VISITS FROM FRIENDS AND FORMER MISSIONARIES

Dear Family,

I am catching up on all the summer events.  We had our great reunion and after this there were some great visits from all over.

First Steffi and her husband Robert came to visit the USA and indeed Salt Lake City as well.   They came from Berlin, Germany.  Steffi was one of our great sister missionaries and we went back to Germany to attend her wedding couple years ago. Here she is with stepsons Ryan and Riley, husband Robert and their new baby, Rico.

They stayed in the apartment downstairs and used this as their home base while they toured and visited in Salt Lake.  We went to the Church History museum with them and toured all the exhibits.

Here is Steffi trying out the berth on the model of the ships that Church members used to come to this country from Europe in the later 1800's  Then went to the food court at the new City Creek mall and had a good feed.

We had a get together with some of Steffi's companions and that was really fun.  Here is Kristi, Steffi, Rachel, Julie and Elizabeth.  Steffi reminded me that she had a lot of companions and I countered that it was the plan to expose many of the younger missionaries to her so they could benefit from her language (aus Preusen), discipline  and her ability to present the message of the Church so succinctly in German.  She was loved by all.

It was great to see her and her family and I think they had a good time.

We also had a visit from Katje, formerl;y Muench,  Now
Davidson and little Mark and Talita.  Katje was my German Tutor provided by the MTC and she struggled with me for many months getting my pronunciation and sentance structure straight.  She went to Russia on a mission, came back and married Daniel who is also a whiz with languages.  He works for the Defense Department and now they live in Maryland.  She is expecting her third child any minute.  So great to see her and the kids.  LittleTalita is fluent in German and English. Mark Twain said that German was easy as little kids could speak it and dogs understood it.  Talita spoke to Mom in English but addressed me in German.

We visited her mother, Marita, when we went over to attend Steffi's wedding.  We spent time in Cotbus and I did a fireside, (auf Deutsch) in their ward in Howerswerda.  I lovedg going over there.

We we had such great visits from family and  friends this summer.  We are richly blessed and grateful for all we have enjoyed.

Will catch up on some more summer stuff.

Love, Oma and Opa