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New Heights with Fellow Saints
New Heights with Fellow Saints
In this month's post we'll introduce you to a few of the wonderful friends we have made here in the Steiermark. As you remember from our August post, the Steiermark, where we live, is Austrian's central province and is called the "Green Heart of Austria". While some of the leaves on the trees may have changed from green to fall colors of yellow, orange and red, the hearts of the people here don't change and are as big as the great outdoors.
Meet Horst and Andrea! They are our dear Austrian friends, who like ourselves, support our branch (small congregation) here in Bruck an der Mur. Horst and Andrea live in the Vienna suburbs and travel about an hour each way on Sunday to attend church here. In this picture Horst and Andrea are wearing Trachtenmode (traditional fashion). Andrea is wearing a Dirndl (dress), Schürzen (apron) and Trachten Jacke (women's jacket), and Horst is wearing his Trachten Sakko (men's jacket) and old style Krawatte (tie). Wearing Trachten attire is not at all uncommon. On this occasion, Horst and Andrea are celebrating their 40th anniversary. In fact, Horst is wearing the very same suit he wore on their wedding day! Like the other members in the branch, Horst and Andrea are faithful and devoted to loving God and loving others. We honor their service and feel privileged to work along side them here in the heart of Austria.
Horst and Andrea celebrate 40 years
Christine and Trudy visiting Knittelfeld Orthodox Church
Christine is our new friend who lives too far away to attend church. At first we got to know her over one of the church's WhatsApp groups. We followed up by phone and arranged that she would travel by train from her small village to Knittelfeld, a town located about 30 minutes from us. We had lunch together and enjoyed getting acquainted. Then, she took us inside this lovely town church, where we incidentally found her first name inscribed below one of the pictured Saints. How appropriate! Christine's outpouring of love and kindness fills our hearts with joy!!
Our Mission District - New Heights in Stacked Chairs
Our Mission District - New Heights in Stacked Chairs
Each week we team up with the young missionaries in the Steiermark to give each other updates on our efforts and to have a short training session. We finish up with a great lunch, which we prepare together after our session completes. We love these young missionaries! Pictured from left to right, starting next to Elder Fjeldsted are Elder Wakely, Elder Angerbauer, Sister Chambers, Sister Erickson, Sister Hicks and Sister Douglas. They are full of energy and enthusiasm for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Each chair represents the amount of time they have been serving as missionaries in the Alpine German-speaking Mission. How grateful we are for their amazing examples!
How Many Transfer Cycles? Count the Chairs
Reaching New Heights in the Steiermark
Reaching New Heights in the Steiermark
Mid-month we had occasion to travel from our home in the Steiermark to Salzburg, which is about 250 Km northwest from where we live, on the border with Germany. We thought it would be lovely to take the "Landesstraße" or country roads, instead of the Autobahn. On the way is the famous alpine peak "Hoher Dachstein" with a height of 2,996 meters. Translated, "Dach" means roof, and "Stein" means stone, so Dachstein is a stone roof.
As with most of the alpine peaks, the valley elevation between these massive peaks is relatively low. In the valleys surrounding Dachstein, the elevation is roughly 750 m. The huge elevation rise to nearly 3000 m makes the peaks quite majestic.
The valleys and foothills are dotted with villages and small towns, and family farms are scattered in between. Typical farm homes are just as you see in this first picture with multiple stories and balconies on each level. Each front balcony shows decorative cutouts and planter boxes, which are filled with colorful flowers in the spring and summer. The cows, sheep and goats, graze in the adjoining pastures. They appear to be the most contented animals we've ever seen. In the center, rising above the foothills and the pasture is the Dachstein peak.
As we approached the base, we purchased tickets for the 10 minute gondola ride to the glacier station, which is positioned on the crestline between the Hunerkogel to the southeast and the Dachstein to the west. Also here at the top of the world is a permanent glacier and glacier cave, a suspension bridge, and two ascension platforms that take you into "nothingness".
After experiencing the views and riding the gondola back to the valley, we continued our way on to Salzburg, for a wonderful concert that evening.
Hoher Dachstein from Ramsau
Hunerkogel (2,687 m) from Hoher Dachstein Gondola Station
Hoher Dachstein (2,995 m) from Sky Bridge Landing
Here you can see Trudy on the "TOP OF THE WORLD". Click on the image to open in a new window and join her as you zoom in!
"I'm on the Top of the World" Glacier Gondola Station, Hoher Dachstein
New Heights in Music from our Name Sake
New Heights in Music from our Name Sake
We are so fortunate to live between Vienna and Salzburg -- two of the world's classic music centers and homes to Mozart, Haydn, Strauss, Mahler, and Schubert! For an additional surprise, we met Dr. Jane Fjeldsted, a recognized LDS composer and musician, and her family while they were touring through Europe with her choir. Coincidentally, we have the same last name and the same love for music, yet our family lines, which both come from Denmark, do not connect (yet?). We enjoyed meeting and hearing uplifting and heartwarming music never to be forgotten! Thank you Salt Lake Singers for a wonderful performance!
If you look closely, you'll see that being in Austria has had an effect on how we often dress.
Jane Fjeldsted and Trudy Fjeldsted
David & Jane Fjeldsted and John & Trudy Fjeldsted
Salt Lake Singers under the Direction of Jane Fjeldsted perform in the Salzburg Kollegienkirche
Monika Celebrates 84th Birthday - A Beautiful Soul
Monika Celebrates 84th Birthday - A Beautiful Soul
Monika and her husband are founding members of our small branch here in the middle of Austria. Their family has played an integral part in the establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in this lovely land. We adore these Austrian pioneers and celebrate their outstanding and continuing contributions to the Steiermark.
