mother was dying. The arriving couple were told to stay back to be with his mother until she passed away. All our plans had just been postponed.

We still proceeded to check on the van. As it turned out, we got the keys to the wrong van and the right van could not be found.  This meant that another layer of work was just put on us. We were already busy with our normal office work assignment and our zone leader work.  Now, not only did we need to make changes to the plans we had for the arrival of these new missionaries, but we had to solve the missing van and wrong keys dilemma.

As we walked back to the office, we knew we needed to talk to the individual who in charge of fleet vehicles. He works in an office in another town. Lo and behold, who comes walking up to us?  Yep, it was the fleet manager and all was resolved within minutes.

I'm convinced that the Lord intricately arranged everything to happen precisely as clock work to help us through this little incident.

Want to hear another one?  I'll be brief.  One missionary couple came out less than a half a year ago and had to leave the mission for medical reasons.  Why would their mission be cut short?  Wouldn't the Lord have known that they would not be able to stay?

Here is where it gets interesting.  The elder saw doctors and had surgery before coming out.  He continued to have problems even though the doctor said he would feel better over time. Nevertheless, he didn't. So while here, he saw a German doctor. They ran some scans which were reviewed by the doctors here and a specialist in Salt Lake. It so happens that the specialist was a member of their ward in Utah and knew of his health issues. He advised them to come home for surgery. In the several months they were here in Germany, a doctor who is world renowned for the surgical procedure required moved to their area in Utah.

This one is not so intricate, but is still special This elder had to come to Germany to have his scan sent to Utah for the missionary doctor to  diagnose his problem. Somehow, while this was going on, a doctor moves into the state and happens to be the right doctor for this type of operation.

So, put that intricate weave together. Want one more?

A young sister missionary gave a pass-along card to a guy while she was serving in Nurnberg, Germany. A short time after that she was transferred to Frankfurt. She finished her mission and went back home. Several months later she came back to Germany with some friends to visit the areas she served in.

While she was visiting Frankfurt she ran into an elder who was attending a missionary conference.  This elder was there for only a day. The city he was serving in was Nurnberg. He told her that just the week before a man was baptized and thought that she would be excited to hear about it since she was the one who found him. She had no idea who the elder was talking about.

Biking to a nearby town.

It turned out that this was the guy she gave the card to. He had misplaced it, found it just six weeks ago, looked up the church and after talking to the missionaries was baptized.  Needless to say, she traveled to Nurnberg, met him, and talked with him for quite some time. Though she still doesn't remember giving him the card, what a special moment that must have been for both of them.

Think of the weaving of this one.  This sister comes back to Germany a week after he is baptized and happens to meet the only missionary who could link the two together and that missionary happened to be at a conference that one day.

You can't tell my that all these incidents are coincidental.  There is a master weaver intricately weaving things together and creating a beautiful tapestry. Our Father in Heaven truly is amazing.

I've been riding my bike every Saturday for two hours.  I've been loving it.

Gratitude

In an earlier blog we predicted that when we were released as seminary teachers and were asked to become the next zone leaders, we would be moving from being very busy to being much more busy. Well, that prediction could not have been more true. Now, not only are we busy in the evenings and weekends taking care of zone issues, but much of that has crept into our time at the office, when we should be working on our ATS (area Technology Specialist) assignment.

Since we have become zone leaders, we have dealt with

• water contamination in the apartment complex where most of the missionaries live.
• a government agency informing us of three apartments in our complex had devices that emit non-compliant frequency signals.  Each of those apartments were occupied by missionary couples.

These two issues have been talked about in previous blogs. None have been definitively resolved, but enough time has transpired that we know (assume?) that everything is alright now.

Then we have had to deal with some policy changes and other issues where we felt we would get some negative feed back.

• We decided in consultation with the housing people that when there is overlap between missionaries coming and those leaving, it will be the departing missionaries who will have to go to temporary housing instead of the newly arriving couple.
• We asked all missionaries to inform us when and where they are traveling, whether for business or pleasure.
• Fleet asked us to inform the senior missionaries that black boxes will be installed in their cars.  The black boxes would report traffic violations and GPS locations to fleet managers.
• Just yesterday there was a temporary power outage at the apartment building - meaning no elevator to the 11th floor or anywhere in between.  Fortunately that lasted less than two hours.

