I can with fair certainty say that we will be here for our entire 23 months. Our first seven days here were a mix of being busy about business and being without much to do. Sister B bought a nice Ravensburg jigsaw puzzle and has been working on it as I work on learning about the branch. We finally got our bank account and are closer to the internet installation in the apartment. We usually visit the branch president's office once a day to do email, etc.
It seems that the Lord doesn't leave us idle for long, though. Last Thursday evening, as we were relaxing and playing a hand of Canasta, I got a phone call from the stake president, from St. Gallen. On Friday, we traveled to St. Gallen, Switzerland for a visit with him.It was our first experience being in Austria and Switzerland (we had to drive through Bregenz, Austria to get to St. Gallen, Switz). Then, yesterday (Sunday) I was sustained and set apart as the Branch President of the Ravensburg Branch (Zweig). What a humbling experience! The stake president and high council were concerned about what to do with the branch. The former president had been serving for 5 years (he only expected to be doing it for one year) and he lives in a town south of St. Gallen. He was at one time the stake president. It was a great blessing to speak to the congregation and bear testimony, all in German, and feel the love and support of the people.
Sister B and I traveled with the Elders Sunday afternoon and visited some members who live in care centers. We met some wonderful and faithful older sisters, one who could barely talk and the other who did very well at speaking, though it was very heavy in the schwäbish dialect. It was a wonderful experience.
Our car is equipped with a GPS (called a Navi in Germany). The previous couple named her "Tina" (for a tempermental cow he once had) and we were very grateful that Tina helped us get around the local countryside and down through Austria and Switzerland. She speaks with a Britisch accent and warns us about the speed limit changes as well and the intricate road systems. It seems that the speed limit can change many times within a few short blocks. Now that we will be visiting members a lot more, I am very glad that we have Tina.
The Lord blesses us and we see His hand in the work here. We hope you all can feel a little of the love we feel in our experiences here.
Welcome, "Tina"! I'm sure she will be a great addition to your mission experience!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, President. You will do well, because you have so much love for people as well as your leadership experiences. Sister B. will be a blessing to the Branch also.
Love you!