Missionary Thoughts Blog

Missionary Blog:  July 5, 2013

So we attended our second funeral in two weeks, though Sis. Keldorfer  died about three day after Sister Höglmoser ‘s  funeral.  What a difference between the funerals.  We we saw Sis. Höglmosers picture, both of us remember her being in church one of the first days we were in the ward.  They were surprised because they thought it had been a long time since she was in church.  But I believe she was there one or possibly two times right after we arrived.  Her funeral was at her graveside, which was in a Catholic cemetery.  I don’t believe any of her children were LDS, though Bishop Schubert conducted and it was definitely a Mormon funeral.  We believe her grave was probably the family plot.

Sister Keldofers was a typical family LDS funeral.  Her daughter arrived from America and her brother and his wife walked in.  The daughter is very active LDS, but the brother, I don’t believe is because of the style of his wife’s dress did not allow for garments.  It was interesting when Brϋder Tallhammer sang “O My Father,” right after the talk by Monika her daughter, how the sister-in-law was suddenly touched when he started singing.  Elder Storrer noted how the brother seemed to be hanging on every word of August Schubert the last speaker who addressed the beliefs of members of the church of Jesus Christ, especially his mother’s.

July 2

So in checking out facebook, as that seems to be the only place we can see what is happening in our children’s lives.  (They seldom even respond to our emails.)  I stumbled upon some interesting comments regarding the latest Supreme Court’s “New Law” about claiming that Homosexual marriage wil be the new law of the land.  It had nothing to do with interpreting the Constitution. 

After posting this,  The Supreme Court has ruled:
Christianity is false: it teaches homosexual acts are a perversion of sex; but we know they are healthy and good for those who prefer to do them
Christianity is immoral: it teaches that people who commit homosexual acts are sinning; but we know they are sinning by disparaging homosexual acts and, by extension, those who like to participate in them.
Christianity is socially destructive: it teaches that good people should discourage homosexual acts for the sake of everyone, especially those tempted to them; and we know that such judgments are oppressive of a minority and therefore anti-social.

I do not believe it is just about Homosexuals being allowed to marry, but rather an attempt to destroy Christianity. And if you have read your Book of Mormon recently doesn't those odd quotes of "We know that Chrisianiity is immoral But we know that (homosexual) acts are healthy and good for those who prefer to do them, etc, etc. In Revelations we are told the the "daily sacrifice in the temples will cease...Now how does one suppose that will happen?  After which one commentor posted that I must not believe in Evolution.  My answer was that had Darwin had the information we have today about  DNA and the understanding they are finding out about DNA coding his thesis would have been much different.

Her response was something to really study for its flaws.  She responded with the old, “I don’t believe evolution replaces God, but rather God used evolution to create this world.  What I am talking about—“  And then she launched into “Moral Evolution,”  She reasoned that though God made his laws, in the beginning, because of moral evolution, the needs of man has changed and so new laws that accommodate them must change as well.  Wow, was that a statement directly from a philosophy class or what?

Years ago, in 1960, my older brother was home from BYU having just completed taking a philosophy class. I remember he and my father arguing about it way into the night, as they were just outside my bedroom door.  I don’t remember all that transpired, but as I listened to it, I had to side with Dad, because having not taken the class, I had not been swayed by a clever  philosophy teacher and most of what my brother was expousing was ridiculous.  In later years he tried to justify it with, “I was just beginning to think for myself.”  That has always scared me.  Because at that age, children are venerable to the thoughts and ideas of others, particularly those who have clever speech, unless these children have a strong foundation under them.

As a young married couple, we had a young man—in our bishopric, come by our home clad only in shorts as he walked with his wife and young daughter.  In a discussion he was adamantly against the brethren speaking out against the young women’s modest attired.  He referred to Pres Joseph F. Smith, who as an apostle, as an old man out of touch with society (reality).  He told us he was a humanist and believed God was also.

Hum!  Humanist, “Moral Evolution.”  Isn’t Satan so clever with the words he uses.

Today though it is even worse for they use “moral evolution” to describe good old fashioned, “sin.”  It has more appeal while the word, “sin,” is considered a hate word, for it makes people “feel bad about themselves.”

No we do not lie in a world of “enlightenment,” but rater in darkness.”  For when we sin, it takes us a way from God, and from light and truth.  

