Auf Wiedersehen

It's without question that time flies by.  Yet, these last 18 months have raced by, even up to the very last hours and minutes.  We have enjoyed countless beautiful moments throughout.  We have been blessed in many ways.  We have witnessed countless miracles as the Lord has opened doors for His work to move forward.  And now, as if in a moment, this window is closing.

We have tried to pass on some of the beauty we have experienced, that you might be able to enjoy it as well.  What we have not been able to capture fully are the cherished moments we have spent with many dear friends and church members over this truly blessed time.  We invite you to create and enjoy your own beautiful loving moments right where you are!  We are all God's Children.  The opportunity to reach out and connect to a "brother or sister" is ever present.  

We feel ourselves blessed to have had the opportunity to live and serve in the Steiermark (Styria), some of the most beautiful alpine country imaginable.  It is often said that "home is where your heart is." While it's true we left our hearts in San Francisco, it's equally true, that we found the "Green Heart of Austria" to be our new home.  We now have two homes where ours hearts can be found. 

To say goodbye in German, we say auf Wiedersehen, which translates to until we see you again.  Now that we have a second home in the Steiermark, you can be sure that it will not be long until we are back.

So as our lives take a turn in the road, we bring all the memories and love that we have gathered along the way.  And as we say auf Wiedersehen to the Steiermark, we rejoice that our hearts have grown and taken on the color green.

Our Departing Message as Shared by Sister Fjeldsted

As our final thought, we leave you with the departing testimony of Sister Fjeldsted.   A portion was shared in our last church service with our beloved members of the Bruck an der Mur branch this last Sunday.  Here are her words, translated from German.

When we were called to be Member-Leader Support missionaries, our desire as a couple was to bring the love of the Lord to all those we serve.  

In addition, when we were in the Mission Training Center (MTC), I wrote down a personal goal at the front of my large copy of Preach My Gospel:  I want to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.  At the time, I didn’t know how I would achieve this goal. 

I placed the book on the shelf when we arrived in our mission apartment and proceeded to get to work.  After 18 months, we were cleaning out the bookshelf in our apartment, and I opened the book and noticed the goal which I had written down in the MTC.  I wondered if I had made any progress toward becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ?  

John 13:35 "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

Loving our neighbor is exactly what we focused on every day of our mission!  

Whenever we keep the commandment to love one another, we become disciples of Jesus Christ.   The joy that results is greater than we can imagine.  This is my testimony in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

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