--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 32 number: 12 published: 1929-10 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, “Messages from the Missions,” *Improvement Era* 32, no. 12 (October 1929): 1029–1031." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera32012unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera32012unse start_page: 1029 end_page: 1031 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1929-10) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera32012unse publication_year: 1929 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1929, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Messages from the Missions Messages from the Missions Viewing the World from "Zugspitze" In the extreme southern part of Bavaria, Germany, a few miles from the Austrian border, is situated one of the most romantic spots in all the world. The majestic Bavarian and Tyrolese Alps, protecting and shelter- ing, as it were, the picturesque inhab- itants of the quiet valleys below them; the in- numerable little lakes and moun- tain gorges; and the historical value of the country are attractions which yearly entice thou- sands of visitors. Here are to be seen the three cas- t 1 e s, Linderhof, Neuschwanstein, and Hohenschwan- gau, mute evidence of the artistic but extravagant nature of the Bavarian King Ludwig II. Here the "Zug- spitze," Germany's highest mountain, rests gray and weatherbeaten, its jagged twin peaks reaching skyward. And here, too, nestling securely in a snug valley, lies the ancient village of Oberammergau, far-famed because of its Passion Play depicting the life and crucifixion of Christ. Receiving permission for a week- end outing, we missionaries of the Stuttgart and Munich districts made this wonderful country the goal of our excursion. Wednesday, July 3, we boarded the train, arriving at our destination in the middle of the after- The noon. The first night was spent in the alpine village of Garmisch-Parten- kirchen. Arising early the following morning, we set out for the "Zug- spitze" and arrived shortly at the foot of the peak. To most tour- ists the mountain had been inaccess- ible, until in 1924 the Austrian gov- ernment granted a permit to build a cable-way up their side of the peak. This project was completed in 1926, and now one can go swinging up nearly a mile into space without the slightest effort on one's own part. We climbed in- to the frail cabin of the cable-car that was to carry us within a short distance of the very top of the mountain. The door was closed and we were off. Up, up, up, — what a rid e, — what wonderful view s, — what a strange feeling somewhere in the region or the stomach! At first we were near the tops of the trees, but soon we were swinging over three hundred feet above naked cliffs. A strong wind swayed the car back and forth incessantly, only adding to that insecure feeling. As we nearcd the middle of the journey, the other car came into sight and then passed us on its way down to the valley. The ride lasted twenty minutes. Arriving 'zugspitze," germany's highest Mountain of 1030 IMPROVEMENT ERA Oct.. 1919 at the mountain station, we climbed out of the cabin and were soon view- ing the world from a different and interesting angle. In another thirty minutes we had reached the highest peak and stood there, drinking in the fresh mountain air. The magnitude and grandeur of the mighty ranges, which met our gaze in every direc- t i o n, contrasted strangely with "the nothingness of the children of men." It was July 4th, our nation's birth- day, and standing there on the top- most peak of one of Europe's oldest states, we did not forget to let a heartfelt cheer ring forth for the land we love best. We had decided to make the steep descent on foot, but the taste of Alp-climbing, that the short but dangerous ascent from the station to the top gave us, did not exactly whet our appetites for more. We concluded to hire a guide. In fact most of the tourists with us had hired guides for the short ascent to the top. However, guides were high and our momentary supply of "the filthy lucre" was low, so we changed our minds again and started out alone. Everyone thought we were insane and perhaps it was foolhardy, but some- thing gave us perfect assurance in our- selves. In fact, fear did not enter our hearts until we reached the bottom of the precipice. The two former sheep-herders in the group of mission- aries broke all records for that course by covering it in exactly twenty-five minutes! There were stretches where The Austrian Largest Cable-way, in EUROPE THE progress could be made only by hold- ing fast to the "iron rod," and more than once we were forced to let our- selves down over perpendicular ledges with no other support than steel spikes driven in the rock walls. During the journey one of the brethren accident- ally loosened a large boulder. His frantic cry of "Watch out, fel- lows!" came bare- ly in time. A missionary a little ahead of the rest of us stepped quickly aside as the boulder passed h i m. We all breathed a d e e p breath of relief as the huge rock shot over a cliff into oblivion. The dangerous part of the descent behind us, we sat down outside of the little half-way station and gazed back at the mighty peak, around the crest of which dark clouds were now rapidly gathering. And as we sat there, looking back and thinking back, the real significance of the descent and the magnitude of the danger was made clear to us. The reason for such as- surance and lack of fear in undertak- ing the journey was understood. We had not made that trip alone! Fifteen weary missionaries gave thanks that night to a kind Heavenly Father for leading them safely out of bodily peril. Some of them dreamed of falling off cliffs. The remainder of the excursion af- forded us many wonderful sights and experiences, all of which will surely enrich our future lives; but the in- cident, that will stand out clearly in our minds long after time has made Oct.. 1929 MESSAGES FROM THE MISSIONS 1031 the trip itself a dim memory, was the descent down the precipitous side of old "Zugspitze." It was more to us than just a new experience, because it taught us a lesson that we mortals are slow to learn and prone to forget. The lesson, that there is One who is mightier than guides or ropes or earth- ly assistance of whatever character it may happen to be, and he never for- sakes them that seek to serve him. — Miles Burgess, president of Stuttgart district. MISSIONARIES OF THE STUTTGART AND MUNICH DISTRICTS IN FRONT OF DEPOT AT GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN Standing, left to right: Joseph Coulam, Jr.. Max Schmidt. Moses Hansen. Grant Strebel. Lynn Wood, president of Munich district, Stanley Hall, Harold Creer, John Wendel, Miles Burgess, president of Stuttgart district; Harold Naisbitt. Lonzo Hansen, Ernest Eberhard. Jr. Sitting: Clifford Leslie. Keaton Dayton. Alton Gessel. A news collecting agency has sent out the following item: EVANSVILLE, Ind,, Sept. 24. (CTS) . — An aviator swooped out of the sky today to save the house of Walter Schiffer, about eight miles from here, from burning, and then disappeared. The fire, starting in a barn, destroyed the barn, granary and smokehouse, in spite of all neighbors could do, and the house appeared doomed. Then the aviator appeared and darted between the granary and the house, fanning the fire in the other direction. He flew between the house and the burning granary 40 or 50 times, according to Schiffer, until he was certain the fire had spent itself and the house was no longer in danger. His errand completed, he arose and vanished.