WE LOVE SERVING THE LORD

We have been so very busy lately!  It is such a joy to work with the missionaries when they teach.  It is humbling and exciting to feel the Spirit as we share our thoughts and testimonies.

Working with the members of Linz Ward has been rewarding for us as well.

We just got back from our weekly district meeting in which President and Sister Miles attended in order to interview all the missionaries.  They have a grueling schedule traveling all over our huge mission area of South Germany, Switzerland, and all of Austria.  There are monthly zone meetings (about 8), interviews on a regular basis, new missionary orientations, stake conferences at which to speak, and meetings with General Authorities.  We are so impressed by their amazing dedication and just plain hard work. That they can do this for three years is a testament to their great faith and commitment to The Lord.

A SPECIAL REQUEST FROM PRESIDENT MILES:

"We need more senior couples ASAP!  There are openings in Vienna, Stuttgart, and Basel Switzerland coming up right away and no couples to fill those cities.  He is a true believer in the great work that senior couples do. 

More senior couples are needed.

 So, dear friends, if any of you are thinking about a mission, you can choose to fill these openings.

There are many blessings to be had as senior couples.  Just recently, we experienced one of those blessings in a huge way.  We had just dropped off the elders from our appointment and were heading back to our apartment, when we had a very close call.  We were in an unfamiliar place and looking for the on ramp (slip road) to the freeway.  We were trying to follow the GPS, but sometimes the instructions are a bit vague and we started to turn left when it said left.  At the same time a car honked at us long and hard.  John stopped immediately and then noticed we were turning left into a super fast tram and would have wound up on the freeway off ramp and smashed to pieces.

This car parked just ahead of us and stopped.  We expected to get a tongue lashing about how stupid we were, instead this person opened the drivers door and held up his hand pointing the way we should go. We followed this car to the on ramp.  We never saw the person, but they definitely were inspired and made us realized the Lord is watching out for us. We thought about how unusual it was for an Austrian driver in Linz to be so watchful and helpful.  It truly was our little miracle for the week.

We just had our first snow for the winter.  Fortunately,  the roads cleared up quickly.  Since we do a lot of driving to other cities, it was a relief for us.  The Linz Ward boundaries are really spread out--- clear up north to the Czech Republic and south to the Austrian Alps.  Our mission zone includes Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Salzburg, and Linz along with Wels and Haag up to Passau (in Germany) but not including.   We are supposed to visit three wards on a regular basis.

Now that most of our adjustment period is over, we are able to truly enjoy our work.  We love serving The Lord!  We love the people we meet.  We are amazed at how much we keep learning each and every day.  It's great to be here!

Bis Später, unser lieben Freunde und Familie.
Elder and Sister Didenhover

ps.

Actually,there is a need for a missionary couple for Singen, Germany and Brixten, Italy and the München Office as well as a mission nurse for München. Husbands are expected to learn medical terms to help.   In November there will be a need for a couple in Ravensburg, Germany (my lovely medieval hometown).  Here German skills would be needed.  Have fun imagining yourselves serving in any of these places.  President Miles would be happy to request you to come to our mission: the Alpen German Speaking Mission.

pss.

More information can be seen at https://www.lds.org/callings/missionary/senior

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM ELDER AND SISTER DIDENHOVER

From Elder D:

Christmas is 3 days here in Austria: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and 2nd Christmas (26th).

Christmas Eve is generally the biggest event of the season with that evening being usually spent with immediate family members. Christmas Day is spent with extended family and 2nd Christmas (26th) is spent with friends. We were fortunate to be invited to families for all three events. It was very fun and very spiritual at times as well.

The members here treat us very well and have accepted us as part of the ward. I even gave the opening prayer in sacrament meeting last Sunday.

New Years Eve (Silvester) is  a very big deal here in Austria. Everyone buys lots of fireworks and shoots them off that evening. In our neighborhood, we had a fantastic show most of the evening with a very large and loud display for about 25 minutes just before and after midnight. Very cool!

