While I was in Frankfurt I went to visit my friends from my mission. It was kind of weird going to all the mission places as a not a missionary, but it was also good to see how things have changed. I found the mission home. It is very much like I remember it, there are new occupants now though.
I went to lunch with Sister Osterloh. She was an office sister when I was there and has succeeded where many missionaries have failed: she has never gone home. I don't really know how she managed this since usually you are forcibly released after about 2 years. She has been a proselyting missionary, an office missionary, a temple missionary, and a service missionary. She will be taking a little break from being a missionary since she just got married: to another missionary. I guess this isn't as scandalous when you're a senior missionary. We're standing in front of a cool mall on the Zeil. There is a giant escalator inside and the hole you see goes clear through the building.
I also went out to visit one of the families I worked with. There was some confusion about picking me up at the train station so I was very proud of myself when I managed to find my way through the little town to their house. The kids had all grown up, one is doing an apprenticeship and another is a sophomore in high school. I was very glad to see them. We spent the afternoon chatting and had dinner at a little airport watching the propeller planes. I'm very glad that things are going well in their lives and that they are happy.
I went back to Frankfurt by train through Friedrichsdorf, my first area where I gave temple tours. I sat next to some missionaries on the train one of whom was coincidentally brothers with a kid in my ward. From them and our friends we stayed with I found out that the church has grown a lot in Friedrichsdorf. They now have their own stake independent of the Frankfurt stake. What is more impressive to me is that now the local wards hold large monthly activities that the whole town comes to. When I was there the ban on proselyting in the town had just been lifted (one of the agreements that was part of the deal to be able to build the temple), people were very unhappy about it. I don't feel like I have been gone that long but the church has grown a lot in that time. Not just in the easily measured ways like membership and number of congregations but more importantly in the hearts of the people in the area.
While I was in Frankfurt I went to visit my friends from my mission. It was kind of weird going to all the mission places as a not a missionary, but it was also good to see how things have changed. I found the mission home. It is very much like I remember it, there are new occupants now though. 
I also went out to visit one of the families I worked with. There was some confusion about picking me up at the train station so I was very proud of myself when I managed to find my way through the little town to their house. The kids had all grown up, one is doing an apprenticeship and another is a sophomore in high school. I was very glad to see them. We spent the afternoon chatting and had dinner at a little airport watching the propeller planes. I'm very glad that things are going well in their lives and that they are happy. 
I went back to Frankfurt by train through Friedrichsdorf, my first area where I gave temple tours. I sat next to some missionaries on the train one of whom was coincidentally brothers with a kid in my ward. From them and our friends we stayed with I found out that the church has grown a lot in Friedrichsdorf. They now have their own stake independent of the Frankfurt stake. What is more impressive to me is that now the local wards hold large monthly activities that the whole town comes to. When I was there the ban on proselyting in the town had just been lifted (one of the agreements that was part of the deal to be able to build the temple), people were very unhappy about it. I don't feel like I have been gone that long but the church has grown a lot in that time. Not just in the easily measured ways like membership and number of congregations but more importantly in the hearts of the people in the area. 
I'm happy that you were able to return to your mission, and to find positive signs of growth. I know that your hard work, diligence and faith helped in some small way--seen or unseen--to strengthen the saints in Deutschland!
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