Mission in Europe

Finally some family in Germany

2012-01-23T12:30:00.000-08:00

We are so excited that we finally met up with my brother Craig and his wife Lynette who are beginning their service at a Center for Young Adults in Leipzig, Germany. That is located about 3 1/2 hours to the north and east of Frankfurt. We drove up last weekend and spend a couple of days together.
They are serving in a fabulous Center in the heart of the city near the historical and market center. So consequently the missionaries find alot of young people to bring to the Center to teach.

Craig and Lynette gave us the grand tour around the area to see the amazing buildings and architecture. It is a beautiful city with such interesting things. They have really gotten their feet on the ground quickly and know their way around quite well with trains and street cars. We had a yummy dinner together in one of the old restored government buildings.

We had a training meeting with local leaders, other Center couples and 3 amazing young single adults. Things are running quite smoothly with a lot of YSAs involved and active at the Center.

Craig and Lynette have such a good assignment and have already endeared themselves with the YSAs. They will be a tremendous support to the young adults there and will touch so many lives. The Lord has sent the perfect couple to the perfect place for them to have amazing experiences and bless lives. And we are so happy to have them in the "neighborhood". We love you guys. Thanks for having the courage and faith to come and serve this mission.

A Christmas to Remember

2011-12-27T13:33:00.000-08:00

Being in the mission field at Christmas definitely has it's pros and cons. We had some beautiful experiences, but each time we watched family produced DVDs or listened to our grandchildren singing Christmas carols or sharing their Christmas eve activities, we would dissolve into a blubbering twosome. But this will most assuredly be a Christmas that we will reflect upon often with joy and good memories.
One of our favorite parts about a German Christmas season is the bounteous Christmas markets, which I have posted about before. Our final, and FAVORITE, was to a little town about 45 minutes away called Rudisheim. It is located along the Rhine river and we loved it in the summer when we went on the river cruise. It was decorated and lit up so festive and had wonderful things to enjoy (and buy). Stopping for refueling with delicious hot chocolate was a must.

Christmas eve morning we enjoyed a fun and yummy Christmas brunch with 35 other dear friends/missionaries. It was like none other with a crepe bar, cheese blitz bar, waffle bar and an array of other fruits and egg dishes. These missionary couples know how to have a good time. We had a fun gift exchange and lots of chatting.

Then in the evening we jumped on the U-bahn and went downtown to the pealing of the bells (10 churches ring bells in unison for 30 minutes). It is quite the tradition here and it was fun to join the mob along the river and in the town square.

And our own quiet personal time together with special Christmas traditions and loving skype calls with all our dear ones made this a warm and peaceful occasion.

It is such a blessing while serving a mission to be able to be somewhat removed from the stress and commercial demands and have a deeper and more personal relationship with the Savior and feel his tender mercies and love during the time of celebration of his birth.

Return to Scotland

2011-12-27T08:54:00.000-08:00

We had the wonderful opportunity to return to Edinburgh, the glorious mission for Allan and Karli. We were asked to come and present to a mission conference and do some training. We were privileged to stay in the beautiful mission home that both Karli and Allan passed through. It is an old 1800's Scottish home that has been beautifully refurbished. Pres. & Sister Griffiths were so kind and hospitable.

We had a few hours one day to do some sightseeing at the Edinburgh castle, Princess street and the Royal Mile. It was all that Allan remembered and more.

What a blessing it was to spend a few days reliving the wonder of Scotland and listening to their marvelous accents and meeting the good Scottish saints.

Surviving Cape Verde

2011-12-14T04:17:00.000-08:00

We just returned from the land of Cape Verde.....you might ask, where is that? Well it is a group of islands off the west coast of Africa and once belonged to Portugal, thus it is in our Europe Area jurisdiction. The church is thriving there; much like Brazil 30 years ago. The people are of African decent but speak Portuguese or Creole. We have 5 Centers there on 4 islands and were asked to go and do training with church leaders and YSAs. It takes about as long to fly there as back to the U.S. (and it is a night flight).
Our first day we were driven to the far side of the main island which is Praia. We visited a small Branch there and saw some amazing volcanic mountains and valleys.

The people in the countryside were beautiful and reminded me so much of India with their simple lifestyle.

This sweet little lady (carrying the LIVE chicken) snuggled right up for a picture and had a gigantic smile when we gave her a few cents.

Anyone interested in a fresh tuna for dinner??

Life in the big cities is quite different. We have nice meetinghouses where we conducted training meetings with local and missionary couples and YSA leaders who were fantastic. Of course every word we spoke had to be translated which made things a bit more challenging but when the spirit speaks heart to heart, all who are present (particularly us) are inspired.

We flew to Mindelo, which is another island with a large church population to do training and visits. There again we found beautiful YSAs who are faithful in missionary work and activation.

A cute local girl who shared our taxi.

We held a training conference one day with the Mission President and our 3 Advisor couples for Centers for Young Adults in the Cape Verde islands. Here again we encountered mostly Portuguese speakers but were blessed with divine translation.

The local food was lovely.

What a grand experience we had with these simple, faithful and beautiful saints. They are embracing the gospel in large numbers and moving forward with happier and more focused lives. What lessons we learned by being in their homes, meetings and country.

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas in Germany

2011-12-04T12:55:00.000-08:00

It is so fun here during the Christmas season. It is so easy to feel the joy and enthusiasm the Germans have for the holiday. We have been going to Christmas markets the past 2 weeks. They begin everywhere the first of December and proceed to the 23rd. Our first stop was at a ward Christmas festival of some of our dear German friends. They had been making things all year to sell and good food for lunch. This sweet man works at the front desk in the Area office and lightens up our hearts every morning. His wife made tons of beautiful things to sell .

We then went to a small village nearby to an outdoor Christmas market. It was fun and cute and got us into the Christmas spirit.

One evening a group of couples got on the Ubahn and went downtown Frankfurt to the largest Christmas market in the area. It is unbelievable with hundreds of booths selling German sweets and food and a huge array of handmade decorations. There were thousands of people there and proved to be very festive but crazy crowded.

Friday the Area Presidency gave a Christmas devotional for all the missionary couples and employees working in the Area offices. It was a lovely devotional with our regional choir singing and the Area Presidency speaking. Elder Causse, 1st counselor in the Area Presidency, is a professional pianist and he played a magnificent Christmas hymn. Following was a yummy catered dinner. We feel so blessed to be working with such wonderful people here.

So we are off to a happy and interesting Christmas season here in Germany. There is excitement in the air and feelings of love and harmony abide. I know as we turn our minds and hearts and actions to worshipping the Savior Jesus Christ we will feel great joy during this season.

Much to be THANKFUL for....

2011-11-24T09:39:00.000-08:00

Today was a blessed Thanksgiving here in Germany. The Area couples spent the afternoon together and enjoyed a scrumptious feast. Allan and I were asked to organize the meal and everyone made delightful fixins' . We had 5 turkeys and ALL the trimmings (which we somewhat hard to come by here). Of course sharing the day with such wonderful and fun missionary couples made it that much more memorable.

Being able to serve this interesting yet challenging mission is such a blessing. How grateful we are for the amazing people we have met in lands afar and the impact they have had on our testimonies of the Lord's love for all his children. We often reflect on the closeness we feel to the Lord and recognize His hand of support in everything we are expected to do here. We are so thankful for the love and support we get continuously from our children and grandchildren as they share their lives and encourage us in our far away responsibilities. We are never alone here and relish our companionship as we work together here in so many ways. Our love and commitment to each other continues to grow as we serve together. This truly is a blessed day!

GOLD AND GREEN BALL

2011-11-12T08:35:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are old enough to know what a "Gold & Green" ball is , will appreciate this post. Here in Germany this "Ball" is alive and well and much anticipated. It was totally fun and they do go all out here with decorations, food and a really terrific band. Women come decked out in long gowns , as well as the young women. The realllllllllllly great thing is that EVERYONE is having a great time together. The YSAs, the Ym & YW and all the adults and the kids didn't seem to resent the "oldies" being there. It was one big party. The other amazing thing was to watch them dance. These Germans love to dance and are VERY PROFICIENT dancers with some very great moves!

We want to introduce some wonderful friends who were there. First, a couple of oldies who still love to dance.

Next are some of the couples who serve with us in the Area Office in a wide range of capacities.

Aren't they beautiful people. Next is our Bishop and wife from Portugal and our Stake President and his wife.

It was such a fun evening and everyone was so excited and happy to be dancing. We think we should "resurrect" the GOLD AND GREEN BALL when we return .

Just a couple of pictures from our deck of the beautiful fall colors here in Germany!!

Beautiful friends, beautiful places and a beautiful experience.

2011-11-07T11:43:00.000-08:00

We have been busy with training in unique places and meeting new and amazing people. We returned to Albania but to a different city in the south to train a couple who will be a great strength to the Branch and the Center there. It was a 3 hour drive to the city from Tirana where we stayed. We trained in the morning with 2 couples and the YSA leader and then had lunch together "on the beach" of the Adriatic Sea. I never imagined that Albania would have such a beautiful coastline.

