Folks,

First of all - Happy Fathers Day to all the Fathers! We wish you the very best in this most wonderful role. May the moments you spend with your families be the best in your day! The best for them and the best for you.

The days are long this time of year and it is a good thing because we have so much to put in them. We get up when the sun is coming up (it starts getting light here about 5AM) and normally we get home before it is completely dark (about 1015PM). I know we said we were busy before but the pace just seems to pick up every week. This past week found us either running in the door from one thing to get ready for the next thing or running out the door on our way to the next thing. But there have been some wonderful things happening here.

We have one young airman that hangs out at the IOC a lot. We can almost say that if we are there - he is there. He is a great young man and he is trying to do good things rather than hang out with the wrong crowd and do things that will lead him into trouble. He has even spent hours talking with us when there was nothing else happening. So you know he is trying hard to hang in there.

And there have been days when the grocery bill has been huge. I've heard cars that were "gas-guzzelers" talked about as being able to "really empty a gas tank". Some of these guys can "really empty out a refrigerator". No doubt about it, some of these guys really like the "home cooking" that they get at the IOC. It does require a lot of work on Pam's part but it helps to keep them coming back. And I help to the extent of my abilities in the kitchen. (That means I get to eat there too!)

The weather has changed and perhaps our summer is over. Now you may think that is a little pesimistic but they tell us that last year they had great weather in May and from then on it was a cold damp summer. This year we had tremendous weather in May. There were many sunny days and the temps were sometimes in the 80's. Now that is really unusually good weather for Germany. So this past week we dropped into the low 70's and even had a day or two that didn't get to 70. Today we topped out at 62and we are supposed to have a few more days like today. Add clouds and dampness to that and it feels pretty cold.

The work on the big stake project continues. This week we went back and looked at the 40 tons of material and it's still there and as big as ever. We counted 94 pallets of boxes. So we estimate 1,500 to 2,000 boxes. If there are only 1,500 boxes and we do the project in 5 hours that is turning out 5 boxes per minute. That means unboxing, sorting, catagorizing, re-boxing, labeling, taking inventory, stacking on a pallet, wrapping the pallet and putting the pallet back in the Hardened Aircraft Shelter 300 boxes or 20 pallets per hour. And the plan is to do it with an untrained volunteer force. We think it can be done but it will take planning, hard work and the Lord's help.

We are busy and happy but we sure miss all of you. We miss being there for days like today (Fathers Day) and all the things that are happening in your lives. Please know that we think of you often and lovingly speak your names as we ask the Lord to bless you.

Love to all,

Elder (Bruce/Dad/Grandpa/Friend/Who?) and Sister (Pam/Mom/Grandma/Dear Friend) Karn