Yet another parade going by our apartment.

Life goes up and down doesn't it. We received sad news and happy news just like everyone else. One lady reminded me today - Life is hard, but wait, it always gets better just be patient. She has had a few very hard weeks but yet she smiles! One friend is home from the hospital and improving. Transfer calls were this week, one of "our" six has served faithfully for 2 years and is headed home, his companion is getting transferred to Austria (sad). They come and go but we are so grateful to work with such faithful young adults! They keep us on our toes and make us laugh. These are some things that made us happy:

One of our families. We help them with English, they
help us with German. We laugh a lot!!



Lunch with our District before some leave our area.

Apartment check. New cleaning supplies! Yeah!



Our Hohentwiel AND blue skies!!



 Big heart from the sisters, little clay heart from
our favorite waitress, plaque from our favorite
 cousin. Happy Valentine's Day!

Another favorite restaurant

Dinner and games with great people!!

Beautiful drive to church this morning. Blue skies came later.

If we get to categorize this week I think it would have to be - party time! Fasching in Germany is one big week long party. We were awakened one morning at 7:15 by a parade of about 50 people going past our apartment. Three hours later it went by again with more people. That evening the parade had grown to about 200 people walking down the street in crazy costumes, an oompa band, a "float" of a large wagon filled with "witches" being pulled by a tractor, and a stripped down Christmas tree being pulled by a tractor. This parade went by twice, louder and more people each time. We spent part of Saturday downtown and saw more crazy costumes and more bands. It has really been fun. We, as missionaries, were warned about staying off the streets after dark. We've also had some heartbreak of dear friends being terribly sick and facing trials. We keep them in our prayers.

Our frosty drive Sunday morning.

One of the many bands walking around town.



A group of friendly witches.



Mission Tour with an Area Authority, very uplifting meetings.

Just some passersby.

The wagon of "witches."



These friends are getting ready to finish their mission so we had
to go explore with them.

An evening of bowling.





A delicious Valentine's Day lunch.

Some of our favorite companions.

Another delicious lunch with wonderful company.

 Looking back at the week I guess it was pretty full, filling and fulfilling with lots of partiness!

This was a week of love. We discovered the Sisters' refrigerator had gone kaput. By the time we checked on it the next day some of the lighting in their apartment had gone out. With just a phone call and a run to a store they now have a new refrigerator and all of their electrical is now working - love miracles! Lunch at Doris' was lovely as is she - she shows so much love to all of us. Sometime this week love notes were put in my purse when I wasn't looking. And our new "grandbaby" needed to snuggle today. We love this place and these people!!

Aren't they adorable in their matching dresses!

Three new members in this District. The Elder in the middle back has
been here the whole time we have. We love all of them!

Love boxes from home that she shared!

We love her lunches!

I think we both needed some snuggle time.

Surprise birthday party!



It's been a very sweet week. We've watched more people want to change their lives. We are grateful for the young missionaries that show such enthusiasm and maturity as some deal with difficult situations. It's such a remarkable thing we're able to be involved in.

Some of our faithful missionaries leaving a meeting to go meet
with others. They teach each other and then teach others.

She loves my nametag. So do I.

Our beautiful landscape that we see every day.



Lives change. Progress made. Such an inspiration to watch.