We have a very international mission with missionaries from 24 U S states and 24 countries other than the USA. These "foreign" missionaries speak their own native language, English and German. They are all very dedicated and devoted missionaries. We are constantly amazed by  their energy and faithfulness. They truly inspire us to be better missionaries and better people.

We wish you all the very best in the new year.

From Sister D:

Hope you had a wonderful New Year celebration.   We really enjoyed our first New Year in Linz.

"Guter Rutsch" means a good slide into the new year.  Here they celebrate in style.  Linz was ablaze with fireworks for hours before the strike of midnight.  There are no orchestrated fireworks. Everyone buys an unlimited supply of fireworks.  This is the "ooh and aaaah" kind that shoots into the sky and bursts into blossoms of colors.  Just before midnight, the whole city is a cacophony of noise and lights.  We had some of the missionaries on our balcony on the top floor  to enjoy the view.  They were delighted like little children.  It was hard to know where to look next.  Our heads were pivoting back and forth to soak it all in. 

One sister brought her family's New Year tradition along to share.  We were supposed to stuff as many grapes into our mouths the 30 seconds before midnight (12 total for each month) and the number we could stuff without chewing, is the number of good luck months ahead.

It feels like we have been in Linz forever.  I noticed that my English is starting to sound like German sentence structure...backwards.  We both have a much better handle on the dialect now and even think in Austrian dialect!  We don't get lost as often, except when we have to make visits to Haag (60 miles away) and get turned around on the windy country roads.

We love working with the missionaries every chance we get.  Yesterday I had the opportunity to go visit a referral with our little Hungarian sister.  The lady we visited was a hard nut to crack.  She praised the church in one breath and insulted us in another.  She was convinced that we were all brainwashed.  We spent two hours with her and at the end, my companion got out her planner and asked "when can we come again?".  Now that is diligence!

We have finally been able to find a more suitable apartment for the sisters in Wels (30 miles away).  They have been living in a dark little apartment and we had heard reports that there was gang activity in their housing area.  The Church is very concerned that our missionaries are as safe as possible.  We were thrilled to find an apartment that has a window in each room and in a well lit, safe complex nearer the church building and the train station.  We now have to assess what needs to be done to fix up the place. Here in Europe, the landlord has no responsibility and often you have to install your own appliances and cabinets, light fixtures,and better flooring.You have to sign a contract for a minimum of three years.  We will have to paint, install lights, curtains, and get more furniture.

We are in the process of trying to build up the YSA group in our area.  Most are on missions, married within the last year, or in Vienna studying.  We are trying to find the less active and struggling with incomplete records.  Elder Didenhover's experience as a ward membership clerk is coming in very handy now.

Every day we thank Heavenly Father for being able to be here.  We miss our children and grandchildren very much and even have shed a few tears, but there is something about this Work that propels us forward and compels us to strive harder each day. We love the members, we love the missionaries, and we love The Lord.  We pray each day to be able to make a difference and follow the Spirit.   There is power in this great Cause.  The words from our leaders about missionary work is much more poignant to us now.

We love you all!  We think of you and hope you are well.

          Love, Elder and Sister. Didenhover

CHRISTMAS GREETING

May you all have a Holy and Peaceful Christmas!

This Christmas in the Year of our Lord, 2013, we feel especially blessed to celebrate this sacred season with new friends.  John and I have made a conscious choice not to decorate our apartment or worry about presents for each other.  In past years, we have loved having a shining Christmas tree and our small displays of Nativity scenes throughout our house.  We loved the shopping, baking, and all the "Drum und Dran" (outer signs of Christmas) of the season.

This year we can honestly say that we have Christmas in our hearts and the joy we feel is so much greater than ever before.  Being called as Disciples of Christ has touched us in many unexpected ways.  We have learned to love more deeply, sacrifice more fully, and feel such a fullness of gratitude for our beloved Savior.  We would sing with the choirs in heaven "Wonderful! Counselor!  The Mighty God!  The Prince of Peace".  

Our love for family and friends at home is peacefully contained within the knowledge that our Father in Heaven will look over you and keep you in the next months to come.

May your joy be full.  May you take a minute to reflect on the greatest Gift of all...the babe in Bethlehem that made it possible for us to return to our heavenly home.   

Frohliche Weihnacten!  Alles Gute zum Neuen Jahr!

Elder and Sister Didenhover

First Presidency Christmas Card 2013

SILENT NIGHT, HOLY NIGHT

Merry Christmas!

The long traditional carol from Austria "Silent Night, Holy Night" is by custom never sung before midnight, Christmas Eve in Austria. 

Sing it by your tree for us.  We are keeping Christmas in our hearts this year and forgoing any holiday decorations. We will think of you, dear friends.


 May your New Year be bright !  


Love, Elder and Sister Didenhover

LINZ NATIVITIES 2013

We found out there are 200 displays throughout Linz this Christmas season.  CHRISTMAS is such a big event all during Advent in Austria. 

The Linz Ward has about 205 displayed this year.  Some years they have had much more.  Most of the the creches are hand made (not the lanterns).  For some this is  a year long project making their own creches and even figures.  

  Right now I am listening to the brass quartet.  I wish I could video tape it.  The sound is so typical Austria and you can almost imagine being in a chalet in the mountains with tons of snow outside and a roaring fire inside. 

The sets were amazing and varied.

Brother Didenhover acted as a guide.

Sister Mayer (center, next to me) is the wonderful lady in charge. She is standing
next to one of the several creches that she made.

She also gives classes on how to create one of these detailed nativity scenes.

Today is the last day and most of the visitors seem to be here today.

Each is offered cake or cookies (bakery quality) and a drink of something hot or room temperature.  They even have little cafe tables set up.   We love the Linz Ward.  The people are warm and friendly and welcoming.  They serve one another so eagerly.  

OBEDIENCE

It always amazes me how thoughtful and insightful our young missionaries are.  

Sister Wunderli and Sister Peterson

We had a district meeting yesterday in which Sister Peterson and Sister Wunderli gave a short, but powerful presentation on "Obedience".  Sister Peterson quoted Elder Uchtdorf:

"Isn't it true that we often get so busy?  And, sad to say, we even wear our busyness as a
badge of honor, as though being busy, by itself, was an accomplishment or sign of a superior life.  Is it?  I think of our Lord and Exemplar, Jesus Christ, and His short life among the people of Galilee and Jerusalem.  I have tried to imagine Him bustling between meetings or multitasking to get a list of urgent things accomplished.  I can't see it.  Instead I see the compassionate and caring Son of God purposefully living each day.  When He interacted with those around Him, they felt important and loved.  He knew the infinite value of the people He met." (Ensign Nov.2012)

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

One of my heroes in life is Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965).  One of his famous quotes is:

"The most good we can do is the good God would have us do".

Albert Schweitzer

 His life was a firm example of that.  He had a doctorate in philosophy and a doctorate in theology. He was a published author, a renowned concert organist, and advanced in music theory.  In 1905 he began medical studies.  He had come to realize that God wanted him to do "His good", which was as a doctor in the Congo.  He spent the rest of his life mostly in Lamberene Congo helping the poor and needy as a physician.
He used all the proceeds from royalties to pay for the building of a hospital there.  When he received the Nobel Peace Prize, he used that money to start a hospital for lepers.  He obeyed God's desire for him to serve in a remote, and dangerous place.

As I think of the multiple examples of great obedience throughout the scriptures, I realize that each day I need to pray to know Heavenly Father's will for me.  What must I do this day?

Only as I study the scriptures, pray earnestly, and avail myself of the Holy Ghost's promptings can I be truly obedient.  Rules are easy to follow.  But to know God's will and do it each day is the greater challenge for missionaries and all covenant people.  This I learned from two sweet missionaries from Texas and Hungary.

Blessings come as we seek to know and do God's will.

Have a good, purposeful day today!

WIE GEHTS*

Hi Everyone!

We are always thinking about you all and hoping that you are well and happy.  Dad really loved all the cards he got and all the Skype conversations.  He had a great birthday!  He even got acknowledged by the YSA.

