marzipan stollen w/ice cream and raspberries; Felix and Lily Locher


DECEMBER 26, 2008 FRIDAY

Day after Christmas was a time to do a little clean up. It was also wash day and, since we missed the last one because of our temple trip, it was absolutely necessary to get it done. We have also accumulated a lot of notes, information and corrections for the ward membership list that we felt it time to organize everything. Contacting work is not very fruitful right now because of the holidays so we worked on these things at home. We don’t know where the people go. For example, the gifts we left hanging on the door knobs in our apartment building, except for one, are still hanging there today. We were busily engaged when the phone rang about 10:00. Brother Locher called to see if we wanted to come for lunch and that he would be glad to pick us up. We were wanting to get back to visit them anyway because we promised them a Nauvoo temple sunstone some time ago. This was an opportune time to give it to them. The other four missionaries were also there when we arrived. Sister Locher is such a good cook and it was no exception today. After the meal we sat around and talked and then we each gave a spiritual thought and that made it especially nice. For our part we paraphrased the poem, “A Christmas Guest” and read the scripture Matthew 25:32-42 to go along with it. I was so wrapped up in the story and trying to get the German right that I continued with the reading of the scripture when I should have had Diana read it. I felt bad about that and will try to not do that again.

After lunch we rode back to Stettbach with the missionaries and got out because we wanted to do a little after Christmas looking around, but we found out all the stores were closed. So we just rode the tram on home. We made cookies for tomorrow’s dinner with the Mueller-Russo’s, worked on the member list and studied. All good stuff. Tomorrow is the Zone Council at the stake center (our ward building) and we have been asked to cook their pizzas for their lunch break. Exciting stuff, but we serve wherever we are called and whatever we’re asked to do. It’s always fun to associate with the missionaries and Pres. & Sister Matern.

We have been thinking of what else we can do to strengthen the ward and have more interaction with the members. We also need more opportunity to talk German with people because we only get to speak it on Sundays during church and when we meet people on their doors, just not enough to get fluent in the language. We’ve decided we need to invite members, active and less active, as well as investigators if we can find any, to lunch or dinner at our home. Our goal is to do this once week and see how it works out. Well, that’s it for today.