The week began with a potluck dinner for FHE. We said goodbye to Elder and Sister Lewis who have been our zone leaders. They were the ones who called us in Utah as soon as we received our call to orient us to living in Germany. They picked us up at the airport and took us to our first appointment for our residency permits. They know all the answers to everything German. They have fabulous ideas for Saturday field trips and have led us with joy and love. We will miss them!
On Tuesday we attended a ‘lunch and learn’. Dr Alan Keele spoke to missionaries and church employees during our lunch hour. He spoke about Helmuth Huebener, a member of our church, who at age 17 was executed for distributing flyers telling people the truth about Nazi-occupied Germany. You can read his story in Saints volume 3 in chapters 27-28.
The new year brought changes in our assignment. We now support humanitarian efforts in the following countries: Türkiye (earthquake rebuild), Italy, Malta, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. That means we had to say a reluctant farewell to our three couples in Spain and our couple in France. Tears were shed as we have come to love these good people!
Our manager suggested that an in-person handover take place with our couple in France, so Tuesday evening we boarded a train with the Johnsons and headed to Paris. We work alongside the Johnsons every day but rarely have time for anything but the business at hand. It was wonderful to relax and talk during our four-hour ride. They will now support Elder & Sister Snyder in France & Benelux (Netherlands, Belgium & Luxembourg).
The French breakfast served at our hotel
The Johnsons, Snyders and Lambs walked and walked and talked and talked with the streets of Paris as our backdrop. Rue du Bac provides a complete shopping experience with a bakery and different shops for meat, fish, cheese, flowers, chocolate and household accessories all within one block. The fresh flowers gave us hope that spring is just around the corner.
We spent an enjoyable morning at Musee Rodin. The building that he used as a studio was just as grand as his sculptures.
The Thinker & the Gates of Hell can be found in the garden, along with Monument to the Burghers of Calais. During the Hundreds Year War (1337-1453) six city leaders sacrificed themselves for their fellow citizens by surrendering themselves to the King of England.
Angelina’s for Hot Chocolate is a must stop in Paris.
Sainte Chapelle was built in the 13th century by Louis IX as a royal chapel. With 1,113 stained glass windows, it is one of the city’s treasures. Fifteen glass panels and a rose window depict Old and New Testament figures. It is a breathtaking space.
Shakespeare and Company; we could have curled up with a book and spent the day in this iconic bookshop.
The restored Notre Dame Cathedral is white and bright and beautiful. The side chapels are full of vibrant colors.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel and Family Search Center are a 15-minute walk from Notre Dame.
Dinner in the Marais District
We ended our visit the next morning at the beautiful Paris temple. The spirit was sweet and the stained-glass windows exquisite.
We visited the Zeppelin Museum in Frankfurt on Saturday. The airship Schwaben made its maiden flight in 1911 and was used for passenger and postal traffic. At the height of airship travel in 1936, 9,252 kg of mail was delivered to South America and 8,294 kg to North America.
During the First World War 88 military airships were built which were used as bomb carriers against Great Britain, France, and Russia and as reconnaissance aircraft over the North Sea and Baltic Sea. By the end of the war 13 ships had been shot down.
The USS Los Angeles, built in Friedrichshafen, was part of the reparation payments after the war. It could hold 30 passengers and was the first airship with sleeping facilities for them. It was delivered to Lakehurst, New York in 1924 after a journey time of 81 hours. Pilots were honored with a confetti parade on Broadway and received at the White House by President Coolidge.
In the 1930’s a Zeppelin trip was the fastest way to cross the Atlantic. A trip to South America on Hindenburg took 3 days and comfort was a top priority. There were live concerts and formal dinners. The Hindenburg made 63 trips with a total of 3,059 passengers until the catastrophe in 1937 which ended the era of Zeppelins. Airplanes took the place of the Zeppelins in the sky.
A revival of the Zeppelins took place in the 1990’s. As of 2019 five Zeppelins are in service worldwide, three of them operated by Goodyear in the USA.
Three days in the office and two days in Paris- it was a wonderful, whirlwind week!
With love, Elder & Sister Lamb (aka Ed & Debbie, Mom & Dad, Pop Pop & Tu Tu)
Lambs in Central Europe 