Andrew+Bethany= :) the Life of the A&B Brown Family: Germany:)

Andy had one more review to do before heading back to Geneva. We took the train to Mainz, Germany, which is a town about 30 minutes outside of Frankfurt. we had a nice train ride (started a great book!) and got to Mainz late that night.

The next morning, Andy headed off and I woke up sick!! Bummer. I had a sore throat and cough, so I stayed inside for most of the day. I did venture out around lunchtime and found a place that reminds me of Pei Wei back at home. I got a huge bowl of shrimp and curry noodles, which totally hit the spot! I must say, I haven't seen portions this big since we have been in Europe! I couldn't finish it! (and it was cheap! Bonus!) I then tried to find my way back to the hotel and found myself about 3 km in the wrong direction. Whoops. Not the best navigator whilst sick. But I did stumble into a church that was awesome. Dripping with Baroque-ness. Haven't seen that yet! I felt like I was walking through a wedding cake!

After finally finding my way back to the hotel, I took a nap, facetimed with Mommy, and read my book. Andy came back, and we ventured out to find this Mexican Restaurant I had read about. We miss our Mexican food here! We ordered chips and salsa, chicken and steak fajitas and a strawberry shake! We don't get much more all-American Tex-Mex than that! It was yummy:)
The next day, I was feeling a little better, so while Andy Was working, I made my way to Frankfurt. This was quite the city! It was a different way to experience Europe that is for sure! most of Frankfurt was bombed during the war, so it is quite modern as far as the architecture goes. I walked around the city, had a Bratwurst for lunch, and made my way over to the home of Goethe, the famous German poet and writer. His home has been restored to it's original form and all of the furnishings, paintings, and precious possessions had been hidden away during the WWII bombings. Some of my favorite quotations are by this poet, but after touring his home and the museum, I wanted to read even more about him. It was nice!

Alte Oper

Our friends Blake and Rylee suggested that we check out the Alte Oper, the famous Opera House in Frankfurt. This was so beautiful!!! I also walked alond Zeil, the famous shopping street, which has a City Creek feel to it. While walking, I noticed two women in front of me who were wearing Downeast-looking skirts and peacoats. I thought to myself, "Those look like Sister Missionaries." I sped up a little and called out to them! Downtown Frankfurt of all places to run into the missionaries! These sisters were from Idaho and Nebraska, so we had a lovely American exchange in the streets!

I then found a Primark!!!!!!!! Bahhh!!!!! I first discovered the beauty of Primark whilst in London. It is the mecca for cheap clothes in Europe! I went in, bought shoes, a shirt, 2 scarves, a raincoat, and 5 belts for under $40! As superficial as it sounds, this find made me really happy!!!!!!

I found the train station and made my way back to Mainz. I got onto my phone to read my scriptures. It is one of my favorite things to do on trains because while traveling through foreign places and feeling somewhat like a fish out of water, reading the scriptures makes me feel so grateful for the gospel in this big world we live in. I was reading in Alma 37 about the scriptures being preserved by the Lord to go forth to every kindred, tongue and people and how "by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise." I pulled a pass along card that the sisters had given me in downtown Frankfurt and was filled with so much love for the people around me in the train. Sometimes we forget that we are all spiritual brothers and sisters. How did I get to be so blessed to have been raised with the gospel? And I may have been the only person on the train who even knew about it.

Now I loved being a missionary. My mission changed me. I delighted in sharing the knowledge of the restored gospel with anybody who would listen. It was easy to do it with a tag on my shirt. Post-mission, I find it a little more intimidating and tend to suppress promptings from the spirit to share with others. I kept trying to read, but the feeling kept coming back "share with the man sitting across from you." I thought I was safe because he had fallen asleep, but about ten minutes before we both had to get off the train, he woke up. "Oh darn, there is no getting out of this one!" I held the pass along card in m hand, and said "Hello Sir, can I give you an invitation?" This man, who looked about 30, smiled and asked what it was about. I bore testimony about the knowledge of the restored gospel, and how it has blessed my life and how it can bless his. He thanked me for the card and went on to tell me about his wife and three young children. It was such a great experience to share this with him and when we parted ways, he thanked me. I don't know what will happen, but I know that great things come from that which is small. Besides, I love how my faith grows inside me when I share!

We went back to the Thai Restaurant for dinner. Oh deliciousness:)

Andy got to see Mainz with me Friday! We stumbled upon an amazing Farmers market! I am loving these markets more and more! We got bratwursts for lunch and a bag of strawberries from the market. We were also able to walk inside the Dom. There are many of these churches around Germany, and they are capped with a beautiful dome (hence the name). This one was HUGE! It was pretty impressive!

Right outside the Dom

Farmers Market in the Square

Yep, those are ginormous mushrooms in the back

Beautiful Architecture

Lunchtime!

Ahg!

We stumbled upon a church I had been looking for the first day, St. Stephans. I have been wanting to see this church because Marc Chagall designed the stained glass. I love Chagall's paintings--they are dreamy and almost transcendent. And that is how you feel when you walk inside this church! Most of the glass are these whimsical patterns colored in shades of blue, so when you walk in, you feel showered with this gorgeous blue light! I loved it! Haven't seen stained glass that even compares!
We enjoyed walking through the town, and then headed back to the hotel to get our bags. We took a train to the airport, where we got on a Kuwait Airlines airplane. For some reason, this was the cheapest flight back to Geneva, and I am only sad it wasn't longer because the seats were comfy and the food was delicious!