When we accepted this assignment as zone leaders, we were told that we needed to wear thick skins and that senior missionaries will do what they want and will not always comply and that they are not shy to express their opinions. However, we are seeing just the opposite.

As for the policy issues, we did our best to explain to the missionaries in emails why there would be changes and waited for the feedback. We were surprisingly happy over the responses. There were a number of missionaries who questioned how the change would directly apply to them. They weren't complaint, but concerns. We addressed each one privately. Then came comments of support and recognition that these changes made a lot of sense and gratitude that we were implementing them. Even one of the missionaries who express a concern earlier, later wrote and told us that they supported us and that the change made sense.

Senior missionaries are a wonderful breed of saints. They really have a heart and a desire to serve. That really makes them special. We feel so grateful to be able to rub shoulders with them.

We would love to tell you all the exciting things going on with our technology group pilot program. Not only have we seen the hand of the Lord involved, but it is overwhelmingly exciting to see and hear the responses of those participating in the pilot. They are truly grateful for what we are doing.Unfortunately, it is too early to tell you any of the details. Hopefully, in a couple of months, we will be able to report our experiences in one of our blogs.

Can't publish a blog without a picture! 

Sister van Hoff on an early morning walk 

in the Hauptfriedhof (Main Cemetery).

We love you all and miss you dearly. May God continue to bless you and watch over you.

A Normal but Tasty Week

This past week was pretty much a normal week; trying to keep up with email and still being swamped with responsibilities of being Zone Leaders.

Being tech people, we did something that we've not heard done before. We met some of the senior missionary couples who will be arriving soon. We arranged a time to video conference with them. They seemed to be appreciative to see us, so that they will recognize someone when they arrive. They also had a lot of questions that we were able to answer.

During our early morning walks during the week we managed to pick a kilo of blackberries. This morning, Saturday, we picked another kilo and later in the morning I made blackberry jam.  In Germany they have Gelierzucker (sugar/pectin combo) made for putting up jams. You just need to know if it is a 2-to-1 or 1-to-1 ratio on the bag of sugar.

Here is a picture showing the amount of jam I was able to make. With the Gelierzucker, it's a lot simpler to make than in the States. The jam also has cinnamon and vanilla in it.

The zucchini was given to us by Sister Enger. Yes, it is huge. We meet each week during the summer at her Kleingarten for our German Culture Class.  I will be making, and sharing with her, a chocolate zucchini cake.

Jam on peanut butter on rice cake.

By lunch time the jam was cool enough to taste.  Ohhh, yeahhhhh!!!! Pretty good.

Next week we are meeting with our newest pilot group from Hungary and Romania. We are so excited about how the Lord has blessed us in this effort.

Timing

It has been an interesting couple of weeks.  We told you in the last blog that we were asked to be the new Zone Leaders and on the very day we officially functioned as such, we had a report of Legionelle bacteria found in the apartment complex we and most of the other missionary couples live in.

Even though we have not yet received notification that the bacteria is all gone, yet another event happened.  Last week, a satellite truck positioned itself in the Europe Area Office's parking lot.  It was trying to find what was causing frequency interference.  They eventually narrowed it down to our apartment complex.  Taking in portable frequency detectors they found three apartments that supposedly have non-compliant devices.

Yep, the three apartments turned out to be three of our missionary couples.

Evidently, some devices built in America that emit a frequency signal interfere with the emergency and telephone signals here in Germany.  We scrambled to notify all missionaries that this government agency might be returning the next day to test again and that, if anything was found, a fine of thousands of euros could be issued.

The devices are typically phone bases for cordless phones, but it could also be things like baby monitors, wireless headphones, and remote control toys.  Interestingly enough, one device that was found had been in the missionaries' apartment before they arrived.  Evidently brought by a missionary who had once served.

A comment was mentioned to us the other day that the Lord waited for us to become Zone Leaders because of our background.  That does make sense.  Who better to understand and handle contaminated water than a wastewater treatment guy?  Who better to understand technology issues than two missionaries who are assigned to work with technology?  Sister van Hoff and I each have organizational skills, although hers is better developed than mine.

