At the end of October, we had a very big wind storm come thru and it took the roof off the Elders' apartment. We have spent a great deal of our time since then, making arrangements for a new apartment for them - theirs was not habitable due to all the water leaking and damage to pretty much everything. We also worked with the Mission Home to ensure their old apartment was properly secured, and all the administrative handling to get them into a Hotel during the interim was accomplished.
Actually, this was just going thru the steps to touch all the bases that needed to be touched to keep everyone informed and the action moving forward with all the relocating, shutting down, turning in keys, getting new keys, and a lot of etceteras.....
Everyone worked hard and the four of us felt pretty well used up. The Elders, however, worked double as they were putting together their new apartment, furniture, etc. at the same time we had not move out of their old one. Some of the brethren from the Branch were very helpful - especially Juergen Schulz who speaks very good English and what a difference it made for all of us.
Here are a couple of pictures that give you a hint, but you had to be here to appreciate it:-)
I hope my new antenna can get me in touch with Scotty.
I need to beamed up.
Elder Brindley on the street where he LIVED! A very interesting place indeed. The storm sure motivated us to get out and find a new place to live for them. It took some doing to get all this - PLUS - out on the street from teh 5th floor (YES - 5th). The City was coming by the next morning between 8am and 12-noon to trash it all into their big haul away truck. Some of this was aerialized out the back window and carried to the front vs. down all those stairs with so many loads. It was a site to see Sister Porter waving the OK for all clear to launch another piece of furniture on to the back lawn.
The picture on the right
is of the living room ceiling. That's ceiling
hanging down all over. Water collected
between the wall board ceiling and the
covering and large bubbles formed.
When they broke, the rivers ran----
Ceiling at top, walls running down.
Water is long gone, but it was a mess.
Bedding, mattresses were soaked.
We took President Monson's admonition to
go to the RESCUE quite literally in this case.
Tried to load a video, but didn't work for me - one more thing to learn :-)
Below is my Happy Birthday card from our grandkids.
It will remain up on the wall in our office for the duration:-)
Many farmers here get a better income from wind power generators than they do farming. These things are all over the place.
Every time I see them I am reminded of ALIENS ARE HERE!!!!
Everybody wants to get a picture that is timed to let all be in the picture.
Elder College is the smiley one on the right side with the large smile. He is our District Leader. He and his compaion work in Leer, which is a fairly large Gemeinde (Branch). We meet in OL (Oldenburg) based on the buliding and the location,
Elder Meeks is the one with the very nice hat on the left - he works with Elder Brindley in WHV.
BUT - as you can see - all's well that ends well. Oh WELL --- We hope to get some Sister Missionaries in our District, in fact in WHV if we can swing it. Lots to do with Primary in the home, Young Women, and a lot of etc. etc. etc'as...
Elder Wolfgang Paul and his wife.
They are in charge of the Institute and YSA (JAE) program. They live hear Oldenburg and are at our meetings. Their home town, however, is Frankfurt.
He was released as a 70 recently and we feel very lucky to have him and his good wife in our midst.
They were in Russia for a few years to get the work going there. It was not easy and they are happy to be working with all of us now.
The work goes forward no matter where you are - just not fast enough:-)
SPEAKING OF HATS!!!!Elder Meeks is the one on the left:-)
We commend ourselves on our excellent taste in clothes :-)
He does think it's a long way from California, however.
Nevertheless - the work goes forward.
Elders Brindley and Meeks had a baptism in November - also at Oldenburg as our building doesn't have a baptismal font.
From left to right - Elder Meeks (California), Brother Nelson Jahnel (Taufling) and Elder Brindley (Utah).
Br Jahnel plays semi-pro table tennis, coaches the game, and goes to school. He is 25, born in Germany, but his mother is from Thailand. Both parents are dead and Nelson only has a grandmother left.
He jumped on Genealogy (Now Family Research? Familienvorschung) when we introduced him to it at our FHE at our home a couple of weeks ago.
He also wants to do the lesson for our FHE this coming week. It was very nice to see his excitement of discovery and his enthusiasm pick up as he begins to get to know the gospel potential and the members of the branch.
Gotta love these experiences:-)
Left ot right, Brother Crnoglavac (don't worry, it takes practice) and his son David who is 21. Did someone say YSA/JAE?
We think his father will be the Institute instructor for our Branch as we start the new year with some new programs - new to his area anyway:-)
Elder Meeks baptised Brother Jahnel.
16Nov13.
Elder Brindley confirmed him at Sacrament meeting the following week.
THEY LOOK GREAT DON'T THEY?
District Oldenburg November 2013
We were happy to be part of it .
AND - we are happy to be here.
As Edward R. Murrow used to say,
"So Long Until Tomorrow"
(I know most of you have no idea who Mr. Murrow was, but you may find him interesting by seeing if Wikipedia has a write-up about him). I used to listen to him on the radio whne I was MUCH younger.
Gotta get some beauty sleep - you can understand just how long that may take:-)
Gigi does it with naps only and looks great:-)
I'm thinking that sleep isn't enough and I may have to consider Extreme Makeover :-)
I'm sure they would like a good challenge - I can ask them what they know about the Mormons:-)
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