Another beautiful person that we get to see each day in the front lobby of the office building is "Gabhi". She is a fiesty, funny and wonderful German lady who has a rich and interesting life and conversion story. She lives out near a "forest" and invited us out for a hike and dinner. What a fun experience to be in her home and learn more about her life. She is a sweetheart!!

We were blessed to be in the presence of President Uchtdorf on Saturday evening. He and his wife are in Germany and did a fireside in Frankfurt and the next night in Darmstadt. It was an amazing experience to feel his power and testimony and be taught up close and personal by this dynamic leader. He left us with an apostolic blessing that burned into our hearts. Following the meeting he stood and told everyone to not run off...he wanted to shake hands. So of course all 500 people swarmed forward . He shook our hands and told Allan "thank you for all you do." This was definately one of those once in a lifetime experiences.

Rottenburg, Germany

2011-10-25T11:28:00.000-07:00

This month for our missionary "cultural" activity we went to Rottenburg, a beautiful village about 100 miles from Frankfurt. It was bursting with local charm and culture. About 20 of us went and met there for lunch and strolling around the village. It is renown for having the largest year round Christmas store in Germany. It truly was a block long on 2 levels. A child would have been convinced he was in Santa's workshop.

In the afternoon we went on the "Night Watchman Tour". He usually does this after dark but we didn't want to stay that late so he took us earlier. He walked us around the village and gave a very dramatic history of the village and what happened during the Nazi invasion and other wars. We literally felt like we were in a time lapse.

It was a bit nippy that day, or down right freezing! So amidst our other shopping some of us succumed to the cute local "head gear". Doesn't it add to the charm of the day?

AMAGING PRAGUE

2011-10-17T12:54:00.000-07:00

We went to Prague, Czech to meet a new couple there who is working at a newly developed Center. It is in a beautiful location that was part of the former mission home and there are about 25 young adults attending. The mission President invited 3 other couples to come for the training in hopes of opening additional centers in the Czech Republic.

This last picture is of a pretty amazing situation. The cute Sisters met this Chinese young man who speaks little Czech or English but got him a Chinese B. of M. which he read twice and wanted to know more so the mission Pres. was able to hook him up via SKYPE with a mandarin speaking missionary in England who taught him. He flew to Prague on his way home from his mission and baptized the young man. Really a miracle.
We had a couple of 1/2 days to see Prague, and oh my.....it is so incredible. There is so much history still alive in the buildings, bridges, churches and stories. We could not begin to see it all but loved everything about this old and charming city. (beware of picture overload)

The church only has 5 Branches in the entire country but the missionaries work hard and the members are faithful (Karli could have done wonders here some 10 years ago). But we ran into several young people working in the city who had been exchange students to the U.S., one who joined the church while there. So once again, it was an amazing and culturally rich experience.

Beautiful Worldwide Saints

2011-10-03T04:13:00.000-07:00

Last week we hosted a conference for the Area Advisors of the Centers for Young Adults. These 10 couples are called as service missionaries in various geographic regions throughout Europe to "advise and shepherd" the Centers in their local. We were very inspired and impressed with their commitment and strength of testimony, experience in church leadership and enthusiasm. They came from Sweden, Belgium, England, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Cape Verde, and Germany.
Six of the couples were newly called so we held training meetings with teaching and discussion of the Guidelines and viewing of the new CfYA training DVD . We had lunch catered both days and had a lovely dinner at a local restaurant.

As we were dealing with so many countries, we had translating going on in German, French, Portuguese and Spanish. We were a bit worried that all would understand and grasp the meaning of so many details. But at the end of the conference we were PROFOUNDLY taught that the spirit reaches the "one" in all languages. As these beautiful people bore their testimonies (sometimes being translated into English and then on into several other languages) the spirit had truly taught all of us the message that the Lord needed conveyed. It was an inspiring experience.
It will be such a blessing to serve with these magnificient leaders in Europe.

SIX COUNTRIES IN SIX DAYS -- overload for us oldies!!

2011-09-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

BYU-Idaho is interested in making online bachelor degrees available to young church members in various parts of the world. So three of their administrators came to Europe for 10 days to talk with the Priesthood leaders and young adults about interest and workability. We were asked to be their "chaperones" and set up meetings in Stockholm, Albania, Italy, Barcelona, Portugal and Frankfurt. It proved to be an interesting and educational week, but after a few days we could hardly remember which country we were in---let alone who we were suppose to be meeting with next!!
It would appear that the most interest and need will be in Albania and Portugal and the hope is that the program will be available fto begin in the fall of 2012. The Centers for Young Adults will play a key role in that those taking online classes will meet once a week at a Center for group assignments.
This is the very fun and interested group in Albania.

Have to love the contrasts you can see in Albania.

Next we see some beautiful people in Milan, Italy. FYI....the couple who runs the Center there are friends with Rondaleen Specht.

Then on to Barcelona.....after the meeting they took us downtown to see a lazer light show that was goes on every Friday night. Quite spectacular.

This was a bullfight arena that has been converted to an amazing shopping mall---guess they like to shop more than watch the bulls!

Next stop Portugal. The Priesthood leaders here were very enthused about this program with the Area Seventy and two Stake Presidents in attendance. Following the meeting the Center couple cooked up a great dinner for about 50 of us--so impressive.

We had about 4 hours the next day to buzz around Porto and see the city and have a good Portuguese dinner. It is an old and beautiful city and the weather was perfect!

And so another rich and rewarding week draws to a close. We are working harder than we have since we retired some 8 years ago but we love this work and see the Lord's hand here strengthening and guiding the gospel in a multitude of ways.

Recent happenings....

2011-09-11T08:41:00.000-07:00

Well life here in the mission field continues to be busy, fun , challenging, rewarding and.......more.
The past month has been incredibly busy with training conferences and visits to new Centers and lots of fires to put out. Our committee recently approved the 149th Center for Young Adults so just managing the comings and goings of couples at these Centers can be mind boggling. But we love the work and meeting so many interesting and wonderful people. And of course the best part is the time (however small) we get to be with the great YSAs.

Our latest big project has been to help produce a training DVD to be used with new couples and Stake Presidents. We have set up filming in 4 or 5 countries of YSAs bearing testimony of the blessings they've experienced from participating in the Centers and they are really amazing. We also had to stage many of the aspects of organization and function of the Centers for filming. The Media division is nearly completed with editing and and music. We need the finished product for the Advisor Conference we are hosting the end of September. Twelve local couples in strategic geo. areas throughout Europe are Advisors to the Centers in their region (usually 15-20). Hope we're not boring you with details.
So sometime in the midst of all this we still manage to see the country and enjoy the people and sights. We went to a small town called Bad Vilbal for their summer festival and parade. It was so fun and interesting.

Of course these old timers weren't part of the parade...just enjoying the day.

Frankfurt is a very diverse and interesting city. It is the banking capital of Germany. The banking district has 13 skyscrapers and is only 15 minutes from our area. We have been to many parts of this big city but this was our first time there. One bank/skyscraper has a viewpoint outside at the top - 54th floor. From there we could see for miles in all directions.

These are the "twin towers" of Germany. The stock exhange is also here as well as the Maine River and the famous Domromer area where Hitler gave speeches during his reign of terror.

The Frankfurt Opera House can be seen from this vantage point and then we walked to the plaza where it is located.

One of our favorite things in every city in Europe is the sidewalk cafes where people just enjoy a meal and talk and enjoy watching others. It is so lovely , but it will be interesting how that works during a cold German winter!!

We are off this week with the BYU-Idaho administrators who will be presenting firesides in 6 countries to promote their online degree programs that they will soon offer young adults in Europe. It will be an exhausting six days but should be interesting and productive. More to come on that!!

Northern Germany

2011-08-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

This week we went to northern Germany to conduct 2 Couple Conferences. Our first was in Berlin with 6 couples who serve at Centers in a 200 mile radius. It was our first attempt at these mini conferences and it seemed to go really well. The couples are all doing such great work at their Centers---some are relatively new missionaries and others are nearing the end of their service. So we had some very valuable and interesting discussions about the success and challenges they face and we all learned a great deal. We had training in the morning and one of the couples prepared a lovely German lunch and then we concluded with discussion in the afternoon.

We spent the next day doing some sight seeing before we had to leave for the next location. Berlin has so much history and has made so many changes in MY lifetime. I kept thinking of Pres. Uchtdorf and his stories as we visited the Berlin Wall (iron curtain), Checkpoint Charlie where all the stories of escapes originate, and the buildings that withstood the bombings. We spent several hours at the Checkpoint museum reading about the trials that went on during that period. Such dark and dangerous days.

Berlin Wall

Border crossings

Where West Germans could sometimes go into East Berlin for visits. Where Pres. Monson would have crossed.

Berlin is the capitol and is quite a beautiful city with many waterways and beautifully restored buildings and modern sections. The church is quite strong in this part of Germany thanks to the brave and faithful few who endured behind the wall.