Over the years, their family has grown to include precious grandchildren. We were invited to meet the extended family and celebrate Monika's birthday, plus a "soon-to-be born" great-grand child! What an honor!! Monika is truly an angel on earth!!! We can only aspire to emulate her heavenly qualities. How we love her and her entire family!!!!
Celebrating Monika's 84th Birthday
Senior Missionary Couple Retreat
Senior Missionary Couple Retreat
Twice a year all the senior missionary couples in the mission come together for a retreat. This gives us a chance to connect, receive some training and inspiration, and exchange best practices. With our mission covering most of the Alps, there are many great locations to consider. Each six months the retreat moves to a new destination. This fall's retreat was held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, at the foot of the Zugsptize -- Germany's tallest peak located on the Austrian border.
We opted to make our route to the retreat directly through the Alps. We first passed Hoher Dachstein, where we had been just 2 weeks earlier. We then made our way to "Zeller See" where we enjoyed a delicious lunch from lakeview terrace of the Grand Hotel. This historic resort was completed in 1896. There is nothing quite like enjoying an hour or two of gentle southern sun as it glistens across the lake with the Alps beyond, rising into the clouds. The leaves with their bright yellow fall colors against the blue waters is as magnificent as the scene is timeless.
Grand Hotel an Zeller See (erb. 1896)
Zeller See from Grand Hotel - Viewing South
Zeller See from Grand Hotel - Viewing South
With hours still to go, we continued our drive westward along the Salzach River Valley, finally climbing out and upward to the north toward Innsbruck. We reached Innsbruck just as it turned dark. From there we continued north for a short distance to the German border.
View of Salzach Valley enroute to Gerlos Pass
Just across the German border is the small town of Mittelwald. The town center is clustered with historic shops on the ground floor and residences on the top floor. In the picture below, you can see a nearly full moon rise above the Nördliche Kardwendelkette Mountain Range on the German-Austrian Border. It's impressive to see the outline of the steep alpine mountains! Incidentally, while walking down the street, we noticed a nice restaurant on the corner that served Indian cuisine. What a delight! Soon we were enjoying delicious Indian dishes that we hadn't tasted since we left California.
Mittenwald Town Center viewing Moon over the Nördliche Kardwendelkette Mountain Range on the German-Austrian Border
The two days that followed during our retreat offered us time from mid-morning until dinner to see the lovely sites. Having a love for trains, and especially cog-wheel trains, we quickly got ourselves over to the Bayerische Zugsptizbahn train station. This historic train route which dates back to 1930 makes its way past several small towns and then ascends to Eibsee. From there the climb becomes steep, and for the last few miles, tunnels through the mountain peak, emerging on a glacier on the rear side of the Zugspitze. The ascent to the top can also be made via gondola from Eibsee, which is the route we took up, followed by an original gondola route on the rear side of the Zugspitze down to the glacier and train station, which is how we made our descent.
Kleiner Waxenstein (2136 m) and Großer Waxenstein (2277 m) from the Bayerische Zugspitzbahn
As much as we relish the alpine peaks, the lakes are absolutely as captivating. On a short hike, around the lake, many families enjoy the beauty of the day. The fall leaves, lit from the sun, low in the sky, create a wonderful sensation. The memories this father (pictured below) recorded of his children lakeside will last a lifetime.
Eibsee (973 m) with Gondola Cables and Zugspitze in view
Eibsee Trail
At the top of the gondola ride is a multi-level observation station. Positioned directly on the German-Austrian border, the Zugspitze is the highest elevation in Germany. From here you can view across the Austrian Alps as far as the eye can see. All your senses combine to send your consciousness one resounding message: You are On Top of the World !
Zugspitze (2,962 m) Observation Deck - viewing South to the Austrian Alps
To offer you a chance in a small way to sense the grandeur, click on the panoramic image below to bring it up in a separate window, where you can zoom in and transport yourself to the "Top of the World".
Panoramic view from Zugspitze ( 2,962 m) Observation Deck across the Austrian Alps - Click to zoom in new window
Needless to say, we've also reached new heights in our cultural immersion. The following image needs no additional comment.
Zugspitze ( 2,962 m) Observation Deck viewing Southeast to the Austrian Alps
On the second day of our retreat, we thought it would be nice to enjoy something historic. Many of you may have heard of König Ludwig II von Bayern who is often referred to as the "Mad King". He ruled Bavaria from 1864 until his mysterious drowning in 1886. He is famous for his love of architecture and the building of castles. Beyond the castle at Linderhof, he is very well known for the castle Neuschwanstein and also the palatial estate on Herreninsel Island on Lake Chiemsee.
It is here at Linderhof where he spent most of his time in residence. During the spring and summer, the gardens are absolutely breathtaking. We did not have a chance to see this, but we were impressed with the beauty of the fall colors. One aspect that makes this so eye-catching is the combination of evergreens and a wide spectrum of deciduous trees, giving a wonderful full spectrum of color.
Schloss Linderhof - König Ludwig II. von Bayern (erb. 1870 bis 1886)
Finally, before we all returned to our various homes, we gathered for this fun group shot. Our assignments stretch from the Black Forest and Basel, Switzerland on the west, through Munich to Passau on the Danube in the North, down to Innsbruck and the Steiermark in the Alps, and on to Vienna in the east. We, who are here in this part of the Lord's vineyard, consider ourselves so blessed to be part of a wordwide effort to share His gospel of love.
There is no height on earth that compares with the heights we achieve when we bring our hearts close to Him.
Senior Couple Missionaries - Alpine German Speaking Mission (cellphone shot shared via social media)
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