Stephen and Elaine Biddulph: 14

Our European Missions Map

It's been a normal busy week with calls. We've received 4-5 new missionaries that mission presidents want us to contact for depression and stress. Stephen has done a couple of evaluations for requests to return to missionary service after a missionary was released early for emotional problems, and advising the area presidency on the psychological status of a first-time applicant who suffers with Bipolar 2 disorder. A request came in to help a missionary struggling with ADD. One request this weekend was for a missionary who works in Iceland, a part of the Copenhagen, Denmark mission. Unsurprisingly to Iceland he is suffering from depression. That can be a difficult mission in which to labor because of the lack of sunlight for much of the time.

Stephen tracting in Friedhof "Hallo! Ist Jemand zu Hause?"

We enjoy walking together and try and do 1-2 hours each day. We have several routes that we take. The cemetery is always a favorite with its massive old monuments and endless paths through forests, bushes, and other plants. The area also has some great parks and walking trails that we enjoy going on also. Stephen decided to try and do some contacting at one of the cemetery monuments (see picture). Not sure what we would have done if someone had answered his knock. Maybe a discussion on the plan of salvation or life after death!! Maybe just run.
Sister Christine Keyser made contact with us this past week. She is a single sister who has been designated as our replacement. She is due to arrive in Frankfurt on 28 June - our 48th wedding anniversary. So, we know how we'll spend our anniversary: picking her up at the airport, getting her settled in, and beginning training. We doubt that it will take longer than 2-3 days to train and will be leaving for home or to travel around a little.
It is a bit overwhelming to think that our time is coming to a close. The Castletons left early March and now two more couples (Rysers and Andersons) are leaving the end of April, at least one in May (Sharpes), and we'll be right at the end of June or first of July.
Thursday we took most of the day away from the office and went to Wiesbaden and the military installation. We renewed Elaine's military ID card at the office in Lucius D. Clay Kaserne (airbase) and also visited the health facility to get prescriptions for medications and a health check up for Stephen. He had blood tests taken for PSA check to ensure that his prostate cancer is staying under control. We did a 1.5 mile walk around the housing area there. It was a beautiful day with

Military housing Lucius D Clay Kaserne (Wiesbaden)

totally blue skies and mild temperatures. We also drove over to Wiesbaden side and visited the PX and the commissary. We feel so blessed to have our military benefits. We guess we earned them by 20 years of hard labor and getting shot, but we're still grateful.

Elder and Sister Biddulph - Heidelberg and Neckar River behind

Saturday Jim and Diane Hacking invited us to go with them to Heidelberg. We had been before about a year ago, but it was their first time and we wanted to help show them around. It was a fun day together. We are quite a bit alike in our temperament and personalities, with the exception that Diane is a shopper and Elaine is a hopper. She can't hardly stand to go into a store unless it has chocolate. Jim was counselor in MTC Provo presidency and he and Elaine and Diane got to know each other really well.

Heidelberg Castle

The drive from Frankfurt is only about 60 minutes south on 5 Autobahn. Jim drove and Stephen served as co-pilot - navigator. The two or three days prior had been beautiful, but Saturday proved to be overcast but not terribly cold. We first walked up to the Heidelberg Schloss on the hill overlooking the city and did the tour of the castle and grounds. It was fun to be back in the city and Elaine was especially delighted in rediscovering the Lindt chocolate outlet. Diane was also very excited.

Heidelberg and Neckar Fluss

Hiedelberg boasts the oldest University in Germany established in October 1386 by the Holy Roman Empire. Martin Luther even visited to defend one of his Theses. Goethe spent time here and there is a statue bust of him in the palace gardens. The castle also boasts to be the most famous and beautifully preserved of German castles. Of course, Neuenschwanstein castle (Disneyland enchanted castle) in Füssen might argue that point.

Heidelberg Cathedral

Hiedelberg is a beautiful city stretched out along both sides of the Neckar River. The houses are ornate and beautiful. The river is wide and beautiful. The surrounding hillsides are forested with deciduous hardwoods and pine trees. The castle gardens, once vastly manicured and ornate gardens and structures are now simply flat green grass with shade trees. The Neckar River has its headwaters in the Black Forest regions in Bavaria. It flows northward through Stuttgart and Marbach, then, swings west through Hiedelberg and joins the Rhine at Mannheim. It is a major waterway for industry and travel.
On Sunday we had church as normal. President Cziezla (Frankfurt stake president) came to make a call to our new elder's quorum president (Troy Murphy). He is a black man from Tennessee who has worked for the Church in Germany for 10 years or more. He will make a fine president. He's dedicated and hard working. It was third Sunday of the month and we had our normal Gemeinde Essen after meetings. The Gemeinde looks for ward to eating together.