The Young Women and Me

So I have a calling now in our ward. I am serving with the young women, for my very first time, and very happy to be there. They are truly a great group of girls, and so much fun. Here are some scenes from my first activity with them.

 

Giving Thanks

 Just when we thought Thanksgiving was lost forever (for this year), our American friends blessed us with two separate occasions to be thankful this weekend. Friday we were invited to celebrate with Spencer and Rachel (from Los Angeles, California). We got to contribute our own very first Thanksgiving dish for a potluck. Katherine was pretty proud of the salad, but then Eric took over and made it better, of course. 

It was a really fun night. We were blessed with good food, great company and a little taste of the Stienblick family traditions. One tradition was these apple turkeys that were a wonderful addition to the guest list, and the other was for everyone to say 3 things they are grateful for (which I think is a popular one). 

K: 

I have lots to be thankful for, as we all do, but that night I could only pick three. So I am grateful for Canada; which was kind of funny because it took being in Austria and celebrating American Thanksgiving for me to finally list that as one of my three things this year. I have always loved Canada and I wear my red and white on July 1st and take a few moments on November 11th to think of those who have made it what it is, but it was never at the very top of my list. This year it is, and I am really starting to get excited about going home in just over a month.

The second thing I am grateful for this year is Austria/Europe. It was kind of fun that while I was working on getting these pictures up I was listening to my holiday playlist, and Josh Groban's Thankful came on. I listened to the lyrics and one line describes perfectly how I feel about Europe right now. He sings "and even though this world needs so much more, there's so much to be thankful for". Personally, there are a few things I would like to change about Europe, to make it my own comfort zone, but there is also so much about it that I love. I love being in Europe and all the things I get to see and do and learn here. It makes me a little sad to be going home in just over a month. (I just can't decide how to feel). 

Which brings me to number 3. I am grateful for learning. I love to learn. Many of you know how much I miss being in school, but this semester has been an experience I could never replace with things I'd have learned in a classroom. There is just so much I did not know before I came here, and there is just so much I wish I could learn before I go home. I love learning about language. I love learning about art and culture and history. I love learning about business from Eric when he comes home from his interesting classes at school. I love learning about new people I meet; their stories and their personalities. I love to learn and am grateful for the opportunities I have to learn, and the people I know who teach me so much.

E: 
It was tricky, but I managed to find 3 things that I was grateful for too. First I am grateful for time. I think that it's wonderful that so many things that we have to go through are temporary. Sometimes when things are hard I find strength in remembering that time will pass often the hardships slip into the past. Second, I have gratitude for the 'eye(s) in the storm'. When I find life difficult, it's nice to get those short breaks once in a while. Third, I am grateful for Katherine. Often Katherine is the source of those breaks while I struggle with life. She is a good companion. She is patient and forgiving of me , and she is kind a sensitive. I guess I have things to be grateful for and I am.

***

 Another thing we are both very blessed and grateful to have in our lives is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It has taught us so much, helped us so often, and led us to some really wonderful relationships and friendships. Saturday night we got to celebrate Thanksgiving with the Vienna 4th ward. This ward is interesting because it is an English ward, in a German speaking country, so we meet with people from all different countries, cultures and walks of life. For this thanksgiving party we got to enjoy foods and dishes from all of these cultures and countries. We ate some really great things. This evening we got to hear from several members of the ward, through music. It was a blessing to hear great songs and to be reminded of great principles we are so blessed to know. 

First the young women sang A Child's Prayer, but I was a part of that, so there's no picture.

The primary children taught us a wonderful lesson with the song Follow the Prophet.

Parviz bore a beautiful testimony of how God helps him through his struggles.

All together we sang a very favourite hymn: I Know That My Redeemer Lives.

Royce graced us with a wonderful version of Ave Maria on his violin.

The missionaries of the ward sang Joseph Smith First Prayer and taught us about the restoration.

Some brethren from the ward sang for us Book of Mormon Stories, a well loved primary song.

The young men (and Eric) sang Did You Think to Pray for us, accompanied by Royce on his violin.

We really have met some really great people here in Vienna.

Steenbliks | Us | Parviz holding baby Ezra Morgan | Morgan

A piece of pumpkin pie. The perfect way to end our Thanksgiving celebrations.

