Prayer Blocks

Have you ever thought about your prayer line getting blocked or clogged? 

Have you ever felt like you were praying and praying and God wasn't listening? There's a chance He wasn't?

We don't talk about it often but according to the Bible it is possible. 

1 Peter 3:7
You husbands, likewise, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

 1 Peter 3:10-12

Let him who means to love life and see good days refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile. And let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

 1 Peter 4:7

The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer (literally: for the sake of prayers.) 

What Peter is saying here is there is a way to live or think that can hinder our prayers. Notice I say “our” not your prayers.  The good news is there is a way we can think or live that can help our prayers as well.

These scriptures imply our prayers can be obstructed by how we treat our spouse, families, neighbors, anyone.

In these verses Peter is telling us we need to do something on our part so our prayers won’t be blocked.

Apparently, a constant open line to the Father is not automatic. Now more than ever we need to make sure our mind body and soul are lined up so our prayers can be heard and answered.

So you might be asking yourself why does this matter?

There are a lot of reasons, but I’ll start with the most obvious for me. It’s the feeling I’m not connecting with God and He starts to feel distant. For some He may begin to feel nonexistent.

If you are a person who has known the voice of God and truly loves Him if you have experienced the peace that only He can give you can only imagine what it would feel like if that relationship were hindered. There’s an instant perception of instability. Even as prayers are coming out of your mouth the words can seem insincere or empty.

I have listed some verses that teach us about this problem from God’s word, not my opinion.

Isaiah 1:15 ¹⁵When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood!

Psalm 66:17-19 ¹⁷I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. ¹⁸If I had cherished sin in my heart, the LORD would not have listened; ¹⁹but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer.

Isaiah 59:2 ²But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

John 9:31 ³¹We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.

Psalm 66:18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

Scriptures on what sin is:

1 John 3:4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.

James 1:¹⁴ but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

James 4:17  So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

Matthew 6:14-15  ¹⁴ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Basically anytime we are deciding to do something we know is wrong we are sinning, however, there are times we are sinning, and we don’t know it. These sins are called unintentional sins. I ask forgiveness for sins I know about and the ones I’m unaware of. (example: I may offend someone and never know about it.)

Proverbs 28:13  Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

1 John 2:1  My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

James 5:16 Tell your sins to each other. And pray for each other so you may be healed. The prayer from the heart of a man right with God has much power.

2 Chronicles 7:14  If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

1 John 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Not everyone is familiar with praying, so I want to encourage you, it’s a conversation with you and God. Like any conversation, you speak and then you're quiet to listen. Many people talk at God, giving their list of needs or concerns but they don't allow a time of waiting for the Lord to answer.

So to recap we know we have to repent of sin known or unknown before we have an open line of communication. Repenting means turning away from the sin you're committing.  It can be as simple or as intimate as you want it to be there are no rules on asking for forgiveness.
I have had long conversations with God and at times just whispered, “I’m sorry.” The key is the repentance part. 

Matthew 4:17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." 

James 4:8 Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you doubleminded.

Proverbs 28:13 Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

Acts 3:19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.

The disciples that walked with Jesus learned the importance of prayer. They asked Him to show them how to pray.

Prayer

Matthew 6:⁵ “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ⁶ But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ⁷ And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:

"Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,
¹⁰ your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our trespasses,
    as we also have forgiven those who trespass against us.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from the evil one’

¹⁴ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

God knows what we need before we ask, we must put ourselves in a position to receive. We start that by making sure we have no prayer blocks.

Burden Carrier

I watched an interesting movie last night called The Farewell. It's the story of Billi a young Chinese woman and her unique family. They plan a fake wedding so the whole family can be in China to see her grandmother whose dying. Everyone knows the grandmother is dying but her.

Although Billie is Chinese, she grew up in America so the custom of the Chinese people not to tell the grandmother the truth of her condition is troubling her. She doesn’t think it's right, not to mention illegal in the States, to lie to her. 

Her mother tells her the Chinese believe if someone has a terminal disease, it’s not the disease that kills them but the fear of the unknown.

While she’s in China with her family she keeps bringing up her convictions of not telling the grandmother the truth.  She tells the family her grandmother might want to say goodbye.

In a conversation with her uncle, this is the part that hit me, he tells Billi that she wants to tell the grandmother because the guilt is too heavy for her (Billi) to carry. He goes on to say she’s thinking of only herself and the family is thinking of the grandmother as part of the entire family, as a whole community. He tells her that it is a big burden and it’s theirs to carry for the grandmother, so she doesn’t have to.

Let that sink in a minute.

