Zone Conference and Elder Erich W. Kopischke

Wednesday morning September 25th we attended a Zone Conference for the Senior Missionaries working with the Europe Area Office.  The Conference began at 9:00 am with a group photo.

Each August the area presidency for all  Church Areas are reorganised.  This July Elder Paul V. Johnson, the previous Area President for the Europe Area returned to Salt Lake City for a new assignment.  Elder Gary B. Sabin is now the Area President, with Elder Massimo De Feo as first counselor and Elder Erich Kopischke as second counselor.  

Elder Kopischke is a native German and has served in the area presidency before as a counselor in 2008-2009 and as President in 2009-2012.  Just as we began serving our first mission in Croatia/Bosnia he was reassigned to Salt Lake City.  We feel very fortunate to have him back again as one of our leaders in Europe.

On Monday we had a workforce devotional in which Elder Kopischke spoke.  Then again on Wednesday he spoke at our Senior Missionary Zone Conference.  Both times he gave excellent messages, but we particularly enjoyed his message at our zone conference.  He inspired us with words of truth and encouragement. He conveyed how he appreciated the work we as senior missionaries are doing. He spoke of times when he was faced with change and challenges in his life and how he felt the Lord's guiding hand.  He referred to troubles and problems as divine challenges.  He concluded his talk with the following story and then a few senior missionaries sang a song:

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15: 13)

Joseph M. Scriven (1819-1896) was 25 years old, in love and to be married. The day before his wedding his fiancé died in a tragic drowning accident. Heartbroken, Joseph sailed from his homeland to start a new life in Canada. While in Canada working as a teacher, he fell in love again and became engaged to Eliza Roche, a relative of one of his students. 

Once again, Joseph's hopes and dreams were shattered when Eliza became ill and died before the wedding could take place. Although one can only imagine the turmoil within this young man, history tells us that his faith in God sustained him. Soon after Eliza's death Joseph joined the Plymouth Brethren and began preaching for a Baptist church. 

He never married, but spent the remainder of his life giving all his time, money and even the clothes off his own back to help the less fortunate and to spread the love and

compassion of Jesus wherever he went.

Around the same time that Eliza died, Joseph received word from Ireland that his mother was ill. He could not go to be with her, so he wrote a letter of comfort and enclosed one of his poems entitled What a Friend We Have in Jesus.

Many years later a friend was sitting with Joseph, as he was very ill. During this visit, the friend was very impressed when he ran across his poems, including What a Friend We Have in Jesus. As a result of this visit, almost 30 years after his letter of comfort to his mother, Joseph's poems were published in a book called Hymns and Other Verses. Soon thereafter, noted musician Charles C. Converse (1834-1918) put music to one of those poems: What a Friend We Have in Jesus.

Well-known musician and revivalist Ira D. Sankey (1840-1908) was a great admirer of Joseph Scriven. In 1875, Sankey came upon the music and words for What a Friend We Have in Jesus. He included it as the last entry into his well-known publication Sankey's Gospel Hymns Number 1. After Joseph Scriven's death, the citizens of Port Hope, Ontario, Canada, where he gave so much of himself, erected a monument to his life. The seemingly sad and obscure life of one man resulted in so many lives being uplifted, both in his own time, and for many years after whenever the beautiful and comforting words of What a Friend We Have in Jesus are sung.

What a Friend We Have in Jesus (Melody Israel, Israel God is Calling)

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!

O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!

In His arms He'll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear

May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.

Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer

Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.

After the meeting we had a wonderful brunch, cleaned-up and returned to our various assignments.

Frankfurt Temple in Deutschland

On Saturday, September 7th we were able to attend a VIP open house of the newly renovated Frankfurt Temple located in the nearby town of Friedrichsdorf.  The tour was in German, but we knew what they were telling the other guests.  We also had the opportunity to clean the temple Monday evening after some of the VIP tours.  The temple is beautiful inside.  To see other pictures of the inside of the temple, click here https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/public-invited-to-tour-the-frankfurt-germany-temple

Originally the temple remodel was planned for approximately 2 years, but after they began renovation they found that it would take much longer.  It has been closed for nearly 4 years.