When Christ was on the cross, having first suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane, to continue through the horrible trials of the night and finally on the cross, the most inhuman painful way man knew how to kill at that time, it has been asked, was the sins of the world paid for in the Garden of Gethsemane or did they continue right through until he cried, “Father, why hast Thou forsaken me,”  It has been pointed out that Satan knew when he was most vulnerable and through an emissary, a common man asked, “If Thou be the son of God, save yourself and us.”  In his last ditch effort to tempt the Savior.

One author asks the question.  “Why did God abandon Him, at that time.”  We know that He had to walk the wine press alone.  This author wondered if besides that, God who will not go near evil, probably withdrew because at that moment before Christ died, the weight of the sins were upon his shoulders.  And so it held a two fold purpose.

It is amazing to me how as I read and study both the scriptures and thoughts of others, how much more the atonement has meaning.  Age and experience helps in the process as well.

Mission Blog  June 16, 2913  Missionary conference in Munchin with E. Russell M. Nelson

So it has been some time since I have written in the Mission Blog.  A lot has happened, both positive and negative.  But I prefer to dwell on the positive.  

Last weekend –through Tuesday—was pretty busy.  We had two apostles here in Europe and three Seventies, both Quorums of the 2nd and 3^rd.  The difference being that the 3^rd quorum are Area Seventies.  But all of them have the same assignment which is to bear witness of Jesus Christ.

Saturday there was a special women’s conference in Munich with Elder Russell M. Nelson.  We had to be in Salzburg for the special YSA broadcast from Stockholm, Sweden with M. Russell Ballard.  His talk was being translated in Several of the European languages, although the whole broadcast was in English.

I would like to address a little of his talk.  Now he was in a YSA meeting mind you.  He asked for all return missionaries to arise.  There were quite a few.  I saw a lot of beautiful young women in that audience but only young men arose.  Many appeared old enough to have been home a few years.  He first addressed them.  He reminded them that the first commandment was to multiply and replenish the earth.  This can only happen if they take themselves a wife.  So after their missions that is their first obligations.  And he reminded them also of the eternal blessings that come with obedience to that commandment.

The rest of his talk dealt with missionary work and all member’s obligation to be involved in missionary work.  He gave some wonderful counsel and how too.

 Then Sunday Morning we would listen to Elders Fingerla, and Texiera and their wives.  This was a special stake conference as we had just had one in March or April.  Here again the addresses were about member missionary work.  The brethren are really pushing this subject hard.

Then on Tuesday we were on the train by 6:09 am for Mϋnich to listen to Elder Nelson, these two seventies as well as Elder Kuran and also Sister Wendy Nelson, Elder Nelson’s wife.  Of course their talks were addressed directly to the missionaries and were all wonderful.  But in this blog I want to address Sister Nelson’s.  We heard her last October when she visited with E. Nelson and she is a power house as an inspiring speaker.

She began with the example of a gift card, that someone sends us.  It costs us no money and we can purchase anything in that store by it.  Sometimes we forget the gift card and it is no use to us.  But then we find it and it will still make the same purchase for us. 

In life the Savior paid for that gift card with the Atonement .  (There is only one reference to the Atonement in the Bible.  But the Book of Mormon has 39 references to it, and teaches us to understand it.) and the Holy Ghost brings us the gifts.

That gift card is prayer.  Just as a gift card, there is no end of the gifts of the spirit.  They are just as eternal.

She addressed prayer.  We can pray for anything, and request any righteous gift.  Our end  goal is to become like our Savior.  And the gift of prayer will help us get there.  She had a suggestion of three scriptures.

All of this represents truth She quoted George Q. Cannon, “Speak reverently, diligently,---.  Prayer is the power of speaking.  (D & C 46:  Gift of the Spirit---1 Corinthians 12-14, Gift of Wisdom, and Moroni 10  Faith and Charity.)

Pray and know what to pray for.  Here are the examples she gave.

Pray for the power of speaking

If we struggle with anger pray for charity.

Temper- gift of mildness or understanding.

Discouragement- persistence

Gift of listening

Cheerful countenance

True conversion’

selflessness

Forgiveness

Wisdom (of the ages)

We are never alone as long as the spirit is with us.

Think of one weakness to ask for.

Do not be discourage and pray unto the Father with all energy of heart.

Silent Obediece is not enough.

Take our weakness and turn them into a strength.

Have that burning desire to do so.  Seeking ---All focused on obtaining the gift of the spirit.

She quoted Elder Holland, “I need that gift of the spirit.  Seek to become more like the Savior

Then Elder Nelson in his remarks began by telling us one of the first and important people as missionaries we should make friends with in each Ward is the Family History director and he went on to explain how to use that person to help us in the missionary work.  I felt that comment was directed personally to us, as that morning before we left I prayed again, about using Norm’s gift and writings of learning how to read the old German Script in bringing souls to the church.

