10\4 Good Buddy!

This week, we did A LOT, but yet at the same time it was nothing.

Mon - We traveled to Vienna to pick up Sis Funk's Visa and spent the day bumming around the Christmas Markets there.
Tues - District Meeting in Graz...nothing to report.
Fri - To Graz for a play the ward was putting on. We rode down with Sis Bein. It was really fun! (Sis Downs and Sis Alder...we even saw the Frühaufs being lovey dovey...ON STAGE)
Sat - Austausch in Vienna with the Sisters. I was with Sis Chapple and Sis Funk worked with Sis Anderson. All we did, was go by on random investigators and inactives to invite them to the Thanksgiving party that night. THEN, we went to the party. EVERYONE was there!! It was awesome to see all the members again, especially since I didn't get to say goodbye to them since I left after General Conference weekend. The program was based around the 1st Missionary Lesson...The Restoration. Each organization was given a point and they then did a song that went with it. On the way, I called MT Brittinger (Ron and Sydna's friend) and she came. Everyone was so excited to see me and even hid my coat so we couldn't leave. It broke my heart when we couldn't stay till the end because of our train, and had to sneak out in the middle.

On that train ride home, we were checked by the police on board. They came around, undercover, and asked for passports. The policeman hung on to mine and called his colleague over. She had a computer and he spouted off my passport number to her for her to do a check on me. It seemed to take forever until the computer beeped. Not that I was afraid of something coming up, we just had no idea why or what they were doing that for when we handed them our Austria Visas too. One of the people in our compartment didn't have any papers and was dragged out. When we got to the next station (2 hrs later) they were taken off the train. Something had happened in the car behind us and the ambulance was called. Apparently some guy didn't have papers and so he did something to himself (to where they did CPR and needed a defibrilator) so they would take him to the hospital and not deported. I am grateful I come from a land where we can travel as we please with legal documents easily obtained and can feel safe. It was pretty intense!! We stood on the train by the door waiting for our stop (it was in Bruck and we needed Leoben..5 min later) and could see into the car where the EMT were working on the guy on the floor. It was 9:20pm when we stopped and 10:35pm when the train finally left Bruck (we got home late). Pretty exciting stuff for boring missionary work. Sun - we'd been waiting for President to call us and explain what would happen to Sis Funk when I leave...he hadn't called so she called him. She is going back to Vienna to work with Sis Anderson and Sis Chapple for the rest of the transfer. (Yes, Sis Downs, no missionaries in Bruck for awhile). Pres might send her back here as soon as he can get some sisters. We#ll see!!

Mom, am trying to find Hippoes...the ones I sent in Sept are the only kind. Are you sure they weren't called something else.
Dad - those are MILKA chocolate, not Mikita! And check check...got some

Well, that's about it for now. No exciting questions I need answered that I can't wait to have personally answered.

Wednesday to München all by myself
Thurs on plane..don't know when

10/4...over and out

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Alles Liebe SISTER CHOCOLATE

That's Pixie Dust...not snow

Reason for the title of my msg. It's getting SUPER cold and foggy and every morning we wake up and there is frost on the ground and it hangs around all day since we are in a valley. It's not snow I'm proud to say, but it threatens. Sis Funk always points out the frost as I'm driving and says 'Don't worry, it's only pixie dust' I love working with Sis Funk. She and I are a lot a like and it makes the work fun. We both don't stress (I still love you Sis Downs...or should I say Carli) we laugh, we cook, we enjoy life, and she throws marriage jokes at me with Bruder Schäffner (for you Sis Downs).

This week, I've just got a short email. Sis Funk and I are having a rockin' time in Bruck. My goal for the time I was still here is for her to be familiar with all the VIP of the area. That includes the Joint-teaches who actually come, the investigators, the most active members, and the inactives we visit in the Altenheims (old folk homes). So far, we are seeing such great success and having fun too. This week, we still need to head to Murau (2hrs away) and up to the Farm in the mountains and then we're all set. TOday, we are in Vienna to pick up Sis Funk'S VIsa. I'm not complaining one bit because that means we get to go to the famous Christmas Market. I'm excited. Tomorrow we're in Graz, and Saturday back in Vienna for an Austausch combined with the 4th Ward Thanksgiving party (we didn't realize that coordinated). We're are excited, but I'm getting nervous...this week is going to FLY BY!!!!

Reader's Digest of the week all gets summed up to the following true account. Saturday we went to visit the Grabmaiers in Unzmarkt. We get there and share the msg. She is an inactive member who believes anything ever written in any book. She is really cooky and funny...and interesting. Well, after the message we had time before the train so we all decided to play a game. She picks a game about Karma and Reincarnation. It was FUNNNY!!! The deal is that roll the dice and move to spaces then read a card with a task on it. Sis Funk got the best one....we had to hold hands and connect our energy together in Unity. Needless to say, Sis Funk and I were clutching each others hands trying not to laugh out loud. Sis Grabmaier was dead serious into it. I had a task of writing an 'angel letter' to someone the next day to make them have a great day. Sis Grabmaier got one to ask a fellow player to do an act of service for her. She picked me to help her go through her closets and get rid of stuff. Sis Funk and I 'cheated' a bit when she wasn't looking so the game would end faster (we scooted all the pieces forward bit by bit). At the end, we still had some time so we decided to do the cleaning 'task' then. We walked out of there with 3 bags of clothes bound for the donation bin and with a return appointment so Sis Grabmaier can complete her 'task' of serving her fellow players vegetarian food. All in all, it was a hilarious appointment.