We then travelled to another city to do another conference with equally grand couples serving in Centers in the Hamburg region. It was so great to get to know all 12 couples who are blessing the lives of so many YSAs in Northern Germany. They are all so devoted....struggling to learn German and new customs but loving the young adults and their service for the Lord. We have to continue to pinch ourselves to believe the incredible experiences and lovely people that we are blessed to enjoy on this mission. Who would have "thunk".

Bro & Sis Fritsche are an example of a local couple who are still employed who have a Stake calling to serve at a Center. We are encourageing more of this as it is impossible to get enough missionary couples . They spoke just a little more English than we speak German so it was a bit of a challenge during training but we all laughed and used alot of sign language. Bless their hearts!!

A Day in the Life of Two Senior Missionaries

2011-08-21T12:42:00.000-07:00

We arise before the sun these days and gaze across the way at our office building that beckons our arrival. Luckily it is literally 100 steps from our front door, which will prove to be a great advantage come December in Germany.

We stroll hand in hand to another day of putting out small and large fires, trying to dodge the 100 emails that spew out when we fire up the computer and seeing what other new things the day will entail.

Each day we are blessed by happy faces, cheerful voices, stilted humor and words of encouragement from the great employees and fellow missionary couples. First inside the door we meet Peter at the front desk who always has the biggest smile and attempts to teach us a daily German phrase (to no avail).

Next we meet Queen Esther. She proudly stands at the top of the fourth floor stairwell where we are gasping for a breath before we reach our office. She quietly signals that once again, we have survived our climb to the top floor or more common referred to as the celestial kingdom!

Our office is such a busy but fun place, already packed with beautiful memories and lots to learn. You can see our map with dots for the 143 Centers throughout Europe, pictures of some of the "good news moments" from various YSAs, and of course our family wall of sweet pictures and letters from home.

We are blessed to share our day with incredible people. Elder and Sister Wells are in Family Services, Elder and Sister Leonard in Humanitarian Projects, Max who is our computer guru, and Elder and Sister Paxton, our best buds, who work with us and Seminary and Institute. With friends like this everyday is rewarding.

When it is lunch time we can gaze back across the lot to our apt. building......

or more often than not head for some favorite eatery.

Then back to the office for an afternoon with more excitement and good times. We are often blessed with inspired meetings with our Area Authority , Elder Teixeira who has such great vision for moving the work forward throughout Europe. He knows how to keep our feet to the fire in a productive yet gentle way. We feel so truly blessed with this mission assignment and honestly see miracles in our lives and those around us on a regular basis. The Lord is forever directing this work and how privileged we feel to be a very small part of His great plan.

2011-08-10T11:47:00.000-07:00

Last week we saw some friendly faces from home. Steve and Gayle Hilliard were in Germany and stopped in Frankfurt for a day trip down the Rhine river with us. It was so fun to catch up and reminisce about our friends in Corcoran Branch. Steve joined the church shortly after leaving Corcoran and they have 5 children and now live in Springville.

We went to our first YSA Conference outside of Munich. It was held in a beautiful countryside conference center with about 450 attending. It was so well planned and offered workshops, had a great day of service in local communities, sports days and dances. It was great to feel their enthusiasm, energy and beautiful spirits. One dance was "Hollywood"--interesting theme for Germany. But they were dressed so cute and having so much fun.

On our way to the conference we stopped in Munich for the afternoon at the Olympic Park and the BMW plant and museum. Both were so interesting and different. This was the Olympic village.

Allan's new "Beamer"!!

After the conference we drove on to Saltzburg Austria which is through the alps. It was so beautiful and green with rolling hills, mountains and chalet homes dotting the countryside. We expected Julie Andrews to burst into song at any moment. We drove on to Vienna to meet a new Center couple and do training. Vienna is an amazing city; so many old and beautifully designed buildings. They are big into statues and they adorn the corners, tops and sides of many buildings. We met the Center couple and spent the afternoon in their beautiful Center and gave training and stayed for the evening activities which was "waffle night".

One of the most beautiful sights in Vienna was the Vienna Opera House. It was mostly destroyed during the war but they rebuilt it in 11 years. The opera was on summer break but they perform 7 days a week for 10 months.

We were able to see several amazing palaces, churches and restored buildings. The architechure of the buildings on every street was breathtaking.

It is always a bit dangerous to come back to the office after being out for a week. The computers are "spewing" emails and problems fill the day and "special assignments" are around every corner. We just got 2 new BIGGIES that we will share later. This mission is busy, fun, stressful, rewarding, and never dull.

MISSION HAPPENINGS

2011-07-24T09:13:00.000-07:00

This week was a relatively slow and easy one here in Frankfurt (we need a few of those once in a while). We did some catch up in the office and visited the Center here in Frankfurt. The couple serving here left 2 weeks ago and we were pleased to announce that a new couple would be coming this week. They are a great group of YSAs and are anxious to welcome them.

Last week we had our monthly cultural trip with the couples. We went to the town, Wartburg, where Bach went to school and studied and lived during his younger years. We saw his school, home and museum. We also went to the castle where Martin Luther went into hiding and where he lived in one small room for 12 years as he translated the Bible. It was all quite interesting and a beautiful place.

Note the size of the doors along this street. Not sure of the significance but it was quite funny.

My knight in his "not so shining "armour.

This week we were downtown Frankfurt at a famous "woodcarver" shop. There were some amazing creations there, but the most interesting was to find Moroni and the gold plates. Obviously the missionaries do ALOT of shopping in there.

The city of Frankfurt is really unique in that they have preserved the old and added the new and they are pleasently intermixed. There are many sky scrapers downtown where the postwar restored historical buildings are located. This is an example of such.

We are truly delighted to be serving in such an interesting and beautiful country.

Working in Portugal

2011-07-16T13:27:00.000-07:00

Last week we travelled to Lisbon Portugal. We have 7 Centers for Young Adults in Portugal so we went to do some training with 3 new Centers. We met some wonderful leaders and young single adults there. Many of the members are originally from Angola--thus dark skin. We met with 2 Stake Presidents, 3 Center couples and many of the YSA leaders from those Centers. They are wonderful committed members.

Another primary purpose for going was to film in the Centers as we have been asked to make a DVD for training and promotional purposes. (of course we are not the camermen) We have filmed in several Centers in Germany, one in Barcelona and 2 in Portugal. More will be filmed in England and then the video production department will edit and make the DVD. It is so fun and interesting to visit these Centers and meet these wonderful young saints and learn their conversion and life stories.

We had some time during the mornings to see the sights of Portugal. Of course there are beautiful beaches as well as old churches, castles and fortresses. There is a huge bridge in Lisbon that is much like the Golden Gate.

We attended church at a small Branch outside of Lisbon with about 10 members who were all so friendly and jabbered to us in Portuguese like we could understand !

Two weeks ago we were able to meet Helena (our former exchange student from Sweden) and her family as they passed through Frankfurt. It was so grand to see her again and she is the same beautiful and sweet person with 2 adorable children and a super nice husband.

And so our busy, exciting, rewarding and interesting mission moves on. It is so impossible to think we have been here 5 months but yet we have learned so much and had such varied and rewarding experiences. Our lives are so blessed and enriched as we meet wonderful people from so many corners of the world who all share in a common testimony of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. How honored we feel to be a part of His work.

Busy June

2011-06-26T07:51:00.000-07:00

This month is flying by with busy and interesting things. It was our turn to clean the church last week so we spent a few hours there on Sat. morning. We have a beautiful meetinghouse that is about 2 years old. It is quite large with 2 wards; our international ward and a German-speaking ward. We love our diverse and fun ward where everyone is"away from home." I spoke on Father's day on fathers in the scriptures. That was interesting as they really don't celebrate Father's day here.
Our days at the "office" continue to be long but productive. They are installing a new air conditioning system so the entire building is pretty noisy and torn up. I think they will be finished in time for winter. We are on the 4th floor-west side-so it is often quite warm. Once a month we have an interview with Elder Teixiera who is a counselor in the Area Presidency, since we are not under a Mission Pres. That interview is always a bit stressful - although he is a very kind and wonderful man, he knows how to hold your feet to the fire! His latest assignment is for us to help produce a training DVD for Centers for Young Adults. No small task writing a script, setting up filming in Centers in Portugal, Spain, Germany, England and France. We have a great video production dept. here but they are extremely busy so to get schedules-theirs, ours and those country Centers-on the same page is a challenge. We have developed the script and storyboard of filming we need and will begin shooting next week. We will do Germany and then go to Portugal and others are doing the remaining Centers. We have a August deadline.
So this on top of our "normal" work is pretty daunting. But we know the Lord provides a way for this important work to be done so we move forward with that trust.
We have had huge changes this month as 8 couples are leaving and 6 new have/are arriving. A new couple on the medical team was on the same cruise we took last fall. It is sad to see our relatively new friends leaving but good to embrace more new ones.
Saturday we went to a very historical city along the Rhine River. Lunch was at a quite authentic mexican restaurant run by a guy from Texas and then we wandered the town . Many of these small towns have a "festival" during the summer which is like our state fairs only located throughout the city. So the festival and St. Martins church were quite fun to experience. The train around town was also fun.

