ENJOYING SAXONY GERMANY

Kriebstein Castl

We have decided that the speed of the time passing is directly related to “laundry day” coming around every Thursday. We always say that it can't be time to do the wash again already! 

Two weeks ago we had a wonderful visit from Larry and Pam Gay. They are serving a mission in Poland – about 4 hours from Freiberg – and have been unable to come to the Temple because of Mission Policy. But there was a young lady who was coming for her own endowment and they were able to bring her themselves. It was so great to see them in the Temple and they were glad to be here.  We were able to spend a couple of evenings with them as well.  It was great to see friends from home.

  

We are officially on “Maintenance Break” from the Temple until September 30. However, we did help clean all of the Chandeliers in the Temple before officially starting on our "Day Trips". Wow.. we will never look at a Chandelier in the same way – literally thousands of parts! We had to carefully wash, rinse, and dry each piece and then they had to be put back on one piece at a time. It was very interesting and I am glad we were able to help.

Rather than go into detail about our travels during the past week, I am going to post pictures with captions.  However, before doing that, we do want you to know we love serving in the Temple and love the faithful Saints of Eastern Europe.  We spend 40-45 hours each week in the best place to be on Earth - any one of the beautiful Temples of our God.  We are excited to serve in Freiberg and learn more about the people here and their history and hope we will learn to love these members even more through our travels.

Just over the border in the Czech Republic

A Christmas German Pyramid in Olbernau



Now that's a Nutcracker!  Seiffen Toy Museum

Find "Dale" - Nossen Castle

                                            

Just a few words about Dresden.  As many of you might already know, Dresden was pretty much destroyed during World War II.  It is amazing how it has been brought back as much as possible to it's former state.  We were able to visit the Military Museum of Germany - the largest museum in the Country. We ate lunch there and then took a couple of hours to see a small portion of the exhibits. It would take more than one entire day to see it all! It was the history of War in Germany from 1300 to the present. It's main focus was to shift the world's perception of Germany to a Peace Loving country. The front has a NEW structure that appears to be cut into the building which represents the end of an era of War for the country. You could walk out onto it on the 5^th floor and there was only a grated floor between the ground and you with a beautiful view of Dresden.  These people have been through so much.

TEMPLES 

AND 

CASTLES

I, being a man who enjoys history, mystery, Disney and tales from the "Knights of the Round Table", am enjoying our visits to the many castles that are still standing in this part of Germany. Unfortunately, many of the castles have been refurbished, modernized and made into museums. However, there are a few that still hold their original basic design. 

In studying the intent of their original design and purpose, I've noted that all of them have a few things in common. First off, most of them are built on top of a hill or high plateau. This was obviously intended to be a look-out point in order to see the enemy coming from a long distance, giving the king's guard time to prepare for battle. Being on a hill also made it harder for the enemy to reach and storm the castle. 

Secondly, most castles had moats surrounding the castle, complete with a customary draw bridge to be drawn up when the enemy approaches. Another point noted was that the king and his royalty always wore the latest fashion of the most expensive clothing materials and jewelry available. 

Castles also came complete with a dungeon and the most modern tools of torture known to man, guaranteed to loosen the tightest of tongues and reap incriminating information from the enemy or the common criminal. Also, only the rich with royal blood could possibly darken the door of any respectable castle.

With these characteristics in mind, I couldn't help but observe the differences between castles and our temples. Yes, we do build temples on hills and other obvious places, but we place them there to be seen by all and welcome one and all to our temple grounds. 

Unlike castles, we have an angel posted on top of our temples, giving a loud and clear clarion call for all to gather at the temple. Unlike castles, everyone in the temple is dressed in white with basically the same clothes so as not to categorize the class or financial status of those attending. We also discourage extreme jewelry and outlandish makeup. In God's eyes, all deserve his blessings, no matter what their financial status or standing in life may be. 

Like castles, we do have an army, but it is quite a different type of army. For example, in the Manti Temple there are about 950 worthy temple workers who serve by choice. They give of their own time and means to attend and help wherever needed. The enemy is also quite different from castles.The enemy is anything that causes addiction, demeans or keeps one from reaching their God-given and preordained potential. 

Also, unlike castles, we do not have chambers that cause death. Rather, we have chambers that are dedicated and sanctioned to redeem the dead. And last but not least, castles didn't have electricity or lights, except the light they could get from a few candles placed strategically around the rooms. Our temples accentuate and radiate the light of Christ and stand as lighthouses to guide all who are lost in the tempest of life to the safe shores of the Gospel..........