We now need to talk to Sister Kunnert.

Elder Nelson always has a question and answer period with the missionaries.  One young Elder asked, “If Peter had a witness that Jesus was the Christ, where does he stand having denied him.  Why did he deny jesus Christ,.  The answer came quickly and simply, “Obedience.”  Christ told him that he was to deny him.  That was the first time I remember ever hearing that.  However, it seems to be one of those points I missed in reading , “Jesus the Christ,” for Talmage also addressed that.  As Norm and I discussed it, we looked at Peter’s character and that he had already cut of a man’s ear, which was another point I always wondered about.  Why did Christ tell them to arm themselves, and then chastise Peter when he came to his defence.  I believe it was to test Peter and show him that he was not to come to his defense.  Peter had a work to do and if he made the fourth man on a cross that day it would have been a bit of a different story.

So all in all it was a wonderful spiritual learning day.

April 3, 2013

Not sure who was the cat and who was the mouse.

So we, Elder Storrer and I, are invited to Sister G.  Roth’s for luncheon yesterday.  I have mentioned her before.

She is a marvelous older woman.  Have been told her age, but this time saw her Birthday Calendar with her birthdate on it.  She is almost exactly 10 years and 2 months older than Elder Storrer.  It is off by just one date.  It was kind of fun to see that.

But this blog is really about something fun that happened.  I am sitting there, grasping words here and there, and picking up familiar conversation.  Some I get a pretty good jist and other I am totally lost.  So when they were talking about Family History, I missed the whole thing.  After dinnder and the dishes are cleared we end up in her upstair’s office at her computer.  Elder Storrer informs me that she is going to show him what she has been doing on her family history.  So the computer is opened.  She explains that the church as all the records of Austria and other German speaking countries on line.  We are talking about the records microfilmed from the vaults.

She goes through some of the records and asks, sweetly, if he can read any of it.  Well he had been doing indexing before we left for this mission.  So he was not too rusty.  He selects a few records and reads them.  She expressed amazement.  How can you do this.  I don’t know anyone who can decipher it as well as you.

Humbly, Elder Storrer says, “I just can.”

Well I am not sure who really was the cat and who was the mouse. Elder Storrer had forgotten-- About a month ago, in a seminary discussion her daughter in law and son asked Elder Storrer if he could give an example of inspiration.  So he picked the first one that came to mind.

While working in the church genealogy, he was sitting in a meeting when Boyd K. Packer instructed those in attendance if they would develop a program to read the old handwriting of the various European countries. Something that could be taught in one week.  Elder Storrer had been working on learning how to read it for about three years. He felt he was just really getting a handle on reading it.  He immediately vocally rejected the idea, as,, “Impossible, as he had been working on it for three years.  “Elder Packer, pointed his finger at him and said, “You will do it.”

Humbly, Elder Storrer took it to the Lord in prayer.  That night he saw a vision of how it could be done.  He immediately went to work.  It was genius all right.  But he gives the Lord credit.

Well, as we left Sister Roth’s home, he was pretty proud of himself, believing he had pulled it off.  I reminded him of the story he had shared weeks before with the Seminary.  I don’t know if he always understands the power of the spoken word.

I fell going down the stairs last night and wrenched my back a little.  (Tried to skip the last stair—accidently.  At least I didn’t mess up my knee to badly.)  So I was tossing a little in my sleep trying to get comfortable this morning, when the memory of yesterday came flooding back into my mind.  It suddenly dawned on me.  Older people in other wards are teaching classes, trying to help ward members learn how to read the old script.  Here your dad sits, with the knowledge in his head, how to do it and make I simple.  The church still uses his program.  A year ago, while sitting in a meeting, one of President Mile’s counselors introduced a copy of some of his work.  I believe that with the interest people have all over the world in Family History, that we are sitting on a gold mine to further the missionary work in this area.  We can offer classes other than Language and the standard usually used.  Now I have to talk it over with him and encourage him to pray about it.  But maybe I won’t have to.  If it is inspired we usually come up with the same message by morning.

I will only be using my blog from now on to post adventures and pictures while we live here

Feb 12, 2013

Boy, I am the most technilogical illeterate.  I am learning that nothing is safe from all prying and inquisitive eyes.  I am also learning that I need to post all spiritual and thoughts concerning the welfare of others in my private diary.  My problem is so often when I write things out that I am troubled with, or trying to solve problems  I find writing things out so often helps me analyze things.  I should know better.