These are some of the sights along the streets--gingerbread cookie necklaces, interesting food stands, strawberry delights (we were forwarned that these tasty treats were actually beer laced).

We are never at a loss for fun things to experience here. It is a beautiful and interesting country, as is our mission experience.

Rhine Rivertrip

2011-06-12T10:18:00.000-07:00

Our cultural activity for June was a trip down the Rhine river. We drove to Rudesheim which is about 60 km from Frankfurt and boarded a 3 decked riverboat. We cruised down the Rhine for about 2 1/2 hours through magnificent country. One side of the river was hill after hill of vineyards and small villages with old church steeples dotting the hillsides. The opposite side was one unique castle after another. It felt like you were in a fairy tale.

We got off at a village called St Goar for lunch and a hike up to an old fortress. More amazing views and things to see.

About 20 of us went so everything was terrific--company, lunch, picturesque country and leisurely cruise up and back down the Rhine. For those of you who COME TO SEE US, it will be a must do.
Once a month we have a "women's night out" ie, enrichment night. We went on a tour of the German cemetary which is across the street from us. It is where we go for our daily walks and nothing like a cemetary in the U.S. It covers a square mile and is lush with trees, foliage and each plot is bought/rented and cared for privately. We saw some amazing things including an American children's section, the Heindenburg memorial, World War 1 and 2 memorial, and other famous sights. This sounds like a rather strange thing to get excited about but it really is amazing.

Roaming in Romania

2011-06-05T09:33:00.000-07:00

Well our last training took us to Bucharest, Romania. There are 2 nice new buildings in the city with about 100 members in each Branch. The church has been there for about 20 years. There is a Center for Young Adults in one of the buildings and a new couple came last month so we went to do training and visit the Center. Bucharest is a huge city- 3 million - and has many old and interesting buildings with lots of dramatic history. We had a good training with the Center couple, Mission Pres. and Institute director. We went on a home visit to a less active family of one of the YSAs. They were such gracious and kind people, giving gifts and refreshments and sharing their family story. We climbed to the 7th floor of an old apt. building to their modest home but the spirit was in rich abundance. It was a beautiful experience.

We had some free time in the afternoon to tour the city and visit a Romanian Historical Park where dozens of old homes, waterwheels and historical buildings are located. It was very interesting and I got to buy some Romanian hand painted eggs (duck, goose and wooded).

Couldn't resist this bank sign. And yes, we escaped WITHOUT any teeth marks in our necks!! But made for some great stories for the grandkids!

We took Matt and Brenna to Heidelberg last week. It is really another amazing sight to see. It has been so fun to have Matt and Brenna here. We will hate to see them go before the fun is over!!

Now, just to keep things in their proper perspective. Amidst our 10 hour days in the office, we MUST travel on assignment and Saturday is P-day. So don't ask if we are realllllllllly on a mission.

Here a castle, there a castle, everywhere a castle

2011-05-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

Well we are on the castle junket once again. Seriously, I cannot believe how many hundreds of castles there are in Germany--all kinds and in all types of settings. Just when I have said we have found our favorite we visit a new one. Last Saturday the missionary couples all tripped off to Burg Eltz. This was only an hour and half from Frankfurt and is located down in a valley instead of atop a hill.
It is about 850 years old and has remained in the family for all those centuries. One of the decendent's family still lives there. The tour through the castle was just as amazing as the outside. The rooms and furnishings are so well preserved and they had 20 original gravity flush toilets through a rain drain if you can imagine.

There were all kinds of hiking trails around the castle encircled by the Eltz river and the weather was sunny and perfect. What a lovely day it was including a yummy German lunch of schnitzel, bratwrust and apple struddle at the outdoor cafe. Now that's what I call a P-DAY !!

Just for a little more castle overload---a few weeks back we went to another village just a short way out of the city with a castle where we were allowed to climb up the watchtower about 6 stories. What a view of the beautiful farmland.

I think Allan has missed his calling--he can't resist the drama of a torture table, stock or armour. What a delightful and enriching adventure we are having.

Lots to Catch Up

2011-05-19T12:22:00.000-07:00

Well we have had every blogger, senior missionary, grandma, grandpa, mom, etc. WORST nightmare----the internet down for two weeks. Man does that make you feel detached from the world or what. Luckily we could check emails at our office but obviously NO BLOGGING for some time. So where do I begin??

Two weeks ago our dear friends Matt and Brenna Cox arrived for their 6 week internship with the legal dept here. What are the chances of that being in our very office building. They are so cute and bring such a great spirit of "home" so we loved picking them up and helping them get settled and having some time to hang out. We have only been able to show them some of the downtown sights but hope we can do much more.

A couple of weeks ago we hosted a training conference here for our Area Advisors and our Area Seventy and the Area Presidency. We had to set up the brunch and cater lunch and take care of all the other arrangements as well as present at the meeting. Needless to say it was a bit stressful but all seemed to go well and everyone seemed happy with the conference. We have such incredible leaders here and we learn so much from them and marvel at their testimony and committment to strengthening the church in Europe.

Elder and Sister Teixeira of the Area Presidency

This cute little German couple have worked as Advisors with the Centers for Young Adults for 2 years. They were released --this being their 6th mission. They invited us to their home for lunch and had such interesting stories to share of their life in the church the past 50 years. It was truly a humbling experience to spend the afternoon with this devoted couple.

We just returned from a training trip to Athens, Greece and the Island of Cyprus. It was an interesting and insightful trip. We went to Athens and spoke at the mission zone conference the first day, had time for some sightseeing at the Acropolis and helped with the activity at the Center in the evening. The Center is on the 3rd floor of the church building which overlooks the Acropolis on one side and Hadrians gate on the other. Pretty amazing. The church really struggles in Greece as the majority of people are Greek Orthodox and quite anti-Christian. Most of the members are foreigners who come to Greece to study and find the gospel. Very few Greeks join the church. But there are wonderful YSAs from around the world who are active in the Center. We had training meetings with the Mission Pres and Center couple and the YSA committee another day.

In case you can't read the sign on the church in Greek.

The mission president and his wife--he from Cyprus and she from Scotland. Both were living in England as young single adults, joined the church and married. Only members from both families. Terrific people.

After three days we flew to Cyprus for more training and Center support. There are even less members in Cyprus and the missionaries really struggle there. The Priesthood leadership are all foreigners and missionaries. But here again we met wonderful new converts from China, Iran and Nigeria who are the YSA leaders. We had sometime there to visit some Orthodox churches and see some interesting villages near the Mediterrean Sea.

This fine couple also taught in the China Teachers program and now are the Center couple in Cyprus.

Just when we think we've seen it all, we witness the gospel in yet another foreign land and how lives are being touched in such unsual ways. Many Chinese young people are coming to these lands to study and embracing the gospel to take back to China. The same with Nigerians, Iranians and more. There is no doubt that the Lord is mindful of EVERYONE of His children. We are so very blessed to witness these miracles in so many places. We love our mission and the excitement we feel from the young members everywhere as they participate in this inspired program of the church.

REMEMBERING LEAH

2011-04-28T11:08:00.000-07:00

Leah Maureen Godfrey returned to Heavenly Father on April 26, 2011 leaving children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and friends much better for having known and loved her. This is Allan's beautiful tribute to his Mother.

TRIBUTE TO LEAH

Sitting here, deep in melancholy reflections about our dear Mother, I find myself longing to be with brothers and sisters—that we might share, and remember, and appreciate. Each of us has our own memories which, when mingled with others, takes on new and enhanced meaning.

I remember her hands. Delicate—lady’s hands—rendered a little less perfect by the toil of life’s demands. Hands which cooked, and sewed, and crafted, and swept and mopped and drove. Hands which soothed and comforted and healed and held.

I remember her smile. Pleasant, charming—a friendly smile, a loving smile, a smile from the heart. Often the smile became a laugh. On occasion even, when with that bevy of beauties who were her sisters, the laugh became a giggle. Her laugh celebrated a good joke.

I remember her beauty – tall, slim and raven-haired. The observations of our friends, “Your mom sure is pretty.” The beauty I saw then was her lemon pies, salmon gravy, warm fresh rolls, and green jello with celery, peas and carrots. That beauty, carefully defined by a young Peter – “Those WEMON pies are WEEWEE good!” Later, her beauty came from her gifts of sacrifice, her spiritual depth, her kindness and her love. This, an ethereal and inherent beauty, was the most memorable and lasting of all.

I remember her character. I use carefully chosen adjectives – strong, honest, loyal, industrious, patient, respectful, tenacious, wise. She had integrity, she had alacrity, she had charity, she had compassion. Compassion indeed -- for all of God’s creatures. Quote, “Why do you boys always want to shoot pigeons or sparrows or gophers—living things? Why can’t you shoot cans or bottles or rocks?” She persisted in this vein until her compassion ultimately took the fun out of our cruelty.

For me, Mom was a metaphor of God’s beautiful creations. Her life was long, it was full, it was pure, it was productive, it was substantive. She left an honorable, fruitful and laudable legacy. For all of us who are her children, her grandchildren, her great grandchildren, her friends, her neighbors she gave us a great example. We honor her, we love her, and we will miss her.

