March Madness - Fasching!

 FHE activity the JAE's helped out decorating for the Ward Fasching party to be held the next day.

 Julia and her husband Kevin were in charge of the party and did a fabulous job.

 The holiday "Fasching" is called Karneval in Germany and similar to Mardi Gras in the USA.  If you want details then you can google it. The main celebration is the Tues. before Ash Wed. and here in Graz, everything shut down in the city center for the parade of sorts and celebrating. We snuck away for an hour to watch. 

 At first it was raining and cold but later it cleared up and was nicer to be out. Hey, who knew there is an Austrian Minion?

 We were standing by these people and asked if we could take their picture.They loved posing for us. People wear masks to scare away the winter and darkness as spring approaches.

 I wish I could post all the entries. There was a little bit of everything.

 Even Uncle Sam came for a visit, also a western train with cowboys & girls lipsinging to John Denver songs. We felt right at home.

 These guys were fun esp when they put their huge head pieces on.

 When people go to all this trouble to dress up, they love it when you ask for a picture. Just random costume pics of people walking by. Thought you could get some good ideas for next Halloween!

 This guy thanked us for noticing him and wanting to take his picture. I think it made his day and ours.

 People looked at our name tags to see what we were dressed up as. Felt good to be missionaries!

 Superman emerges from his Wohnung! (apartment)

 We had to show off Superman to our sweet neighbor Val who has the apartment at the back. She is great and loves the cookies we bring her. She has given us a couple of small spring potted plants. We are hoping to get better aquainted as time goes by.  We know her husband died a few years ago and that she is kind of in charge of the building. She speaks great English!!!

 Superman is off to the Ward Party with his reporter girlfriend Lois Lane. Or should I say off to the rescue! (One of the Elders is holding his cape and I just noticed that I have an arm coming out of my back., hee,hee)

 This is weird! An iceman dude with Pipi Longstockings hanging out for a meeting with us in the JAE room. This is actually Marlene and Baldur our JAE (or YSA)  group leaders.

 All of us six Graz full-time Missionaries with Ward Missionaries Anna and Bro. Hoffman. Just so you know, Bro. Hoffman is Bob Dole for tonight. I love this pic.

 We love Bishop Thomas Lex and his cute wife Regina so much. What a fun idea to dress up as cows, but people thought they were dalmations! Notice the horns, people! They are the parents of a missionary son serving in Romania and 5 other children.

 Elisa loves Superman anything, so freaked out when she saw him. Notice the Superman pez dispenser that Superman is holding. He gave out close to 6 packs of pez candies that night. What a nice hero. (A side note:  Elder Tew did get Pres. Miles's permission to dress like this. Pres. Miles said he has never had such a request but knowing Elder Tew, he said, go for it and enjoy.)

 Fun to see adults dress up for a ward party.

 Helga Bein and son Raphael. He turned 18 this year so he and his mom come sometimes to our JAE functions and I wanted to get a picture of them here at the ward party before they left for home.

 The Kobers are such a great family. Bro. Kober is not a member but is in charge of the ward library. Sis Kober is the Stake Young Women Pres, Their oldest daughter is Julia and oldest son Bernhard is our Ward Mission Leader. They have 2 other younger kids. Bro. Kober does alot and loves coming to everything. Someday he will quit smoking and be baptized.

 Our cute Sis. Knapp. Her husband was working this night but they are the parents of 10 children and most are here in the ward. Eight boys and the two youngest are girls. One son is in the Bishopric, another is the ward clerk, etc. They have lots of grandkids. Oh, one thing I just found out is that one of her daughter-in-laws, Ruth ( from Switzerland and is here in the ward),  served a mission in Romania and was Chariti's Trainer. She remembered Sister Porter very well.  Always a small world in the church!

 Party time is over and taking down the decor went really fast with many hands.

Superman fades off in the distance to re-emerge next year!!