The public open house for temple tours will begin Friday, September 13th and continue through the Saturday, September 28th.  The temple will then be dedicated on October 20, 2019.  Rumor has it that President Uchtdorf will be dedicating the temple.  

We are excited to have a temple so close again.  It takes less than 30 minutes to drive to the temple 

from our apartment.  

"Look to the temple of the Lord as the great symbol of your membership." Howard W. Hunter, "Exceeding Great and Precious Promises" October 1994 General Conference

Audi Factory Tour

On Friday, September 6th, we drove to the Neckarsulm, Germany Audi Factory.  We went with 4 other couples to attend an 1 1/2 hour tour of how they make Audi cars.  The factory was huge.  They employ close to 17,000 employees.  The tour was very interesting. We learned what the four rings represent (Auto Union). Unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures in the factory, but if you are interested  - search Audi factory on YouTube.   Much of the assembly is done by robotic machinery.  But the final assembly is done by machines and people together.   The assembly of the cars is very precise.  We also learned that all cars are preordered by customers, either individuals or dealerships.  The first color choice black, followed by silver or grey and white.   

On the doors where the side mirrors usually are there are cameras - the screen is on the inside door.

The price tag on this one is a mere 200,000,00 Euros

We think our 16 year old grandson would like this one.  Notice where the spare tire is (there are actually two there).

 "Because there is tomorrow, all our yesterdays have meaning and all our dreams have hope."  Bruce D. Hafen, "Bridle all Your Passions" , Ensign February 1994

Berlin

With permission and encouragement from our mission supervisors, we (Winters and Davis) boarded a train on August 15th and went to Berlin.  We spent 4 days there visiting many of the places we had heard about in our youth.  No sooner did we arrive in Berlin than Gary and Elder Davis purchased tickets for the "Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus and Boat" tours.  With that task accomplished, we walked from the train station to our hotel.

After checking into our hotel we decided to explore our surroundings to get our bearings.  After a 15 minute walk, we were at Brandenburg Gate.  From that point it was only a short distance to the Reichstag where we inquired about tickets to tour the building.  We were told to come early in the morning two days before the time we wanted to visit.  We walked another short distance and came across the "Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe" - the holocaust memorial - very impressive.  After that we went in search of a place for dinner.

On Friday morning we were joined by another couple, the Wilsons, Public Affairs Missionaries from Minnesota.  We all rode the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus and learned about the city and the history of Berlin.  After the bus tour we went to lunch and then began the "Rick Steves Berlin Walking Tour".

We saw more things than we can describe, but we will share a few pictures so you can see some of the things that we were able to see and experience.  Berlin is a great experience.

After the lunch we went again to the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe and went downstairs under the cement caskets.  The underground museum was a fascinating and sobering memorial and testimonial.

Each night at dusk they show a parliamentary history from the Reichstag to the Bundestag. You can sit on the river bank and watch this presentation. 

We were able to go to church on Sunday. We left our hotel and rode a train and then a bus to the church.   It was windy and raining as we boarded the bus.  We looked at each other and hoped that we had gotten on the right bus and were headed in the right direction.  Just then I looked across the bus and noticed a gentlemen with a white shirt and tie on and he smiled at me - I said to him "Are we on the right bus?"  He nodded in a positive way.  When we got to church we talked with him and discovered that he was from Indonesia.  Upon further inquiry, we learned that he knew Elder Subandriyo, our friend from our days living in Jakarta.   This kind Indonesian brother was in Germany working with a film crew.  We also discovered that he was good friends with Ari Winato.  Ari was our driver when we lived in Indonesia after the Tsunami in 2005. It truly is a small world.

We had purchased museum passes on Saturday, so Sunday afternoon we visited the museums - we thoroughly enjoyed them.  Our favourite exhibits was the Gates of Babylon and Nefretti.  

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On Monday, with the tickets we picked up on Saturday we were able to go through the Reichstag.  We loved the Reichstag tour.  Berlin was a great experience, but all good experience have to end and when we concluded our Reichstag tour we boarded our train and went back to Frankfurt and back to work. We were very grateful for the opportunity we had to visit Berlin.  

“The word of God, as found in the scriptures, in the words of living prophets, and in personal revelation, has the power to fortify the Saints and arm them with the Spirit so they can resist evil, hold fast to the good, and find joy in this life.”    Ezra Taft Benson