Albanian Adventure

2011-04-23T13:21:00.000-07:00

Last week we made a trip to Tirana, Albania to visit the Centers there and do some training with the couples serving in 3 cities in Albania. Everyone who had been there had great stories and advice about how "3rd world" it was. Needless to say, after living in India for 2 years, Albania had no surprises. We found it to be interesting to see how they are working hard to rebuild their society after being repressed for so many years. They have painted their buildings bright colors and have cleaned up and rebuilt so much. They appeared to be a friendly and ambitious people.

We had such a great experience with the church members there; especially the YSAs as we spend 3 days at their Center. They are excited about the gospel and trying hard to be involved. There were about 25 at most of the classes and activities. They are developing good leadership skills and many serving missions. We had wonderful training sessions with the couples and YSA committee.

One morning the couples serving there took us to a village high in the mountains where there are ruins, fantastic views, and a rich local culture. It was so fun to see the place and people and how they live so simply. It was just how I had imagined it would be.

We are so thankful for this blessing in our lives to serve this mission with the Centers for Young Adults. This was our first of many visits to see first hand how the Centers are building testimonies and future leaders in these developing countries. This is truly an inspired program that is strengthening the young people in this part of the Lord's kingdom.

Can't Get Enough Flowers

2011-04-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

O.K., I can't get enough of the beauty here during spring. The tulips are to die for and the are everywhere; sometimes growing up in lawns.

Our office has to have of bit of the wonder, my MAN included.

In the evening (now it is light here until 8:30) or on Saturday we love to ride the train downtown to the plaza which is always bustling, beautiful and so interesting. The buildings are amazing and we can get a yummy bratwurst and people watch or do a little shopping. The open markets have wonderful fruits and veggies.

Of course there is always a number of musicans, especially the accordian players and lively German music. (he doesn't look too German). It is a grand place to enjoy spring.
Today we are celebrating our 40th anniversary. It is hard to believe that I have had the love of my life with me that long. Yet I can hardly remember life without him. Allan is my rock and makes my life so complete and fun. I love , respect and adore him and am immensly grateful for our promise of eternal companionship. Who would have guessed that this is where we would be celebrating this momenteous day.

ONE MONTH ANNIVERSARY

2011-04-06T12:54:00.000-07:00

Well it is hard to believe that we have ONLY been here a month. It really feels like home and things have settled into a comfortable routine. We are absolutely absorbed from the moment we step into our office until we stagger out 10 hours later. Some days are way too stressful but they are now becoming the exception rather than the norm-yipee! We are blessed to be getting a part time secretary next week which will make life so much easier (we hope). Without going into a lengthly detail, this was a explicit "tender mercy". We met her today and she was actually born in the U.S. and came to Germany in the military, married a German and has lived here for 20 years.
Spring continues to be so enjoyable here. I have never seen so many daffodils and tulips everywhere. Last year all the couples went to Amsterdam this time of the year to the tulip festival and are still raving about it. Maybe that is why the Mission Pres. put the "kibosh" on it. But we already have a plan (legitimate) for next year.

We went on another adventure last weekend to Braunfels . It is another beautiful drive, about 1 hour, to this small village with a tremendous castle that is partially occupied by family decendents. It was a perfect day. The castle was built in the 1200's and has been preserved so well and had a warmth that was hard to describe.

We had a tour inside by an old German guy with a really thick accent who was hilarious He had been to Texas so thought he knew everything about the U.S. There was amazing artwork and furnishings and old armour inside. We spent the afternoon walking the village, lunch at a sidewalk cafe and entertainment by local musicans. A bit of heaven.

I rescued Allan at the end just in time to come home.

We had a great Family Home Evening with one of the Centers for Young Adults. They are such great young people. They speak in German to each other and during lessons, etc. but they all can speak some English and are so kind and welcoming to us. They love to hang out at the Center and eat together, play sports or just sit an talk. We hear reports from different Centers of a temple marriage , mission calls, and baptisms and reactivations. Wonderful things are happening.

SPRING IN GERMANY

2011-03-26T14:46:00.000-07:00

During the past 2 weeks we have enjoyed a glorious transformation here from the cold and grey to sunny days and blossoms and green everywhere. We have a 3 sq. mile old cemetary across the street where we go for our daily walk and it is now so green with trees in bloom and freshly planted flowers. Fresh cuts flowers are also plentiful, especially the tulips. The Frankfurt temple grounds are also so lovely now.

This picture is from our balcony with our new pansies. We love our "European neighborhood" and enjoy the skyline in the distance.
We have had another wonderful week and been blessed with miracles along the way. The Lord's hand is so evident in the work here. Friday we went to the Frankfurt temple with about 15 other missionary couples. It is a very different and beautiful temple and it was a peaceful and uplifting evening.

We love the times we have visiting the Centers for Young Adults. This week we went to the Mainz Center about an hour outside of Frankfurt. It was a fun and international group and the couple managing the Center so devoted and enthused. This is where the real rewards are evident for these wonderful young single adults.

(FYI-the man on the left is Elder Wirthlin-son of Apostle Joseph Wirthlin. He is the Director of Temporal Affairs for Europe

Moving Forward in Frankfurt

2011-03-22T14:16:00.000-07:00

This has been a rewarding and interesting week here in
Porthstrasse 11. (our address) We were blessed to have a 10 hour training with our Area 70 who is over the CFYA. He lives in Birmingham, England so we felt really priviledged to have him spend time training and counseling with us. He is an incredible man and taught with such compassion and knowledge that we came away with new focus and enthusiasm for the great work here. The Area leaders have shifted their thinking and path a bit and "simplify" seems to be the operative word. We are so excited about the changes we need to implement and are attempting to move forward.

We serve with such a terrific group of senior missionary couples. About 20 couples work in the Area office and we are making great friendships. Once a month we have a cultural outing together and last Saturday we all went to a palace and fortress about 1 1/2 hrs out of Frankfurt. It was a crisp spring day and we saw some very interesting sights and enjoyed getting better acquainted.

Each week we attempt to visit one or more Center for Young Adults here in the Frankfurt area. Usually Monday night they have FHE and an activity and a light meal. On Thursday the offer several Institute classes and refreshments and then on the weekend sometime during the month they do a service project or have a dance or game night. It is so fun to visit and get to know these great YSAs and the couples running the Centers. The full time Elders are usually nearby to help with referrals and search and rescue efforts. That is going to be our main focus for the next few months to get more missionary efforts going in the Centers.

It has been another fast and wonderful week. We are experiencing a very easy transition into the German culture and we love the members here. They are so determined and have great faith that the Lord is helping move His work forward in their land. What a blessing to be here, NOW !

Lovin' Our Mission

2011-03-15T14:37:00.000-07:00

Well really love being on this mission in Germany. This has been a great week in so many ways. The pieces are beginning to fall into place with our responsibilities with the Centers for Young Adults and each day we get another piece of the puzzle into the right spot. We have such terrific friends and assistants here who explain and lead us through these difficult first weeks. A few days ago the couple who were suppose to replace us in India but got reassigned to Munich made a surprise visit to our office. What a small world.

This couple came over with us and Elder Paxton is doing the finances for CfYA and his wife works in the CES office here.
They are a fun couple and we do alot together.

Last Saturday we went with our good buds Elder and Sister Colton to Heidleberg which is about an hour outside of Frankfurt. It was such a charming little village with cobblestone streets and fun shops and a huge old castle. It was really a spring like day and we had a wonderful time walking along the river up to the castle.

And this week my dearly loved companion celebrated his birthday. We baked a cake (a little challenging here for the first time) and shared with all those who work on our floor and in the evening went to dinner with 5 other couples who had birthdays in March.

We daily recognize the tender mercies of the Lord that bless our lives as we serve this mission. When we face new and challenging issues the Lord allows us to struggle a bit and when we feel exhausted the way seems to open for us to once again move forward. How our lives are blessed and how full our hearts are with gratitude for such blessings.

First Week in Frankfurt

2011-03-09T12:22:00.000-08:00

We have begun our new and exciting mission in Europe. We have been in Frankfurt for 5 busy and interesting days. We live in a beautiful part of the city just 100 steps from our office. We work in the Europe Area office as directors for the Centers for Young Adults in Europe. We are excited for this opportunity to be a part of this amazing work and are learning so much literally by the hour. We have met so many fun and enthusiastic people from all over the world who work here. There are about 20 missionary couples who also serve in this office. So we have made many new friends in a few short days.

ONE FABULOUS FAREWELL

2011-02-24T14:01:00.000-08:00

This past weekend all of our family was able to come for our "farewell" events. Jason and Aaron and their families stayed with us and Britt and Karli and family came at will. It was such a great weekend together and a grand reunion with all the cousins. Saturday we went to the Children's Museum in the Church Museum at Temple Square. It has recently been redone and now is all Book of Mormon theme. There are alot of interesting interactive activities for children.
It was so delightful for Grandma to watch all the grandkids playing and renewing friendships.

