Ephraim Signal - Germany - Jerusalem - Israel - Kansas City - Independence - Missouri - Salt Lake City - Utah

Ephraim's Lone LDS Outpost in the Samarian Mountains - Judaea and Samaria - Holy Land - Near / Middle Eastern Frontier - Sebastia 5732 - 1972

1st Visit to Utah - 1989 a dream come true after 25 years !

LDS Wilhelmshaven, Herbartstrasse 83 This is where it all began in 1964 (at age 16) I was driving by this building with this strange name "Die Kirche Jesu Christi der Heiligen der Letzten 3 Tage" (I had misread it by accident ? I don't know why, but after a few times I remembered its correct name without the " 3 ". It speaks generally about the Latter Days and not of the last 3 days) it caught my attention - I saw the showcase - the meeting hours and that was the starting point ... I was greeted by 4 Missionaries of the church, 2 Brethren and 2 Sisters. We had a great time together. One of the missionaries was from Homedale - Idaho and he introduced me to a penpal : Wendy Hyer from Homedale - Idaho

May 1967 - baptised at the Central German Mission in Duesseldorf Sept 1967 - the German Foreign Office sends me to Tel Aviv - Israel for a 6 months assignment - no connections or recollections about my recent baptism - it is as if wiped out May 1968 - Immigration to Israel and marriage - the past seems forgotten as a new chapter unfolds Feb 1972 - Military Service in Samaria - Mountains of Ephraim - strange dream May 1975 - After months of prayers for direction and meaning : Renewed contact to the Church - my German file reaches Israel 1977 - Israel District is established with 3 Branches : Jerusalem - Tiberias - Tel Aviv - Ivan J.Barrett becomes District President. Sept.1977 - Ordained an Elder in Jerusalem by my close friend Ronny Lester Graybeal Oct 1979 - Pres Spencer W Kimball dedicates the Orson Hyde Memorial Garden on the Mt of Olives in Jerusalem July 1980 - Our daughter is born - we are overhappy . Conflict and domestic difficulties mark the coming years due to my church involvement Aug 1984 - turning point - a visit to Wilhelmshaven and death of my father make me kneel again and pray - remain a loner LDS life in Israel just goes on without me, except for the Graybeals, the Schwendimans and the Hills - wonderful friends, that also includes the Ronas,the Galbraiths, the Zaionces. 1985-1988 - BYU Center construction - supervised by my good friend Fred A. Schwendiman May 1989 - Pres Howard W Hunter dedicates the new BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies Oct 1989 - Finally - the long dreamed of trip to UTAH takes place. we have a wonderful time with our friends Apr 1991 - General Conference - Salt Lake City Feb 1992 - Another special and important visit to Salt Lake City - celebrating my 44th birthday, visiting my good friends, meet with Pres Hunter and Spencer J. Palmer the author of Mormons & Muslims, he presents me with his book "Religions of the World" and writes : Happy Birthday - May the Lord be with you in your commendable work - Spencer Palmer - 19 Feb 1992.     1993-1995 - further visits follow, the saddest being April 1995, my good friends the Hills had passed away, LeRoy on 18.Feb and Eva on 22 Mar. , also Pres Howard W. Hunter had died just weeks before on 3 March 1995. It was a sad, although spiritually uplifting conference, still in the Tabernacle Building.