“Our Work Helped Others,” Liahona, Oct. 1997, 32
“Our Work Helped Others”
In Friedrichsdorf, Germany, just north of Frankfurt, two missionary couples recently shared their talents in the family history program. Located here is a Church family history service center, where microfilm files containing millions of facts about censuses, births, baptisms, marriages, and deaths are stored and maintained. Upon request, these files can be sent to any of the 250 family history centers throughout Europe.
Two missionary couples recently shouldered much of the responsibility for sending and receiving the microfilm files. Manfred Hechtle, a native of Mannheim, Germany, and his wife, Karin, born in Königsberg, German East Prussia, moved to the United States more than 40 years ago. They returned to Germany as missionaries because “we knew it would be wonderfully rewarding to help people all over Europe discover more about their family history,” explains Sister Hechtle.
The Hechtles also spent quite a bit of their mission time traveling to various family history centers to offer assistance. “When they asked us, we taught the family history center directors and their staffs how to use Church computer programs,” says Elder Hechtle. “These visits also gave us a chance to repair and maintain the microfilm and microfiche equipment.”
The couple also helped present family history seminars.” We piled our equipment into a station wagon and headed out,” says Elder Hechtle. “We then taught members and others interested in learning about the Church’s family history programs.”
Serving with the Hechtles were Rudi and Erika Mueller, both of whom were born in Europe but moved to the United States more than 40 years ago.
“We worked 10 or 11 hours a day,” says Sister Mueller. “On busy days we received and sent as many as 1,000 microfilm boxes. They all had to be numbered and entered into the computer.”
Elder Mueller points out that “we were so happy to be there because we got such a sense of satisfaction knowing our work helped others.”
The Muellers celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary during their mission. They say they couldn’t think of “a better way to observe it than in the work of the Lord.”