We ventured to Chuckie-Cheese afterwards for lunch and "craziness" which the kids seemed to relish and the adults detested. We missed Karli and Chris but understood why they wouldn't want to bring 10 day old Avery to such a public atmosphere teaming with germs!!

Fortunately for the grandkids we had a HUGE dump of snow and they were able to do some serious sledding at our favorite park.

Sunday was as near a PERFECT day as we could have ever hoped for. Several grand surprises awaited us as we spoke in Sacrament meeting. Karli & Chris were able to come (Karli had been realllly sick), my Mom showed up with my sister Jerilyn as well as my brother and his wife, and Quinn sang a beautiful solo during the meeting. Truly our hearts were full. But they only expanded as we gathered for our setting apart that evening with the Stake Presidency. Our children and Mom & Jerilyn attended and we asked our 3 oldest grandchildren -Jake, Evan & Ame- to come also. We were given the most beautiful and inspired blessings as we go forth to serve in the Europe Centers for Young Adults. They were specific and personal and brought us such peace of mind and trust to GO and DO. What a privilege it was to have our sons and sons-in-laws be a part of that setting apart.

So we bid you farewell until we meet again in Frankfurt as Elder and Sister Asplund.

Trying to help...

2011-02-23T21:04:00.000-08:00

Well, Mom I think it worked from my conputer?

WELCOME BABY AVERY

2011-02-13T15:53:00.000-08:00

February 8 was the happy day for Karli and Chris. Avery Ryenne made her debut at a whoppin' 8 lb. 8 oz. Karli was a champ and just popped that little girl out. (easy for me to say) She is darling of course with auburn hair and a petite little face and chubby body. And oh, how she likes to snuggle with Grandma!!

Kaiya and Taylor were so excited to welcome their sister home and Chris is handling all the female hormones quite well. It is so fun to watch those girls interact with Avery; especially when she is nursing. But Kaiya is quite well informed about the whole matter.

We are so thankful for this perfect little babe and that we were blessed to be a part of her arrival. Another tender mercy from the Lord to be home to enjoy this glorious occasion with Karli and Chris and their precious girls.

More good times in January

2011-01-28T15:12:00.000-08:00

LeAnne and Ella came for a short visit last week. They had Dr. and dentist appt's. It was sure good to see them both again for a few days. Ella always captures Grandpa's heart!

We had a fun dinner together this week at Brittany and Quinn's. Thanks for the yummy "spadini's", etc. It was a good time to hang with the kiddies and enjoy a great meal, (and cake Karli). I caught a quick "side profile" which Karli won't appreciate.

We went to see Mom this week and had a lovely visit. She is such an amazing 91 year old. She is beautiful, quite lively, very involved in a wide variety of good things and for the most part has a great outlook on life. I really admire her and have a tremendous legacy to attempt to live up to. She asked us to come and do our
"have dog-will-travel India show" for a women's group she belongs to. We wondered if the "seniors" would stay awake for it and we were pleasantly surprised that the group of about 70 were quite involved with questions and comments.

Now we must officially change gears and move toward Germany!

ICEEEEEE TRIP TO CANADA

2011-01-18T11:10:00.000-08:00

We made a short but very worthwhile trip to Canada. We were able to spend 4 days with Allan's mother, who is having serious health problems. She is now staying in assisted care near her home. It was a very good visit and time to support her. We also had good visits with many of Allan's siblings . Everyone is stressed with Mom's condition so it was great to have occasion to talk and make future plans.

It was SERIOUSLY cold!! I had forgotten how quickly your nose hairs freeze in -0* weather. But it made for beautiful sights with frozen snow clinging to everything.

We were happy to stay with Jim and try to lighten his burdens. He was for the most part, his same funny, jovial and terrific host. How much alike are these 2 cute and wonderful brothers!

CALIFORNIA TRIPPIN'

2011-01-11T19:41:00.000-08:00

We just returned from a wonderful visit with Aaron and Debbie and their 4 busy-boys. We stopped in Vegas on the way and had breakfast with our good friends the Eichelbergers (comrades in the Bangalore mission). It was so fun to see them again and do lots of reminiscing.
Nothing quite warms a grandparent's heart like knocking on the door to hear the boys all shout "they're here, they're here!!" We were able to have our classroom volunteer time and lunch with Evan and Kyle. Luke had us engaged in playing Monopoly when ever possible and Reid did not fail to give abundant smiles and snuggles. Debbie spoiled us with delicious dinners day after day!

Becky and Bob came to the house one night and had dinner with us and we met them at their beach house the next morning for breakfast. It was a wonderful time spent together. What dear friends they have been for some 35 years!!
Saturday we had a wonderful day at the beach. We visited the elephant seals and went on a fantastic hike at San Simeon. It was a beautiful and WARM day together.

Aaron coaches Evan's basketball team and we were fortunate to be there for their first game, AND VICTORY. It was really fun to watch Evan and the coach!

This "last" voyage to the California territory was so enjoyable!

T'was a Holly-Jolly Christmas

2010-12-26T15:23:00.000-08:00

Christmas time at the Asplund's was a joyous occasion for Grandma and Grandpa. The feeling of peace and happiness was in abundance as we listened to Christmas music, renewed old friendships, made our traditional yummy treats and spent special time with our beloved family. The girls day out included pedicures and manicures while the boys enjoyed Narnia.

We spent an evening with long time friends, the Condies and had a great time catching up on the lives of their darling family. Tom and Sherri don't seem to ever change, but WOW, how their kids have grown up and are doing such good things in their lives.

Christmas eve was so much fun this year with Karli and Chris and Kaiya & Taylor. The girls are at such a cute age and are so adorable. We made enjoyed yummy biscuits and gravy, marveled at Karli's "Christmas belly" (only 6 weeks to go), made cookies, opened new Christmas jammies and shared in their sweet and innocent story of Christ's birth.

Christmas morning was lively and wild at Brittany and Quinn's house. Of course Ame, Kaipo, Ash and even Nalu were bursting with excitment trying out all their Christmas toys. We enjoyed yummy Christmas baked french toast and hot choc and tried out new toys and books until Grandma and Gramps were exhausted and needed to take a nap to recover!

So we wrapped up the day with a yummy Christmas dinner , watched a beautiful DVD of the Savior and were gifted with a treasured family picture blanket to keep us warm in Germany.

I am so thankful for the spirit of love we felt in our home this season; love for our Heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ our Savior and Redeemer and love for one another. I wish to keep this sweet spirit foremost in my heart this next year long after the ornaments and are stored away and the lights turned off. The peace Christ brought, and still brings, was not intended for just one glorious season. I rest my hope on the Savior and look to this new year with faith.

PRECIOUS MOMENTS IN DECEMBER

2010-12-20T18:26:00.000-08:00

HIS HAS BEEN SUCH A FUN MONTH WITH THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS. WE HAVE DONE SOME INTERESTING THINGS, BUT THE BEST TIME IS ALWAYS WITH SOME OF

THOSE ADORABLE GRAND KIDDIES!!

THERE NEVER SEEMS TO BE ENOUGH BOOKS READ, PLAYING DRESS UPS, SNUGGLES, SNACKS AND MAKING MEMORIES.

SAYING OUR "GOOD-BYES" TO JAKE, RYAN, ZACK AND ELLA WAS NOT SO MUCH FUN WHEN THEY MOVED TO OREGON THIS MONTH BUT WE DID OUR BEST TO HAVE A FOND FAREWELL.

THIS HAS BEEN SUCH A WONDROUS HOLIDAY SEASON AND IT HAS BEEN FUN TO DECORATE OUR HOUSE AFTER BEING ABSENT FOR THE PAST 2 CHRISTMAS'. EACH ADORNMENT HAS SUCH SPECIAL MEMORIES OF LOVED ONES AND TIMES PAST. HOW THE SPIRIT OF OUR DEAR SAVIOR ABOUNDS IN OUR HEARTS AND HOME.

WE GOT AN EARLY SURPRISE CHRISTMAS PRESENT FROM KARLI AND CHRIS....AN EVENING OUT TO SEE "A CHRISTMAS CAROL". IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL PRODUCTION AND SUCH AN ENJOYABLE EVENING TOGETHER.

A MONTH OF THANKS GIVING

2010-12-01T13:53:00.000-08:00

November was a month filled with such good family times together. We celebrated cutie pie Nalu's first birthday and later our oldest grandson Jake's tenth birthday. We love these special guys and are so thankful for them and the 12 others in between and younger.

We were able to attend Ame'lia's recognition for her artistic abilities, even though the announcer could only manage to introduce her as "Amy H."

Allan enlisted help from two strong men (Jason and Chris) for assembling his new shed one Saturday so we took the little ones to the Treehouse Museum for a fun play date. There is so much to play with and do there that the kids were almost overwhelmed but they did a pretty good job of tiring out their grandma and mommies!

Thanksgiving day was filled with lots of good grub, thanks to the help of all the girls, a pretty grand performance by the grandkids, Jake's birthday celebration and "treasure hunt", some crafting with the girls, topped off with birthday cake and thanksgiving pies! What a day!!!

My mother has been with us for the past week and we had such a good visit. One day all the "girls" met for lunch at the new Brick Oven and had a grand time. My sister Jerilyn and her daughters and all of our girls came and it was a treat to have the occasion to catch up and renew family bonds.

Mother is celebrating her 91st birthday this week so we had a birthday dinner with the Thurgood relatives. This is most of what is left on both sides of our family . They are all such good people and it was a wonderful evening to reminisce and listen to wonderful stories of times past. My mother continues to amaze us all. She is independent, optimistic, full of life and engaged in meaningful things. She is such an example to a HUGE posterity of commitment and faithfulness. I am a better person because she is my mother!!

Mediterranean Cruise

2010-11-03T13:56:00.000-07:00

We returned this week from a very interesting and exotic 2 weeks through countries along the Mediterranean. We flew to Malin and then on to Venice which we loved. All the images of that serene and beautiful city of canals (118 to be exact) are "right on". We rode through the streets in a gondola and walked over many a bridge on the cobblestone paths to plazas, villages and neighborhoods.

Our next port was Cairo, Egypt which has similarities to India. We took a bus out to see the pyramids and the Sphinx and take in the local sights. It was perfect weather and no sand storms. While in Egypt we also went to Alexandria and went down into the catacombs and visited the King Tut museum.

We visited a papyrus museum and learned how papyrus is made into paper and colorful pictures.

Next stop, and probably our favorite was 2 days in the Holy Land. The day walking in old Jerusalem, where Jesus walked and ultimately died was very educational and inspiring. We saw the sights believed to be Golgotha, the city walls and gate of Damascus and Mt. of Olives. We spent a time that evening contemplating Christ's suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and felt the powerful spirit that permeates that holy place.

We went to the "temple square" inside the old city where the Muslims, Jews and Christians all claim entitlement and worship there. The "wailing wall" was most interesting.

The following day was spent in and around Galilee and Nazareth where Christ did so much work and preformed miracles. We visited the sights of Sermon on the Mount, River Jordan, Capurnaum and walked IN the Sea of Galilee. We took a wooden boat out on the Sea, but no one was able to walk ON water !!

Next stop, Athens, Greece. Once again everything was TOTALLY different from what we had seen at our other stops. We visited the Acropolis, Panathinion Stadium (1st Olympics), and the Dionysos Theatre (can hold 17,000). All of these stone structures have been preserved and rebuilt quite well.

Our last port was Splita, Croatia . This was a really beautiful port city with a very European flavor.

This was a GRAND once-in-a-lifetime adventure to that beautiful part of the world. We were able to get the flavor of a lot of places and once again are in "awe" at the Lord's huge and diverse world and the beautiful people that live there.

JUST A LITTLE GOOD NEWS

2010-10-14T09:18:00.000-07:00

Well it finally came---that large white envelope that you "fear" to open. We got our mission call to serve in Frankfurt, Germany in the Centers for Young Adults and will be leaving in February . We are not certain at this point what our responsibilities will be--supervising one specific Center or supervising many Centers as they have discussed both options with us. Whatever it will be, we are very excited and can now start learning German (yea right).

Karli was happy that the departure date was AFTER the baby , and so are we to have a little spoiling time.

Life is so good and we feel so blessed to be able to serve again.

CALIFORNIA...and then some.

2010-10-12T18:02:00.000-07:00

Fall is such a beautiful, peaceful time of the year. Those beautiful earthy colors are my favorite. We have seen some amazing color changes in the local canyons this year.

We spent the past week in California--first a quick but fun stop with the Cox's. Always fun to chat, enjoy Becky's yummy cooking and do some shopping. While in Tulare we met up with Allan's former office staff for dinner. It was so good to see all those wonderful folks again. They are such great people and we share very fond memories.

We spent a very busy and fun week with Aaron, Deb and boys. We had some special time with each boy--going to lunch, for donuts, volunteering in their classes, soccer practice, and movie night (on the wide screen I might add)--yea Aaron!

We could REALLY not get enough of Reid. He is the cuddliest and most adorable little guy and loved Grandma to hold him. Yipee!

We went to Farmers Market in San Luis to enjoy the food and festivities as well as a great day at the park by Morro Bay and even had a few moments to can some yummy peaches. Life is never dull at the A2 household and we are always sad to leave those active boys. Thanks Aaron and Deb for a fun, fun visit!

THIS..AND THAT..AND MORE

2010-09-19T14:53:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a busy and fun month this has been. We have had so many visits from dear Indian friends the past while. Three young women have come to the Provo MTC to begin their training and one fine couple have come to begin their studies at BYU Idaho. It is so great to be in a location where we can "meet and greet" and renew friendships and learn about our common friends in India.
First meet Pinto and Saritha. They were married in Bangalore shortly after we began our mission and we became instant friends as they taught Seminary and served in the Branch there. They set the example for all the members with their priority to quickly travel to Hong Kong to be sealed. They both worked extremely hard to be accepted at BYUI , raise the money and earn scholarships. We are so proud of them. And they were quite the "celebrities" when they went to church with us.

Next arrived Shyamala who is going to the Philippines. She and her sister were great friends in Bangalore 1st Branch and we had such memorable experiences with these 2 faithful young women. Here is another example of great sacrifice and desire to make this mission a reality. Shyamala arrived early enough to spend the afternoon on Temple Square where our "daughter" Sister Sundaram, who was overjoyed to see her Branch friend and gave us a grand tour!

It is such a blessing for us to be able to "relive" some of our fondest moments from India with these amazing young Indian saints.

Last weekend we had a pretty incredible experience as we went with Karli to support Chris in his Lotoja ride. If you think 200 miles is a long ride in a car, try to imagine doing it on a bike in 1 day through some very steep mountains! Each feed stop we were so excited to see Chris ride in to offer him encouragement and a array of rather disgusting energy foods. He accomplished an amazing feat to reach the finish line in Jackson Hole, Wyoming on Saturday night. One TREMENDOUS CONGRATULATIONS to you Chris!!!

And Allan and I "TRY" to keep up with some of the fun going on with the family and grand kids. The past week we got to see Mr. Bullet Ryan play soccer, celebrate Ame's 8th birthday at her "Fashion Party" and watch Jake play incredible football. How we relish all these fun times with our family.

TRIP TO CANADA

2010-09-09T14:56:00.000-07:00

We just returned from a great time in Canada with Allan's family. Grandma Asplund celebrated her 90th birthday so all the family and many people from their little community came to her party. We were so very happy that all of our kids made the HUGE EFFORT to come and be part of the celebration.

Allan has 7 sisters and 5 brothers so it was quite the group. The party was held at a large park/museum that one of Allan's brothers sponsors and it was a terrific place for kids with old tractors, a horse drawn school bus , old school, jail and trains. I think everyone had quite the entertaining day and Allan's mom seemed very pleased with all the friends and family that came.

Some of Grandma Asplunds beautiful granddaughters.

The grounds and fun attractions at this part/museum were a photographer's paradise. We took several family pictures which I will post at another time but the grandkids provided grandma and grandpa with a gaggle of pictures.

The grand and great granddaughters sang 3 of Grandma's favorite songs for her and Ame preformed some serious hip shakin' .

One of the days we all went to a farm and through a really fun corn maze. It was rather interesting trying to keep 24 of us together and not loosing kids in the corn.

Perhaps the grandkid's favorite activity was riding horses at Uncle Mark's. There were kids and horses everywhere for several hours--don't know who tired out first !

We are so thankful for this wonderful time with all of our family together. We cherish the occasions which bring us closer and hope there will be many more to come.

FORMER FRIENDS CROSSING OUR WAY

2010-08-24T15:06:00.000-07:00

We have had some interesting renewed friendships lately. A couple of months ago while scheduling a trip with LDS travel one of the agents asked me, "how old is your husband....is he from Canada.....did he serve a mission in Scotland??" Well Dave was a missionary who Allan greatly admired and has had no contact with for 55 years. To make a long story short, he has written a story about his life growing up in a polygamist family and escaping entitled Be Still My Son that is really inspiring and well written. We were able to hook up for dinner this week and had a marvelous time getting to know him and his cute wife. It is so interesting how our paths intersect with former friends.

And another friend emerged from India. Preetha was one of our best Seminary teachers in Bangalore and was trying to make the dream of serving a mission come true when we left. She accomplished that goal and received her call to Fiji. Yesterday we got to pick her up and deliver her to the MTC for language training. She is not only a beautiful young woman, but has overcome much as do all those dear Indian saints and is so eager to serve the Lord. We had a grand (but short) reunion.

We had a special date with Ame and Kaipo to celebrate the beginning of their new year of school. Lunch was yummy but our conversation with those two cuties provided quite the entertaining afternoon.

Our stop at Kohls also proved to be fun and hilarious as they picked out and paraded their new school duds. We love the individual and personal times we are able to have with our grandchildren and adore each of them for the unique, cute, loving and genuinely GOOD little people they are !

Cox Visit and Family fun

2010-08-15T15:39:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful visit from our old (well 35 year friendship) friends Becky and Bob this past week. They came for our "family Sunday" and we all had a great time catching up!