Think of the times you have had to carry a large burden by yourself, how wonderful it would have been to have others carry it for you.  To carry it without you even knowing is even better yet!

We are all in unfamiliar territory right now. In a conversation with my son today he noted we have had difficult times as a Country before but never as an entire world.

The effects of this virus are truly effecting the whole world!

I think these circumstances fit what the uncle is telling Billi, this is a huge burden and we must carry it together as a family, a neighborhood, a city, state, Country, a WORLD.

I had no answers for my son, or myself for that matter, so I reminded him that we know the one who does. This is the time to hold onto God's word like we do our phones or TV's.  You don't have to be a Bible scholor, just google your emotion along with Bible verse and God's word will come up.

2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

Gems I am holding this verse close to my heart. We are ALL currently weak in one way or another but GOD promises to give us the power to rest on Him.

Rest is the last thing we would think about right now, especially if you’re a type A personality. I’m talking about a state of mind rest, we can do certain things, I have loved seeing all the ideas people are posting and how communities are coming together, but none of that can lift the burden or remove the unknown.

So I will share with you  some burden lifting promises.

Psalm 138:7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me.

Psalm 81:7 In your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you out of a thundercloud

2 Corinthians 1:3-4  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God among you is powerful— he will save and he will take joyful delight in you. In his love he will renew you with his love; he will celebrate with singing because of you.

Psalm 31:24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.

In some weird way it does give me comfort knowing I'm not in this alone, especially since I live by myself. Everyone, and I mean everyone around the world, understands totally how I feel. Everyone including God becasue of Jesus who understands all of our emotions.

Hebrews 4:15-16 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. ¹⁶ Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Gems it doesn't have to be a misery loves company kind of thing, it can be, there's hope for humanity.  God knows, He hears, He cares, rest on Him and together the whole wide world will watch His hand move and no-one will be able deny His power!

Spiritual Coronavirus

This was written by my friend Paige and is well worth the read!

I was walking this morning and I learned a few things I thought might be of interest to some of you. I don't claim to be any type of virus expert, but I do find it interesting the timing in history that the Coronavirus is in our world. This may be a little lengthy but stick with me.

First thing the Word Corona comes from the Latin word Crown.

 Corona - Medical Definition

"Anatomy The crownlike upper portion of a bodily part or structure, such as the top of the head. Botany A crown-shaped, funnel-shaped, or trumpet-shaped outgrowth or appendage of the perianth of certain flowers, such as a daffodil. In this sense also called crown."

 Daffodils have a crown of sorts and one little breath on the daffodil and it blows away.

 You may not be a believer in this but there is a spirit realm that is active daily. (Ephesians 6:12, NIV: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.")

 When things happen in our natural world many times if we will stop and ask the Lord what it means he will reveal what is going on in the Spirit realm. So with the constant barrage of Coronavirus news, this teacher I listened to today talked about how the enemy is working symbolically after the authority of your thoughts.  Corona means crown and the enemy is going after the mind. If the enemy can attack your thoughts with doubt, fear and panic, then you become paralyzed and struggle to think logically and rationally.

This is also the time of Purim. It is a time of deliverance from death. Purim happens before Passover and it is one of the most entertaining Jewish holidays. Purim commemorates the time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination by the courage of a young Jewish woman called Esther.

Another thing happening now is a battle against the spirit of Pan. Pan was a Greek God that was worshipped, and it is where we get the word panic or pandemic from. God didn't want anyone to worship any other false gods and he still doesn't want us worshipping anyone but the One true God.

So one of the major battles is the mental spirit of fear

And we have to go into the courts of heaven and overthrow the Spirit of Pan.

 f you have never heard of teachings on The Courts of Heaven, look it up on YouTube. Robert Henderson explains it well.

So to wrap this all up with somewhat of a solution.

 1. Be sure to crown your head with the Helmet of Salvation (Ephesians 6:10-18) so you when fear, panic, worry and anxiety come at your thoughts you can cast them down with the truth.

 2. Do wash your hands of course and stay home if you are sick.  You know this already

 (James 4:8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. WASH YOUR HANDS, YOU SINNERS; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.)

 3. Just as a dandelion when it blows you only need one little seed of faith to plant in your heart to give you hope. Blow some hope on others as well instead of blowing this fear and your germs all over people.

4.Dont let the enemy "Corona" crown you with fear

Be crowned with God's word. Read or listen to it daily. Try reading God's word first and as much or more than you read or listen to the news.

 5. Pray Psalm 23 first then Pray Psalm 91.  The way to enter into the abiding place with God is by Faith not by fear and panic. Faith moves God Fear moves Satan.

