From Germany and beyond

Arriving early into Germany allowed us to tour the old part of Mainz to include the Gutenberg Museum and St. Martin's Cathedral.  The Gutenberg Museum of printing is one of the oldest museums of printing in the world, founded in 1900, 500 years after Gutenberg's birth.  We could have spent days going into and through each of their exhibits, but no pictures allowed...
The Cathedral was VERY large and beautiful and these are only a few of the photos.  The sheer enormaity of the building itself was overwhelming.  I hope you can see this in just the one hall way, on the only hallway!

Elder Steve and Sister Sherry LaBoon were with us as we toured that day.

Our days in Germany were sunny and beautiful.  Each evening we joined all the humanitarian couples in Eastern Europe for a nice meal at  German, Mexican, and Chinese restaurants.  Food was great, company better!  Each morning a breakfast was prepared for us in the chapel near to the Temple hostel which we stayed in. We were able to attend the Temple while there and the Temple president took his time to speak with us before our session.  He had a wonderful sense of humor and of peace about him.  Albania, Cape Verde, Croatia/N.Bosnia, Czech Republic, Macedonia Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Servia/S. Bosnia and Slovakia each had a couple serving there and attending the well planned and executed conference.





At one of our breakfasts you can see Sister Erickson (Croatia/N.Bosnia) in the back,
with the Wolseys, ElderStiles(Slovakia), and the Brodericks in front



Sister Willis (Albania)played for us dispite a foot injury, and you see Wolseys (Romania),
Elder Willis andSister Broderick as we prepare for the day of learning.  The name plates
made for eachone enclose Tobblers Chocolate Bars!  The rest of the conference was
more delicious than those bars!




 

Pages (Czech Republic) are on the far right with Elder and Sister Junckers
(Macedonia) beside the Brodericks (Cape Verde)

Saturday was spent visiting the Braunfels Castle.  This was particulary meaningful as one of the members of this family founded New Braunfels in Texas and we actually saw a portrait of him!  We have a wonderful visit there and then shopped at downtown Friedrichsdorf in the afternoon.



 We were sad to leave our many new friends and were so in awe of all that they have done and are doing in their various countries.  Three of the couples are preparing to return home as their mission will soon be completed.

As we landed in Moldova everyone on the plane clapped, for the joy of landing safely.  We learned later that is normal here so we will join the clapping next trip.  I have always said a prayer of thanks but the clapping is an added show of appreciation!

Monday we met with Dr. Lupan to begin the new vision project which will take place in September 2012.  We were impressed with Dr. Lupan and are looking forward to working with her to make this successful.

We also learned that our neighbor is moving back to Seria.  He is muslim, an ENT Doctor and will be returning there to help settle the country and find a wife who believes in God as he does.  He thanked us for our belief in God and all that we do here.  We hope this friendship will continue.  He just left this past week and we have enclosed our parting picture of him.  We only wish we had learned more of one another.  He has been a gracias and kind neighbor. 



Last meeting with our friend



We are now working with Doina Stepanenco on at least two projects.  The first is connected to a hopeful second with a boarding school in Balboaca which in in the southern part of Moldova.  We have approval for Contantine, who runs the making of shoes in the Society of the Disabled, to make 122 pairs of shoes for these children.  They range from 5 to 16 years and about 1/2 of them are orphans while the others live in smaller villages and go home on weekends and during the summer.

We also hope to put running water and toliets in the school here as well as blackboards in their classrooms.  There are a few possible problems but we are working one it.  Below are a few pictures of the school and her children.

 Top left is the director of the Bulboaca school Eugenia Buruian by one of the current blackboards. The following two pictures are taken in a girls dorm room and include Elder McGovern and Doina Stepanenco and below that 3 of the girls in their room.  You see the girls playing flutes but I wish you could have heard and the see Elder McGovern and Doina visiting the area where we hope the bathrooms will be in the school.  There is so much needed here yet they have a husband and wife who are co-directors and are slowly getting it done. There was an upbeat attitude throughout the school.

We are finishing up two projects, one at the medical clinic in Balauresti and the gas line at the Society of the Disabled.  We had a small hold up because of  the contract but you see happy faces here as it is finally available for signing and work can begin...  As I write this the work is complete and we are simply waiting for the gas company to do it's part.



Senik, our translator, Mihai, Elder McGovern and Matei Ceban.  We hope the next photo during the winter or spring will be without coats as there will be heat!

Ray was able to teach our Family Home Evening group on April 2 and did a GREAT job!  We have begun Romanian tutoring and Elena is fantastic.  We visited Buluresti and and dinner with Elizabeta and Leon who are the host family for the Curt and Susan Adams.  We had bors cufasole si varaz, scrob cu carne, monatiga cu brinza de oaie, fruit compot and corn bread which is an Easter tradition.

We had our 46th anniversary on Ethan's 4th birthday!  They do not get any cuter than Ethan McGovern!  We loved Skyping with most of our family on Easter while they were at Joe and Ginger's home!  They all looked great, we only wished for more individual time with them!
General conference was  a great joy to us and Easter was even more joyful just because of the reason for the season.  It is still the Easter celebration here, as it occurs a bit later than ours this year and lasts much longer!  We will get little work done this week...
We visited the far north of this country to see an ongoing sewer project there for a TB hospital.  We were happy to see the project finally underway and especially happy to become aquainted with the director of that hospital Tatiana.  It is amazing to see strength and tenderness uniquely combined in people like her.  We look forward to our next visit.

This is also part of the new septic system for this children's TB center.  The director
Tatiana is in the pantsuit.

This is for the sewer system but please look at the depth of the top soil of this country!
At least 6 feet!

We are still trying to get a water project approved for Piatra/Zeloboc and want to begin a new one for Truseni which is near to Chisinau.  Not many things are smooth and easy here but they are well worth it!

On Saturday, March 31st we attended the baptism of Jane.  It was and is truly a blessing in my life to know Jane and watch the Holy Ghost teach first of God existing and then the truth of the Book of Mormon, the Gospel of Christ and the truthfulness of Christ's Church.  Jane and her family will be moving to Philadelphia the end of this month and we hope to see them when we return to the states.

Marcela, Jane, Elders Jiles and Peterson

Tomorrow, the 18th of April, Elder John and Sister Susan Leonard arrive from Germany to be with us for a few days.  We are anxious to have their imput and help to move things in the direction which the Lord desires.