Well everything is going good here in Germany. We are halfway moved into our apartment and we are enjoying the area we are in. We have no internet, so I am writting this from the Institute. We will try to update everyone as soon as we get a connection. So if you don't hear from us for a while we still love you!

Happy address for all who are searching!

Okay, all, the reason we haven't told you our new address before now is simple: We haven't known it before now. Pretty easy to explain, eh? But I just googled it, and now we know. Here it goes, (drumroll, please?):

Hegaustrasse 9

70469 Stuttgart

GERMANY

The picture on the right is the living room with the nice, new laminate floor that we really have to worship for a year. Graydon liked it the best--it's the only room he took a picture of! 

A quick word: In Germany they don't use checks. I think if we showed them a check they would laugh in our faces! Dieter said they haven't used them for about ten years. So, if you would like to send/give us money, please send it to Roger, Graydon's dad in Provo. He is part of our account and can just deposit the money right in! But we'd also like to hear from you! Because we love you! 

Let's see what else there is we can say about this week. I had a beautiful birthday party! Graydon missed his one day that he could miss so I didn't have to sleep all morning alone, and then we went downstairs and there were Gabi and Dieter eating breakfast, and my place at the table was all nicely lined with ivy vines and a beautiful rose! It was so special! They also had a present for me of chocolates, which Dieter said they chose because we could eat them and then be done, and we wouldn't have to pack them around everywhere. :)

Graydon also bought me an AWESOME basket that can accompany grandma's bag for when I go shopping! People use it for everything around here. And by everything, I mean EVERYTHING! They even fill it for church, for over-nighters, etc! And I wanted one so bad, so when I opened that  up it was awesome!

I've also been appeasing my deep desire for literature, and bought two books from the big Barnes and Noble here, entitled WITTWER, with the money that has been deposited by my wonderful Provo et al. family! Thank you! 

On Thursday night we went to IKEA! In Germany they pronounce it "ee-kay-uh," so at first I had a hard time figuring out what they were talking about, but it's great! We bought some carpets for the apartment, as well as two little tables and a small-tiny bookshelf for our books. We bought some couch pillows and a couple cheep blankets. We spent about 129 Euro, a lot better than we thought it would be! So now we're set (as far as we can tell), and can start moving in on Monday, if we can get the bed!

Graydon says, "We love you guys! Everybody get Skype so you can talk to us!" 

And we do love you! So much! Have a great weekend!

WOHNUNG!!!

Wohnung: Apartment!

And we have one! 

It all happened last week, and I just haven't been able to write about it since then. We went to one apartment to look at, which was really nice but a bit of a walk from the train station, so Graydon wasn't very excited about it. Then the son and daughter of the family we're staying with called and let us know that they had a friend that was living above a flat that had been empty for a long time! He had called the landlady and she was willing to rent! So, we met with her on Wednesday(the same day we had to call the other really nice guy back by), and we loved it! 

There are many kinds of trains in Germany. The one we've been using primarily is the S-bahn, but there is another one called the U-bahn that does basically the same thing except for in different directions and with more stops. So, to go to church we have to ride the S-bahn from Weil der Stadt to Feuerbach, then get off the S-bahn and onto the U-bahn, and then we get off the U-bahn and walk to the church. 

So, guess where the apartment is that we have decided on? FEUERBACH! It's two or three stops away from where we get off for church, goes to the Hauptbahnhof (and cuts about half and hour off of Graydon's travel time to Heidelberg), and is only one train stop away from another member family that is in our ward! She found out and told us we would have to trade phone numbers and addresses, and then if we needed anything we could always, call, and said that it would be so nice to have "a neighbor!" Hahaha. We're pretty happy about all this.

The only thing is that it is unfurnished, but we have talked to a few people that have really helped us when we first got here, and they sent a message out to the international (military) ward, and we have had, since then, a million offers for people to give us things. We have bought a microwave and a couch, for a total of 90 Euro, but it also is accompanied by two chairs, a kitchen table and chairs, a toaster and water heater, a knife set, kitchenware, and glasses. Then from Gabi's daughter in law's family, silverware and china (which I hope is just normal plates, or else I will feel guilty eating off them). We also have been offered a bed by Gabi and Dieter's friend Thomas and his wife Helga. AMAZING! I am truly astounded by the generosity that runs rampant here! I have really learned a lot. 

