April 7,  2012  Mission Blog

We spent Thursday and Friday in Munich at a Distrikt leader’s conference.

This was something I never expected to do—ever.  Norm was called to be the District Leader as our district includes the Zone Leader’s and two sisters.  He puts it well when he says, “They just didn’t have anyone else.  So since there is no one they can really put me on splits with, I go where Norm goes.  Interesting experience, since they conducted a lot of the meeting in German.  But then about 30% of our missionaries are from Germany.  Probably 80-90% speak great English, but it needs to be comfortable for those who don’t.  The ones who do translate very well.  One sweet Elder even translated for me.   Sister Miles, our mission president’s wife says that it is great to not be the only sister in those meetings.

The last part was role play.  We were divided into four areas, separating your dad from me.  So I made notes of what I could understand, and it was great tools.  Then two elders were assigned to use me as an investigator.  Fortunately I understood what role I was to play.  The second time I got to be the missionary.  It was helping an investigator to keep their commitments.  I learned a lot.  Only I forgot to ask him at the end to recommit.  But it was a great exercise, as we  read the scripture and then discussed what it meant, its importance and how he felt about it.

Anyway, the train ride was also interesting.

Oh, and the funny part was when we were forgotten.  We were put up on a hotel the mission always uses.  The Zone Leaders were in the mission home and the district leaders were put up in local wohnung with the local elders.  Well it decided to downpour the next morning.  Sister Miles had encouraged me to eat the breakfast at the hotel, rather than all the sweet cereals they had provided for the Elders.  Greatfully I did.  They were suppose to pick us up at 7:45.  Well when it didn’t happen we decided they were busy shuttling all those missionaries in the downpour.  When 8:45 rolled around, we were certain of it.  Norm says, laughingly, “I think we were forgotten.”  So he tries to call.  His Austrian phone would not work in Austria.  My phone had died, I had forgotten to take the charger with me, and used it for scriptures the day before.  Finally he tried to text the office.

About an hour later Sister Miles shows up full of embarrassed apology.  We understood, as she was also involved in fixing breakfast.  When we took our seats, in the only spot available, by the President and his wife, he came over put his arms around us with a wonderful, humble apology for having forgotten us.  I just laughed and said, “Don’t worry about it we knew you had a lot to take care of this morning.  Besides, I can forget when my head is empty.”  He chuckled over that one.

The Miles are really down to earth.  They are easy to love.  And what wonderful missionaries we have been allowed to meet.  Elder Slovbabo (I think that is how it is spelled.) one of our AP’s when we arrived is now training his younger brother in Wien (Vienna)  As we were walking from the Banhopf to the chapel he walked with me, carrying on a wonderful English conversation.  I found out his parents are only about 100 kilometers from them.  None of the German elders are very far from home.  Just thought this is a unique situation.  Several other elders have been AP’s and are nearing the end of their missions.  Boy are they sharp.  I can’t remember all those german names.  The one who translated for me certainly knows his white book and Preach My Gospel inside and out.  If a question came up he was always ready with the answer.

We really miss Elder Graff who completed his mission.  We were sad to learn that he is facing heart surgery and are praying that all goes well with him.

We are loving our mission.  We are also facing some interesting challenges as we try to rebuild this JAE program.  It really is just one arm of missionary work.  It’s purpose is to help these young adults in serving missions, and finding a good member of the church, be married in the temple and help the gospel grow by building up the church.  Too many young men go inactive, and too many of our young women are finding those outside of the church, who really introduce the world to them.  And then as we were told, since the early days of the church, Europe bleeds a little because many will go to BYU marry and never return home.  So Europe has it’s struggles.  We also have to help these stubborn saints be converted to Missionary Work.  Yes we have had our experiences and shut downs.  We were sent here not to be like everyone else and not to fail.  It means converting one by one, beginning with ourselves, our Ward missionary council, and each member, even if it means beginning with the inactives.  We just have to convince them that we are not like everyone else and we will not do the missionary work or be put off easily.

View of City of Salzburg from trail up to castle

First gateway and door to Castle

I am still working on the knee.  Having climbed the hill to the Festoon last Monday took it’s toll, but I am better for having done it.  Next time though, if there is a next time, we will be taking the tram. 

Second door.

Third door to enter castle.  If they got up the hill with their heavy armour, they had a moat to cross, three long climbs behind three large doors and bridge.

One of many crests found on the walls.  Have taken others that are religious.  This was definitely Catholic country.

One of the Cannons guarding the River.  I still am not sure what it is named.

Another Crest on a tall outside wall.  There are a lot more pictures of the inside, showing the Prince's room, also showing their torture tools.  Maybe some other time I will post or save them until I get home.  There are about 6 hundred years of history in this fortress.  It was added on over the centuries, and even remodeled.  One famous story is about the Turks trying to invade.  When they got over the wall protecting the city, everyone fled into the castle. 

  because it was impossible to take they put a siege on the castle.  Suddenly a cow appeared on the hill.  The next day another cow appeared.  And each day after.  The Turks gave up and left because they knew that it would be impossible to starve them out.  Someone carved a cow and they painted it a different color each day.  Today you  will see carved painted cows throughout the city.