Else & Jakob STEHLE 72138 Kirchentellinsfurt

Hohenbergerstr. 7 *** Phone ++49 +7121 601806

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December, 1999

Dear friends!

We want to thank our friends in the USA for all their help and kindness which they offered our son TOBIAS while he was travelling all over the country. He received so much hospitality and friendship, especially when his car broke down in Mobile (Alabama). How lucky he has been that he could rely on Esther and Lester Boleyn in Citronelle. They brought Tobias to their home and he could stay with them for ten days until his car finally had been repaired. It was God’s grace, for sure!

During his studies overseas he got to know some nice people - he made a lot of friends at the university in Selinsgrove, too (Ney York State), Many sundays Tobias went to church in Lewisburg, where he met Brian Wagner and his family. He took a trip to Baltimore to see the Stellmann family - the hostfamily of Manuela, when she stayed in the USA as an Au-Pair in 1990. Tobias also went to Chicago to meet Estella and John Horning, whom we got to know in Nigeria (as well as the Boleyns). Tobias enjoyed to stay with them all und their relatives. He had much fun to see the different cities, e.g. Baltimore or Chicago. Thanks again everyone for helping him in such a wonderful way. May God bless you!

At the end of the fall semester Tobias went with his car (he called it “Silberpfeil” - the famous car of Mercedes!) all by himself to the west coast. For three weeks he was on the road, reaching the pacific at the end of his tour. During his stay in America Tobias was communicating with us by email. So we were always informed about what he was up to and could help him with our informations when it was needed. Jakob wrote so many letters that you could make a book with them - a kind of diary about personal, family and political events. At the end of June we went to Zurich (Switzerland) to meet Tobias at the airport. Back at Tübingen he had the chance to do some work in order to earn money. By now he is back again in Konstanz (Lake Constance). Some weeks ago he did his “Vordiplom in VWL” (intermediate exam in business). In addition to his studies there he found a job at a “car-rent-service”. He really enjoys driving around in nice cars.

ELSE and JAKOB:

started the New Year 1999 as always with the yearly festival meeting of the brass-choir. Else actually was the winner regarding the percentage of participation in all the different rehearsals, concerts and other events: in 1998 she had played with the choir 101 times! The choir plays for elderly people’s birthdays every Sunday after church. Some Sundays we have to go to 5 people. In springtime this year we had the yearly big meeting of brass-choirs of our district. We counted 300 players! It was a great spectacle in our huge sports hall and afterwards in front of the town hall on the market place ouf our village. Jakob held the sermon.

MANUELA

After having finished her studies at the university of Tübingen in October 1998 with her state examination in German and English she got the opportunity to do additional studies in “PR” (public relations) for one year. The educational program started in February this year and will last until February 2000. Because the courses are at Stuttgart she has to drive there every day. Part of the program was a three months internship: she worked at the PR-office of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Stuttgart. Right now she is busy with her last projects and with writing her applications. Hopefully she’ll find a good job afterwards.

MARTIN

is writing his big paper (registration-paper for examination). At springtime he will have his exam in politics. He still is working at the supermarket. After being a cashier for several years he now is in charge of all the cashiers as one of the five supervisors. That means more hours of work and some extra money. Both of them, Manuela and Martin, are members of the special brass-choir of our district; they are playing the organ in different churches, too.

DUNJA

is very busy with her three children. Before Jonathan was born, she joined a Mother-Child-Group in Rommelsbach with Samuel. Until summer she was working for Tupperware and held meetings to sell the products.

MATTHIAS

passed his examination for his doctorate on the 27th of September 1999 (Just 29 years ago he was dedicated in Ngoshie by Pastor Filibbus Gwama). He now is called “Dipl. Phys. Dr. rer. nat.” (sounds impressive, doesn’t it ?!). We are glad and thankful that the hard time now for him is over. Even more, he found a job as trainee at the “Deutscher Sparkassen Verlag” in Stuttgart as Dipl. Physiker, which he started in October. Right now he’s getting to know every department to learn about the company. Matthias is in charge of a youthgroup of the congregation in Oferdingen and of course is still playing the trumpet in our brass-choir.

Some knews about our grandchildren:

JONATHAN

His full name is Jonathan Immanuel. He was born at Tübingen on Wednesday, 6th October 1999. His weight was 2.860 grams and his length 50 cm. Now he is already nine weeks old and he has gained some weight (over 1000 grams). He is such a cute, smiling boy. Sister Esther is very proud that she already manages to hold him properly; brother Samuel loves him dearly (sometimes hugging him too much!).

SAMUEL

turned two years old on the 30th of September. His Daddy sometimes calls him “mischief” (in Haussa we said “sarkin fadda”). He is always hungry and eats almost everything! He started to talk and now utters two- and three-word-sentences. He just loves swimming: “Omi, Mali (as he calls himself) Wasser schwimmen!” On Tuesdays Else has his “Omi-Tag” (the day with grandma).

ESTHER

enjoys to be the “grown up-sister”. She is at kindergarten and next year she will start elementary school. Three afternoons per week there is kindergarten in the afternoon, too. Thursday or Friday afternoon she can choose to have her “Omi-Tag”. - Indeed, Else is a very “nice Omi”! - she enjoys to spend a lot of time with the children. At summertime she was working with them outdoors in the garden; now they play puzzles, draw pictures, do creative things and have a lot of ideas for indoor-activities.

Dear friends,

we are always busy, but we enjoy life, too. Jakob is doing his churchwork and many times he travels around to meet people from the Danube (so-called Swabian settlers on the Danube) at Sindelfingen (there is their worl centre). In July they celebrated the 50th anniversary of their arrival at Reutlingen. Else and Jakob went to Thüringen this year to celebrate 50 years of partnership with Martinroda/Neusiss (Illmenau). Esther got the chance to travel with us and in Weimar she wanted to see Goethe and Schiller. We just had a wonderful time!

But one big event we must not forget:

Our friends from Baltimore, Betsy, Lily and Julie, stayed some days with our family here in Kirchentellinsfurt. We enjoyed their company very much. Manuela was proud to see “her baby” Lily after nine years. We had a chance to visit Rothenburg o.d.Tauber and we showed them around in Tübingen. One evening we had a good time in Oferdingen with Manuela und Martin, too. Esther and Samuel were really happy to see the girls and to try some English. Betsy and the girls tried German. So we could understand each other. Samuel still speaks about Betsy, Lily and Julie. Especially Betsy made an impression on him! And Esther speaks about the girls whom she loved much.The time was too short! After a few days Betsy’s brother came and took them to spend some time with his family in the Blackforest.

On the 19th of November Jacob’s godmother celebrated her 80th birthday. Therefore his sister’s family arranged a gathering with all the family-members. It was a pity that Tobias couldn’t join us (for he was at Konstanz) and that Martin was sick (he had bronchitis).

Dear friends,

we hope you are fine und doing well. Thank you all for still being in contact with us, may it be via letters, phone or even e-mail (martin.sautter@student.uni-tuebingen.de). Manuela and Martin also have a fax-machine: ++49 +7121 621908.

WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS ***

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AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR 2000 ! *******

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May it be a “year of His grace”! ***

Yours, from Germany,