WHATEVER INTELLIGENCE WE GAIN

Work in the public affairs office is picking up - got paid overtime last week (ha).  Elaine has been given the assignment of publishing a monthly newsletter to be distributed to the directors of public affairs in our 30 countries.  She asks “can you image me with so little computer experience being editor of a newsletter?”  Her ward calling is a similar idea as it’s the weekly Relief Society newsletter which also gives her an opportunity to learn all sorts of technical skills in MS Publisher and Outlook .  She is really growing in learning how to use these programs and perfecting her already fine writing skills. 

We continue madly working on the 2012 media book which will be a sampling of all the attention the Church has received this past year in Europe.  Interest has come as a result of the US presidential campaign, progress of the Paris and Rome Temples, celebration of the 175th anniversary of the Church in England and the recent missionary age announcement. Tomorrow we will spend the day carefully proof-reading each page before it goes to the printer.  We have spent weeks collecting the articles and writing a short narrative about each one.  This entails translating the first paragraph of an article from one of 26 different languages or translating the caption from online video files of TV and radio interviews.  In the absence of a Urim and Thumim, we use Google Translate, our foreign language skills and prayer but it still can be a challenge figuring out the message. Google Translate is pretty literal and doesn’t mind just skipping the hard words. We will be glad to see the book go to print this week.

One of the blessings we enjoy here is associating with the dedicated and experienced senior missionary couples here from all over the US. They have already served in so many capacities, have wonderful stories to share and still have so much to give.  Yesterday our group took a tour of the city of Koblenz and on the hour ride there the Woods from Price told us the story of an Islamic leader in Egypt who converted to the Church, was disowned by his family, falsely accused by them of drug trafficking and sent to prison for 15 years.  Yet the Cairo branch visited him the whole time and helped him when he got out to get safely to Ghana where he now lives and serves in the Ghana Temple. We were inspired but also are reminded that, though the US has many problems, it is still a blessed place to call home.


Some Koblenz highlights:

Outside the modern art museum.

This fountain sculpture of a little boy spitting water is a depiction of a "Schangel" or the illegitimate child of a French occupying soldier and a local German mother.  It is now the symbol of Koblenz.  If you are a native of Koblenz you are a Schangel which is a title of prestige.

Koblenz from the Mosel River

Here you can see where the Mosel joins the Rhein and the city of Koblenz which means "Confluence" or the joining of two rivers