From David and Viola Ricks
Teaching in Germany
(From Viola) To start the story off of this amazing
baptism----you need a little history. It was a little discouraging at the
first of the mission. It was winter, cold, and getting dark by 3:30 p.m.
The language was not coming back for [David], and I was just not getting
it. We were in a foreign land and didn't know what was going on most of
the time. Dad always has these unrealistic expectations. He kept
saying not to worry that we would meet, teach, and baptize someone on our
mission AND they would be sent to us! Yeh, sure! Even if they were,
we couldn't understand them or speak to them! How was that going to work!
(Ye of little faith)
ANYWAY----------our loving Heavenly Father knows our
weaknesses and provides. . . . . . .
(From David) We have
good news this week, and so we get to tell you the story that we promised last
week. It started in the middle of last October. There was a lady from
Stuttgart, Germany that had family history films there. She had recently moved
and lived about 45 minutes away from Würzburg.
She wanted to get her
films transferred to the Family History Library in Würzburg. Well, she
called the church building and no one answered, so she called the elders and
they really didn't know what to do or to tell her so they kind of put her
off. Then she called the people in Stuttgart and the man there was a full
blooded German and said there was no way a transfer would work. He said
he would have to send the films back to SLC and she would have to reorder them.
He told her this would take about 4-6 months. This went on for two or three
weeks. Finally the elders said something to us. Sister Ricks was
very frustrated wondering why as a couple running the Family History Center
that we knew nothing about the circus that was going on.
Finally, one day the lady called the elders again (who at the
time were riding with us in our car!) We finally made an appointment to
meet her at the family history center. We got her films ordered after a
long frustrating time on the computer. She doesn't have computer skills,
and she kept getting all of her user and password information mixed up.
(By the way, she got her films in three weeks, and found some very
important birthdates of her grandparents.)
When they got ready to leave, Sister
Ricks told the Elders to ask if they wanted to come to church on Sunday to the
Children's Sacrament Program. They asked the man driving her. She
wasn't too interested and she hoped that he would say he was too busy.
But he said, "Ja, I think we could do that."
Well--- at the time we didn't know that she was paying him
10 Euro's an hour to drive her around in "her" car. Of course he
wanted to spend 3 hours in church. :-) To our surprise they were at
church on Sunday. Sister Ricks got the elders to ask her if she wanted
the lessons and the man, Herr Quiel was interested because he would get more
money. So he was always on our side, as every time we made appointments
then he got paid. She began to be interested in the church. We found out
that missionaries years before had taught her the discussions but she was way
too busy to go to church or to show much interest in it. Her sister
really loves our church, even though she isn't a member. The sister lives
in New Hampshire, and has lived in the United States for over 30 years.
She has an American husband. Her sister has encouraged her continuously
to be baptized. That has been very helpful.
We got to take the elders every week to appointments as it
would take them two hours to get there and two hours home by bus. The
first time we went it was through forests and a beautiful area of Germany
during the extraordinarily beautiful fall colors. It was probably the
most beautiful fall drive we have ever experienced. She would fix or buy
us lunch every time that we went. We also took our turn making lunch for
them and they would come to our apartment. A baptismal date was set for
the 20 of February and so yesterday she was baptized a member of the church.
She is 74 years old and her name is Doris
Michalski. It is the first baptism that either elder has been involved
in--- and one of the elders goes home next week so it has been exciting for
them also. Herr Quiel and Doris have been to church most Sundays and the
members have grown to really love her. She is a very excitable
lady. On one of the visits Sister Ricks took her the bishops wife's
temple dress to try on to see if it would fit her for her baptism. She is
very self conscious of her weight (even though she isn't fat) and she knew that
we wouldn't have any baptismal clothing that would fit. We took the dress
for her to try on. She was getting lunch ready for us and all of a sudden
we heard a scream from the other room. We didn't know what was happening
so we went to see. She had gone up stairs to try on the dress, and was so
excited that it fit that she was screaming with excitement for such a beautiful
baptismal dress.
(From Viola)The elders, Elder Sauve, from Portland, and
Elder Klingler, from South Jordan, did everything possible to make the baptism
memorable and perfect. The program was really nice. They had
invited all kinds of investigators and inactive members to the baptism. I
think there were about 50 there. Very amazing for Wurzburg! Doris
was just beyond happy!
Today the bishop blessed his baby. The spirit was so
tender with Doris's confirmation and the baby blessing. We are so
grateful to have been in the meeting to partake of the Sacrament and the
spirit. We were indeed spiritually blessed.
