May 5, 2011

Dear Vauna, Lisa, Ron and Karen:\

Happy Cinco de Mayo if any of you are celebrating that Holiday.  Also I hope Vauna and Karen  that you all had a wonderful Mother’s Day.   I’m sure mine will be different but I know it will be good.

We have had a busy week so I haven’t done very good at writing emails and such.   Last Saturday, we had meetings with the Centers for Young Adults.  We left our house around 7:45 a.m. on Saturday morning and arrived back to our apartment at 8:15 p.m.   We had Elder Wright at the meetings and he was kind of running the program.  He is the Area 70 over the Centers and he is from Wales.  

We meet some couples from France and Finland, Great Britain, and the Perle’s from southern Germany.  Brother and Sister Perle were released from their calling on the day before but came in smiling and very upbeat.   They have loved their calling.  They were asked to share their testimonies and it was very touching.  

After all the meetings which were over about 4:30 p.m., the Asplund’s and us visited more with Elder Wright and then we went to dinner with him.   We were all so tired when we were done but it was a pretty good day.  Asplund’s received permission for Marv and I to be trainers to some of the Centers.  Right now we will probably be Advisors to the Centers in Hungary and Poland and possibly to some in Northern Germany.   Everything hasn’t been totally decided on that.  We will need to travel to these centers and meet with the Center couples that are running the programs, meet with the Stake or District President and attend an activity or two of the Young Adults to see how things are going plus give some training to the Center  couples and to the Student Council members.   We will probably leave on a Friday and return on a Wednesday.   The Asplund’s want us to go to YSA Conference with them the first of August for a few days in Munich.   I think that should be interesting.   So it sounds like me might get to do a little traveling with Marv’s assignment.  

Sunday we were invited over to the Davies for dessert and we had a wonderful visit and dessert was strawberry shortcake.   They are another Senior Missionary Couple.   They have been on 4 missions I believe and he is the Executive Secretary to the Area Presidency.  I really needed that visit and it was fun hearing about their missions and how the Lord has blessed them in their lives. 

I went to a Sister’s Night out last night and they had a lot of things from the sisters going home because their missions are done and they decided to leave some things behind.  There was clothes, shoes, purses, and cooking supplies.   I picked up a couple of packages of onion soup mix and a box of something that I was told was pudding.   It was all free.    Then we had a sister that taught us how to make an apple strudel and a vegetable strudel.   It was really easy because you can buy the dough already made at the store and then you throw the other things in it and cook it for about 20 to 25 minutes at 200c.   

Then they had a book review of some of the favorite fiction books of three of the sisters, two of them are the doctor’s wives.   They don’t really have much to do so they can spend a lot of time reading I guess.   One of them loved historical based novels, one loved the mystery type books and the other one loved just a good feel good book.  One of the doctor’s has written two books that are published on Amazon and she shared how he writes.  Sounds like he has always loved to tell stories and he spend about an hour a day writing down his story line and even when they go on vacation he can come home and start where he left off.  I guess his books are good and clean.  His name is Steven Dahl.   They are going to be here until January so maybe before then I can check out his book and read at least one of them.   This winter would be a good time to do that.  I am trying to read President Monson’s book on my Kindle but I really need to spend more time doing that.   I can’t believe how fast the time is going.   I never seem to have enough time to do everything I want to do.They also told us that there is a small library where we can check out the books and apparently some games and DVD’s in our office building.   I guess I will have to check it out.   Then we got to eat the strudels and clean up and go home.   I got home about 8:30 p.m. that night.  

Things have been really busy for me at work this week.   I have been dealing with a few new challenges but I think we have been able to work through most of them.   We had a couple that has not paid for their mission car, which costs $150 US dollars a month but now they rather reluctantly will start to pay for the car.   They got away without paying for it for 9 months.   There is always something that comes up that I have to figure out who I need to talk to and how to resolve the issues.   This definitely keeps me hopping and there is never a dull moment.

Today Marv and I along with Asplund’s,who are the CFYA Leaders, and who we have become good friends with got to travel to a town that is about 2 ½ hours away from here to pick up a computer, filing cabinet and files for Marv’s job from Brother Perle.   It was a very nice drive and I did notice a couple of castles on the hills on our drive but of course we couldn’t stop.  Sister Perle fixed us lunch and it was very good.   Her table was beautifully set and her home was very lovely.   It is in an apartment building where they have lived for the past 36 years.   They pretty much raised their children there.  As I looked around, she had decorated it very lovely and she shared stories about a lot of the things she had.   Sister Asplund and I loved visiting with this sister.   I was amazed that she raised her children in this small of a place.  We are truly blessed to have such large homes.   I felt so guilty that I thought I should really move to the smaller apartment and save some money.   But we will see if Marv is wanting to do that or not.   He is tired of me talking about it but I’m not really sure how he feels.   Our apartment is nice so it might be hard to go down to something a lot smaller but it would be less expensive. 