Wow!  Forgot to mention that the Primary has asked us to come to their Fasching Party, (and party is correct here in Germany and Austria as they have adopted the word.)  The theme is about the Americanisch Indiana (American Indian) and guess who has been asked to come dressed as Indians.  Everyone comes in customes, but we have been asked to specifically show up as Indians.  There is no cheap material, so we are going to use the cutoffs from the white curtains and either go as Angel Indians?  or find some dye and make them brown.  Got to find the dye, have seen it, and figure out how to use it.  That means your dad better translate correctly so we don't have a brown washing machine or brown hands.  I think E. Storrer will wear basically a smock with fringe, and his brown suit pants, and me the same with my brown skirt.  Looking for a blanket so I make a real squaw, and need an old american cowboy hat to attach a feather.  Or get really creative.  Will post pictures if they turn out.
Then we are going to tell the story of Mary and the Indians, as we think that is the appropriate one for Primary children.  (don't think Conrad Storrer or Robert Fisher would work to well, since most of them are the younger children.
And we are asked to bring a dish.  How about fry bread and honey?

Feb 3  Post.  Pictures posted, but the blog draft did not so I will copy again.  Thank goodness I always do it in word first.

February 3 Blog.  Well on Feb 5 in two days, our anniversary we will have been in Salzburg one year.  It has been a very eventful year.  We have watched our original calling migrate away from the “Outreach Youth Centers,” to what it really has aways been in Salzburg, and Institute.  It is a direct correlation with the stake and not under the Mission.  The Stake aways has controlled the funds, and had representatives, but so has the mission.  In our last interview with President Miles we told him that we really had little to say, and were basically relegated to Cooks and bottle washers.  We have an awesome Stake director called, who also shares with her husband the teaching of the institute.  We have a great YSA called as President, who is a great capitan.  He has some good YSA on the committee.  They are putting together a great fireside schedule, and taking charge of their own activities.

In a dream after we arrived and in answer to prayers, Norm had a dream that told him we were to work below the foundation and the members would began to build the church and pull us up making our work lighter.

We are seeing it happening in our JAE, and now we are observing the ward finally getting the picture that they must be involved in Member Missionary work, however it is slow in coming.  They needed prodded by the prophet in Munich last September, and the missionaries always ask them to pray for their success.

But we have a lot of less actives, and total inactives that no one knows, even if they are still in the area, for they are on the books but were baptized and never attended church again.  

Today we had a wonderful baptism.  The Bishop told the Elders that he did not want a baptism on Saturday, where he would be confirmed the next day, but rather on a Sunday, right after church and then and imbiss meal right after, provided by the RS.  Well E. Storrer felt he was going against mission set programs.  But as I was sitting at the piano providing the music and the spirit was so strong and the strongest members, without small children, some with, stayed.  There was a packed chapel for Sacrament Mtg, today, and about as many as we often have on a ighter Sunday who stayed.

So in our last interview when we talked about our job, and how it is disappearing, which we are glad, because we have felt for some time that it should be local members, who know these youth, running the program.  He told us that is exactly how the church wants it to run.  If they cannot rely on the missionaries, many will step up to the plate and quite looking for excuses.  We followed the prompting and found our work and worries made lighter.

Now the majority of our attention is turning toward Ward and Member Support.  We have a circuit of people we try to see, some less actives and some contacts that have fallen into the area book as the missionaries don’t have time for these people.  They are reachable, some have had the lessons’ many times.  One sister was close to baptism and fell out.  However, we are creating friendships and bonds with these people, and know that someday, they will reach out to the church.  And Rosie Kinz, our nonmember missionary.  We visit with her several times a month.  She takes all the clothing left in Wohnungs by the missionaries and taken to the mission home when they dejunk the apartments.  She loans out one of her three Books of Mormon, in German, Hungarian, and Serbian and she is always showing her personal copy of “The Restoration.”  Don’t know if she will be baptized in this life, but we are working on it.  She was looking for pictures of Christ to make picture books for the orphanage she visits in Serbia.  Many of them are abandoned by their parents or taken from them by the state because they are so poor they cannot provide for their children.  She says they need a lot of love, and she wants them to know about Jesus Christ.  So we are giving her all our old Liahona’s both English and German.  Hoping of course that she will also read them.  Our works are slow, but we are prayerfully hoping that if we serve and love them, they will come to Christ, by our example.

