One of the first (and best) memories of our time in Germany involves the two elders who were assigned to our ward in Bitburg. Elder Wendell and Elder Grimm were our first friends there, and were a huge help in encouraging us to "press on" through the culture shock of living in a new country. Seriously, when I look back on it, I can hardly believe how completely naive we were about the whole situation. We thought the German schools would basically be American schools...but in German. We figured they would have Tostitos in the grocery stores. We couldn't imagine people who aren't as friendly as Americans, and we thought they would welcome us with open arms. It was an eye-opening experience, and in all honesty, I hope we have the opportunity again someday to move into a new country again, because I would be much more prepared the second time around.
The elders would come over for dinner at least weekly. They were so good about playing with our kids, and our kids adored them. There was usually some singing around the piano, and within the hour that they would be in our home, they would leave us with some spiritual thought as well as a challenge.
Ugh, those challenges.
Believe it or not, they would encourage us to find someone who would want to hear the gospel! Let's see. We were living in a small village with only German speakers around us, and we didn't speak German. Hmmmm.....
They actually encouraged us to do a lot of things. We once went door to door with them, trying to get into people's homes. I attended a small weekly Bible study class with them (all I could do was read the scriptures out loud, and even that was a stretch). They asked me to bear my testimony in German (which I did, but almost passed out from fear as I was doing it). I'm thinking that these crazy things were payment for their friendship...or perhaps for the Christmas gifts we gave them :-)
Over the course of the past 13 years, we have stayed in contact, and they feel embarrassed now,
knowing how much they asked of us. We didn't care at the time, and we're grateful for the memories now.
After Elder Wendell was transferred, Elder Fingleton, an Irishman, became Elder Grimm's new companion. I will never forget an afternoon phone call from them, asking us to come save them (and their car). They had tried to drive across a field, and they were stuck. 30 minutes later, covered in mud from head to toe, we got their car out, but just yesterday Paul (Elder Fingleton) told me that he owes me for a certain pair of velvet flats of mine that were ruined that day :-)
Ethan was able to reconnect with Elder Fingleton when he was living in Europe last Fall. No joke, how amazing is it that Ethan can contact him over Facebook, ask to crash at his home for a weekend, and it's all okay? These elders were really incredible.
Before Elder Wendell was transferred, he and Elder Grimm asked for some photos of our family. I didn't know what kind he wanted or needed, so I gave him what I had. A couple of weeks later, they presented us with a book:
This is one of the awesomest gifts ever. They had previously asked who our favorite prophets were, and the book is filled with pictures from the Book of Mormon (complete with our heads) and scriptures from those prophets. We have Abinadi Kennedy, Ammonrisa, Markoni, Helajohannaman, and Glornephia (they were unable to combine Ethan and Captain Moroni, but it doesn't matter because his picture is the BEST) :-)
Finally, they left us their own life stories and testimonies, complete with a picture and a name tag:
As the girls and I were studying Alma and the sons of King Mosiah, and all that they did to serve the Lamanites, I couldn't help but bring out this book to show that service from missionaries is not a dead idea. There's no greater way to inspire love between people than through service. What a blessing these missionaries were in our lives!
I can't help but wonder if my boys are the same kind of missionaries. Did they (in Ethan's case) and do they (in Mark's case) go out of their way to show love to not only the people they meet on the street, but love to the members also? I can only hope. Thanks, elders, for your examples.
The elders would come over for dinner at least weekly. They were so good about playing with our kids, and our kids adored them. There was usually some singing around the piano, and within the hour that they would be in our home, they would leave us with some spiritual thought as well as a challenge.
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| Classic Kennedy/Elder time (yes, that's Glo in Elder Grimm's arms) |
Believe it or not, they would encourage us to find someone who would want to hear the gospel! Let's see. We were living in a small village with only German speakers around us, and we didn't speak German. Hmmmm.....
They actually encouraged us to do a lot of things. We once went door to door with them, trying to get into people's homes. I attended a small weekly Bible study class with them (all I could do was read the scriptures out loud, and even that was a stretch). They asked me to bear my testimony in German (which I did, but almost passed out from fear as I was doing it). I'm thinking that these crazy things were payment for their friendship...or perhaps for the Christmas gifts we gave them :-)
Over the course of the past 13 years, we have stayed in contact, and they feel embarrassed now,
 |
| Ethan, Elder Grimm and me--Chicago, 2013 |
After Elder Wendell was transferred, Elder Fingleton, an Irishman, became Elder Grimm's new companion. I will never forget an afternoon phone call from them, asking us to come save them (and their car). They had tried to drive across a field, and they were stuck. 30 minutes later, covered in mud from head to toe, we got their car out, but just yesterday Paul (Elder Fingleton) told me that he owes me for a certain pair of velvet flats of mine that were ruined that day :-)
Ethan was able to reconnect with Elder Fingleton when he was living in Europe last Fall. No joke, how amazing is it that Ethan can contact him over Facebook, ask to crash at his home for a weekend, and it's all okay? These elders were really incredible.
Before Elder Wendell was transferred, he and Elder Grimm asked for some photos of our family. I didn't know what kind he wanted or needed, so I gave him what I had. A couple of weeks later, they presented us with a book:
This is one of the awesomest gifts ever. They had previously asked who our favorite prophets were, and the book is filled with pictures from the Book of Mormon (complete with our heads) and scriptures from those prophets. We have Abinadi Kennedy, Ammonrisa, Markoni, Helajohannaman, and Glornephia (they were unable to combine Ethan and Captain Moroni, but it doesn't matter because his picture is the BEST) :-)
Finally, they left us their own life stories and testimonies, complete with a picture and a name tag:
As the girls and I were studying Alma and the sons of King Mosiah, and all that they did to serve the Lamanites, I couldn't help but bring out this book to show that service from missionaries is not a dead idea. There's no greater way to inspire love between people than through service. What a blessing these missionaries were in our lives!
I can't help but wonder if my boys are the same kind of missionaries. Did they (in Ethan's case) and do they (in Mark's case) go out of their way to show love to not only the people they meet on the street, but love to the members also? I can only hope. Thanks, elders, for your examples.
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