All of the Nürnberg pictures were taken by Gary as he goes walking through the city.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Tues., April 7, 2009
Guten Tag!
I am finally getting some time to get to the computer. I hope that I will remember everything that I was going to relate to you with somewhat of the same feeling that I had when it happened.
One of the most spiritual things that has happened to us since being here was Elder Kopischke’s ( First Quorum of the Seventy) tour of the mission. He was here in Nürnberg on March 11. He spent all day instructing us & sharing experiences of the past. It was wonderful & the missionaries continue to talk about all the things that he told us & inspired us to do. We are just amazed at the level of commitment that we find in these visiting authorities. Elder Kopischke has served as the District President here in Nürnberg, followed by Mission President in Berlin & now in First Quorum of the Seventy. He is a pro at finding scriptures that answer most if not all gospel questions. His teaching ability is awesome. He leaves no stone unturned.
Accompanying Elder Kopischke was Elder Kleijweg of the Third Quorum of the Seventy. What a humble soft spoken man he is with great wisdom & insight. We enjoyed the time he spent with our YSA’s, personally instructing & bearing testimony of their great worth during Stake Conference that was held on March 14 & 15.
Elder Harris managed to be involved in refereeing the Stake Volleyball Tournament on March 21st. It helped to keep the four walls from closing in on him completely.
On Sunday, March 22nd we drove up to Würzburg so that Elder Harris could speak in their Sacrament Meeting. It was High Council Sunday. He used one of Elder Kopischke’s ideas. He invited everyone to prepare for General Conference by writing down some of the things that they hoped they would get out of it. You might want to try writing down what you hope to get out of the next Sacrament Meeting that you attend. It really works & puts the burden of good meetings on the listening individual as they prepare for the event.
While we were in Würzburg we attended their YSA Sunday School class. It was so good & FIVE MEMBERS + TWO INVESTIGATORS were in attendance. This is amazing because there were only about 30 who attended Sacrament Meeting. You gotta love those YSA’s!!!
On Saturday, March 28 we acted as Proctors for Weber State University in administering a placement exam to Rike Dautel who will begin attending school in May. It took 5 hours but she was pleased that she would not have to take any remedial classes because of her scores. We love Rike & will miss her tons. She has served as the YSA President in the Nürnberg Stake for two years & has done an outstanding job of shouldering the responsibility almost totally by her self.
Well, we hope that you are basking in the light of the General Conference that we have all just experienced. It’s great to be taught so beautifully. We have such wonderful leaders that can tenderly prick our consciences without putting us on the defensive. What a blessing it is to belong to the Church of Jesus Christ!!! Hug your children & grandchildren & assure them of His love. Thank you all for your love & support. We love you back.
Elder & Sister Harris (Gary & Renee, Dad & Mom, Gpa & Gma)
I am finally getting some time to get to the computer. I hope that I will remember everything that I was going to relate to you with somewhat of the same feeling that I had when it happened.
One of the most spiritual things that has happened to us since being here was Elder Kopischke’s ( First Quorum of the Seventy) tour of the mission. He was here in Nürnberg on March 11. He spent all day instructing us & sharing experiences of the past. It was wonderful & the missionaries continue to talk about all the things that he told us & inspired us to do. We are just amazed at the level of commitment that we find in these visiting authorities. Elder Kopischke has served as the District President here in Nürnberg, followed by Mission President in Berlin & now in First Quorum of the Seventy. He is a pro at finding scriptures that answer most if not all gospel questions. His teaching ability is awesome. He leaves no stone unturned.
Accompanying Elder Kopischke was Elder Kleijweg of the Third Quorum of the Seventy. What a humble soft spoken man he is with great wisdom & insight. We enjoyed the time he spent with our YSA’s, personally instructing & bearing testimony of their great worth during Stake Conference that was held on March 14 & 15.
Elder Harris managed to be involved in refereeing the Stake Volleyball Tournament on March 21st. It helped to keep the four walls from closing in on him completely.