Salzburg - Frankfurt - Heidelberg

This weekend we went on our first big trip. Rachel and Spencer have a cousin in Heidelberg, Germany. They spent the first month here biking around Europe, so they had all their stuff from home shipped to Heidelberg and this weekend we went with them to pick it up. They were going to take the train, but we all decided it'd be cheaper and more fun to all four rent a car and go.
We left Thursday and went to Salzburg, Austria. We spent the night there, and some time on Friday. We planned to see a couple of sights just outside of Salzburg on Friday, but quite honestly we got distracted shopping. We stopped just quickly at a shoe store next to a grocery store; to grab some breakfast and some warmer shoes for Rachel's poor cold wet feet. It was a pretty successful trip, but it did take up too much time. We didn't make it to the other sights, but we enjoyed a wet picnic lunch in a park in Salzburg. 

The park where we picnicked is actually a mini gold course, but completely deserted because of the weather growing increasingly crappy each day.

 

It had a great view though.

Shopping success. Delicious cereal and yogurt for breakfast. Shoes for Rachel. A 20euro rain jacket for me (which I have been looking for since the middle of the summer in Calgary)

A perfect fit and style and the last in the store. I love it when that happens!

Then we went to Frankfurt that night. We left in time, according to the GPS, to get there for 8o'clock to check into the temple housing, but it didn't factor for us the number of wrong turns we would take or times we were lost. We called and asked if they wouldn't mind waiting just a little longer for us, and they were kind to say yes. But when we got there, it was about 10o'clock so of course there was no one in site. It was a long process and a confusing situation but eventually we got into our room, and it was so nice to lay in bed! Saturday morning we did a session at the Temple and it was really nice. It was cool to hear everyone speaking German around us, but our session was actually in English. 

I love to see the temple.

That afternoon we left for Heidelberg, for Rachel and Spencer to finally get their stuff back. We spent that evening with Spencer's cousin and her family. They fed us a delicious meal, and we then played the world's longest Uno game with them. They had some funny rules for the game that just made it last forever. It was fun, but eventually it came down to cheating to make one of the kids win just so it could end. 

The next morning we actually got to spend some time seeing things in the town of Heidelberg, and it was really nice. The town is beautiful, and so much how I always pictured old town Germany to be. 

Our hotel was great. We all slept in one room (Eric and I got the bed, and Rachel and Spencer got the floor because they're much stronger than we are). It also had free breakfast, and a great view.

 

This is Jesuit chapel we saw, and I really liked it. It was all white and bright one the inside, which is unlike any other we've seen so far in Europe. It was really pretty. Then the service started, with the choir, and that made it even more enjoyable. 

The rest of Heidelberg was great. Then we went to Sacrament meeting (getting lost on the way, and missing the first ward and having to attend the second), and then we headed home to Vienna. 

Aww isn't he cute?...it was all just to avoid having to look into the sun.

FALL!

Eric driving on the Autobahn. 

Survival was a Success

This morning Katherine and I attempted to plan out some trips around Europe: what a disaster! We just weren’t on the same page. I’m not even sure what book her head was in... but she could have said the same for me. It was rather frustrating and made for a discouraging day.

Dinner was hosted by the Meservy’s, in the company of Spencer and Rachel; Natalie, Keith, and Ezra; and Parvis (an apprentice composer). It was a delight; however the conversation was, for a good portion of the meal, on one side of the table. I think that if people were sitting in different spots the conversation would have been more balance, and everyone would have been able to take part.

The evening was enjoyable but not quite enough to break the disappointment of this morning. Chalk today up as one of those days where survival was a success.

Second First Date in Vienna

One of the best first dates I’ve ever been on. Spencer and Rachel, and Katherine and I basically spent the day together: brunch at a bakery, a quick stop at a second hand shop, a visit to the nearest bike shop for off Spencer’s poor bike, a tour of Heber’s other apartment, and wrapping it up with gelato and lunch on a boat on the Danube.  It was quite a full day. Only Katherine and I had planned on going to the Danube and boating. It was fun to share our day with Spencer and Rachel.

Sunday September 25th

E:
Were we ever late for church. We felt horrible for not being on time, but we really just didn’t give ourselves enough time. it’s an hour trip, not a half hour. Oops. Katherine and I tried hard not to let our discouragement ruin church.  It’s hard—being here long enough to have known better, yet making the honest mistake of miss-judging the time to get to church.

Spencer and Rachel Steenblik just moved to Vienna like Katherine and I; they are recently married and Spencer is doing some school here. I for see the 4 of us doing plenty together; the two of them seem to be one of those couples ready to go do fun things.

This afternoon I was a wreck. I took one of those naps that seem to suck every ounce of energy out of you except for that which is needed to stay alive. That’s all I want to say on that. Hopefully tomorrow I will wake up with the power to do more than survive.