 6. Of course be smart, be informed, be prepared and be aware. You all know this and you're doing it.

7. We are about to go through Passover. Plead the blood of Jesus over your home. Anoint it with oil and Pray the Words of Psalm 91 over your home.

God is moving as he always does; he is not surprised by all this and He truly is in control. You can trust Him. Even if your faith is as small as a mustard seed. Plant that seed in fertile soil and watch it grow.

Comb For A Kiss

CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF GERTRAUD PILZ

1923 ~ 2020

Gertraud Lindenberg was born December 29, 1923 to Erna and Rudolph Lindenberg.

I had the honor and  privilege to meet Gertraud  in her small assisted living apartment along with her daughter, my dear friend Victoria. Gertraud's stature may have been small but her personality was not. I had to pay close attention as she spoke, her German accent still strong, as she allowed me to journey with her into her past.  This jewel is dedicated to Gertraud as a tribute to her valiant life.

Erana Jordan met Rudolph Lindenberg in 1919 while working for a private telephone company. Rudolph was trying to reach his mother who was ill. There were no public phone companies at the time and through a friend he was put in touch with Erana. 

Rudolph arrived at the telephone company with flowers for Erana, whom he had not yet met, to celebrate his own birthday which was September 19, 1890.

What an entrance that must have been.  In my romantic mind I can see it all vividly, handsome man arriving with a beautiful bouquet of flowers, woman smitten from the get go and the rest is history.....

Apparently the grand gesture worked  they were married in November 1920.  

Rudolph’s mother was not happy her son married a Gentile, even if she was the one who made it possible for her son to reach her when she desperately needed to hear from him.

In fact Erana had little to no contact wit her husband’s family because of it. As you can see mother-in-law issues have been around for centuries, but a Jew and Gentile relationship had it’s own level of difficulties. Rudolph and Erana had 2 daughters, Helga born in 1921 and Gertraud in 1923.

Gertraud’s life began like most children's, she went to private school and had many friends. She was very bright even from a young age and received good grades. 

Sadly as time went on she was told by a handful of female classmates they could no longer speak with her because she was a Jew, the year was 1929.

Gertraud had been a good friend to these girls and had no idea why her being Jewish had anything to do with their relationship. It was the beginning of a very cruel world a young innocent girl would be thrown into.

Her Papa, as she lovingly referred to him,  owned a private communications company that made and installed intercom systems.  As a child her loving home had an intercom in each room. As you can imagine this was quite progressive for this era. I could see the pride in her eyes as she spoke of her dear Papa.

Unfortunately because of the war her father’s business was taken from him along with their home and  all their money . Helga got to stay in private school because she was older but because of the cost, Gertraud  would have to go to public school . 

During this time Gertraud contracted scarlet fever and spent 3 months in the hospital. It was upon her release from the hospital that she learned she’d be going to public school. She had no idea the impact this decision would have on her life and the discrimination that awaited her at the tender age of 11.

In 1939 her father was taken by SS officers, his crime, being Jewish.

(from google: the SS (Schutzstaffel, or Protection Squads) was originally established as Adolf Hitler’s personal bodyguard unit. It would later become both the elite guard of the Nazi Reich and Hitler’s executive force prepared to carry out all security-related duties, without regard for legal restraint.)

He was eventually released  but not before being injected with some sort of infectious disease which caused him to lose three fingers on one hand. When he finally returned home he was deathly ill with diphtheria. As they had no heat Gertraud’s mother had her boil water to wash her husband but she too became very ill.  Both of her parents were hospitalized but not in the same hospital.  Gertraud’s dad was in the Jewish hospital and her mother in the Christian one.

At this point her family was living in a small apartment and both Gertraud and her sister Helga  had to work.  It wasn’t long before they found themselves homeless once again as the apartment manager threw all the Jews out of the building.

Rudolph moved to the Jewish side of town after being released from the hospital but they didn’t see him often.  Helga went on her lunch hour to see their father as often as she could.  They would meet at the train station where it was safer.  Rudolph was able to use the public bathroom and Helga would take his dirty set of clothes and trade them for clean ones.  She would bring him food and trade the dirty plate for a clean one. The small amount of valuables they were able to hide away when their home was confiscated were now sold to make money to survive.

In spite of all this Gertraud  graduated at the age of 14, she and her sister constantly had to work to provide for the family as her parents were unemployable; her dad because he was Jewish. 