Brother and Sister Perle shared with us their story of how they met.  She is a convert and Brother Perle baptized her.   She saw the name of the church on the outside of a church and decided to attend a meeting and check it out.  She then got interested in going to the dances and activities there on weekends.   During that time in Stuttgard there were a lot of soldiers here and so a lot of the girls married the American soldiers but she didn’t.   Brother Perle when he was 23 and a newlywed was made a Branch President.   Then he was a Bishop, Counselor in Stake Presidency 2 times, Bishop again and I think they have been on 6 missions.  They have served in the temple a couple of times, in Dresden proselyting,  and Trainer for the CFYA.   He is around 75 years of age. 

Sister Perle became sick and the sickness paralyzed her from the waist down when they were on one of their missions so they had to be released.  Brother Perle gave her a priesthood blessing after she had suffered some time with this and the doctors didn’t know what was wrong with her.  She was healed enough that she can walk around now.  After this healing and getting better they went back and finished their mission but they feel they can never pay back the Lord enough for healing her.   Her legs are still kind of weak but she said she can get around and she is not complaining.   They shared some beautiful stories for us.  She told us we need to go to Dresden and see all the history that is there.   This is where the wall was put up and divided the East from the West.   She remembers this time very well.   She is actually from Czech and she remembers the night that Dresden was bombed by us.  She was close to the border and they could see the glow of the fires from the bombing.   She was kicked out of Czech Republic but was sent to Stuttgard which was a blessing in disguise so that she did not have to stay behind the wall.   This is where she and Brother Perle met.   Anyway we learned so much from them and the Spirit was so strong.   If only we could have experiences like today every day. 

We had a prayer before we left for guidance and safety and for a nice time of getting to know and love the Perle’s.  We were able to travel up there with no problems and traffic was even decent.   I had been a little concerned because Marv was having to drive a big van and I know how hard it is to get around in the little car we have – I hoped he would not have any problems.   We didn’t get lost and the ride went smooth.  Coming home we couldn’t get the car to start because we could get the key to turn so Brother Perle tried to help us and finally after reading the manual, he got the car started.   It was kind of funny but then we left after they gave us some sweet rolls from the bakery for our trip home.   The Perle’s are the most wonderful and faithful people I have ever met.   They are loved by Heavenly Father and you can feel that they know that and how much they want to serve the Lord.   Our trip home took us an extra hour because of traffic.  We left around 8:15 a.m. and got home at 7:00 p.m.   I felt the Lord did bless us totally today.  

I did see a cool looking castle on a hill and we saw a nuclear power plant on our way.  There were other castles and lots of churches but we didn’t have time to stop and look at any of them.   I think that this is outside our mission boundaries so I don’t know if we will get back there again.  

Sister Asplund and I talked nonstop both up and back.   Every time I get with her I want to move over to the other apartment but I think Marv is content to be here.   I am so confused as to what we should do.   Hopefully we will make the right choice.  

My flowers look beautiful and I am so glad that I can see them on my porch as I leave for work.  They make me feel happy.  

Marv shared his story of why he is on a mission today with the Perle’s.  Brother Asplund asked him to do that.   He has told his story many times.   I always want to add what I felt and saw but I let him tell it his way and don’t interject anything.   He always gets choked up and he says he knows the Lord saved his life and this is a small thing he can do to give back a little to the Lord.   I am so proud on him.   He is truly doing a great job here.  

I love all of you.   I want you to know that I love the Lord and I am glad that I too have listened to the Spirit and made choices in my life that have given me this opportunity to serve here.  I have come to know that the Lord knows the end from the beginning and he knows what we are capable of doing.  I know that he loves each of us.   I know that he wants us to obey the commandments and as we do, he blesses us beyond measure.   He never breaks his promises to us.   It is us that break our promises to him.   I love my Savior, I love each of you with all my heart.   I miss you but I know this is where we are suppose to be right now at this particular time.  I believe as time goes on we will even learn more on how we can serve him even better and why he wants us here.   Even if it is for us to be stronger, to love each other and our family even more, even if it is to make some new and dear friends, even if it is to touch the heart of someone somewhere, there is a purpose and we need to do our part.   What a wonderful opportunity to learn to serve and to serve with all our heart.   May the Lord bless all of you with the blessings that you need and desire.   May you feel his love for you and that his love will fill in for us while we are gone.   May all of you feel that we are where Heavenly Father wants us and that you will feel our love for you is my prayer.   The gospel is true and if we follow the commandments we will find happiness in all our lives.   Keep up the good work.  Remember to smile and be grateful for the little tender mercies that happen in each of our lives each day.

Karen we are keeping you in our prayers and hope that you heal quickly from your surgery and that it will be successful.

Love ya,

Marv and Vickie