Blessings In All Times

Meine geliebter Familie,

What a week of blessings and of miracles.. Seeing people with almost nothing, has touched my heart so greatly. First off let me try to draw a picture of Europe and Switzerland for ihr (you all).

The building are all beautiful, greatly decorated with pillars, stones, statues, cobblestone walkways, fountains, fancy cars, trains, green fields, a country full of colour and full of life. As you walk, down small alleyways filled with small shops, one can only wonder. How can a place be so beautiful? As one walks around on dirtpaths and can only see tall, green, yellow, sunflowers, cornstalks, plowed fields, one can only wonder. I wish I was skilled inwriting and describing how beautiful the contrasts are in Europe, but I do not have that skill. Europe is simply a beautiful place, a place seemingly full of life.

Yet the life here is dying. Maybe this applies to the whole world, or simply here, I am not sure. This amazing place, with great history, art, beauty, is slowly falling apart. They have forgotten what it means to live. Have we forgotten what it means to be alive? Are we living everyday, as a number, or as a blessing from heaven? 

Again, Europe a perfect place, many seemingly perfect cities, I would even say a Traum Wohnung. I remember Jeremy telling me about Korea, with their "cellpads." This epidemic of technolgy. Menschen have forgotten what it means to live. They are constantly plugged in and plugged away. Have we forgotten what it means to live? To unplug? To actually live? To interact with others? I think at times we have forgotten. Have we forgotten about others? Europe has in part.


My challenge would be to unplug from the virtuals worlds that are out there and starting living in the world you are on now. Talk to someone, you dont know. Do something unsual crazy, different? Take a chance, a leap of faith. Take an oppurtunity to help another. My fear is that America is starting to die like Europe.

Seeing people with almost nothing, has touched my heart so greatly. I have seem people with absolutle nothing, who have the greatest faith. They truly have learned to live. They care for others even though they, themselves have nothing. I had the oppurtunity to give a blessing to a boy in a family that had absolutely nothing. I was greatly humbled by them and their faith. As I gave the blessing, the feeling of peace and completel love filled my head, and heart. I wished I could bless them with everything, with money, with a nicer apartment, but they do not need that. I wished I could bless them with happiness, but they do not need that. Because they are so happy with nothing, they know how to live. So please unplug and connect with someone in need, even if on the outside they dont look in need. I love you all.

Elder Annen


Some quotes I heard this week...

"Even when you trip you fall forward."
"When Life knocks you down, you are in the perfect position to pray"