We had quite the adventure traveling to Ravensburg this past weekend.  The train ride was a direct route from Linz and took 5 1/2 hours to Lindau. We had made reservations, but got seats that had us moving backwards.  I tried to keep my eyes closed so as not to get motion sickness.

On the way home it got lots trickier.  The train in Lindau left 3 minutes later than scheduled and so when we got to Bregenz to get onto the direct train back to Linz with out reserved seats,  we were arguing with a railway attendant that we needed to get on that train.  He said it was too late and the doors were locked.  It was just sitting there and then it was gone.  So, our option was to get on a train to Innsbruck and hope it was on time so that we could change trains to Linz there.

We were counting the minutes as we stopped at every small stop along the way.  We had 3 minutes to change trains and still had to find out which platform to race to.  We did make it, just.
With  no reservations we were able to get seats facing forward.

The Buchanans in Ravensburg picked us up and took us to their apartment.  They have a larger apartment than we do and a more modern kitchen with a large dining area and table that can easily seat 8.  But they have three levels of stairs to go up and no elevator.  We took them to our favorite restaurant in Ravensburg and paid as a thank you for letting us stay with them.  We loved getting  to know them.  Elder Buchanan is the branch president and is doing a superb job.  He has taken it upon himself to find every person on the rolls for the past 25 years.  He has found them all except for 3.  His wife loves to cook for the missionaries and investigators.  She was going to make Thanksgiving dinner for the entire branch with a whole turkey that she was able to get at the commissary in Stuttgart.  We became fast friends.

Elder and Sister Buchanan of Ravensburg

Shopping in Ravensburg

Saturday morning we were able to go to the Ravensburg weekly farmers market.  Dad was thrilled. So Sister Buchanan and I went shopping on our own while Dad had a great time exploring. It was so fun to shop with a lady.  We were able to find Dad a winter coat in Ravensburg (just in time for the snow in Linz)!  We then were dropped off to Lissi's  house for lunch.  After lunch we spent the next 6 hours going over every bit of paperwork she had saved from handling Oma's finances.  We did get some geneology info in the long process.  Then we stepped over to Walters house to visit for the next hour.  We didn't get back to the apartment till almost 10:00 PM

Sunday we had been asked to give talks in Sacrament Meeting.  Dad diligently worked on his whenever he could snatch time.  He had his all printed out nicely.  I had a general idea and got up in the middle of the night to finalize my talk.  We were both nervous.  When it came time to give our talks, I realized that I had left half my talk behind at the apartment.  A young sister talked before us and she was so excited to tell all about going to Utah and attending conference that there was very little time left for us.  I motioned to Elder Buchanan to let Dad go first, but he shook his head.  So,  I had to punt.  I had been praying all weekend for the Spirit to guide me.This was truly a challenge for me.  It was wonderful to feel the Spirit helping me remember what to say.  Dad was not able to give his talk, but gave his testimony instead.  As usual, he started with lots of tears.  The missionaries in Linz take bets how long it will take until Dad starts to cry when talking about Gospel subjects.  All went well.

We then had a lovely lunch with the Buchanans, the two elders, and two young men---one from Nigeria, and the other from China. Sister Buchanan makes a special meal whenever an elder is transferred.  The elder gets to choose what he wants for dinner.  She made two great big dishes of shepard pie and it was all eaten.  Those young men can eat!  Each had three giant helpings.

Then we had to rush to the train station.  Sister Buchanan heard that Dad was looking for a coin purse that zipped and so she made one for him.  She is making Christmas gifts for each member of the branch!   As we said our farewells,  Buchanans invited us back soon.  It was a whirlwind weekend, but very packed full of great experiences.

We  love you all tons and bunches!!!!   Love, MOM and DAD

*It means, 'how are you?', or, literally: 'how goes it with you?'. A typical response to this would be 'es gehts mir gut', which means, 'i'm good', or 'it goes well with me'. You could also replace 'gut' with 'schlect' or 'nicht so gut' for 'bad' or 'not so good'.