I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles

I am 64 years old.  I have never been outside of the United States.  I am now in Frankfurt Germany.  I don't know what people are saying.  I can't read any of the labels.  I am in a temporary apartment attempting to keep things clean until the residents return at which time I am told I will be in another temporary apartment.  I have only German television.  I cannot access wireless in this apartment so have to plug in my computer to get the internet.  I could continue to drone on and on and on . . . but I will just scream - - -

"WHERE ARE MY BUBBLES?"

As I was packing I decided it was really foolish to bring bubbles with me because clearly they are available everywhere.  Or I can make them out of soap and water, right?  

Sure, but I clearly forgot that even if I find the soap - 

where is the wand for breathing - ooops! I mean blowing?

Needless to say I have had some challenging moments - hours - days - since I left Lexington, Kentucky on December 6th (only 20 days ago!).   This past week I spent some time with the missionaries (Elder & Sister Peery) I will be replacing.    Ahhhhh....  the clearly sensed my anxiety (after all they are psychologists and one is in addition a clinical social worker!) and they began telling me positive stories about some of the young missionaries they have served.   This one is my favorite:

A young sister missionary was feeling pretty discouraged.  Sister Peery asked her to think of some things that made her smile.  Among other ideas the missionary said she liked to blow bubbles.  So they came up with a plan:   why not just blow bubbles?  Hmmmm.....  Simple, right?

So the young sister bought bubbles.  They made her happy.  So she and her companion decided to share the joy.  They got lots of bubbles and on a sidewalk in town put up a whiteboard and printed in big letters:

"...MEN (AND WOMEN) ARE THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE JOY."  2 NEPHI 2:25  WE CAN TELL YOU HOW!

And people stopped - not just to blow bubbles but to ask questions about finding joy.  Children and adults of all ages stopped - and there were bubbles and there was talking and there was laughter and there was joy!

This may not sound like much of a miracle to you, but it was a miracle to me.  Not necessarily the bubble experience of the young sister missionaries - but certainly that one of the first stories I heard when I got to Germany was a story about blowing bubbles!

Remember this You Tube video I shared  last year?  Here it is again - - - you have to listen to the music while you watch everyone finding joy - peace - comfort - laughter while blowing bubbles!

http://thelevityinstitute.com/2012/01/bubbles-of-joy-the-levity-projects-new-micro-movement/