Motra Hanci

The Church News published an article about Sister Topalli Hanci (pronounced Hantsee), written by one of our former missionaries, Brooke Larson who returned home in April. After hearing of Sister Hanci's conversion and faithfulness, we knew it would make a good feature article for the Church News, and knowing Sister Larson's writing abilities, Marty asked if she would interview Sister Hanci and write up an article for submission. It was finally published this week. Click on the underlined words to find the link.

Dresden, Germany

The morning view from our hotel!

We were in Dresden Germany from Oct. 18-23 for our final annual Mission President's Seminar and had an inspiring four days of instruction and fellowship with other mission presidents and wives. Elder Kevin Pearson, from the 1st Quorum of Seventy, was there to instruct us for one entire day. He spoke extensively of the Doctrine of Christ (from 2 Nephi 31) and other topics to help us teach our missionaries. Throughout the week, Elder Kopishke, our Area President, spoke about the church in East Germany when it was behind the "iron curtain." He told wonderful stories of President Monson's visits there and the blessings that were pronounced when as an apostle, he dedicated the land. On Thursday afternoon we took a bus ride out to the hill where the dedication took place and we gathered in close together under umbrellas and read the dedicatory prayer. Elder Manfred Schütze, the Area Seventy for Germany, told us many stories about the saints during that time as he served as a Stake President in East Germany for many years. He said it was difficult for the members who were living in very difficult conditions, to believe that the blessings promised in that prayer would ever come to pass. But all of the promised blessings have been fulfilled, and the Freiberg Temple was built even before the Berlin Wall and communism fell!

There was a joke among the saints at that time that if a woman left her purse on a church bench, it would still be there the next week. But if a person left his scriptures, they would be gone. Scriptures were next to impossible to obtain, and an older person might even be asked that if they died, they would get his or her scriptures.

Dresden was bombed at the end of World War II, and the old town is being reconstructed. The famous Lutheran Frauenkirche is beautifully rebuilt. The black stones in the walls are some of the original stones that were blackened by the fire bombing.

The Dresden Frauenkirche, (Church of Our Lady)

and the statue of Martin Luther that survived the 1945 bombing.

The Class of 2008, Europe Area

Top to bottom and l to r: Sally and Larry Anderson, Sweden Stockholm Mission;

David and Susan Brown, Finland Helsinki; Liz and Marty Neil, Albania Tirana;

David and Dana Hill, Slovenia/Croatia; Lisa & Kevin Ninow (partially hidden), Germany Frankfurt; (in front of the Ninows) David and Kathleen Bullock, England Manchester;

Front l to r: Don & Cynthia Staheli, France Paris; Linda & Robert Condie, Alpine German-Speaking;

Laurie and James Lundberg, Romania Bucharest.

Missing, because they had to leave earlier, were Michel and Danielle Carter, France Toulouse; and Joselito and Mafalda Neves, Cape Verde Praia Mission.

We arrived the evening before the Tuesday 3 PM start of the conference, so were able to walk around the Old Town and eat at McDonald's, which was quite a treat for us. Two Filet o' Fish Meals! Never thought I'd be happy to see a McDonald's! Our plane left the morning after everyone else's flights, so we had all of Friday afternoon to walk around and shop. I found Yankee Candles in a Body Shop, we had Starbuck's Hot Chocolate and a doughnut, purchased two suit jackets for me, and picked up a Dresden Christmas ornament.

Our new Chevrolet Captiva--a compact SUV. We are grateful to have a sturdier car for Albania's rough roads.

Oct. Transfers

We hate losing missionaries, but our consolation is that the very same day, new missionaries arrive from the Provo MTC. Fun for both groups is that they meet up in the Vienna Airport during the change of planes.

Departing Missionaries

Elder Geoffrey Foulk, New Jersey; Sister Evette Bentley, Utah; and Elder Troy Shields; California

Arriving Missionaries

Back row l to r: Elders Bradley Holmes, Randolf, UT; Paul Eckel, Perrysburg, OH; Ian Anderson, Riverton, UT; Tyler Owens. Harwood, TX.

Front: Myself, Sister Marsida Korita, Tirana, Albania; Sister Sarah Leit, Copenhagen, Denmark; Marty.

Wednesday, Oct. 13, Marty set apart Sister Elona Sulollari (center) as a full-time missionary. She has been called to the Salt Lake Temple Square Mission, and was scheduled to arrive at the Provo MTC in September. She was delayed awaiting Visa approval, and finally has it, but now has to wait until Nov. to go to Provo. Not wanting to wait any longer, she volunteered to enter full-time missionary work in Tirana. Here she is with Sisters Halabuk and Hiland, with whom she will serve for a month. Elona's home town is Pogradec.

Oh my aching foot!

To have a sore foot here is a nightmare! We are surrounded by tile, concrete, marble ,and granite floors, rocky roads without sidewalks, and other hazards to feet, knees, and hips. No wall-to-wall carpet here.

Actually, the hazard that attacked me was not any of those, but a metal file cabinet in the office near the copy machine. The bottom drawer was stuck in the open position for about five inches. I noticed it one day and thought it might be dangerous, and asked an office elder to take care of it. That was my first mistake. I should have investigated it and fixed it myself. A few weeks later, I was in the office with Marty, and he called me over to the copy machine to help him, and I jammed my left foot really hard under the corner of the file cabinet. I didn't utter a single @*&#!!! Thought one, though.

It broke the skin slightly, and caused a big bruise, but I could still wear my shoes and Marty and I continued with our walks around town and at the park. Second mistake! The skin healed, but the pain has worsened, and the inflammation has increased to where I can't put on my normal shoes. I can only wear a pair of Merrill flip-flops I have--and the weather is getting colder.

We went to an Albanian orthopedist today and, after looking at my X-rays and manipulating various places of my foot, he decided I may have Morton's Neuroma, which is an inflammation of the nerve between the toes and often has to be corrected with surgery. An MRI would confirm that diagnosis. Doctor Dahl, our missionary doctor in Germany, thinks it is more likely to be bruising and inflamation caused by the trauma of being attacked by the file cabinet and not taking care of it properly at first. I hope that's all it is. In the meantime he wants me to take anti-inflammatory pills (Celebrex) and do hot soaks several times a day to increase circulation to the area and also stay off the foot as much as possible. That should be a challenge. Next week we have our BIG TRANSFER--old missionaries leave and new ones arrive. Guess we'll be eating out with them next week. On the 18th, we are going to Dresden, Germany for our last Mission Presidents' Seminar. Hope the foot is well by then!

Dr. Dahl was a missionary in Italy when Marty was there, and it will be nice for them to meet when we go to Dresden.