Our last Zone Training with this Zone. Some going home,
some getting moved to other areas, and we are getting combined
with another zone. Great young men and women, great teachers of
 Christ's Gospel.

They also know how to be goofy!

 A week of funny things! We got to play Santa by delivering fans. We offered a fan to one guy and he said, "Why do I need a fan? I'm from Africa!" So we gave it to other Africans. The stores keep running out of fans. This heat is usually saved for August, I'm afraid of what August weather might bring! At Institute I had made Cheesy Chicken Casserole with broccoli  - one guy said, "I can't eat broccoli it gives me diarrhea." TMI Another new guy said, "I'm vegetarian but I can eat around the chicken." Can't win them all - it all got eaten though! We made Italian Rolls for a Zone Training. After everyone had taken one and were eating I announced there was enough for everyone to have two. One guy said, "Oh, oh,I've already had 3." We made 40 and they were all devoured - no vegetarians and no diarrhea as far as we know.

Kids learn how to ride bikes starting at age 18 months on these
little bikes. Seriously, get out of their way!

Two happy recipients of fans.

It was cool enough one day to stroll around this
beautiful little lake close to our home.

We met this gentleman from Provo, Utah.
He served a mission in Germany a few
years ago and was here doing some language assessment.
He knows 4 of our good friends from home - small world.

This is the most tiring, exhilarating, stressful, rewarding and blessed work we have ever done - next to raising our FamLee. 



Most cities have stork nest poles and most
poles have a stork nest in them.

Times flies when you're having fun - I guess we need to not have so much fun! We just passed our one year mark on this mission. After a day of exploring Santis in the Alps and getting lost in Lichtenstein (do you know how big Lichtenstein is?) we went to work. It was the last Institute for our first missionary to leave, she will definitely be missed! We were able to go to the Temple with her and her family, a very special experience. We visited a few people in their homes and had another street display. It is still hot, a night of rain relieved some of the humidity, but the temp and the humidity are climbing back up. We tried to buy some fans for some of the people that don't have fans - not a fan left in any stores.


The Primary Class (minus a couple). The teachers need to speak
two languages to communicate with these cuties.

It looks like we are on top of the world. I think we were!

Can you find the real people?



Institute will be changing as some leave on missions.

Our Russian friends give the best hugs! We can't communicate
much but we feel the love.

When we see this we know we are almost home.

Jumping for joy to be at the temple.

Reading is important in this city! Books tied to park benches and a
sign designate these as "Reading Benches."



We are on top of the world in more ways than one!

It seems to be more than warm everywhere!! It's over 100 at home and has been for days/weeks. It's in the 90s here but with humidity and no air conditioning. The word "sauna" keeps coming to mind. We had more fun with the camera this week than usual. We traveled to Triberg (home of the largest Cuckoo Clock), helped with a street display, fed the missionaries a few times, had a great turn out at Institute and celebrated the 4th of July. Isn't a sauna supposed to help you lose weight? It's not working!

Happy 4th of July 2015!

This is what a street display looks like. 90+ degrees. We had lots of good
discussions about what makes people happy. What makes you happy?

Sometimes the camera tilts.

Sometimes the camera cooperates.



Triberg, Germany with two fantastic missionaries.




Gorgeous view after a great lunch.

Sometimes giving the camera to someone gets better shots than balancing
the camera and setting the timer.




Institute is growing, until now. Two are leaving on missions
of their own - one to Armenia, one to Berlin. We are so proud of them!





We get to be involved in so many varied activities. We work but this week it all looks like fun. We got to go to a city festival and talked to many people, ate some Thüringen sausages and enjoyed the atmosphere.

That time again to say good bye. She's been a great influence
on us and everyone around her. She is being transferred to Austria.

Yard work for a wonderful family that is moving. She gave Elder Lee
the "high stuff" because she didn't think it would be good for him
to keep bending over "that's for the young 'uns."



Met this couple from Washington state. Does anyone recognize them?



We've been told we had to go to this garden island, so we did, and on
a beautiful day - Insel Mainau.



We even ran into friends on the garden tour.

As a women's activity for our congregation we took a boat ride around
Lake Konstanz (Bodensee). Wow. This is the Swiss side of the lake.

Another good bye. The LDS church uses it's local members to be
leaders of congregations. We have had a fabulous leader here but
he and his family are moving. Sad day. Lots of teary good byes.




All church activities include food. After the boat ride we had Italian
ice cream at the "best place in Germany!" Seriously YUM.





Hello to our newest sister missionary. She's going to love it here.

We are a little travel weary but we're not complaining! We made three trips to Zurich for apartment checks, another city in Switzerland (Kreuzlingen) for a meeting, various other small cities to either help with a move or take the missionaries, and a little sight seeing. We've used up our mileage allotment and we still have ten days left in the month. Elder Lee had the opportunity to give a blessing to a baby. We've seen lots of blessings - finding hard-to-find apartments, good health, happy people, people asking to know more about God. The more we look for blessings the more we find.

A field of storks, we don't remember seeing storks at home.

Apartment check. They are both standing.



German yeast is the best! But look out, you never know when it will
stop. This is 3 small loaves of Armenian Bread.



Technology. The young missionaries were all issued ipads this week.



They needed a new table so they had another opportunity to use
their carpenter skills.



We were hoping to have lunch here on one of our travels.
Next time.




Stein Am Rhein - where the Rhein begins.



Such a fun and delicious lunch!

All of these are blessings for which we are so grateful!

Summer is here - high humidity, high heat, thunder and lightening, downpours, repeat. Thank goodness for fans and umbrellas. Sometimes we just walk around the cheese department at the grocery to cool off. Summertime also means vacation time. When people take a holiday they go to other countries as easily as we go to other states. One of our friends is in Holland, another in Italy. It's a little frustrating for the missionaries because their contacts will sometimes travel for 3-4 weeks at a time. This week we built, taught, listened and saw. A great balance.

They are teaching each other. Almost done.

Our cute church that we have outgrown.



Triberg. Beautiful waterfalls, beautiful city.

Our wonderful congregation that is growing!

A precious find. We love swans and they love their babies.





They smiled through the mosquito bites. We will miss these as they
leave us one by one.

Our weeks just keep rolling along so fast. Some weeks look like they will be pretty quiet and by Monday afternoon that all changes. The Young Single Adults came over to our apartment for an activity of climbing up our mountain (large hill) to "our" small castle. Who knew mosquitoes were so big and so many? We got up there with our picnic basket of food and ready to have a great time but the mosquitoes chased us away, after a few pictures, of course. We ate in our apartment, played a game of Tri-Raids and enjoyed each other's company anyway. We were happy to be with a young lady who is leaving on her mission this week, excited to share worries and expectations of another one of "our" girls who is going to Armenia on her mission, and talked about the anticipation of another young man who is waiting for his mission assignment. We love these people who have such a positive influence on us.


We took time out of our schedule to "attend" the funeral of an apostle
of the Lord. We can still picture his tall stature and infectious smile. He
was a great man whose influence will live on.

Speaking of tall stature - some of us need
a stool to communicate with our friend.



We didn't know they have monsoons in Germany! Our street was a
river in 5 minutes. We are happy it didn't last long.

We were privileged to attend the Temple again,
this time we took the sister missionaries.

We love this family and have become good friends.

We found this little bridge again. The river is the border between
Germany and Switzerland. You can stand in both countries at the
same time but you might get hit by a car. It is very narrow!

 Countryside walks are full of surprises.





Love this history.

Love these paths that go on forever.

Some of this was planned, some not, but we are grateful for all of these experiences in such a beautiful place.