22-28 FEBRUARY 2015

Elder Overall, Herr Schilds, Elder White

Elder Biddulph and Herr Schilds

Yesterday, Tuesday, 24 February, we drove over to Offenbach meetinghouse and I accompanied two full-time elders to visit and teach Herr Schilds. He has been taught several times but has a resistance to believing in God as anything more than an idea or force, and getting him to pray has been impossible up to now. He has read in das Buch Mormon and he did come to church on Sunday. He is about 75-years of age and lost his wife to death about 2-3 years ago. A very sweet, good man. I was not going to say much, maybe give my testimony or something, but I felt moved to speak to him about Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and promise him that if he would pray about the book and the prophet that God would reveal to him a knowledge of the truth of it all through the Holy Ghost. So, I did so in my best German, which is still quite weak, but he understood and I think deeply considered what I had to say. It was so enjoyable to be on the cutting edge of missionary work. This is a photo of Herr Shilds and me in his apartment.

Frankfurt Skyline 1 March 2015

     It was another busy week with many contacts with missionaries. The sisters with whom I work tend to struggle with relationships, stress, adjustment, and anxiety. They expect so much of themselves and have more drama in their lives than do the elders. The elders more often experience physical/medical problems, but they, also, have problems with depression. Mission presidents really have their hands full in helping the missionaries become effective teachers by the spirit, in addition to the temporal challenges their missionaries face.

Frankfurt Skyline evening February 2015

     We only had about 25 out to branch meetings on Sunday. Lots of sickness going around at present. I attend Primary often with the children and find just a lot of joy being with them. It is so much fun to hear them sing the primary songs auf Deutsch. I have also begun to befriend a 19-year old fellow in the branch. I'm trying to reach out to him and strengthen him in his testimony and desire to serve a mission. Elder White was transferred, and Elder Overall received a brand new companion directly from Provo MTC named Elder Draper from Payson, Utah. He seems like a great elder. I'll miss Elder White because he was our connection to Southern Virginia University where he played basketball. Our ward sisters back in Provo (Oak Hills) sent us a package of hearts with little love notes written on them. They are so thoughtful and kind to do that. We have our OOMA phone set up now and that makes it easy to speak with our children and grandchildren each week. Modern technology sure has made it easy to stay in touch.
     Anne Frank's birth house is just across the street from the Europe Area offices. She lived there for a time and then moved a short distance west of here before her family fled Germany in 1939 to Belgium. There, of course, the family lived for a couple of years until the Germans invaded Belgium and eventually the Frank family was discovered after 2 years of hiding in a secret compartment, and they were all shipped off to camps. Anne, her sister, and her mother died in those camps. Only the father survived, and he eventually published the diary of his daughter.

Elaine with Love Notes from Home Ward