1933-04-20: "Aus mid den Mormonden"

Flensburg
Sudermarkt 4-IV

April 20/33

Dear Mother and Dad,

Now that I am back in Flensburg where my time is my own, I can catch up on a little rest.  As a matter of fact I have been laying around the house for the past two days with an infected toe.  However, it is OK now.  Apparently I did walking while in Kiel because I returned with a blister on both feet.  We Missionaries get so used to walking that we forget that there is Street-car service in town. 

I guess I have already told you that for the past two weeks I have been attending and preparing for conferences.  Our own district conference took place last week and it turned out to be the most successful conference that I have attended since I have been over here.  As I have told you, my companion is a graduate of the music college of the Brigham Y.U.  and as a consequence of his labors with the Kiel and Flensburg choirs he built up one of the nicest choirs that I have hear din a long time.  It certainly made the hit and spirit of the conference.  Of course I sang all of the solo parts which I presume had something to do with success of the occasion (ha).  During the whole week-end program I sang four solos besides what I sang with our famous Schleswig Holstein quartet.  oh yes, I also made the opening or debut of a duet which my "mit" finished writing just before Conference time.  That is about the only ? with him.  Instead of putting his time to tracting, he uses it for writing music.  However, now that spring is here we both have fallen down on our tracting average.

Speaking of spring, there is certainly a contrast between Spring here and in Arizona.  Instead of birds and the smell of Alfalfa pervading the air it has been rain, snow and the smell of cheese factories.  It is real bright and sunny this afternoon but this morning it was snowing a bit.  I have seen it rain with the sun shining at the same time but this is the first time I ever witnessed snow and sunshine all in the same duration of periods.

Well, just how is the Western Hemisphere and the earthquakes getting along??  Perhaps we missionaries ought to do our preaching of repentance at home.  Nicht wahr??  There may be more truth than poetry in that last statement because you can never tell where I'll be preaching in the near future.  It looks as if they want to run the Mormons, as well as the Jews, out of Germany.  Down in the Stuttgart District last week the people were walking the streets with signs which read "Aus mid den Mormonden" or out with the Mormons.  They even stationed guards in front of the Branch President's house so they couldn't hold meetings.  Oh well, it is a great life if you don't let it get you down.  With the existing conditions throughout the world a fellow can figure himself lucky to even be on a mission.  I don't believe I would trade places with anyone if I could get out of it.  It looks as if my experiences are turning out genuine over here.  I have already had to sacrifice one pair of pants to patch the other pair.  That's my oxford grey suit. 

I read in the Guardian where Dad entertained down at Gila College.  That is something out of the ordinary at that.  Have you been put up to speak down there this year??  The way the people voted for the maintenance of the college it looks as if they were really anxious to keep it.  I believe they did a wise thing myself.

What is Burdett and the rest of the kids doing?  You can tell Jean and Joy that I haven't as yet run across any wooden shoes.  I presume everything is going along alright in the store?  Just who is working there besides Dad??  I guess you will be glad and relieved when Earle returns.  This keeping kids in Germany and in school along with the burden of your own existence is somewhat of a miracle in this day of worldly turmoil and strife.  Here is hoping you are getting along as good as you write.  Another month and things won't bear on the pocket book so much.  School will be out and is usually the case half of the Crandall family goes to the mountains to live.  Earl will also be home will he not??  Just think, I have been over here almost a year.  It is getting to where I can't keep tract of myself.  And the fellows say that the older you are on a mission the faster the days go by, so I figure I am going to have  hard time keeping up with the times. 

Lots of Love,
Clarence.