Her father’s  “friend” owned a bakery and agreed to hire Gertraud. At first it seemed an answer to prayer, a chance to help feed her family. They were so grateful to this man for his kindness in their desperate situation but that idea was quickly diminished. They worked young Gertraud from 8 AM to 9 PM everyday doing many difficult manual labor tasks. After 3 months she was physically unable to walk because of being on her legs that many hours a day. Gertraud’s family did not let her return to the bakery and  an attorney her father knew was able to sue the company for taking advantage of a minor, but it did not benefit her family in any way financially.

Later she worked for an exporting food company and at the age of  19 she managed her own department handling grocery rations. 

(Google: Germans were issued rationing cards every 2 months. These covered basic foods like bread, cheese, fats (butter, margarine and oil), eggs, jam, meat, and sugar as well as canned goods. Coffee and tobacco were other hard to get items because of the Royal Navy blockade.)

This was quite an achievement for such a young woman who in the face of constant adversity refused to give up. I could see the pride in her eyes, she even sat up a bit straighter as she shared this accomplishment with me.  I think we both realized I couldn’t truly comprehend the impact of that feat.

During the Russian occupation people were starving to death, Gertraud recalled a time when a train that was bringing food was bombed by the Russians and the food left to rot. Many people truly did die of starvation. The only families that were allotted small portions of food were the ones building train cars that carried corpses.

On August 9, 1944 Gertraud’s job was once again taken from her.

At 20 years of age she and her sister had to report to SS (Schutzstaffel or Protection Squad)

Not knowing how long they would be gone their mother gave the only suitcase they owned to Helga and sewed together a blanket as a makeshift suitcase for Gertraud.

Upon arrival at the Protection Squad 150 girls and boys were sent to a labor camp for ½ Jews, Gertraud and Helga were part of that number.

This camp is where Gertraud would meet Hanns.

Hanns was living in France before the war doing well in the military. He was a hot shot rising in the ranks until he was betrayed by a friend who reveled he was ½ Jewish.  He was sent to two other labor camps before arriving in Germany where he would eventually meet Gertraud.

In the camp they were given an ax to cut branches in the woods, that also served as the bathroom,. They would then dig graves that their very own people would be thrown into. The branches they gathered were held together by twine to make crosses then placed inside the graves along the walls to keep the dirt from collapsing. 

I couldn't help but notice that as Gertraud shared this part of her life it was very matter of fact, how the job was done, no real feeling attached to it. I guess that's how we survive some areas in our lives. We have to detach in order to get through it and later move on.

The season was winter and like most prisoners in the camp they had no warm clothing.   These people were not recognized as citizens, there were no bathrooms no outhouses, barley any food and what food they had would not be fit to feed most family pets.

Gems as I sat listening to Gertraud reliving these parts of her very real life I thought of all the emotions she might be feeling, anger, fear, resentment but she didn’t seem to posses any of them.  At times she even grinned when a certain memory came to her. In the midst of all this she spoke of a loving God….

Gertraud was still a young woman and like most women cared about how she looked, she had one small comb she brought from home and treasured but in the midst of all the daily workloads she lost it. 

This Gems is where Hanns comes into our story.

He had seen her around the camp and then saw her green bloomers

in the woods, bathroom as privacy was not a luxury!  She laughed, a bit embarrassed, as she shared this memory.  Hanns introduced himself and she noticed his hand was infected.  

Seems the boys played throw the ax up and catch it to pass the time. Guess he wasn't lucky on one of the tosses she said with a grin. 

As you can also see for centuries guys have done weird things.  

She told him to meet her in the “wash area” and she would clean his hand up.  She used the clay soap they had to daily wash to try and cleanse the wound. 

Hanns, from his experience in the military, was very resourceful and able to get certain things through the black market. I didn’t dare ask how that worked.

Gertraud let Hanns know she desperately needed a comb, as she recalls the story a coy almost shy smile came across her face “I asked him if he could get me a comb and he said he would trade me a comb for a kiss.”  My own heart melted a bit as I knew this would be the title of this special jewel.

They "dated" from then on, and on New Years Eve 1944 Hanns made a tent using his barrack bunk bed for them. For a few brief moments they would shut out the world and imagine normal life as a young couple in love. Gems romance can bud in the worst of circumstances. I’m sure that tent was just as sweet to Gertraud as the flowers were to her mother many years before. 

Eventually Russians invaded bombing the area including the labor camp. Most everyone, including her sister Helga fled. Helga was able to get on the last train out before the tracks were blown up.

Hanns insisted Gertraud stay there in what was left of the camp with him. Ten people including the two of them stayed behind with the last remaining guard .  Again Hanns knowledge of the Military would pay off. He knew as long as  prisoners were still there the guard would have to look after them and at least give them a small ration of food. 

