Stille Nacht - Heilige Nacht

Of all Christmas carols, "Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht" (Silent Night, Holy Night) captures the birth of the Jesus Christ in a way that takes us back in time to that marvelous moment, when the Son of God descended to walk among us.   There have been several wonderful moments this month, some in the cold and dark evening hours of December, which have brought us the warmth and light of the Savior's birth.

Traveling to the Frankfurt Temple

There is no place where we can better worship our Savior than in one of his holy temples.   The central focus of the message portrayed is Christ's mission - from the creation of the world, to His Atonement for mankind, and His welcoming us back into His presence.

What a delight to make a Bruck an der Mur Branch trip!  Our closest temple is located just outside of Frankfurt, Germany, which is about a 7 hour drive.  Owing to Trudy's recent hip replacement, we left a day early, so that we could break up the travel time.

First Stop - Passau 

Just north of the Austrian-Germany boarder is Passau.  It's a beautiful city that, like Vienna, lies on the Danube.  It's also home to Elder and Sister Brady, who are also Senior missionaries in the Alpine German- Speaking Mission.   They arrived in the mission not long after we did, and we've become good friends.  Passau is also home to a beautiful cathedral and what is claimed to be the world's largest cathedral organ.  The main organ is currently undergoing reconstruction, but we did enjoy a wonderful performance with both orchestra and voices on this 2nd Advent Sunday.

Second Stop - Würzburg 

Our second stop, just one hour outside of Frankfurt was at the home of Mario, Jasmin and Theo Vallon.  They are dear friends, dating back to when they lived in Menlo Park.  We've connected several times during our time here in Austria.  

Jasmin loves celebrating Christmas.  As some of you may know, she is an excellent cook.  One of her passions and specialties is baking Christmas cookies.  I'm afraid I can't remember the total number of different cookie variations she prepared, but I believe it was approaching 20!

Second Stop - Würzburg 

The downtown Christmas Market in Würzburg was beautiful.  We arrived just as the sun was setting.  There were many delicious treats to enjoy.  It's also a delight to see all the beautifully handcrafted items.

Destination Frankfurt Temple

Upon completing the last segment of our journey, we arrived that the Frankfurt Temple where we spent the next two days enjoying our temple experience.  In addition to the time in the temple, we enjoyed time together as a Branch.  It is shared memories like this that bring us together.  Maybe this is what the Apostle Paul meant by "unity of faith".

Trudy's Twin

If you have been following our posts, then you will remember a previous visit that we made to see Monica and her dairy farm in July.   This visit was on her 65th birthday - one month after Trudy's 65th birthday.  You will never find any soul more gracious than Monica.  In tears, she and Trudy are deeply thankful that Lord has brought them and us together.  

Last Zone Conference

Following our visit to Monica, we made our way to Salzburg and our final Zone Conference.  As is customary, the following is a shot of all those who are just now completing their service, together with President and Sister Bates.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is always a special time.  Though the actual Wisemen did not arrive until later, we were joined by two wonderful friends, both students at Montan University here in Leoben.  Trudy prepared a delicious meal, and afterwards we enjoyed a lovely Christmas program, reading the story of Christ's birth and singing Christmas Carols.  Our time together was a highlight as it welcomed in the Spirit of Christmas.

Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht

The Christmas Carol, "Silent Night," is known the world over.  It was written by the priest, Joseph Mohr with the melody by organist Franz Gruber.  Both served at the St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, Austria.  The song was first performed in 1818, accompanied by guitar, as the church organ was in need of repair.  The song spread quickly by way of traveling singers.   

In 1914, German and British soldiers fighting on the Western Front during the First World War spontaneously sang "Silent Night" (in German and English) during a temporary Christmas ceasefire, highlighting the carol's power to unite people.

In Austria, most towns and cities host a festive Weihnachtsmarkt, where the town's people come to celebrate from the end of November through December.  In each Weihnachtsmarkt, a centerpiece portrays the manger scene and Christ's birth.   For us, the rustic recreation of the manger in the nativity scene in Passau brought a realism that took us back to this holy night long ago.

In Austria, most towns and cities host a festive Weihnachtsmarkt, where the town's people come to celebrate from the end of November through December.  In each Weihnachtsmarkt, a centerpiece portrays the manger scene and Christ's birth.   For us, the rustic recreation of the manger in the nativity scene in Passau brought a realism that took us back to this holy night long ago.

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