Sunday, November 2, 2014

CATCHING UP FOR JULY 2014

HELLO :-)  No fainting allowed, but we are trying to catch up on our BLOG!!
It is now 2Nov2014 and we are going to try to recapture July - my, but the time flies!!!

We started the month by "updating" our Branch House Display Table. We more than doubled the size with a new, quick fold and height adjusting table that was part of a 3-pack. It looks so much nicer, and we have high hopes of it being a boost to the Branch and whatever visitors we may have for a visit.

And - yes, the boxes and stuff under the table were removed right after our 1st picture.  We "cluttered" it enough trying to find something that would be of interest to someone:-)






We were part of an Oldenburg Zone meeting shortly before transfer day came due.  Our Zone is called the O-Zone (go figure) You can spot us on the right side, toward the back - as usual.







Shortly after the O-Zone meeting, there was a Missionary Couples Retreat in a nice part of Germany called Schwerin.  The chapel building behind us has been there for some years, but the history was interesting to hear from someone who has been a long time member of the church in that area.  The members sacrificed a great deal to be able to purchase a broken down barn and a little house on a nice piece of property. At that time, it was East Germany, and it was not especially "user friendly", but they persevered, and used a lot of the old lumber from the barn to build a meeting house. There was also the little house, and a couple was living there, so the members traded an apartment of one of the members, which was much nicer than the little house. The members moved into the little house in order to be able to work on the meeting house as the old barn was torn down, piece by piece, and the little "chapel" was build to hold meetings in.


We all agreed to conspire against the Mission President (Henry Kosak), and while we were "running" around (a figure of speech) downtown, we passed by a Dollar Shop equivalent. There were hats available for 1 Euro, so we bought enough hats for everyone of us - including President and Sister Kosak. When President & Sister Kosak arrived, we were all there with our hats on to greet them and discuss mission dress standards:-)  It was all in good humor and fun, and President Kosak enjoyed having a good ti
me at a very nice meeting. 

 OK - get ready - the following are random pics of our group.
President Kosak standing - with a tie and no hat.
The Brother to his left is the member who gave his historical insight, and I am really sorry I don't have his name at the moment.  As I recall he has served as a Stake President and many other callings over his lifetime of service. He also wrote a book recalling the days of the struggles in East Germany.















Elder Benson (California) takes a pic.












President Kosak makes the rounds to say hello to everyone.
















Lunch/snack break  also known as picnic, or soft drinks, sandwiches and CHOCOLATE!!










 Away we go on our walkabout in Schwerin - which ended up to also be a hat buying excursion -



Can't pass up a great bargain! (I'm also talking about a good deal on the hats:-) )
 Elder Beesley carries the extra hats for those who were not there:-)




Can't let this one go without getting involved.
























The "girls" (Sisters) also did more than fair share - but then what's new.  The fun maybe, but they all seem to do well when they are also busy with their callings all over the Germany Berlin Missionfield.







Around town



























 YEP - It's dinner time the night before our meetings with President Kosak.
This one is MINE!!!
We spent all afternoon walking around town, buying hats and trying to avoid trouble - we did well - BUT now it's time to EAT!!
The potato balls on the right of the Schnitzel are called Salzkartoffeln - salt potatoes because they are boiled in salt water.  Fries taste better, but hey - it's food and it's all  GOOD.




Just like one would expect in a OLD restaurant - ambiance and lots of food for the huddled masses.













Lunch the next day (17th July) after our meetings.

To the left are Elder and Sister Snow - must be Snow cousins, but we haven't taken time to look back on our Genealogy - either one of us....  Elder and Sister Tenney are to their left.














To the left,  lower corner are Elder and Sister Russell who are retired school teachers. We came to Germany on the same airplane and see each other at Mission Conferences and special meetings such as this one - they are very nice and a lot of fun - well the Sisters are anyway - Elder Russell and I sort of sit by and watch because we are old fudds:-)
At the far end are Sister and Elder Tenney who work in Dresden.  They left for home in the US August.  Sorry to see them leave, but understand that time is here while it is here - don't let it slide by:-)



Left corner are the MacCombers who are on a history mission - they take pictures of records, etc. and they go back to the Church for processing and archiving for Family Search, etc.
To their right are Elder & Sister Kunz who arrived in the mission filed just a few weeks before we "retreated".














And AGAIN - to the left lower corner is a very beautiful lady missionary, sitting next to President Kosak - who is sitting across from the table from his wife (whom I cut out of this picture in order to get my wife, whom I was sitting across from).
Next to President Kosgak is Sister Benson, who is sitting across from her husband, Elder Benson...... Getting confused yet???









And now for some pics of cobblestones and comfy shoes, our Hotel, the main train station (Bahnhof), and a fountain on the plaza (Hof, Piazza) in front of our hotel:-)














Yep - fountain






Eye catching architecture




Bahnhof


Sister Porter (Brigitte, Gigi, Gitti, Gamma)
and the fountain





Here we are - Elder Benson took a shot for us:-)






I took a shot of Elder and Sister Benson:-)









This is NOT the castle at Schwerin!!!!









BELOW ARE THE PICS OF THE CASTLE AT SCHWERIN!!!






Hercules & the Bull

Somebody's statue:-)


Here he is again!


Hello from Schwerin

Beesleys & Snows awaiting the tour.













Helping Herc - or just thowing some bull?

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PLACE THIS IS HERE:-)
Got to admit, I prefer being home getting TX steaks and Tex-Mex
Stay tuned - but keep on breathing.
We try, but mostly it's trying to keep up:-)
Tschüß
US
PS - Going to finish July very soon - it isn't "done" yet:-)