We cannot afford to let others draw us in to family concerns and squabbles as it draws from our spirit and in order for us to be effective missionaries we need to pray unceasingly for the gift of Charity.  Charity never faileth and we cannot afford to fail these people.  The love of Christ and showing love to our fellowman is the only way missionary work is done.  And it is the only way people are truly converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

                                                  A Greg Olsen painting.  Love the Messages

                       We discovered how true this is in the quiet hills of Switzerland last September

Everythings fails,--but Charity never faileth  Moroni 7:45-48

 Our district with the addition of the new Elders.  S. Marquart, S Amstrong, E. McClellan, Svoboda (Hungarian father but raised many years in Vietnam and speaks perfect German, English, and speaks also Hungarian.  His brother was here as an AP when we arrived, released to train his little brother.  He is a sweet young Elder and very sincere about the gospel.  Hopes to join to siblings at BYU after his mission. Caraway, who was office when we arrived, but now trainer to Mochon.  Of course there is us with the xtra pounds of Christmas.  I have lost 8 kilo and two inches around the waist since then.

 The Altstadt of Salzburg from across the Salzach river and the Festoon built to guard the river, in stages between 1050 and the 1600's.   Picture taken from Kapuzinerberg where there is another Catholic chapel

 In the tops of the Alps near a ski resort on our way the Lankmayers to visit them and take them the Sacrament.

                                  Another valley and a nother group of mountains in a panorama.

So all the pictures posted in Missionary posts are dorky so we created our own today with the web cam.  Now if they will only use this one.  Yah, I know black on black.  

January 13, 2013 Missionary Blog

So we now have four Elders in Salzburg and with the two sisters in Neumarkt we are now a district of 8.  It is nice.  They are the Zone leaders, E.  McClellan, and E. Szvoboda (father is Hungarian mother is Swiss.)  E. Caraway is trainer and E. Mochon is the golden.  The sisters are S. Marquarte and S. Armstrong     .   Life is getting interesting.  Our pool of visits to or being visited by less actives is growing.
It is amazing how easy it is to go inactive and how hard it is to make activity in the church a good habit again.

Our major job is really ward and missionary support after JAE.  We are working with a number of less actives.  We are quite close to some wonderful people in the ward. It is amazing how easy it is to go inactive and how hard it is to make activity in the church a good habit again.

Mission Blog:  Jan 3, 2013-01-03

It was a good day.  Though it was transfer day and Elder Harris was transferred, we did expect it.  He was so happy to get to spend Christmas here.  With this transfer he went to Münich as an Assistant to the President.  He is such a sweet wonderful young man.  We will miss him, but joy with him in his new Calling.  When a door closes a window always opens.

With the new increase in Missionaries we will be getting 90 over the next several months.  Even when Degen was serving in Portugal the missionaries were being told that something good was about to happen to the missionary work in Europe.  It is following prophecy, of the last one great push.  So with this transfer we got what we so badly needed and hoped for a second set of Elders in Salzburg.  So Elder McClellan has Elder Sabota the younger brother of another awesome missionary Elder Sabota who was serving as the president’s AP when we arrived.  And We have Elder Caraway and a brand new Elder from the states who he will be training.  Elder Caraway was one of the first missionaries we ever met as an office missionary.  He was responsible for getting our tickets and on the train to Salzburg the next day. 

We also work quite closely with a less active who has a marvelous testimony of the gospel.  We try to meet with her every Wednesday for her own personal Family Home Evening.  Usually she is working on Mondays.

So she was with us yesterday when the Elder’s showed up to teach Rashaid a musiim who wants to convert to Christianity.  Then she asks if she can come over tonight to share something with us.  I know she is starved for gospel discussions and feeling the spirit.  Yet she struggles with becoming fully active in the church.  It was a young couple, boyfriend and girlfriend who came tonight.  They desire to know.  Yet Ildiko called the Elders after they left.  She had participated in the lesson as a member of the church.  We were in the back ground observing.  She was so good and so powerful.  She would be so good for Madaliene the girl as she takes people to her heart especially the young.  Daniel desires to embrace the gospel and drinks it in.

We need every prayer to pray for this.  Ildiko needs these two young people in her life and they need her.  I understand little but I see this clearly.  Ildiko loves to serve, and when she serves she can forget her problems and get so excited about the gospel.  She also would be the ideal person to help these young people get to church and it would help her have the desire to be active.

It is a wonderful experience to see it unfold in our home.

But we are at an apex.  Ildiko called after she left and kindly told the elders that they needed to lower the playing field and talk to them on their level.

We are learning as we work with people here that they need to learn who Jesus Christ is so that they can learn how to have a personal relationship with him and with God.