The Beginning

We arrived in Freiberg on a Saturday night and fell into bed. Sunday morning we managed to arise - who knew what time it was wherever! We were to go to the Dresden Stake Conference that morning with our new Mission President and Sister Erlacher, what an amazing leadership team! They had already met us at the Dresden Airport that Saturday evening and then taken us grocery shopping in a grocery store that was open until midnight. They also walked all around helping us find "basics."

President Gunther and Analiese Erlacher

At this Conference time there would be new missionaries arriving to work in the Freiberg Temple and some missionaries leaving to go home. In this photo are couples whom we have come to know and work with well. The American missionary couples are composed of Elders who have served on German, Austrian or Swiss missions who have returned with their wives after nearly 50 years. That is except for us. My wonderful husband has been so brave - he has never spoken German - that was my major at BYU. We've been able to learn what we needed to in a very short time.

Missionaries at the Dresden Stake Conference

Those on the far left, a German couple, from Bielefeld, Germany are Sonya and Detlef Glomb. The couple on the far right are great workers, Ann and Bill Moss from Sugar City, Idaho. I am standing in front of our Temple President, and we are standing next to the couple leaving, the Schnableys. The other couple, President and Sister Wagner, are in the Temple Presidency.

We will be living across the hall from the Glombs for the next three months on the third floor. They are great friends and helpers in learning to use our new language.

The Dresden Stake Conference was an amazing gathering. There was an amazing Primary Stake Chorus. They obviously loved to work with their director and could they SING!

Dresden Stake Primary Chorus

The music was definitely recognizable, beautifully conducted and very moving even though the words were unknown. Lucky for us, a general authority happened to be the featured speaker speaking a language which had to be translated for the German Saints, English. We felt so blessed to be part of the congregation!

As the meeting progressed I saw sitting in front of us a woman, Sister Gregson, a woman with whom I had worked in the SLC Family History Library before we left. She was seeking ancestors in Germany, and as we worked she indicated that she might be in our general area of Saxony about the time we would have arrived as missionary. What an amazing meeting to see her in a huge Stake Conference! Since her arrival she had been able to meet with several very helpful Lutheran ministers who had been extraordinarily helpful to her sharing church records. That's pretty unusual if they know you are a Mormon - they've definitely been informed about temple work for ancestors. She and her husband told us they would be coming to the Freiberg Temple on Wednesday to do baptisms, confirmations, endowment sessions and sealings for her ancestors. Bigger surprise to follow: of all the places Lee and I could have been working throughout the temple on Tuesday, we happened to be just where they were when they arrived! We were able to help her with many of the family names we had first started finding in Salt Lake. She had been looking for many years before she found clues for this next gathering. It was such a wonderful beginning for us and partly a finish for at least some family members for her.

Frauenkirche, Dresden

After the Stake Conference in the morning hours, we had a couple of hours to drive around Dresden before we drove back to our Freiberg Temple. Of course, as it was Sunday we just walked for a while in the area surrounding the Stake Conference Meeting House.

This was the first time we had seen one of the many beautiful cathedrals we will continue to see as we live here and visit other cities and villages. It's so amazing to see the results of efforts of people who lived centuries ago and yet were able to build monuments to their God with the most minimum of wealth, tools and plans.

An interior shot follows. Since it was Sunday we didn't pay the price for the lecture of the real tour, but these shots show the beauty of a work in this cathedral which was nearly completely destroyed in WWII - reference the wonderful conference talk by President Uchtdorf about this amazing cathedral. The few blackish stones visible are the original limestone blocks. The rest of the cathedral was restored with a great effort taken to have it's original construction carefully followed. The next interior shots show a style very different from what we normally think of in a cathedral - particularly beautiful and unique are the windows noted above the main floor for the wealthy and for others who would merit such a position.

The bright interior lighting is very unusual. The colors are so pastel - hard to imagine this as original, but we read on the signs that they had reconstructed following some original designs. 

Interior Altar and Walls with Pastel Window Seats

We will have to come back to Dresden some time in the future and take the tour for more information about the windows, etc. Lee thought this style a very unique one especially with its colors and windows. After doing some online research, I did find some historical documentation that does show a very different style with coloring and ornamentation of a very different period. I'll insert a few of them below as I've become so interested!

Earlier Reconstruction

Earlier Reconstruction - Warm Colors

Earliest Sketch

The Rubble Left from the World War II Frauenkirche

Enough for Dresden and the Frauenkirche for now. You can now see how those few left dark stones are such a small part of the original - lovingly rebuilt!

Interjecting a wonderful missionary thought from a journal note 5.26.2017: "This morning as we were taking part in our first German endowment session, I had the most completely calm feeling come over me. When I heard the blessing words about finding joy in your posterity, I was suddenly looking with my spiritual eyes at our wonderful posterity - all through the eyes of my Father in Heaven - the loving, kind, gentle eyes of a Heavenly parent."

Top of where "Old Elizabeth," Oldest Silver Mine is locate

We are making valiant efforts to walk 10,000+ steps every day. Here in Germany that walking is one of the things every one seems to have in common. Most interesting is it though, they always seem to prefer to find a nearby "forest," tree-covered area in which to walk. This is from the top of one of nearby hill tops which overlook Freiberg - nearby we had walked to one of the oldest silver mines which originally made this city and very wealthy and the site and center for a university, much expanded today, specializing in mining and building of mines,etc. We were allowed to see inside this oldest, "Old Elizabeth" silver mine with its load carriers and other means of bringing up the raw ore and earth.

Lee at the "Old Elizabeth" organ

While we were there, we met a very kind group of Germans, ex-mining experts, who were gathering to have a meeting concerning old mining history and to have a bit of fun get together. They were kind enough to ask us in for a sight-seeing tour. The men were discussing mining and history, the women were gathered on the other side of the room discussing?? When they were showing us around the old building with its mining relics we stumbled across this very old relic of an organ - pump style. Of course, who would have indicated an interest in playing this VERY old original organ except Mr. Leland Ashby, organist extra-ordinaire. Very fun. They were even kind enough to encourage the playing.

Swing sets galore!

We know Rhododendrons here - in many Radiant Colors

We live near a newer development of home with children's swing and plays sets, new driveways and everywhere flower gardens accented with beautifully brightly painted homes.

Bright Red Tile Roof - most often seen

The gardens everywhere are also beautiful! It is so fascinating to see so many of the same plants here that we have both in Utah and in CA - rhododendrons, azaleas. hydrangeas with potassium for blue or otherwise, roses galore of all colors and scents, fruit trees to bear fruit much later on in the season, ivies and many bushes. They grow bushes from very early plants into great fences. So beautiful and practical. We also live very near fenced gardens which look like plots which are rented out during the seasons. It will be very interesting to see what eventuates.

They are fantastic gardeners. They prune fruit trees in what seem like a Japanese bonsaied manner - very beautiful and manicured and short to the ground for later, easier plucking.

Fascinating Fence

This is another form of fencing I've never seen in America. They sometimes use boxed in with fences collections of rocks or chopped wood. Textures are wonderful. I have no idea how much different the cost is.

They seem so attached to this beautiful countryside which we see everywhere near Freiberg. These Germans are so appreciative and caring about the country and even the near gardens and yards which are part of their every day lives.

Along with all of this earth caring, we see everywhere we go

great boxes requesting clothing, et.al. for those many refugees who are in great need. You know, they have taken in 1 refugee per 50 German citizens if you figure out the numbers during this short time since the difficult times have begun. Their Prime Minister, Merkel, has been under a lot of pressure for her stance - it has to have been so expensive!!! They expected that all of the EU would join in to help. Only Sweden - who as suffered terribly because of their great influx allowance - answered the call for assistance. It will be interesting to see the next few months when elections come again what the Germans will vote.

Only a few more comments for now. It is quite an interesting event to go grocery shopping here. There are many small grocery stores very easily with walking distance, but we often shop in a large chain grocery store called "Kaufland" - "Buyland" which has a great supply of fresh fruits and vegetables coming from Africa, Spain, Italy all neatly labelled next to each other. The only escalator I've ever imagined like this one shows me following our cart up with no hands.

Kaufland No Hands Escalator

It literally locks into position on the up or down and is carried away. No means of moving it until the up or down destination is reached!

Two of the attached photos in Kaufland show clever advertising

OK Brynn, Hannah and Gwyneth!

Star Wars Yogurt Flavor?

even to intrigue kids - please share.

These are yogurt containers with many wonderful flavors - children can enjoy yogurt for various reasons!

It's late of an evening. I'll say good night - "Gute Nacht" with a shot of an evening sunset. It's so fascinating to see the sun setting directly west. When we've been lost walking a couple of times, we were able to find our way home by following the setting of the sun. (Sometimes makes me think of the bread crumbs left by Hansel and Gretel to find their way home.) We see such beautiful risings and settings as Moroni points the way due East and the sun passes over his head due West. Beautiful organization of the temple placement.

FreibergTempelMissionAshbysAufgabe

May 19, 2017   We were so excited to finally be on our way to serve our first mission together

Freiberg Germany Temple Mission

It seems like we had been planning and working on the preparation part for a very long time. We had been in Sandy loving and caring for my Mom until February of last year. There were many things to take care of after she was finally able to join my Dad. I know she is delighted that we've come. Second on our mandatory list was to celebrate the graduation of our last "child" from university. We were so thrilled that May 5 arrived with that wonderful event! Sooo...

After several days of temple training, May 15-18, in the Salt Lake Temple, we were ready to fly to our German assignment on May 19. Thank you, David, for the last morning's pack finish and for the drive to the SLC Airport to begin a very long flight direct to Amsterdam.

World Map Vision - Beginning to End

We waited for 8 hours to join our flight to Dresden, Germany, and then we were picked up by the most wonderful people - our Mission President and his wife, Gunther and Anneliese from Austria. We immediately felt as if we were being adopted into a caring family! They took us to the only grocery store open after 10 pm in Freiberg and helped us wander through many unrelated aisles and unknown foods. Shopping complete, we were driven "home" and shown where we would live on the third floor largish studio apartment for several very warm months. Sister Erlacher insisted that we take our things upstairs (he, of course, helped us upstairs with our rugged  international luggage) and then join them for a late "supper" before bedtime - warm soup with hand-made Austrian gnocchi.

Good Night, Moroni

After a good night's sleep, we were excited to open our eyes to the beautiful Angel Moroni beckoning people to the temple. I have heard from several sources that many people who live in the neighborhood feel that they are safer with this holy house and it's angelic guard.

We will be living in missionary accommodations for many months. There are several English-speaking couples who live here together with many German Temple workers - some of them who will be here for a year or so, many who come to work for only weeks or months. It's a great meeting place for lovely neighbors in a very warm, third floor hallway as we whish through on the way to our morning temple prep meeting.

Two Burners in the Middle

Freezer Shelf Tops Refrigerator

The apartments are of various sizes with various furnishings. They are all very new and carefully maintained. We have been living in a larger studio which is sometimes used as a more temporary home for those not staying as long as we will be. We will probably be moving into a little larger place in August when another couple leaves for home. We have one closet half size for us to share - a little tighter even than our smaller master closet at home. We have a complete kitchen with two electric burners, a microwave and a smaller refrigerator.

 We began with only one desk, but as our date for moving became later, they were kind enough to bring in a separate table with a chair for us. It's wonderful how many family names researched in the SLC in the Library as we served there on a CSM Mission have now been finished and prepared for their work on these two flat surfaces!

 Work Space in Front of Beds

Our two beds are in the center of the room - Lee must be able to put his extra foot in length some place - I'm not sure where. We are able to pick up clean bed and bathroom linen each week as we go downstairs to use our 1/2 day in the laundry for our belongings - we begin after our 3 pm temple assignments are over. Our Friday assignments last until 9 pm. It has been a wonderful place to live. Even though it's been in the 90+ temperatures up here, we are delighted to have a fan we probably run most of every day and night. We'll include a couple of photos of the next apartment after the August move.

In the beginning, we were able to walk in only minutes to a small neighborhood grocery for our daily food needs. We had to remember not to buy too much - the delivery "mule" balked with more than few things to carry in our purchased reusable bags - Sarah, you'll be proud of our bag usage! We have now been able to rent a car, and so we are able to purchase a few more things - still carried up three flights of stairs at the end - and not have to walk over every other day. We do go walking in the afternoons or evenings after we finish our temple work day. It's a pretty long day - if glorious. Imagine, I'm being alarmed to be up tat 5:45 am and preparing for our 6:58 am prayer meetings. It's been wonderful to be asked to lead the music each morning. There are so many wonderful musical testimonies shared every day.

6 AM Moroni Greeting

Yes, you saw the designated morning time reference! The preparation time includes a quick "run" to the temple through a wonderfully cool tunnel first down and then up three flights of stairs. There's not much time wasted in deciding on which temple clothing to wear. The Dansko and Alegria shoes I brought for my plantar fasciitis and the long standing in the temple are close to walking 10,000 steps or more each day! Thank goodness for that help. I am so thankful for replaced knees -  no way could I be serving here, three flights of stairs down and up (I often show daily 15 - 16 flights of  stairs) or in standing in the temple from 7 - 3 each day. Such blessings!

Because Lee worked so regularly and diligently memorizing ordinances of all kinds in German in the Draper Temple, he is able to assist our patrons using their own language. Speaking as a 50-years-ago German major, that's amazing! Many of the words we use therein are not often learned or spoken in daily German life. I'm still working hard! (A couple of times I've been asked where I learned my English - that's what you ask a native German speaker.) However, when we have many Czech, Slovakian, Hungarian, and Bulgarian guests, some of whom drive pretty rough roads to arrive a in total of 20 - 30 hours, they prefer English ordinances, so we are able to help there a lot. Of course, many Germans also speak English well, but they aren't comfortable or don't prefer to do that. For us, however, it's a great opportunity to review our ordinances in English. I often think of the United Nations of languages as I move from one close booth to another, from German to English and then back again. This temple is an amazing magnet for much of Eastern Europe plus Germany. The Frankfurt Temple has been closed for a long time now, and it doesn't seem apparent yet when it will re-open. That means that we receive many Germans and Austrians with their groups.