Loving Germany - Sis. B's view

I had a family member ask for my point of view of our fun here in Germany.  I am having a wonderful time!  Each turn of the road is a new adventure.  Out our window we can view a hillside with walking trails.  They have been calling me so today we went exploring.  Bro. B will have to add pictures since that is his expertise.  It was fun to see the other view of our home in our little canyon.  The air was crisp and I had to shed the coat and leave it home.  At times the wind was a bit chilly but the sunshine warmed you right up, well, a little.

 (Editor's note: The building seen by my left shoulder is our apartment building, the orange porch is our neighbor's porch. Our apartment is the other half of that floor that you see.)

Two trails diverged in the woods. The right one takes us to the top and a view of the lake and the alps.

It has been fun adapting cooking in Germany.  I have to say right now I'm being more successful with desserts than main dishes, though our Chicken Pot Pie turned out pretty well.  I am slowly learning, as I create sauces since cream soups are not readily available, the substitutions need a little tweaking.  I will slowly learn to add a few more spices and seasonings with tasting along the way.  The Elders in Ravensburg along with our favorite Nigerian member seem to enjoy the experiments as they usually dine with us on Sunday evenings.  Now my desserts have more success.  Since we brought Cream of Tartar, the Snickerdoodles were a success along with my Apple Streusel and last night's Cheese Cake from a mix bought at the store.  I do have more time to cook so I can relax and enjoy.  We are loving the German breads and enjoy having a Backerei just around the corner for fresh breads.

The branch is wonderful!  We enjoy meeting with the members and one is wonderful to translate for me, along with a couple of others who will do it in a pinch.  My German is slowly progressing, but I'm learning I get what effort I put into it.  And I need a little more effort.

Another adjustment I have struggled with is not to be so busy.  Retirement is interesting!  Going from working full time with a full time church calling to being a full time missionary with days of time on hand is a new experience.  Since our mileage on our car is limited, we try to plan our visits with members as a group, catching who we can when we are in their area.  That leaves days without appointments and time to fill.  Keeping my hands busy with crafts has helped, crocheting hotpads to give to neighbors and members and using my traveling sewing machine to fix Elder's clothing and sew curtains for their apartments.  We are trying to serve whenever possible.

One of my greatest joys has been on teaching appointments with our wonderful Ravensburg Elders.  They have asked us to contribute and it has been a great blessing to feel the power of the Restored Gospel and to share its message.

We love and miss our family, friends, and neighbors from home, but know we are where we are supposed to be right now.  And we love it!