A visit from Germany

We had a visit from a friend and her family last week. They mentioned they read my blog each week but it has the same picture of the statue in Nauvoo. I did not think anyone in the world read the blog and was surprised that one of them in Germany checks the blog each week so I will tell you a little about these friends.

This is Katje and her family. The Mom, Marita Muench is on the left, then Katje, her husband Daniel and their little girl, Talita.

Katje was my German tutor from the MTC as I was preparing for my mission. They gave me a returned American missionary first but I asked for a native German speaker.

Katje's story is one of those great wonders of the Gospel. sShe came over to Springville Utah as a high school exchange student and stayed with a great family in Springville. The dad was a Bishop. Katje became interested in the church and Restored Gospel and finally became baptized when she was 18.

She came back as a student at BYU and got a job at the MTC training the two mission presidents headed for Germany. She called everyday and we chatted for an hour over various topics in German. ( I had to get another tutor for the Grammar at Andover High School and took an evening German class for adult education.

Katje did a great job. Her mother lived in Howerswerda, East Germany. Katje was anxious that she also learn and accept the gospel and the sisters missionaries in East Germany visited her often. When I was in Munich, I learned that she was considering baptism and I called her and we discussed the baptismal interview and questions. She was baptized and later went through the temple. They came through Munich on a visit after Katje completed her mission in Moscow, Russia.

Katje returned to the Y and met Daniel Davidson who was also a missionary in that mission but they did not know each other then. She brought him by for us to meet and chat and after a little conversation She turned to me and said, "Und?" or Well? I replied, "Sehr gut.. weiter machen!" Or "This is very good, carry on!" Daniel was not so fluent in German then.

They were married in the Salt Lake Temple and now have a cute little daughter, Talita. Katje graduated in German and language studies and Daniel graduated in Slavic language studies. He just received full scholarship and a job to attend Ohio State to get graduate degrees in Slavic languages. We will forgive him the Ohio State as is is such a good deal.

I marveled how blessed Katje was after joining the church and how she has blessed the lives of those around her and her life has taken such a great direction.

Well this is my first blog in a long time and is dedicted to Katje's mother in Howerswerda, Germany... alles Gute