To All of Our Labor-Day Loving Family (except Aaron who's in India!)
Lots to talk about this week. We hope you're all enjoying a three day weekend. As for us, we didn't even get a P-day this week as we put in one of our longest days yesterday. But we'll get to that in a bit.
To start out, we had interviews with President Kohler this past Monday. We mentioned that we had already received our flight plan for our departure home which is still two months away but admittedly the time is getting short. After today we only have two more Fast Sundays and with General Conference, Stake Conference and our Senior Conference in Switzerland at the end of this month, that leaves only six more Sundays to visit the various wards. As we have seven that we routinely attend that means each visit from here on out is a good-bye event (: Much to Sister Parker's chagrin, our sweet sister that has been on the Institute Council and whose husband is in one of the ward bishoprics (previously a Stake President and soon to be in the Freiberg Temple Presidency) nailed us for a farewell address in their ward when we visit on October 25. At least we've got plenty of time to prepare!
At any rate, President Kohler admitted he didn't have anyone specifically lined up yet as our replacements but said he'd get right on it. We had discussed with the mission travel secretary our desire to perhaps spend a week making a quick visit to both Prague and Budapest before we headed west and so our tickets had been set up for our departure from Vienna on the 18th of November and arrival in Salt Lake City that same evening on United Airlines 5483 at 6:58 PM. Sister Parker emphasizes that one should not make too many plans yet as there appear to be numerous refugees attempting to escape the middle east through Hungary and she's not quite as convinced as she used to be that it would be a good idea to plop ourselves in the middle of that. However, the President called us last night late to inform us that a new couple have just been called and that he could perhaps shift there arrival by a few days either way to help us accommodate them. So he's working on that and there is still obviously plenty of time to finalize all the arrangements.
So we may have mentioned that a couple of weeks ago we got assigned four new apartments to inspect in the far western region of Vienna Stake. The second largest city in Austria is called Graz and there are also a couple of elders in a small branch along the way called Bruck an der Mur. They lost their senior couple back in April. We knew them quite well and they even gave us a call a few days back to see how we were doing. They were responsible for those four apartments which have perhaps been checked on once by the mission office in the five ensuing months. So adding those to our other nine gave us a nice lucky number of 13 to check on. So we decided that our best day to travel three hours each way could only be Saturday and so yesterday off we went. We managed to secure nice seats in an upper viewing area on one of the regional trains and as Sister Parker has been looking for a good chance to see Graz this was a heaven sent opportunity. Did you all know that Graz is the home town of Arnold Schwarznegger and he has a great museum there! We didn't stop to see that but on the way there was fantastic scenery. Here are just a few shots taken by our master photographess!
Although we had planned on perhaps seeing a little more of the city, it turned out to be raining the entire day. Hey, we'll take rain instead of 99 degree heat any day! One set of elders and another of sisters gave us good directions as to how to get to their apartments and one of the sisters even rewarded us with a CD of her own performance of "Mission Melodies on the Harp." We're listening to it as we write the letter. Altogether it was a good trip and we came up with such needs as a new toaster, new shower curtain rings, two replacement ironing board covers, a bathroom rug to sit next to the tub to keep from slipping on tile and to replace the towel they're using now, a tool that will tighten a loose toilet seat, one set of new bed sheets, some measuring cups and one case of Books of Mormon. Three bathroom ceilings will eventually need to be repainted because they have no ventilation and the humidity is taking its toll. We got three other apartments during the week so we're a little over half done. Five more are scheduled for this next week and then we can rest until October.
Fortunately, a new senior couple is coming to replace the ones who left in April so this will be the only time we have to make such a trip and we'll also be joining them on our trip to Switzerland in 3 weeks as they'll get the car now being driven by the elders in the small branch in Bruck an der Mur. Our other new responsibility was to find a new apartment for a senior couple coming to Vienna to copy genealogical records in the state archives. They'll be here right after we get back from Switzerland and we think we got divine help again as all the pieces finally fell into place after letting us languish for a full month. We found a lovely place right on a street car line that will take them directly to where they'll be working. The mission will be moving some furniture in in the next week or so once we've finished signing the lease and then we may have to purchase a few more items to complete the ensemble.
One final experience was kind of fun to report. One of the local apartments needed a new wash basin and the plumber really bent over backwards to get it installed quickly once we got the financing all arranged but he could only come last Friday during our Waffle Night. It's our one apartment with two sets of elders and both had appointments during that time so Elder Parker agreed to head out and be present while Sister Parker took care of the food preparations. He decided to take a new route and a little longer walk than we would normally go to catch the street car that would take him to the apartment and as he walked down the street he heard a voice calling "Herr! Herr!" Eventually figuring out that it was intended for him, he walked over to a car with the window rolled down and a man asking for directions to a particular street. The man was clearly not a native Austrian but spoke good German and when he heard that I was also a foreigner in town he asked where I came from. When I told him I was an American he indicated that he was from Italy. As I gave him some directions he asked what I was doing in Vienna and I told him I was a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ, the Mormons. Had he ever heard of us? A little bit, he said. I asked him if he was a believer and he said yes, showing me a book on his front seat that appeared to be the four gospels in Italian. He then indicated the world was in such bad shape, everyone wanting only money or power that it was difficult to maintain his faith. I explained the principle of free agency that God gives to us all and indicated we should sit down and talk a bit when we both had more time. He told me where he lived, his name was Donatello and gave me his phone number. He's in the district where our Zone Leaders work so we'll pass that contact on to them quickly and offer to participate in a joint teach if appropriate. Always interesting where the Lord puts people when you decide to strike off in a new direction!
[Sister Parker] Here we go again with signs of the times. Last weekend it was about 99 degrees and this weekend it is 53 degrees. Many of the Austrians keep saying, "it was never like this when I was young. The weather just didn't change over night." But all the missionaries are loving it; it is so much easier now to be outside all day in Autumn weather. Even though it was raining all day Saturday in Graz and Bruck an der Mur, it was beautiful countryside and leaving the big city for the little Dorfs was invigorating. I just loved it. If I had seen it sooner on our mission, I might have pushed for a transfer. Big cities have their beautiful gardens, but give me the woods and mountains anytime.
This week my thoughts have been on service in the church since we had to teach on that subject at District Meeting. The emphasis here is on helping the new converts understand they have the opportunity to teach and serve one another, and in so doing serve God. When we are baptized we covenant to give such service. I was impressed by these words in Preach My Gospel, "We are to become aware of others' physical and spiritual needs. We then give of our time, talents, and means to help meet those needs. We follow the example of the Savior. We are to do what Jesus did and become like Him". To me that says be "mindful" of those around you, their spiritual and physical needs; giving and helping sometimes before they ask. I think it is something we need practice at doing. The book also says, "The Church is organized to perfect and bless the lives of the members." This week be "mindful" of someone else and share a kindness, or some thoughtful service, bless someone's life.
Love you always, and miss you always,
HUGS AND PRAYERS,
Grammy, Grampa, Mom, Dad, Elder and Sister Parker
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