Fall Radiance

Let me be right up front.  I love summer.  Sister F tells me I'm solar-powered.  As such, I don't look forward to Fall, when days get shorter and mornings and evenings get cooler.  That said, we enjoyed some radiant highlights this month that we'd love to share.

The First Hints of Fall

October began with a Sister Missionary Conference held in Munich.  Trudy offered to help with lunch for 80 sisters, for whom she prepared a delicious lentil soup.  I must say, soup dishes play a more significant role in Austrian cuisine than they do in the States.  Trudy has mastered several soups, and I've become quite enamored with them.  Some of our favorites include cream of pumpkin, minestrone and lentil.

On our way home from Munich, as we stopped to tank-up near the border, this lovely view stood before us.  With the air a little cooler, the sun lower in the sky and shadows growing longer, I could tell summer was passing and fall was approaching.

Celebrating after German Class

Together with the Sisters and Elders who live in Graz, we teach German grammar lessons once a week.  In the picture below, we are celebrating after class.  Elder Hillyard is on the right.  He is in his last transfer and has very good German language skills.  Next to him is Johann, who is our local native speaker.  The three of us teach the most advanced group.   We divide up into several classes to cover a wide range of proficiency.  It is very gratifying to see the class participants, who come from the countries like India, Bangladesh, and Nigeria, progress in their command of German.  Many come to Austria to pursue educational or occupational opportunities.  They are eager to learn German to increase their potential to work and live in Austria long-term.  

Fall Birthdays

This month, three of our stalwart local church members celebrated birthdays.  It was a delight to visit with each of them.  While each of us may not relish that another year has come and gone, it's great to sing "Happy Birthday" and share love and friendship with one another.  We are somewhat surprised to find that here in Austria, "Happy Birthday" is the one birthday song everyone knows and sings, in English!

Preparing for Winter

You've met Horst and Andrea in previous posts.  They are dear friends, and we love to get together whenever we can.  It's great to team up with Horst and help out on projects around the house and yard.  With winter coming, it is time to put a new roof on his 30-year-old garden shed.  In the background is Horst's brother, Gottfried.  There's nothing more rewarding than working together and completing a job well done! 

Crossing the Steiermark

One of our missionary goals has been to make a full update of the membership records for our congregation.  With consolidation of two or three congregations over many years, we have a large area to cover in this regard.  This month, we traversed the Mur River Valley.  Our furthest point was the city of Murau, about 100 kilometers from our home.  Here is where we visited Isaak and his grandmother Hannelore, devoted members and wonderful people.

We made several stops along the way, checking addresses and occasionally finding members we had not met before.  Along our way, we came across some lovely Fall scenes.   Here's your chance to enjoy a glimpse of the glorious Fall country-side here in the Steiermark.

True Radiance

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