FEBRUARY 24, 2009

TUESDAY

We were hoping Monica had taken a photo of the picture of the Lehi’s Dream of the Tree of Life that she has and posted it on her blog. We needed it for a lesson we were going to give the Lochers today at lunch. She did and we thank her for being such a great daughter. When the missionaries are invited to lunch, they are expected to have a spiritual thought/lesson prepared for the family. We are no exception so we prepared the lesson on this subject although the Lochers are in their seventies. We were a little concerned that maybe they had heard this lesson so many times before, but were impressed to do it anyway. We left a little late so we had to take a different bus than normal. We didn’t bring the map, but knew the other bus (#760) would take us one stop away before it went another direction. We took it hoping we could find the rest of the way to their home. The Lord had pity on us and guided us directly there, but even so, we were still a few minutes late.

The Lochers greeted us and all was ready. They served us noodles with a mushroom sauce, a breaded cordon bleu chicken patty, steamed carrots, cooked broccoli, a green salad and bread. During lunch they informed us one of their granddaughters had a birthday (11) today and their daughter was bringing the family over to celebrate it. The daughter arrived with two granddaughters and we sang happy birthday in English and then German to Maria. She blew out all the candles on the cake with one breath. The cake was a traditional Swedish cake with alternate layers of pudding, cake and whipped cream topped with a green marzipan icing. Everything was very good, especially the cake. After we got done with the meal and celebrating, we gave our lesson. The lesson was just right for the grandchildren and the picture of the Tree of Life and the little man who couldn’t hold on to the iron rod were excellent visual aides. Just as we got done with the lesson, other family members started to arrive and so we thanked them and made our departure.

We traveled on back past our place, continued on and arrived at the University Hospital to visit Suwang. Wonder of wonders she was sitting in a chair for the first time since she’s been in the hospital. She could hold her head up and even speak so we could hear her. When we left last night, she didn’t look so good. The doctor came in while we were there and checked her over. She still has infection in her right lung and water in her left lung so she can breath right. They are going to leave things as is and, if things haven’t changed or are worse tomorrow, they will have to insert the tube again to drain her lung. We visited for about three hours before we had to leave to get to the English class and Institute. When we arrived, Donick was visiting his mom also. While Diana talked to Suwang, I made conversation with Donick. We got to know each other a little better and Diana was able to enter the conversation a little too. Yesterday Suwang called Elders Pine and Harris asking for a blessing. They were going to be in Germany today so they asked us to take care of it. What we found out was that Suwang had actually asked for a blessing for Donick because he’d been having pains in his bowels and was going to undergo a colonoscopy Thursday or Friday and wanted him to have a blessing. I was able to provide that for him and he seemed appreciative for it. Before he left we invited him to come to the fireside being held in the mission home Sunday evening. He said he would think about it, but we are hopeful he will come. I also asked him if he had a copy of the BM to which he replied he didn’t. I told him I happened to have one and he was welcome to it. As I gave it to him Diana said there was one stipulation attached to getting the BM; He had to promise to read the introduction in the front of the book tonight. He said he would and then he had to go. We stayed a while longer and then we had to go too.

On the tram on the way home we received a phone call from Elder Pine who informed us he and Elder Harris wouldn’t be back in time to start the English class and could we do it. We told him we would. We hurried home and Diana got the music to a song which was in English, but had the German translation underneath the English as well. We were going to use this to start the class with. But when we got there, Elders P&H were already there so they took charge of the class. About twenty minutes before the end of the class, Elder Pine said they had to go and the Larsons would take over and they said good-bye and left. The twenty minutes went by pretty fast and then it was time for Institute. This time we went into the New Testament class where mostly the returned missionaries were. The Imbiss after class was soup and rolls with punch, very good. We made it home by 10:00 tonight.