OUR FIRST TRANSFER AND WE'RE STILL COMPANIONS

This week was our first transfer.  We've come from out in the country-side to Frankfurt-proper and best news is we are still companions.  Our new home is the large apartment building next to the Area Office - home to most area office senior missionaries which allows less use of cars and easier sharing of the cars that are available.

This week we fixed mistakes in photos (changed TIF files to JPG) we had previously uploaded to the church’s computer and sent out to the county directors.  Aso turns out Lisbon, and a few other towns aren’t really in Spain after all, causing us to have to resort picture files and reburn disks for Spain and Portugal.  We are pretty provincial, I am afraid. We also attended our first budget review, pleading for money requests for the 2013 public affairs projects of our assigned countries (we have the Scandinavians).  Had to tighten  belts and few countries got all the money they requested. France didn't submit a budget so Martin got assigned the tedious job getting approval for every single request they will have to submit to him. (Gabi has discovered Martin's financial skills.)  We also ran into a snag with the printing of our media book which will not be delivered on time. (Printers fault, not ours).  Elaine's been assigned as editor of a monthly newsletter with several feature articles which will go out to all the public affairs directors in Europe once a month.   

It has been colder and snowy here, but temperatures up to 50 degrees are forecast for next week. Could an early spring be coming? Probably not, but will be good to de-ice for a while. Next week our ward will have its third baptism in three months and it will be the third person in their 20’s and the third not from Germany.  Lee Funxin (sp?) is from China and the Church will be required to inform the Chinese government of his baptism, which makes you wonder what life has in store for him when he returns home. Our last two new members are young people from Africa and from Peru.

Firm mattress is a nice upgrade

The washer also is the dryer!
The bathroom is also the laundry room!

No Elaine is not in a closet and yes you are seeing the entire kitchen

Ok so the halls are a little scary and the smells are, shall we say, foreign?