L: Schoggihuessli M: Elders Larsson & Eschweiler R: Elder Eschweiler

DECEMBER 10, 2008 WEDNESDAY

This morning we planned to go to the mission home around 10:00 to pay our monthly rent. We have to get there fairly early in the morning because we never know when the staff there leave for the day. This plan was changed when Elders Larsson and Eschweiler called us to see if they could drop in to put their photos on our computer for the zone conference slide show. They arrived, did their thing and then left. We were able to get to the mission home, pay our rent, visit for awhile and then come back in time to meet our appointment with Naeide at 1:00. Diana is the one who talked to her on the phone last night and made the appointment. What she didn’t understand was that it was for lunch. What a pleasant surprise because we didn’t have breakfast and also didn’t have time for lunch before we had to be there. She is such a sweet and gracious person. She doesn’t have much, but what she has she’s willing to share. Even though the meal was simple, it was absolutely delicious and Diana’s favorite, soup, potatoes. For dessert she served sliced bananas with a chocolate topping. Naeide said she first boiled the potatoes, sliced them and then fried them in butter to a golden brown. After the meal we talked a lot about her conversion and other gospel principles. She said she had come into possession of some anti-Mormon literature and it didn’t bother her or change her decision to be baptized Sunday at all. She said that meant she was really ready to be baptized. Of course we agreed with her!

We finally were able to break away because we wanted to run into Schwamendingen to buy some more of those mitten hot pads for Christmas presents. At 50 rappens per mitt they are a bargain, but a gift anyone would be glad to get. We plan to fill them with chocolate bars or something and take around to the less-active members and give them out while singing carols (of course the four other missionaries and hopefully a member or two will help us sing). I thought they would be cheap but, when Diana bought 124 of them today with the 68 she bought yesterday, it still added up. But, if we don’t use them all this year, there’s always next year.

We made it home and I continued with the translation of Fabian’s book while Diana did what she’s always doing, studying. Sometimes I wish she could translate so I could get in a little more studying. About 8:30 we heard our doorbell ring and, when we rang them through the bottom door, the AP’s came bounding up the stairs. They dropped in to tell us Naeide had passed her baptism interview with President Matern and everything was set for Sunday afternoon. They also looked over the ZC slide show to see how it was coming. They haven’t gotten their photos on it yet, but they’ll bring theirs over tomorrow evening. Well, that about wraps it up for today. But first, a comment on the weather: snowed all day long, supposed to snow all day tomorrow.