It's spring; Elders Harris & Pine, Irene & Juerg, Elder Roberts, Naeide; R: Elder jensen sitting in the middle of the three and we didn't have time to get the names of the other elders.










APRIL 5, 2009 SUNDAY

This morning we woke up to a bright wonderful day and, for a change, we didn’t have to hurray off to a correlation meeting. The first session was the Priesthood Session at 11:00 and we had invited a lot of people over for lunch at 1:00 before the general session began at 2:00. We did as much as we could on Saturday to get everything ready, so I had little to do except for a couple of small things. While I was at the Priesthood session, Diana cooked the chile/beans, rice, hollandaise sauce, and the broccoli/cauliflower as well as made the green salad. She was a busy lady while I was at conference. Diana had it all ready when we arrived. I left a few minutes early to get back to help set things up, but just as I rounded the corner I saw Cornelia approaching our apartment building door. I greeted her and we walked up to our apartment together. Shortly after the others started arriving, the missionaries and Juerg from conference, Naiede and Irene from their homes. When people come to dinner, it seems they always want to bring something to be polite. Naeide brought a loaf of homemade delicious bread and Cornelia brought a Swiss chocolate cake made without any flour that was very good also. Including us we had ten for lunch. We had less than an hour to get the food served, eat and then get to the conference. We all enjoyed each other’s company and the good food Diana had prepared, but we didn’t have time to eat the dessert. We invited them all back after conference for the strawberry shortcake and Cornelia’s chocolate cake. It was amazing how the food held out, like the miracle of the fish and loaves of bread. It seemed we had more chili/beans and rice than we started out with. However, Elders Evans and Jensen ate their share when they came back for dessert as well as took some home for later. That left us enough for dinner on another day.

I was able to talk to Cornelia alone for a little while before the others arrived so I asked her why she left the Church, why she wasn’t active. She said when she lived in Bern she was very active, but when she moved to Zurich she just sort of drifted away, a little bit at a time until she wasn’t coming any more. When asked how long it had been since she was in Church, she wasn’t specific, but said it was a long time ago. Bishop Schwendener told us last night she said we came at the right time because she had lost hope and was in deep despair about how she could keep going on. It just confirms our faith that the Lord knows his children and puts people in the right place at the right time to bless their lives. The members of the ward have taken her in and now, we hope, she feels like one of the family. Juerg is organizing some help to get her shop in order, she was invited and came to our FHE, she came to conference last night and met Bishop Schwendener, and today we introduced her to the RS President, Sister Ryser. Later today, Sister Ryser told us Cornelia had asked about when church meetings were next Sunday and said she wanted to come. Charlotte met her at conference both sessions and sat with her and they seem to get along well. We can well imagine what a life changing experience this has been for her and we’ll need to be sensitive that we don’t push her too fast. Our job is to teach , nurture and fellowship while the Spirit is the one who bears witness of Christ and helps her develop her testimony.

When the 2:00 session was over at 4:00 we had an hour and a half to go home and serve the dessert and get back to conference at 5:30 for the Spoken Word and last session. We started out with our original group except Cornelia said she was overwhelmed and tired and had to go home and rest. When everything was well underway, we were inundated by another group of about eight missionaries that must of heard our door was open. It was very hectic trying to find enough forks and places to sit for everyone. Fortunately we had enough cake, strawberries, cream etc for everyone to have what they wanted. A couple of people had to stand out on our patio so there was breathing room inside. All told we think we had eighteen people here for dessert. It was all fun and we enjoy the company of missionaries and members alike. What we serve isn’t fancy, but it’s good and the company makes it even better.

We all made it back for the evening session and conference just gets better and better each session. The Spirit was strong and testimonies and commitment strengthened. Elder Holland gave a particularly strong and compelling testimony of the Atonement and of the Savior’s love for us. We need to search the words of the prophets and apply them in our daily lives as we work out our salvation. Pres. Monson also gave a compelling stories about trials and faith. Reading between the lines it seemed he was warning us about times ahead and we may have our faith tested too. He also said we should be focused on our blessings and not what’s wrong.

Some other comments that made an impression was the story about the twenty cent light bulb by Pres. Uchtdorf, and his counsel “not to come down.” Pres. Eyring said , “we are transformed by our trials” and “endure to the end with a smile.” Elder Richard D. Edgely gave us our “phone call” that we are our brother’s keeper and that the prophesied storm is upon us. Pres. Monson said it is a time for faith and not fear and that studying diligently, praying fervently and living righteously leads to safety. Elder Neil L. Anderson said the Lord will shape the back to carry the burden that is placed upon it.