So now all we need is to pick up a few cheap carpets from IKEA, as well as bedding and a clothes rack (and of course other random things that pop up), as well as a washing machine from wherever we can get it, and then we'll be set!

The Lord is really providing for us. We just had to be patient for a while, wait for his time, and the blessings have just been pouring out. It was a rough start, but I think we're (overall) better off for it. We're so grateful!

WE LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Today was really a good day.  I ate breakfast with my Italian friends from class.  It was really cool.  We talked about the class and our week ends.  

We are going to go look at an apartment on Wednesday so everyone wish us luck.  

I am waiting for Katrina to get home from school in a couple hours.  

I hope everyone is doing great.

tschuss!

This Weeks Adventures (written 9/12/2008)

The last few days have been great! On what I believe was Tuesday, but may have been Wednesday, I was riding the train, and pulled out my scriptures to get my reading done for the day. While I was reading a man sat down across from me that was playing a game that had very loud music. I was a little perturbed, thinking something like he MUST have done that just because he saw that I was studying, but I chose not to get upset, to put away my book or put in my i-pod or even to look up at him in a disgruntled way. I though about doing all three of these things, by the way. But instead of that,I just kept focusing on what I was reading, and smiled a little at the way people are sometimes.

So, after a while he asks, "Is that a bible?" Of course, he asks it in German. Graydon gets people who will talk to him in English. I, on the other hand, have not really had this luxury, and it's frustrating. :) So I answered, no, it was the Book of Mormon (and I said the name wrong, of course) and then he interjected "Is that like a sister to the bible?" And I said yes. I then explained in extremely broken German the background of the Book of Mormon. And here comes the best part: THEN I GAVE HIM A PASS-ALONG CARD!! Whoopee!! I'm dancing, in case you couldn't tell!

And it's funny, but in both my experience an in Graydon's experiences, we've both had to explain that the Mormons and the Amish are not the same thing. :)

So I come home, and GRAYDON GAVE ONE AWAY, TOO!! This is such a happy thing! He will actually have to write something on here sometime, so he can explain all the gory details.

On Tuesday I saw the sisters in the plaza by the Hauptbahnhof. Actually, the whole district was there, but I talked to the sisters. They're my buds. I love them. They remind me of Emily. Who is now only a few miles away!

We are still looking for an apartment. Yesterday Gabi & Dieter helped me fill out the forms to be added onto the waiting list for Housing that they are in charge of. The Studentenwerk, where I have to take all this, is far away from the train, so I do a lot of walking to get there. So I went there yesterday morning early, and was told, 'Sorry, no-can-do. You are married, and Graydon is not a student at Stuttgart, therefore you cannot even apply to be put on the list. But even if he was a student, the waiting list for married student housing is 1 year.' So they didn't even take the papers.

I left determined not to get down, and said to myself, "I need ice cream. I don't know where to get ice cream! I need a Jamba..." When I couldn't find a little ice cream thing at the grocery store in town, I bought gummy alphabet letters and chocolate instead. And then I went to the bakery and got myself a sandwich. And four Laugenbroetchen, which are pretzel-rolls! That are tasty! The rolls were supposed to come home with me to Graydon, but only two of them survived the journey. Here is a reason: My class starts at 1:30 p.m, and goes to 6:45. And I got to where my class is at 10:45 a.m. because I left early so I would be sure to have enough time talking to the lady, and needed no time at all.

So last night I came home and wa relating the story to everyone, and told them how I had needed ice cream, but didn't know where any was, so I found alternatives, and then Dieter and Gabi told us that yesterday was their 43 wedding anniversary, and so they took us to an italian ice cream parlor and we got ice cream! And it was DELICIOUS! The owner was there, greeted us all and was very charismatic. Gabi said he always greeted eveyone. He was a great, funny guy.

And then we came home and were exhausted. The end! :D

Finally starting to fall in love...

So, after a HUGE, TERRIBLE night where we cried a lot and were both ready to come home, and by home we meant back to the states, we went to sleep. That was wednesday, I believe.

It turned out my scholarship wouldn't transfer. Graydon wanted me to transfer anyways, and I sort-of did, too. But I wasn't sure that's what I was supposed to do. And I was afraid of conflict, as always. :D And I felt so alone, and like we'd been told to come here and then left to fend for ourselves--everything had been going WRONG. And it wasn't FAIR. And I said things I shouldn't have said, and was dutifully reprimanded by my loving husband. And then I read my best friend Emily's e-mail about here equally terrible and confusing day, and the hymn she said helped her, and it really helped me. "Fear not, I am with thee, oh be not afraid! For I am thy God and will still give thee aid! I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand! Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand!"

