Busy Start to the Week

First Row: Sister Yorgesen, President and Sister Collins, President and Sister Pieper, Sister and President Cranney; Second Row: Elder Yorgesen, Sister and Elder McClellan, Sister and Elder Mason, Sister and Elder Monson, Sister and Elder Rees, Sister and Elder Gregory, Sister and Elder Ireland, Sister Nearon, Elder and Sister Shepard

We started the day with a Senior Couples conference in the Central Building in the Moscow. All of the senior couples from both the Moscow and Moscow West missions were there except the Curbishleys. They are back on the road and should be back on Friday. We met a new couple, from Texas, the McClellans. They are serving in Yaroslavl, far, far away. We did not know them, but we have many mutual friends from serving at the Temple in Dallas.

Clark and Sam filling their plates with taco salads.

We listened to some excellent talks from President and Sister Cranney and President and Sister Collins. The Cranneys talked about how from small things, great things can come to pass. That Senior Couples can be tipping points in the work. A little extra effort can make a big difference. President Collins talked about the blessings that will come to our families (D&C31: 5) and that missionary work is not a sacrifice, but a consecration of time and talents which is consistent with the convenants that we have made in the temple. Each Senior Couple shared a few of things that they have been working on. President Pieper was our concluding speaker and addressed us for about 45 minutes. His main message was that as senior couples we represent the example of what LDS couples can be (e.g., married for 30, 40 or 50 years) for the members here in Russia. He indicated that they don't have a lot of examples of large families that stick together. Husbands and wives who are courteous and kind to one another. He encouraged us to help members understand the doctrines and principles that contribute to building loving families.

As we were getting ready to leave, some of the Elders were gathering together in the building for "P-day" activities (recreational). There had been walking through the puddles on their way to church (there are always puddles!). I saw one Elder and asked if I could take a picture of his pants. This is what all of our pants can look like, in just one walk to the metro station.

After clean up, we headed out to Rosinka with the Cranneys and they dropped us off at the Paul's. We had a great dinner and dessert, and President Paul shared some of the experiences that he had when he was assigned to as the first mission president to East Germany. He told that when President Monson called him to his position, he told him that the Lord's had provided this miracle and that we must not fail. He felt no pressure whatsoever!!

With 8 missionaries, in three cars, they headed for the Brandenburg Gate. President Paul had plenty of experience crossing through this territorial border in the past and expected that it might take hours to get through. They had a lot of church material and he was sure that they would want to inspect each item. He was pleasantly surprised when, upon inspection of his papers, he was just waved through the gate!

These 8 missionaries were the first missionaries in 50 years. This was in 1989. The last missionaries were pulled out of Germany, before the war, in 1939. The church had grown, but it had all been the result of member missionary work. Elder Paul indicated that this first group of missionaries hardly every saw their companions during the day. They were always on splits with members. The mission baptised approximately 350 members in the first year. More missionaries continued to arrive. Today there are two stakes in East Germany and, of course, the Freiberg Temple...a miracle in its own right. Remember, the temple was dedicated in 1985, several years before the wall the came down.

The question that begs an answer is how did it happen? Why were we the only group allowed into the country during these difficult times? From the highest levels of the government, they believed that, in their words, they could trust us.

Elder Wolfgang Paul and his wife Helga in their home in Rosinka.