TEMPLE WORK, PARTIES, AND CASTLES

I cannot believe how fast time flies now. We are so busy at the Temple and we are pretty tired when we get done for the day. Two weeks ago we were busy preparing for the Dittli Farewell-Wagner Welcome party which we were in charge of because of our new assignment as “Social Directors”. Brother and Sister Dittli had that responsibility and they returned home on September 2 and we have now been given that wonderful opportunity.

Albin and Ada Dittli from Mapleton, UT

The party was a big success thanks to a lot of help. We had a “Mexican” theme with chicken burritos with the fixins', Bean dip (of sorts), Spanish Rice plus the usual wonderful desserts, salads and drinks. Dale and I had found some decorations in the “missionary room” and we bought some cute planters which we gave to anyone who wanted one. President Husz gave a wonderful farewell and welcome “speech” and gave the Dittlis a memory book – which we had all given pages for – and gifts. I think everyone had a great time.

  

The Food!

Monday was a wonderful day.   The weather was overcast but not rainy, so it was cool and delightful for sightseeing.  We went to Meissen again and this time we toured the Church and the Castle which is the Albrechtsburg Schloss. We also ate at a wonderful Restaurant.  Monday was a wonderful. We went to Meissen again and this time we toured the Cathedral and the Castle which is the Albrechtsburg Schloess. We also ate at a wonderful Restaurant.   

The Church Gardens

A Gargoyle on the Church

We got to Meissen in time to enjoy the Organ Music at Noon for about a half hour. It was very classical and Dale actually almost fell asleep – but I enjoyed it! I actually did a video of two of the songs – but pretty much just did an audio recording.  We climbed very narrow and winding steps to get to...... this view of the Organ! There was a beautiful Garden at the Church and it was all very peaceful.  The outside of the Castle is awesome and white in stark contrast to the blackened church.

A Mural of the Kidnapping of the Prince

The Outside of the Castle

to this view of the Organ!

Climbing these steps to get......

View from the Restaurant

..

BUSY DAYS IN THE FREIBERG TEMPLE

Poland, Russia, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Angola (speaking Portuguese), Czech Republic, Slovakia,  Austria, USA, and of course Germany ..... Freiberg Temple is a place which brings people together from many lands to worship and serve their Heavenly Father and create eternal families.  With the problems in Ukraine and Kiev, our temple saw more Russian Saints two weeks ago than usual.  Many of them speak English as a second language which helps the missionaries quite a bit. Consequently, as we have mentioned in previous posts, there are 4 or 5 languages being spoken quite often.  It is so fun! We love it!

We have not been able to go anywhere very far these past couple of weeks because I have been unable to ride for very long in the car.  My back and neck haven't been too good but I am feeling quite a bit better today.  I hope we can start "touring" again and we will try tomorrow by going to a Castle about 20 minutes from here.  Hopefully we can get some pictures and have some fun experiences.  We went there a few weeks ago but the Castle was already closed for the day.  

Dale does still try to get out even when I can't so he takes bike rides and walks through the city. I also try to walk every day for at least 20 minutes or so. It is always good to get the fresh air. It has really cooled down this past week and we even need a jacket in the evenings. It is beautiful here.

I have to say that I actually have enjoyed cooking again – because I have time to cook! It is also a kind of adventure to cook “American Food with German Ingredients”. We decided to have tacos the other day so Dale was looking for “Salsa” at the store. He couldn't find any so we ended up getting a bottle of “Zigeuner” sauce or “Gypsy” sauce as I found out when I “googled” it. Anyway, it is delicious and has just the right amount of zip to it. It has the texture of tomato sauce/ketchup but smells and tastes awesome. We ended up not having tacos – but sloppy joes!  Another night I made chicken enchiladas with it and some “cream cheese” and it was yummy as well. It appears you can't get it in America – but we shall see. I did find a recipe for it.

I think I will finish this post with pictures and captions.  We enjoy sharing our experiences and pictures with our family and friends!

View from the Top of St. Petri Bell Tower

Balcony on the St. Petri Bell Tower

Dale climbed to the top of this tower in Freiberg and then took a few pictures from the balcony pictured below.  The steps were circular and somewhat like climbing to the top of the Statue of Liberty in New York.  There was only a rope to hold and the wood was very old.   St. Petri Kirche is also next to this tower and I spent time in there while Dale climbed to the top.  We enjoy exploring! 

Inside the Bell Tower

The Jakobus Kirche in Freiberg.  Almost all of the Churches in this area are Lutheran.  They are very old and spectacular.  Most have been destroyed or damaged from fire or war and have been restored.  The statues were removed in the past by those who occupied this area and not taken care of properly.  Many of them are missing hands, ends of feet, and other parts. It is sad but it is also good that they have been returned to their proper places.

A Cemetery by the Church.  There were old and new areas.  This is a picture of some of the headstones in the very old part.  Most of them you can't even read anymore but we saw grave sites from the 1500's.  There was also a memorial from World War I.  It was fascinating to walk through after a rainstorm and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Today after church we were able to finally get our picture taken with President and Sister Husz. They are from Venice, Austria and they will be released on October 31.   It is an extra special picture because she is dressed in her “Dirndl”.  They are so good to us and we will miss them when they leave.

A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING
FROM FREIBERG!

It has been quite a while since our last post.  We were having some problems with our Laptop - but thanks to our David and Skype - we seem to have "all the bugs" eliminated now.  We are so grateful to our family at home for all their help and support!

This will be a bit random with some pictures and thoughts about several subjects.  But, that is exactly how life is for us here.  We go from the Temple and the sweet serenity we find there (although it can also feel pretty hectic) to the beautiful Deutschland and the culture which so fascinates us each and every day.

We feel so blessed each day to serve in Freiberg where so many members from many countries come to be in the Temple.  I have tears in my eyes at this very moment as I think about the dedication of these precious Saints from Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic and coming this week Poland, Russia, and Italy.  Not to mention the precious German Saints who serve and come to this beautiful Temple.  Most of the visitors stay in a "Hostel" of sorts right here on the Temple Grounds and adjacent to our apartment building.They are usually here during their "vacation time" and some stay for two weeks.  

It is not unusual for these patrons to do 2-3 Endowment sessions a day, their youth will do baptisms every day, and they do all of the other ordinances associated with the Temple. They will bring their family cards from home which means they have been there doing Family History as well.  Each country usually has at least one or two couples who are Ordinance Workers and this is such a great help to us as missionaries and helps with the language "problems".  Some sessions have more than half of the patrons using "headsets" for translation including the workers leading the session.  It is very interesting and we love it!

The Doru Family from Romania

The Radu and the Geambasu Families from Romania and others

I am so blessed to know these new friends.  I only hope I will be able to see them again before we return home to Utah. Sister Geambasu (Izabela) also has a beautiful singing voice and I was able to accompany her three times this week – at a Romanian Fireside, Temple Prayer Meeting, and just today in Sacrament Meeting.  She sang “Each Life that Touches Ours for Good” in a very unique way.  She sang the first verse with the normal melody, the second singing the Alto part, the third as a descant singing the Tenor part, and the last first the normal melody.  It was amazing!

The Young Elders

On July 24 we had a great time at our “celebration” for the Pioneer Day.  The decision to have a party started the Sunday before when the young Elders here mentioned that Thursday was July 24.  We decided to invite them to eat with us and we would have a BBQ complete with Hamburgers, Potato Salad, and Watermelon.  Then we decided to invite all of the temple missionaries as well - and it blossomed into about 20 people.

 Pictures say it all – we even had some root beer one of the couples had been saving!  The hamburgers turned out great!  It did rain so we had to eat inside – but Dale still cooked outside in a shed place we have here.  

                        

The 24th of July BBQ

One Sunday afternoon all of the missionaries traveled about an hour from here to the site where President Monson dedicated the German Democratic Republic for Missionary work on April 27, 1975.  It was a beautiful experience for all of us  where President Husz told about the dedication and had Dale read the prayer...  at least as far as he could.... because it touched him so deeply that someone else had to finish.  It was a very spiritual experience for all of us.

This picture is left to right:  President Husz, The Cankovi from the Prague, Czech Republic, Sister Husz and Brother and Sister Dittli who are from Mapleton, Utah who will be returning home in three weeks.

The next Sunday, I gave the Sunday School lesson for the English Class.  It was about Elijah the Prophet and his story as found in 1 Kings.  It was a very "International" where most actually understand English and included the temple missionaries including our Czech couple, an American, 5 Romanians, and a member of Stake Presidency who is of course German.  Quite a challenge!

The Pipes of the Organ in the Cathedral

One Monday we decided to be “tourists in Freiberg” and went to the Tourist Information place and got a few more pamphlets and bought a card we can use for a year and go to all of the Castles and a few museums that are in this area which includes more than 40 castles – less than two hours away.