Thank you, Emily. 

That was a lifesaver, and I sang it the whole next day. In my head, of course. :) Graydon has started talking to A BUNCH of people on the trains, which is good for his sociability! So that's great! I haven't reached that point yet...but yesterday he had THREE missionary moments with THREE different people! Isn't that wonderful? Yes, my husband IS amazing!

And something great happened yesterday, too! Well, it started on Thursday when I went to my class, and had to get off at Schwabstrasse, which is an older part of the city, and it is SO MUCH BETTER there! I loved it so much more than the Vaihingen campus, and even though I got lost twice, it was so nice to be lost in such a beautiful city. And then yesterday I went to buy a book on the Vaihingen campus, but they didn't have what I needed, so I had to go to the Stadtmitte train, and got off in the middle of the city where no cars were allowed, only feet and bicycles! And it was so beautiful--street vendors everywhere and tall buildings that were new but somehow felt the feel of the city. It was so nice. So even though I got lost again and was going to be late to class, I was feeling happier! 

And then when I was riding the train last night, I looked up at the sky and the trees, and realized, "Hey! I love it here! I WANT to live here!!" And then I realized I was living here! And it was a nice, new development.

We're still, however, fighting the home sickness. I think I'm a little more immune to it because I had my severe case of homesickness over the summer, but Graydon is extremely perceptible, so it's been difficult. We miss you all and LOVE you all!

'Til later!

Travels and the Start of School

Well, where to I start? On Sunday, we got a ride to church! Well, we only half-got a ride to church. We half- bought an all-day ticket and rode the train to the stop where a nice German member lady picked us up and gave us a ride to church. :) We then rode into Stuttgart to figure out how Graydon would be getting to Heidelberg. We walked out having spent much more than we thought we would--about 120 Euro. On the Sabbath. But it is good, because otherwise we wouldn't have found the nice man that said if Graydon brought back a special card, he would refund Graydon's ticket. 

We got home Sunday--exhausted.

Monday, we rode into Stuttgart by train and found my University. It's a good university, but one of the most prevalent things I've noticed is that all the walls are covered in grafiti. On campus. All of them. For all of you utes out there, you know the one big wood thing that is by the union that has papers plastered all over it and looks sort of tacky? Well, that is the way ALL of the columns on my campus are. I was...slightly..disappointed....

So we found the bridges that led to the place where I needed to check in. We waited in line, got a packet, and when to the first stop on a list I had. The bank! Where we WAITED in line for a VERY long time, and got an account set up! Then we went to the insurance guy, set up MOST of what we needed, and found out for Graydon to be added, I needed to bring the wedding license! So we left, and were off to Heidelberg!!

There is grafiti all over the retaining walls that surround the tracks. Interesting grafiti. More than I've seen in my entire life. 

So, we got off at the main station in Heidelberg. And we catch the bus we need to catch, and we get off at Universitaetplatz. And I step off the bus into one of the most unbelievable beautiful places I've been in my life. EVERYWHERE is cobblestone. We were surrounded by big, old buildings. We got off right next to a clock tower. I could not believe we were on a university, it felt like we were on the main street of an old, romantic town. But we were where we needed to be for Graydon. I felt the best I've felt since I arrived in Germany. And I was VERY jealous of Graydon. 

So, we went to the place Graydon needed to be for what turned out to be housing. And we had a problem, because we didn't need housing, we needed to check in. But they don't check in there. So the girl that was helping us walked and brought back a lady who Graydon has been in correspondence with. And she was so good to us, and helped us in every way possible, and I hope she doesn't get in trouble because a couple things we had her do were not quite kosher. Yikes.

And she told me that Heidelberg was a GREAT natural sciences school. Which includes chemistry.

I want to transfer to Heidelberg. It would save a TON of money on train tickets, it may actually be easier to find housing, and I feel more comfortable there. There are just two problems: 1)I don't know if my scholarship would transfer, and if it didn't, I couldn't, and 2)I don't know if I really can at all to begin with. But it would be SO NICE!!

Anyhow, that is really all for now. We love you all! Take care!