On Sunday, March 22nd we drove up to Würzburg so that Elder Harris could speak in their Sacrament Meeting. It was High Council Sunday. He used one of Elder Kopischke’s ideas. He invited everyone to prepare for General Conference by writing down some of the things that they hoped they would get out of it. You might want to try writing down what you hope to get out of the next Sacrament Meeting that you attend. It really works & puts the burden of good meetings on the listening individual as they prepare for the event.
While we were in Würzburg we attended their YSA Sunday School class. It was so good & FIVE MEMBERS + TWO INVESTIGATORS were in attendance. This is amazing because there were only about 30 who attended Sacrament Meeting. You gotta love those YSA’s!!!
On Saturday, March 28 we acted as Proctors for Weber State University in administering a placement exam to Rike Dautel who will begin attending school in May. It took 5 hours but she was pleased that she would not have to take any remedial classes because of her scores. We love Rike & will miss her tons. She has served as the YSA President in the Nürnberg Stake for two years & has done an outstanding job of shouldering the responsibility almost totally by her self.
Well, we hope that you are basking in the light of the General Conference that we have all just experienced. It’s great to be taught so beautifully. We have such wonderful leaders that can tenderly prick our consciences without putting us on the defensive. What a blessing it is to belong to the Church of Jesus Christ!!! Hug your children & grandchildren & assure them of His love. Thank you all for your love & support. We love you back.
Elder & Sister Harris (Gary & Renee, Dad & Mom, Gpa & Gma)
Sunday, March 22, 2009
March 2009
Ansbach
Christian Kierstein
Danube River
Hall of Liberation
Prune Castle
Valentine's Bouquet
Valentine's DanceFri., March 6, 2009
Guten Tag!
It’s been a whole month since my last email and what a month it has been! Today is actually the first day I have felt totally healthy in 2 weeks & I’m not sure how long that will last because of all the ups & downs I’ve had during the past 2 weeks. Suffice it to say that I don’t ever remember having such a sore throat or stuffed up ears.
Gary has had his challenges, too. He has been having a bout with the gout in his middle finger. Now that’s crazy! Having gout in your ankle or knee is much more understandable but a finger, excuse me.
As I write this, I am listening to the playlist on Jennica’s blog. It is all Irish & really helps to keep my old blood pumping. Thanks, Jen!!! I love St. Patrick’s Day, too.
On Sat., February 7 Sister Defalco was baptized. The spirit of the occasion was very special. Hopefully her daughter, 2 granddaughters & husband will follow soon. I know that they felt the Spirit. She bore her testimony at the end & even though I didn’t totally understand the language, I felt the witness of her words. It was so nice & warm.
On Sun., February 8 we drove down to Ansbach for Church. We hadn’t seen very many of the YSA’s in a while. We arrived at 8:50 am but Church doesn’t start until 9:30 am. We decided to take a quick look at the city. We didn’t have to go far & there wasn’t much traffic & it was a sunny day, shock! On our way back to the Church, we saw one of the YSA’s hurrying along the sidewalk. We stopped & gave him a ride. He would have been late had we not done so. He was so excited & grateful. It was to be his first day to administer to the sacrament. Now who do you suppose orchestrated this whole time frame??? Small miracle for Christian Kierstein!!!
Fri., February 13 saw us in Erlangen at a YSA Valentine’s Dance. We helped decorate & of course, fix food. It was pretty fun & I even persuaded Elder Harris to dance a couple of times in celebration of the 19 that showed up to the event.
To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Gary gave me a beautiful bouquet of 10 roses that he got from a street vendor in the old city for 13.50 € & then we did a road trip to the Hall of Liberation in Kelheim & the Prune Castle in Riedenburg. You can’t beat the German countryside for beauty even in winter.
Starting with Sun., Feb. 15 I have been substituting for Rike Dautel on the organ while she has been in Utah on a four week vacation. It’s been fun. Somewhat stressful, you know me but fun.
Are you still with me? I only have a couple more things to tell you about.
On Thurs., February 26 Elder Harris & I went VT to Sister Yeboah, an African member from Ghana. She lives in a modest apartment that she chooses not to heat very much. It nearly freezes us out every time we go but on this visit we had our eyes opened to her generosity. Inside her small livingroom were two huge crates that were filled with shoes that she had purchased at various flea markets & within the week she would be shipping them to Ghana. There were also about 20 irons that she would be sending. When asked how often she had done this, she replied, “many.” What a lesson! Even as I type this my emotions cause me to reach for a Kleenex. We are learning so much!
