Our Working Trip to Austria

Since last December 2009 we have been responsible for taking care of the computers and other equipment for Family History Centers (FHCs) in Europe. Family History Centers are local places connected to our ward buildings where members and local people of the community can come to search for their kindred dead, to find out who their ancestors are and link their family together. However, in our church we also need to find out who these people are so we can do their temple work for them and link them together with us in our Eternal family. But to go on with our narrative, we recently received email from a Center in Austria indicating their computer needed to be replaced. So Elder Howlett began trying to find a way to get a replacement. Each country has its own tax laws, and it is not legal to take new computers we buy in Germany into Switzerland or Austria. While working with our director Elder Howlett pointed out that there were other computers in both Austria and Switzerland that should be replaced, and when he figured out how to buy computers for those lands he should get more than one. We found that at least six in each land were needed as soon as possible. As a result, our supervisor ordered six computers for each land as soon as he could put together all of the arrangements. They were all to be delivered to one place in the country, and we were to go there, setup the computers with the proper software, and then deliver them to the Family History Centers where they were needed.

Downtown Vienna from the banks of the Danube River

Once we had confirmation that they would be delivered in Austria, we made plans for our trip. The trip was to include Switzerland as well, though we had no confirmation from the supplier that they would be delivered in time. As the time of the trip got closer, those in charge were still unable to get word on the Swiss computers, but we started our trip. Sister Howlett was busy throughout the preparation time finding and recording the locations of each FHC, the directions to the sites, phone numbers of the directors, etc. She also made hotel reservations needed, etc. so we could be successful in our assignment. It was frustrating to her that the schedule for the trip was still unsettled.

Elder Howlett on bridge over the Danube with a large picturesque Church (Franz von Assisi Kirche) in the background


Confirmation of the computers arriving in Switzerland never came, but the Austrian computers were there and waiting for us to do the job. So on 24 May 2010 we left about 6:00 in the morning and headed for Wien (Vienna), where the computers were waiting. We had a good GPS system and Sister Howlett helped navigate for Elder Howlett, who did most of the driving.

A street in Vienna

It was a holiday—Pentecost Monday—so the roads were mostly clear of work related traffic, and even most of the trucks were not on the road. Therefore we arrived in Vienna about 2 pm or 14:00. It wasn’t possible to start the computer work because all was closed up for the holiday, so after finding our hotel and settling in there we took a walk around the area and down to the Donau (Danube) River front close by. It was beautiful and we even met a couple of LDS missionary elders on their P-day, though we forgot to take their picture.

Enjoying our cold bottles of WATER after our long walk around Vienna

Vienna was beautiful, big and busy, but we had a nice long walk around many shops, that were all closed, then we finally found a little Austrian Cafe open and had a nice dinner in the pleasant surroundings not too far from the hotel. It was an enjoyable evening and a good night’s sleep before the next big day. The secretary, Maria Oberhuber at the FS Office building where we to do our work sent us directions on how to travel by public transportation from the hotel to the office because there was only very limited short-time parking allowed where we were to work. We left the car in the Hotel parking lot (3 car spaces), and took a train, then a bus to work – just like a lot of other people have to do. That was an interesting experience in itself, but we made it okay, even with our suitcase in tow with all of the tools, software disks, etc. that we needed, and we even got to the office before the secretary opened the doors. It was in the middle of many downtown stores and other office buildings.

A statue in front of the Vienna Bahnhof (train station)

Elder Howlett worked very rapidly all day, doing three computers at a time, and miraculously was able to finish all six computers by about 6:30 pm (18:30). It turned out that two of the completed computers were to be left in the office for another local brother to come and take them to 2 FHCs located near his home in Southern Austria. That really helped us out time wise, because we were still hoping there would be computers in Switzerland that we would have to work on later in the week. With the gracious help of Maria, Sister Howlett was able to contact all the other FHC directors to tell them we were coming to their buildings the next day.

An interesting method of advertizing--pull a banner across a crosswalk in front of traffic waiting at a traffic light. The girls scurried very fast to the street side when the light changed.

After a second night’s stay at our hotel in Vienna, we picked up all the four remaining computers, monitors, etc. from the office downtown and headed off towards our delivery points. The plan was to deliver three computers in one day not too far from Vienna on the Eastern side of Austria, then travel all the way to the Western border of Austria the next day to deliver the last computer.


Sister Huschner intent on checking out her new computer.

Our first stop was in a little town called Sankt Pölten. We called the FHC director on the way and she met us by the church, which was a rented building in the middle of the town, near lots of other buildings that looked like apartment houses. However, once inside the rooms, the spiritual feeling of being in one of our churches was there and the sister seemed so humble. Hilary Huschner is a British sister married to an Austrian and they had lived in Austria for nearly 20 years. She was helpful, kind and very excited to get a new computer which worked so much faster and better than the old one.


Brother Mayer in Linz is also very happy to receive a new computer.

From there we drove on to a city called Linz. It was a much bigger area and they had a nice big chapel which was built back in the 1960s. Again the FHC director, Walter Mayer, met us there so we could set up the computer. He was also very excited about getting a new computer. He told us he had been the bishop there many years back but now he was happy to serve as the FHC director. All through the countryside getting to these towns and cities we were traveling up and down and around the beautiful mountains. Sometimes we went through them in some long tunnels. We so enjoyed seeing the little country towns and farms, with cows dotting the hillside and verdant green grass everywhere in between the trees and bushes. It was very evident what is meant by “the edge of the forest” in some fairy tales. We could see many of those areas interspersed with the villages and farms on the foothills of the Alps.

A village in foothills of Austrian Alps

The next place we traveled to that day was a small town or almost a village called Haag am Hausruck (Hog om houserook). It seemed to be a typical Austrian town nestled in the hills of the Alps. However we were very pleasantly surprised when our GPS led us to a nice church building that was fairly big and very accommodating for a ward, located out in the countryside.

Nice country chapel in small town of Haag am Hausruck

Sister Carola Kroiss, who is jointly handling the calling of FHC director with her husband, came riding up to the church on her bicycle. Imagine riding up and down all those hills on a bike! She was a very happy and friendly person in her late forties and was very knowledgeable about computers and the FS programs. She was also very excited to be getting a new computer that worked much quicker, though they needed to keep the old computer too. Later we learned from our assistant director, Richard Walker, that a man named Johann Huber owned that land and he had joined the church several years ago. Luckily he was willing to sell the land to the Church so a church building could be constructed there in Haag am Hausruck. Apparently no other land owner would sell lots to the Mormon Church. A very nice chapel was built there in the 1950s and has been upgraded since to make a beautiful building for the small ward there to meet in. Sister Kroiss was very interesting to talk to and we learned that her husband is fighting a battle with Cancer, but she had a great attitude and wanted to do all she could to be of service to the Lord.

Sister Kroiss explaining things about her FHC in Haag am Hausruck to Elder Howlett.

By this time it was about 3 pm (15:00) so we went to a larger neighboring town where we had reservations to spend the night. It was called Ried im Innkreis (Reed im Innkrice) and was a larger town with this nice modern hotel. After settling in again, we took a walk around the town and looked for a restaurant where we could have some dinner, as most of the hotels we stayed at did not have restaurant facilities, only a breakfast room and bar. We finally found a place to eat a small dinner and then enjoyed a nice night’s rest and good breakfast in the morning before we set off for our drive across Austria to the Western border.



Sister Howlett by the May Pole in the center of Ried im Innkreis

It seems that staying in all kinds of hotels is kind of interesting in that we get to see how many of the tourists or business travelers live. It is fun to be pampered for a price, but it gets old after a while. We are glad we don’t have to do this all the time.

The long drive across Austria actually went back into Germany for a short distance, then down to Salzburg, on to Innsbruck and then on to Dornbirn, our destination on the Western border. The trip took us up and down many mountains and through some, with one of the tunnels being about 17 km long which is about 12 miles. It was beautiful, though, and again so green with lots of farms, cows, sheep and even some mountain goats.

One part of the Alps mountain range.

Many times in the day it would be sunny, then in a half hour or so it would cloud up and rain on us. It took most of the day but we arrived in Dornbirn around 2:00 pm (14:00) so we were able to meet the FHC director, Ursula Simmerle and deliver the new computer to her. Again the FHC was located in a nice chapel and the ward seemed to be quite large. It was so nice to know that each place needed the computer and appreciated the upgrade for their centers.

The Dornbirn FHC director, Sister Simmerle is also happy to receive a new computer.

After contacting our director, Bengt Svedjot, to learn whether or not the computers had arrived in Switzerland, he told us they had not because the Swiss Dell company refused to send the computers for the church without payment up front. We had always purchased the computers before with a letter of credit stating payment would be made when correctly delivered, but this time they didn’t cooperate. Our director was not happy with that company and asked us to go over to the closest large city, St. Gallen, in Switzerland the next day and see what stores might have Lenovo computers to be purchased there.
That night we stayed in a nice hotel in the large city of Dornbirn, still in Austria. It was a very nice place with an adjacent restaurant that was very expensive. However we decided to eat there that night, and chose fairly inexpensive meals. At the dinner table everything seemed to be so exquisite and lovely, for a very pricey restaurant, but as I was eating my dinner, I saw a little sugar ant crawling across the sparkling white table cloth near my plate. Of course I brushed him off, but I thought even expensive restaurants have their problems too.


A city center area in St. Gallen, Switzerland

The next day we were able to contact and meet the FamilySearch contact person, Paul Boos, in St. Gallen and he took us to a large computer store near his home and work place.
Brother Boos showing us around the city hall where he lives and works.

He is the maintenance man for the City Hall in downtown St Gallin, and he lives in the upstairs part of the Hall. On one of the floors of the building there is a jail. He tells everyone that he and his family live in a jail. He was a fun person to visit with, even though he didn’t speak much English.

Paul Boos helping Elder Howlett find information needed.

Elder Howlett could communicate with him quite well, though. After getting the information that we needed, we headed on home to our apartment in Nieder Erlenbach, near Frankfurt, Germany. It was about a six hour drive and we got home just in time to go with the Senior missionaries on their monthly endowment session in the Frankfurt temple. It was a long day, but a very nice end to a successful trip. We have since learned that 6 more computers have been ordered for Switzerland and will be delivered in early July. So, we will go back down there to do that job just before we leave our mission to return home to America. It is all right though. We are glad we can keep busy right up to the end.