Dear Beloved Family,
As we went over the past week trying to decide what of our varied and diverse activities might be interesting to report, nothing immediately jumped out. We sometimes seem to get into a bit of a rut as we perform the same activities each week but then we decided that although we still do home evenings, language courses, institute and waffle night each week, still something always seems to be unique about the events. We were anticipating a real rebound in numbers attending after the previous week was a little down with many on a temple trip. And yet the numbers weren't really outstanding. Still, the events had a special meaning as we looked at how many young people and investigators we had contact with, many in some unique ways. We're really doing well in the language courses with currently more trying to learn German than English. The international flavor of Vienna brings in lots of people from Iran, Spain, Italy, Romania, Afghanistan and Hungary all of whom need to get better at speaking the local language and it provides for a unique opportunity to teach them the gospel as well. Elder Parker, in particular has had a chance to teach English to an Iranian psychologist and German to two Hungarians. We always start our classes with a prayer and most after a time are willing to say a prayer as we either begin or end. It seems to be a unique experience for them but is a subtle way to introduce the need for the Spirit in our lives.
This past Friday, our Waffle Night was unique because we had a number of missionaries show up, six different pairs. I think two separate elders came because their missions end this next week and they wanted one last experience at the center before they return home. But in addition to a few YSA's, we also had at least 4 investigators in the group. One young man named Nikola has come now and again for quite some time but we've never really had the opportunity to sit down and talk with him. The elders had informed us that he had a fairly negative attitude in some of the lessons they've had with him but he seemed interested last Friday in talking with "Der Chef" or who he thought was the boss. Most had gone home by then but Sister Parker was still actively talking with a couple of YSA's when he approached me and we began to talk about where he stood with his beliefs. He indicated he didn't have much faith, had read a little in the Book of Mormon and even hinted that he'd prayed once about it with the possibility of sensing a little bit of spiritual response but then spent quite some time going over with me a great deal of anti-Mormon literature that he'd picked up along the way.
We talked about a few of the specifics things reported on, most of them pretty easy to refute but I happened to remember a talk I had copied from the October General Conference by Elder Neil Andersen which I was going to send on to one of you but never had. It was about Joseph Smith and reported how he was told by Moroni at his first visitation that his name would be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues. I assured him that he was part of the fulfillment of that prophecy and that if he spent as much time studying the revelations of Joseph Smith as he did studying the writings of his detractors, he might get a bit of a different insight. He keeps coming back and I think this was a good opening to answering some of the questions the elders might have shied a bit away from.
The next day we had the opportunity of attending a baptismal service for another N, this one named Nicolai,originally from Romania. We'd had the opportunity to participate in a joint teaching session with him once when visiting the city of St. Poelton, located to the west of Vienna. One of the elders there is a native German whose parents we met while we were in Leipzig over the Christmas holidays. Nicolai prefers English to German and they wanted our help just to smooth out a few of the wrinkles in their English. It was quite evident what a sincere man he was. He had been searching for the truth for quite some time, now 46 years old, and his commitment to change his life and accept the gospel was evident. The Spirit was palpably present as we participated in his lesson and at his baptism yesterday he also offered his testimony, translated from English into German by our German elder which expressed his appreciation for the restoration of the true church of God. A great many of the members of the ward came into Vienna for the service as they have no baptismal font in St. Poelton and it was a wonderful experience to talk with him and see how he radiated the Spirit. Quite a contrast between Nicolai and Nikola of the night previous.
Well, there's just a hint of warming up going on this week and I actually wore no coat but only my suit jacket for the last two days as we traveled to the baptism yesterday and church today. March is just around the corner. We'll say goodbye to two of our favorite elders this Thursday, one of whom has been here in the Vienna Zone for as long as we've been here. We'll truly miss him and there'll be a bit of a vacancy for a while. But then his first name is Parker so why wouldn't we?!
I've been communicating with Andrew a bit about my cell phone which finally seems to have died its ultimate death but as a consequence we're going to be totally dependent on Sister Parker's cell phone camera for any subsequent pictures. Nothing new therefore to send other than the written word this week.
There doesn't seem to be much to add to what Elder Parker has written. Today, at church we were able to watch as Aigerim was sustained in her first calling as music coordinator in the Relief Society and also were able to be present when she was set apart and given a sweet blessing. During the week I very much enjoyed the very sweet, spiritual baptism of Nicolai and talking with some of the young sisters about the gospel in their lives. Like girls, everywhere, young and old we could talk on for hours. Everyday I am grateful for the blessing of growing up in the gospel and having had the scriptures and parents in helping with guidance and direction in making life's decisions. This is a blessing we are meant to share.
This week also we were reading in Mosiah 1 where it says King Benjamin had his sons instructed in languages and in the records that were kept. Then in verse 9, it says, "And it came to pass that after King Benjamin had made an end of teaching his sons, that he waxed old and saw that he soon would go the way of all the earth." I guess that means we as parents need to keep teaching our children until we're ready to die. And maybe that means we should always be holding some kind of gospel discussion and Family Home Evening with our grown children and their children. We're not done yet. I look forward to having some of those kinds of family get togethers again.
LOVE AND HUGS,
Grammy, Grampa,
Mom, Dad,
Elder and Sister Parker
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