Malzls, Michele, and Noelle

The story of the Malzls is quite remarkable. I met Hans in the temple. We were both temple workers. I found out he was from Austria and lives in Salzburg. He asked what I was doing and I told him I was an Auditor/Missionary. He said that he and his wife were thinking about a mission and Auditing sounded fun. We met the next day at the local Lidl grocery store. He said that he was really quite interested in learning about an auditing mission, so I had him write down his contact information. The next day I talked to Elder Eyre about the Malzls. He said that the Audit Department had recently called a couple from the states to serve in Greece, but they could not get a visa. One thing led to another and now the Malzls will go to Greece to serve as part-time auditors (because people within the EU can  move about freely) and the other previously called couple will now go to Croatia.

The Malzls came to Frankfurt to get their audit training completed before they go to Athens in February. Here we are with Elder and Sister Malzl and Elder and Sister Eyre.

The next day was Michele's birthday so there was a feast. Here is some of the food.

 Here is our work group getting ready to munch.

 The next two pictures are the autographed sport fan cards Noelle signed for us in Winterberg.

Winterberg World cup Skeleton race

Several of the senior missionaries went to Winterberg to watch the World Cup Women's Skeleton race. Here we are with our flags waiting for the start of the race.

This video show Noelle Pikus-Pace starting. You can hear our cow bells and cheering. The  rest of the clip shows others on the race track so that you can see what the race is like.

Here are some of the missionaries with Janson and Noelle Pikus-Pace between races. She had finished the first race and tied for first place.

 Here is Noelle at the finish--she ended up taking second place.

 Here the winners are waving.

 Here is Noelle after the last race (with the missionaries all taking pictures).

 And here is her family after the race.

This is a group picture. Elder and Sister Eyre, Elder and Sister Harrison, Elder and Sister Greenwood, The Pace Family (Noelle, Janson, Lacee, and Traycen) and Elder and Sister Madsen. This was the end of a really fun day!

Happy New Year from Frankfurt!

This is the view from a missionary apartment at Porthstrasse; it just gives you a little idea of the effect of all the fireworks that are going off at the same time all over the city--it is pretty crazy!

Christmas

We went to Puccini's opera in the Frankfurt opera house. We had seats that were very high up and on the side. I moved toward the back during the intermission and took this picture. From where we sat we could just about see half of the stage. Sometimes all we could see was the shadows of people on the hidden side of the stage. The good news is that the seats were cheap--and you get exactly what you pay for.

 This was the sunrise on December 24 from our kitchen window.

Christmas eve we had a royal dinner at the Eyre's apartment. The Greenwood's and Gubler's were there as well. 

On Christmas day the senior missionaries had a brunch. Here Marilynn was visiting with Sisters Peery and Bass. 

Here are the Larsen's (Evan, Mindy, and Megan) playing a game with Elder and Sister Craven. Elder Swift is enjoying some food. 

 This is sisters Peery, Bass, and McGill with Marilynn and Noelle Pikus-Pace (The olympic skeleton racer) and her small son.

This is a quiet street in Friedrichsdorf next to the temple. 

 Here is today's sunrise from our kitchen window.

Mainz Christmas market

Mainz is a grand old city full of medieval history. The history goes back to the first century BC. Here, Gutenburg invented the first movable type printing press and printed the Bible. German kings were crowned here in this church. Barbarossa, Charlemagne, and others were here. And now it is a Christmas market.

 Here is an assortment of wooden things.

 Marilynn is standing in front of the church and a star shop.

 In the streets, people are shopping and celebrating.

 This shop is selling snowballs of various kinds.

 Here is a christmas pyramid that is about three stories tall.

 This is an overview of the town square--converted into a Christmas Market.

 These are mushrooms roasting waiting to be eaten.

 Old and new meet. The Gutenburg museum is in the background the decorations are for a wine shop booth in the Christmas market.

Hanau Christmas Market

We also stopped by Hanau to see the Christmas market there. This is the remains of a church that was bombed during WWII.

Now, we are in the Christmas Market again. The different things are fun just to look at.

 This is a Bratwurst stand in the Christmas Market

 Here is David in the Christmas market.

Wooden toys on display. 

Seligenstadt Christmas Market

This is the main church in Seligenstadt.

These are some of the timbered houses as we entered the city. 

Inside this beautiful old city is yet another Christmas Market. 

 The sounds and smells of fresh cooked food are everywhere. The young and old come out in the cold to celebrate.

 This is the garden door to the church.

This is a beautiful old house that was next to the Christmas market. 

Marilynn is finishing up her Bratwurst. 

This is a tower from the old city wall.