Lastly, on March 1 Sister Preiss cooked a big surprise birthday dinner for Gary. Roast pork, chicken, salads & 5 different cakes. It was a real feast. There were about 40 who attended & would she accept any money to help defray the cost? Nein! I even tried begging but to no satisfaction. I’m still going to work on it though. Elder Harris & I are putting our heads together & she’s not going to get away with it!!!
Hope Spring soon springs. We send our continuing love & thanks for your prayers in our behalf.
Elder & Sister Harris (Gary & Renee) (Dad & Mom) (Gpa & Gma)
Guten Tag!
It’s been a whole month since my last email and what a month it has been! Today is actually the first day I have felt totally healthy in 2 weeks & I’m not sure how long that will last because of all the ups & downs I’ve had during the past 2 weeks. Suffice it to say that I don’t ever remember having such a sore throat or stuffed up ears.
Gary has had his challenges, too. He has been having a bout with the gout in his middle finger. Now that’s crazy! Having gout in your ankle or knee is much more understandable but a finger, excuse me.
As I write this, I am listening to the playlist on Jennica’s blog. It is all Irish & really helps to keep my old blood pumping. Thanks, Jen!!! I love St. Patrick’s Day, too.
On Sat., February 7 Sister Defalco was baptized. The spirit of the occasion was very special. Hopefully her daughter, 2 granddaughters & husband will follow soon. I know that they felt the Spirit. She bore her testimony at the end & even though I didn’t totally understand the language, I felt the witness of her words. It was so nice & warm.
On Sun., February 8 we drove down to Ansbach for Church. We hadn’t seen very many of the YSA’s in a while. We arrived at 8:50 am but Church doesn’t start until 9:30 am. We decided to take a quick look at the city. We didn’t have to go far & there wasn’t much traffic & it was a sunny day, shock! On our way back to the Church, we saw one of the YSA’s hurrying along the sidewalk. We stopped & gave him a ride. He would have been late had we not done so. He was so excited & grateful. It was to be his first day to administer to the sacrament. Now who do you suppose orchestrated this whole time frame??? Small miracle for Christian Kierstein!!!
Fri., February 13 saw us in Erlangen at a YSA Valentine’s Dance. We helped decorate & of course, fix food. It was pretty fun & I even persuaded Elder Harris to dance a couple of times in celebration of the 19 that showed up to the event.
To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Gary gave me a beautiful bouquet of 10 roses that he got from a street vendor in the old city for 13.50 € & then we did a road trip to the Hall of Liberation in Kelheim & the Prune Castle in Riedenburg. You can’t beat the German countryside for beauty even in winter.
Starting with Sun., Feb. 15 I have been substituting for Rike Dautel on the organ while she has been in Utah on a four week vacation. It’s been fun. Somewhat stressful, you know me but fun.
Are you still with me? I only have a couple more things to tell you about.
On Thurs., February 26 Elder Harris & I went VT to Sister Yeboah, an African member from Ghana. She lives in a modest apartment that she chooses not to heat very much. It nearly freezes us out every time we go but on this visit we had our eyes opened to her generosity. Inside her small livingroom were two huge crates that were filled with shoes that she had purchased at various flea markets & within the week she would be shipping them to Ghana. There were also about 20 irons that she would be sending. When asked how often she had done this, she replied, “many.” What a lesson! Even as I type this my emotions cause me to reach for a Kleenex. We are learning so much!
Lastly, on March 1 Sister Preiss cooked a big surprise birthday dinner for Gary. Roast pork, chicken, salads & 5 different cakes. It was a real feast. There were about 40 who attended & would she accept any money to help defray the cost? Nein! I even tried begging but to no satisfaction. I’m still going to work on it though. Elder Harris & I are putting our heads together & she’s not going to get away with it!!!
Hope Spring soon springs. We send our continuing love & thanks for your prayers in our behalf.
Elder & Sister Harris (Gary & Renee) (Dad & Mom) (Gpa & Gma)
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