Steve - Another New Year's Eve has come and gone and once again we slept through the night.  It was fun when we were younger to stay up until midnight, but I have noticed in the last few years that the new year will come whether we stay up or not.  We went out to dinner with a couple of Missionaries from out zone, then we went to a couple of mini-concerts last night at the Tabernacle on Temple Square and finally came home to play some games.  It was a very nice evening.

 I am getting less anxious about leaving our Mission in a few weeks because it is time to move aside and let someone else take our place.  Also I know that there are still several things for us to do when we return from our Mission: attending our local temple, spending time with our familiy and friends whom we left behind, continuing to work on family history, and otherwise serving.  The future will only be unfulfilling if we go home and do nothing, but I know that we won't let that happen.

I have shifted my attention to my fraternal grandparents and, in particular, Prussia.  Although I did not find any new names this week, I was able to understand the geography of where they lived even if it was only on a map.  It's amazing that when you find names of towns in which your ancestors lived, and then see how close they are to one another, it makes sense and becomes reasonable to see how they can move from place to place.  One thing I have recently learned is that Germans where invited to relocate to Prussia and promised no taxes, a two car garage and a chicken in every pot, so to speak, but this was changed when these promises were revoked and then these Germans moved back to Germany, or further to the West (the United States).  I believe that this is what happened to my Janowski (Janousky) ancestors.  However, I still struggle to figure out if the Janowski's were of German origin or if they were actually Polish.  The hunt goes on.

Lorene-I've been pondering  a lot this week about our mission: what I've learned and the spiritual growth I've experienced.  It's been a profound experience and I'm very grateful that we make the decision almost two years ago to do this.  I've also learned much about family history and have been able to do much "clean up" on my ancestral lines.  I haven't found much in the way of new names because there's already been so much done, but I have been able to find a few names on some collateral lines. I'm looking forward to going home, reuniting with friends and family, and continuing to work in family history--both my own and helping others with theirs. However, I'm going to miss this wonderful place and the amazing people we've met here.

May you all have a wonderful new year, filled with blessings and the growth that comes from trials.

Elder and Sister Walker