What are we doing in Germany???????

Germany? We keep wondering how this ever happened!

Assignment change from Family Services in the U.K. to the Europe Area

After a year of expecting to serve our mission in England, we received a phone call from Germany one week before entering the MTC, asking if we were willing to accept a change in assignment. We  were asked to oversee the LDS Family Services in 40 countries of Europe rather than just in the British Isles. Of course, we accepted but what an unexpected surprise and adjustment! Although we were overwhelmed, it was a disappointment because we had a list of people & places we wanted to visit all lined up. Then we thought, do we really mean it when we sing, "I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord"? We realized, too, that we were on the Lord's errand, not ours!

We've truly broken out of our comfort zone! Hard, hard, hard!!! All of the preparations, farewells, & travel in getting here make the "birth" of a mission a physically & emotionally exhausting experience!!

Ken & I flew out of SLC airport at 5:00 pm on Monday, Feb 9, 2015, with a short layover in Paris, arriving in Frankfurt Tuesday at 2:00 pm. After a long, tiring journey, we were ecstatic to be greeted by our dear friends, Elder & Sister Dittmar ( Ed & Pam), who are serving here in the data collections center. When we said goodbye to them a year ago, we didn't dream we 'd be joining them in Germany!! Loaded with the luggage to the max, we were glad they brought a van. They took us directly to the Europe Area Office where everyone in the building, Church employees as well as Senior Missionaries, were expecting us and greeted us very warmly.