We could ask, "Why did the Lord have to put these events on us and especially so quickly in our assignment?" But, instead, we are grateful that the Lord trusted us enough to handle those situations for his missionaries.

For Independence Day, we gathered together as senior missionaries for a cookout.  The senior couple responsible for the event did an outstanding job: patriotic music, games, talks, etc.  A lot of the missionaries remarked how wonderful it was.

The Sisters at the cookout.

The elders at the cookout.  I'm in dress clothes because

 of a video conference scheduled for later that evening.

Yesterday, Elder Skoubye and I took a one-hour bicycle ride.  He showed me a place which was a huge park and some wooded areas.  It was a great ride, but in getting lost coming back the one-hour ride took 2-1/2 hours.  Other than being exhausted all day, I've not seen any ill effects.  Yet!!!

Elder Skoubye under an artistic bridge.

Here is a beautiful landscaped section of river we biked. On our bike ride.
We had an exciting week this week with the events of our pilot program.  I'd share them with you, but I think I'll keep the details until later. (Guess you'll just have to continue to read our blogs to find out.)  I will say this much, we received spiritual direction on forming a third pilot group.  It wasn't until we met with the facilitator for that group that we realized how inspired that spiritual direction was.

Eventful Events

This past week has been flurry of a variety of events.

Starting with Sunday, we went to visit a family we were assigned to minister to. He is German, she is from the Ukraine, and they have little children who speak, Russian, German, and English. We were told that English is used for everyone to understand what is being said. What a wonderful family they are and, guess what? They live within walking distance for us. You can't beat that.

Monday morning being Zone Leaders became a reality. We had a 2-hour orientation from the previous Zone Leaders that took 3 hours. It would have lasted longer and covered more, but after 3 hours we felt overwhelmed with all we need to do.

That afternoon, a senior elder approached us and informed us that there was something posted in the apartment elevators and it had to do with water. It turned out to be a notification that Legionella bacteria was detected at moderate levels when a routine analysis of the water was performed.

Doing some research and informing our Area Medical Advisor (senior missionary) we scurried to inform all those who should know. Not all of the senior couples live in our apartment building and then there are senior couples and young missionaries in the building that are not in our zone. Our Medial Advisor did a great job in not only informing us what the risk factors were but also advised what precautions we needed to take. Evidently the bacteria thrives in warm water and if moisture is breathed in it can cause respiratory illnesses like Legionnaires Disease.

All week, we had to inform others as more information became available. In short, the building owners treated the water later in the week by raising the temperature to extremely hot levels (158 degrees F). Another test was done but the bacteria was still found on the 12th (top) floor. We are sure that we will be still involved with this for a little longer.

Wednesday evening, I got involved with a member service project. A member moving here from Italy needed his rental home painted. Most of the painting was done on previous days. When I got there, only the member and I painted for about an hour until one other person showed. Obviously there weren't enough people to do much talking and it didn't help when the other member showed and they spoke Italian to each other. Still it felt great to be of service and have a change of the normal routine.

Friday evening we held a cottage meeting at our apartment for an investigator. Again, language was a small barrier. He speaks fluent French and Arabic, some German, and less English. However, he seemed to enjoy himself. In fact, I invited him out to the ward cookout that next day.

Originally he said he couldn't make it because he had another appointment, but he wound up coming out. The appointment was changed.

We are the International Ward.  Just in this

picture I see members born in America, China, England, Portugal, and Spain

Master Grillers

We really enjoyed the cookout. Maybe me more than Sister van Hoff. With her eating restrictions it is difficult to find something to eat. I enjoyed the food, but more than that, I enjoyed talking to the members. Having taught seminary and being involved with other members because of missionary work, we have gotten to know a lot of the members of this ward.

We are truly blessed to be here. By the way, I wrote an article for our senior missionary newsletter. It was a message from the Zone Leaders. In essence, I encouraged the missionaries to extend themselves beyond their missionary assignment and create their own missionary experiences. In other words, "Make your own mission."

We have been doing just that and loving it.