Benson Food Technical Specialists

Last Friday we went to the Frankfurt airport to meet with Brother Ron and Sister Wendy Davison for a briefing on their recent visit to Bosnia. They had a layover in Frankfurt before they returned to their home down under in Sydney, Australia.   The Davison's are technical specialists for the Benson Food Initiative.  They work together with Muslim Aid, a local NGO to assist poor rural families in Bosnia and Herzegovina establish productive and sustainable greenhouses. These are 100 square foot greenhouse with a concrete pad along with materials for an irrigation system.  Families receive seeds, seedlings and everything required for their initial crop. That means that the beneficiary receives a complete greenhouse kit they must build and prepare for the next planting cycle.  This helps poor families to have better nutrition and the means to help parents sell a few crops, earn some money and better care for their children.

We might mention that Ron and Wendy were Humanitarian Missionaries in Bosnia in 2013 to 2015.  They were the couple who replaced us when we completed our first mission in Bosnia.  

We had a productive meeting, caught up on what each of us were doing.  It was good to hear about people we know in Bosnia and we had an enjoyable time meeting with them.

Ron and Wendy Davison

A greenhouse with the recepients

Baden-Baden, Germany

Monday we arise had breakfast and went out to venture around the town.  We caught the city-Bahn Road Train which took us around the town and up to the base of Merkur mountain.

After our train ride we went back to the hotel, checked out, walked around town and then drove our car back to the base of Merkur mountain where we caught another Funicular Railway to the top.  Once there we found a restaurant and many people eating their picnic lunches.  Here we found another breathtaking view.

We then got in our car, and started our journey back to Frankfurt.  Our weekend consisted of  fantastic weather, great company, and unbelievable sights.  On our way home we purchased some white asparagus (a german dish).  Which we cooked on Tuesday night.  It was okay.  But then we like asparagus.  White asparagus has a milder taste.  But requires more work to cook.  You have to peel it (like a carrot) and then boil it or cook it in the oven.  Usually they put a sauce  over it. (Hollandaise or Lemon Butter)   We doubt it will be a regular addition to our dinner fare.  We returned to work on Tuesday.

"It is better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times." ©the planetd.com

Interlaken and Grindelwald, Switzerland

After arriving in Interlaken Switzerland and checking into our hotel (a very quaint place), we rode the funicular railway to the top of Interlaken (Harder Kulm).  We bought our tickets and waited in line - the line actually moved fairly fast.  The grade is fairly steep.  At the top it is 4,337 feet above sea level.  The view was speculator.  While on top of the mountain, we met people from Turkey, India, Nepal and all over Europe.  

We rode the train back down the mountain and had dinner at a local restaurant our hotel recommended.  After dinner we purchased a few groceries for the next day, Sunday and went back to our hotel.   
Sunday morning we arose and attended church at the local branch.  The meeting was in German, but they provided a translator for us.  The young lady who translated was a returned missionary.  She served her mission on Temple Square in Salt Lake City and made us all happy.  

After church we returned to our hotel, checked out and drove to another place nearby called Grindelwald.  This alpine community was very beautiful.  After visiting Grindelwald we drove to Baden Baden, Germany and checked into our hotel (a Holiday Inn).  We went for a walk to explore and plan our Monday. 

"When it comes right down to it, people are quite similar.  We may come from different backgrounds, cultures, and economic circumstances, and our attitudes and perspectives may vary.  But in the heart -where it really counts-we're a lot alike".  M. Russell Ballard. Our Search for Happiness 

Strasbourg, France and Bern, Switzerland

After lunch in Heidelberg, we drove to Strasbourg, France.  We checked into our hotel and went for a walk down toward the river.  We wanted to get information about a boat tour on the river Ile.  After getting our tickets for a boat tour the next morning we visited the various shops in the open market area and had something to eat at a local restaurant.

First thing Friday morning we walked back to the market area.  We were early for our boat ride so we decided to go into the Strasbourg Cathedral as other people going in.  We had been in there maybe 2 or 3 minutes when Good Friday mass began.  This Cathedral is called the Cathedrale Notre
Dame de Strasbourg.  It was beautiful inside and a special treat to be there for the beginning of the "Good Friday Mass".

We left the cathedral and went to the dock at the appointed time for a narrated tour of the Ile River.  We learned how the town of Strasbourg went back and forth between the French and Germans during various disputes and wars.  The tour took us through a series of locks and we learned about famous buildings and people on either side of the river.  After our river/city tour we wandered around the town square and then departed for Switzerland.

The Frankfurt temple is closed for renovation so the senior missionaries have a 500 kilometre travel radius which includes several temples (Bern Switzerland, Freiburg Germany, Hague Netherlands, and Paris France.   We arrived at the Bern Switzerland Temple about 5:30 pm.  We checked into our rooms and attended the 7:15 pm session.  After the session we went to dinner and then returned to our hotel.  Saturday morning we rose early, checked out of our rooms and went back to the temple where we did initiatory work and another endowment session.  We appreciate the chance to attend the temple.  When we served in Bosnia (2012-2013) we were not able to visit the temple the entire 18 months.

"Building and maintaining temples may not change your life, but spending your time in the temple surely will. . . .  I invite you to worship in the temple and pray to feel deeply the Savior’s infinite love for you, that each of you may gain your own testimony that He directs this sacred and ageless work."  President Russell M. Nelson, October Conference, 2018

Heidelberg, Germany

The Europe Area Office, where we serve as area welfare specialists was closed on Good Friday, and Easter Monday giving everyone working at the office a four day weekend.  We received permission to leave on Thursday and began our Easter weekend and temple trip.  Much of our work can be done by telephone, so with our phones, we were available to those who needed to reach us.

Our first stop en-route to Switzerland was Heidelberg Castle in Southern Germany.  The weather was beautiful and we enjoyed walking around the castle grounds.
Heidelberg is a university town and school was still in session on Thursday.  The town was like any busy college town.  We had and enjoyable lunch at an interesting local restaurant where we had typical German food.  The restaurant decor was unique and enjoyable.

View of the town of Heidelberg

Elder and Sister Davis and Gary

View from the other side

Always the photographer

Flowers just starting to bloom

The sign says Frederick IV

"To Travel is to Live” – Hans Christian Andersen