Sis Downs - we got the address for that DVD-wanting-person....fakeout. We got excited as we drove up to the house because there were signs of children and teenagers at the house. We Klingel and a woman answers...she has no idea what we are talking about and does not recognize the number we were called from. We immediately called the number and they didn't answer. Sis Funk sent a txt asking for a confirmation of what town. They answered the txt with the city we were in....we called again....they didn'T answer. It's a dud! Jennifer and Wolfgang came to FHV and Priestertum....we didn'T even need to call them.
Pic 1 - Last week's Pday to Graz with Sis Downs. We visited Schloß Eggenberg with peacocks roaming the grounds. I felt like I was at grandpa's
Pic 2 - That'S a Police train. How do they pull people over??? Think about that now.....

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Alles Liebe SISTER CHOCOLATE

Martini Gansl

Short and simple
This week, on Nov 11th was Martini Tag (St. Martin's day) where the kids walk around with Lanterns and sing songs. Well, we found out what the adults do on that day....eat Martini Gansl (Austrian word for Goose). Schwester Bein from the branch wanted to take us out for something nice since Sis Downs is going home (this wed). Let's just say, we ate at noon, about 9:00pm when we came home, we were STILL STUFFED!!! The next morning after study, we were still full. I have never had the 'Thanksgiving feeling' but now I can sympathize. We were stuffed! This is what the meal consisted of

1\2 roasted, honey-glazed goose
walnut and poppyseed knödel (dumplings)
cooked cinnamon red cabbage
sweet roasted chestnuts
baked apple filled with cranberries
1\2 Liter Apfelschorle (sparkling apple juice)
LARGE slice of apple pistachio\pumpkin seed cake

We also got transfer calls Friday. For the next 2 weeks, I will be serving with Sister Funk from some city in Idaho. She has been out for 5 months and will just LOVE Bruck! I met her when I came down to Bruck and she has served in a car area\tiny branch before so she knows just how to work with the people. It will be a stressful week making sure she meets all the VIPs and that they trust her.

Manuela has now offiially been a member for a year. I found her and now I'm back for the anniversary. Her birthday was yesterday...and Parviz's too.
Not much else noteworthy passierte during the week. I'm excited for the next weeks, Sis Funk and I are going to rock it down here. Today, we are spending the day in Graz, tomorrow to Klagenfurt for District meeting, and then Tues night to Vienna to pick up Sister Funk (Sis Downs leaves to München Wed morning at 6 so we have to go down the night before).

I will keep Grandma Lind in my prayers and hope she gets to go home soon....and doesn't cause the Doctors too much trouble.

Dad - what treats did you want me to bring home? I forget... Also, can we go to the Temple on the way home from the airport? I'm in for the surprise Christmas package to Chile.
Roommates - what is the name of the complex we will be living at?

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Alles Liebe SISTER CHOCOLATE

AUtumn in AUstria is AUsome

Halloween package received!! It arrived Oct 31st on the dot, but we were in Vienna and couldn"t get it. Then, the next day was a holidaz and the Post was closed so we got it Nov 2nd. It was amaying! Thank zou so much. Sis Downs and I tasted a piece of everzthing and then had to set it aside and talk about it, because everzthing tasted so weird to us...not what we remember at all. It was a weird experience. Guess we can't live on amaying european REAL chocolate forever. Oh well! It was a good booster seat back into the real world. Sis Downs goes home next Wed. THAT is komisch enough anzwazs.

I must apologize in advance when my typing looks funnz. I've gotten so used to the european keyboard and the computer I am using is american and it's messing with mz brain. It took me about 4 min to find the ' Sis Downs had a great time listening to my struggles. NOTE the y and the z are the biggest problem because thez are switched internally on the keyboard, but the letters are printed european.

We had Dazlight Savings last Sundaz and it was glorious to have that extra hour of sleep after we"d been running\travelling around like plucked chickens for more than three weeks straight. We slept like dead people that night. The onlz problem is, now it gets blackdark at around 4>30 so we have to plan fixed appointments then because when it|s dark, NOT A SOUL will open or answer the door.

I am officially the designated driver as of mid=october. Not sure I mentioned that to you all. It's fun to drive on the Autobahn!!!! Not so much fun on the pathways they call two-way streets.

We had an Ausstellung...street display, that's the word...on Saturday and all 14 Elders came from Vienna to our little branch to help out. It was fantastic!!! The branch was completelz tickled to have so many missionaries caring about them. It was a great day and we got a few numbers and appointments. Testimony meeting yesterdaz was all about the fact that the whole citz of Bruck was probably contacted 6 or 7 times. People had even started keeping a card in their pocket to hold up as defense when yet another missionary attempted to contact them 'I got one already' thez would shriek.

I learned to play the harmonica since I came back to Bruck! It's really fun! An old man in the branch is teaching me Home on the Range. It's funny when he sings along. Mom and Dad, please locate that old harmonica we used to have in the piano bench. I intend to keep this skill up. It's fun!!!

It's weird to hear the stories about the Primarz kids at home...I FEEL SO OLD. All of those now walking and talking kids, I babysat as infants or held as newborns and toddlers. I do NOT like that one bit. Couldn't they just be in a box till I came back. Not cool!

Dad = good luck with the campainging stuff. Glad you're not running this time though. Would you ask about if I have to report to the High Council when I get home. Sis Downs and I weren't sure if we do as Sisters or if it's only a Priesthood duty. Keine Ahnung!

Taylor - remind me to slap you silly when you get home!! If you don't remember why, then please read that little tag to me in your email from last week.......

Pic 1- Our halloween costumes for Zone Pday in Vienna. We were cows, tails, cowbell, and all.
Pic 2- Austrian Fall BEAUTY
Pic 3- Vienna Missionaries in Bruck
Pic 4- The Hills are alive...and then there's us. This pic was taken the day we returned from our final long train adventure or trip. We were A-SLEEEEEPPPYYY!!!!

Alles Liebe
SISTER CHOCOLATE