Finally the last 10 were able to leave, they found refuge at a farm house. The farmer had one last pig that he slaughtered to feed them. Everyone of them got sick because it was the first real food they had had in months and they had to stay there for a few days because of the vomiting and diarrhea.

When they were finally able to travel again they both knew it was too dangerous to travel together so Hanns gave Gertraud the name and address of family that would take her in until he could find her. Reluctantly and with much fear they separated and she began yet another journey on her own. 

Hanns on the other hand was picked up by the SS Patrol and thrown into another labor camp.

Gertraud traveled for 2 days cold, hungry, tired and scared for her life and the life of her family. She wondered where Hanns was, would he be able to meet her? Would either of them ever make it back to their families?  Were their families still alive?

To her horror when she finally reached the town she was originally from it was nothing more than rubble and flames. This was the only time in my conversation with Gertraud I could see signs of  sorrow in her face. Her frail voice seem to drift into the air as she paused herself to reflect on the image in her mind.

After walking 15 miles each day for 2 more days she collapsed under a tree due to exhaustion. 

She was walking in snow and ice, again not with winter clothing, when she heard a horse and carriage come up behind her. The man driving the cart realized she was just a young girl and told her to get in the carriage that he would take her to his house. Of course she was scared but was so desperate for help she decided to trust him.  

His family asked her to stay for the evening meal and offered for her to stay the night to which she gladly accepted.  They allowed her to sleep in the bed with the man’s oldest daughter as her husband was away.  After climbing in the feather bed the kind woman began talking non stop to Gertraud, being happy to have another young female in the house, but it had been so long since she was in a bed that she fell into a deep sleep until morning. As she told me this her eyes opened widely as she exclaimed “it was a feather bed!!”

In the morning she would continue her journey, each town she entered she had to register with the local police fearful of being arrested again.  After another days walk she arrived in the city of Hann’s family. 

She said in an exasperated tone, “Just as I arrived at the door there was an air raid!”

Gertraud was able to help her new family, young and old, into a cellar to stay alive. They were so thankful for the timing of her arrival as they knew they would not have gotten the whole family in the cellar safely without her help.

In the mean time Hanns was released from the camp and eventually able to reunite with her . I asked her how Hanns was able to follow her trail and she explained that refugees were good to each other. They helped each other with whatever provisions they had and assisted in finding missing family members. 

Oh that communities today would extend the same compassion to one another.

Hanns and Gertraud were married in Oct of 1945.

They eventually found the remains of a small apartment in an abandoned building, sleeping under a table as if this would protect them from a bomb. 

I guess this thought process went back to how kids learned in school to hide under the desk during air raid drills.

One night as they lay “safely” under their table they heard the sound of footsteps. They quickly stood up as men holding machine guns approached them.  As they entered the room Gertraud stepped behind Hanns, she did not speak English and he spoke very little.  Hanns asked in the most stern voice he could muster “who are you?” to which the soldiers replied United States Army.  Gertraud let go a mischievous smirk as she quoted what Haans said next, “What took you so long??!” 

They later rented a small apartment because landlords got paid for taking in refugees.  It was extremely crowded because the more people you rented to the more money you made. Sadly greed is a timeless selfish desire.

Many months later, with the help of the Red Cross, they were able to find Gertraud’s mother.  

Helga made her way to the United States through a Jewish organization;  2 months ago she was interviewed by Holocaust Survivors in Washington ~  Helga Lindenberg Schuessler

Gertraud,  Hanns and their 4 year old daughter Gabriele immigrated to New York December 1950.

They were sponsored by Mr. Bulova of Bulova Watch; Gertraud’s aunt Greten was Mr. Bulova’s personal secretary and she arranged for the sponsorship. 

Gertraud is 96 and living in the Tampa area. She is beautiful, witty and has a faith in God despite all she has endured. She and Hanns have 2 beautiful daughters Gabriele and Victoria. Haans was born June 1923 and died June 2004. Jewish tradition believes great men die the same day they were born. Coincidence Hanns began and ended in June? I think not 😉
“And Moses spoke to Israel saying, ‘I am one hundred and twenty years old today.” (Deut. 31:1-2) Based on the Sages, Rashi paraphrases Moses’ intention to mean: Today my days and years were fulfilled; on this day I was born, and on this day I shall die. This teaches us that God fulfills the years of the righteous to the day and to the month, as it is written: “I shall fulfill the number of your days.” (Ex. 23:26) From here we see the significance of the birthday of a person who utilizes his life for good.

(Sources: A Jewish Perspective on Birthdays, Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz)