Tribute to Grandma Moeckl

(Lisa's Tribute read at Grandma Moeckl's Funeral)

My grandmother had an incredible gift, while she had so many family members vying for her attention, I could say without a doubt she made each one of us feel as if we were special and important in a meaningful way. Ask anyone of us and we will give you a unique story. My husband Marc holds much love and respect for her as well in the brief time he was privileged to know her, that is the kind of woman she was.

While it is difficult not being with everyone to celebrate her life, it is also difficult not being able to be with the wonderful family she had so much influence in creating. There is a great amount of love, laughter and pride in being a Moeckl and in being “a cousin” which would not have been possible without my grandmother’s sacrifices in so many ways.

Each of us in our quest of earthly existence hope our lives are in some way meaningful. My grandmother without a doubt accomplished that mission, not through earthly titles or wealth, but by being “stubbornly” committed to first her faith in God and then to her family. Today my heart is with all of you while my presence can not be. While I am saddened at the end of an era of my grandmother’s earthly presence I rejoice that she is in the heavenly home she always yearned for and taught us so much about. More so I rejoice that she is now with my grandfather and with us in her spirit and in who each one of us have become just by being touched by her faith and loving presence.

With all my love and respect grandma- Lisa Rachelle

I lost my grandma Sheppard when I was 8 so I never really had the chance to know here, but I still remember those big hugs that almost crushed you. She too was a prayer warier that held the family together when she was her. Grandma Moeckl embodied everything I knew my grandmother to stand for. It was easy to fall in love with Grandma Moeckl with her accepting love, her kindness, those hugs that would almost crush you and let’s not forget those awesome chicken and noodles. I love Grandma Moeckl as my own and rejoice that she is now home. I know Grandma Moeckl will have a very long line of greeters to welcome her into heaven, and at the end of that line will be my Grandma Sheppard anxiously awaiting an update – I think they will become great friends.

Love you grandma, Marc.

Obituary

Wilma “Jean” Moeckl
(June 11, 1919 - March 23, 2006)
“Her children arise and call her blessed…” Proverbs 31:28

We, her children, celebrate the life of our precious mother, Wilma “Jean” Moeckl, born June 11, 1919, to Irving and Jessie Wenig. She was ushered into heaven at 6:59 pm March 23, 2006, at Maranatha Village in Springfield, Missouri, on her grandson Ashton’s 17^th birthday, as her children were singing Onward Christian Soldiers. She grew up on a farm near Gray, Iowa, attended Iowa State Teacher’s College, and then taught in a one-room school for eight years. She married Harold “Pat” Alvin Moeckl, December 26, 1945; eight children were born to this union. She was a member of the Gray Assembly of God church until 1974 when Pat and she moved to Des Moines, Iowa. There they became members of the First Assembly of God church.

Jean was loved by many and will be remembered as a powerful prayer warrior who excelled in the gift of hospitality. She mastered the art of homemade wheat rolls, cinnamon rolls, chicken & noodles, scrumptious pies, and more. Her greatest joy was that all eight of her children and their spouses have accepted Christ as their personal Savior and are active in serving Him today.

Jean is survived by all eight of her children: Patti (Chaplain Delwin) VandeKrol, Ft. Madison, IA; Harold (Esther) Moeckl, Mechanicsville, VA; Dan (Jeannie) Moeckl, Des Moines, IA; Rev. Ken (Trudy) Moeckl, Springfield, MO; Pauline (Duane) Everett, Clifton, VA; Pam (Mark) Schaad, Des Moines, IA; Peggy (Rev. Randy) Williams, Vero Beach, FL; Penny (Chuck) Francis, Hollister, CA; 26 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister, Nettie Clemmensen, Minneapolis, MN, and brother, Rev. Tom (Mae) Wenig, Kearney, NE. She was preceded in death by her husband, Harold “Pat” Moeckl (July 30, 1978), her son-in-law, Red Behnke (January 27, 1993), her parents, Irving and Jessie Wenig, her sister and husband, Eloise & Leonard Franz; and brother-in-law Glenn Clemmensen.

Memorials may be sent to First Assembly of God, 2725 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines, IA 50310 and will be used for “Fire Bibles” (study Bibles) for pastors overseas.

We rise up and honor the memory of our mother and are so thankful for her unselfish life. Patti, Harold, Dan, Ken, Pauline, Pam, Peggy, and Penny

Transportation in Sofia

We don’t have a car here in Sofia which is both a blessing and a curse. We knew coming over we would not have a car, although we did not realize just how far the bible school was from our home. We take public transportation (Bus, Tram, Trolley or Taxi) almost everywhere. To get to the school I take two busses. I walk 5 blocks to get to the bus station, take a 30 min bus ride, walk another 4 blocks to the next bus, take a 20 min bus ride and walk another 3 blocks to the school. The whole trip door to door is about 1hr15min. Once the weather gets better it won’t be too bad. However with all the snow we have been having – it makes for quite a trek. The positive is that I will have some genuine stories to tell Drew about waking blocks on icy snow packed roads in a foreign country – so don’t give me any whining! Another plus is that I am getting my exercise in.

Last week a family on our team left for a few days and left us their car to use. That same trip to school is only 35 min by car – but driving is a whole new adventure. Every car here is a manual transmission – automatics are unheard of. I can drive a stick – but pray that Lisa never has to go anywhere. The roads look like they just got bombed by the Germans. There are pot holes you can actually loose a car in – and some have. We had a family on our team who drove through a “puddle,” this puddle happened to be 16 inches deep. They ended up breaking their front axle on their min-van.

Road signs, street signals – are merely a “suggestion” here. The biggest and fastest win – the others get hurt. I have to admit – it was an adrenaline rush to drive. You are a race car driver with everyone else. The “right-of-way” goes to the one who gets his bumper in first – I felt like I was cutting my way through a defensive backfield once again. The only problem is – if you get tackled here – it will cost you some serious money. (It didn’t help that my friend’s car is a Volkswagen 6 speed turbo diesel – it could move)

I pulled back on my testosterone levels and we actually got around pretty good. We made some runs to the large groceries stores and visited some stores we had not been to. I gave back the keys and came down with “car bug fever.” Actually we will hold off and see how the public transit works once the weather gets nicer. On the down side, almost everyone on our team who has a car has had it in the shop a few times this year. Bulgaria just eats cars.

Meeting Dr. Ilianna Ivanova

As we struggle through language and feeling reduced to bumbling fools in our attempts to communicate in Bulgarian, a friend who speaks English is a welcomed joy. I was able to meet one such woman at our local bakery (yes the same one in our afore mentioned blog!) A blondish haired, blue eyed baby stands out here and I don't exactly blend in as well so it was easy to pick up that we weren't "from around these parts," which opened up a conversation with Dr. Ivanova. Come to find out, she is a professor in micro-biology at Sofia University. Awhile back, she won a grant to go to Tennessee for 6 months so spent some time in the states. In our short meeting at the bakery she gave me her card and told me I could call her sometime.

On a beautiful Saturday in Sofia I was able to get together with her. It started out a bit rocky as a big difference we're finding with Bulgarians and Americans is that they don't plan much and can be a bit non-committal. Our telephone conversation started with planning a time to meet. After I thought we had agreed to 10 am Saturday, she then said, "Well maybe 1pm." Ok then, 1. "Well maybe 11, as I have to go to a showing of pots, pans and assorted kitchenware, or maybe you could meet me and go with me to the show?" We FINALLY agreed that we would meet at 11 and I would go with her to whatever this "show" was. I was thinking I was possibly going to the Bulgarian version of pampered chef? I would never find out exactly what I was supposed to go to because the next mistake I made was when she told me we would meet at Universidad I assumed that was the University she works at in the center of the city. I was mistaken and what she actually meant is that we were to meet at the Universidad sports complex which was only a little ways from our apartment. I was 20 mins away in the opposite direction! Thank goodness for cell phones, she called, then came to meet me in the center of the city. Finally united, we spent a wonderful day. We spent the morning touring one of the most well known cathedrals in Sofia, the Alexander Nevski. It is the cathedral in the background of our magnets we sent out. She gave me the insiders view of the city and I enjoyed every moment of it. While I felt bad Dr. Ivanova had missed her show, I had such a wonderful time and hope she did as well that I felt like it was ordained to be that way. I'm looking forward to calling her in the coming week to hopefully arrange a second meeting. This time I'll be more careful to get street names as to where I am supposed to go!

Much love to you all!

Lisa

(Picture insert is the Alexander Nevski Cathedral)

Gypsy Worship

Last Friday night we attended Gypsy Church again and a took a small video
snipit with my camara. I want to try to show it here on the Blog, but not quite
sure how. So this is a test. Hopefully you will see it below. We'll write more
later, but for now Im just trying to see if this works. Let me know if you have
any feedback or if you have a better way of sharing video.



Later,

Marc

 

Here is some Gypsy Preaching: