14-20 SEPTEMBER 2015

Budingen Schloss with Frog 

This week has been a busy, busy week with phone calls and church assignments. Tuesday evening I was in branch council in Offenbach until 10:30 p.m. and didn't get home until 11:00. Thursday was branch presidency meeting at 8 p.m., but I did that from the apartment on a Webex on-line call. I've had a lot of missionaries with depression and discouragement and anxiety to speak with this week. Several mission presidents have called asking for assistance. We are glad that they feel confident in our abilities to help. 
      On Friday evening we had a flick night at the Greenwood's apartment with the Smiths and the Riggs. We watched "Cinderella." I had not seen this particular version of the movie and found it well done. It was true life actors but with some clever and well-done animation added. Afterwards, we planned out our upcoming trip to Switzerland to see the town of Zermat and the Matterhorn.We plan to go on Elaine's birthday (General Conference weekend) since we can't listen to most of the sessions live because of the time change. We can't wait to hear the changes to the Quorum of the 12 Apostles and others. We also love to hear the addresses

Castle Entrance

because it gives us important direction for the next 6 months of our lives. We were sorry that we couldn't get the live streaming of Pres Nelson's dedicatory prayer of the Susquehanna River restoration site. I guess we'll see it later. 

     On Saturday, Elaine and other senior sisters attended a stake relief society activity in Offenbach. Afterwards, Jim Galbraith and I picked our wives up and drove about 50 minutes northeast of Offenbach to a little town called Büdingen beyond Hanau. Hanau is the city where the Grimm Brothers (Grimm's Fairytales) were born and partially raised. It was a delightful trip through German countryside, fields, forests, and little dorfs (villages), and within easy driving distance.
      Büdingen is a fun little town dating back into the 1400s. The buildings within the city proper are very old and made of the wood beam and lath construction of the medieval era. The streets are narrow and paved with very old cobblestones. Many of the structures show the old construction and slope and lean and settle at various

Old Castle Fortress

angles. 
      The town was settled around an ancient medieval castle made of two large round structures with a narrow connecting bridge and surrounded by a moat. A large Protestant church stands prominent near the castle and the town spreads out around it. The citizens of Büdingen are known by surrounding neighbors as die "Fräääsch" (the Frogs), a title the citizens proudly take upon themselves. Walls of some of the buildings are adorned with frogs, and many stores have stuffed toys, trinkets, statues, and other paraphernalia of frogs.
     The story goes that in 1522 Count Anton of Büdingen married Elisabeth of Wied and brought her to his castle in Büdingen to live. The first night the frogs in the surrounding moat croaked so loudly that she threatened to divorce and return home if the frogs were not stopped. After great consternation and trouble, they finally resolved the problem by the citizens storming the moat with buckets, catching all of the frogs, and throwing them into the river. Thus, the marriage and important political alliances were

Budingen Street

saved, and the people took great pride in their accomplishment. Since then, they have been known by the nickname of frogs (Fräääsch). The pictures are of Büdingen.

Old houses on street in Budingen

Evangelische Kirche in Budingen

Offenbach Primary singing Follow the Prophet