Anyone who comes to visit us gets drug to Temple Square to meet our "Indian daughter" Sister Sundaram, We had a wonderful tour with her and her companion and even got to take them to lunch.
We never seem to lack for fun and memorable conversation with Becky and Bob, a good game of golf and even a beautiful ride threw Ogden canyon. It is so DARN GOOD to have these times together again after 3 years. Can't wait for the fun ahead.....

Allan made a quick trip back to Corcoran last week for the funeral of a dear friend, Darrell Frey. He was a part of our lives for many years with alot of funny memories. Allan was able to see so many former friends and employees that we both worked with and really enjoyed seeing everyone again.

I was able to play grandma twice this week for Brittany & Quinn and Karli & chris who were both celebrating their anniversaries. I loved this special time with our precious grandchildren.

Jake has begun his FAVORITE sport again--Football. He is lucky this year that DAD gets to be one of his coaches and MOM is the team mom. We got to watch his first scrimmage on Saturday and were so proud and excited for him.

Little Miss Kaiya turned 3 Saturday and we joined the celebration at the pool in Logan. It was such a fun and beautiful day to spend with the family and be part of the excitement. Kaiya-bear holds a special place in our hearts. (even when she licks her birthday cake).

SISTER/MOM RETREAT

2010-08-03T13:25:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my mom and 3 sisters all met for a fun get-away. We stayed at the Lodges in Deer Valley and had so much fun together. We had a delicious dinner at Stein Erickson Lodge and the view and weather was almost as good as the company.

When the Thurgood girls get together there is no lack of laughing and good stories. We spent one day tramping around Park City shopping and finding good eating establishments. We had rented a wheel chair for Mom so no one had to slow down and she felt a part of the festivities. We even took the gondola to the top of The Canyons which was a beautiful trip.

One night we went to the outdoor concert at Deer Valley featuring the Mormon Tab, Choir and Utah Symphony and it was fabulous. It was such a beautiful setting and the concert was a tribute to America. And to add even more excitement to the evening, Pres. Eyring and Pres. Uchtdorf and family were sitting a stone's throw away!!

We wanted to include our brother Craig (and he wasn't too keen on spending the weekend with 4 crazy women) so Sunday afternoon we had a great reunion together with his family, and many of our children and grandchildren. About 50 were able to be there and it was such a good time to renew friendships with cousins, brother and sisters and Mom.

I am so thankful for the wonderful extended family I am blessed with and for this terrific time to solidify our love and friendship. I am also so incredibly thankful for Mom and the amazing woman she is. At 90+ years she is still so fun and willing to be with all her family to share these good moments.

QUICK TRIP TO TAHOE

2010-07-27T15:32:00.000-07:00

This weekend we made a quick and fun trip to Lake Tahoe where we met Aaron and Debbie to return our guests of the past 2 weeks. It was bitter sweet to "hand them back" because we had so much fun. They were all quite excited to reunite (especially mom and Lukie). We spent a few hours at the Lake at the "former Beach Club" before they headed back home.

It was a short but great time together and we got some good snuggle time with baby Reid. What a little and LONG sweetie!

We spent the night with some of our dear Tahoe friends, Cheryl and Donovan. We had some good laughs and caught up on all the Tahoe Ward gossip before attending church on Sunday. It was reallllly fun to see all the Tahoe ward members. What a great reunion it was for us.

ENDLESS SUMMER (finally)

2010-07-22T17:17:00.000-07:00

We have done our best to entertain and keep up with the grandkids during Evan and Kyle's stay and we are loving every moment. This week Ame and Kaipo had a sleepover and we went miniature golfing, which proved to be quite hilarious with 4 kids whacking balls everywhere.

Jason and LeAnne took us out on their boat one night and that was totally fun. Jake and Ryan got to "strut their stuff" which is pretty amazing what they can do on the wakeboards! All the boys had such fun trying to stay on the tube--Jason loves to see who he can dump! It was gorgeous evening on the lake and we were almost solo.

We spent a WONDERFUL day on Temple Square. Our dear Indian daughter, Sis Sundaram, took all of us on a terrific tour and the kids had opportunity to learn and feel of the spirit there. They all loved Sister Sundaram (as do we).

We then went across the street to the Church Museum up on the 2nd floor where there are so many terrific activities for kids. Everything is so hands on and appropriate for all ages.

We left with such grateful hearts for the gospel blessings we enjoy and that bless us individually and as families. No greater joy can be ours!

Funnest Summer Yet

2010-07-18T13:15:00.000-07:00

We are having the best summer. Our yard is finally manageable, beautiful and so enjoyable to sit and enjoy. It has taken a long time to reach this state, which makes it all the more rewarding. (pics to follow). We have been able to do alot of travelling to see family and friends whom we have missed the past two years. And we are having a great time just being at home to enjoy beautiful weather and get together with our family whenever we want.

Last week we went to Ame's hula recital and luau . She continues to amaze us with her abilities and charm. We are proud of you big girl and were so glad that we could all get together to enjoy your "special" evening. We were THOROUGHlY entertained!!

We are hosting GRANDPARENT CAMP (as Debbie terms it) with Evan and Kyle. We snatched them away when we were in California with Cox's and get to enjoy these 2 munchkins for 2 weeks. We are so entertained and constantly laughing at their comments and antics . Our fun began with a cousin sleepover the first night and a great day at North Beach Pools.

Dinosaur Park is always an adventure for 2 curious and energetic boys (minus 2 exhausted grandpts) . We are gaining much more respect for you YOUNGER parents and your vitality!

Another hot day was enjoyed with a cool-off at the Splash Pad park. It is so fun to watch those rowdy boys interact with each other and become good "buds". And grandma enjoyed just sitting in the shade and watch the expended energy!!

Grandpa is a great entertainer with his tractor rides around the block and flying paper airplanes. Of course a few "Creamies" seem to finish off a GRAND day!!

Isn't it pretty evident why we think this is the best summer ever. How we love our dear grandchildren. They truly liven and lighten our lives.

Grand Reunion with Dear Friends

2010-07-14T20:56:00.000-07:00

We went to California last weekend to see our dear friends, Bob and Becky Cox who just returned from serving as Mission President in Leon, Mexico. It was so great to see them after such a long time and enjoy their wonderful friendship again. We spent lots of time gabbing and even got time to do a little shopping (lots of grocery shopping if you can imagine Bob and Allan anywhere near that). We played a fun round of golf and best of all got to enjoy their mission report. They are such tremendous leaders and have touched innumerable lives during the past 3 years, both in Mexico and back at home. We have experienced a special bond the past 2 years with Becky and Bob as we have been able to share our experiences while serving the Lord.

Guess we didn't get pictures outside the golf course, but we look forward now to many other fun times together.

4th of July Celebrations and MORE

2010-07-06T16:48:00.000-07:00

This was such a fun and busy weekend. We began with a fun swim afternoon with Brittany and the kids who all are little fishes, even 8 month Nalu. I think I got my exercise "running" the lazy river while hanging on to at least one child. I could spend everyday playing at the pool with the grandkids (if only we weren't struggling with EVERYONE'S grandkids).

Next we went to Logan and spent the evening with Karli and Chris and the sweetie pies and watch the fireworks from their yard. As is usually the case, it was way more fun watching Kaiya in "awe" with her real first fireworks!!

Saturday morning, after enjoying a yummy breakfast prepared by the "sickling" hostess we took Chris and Kaiya and went to the big car show in Logan. It was really fun and interesting and Kaiya was so hilarious following us around for 2 hours slurping on her snowie.

Monday we got together for an "early" birthday celebration for Brittany. It was a fun and yummy barbeque--our first one cooked in our yard this summer. The weather was PERFECT and the company was EVEN BETTER. Happy Birthday Brittany!!

We felt such tremendous gratitude this 4th of July for this "chosen" land of America in which we are blessed to live. Being out of the country for the past 2 independence days makes us more cognoscente of the bounteous blessings we daily enjoy here. How deeply we missed seeing our beautiful flag flying and singing our national anthems and now can hardly salute without being overcome with tears of gratiude. We pray that this nation will remain free and safe and prepared for the Saviors coming.

Trip to Canada

2010-06-29T13:28:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to Canada to visit Allan's family. It was a spectacular drive through Montana this time of the year. Everything was so green and beautiful.
We had a great visit with Allan's mom and Jim who were, as usual, the supreme hosts. We helped do some planning for grandmas 90th birthday celebration in September. This should be a great event in her honor.

Jim is so totally devoted to the Prairie Tractor Museum and has been the lead developing it into a pretty grand place. He had several classes of school children visiting one day so we enjoyed helping him at the "Old School".

We had the usual family potluck one evening and quite a few family members came--about 50, which is less of half of the entire gang.

ALLAN, JOE, MARK, GRANDMA, & JAY

THE "OTHER" DEBBIE, KENNA AND SHIRLEY

AUDY, SHIRLEY & 2 OF GEREMY&ADA'S KIDS

SUSAN & RUSSELL (JOE'S BOY)

ABBY (lives in S.L.) & ADA

Well I rescued Allan just in time to head home. He was becoming a Canadian cowboy!