On the Court and In the Market

E:
I played basket ball with the young men and some of the leaders. It was good. Katherine went out with Natalie Morgan and little Ezra, while Keith was playing at basketball with us men... and boys. They went to some huge market. I’m guessing they had a good time as Katherine filled up the day with “Stories From The Market.”

K:
The some big market that Natalie and I went to was a little place called Naschmarkt. Some of you may or may not of heard of it. Don't feel bad if you haven't, because I hadn't before reading The Books. It's famous here though. On Saturday mornings they have a flee market set up at one end of it, as well as the rest of the market that is open every day. It was a ton of fun actually. I didn't get to see much of the flee market today, but I certainly plan on coming back again. Eric is right, I did enjoy my time out. I enjoyed Natalie's company (and Ezra's too). It was nice to talk with Natalie. She's been here a little longer than I have, and it was nice to get her advice on a few things. It was so nice to talk with here that I forgot to take my camera out the whole time I was there. My firs time to Naschmarkt and I took no pictures. I was sad, but I will certainly take some next time I'm there. Stay tunned for them, because this place is incredible. I loved every minute of the squishy aisles, the smells, the colours, the different languages being spoken...It was just great. You'll certainly be hearing from me again about it. Hopefully soon.Update: I forgot to mention another thing as well. The ending of this day was sad. We really want eventually to go on the big ferris wheel in Vienna, called the Wiener Riesenrad. This night we went over to the amusement park, called Prater, where the wheel is, but we didn't actually make it on the wheel tonight. The park is actually just like an amusement park you'd think of, but there is no entrance fee. You just pay per ride and game, so it's almost like a permanent midway. It was lots of fun to walk around and watch all the people on the rides. We walked for quite a bit watching roller coasters, bungie jumpers, water rides and go kart races. It was fun. The weather was also gorgeous so I got really hot in my sweater I wore, thinking I would need it. After about 30 or 40 minutes of wandering around, I looked down at my side, where I had hung my sweater over my purse, and it wasn't there anymore. It was gone! This is my very favourite sweater that I own. It fits perfectly. It's a nice colour of dark green that looks great, or at least that I love. And it has light brown suede elbow patches. I love this sweater. So I was pretty frantic and upset. We retraced our steps a few times, and then finally reality sunk in. There's no way I'm going to find it. Eric tried to comfort me, but I was tired and upset and I couldn't help it, I cried. Just a few burning tears that snuck out while I was trying really hard not to. I know it's just a sweater you say, but it's my favourite one and I'd come to grow a little attached to it. We asked a few people and the information desk, but nothing. It's definitely gone.
Anyway, I apologize for the lack of pictures today, but after this experience I was just not in the mood. I was pretty upset. I'll get some of the wheel at least when we go back to check for it one last time on Monday.

Every once in a while still, I'll go to get dressed in a certain outfit and I'll be reminded of this dreadful night when I wore this sweater, instead of a plain grey one that could easy have been replaced. I still miss it sometimes, and I really need to replace it. Good thing elbow patches seem to be in this season, or at least in Vienna!

Sunday: Stake Conference and the Morgans

E: 
So I joined choir. With only one practice on Thursday, I joined the famous Vienna 4th ward choir in their grand performance today at stake conference. Joseph Smith’s First Prayer in English and then another song in German. I didn’t know exactly what I was singing, but I did get most of the pronunciation. At least I think.
For choir, I went on the adventurous trek to where stake conference was held early. I ran out the door with no spare time and at the same time I forgot my directions. It was almost an hour trip, with one essential transition for one train to another. Now first you need to understand that the subways here are huge. Sometimes multiple levels and many platforms; all of which are perfectly organized with clear German signs. For me it’s a maze.
I remembered my stop and then found a member that was boarding a train, however it was all at the last second that I figured everything out and didn’t get any time to purchase the extra ticket that I need. Guess what? You know that guy on polar express that comes around to punch the tickets... yep there was one of those fellows. I admit I was a bit frightened that he may throw me off the moving train or give me a huge fine or break my arm since I had no ready cash. The Lord must think that I’m a decent singer or something, because not only did I make it the stake conference without directions, the ticket master looked at my student pass and said ok.
Stake conference was good. These Austrian members sure are faithful.
The train ride home was less eventful. I even had the extra ticket that I needed and they didn’t check.
We joined (of course by invitation) a cute little white American family-- Natalie and Keith Morgan with their one year old son Ezra, for dinner tonight. They are super cool. We’re basically good friends. In the words of Master Jordan Pierson, you could say that this was our first date. And if the delicious curry and fantastic ginger cake could be any indication of the relationship's potential, we’re headed into a strong bond for life.