We decided to take the self guided tour that is in a booklet we got...  and started off.  It was a great day and we were able to tour the Cathedral.  The organ is amazing and they actually have concerts very often and a major Organ competition here – which is during our break in September – and I might just have to arrange to watch some of that.

Hour glasses for Sermons  :)

Baptismal Font

A TYPICAL SUMMER WEEK IN FREIBERG

Our Daily Temple Work and Week

A Post from Dale

The Hauck Family from Hungary

Our daily temple schedule starts out with a 7:00 a.m. training meeting with all the temple missionaries and the other workers from the country or countries that were assigned for that day or week.  Following the training meeting we all go to our different  assignments. The temple missionaries take turns making assignments for the next day. It gets very challenging to decide who goes where and who does what because of the different languages involved. Sometimes we have members from 4 or 5 different countries in the same session. Luckily, we have some temple missionaries who speak more than one language and can accommodate some of the different languages needed. Sometimes the countries bring their own temple workers with them, which helps us out a lot. We hold 3 sessions a day, Tuesday through Saturday, beginning at 8:00, 10:30 and 1:00, with a special session Fridays evenings. Our days are 8 to 11 hours long, but seem to go fast because we are so busy. It's entertaining to sing hymns in our training session with the many different languages being sung. (you always feel like you are singing the wrong verse).

On Sundays we attend our local German ward and our chapel is right next to the temple. Luckily, we have a temple missionary who translates the talks for the English speaking members. We live in an area of Germany called Saxony, and they have their own special dialect, different from the rest of Germany. It is nick-named "Machine Gun Deutsch" because they talk fast and run their words together. It's kind of like going from England to Texas; they both speak the same language, but not really. 

On Mondays we are free to go shopping or take care of other needs. With our car we are able to take short trips to the different towns and villages in our area. The country is green and beautiful, but the roads are skinny and the Germans drive fast everywhere they go. 

We go out to eat with some of the other missionary couples from time to time, and are quickly getting attached to all of them as dear friends. We are a bit homesick after one month away from our loved ones, but skype has helped us stay abreast of their news and activities.

Beautiful Old Church - Probably Lutheran

Cemetery by the Church

A beautiful church and cemetery in Rechenberg about 5 miles from the Czech Republic border.  We traveled there last Monday just to see how to get to Czech.  











(Note from ReNae:  We are planning a trip to Terezin in September.  For those of you who have followed SSHS Drama over the years, you will remember that we have performed two one-act plays about this World War II Nazi Concentration Camp.  "I Never Saw Another Butterfly" and "Can You Hear Them Crying?") 

Looking over the beautiful valley by the Church and Cemetery

DAILY LIVING IN FREIBERG

Laundry day comes every Thursday evening for us.  Days are assigned to each missionary couple to use the machines.  It is really pretty nice.  There are three sets of these machines.  They are small but it is enough for our weekly needs.  It also has an ironing board and iron for our use.  We are also assigned a week, every 6-8 weeks or so, to clean the room itself.  We also are responsible for the hallways and other rooms in our complex that same week.

Our Mentors took us to a Mall in Dresden last week.  It was fun!  We ate at this Chinese Buffet in the food court, got some ice cream and shopped.



Here are parts of our small apartment after cleaning Day which is every Monday.  Notice the small refrigerator in the bottom left corner of the picture below.  Our freezer space is located down the hall and we have 4 "drawers" in one of the freezers for us to use.  I actually feel pretty good about our place because before we came I was told that our apartment would be smaller than my kitchen.  Well, my kitchen is so small at home that I was pleasantly surprised here.

The picture to the right is of our "living room" area.  We have already made some changes to make it a little better since this picture was taken.

OUR RENTAL CAR FOR THE NEXT 18 MONTHS!

Dale takes a walk nearly every day and he loves to go into the "Forest" which is nearby our apartment.  This is a picture of one of many signs there.  I have been there only once because I can't walk that far.  You can drive almost to this place, but you have to go clear around the city to get to the road that takes you there.  We drove there yesterday.  The video is of a place located at the entrance to the Forest called Waldergarten.  There are little "plots" or "yards" probably about the size of our front yard at home.  We are not sure, but we think people rent or buy these areas and then build a small house or shed on the property and then plant gardens, flowers, and also add attractions such as little trains or other items like you can see in the video.  

Almost everyone lives in a small apartment here in Freiberg and we wonder if they use these areas as a "green" space to escape to at this time of year.  It really makes us appreciate where we live in Utah.