Can't forget why we are here. Rainbow in Volketswil.

JUNE 13, 2009 SATURDAY

Today we expected to hear from Suwang, but we waited in vain. We sent her another SMS (text message), but again got no response. While we were waiting, we did our normal reading etc. It also gave us a chance to catch up on our report writing and updating the record we keep of our activities with the members. We also made contact with three other people; one, Charles Abousou who we’ve actually visited, two, Tony Dkere who we talked to once before, and three, Elisabeth Graf who we’ve never found home before. We told Charles we looked for him last Sunday in Church, but didn’t see him and then invited him to come this Sunday. He said he would be in Glaurus visiting his daughter so he wouldn’t be able to come this time. We had an appointment with Tony yesterday, but he wasn’t home. He said he was at work, but next Tuesday he didn’t have to work and would be home all day. We made an appointment for 2:00 then hung up. Diana reminded me we were already booked at that time, so I tried to call him back, but only got his answer machine. I left a message that we couldn’t get there until around 4:00 and we’d try to call him and confirm the time change. Elisabeth Graf was cordial on the phone, but said she was baptized at 13 (she’s now 35) and didn’t understand why. She said it was fun doing the Church activities, but she lost contact and fell away. She volunteered that, if she would have had someone there to fellowship her and help her stay active, she would probably still be an active member. She said she’s been away from the Church for so long that she doesn’t have any interest in coming back, that she isn’t even religious any more. We’ve heard this story all too often and it’s sad to think it could have been prevented by someone befriending a small girl way back when. It is so true what Pres. Hinckley said some years ago, that every member needs a friend, a calling and nurturing by the good word of God.

In the afternoon we took a tram ride into Schwamendingen, walked around a bit, and then went on to Sternen Oerlikon. We didn’t have any particular reason other than to just get out and enjoy the sun. Before we turned around and came back home we went into a bigger COOP and found the yodeling squirrel, but we’ll wait until next year to buy one so the battery will be good. As we were getting supper Suwang finally called. She explained she had not heard her cell phone ring and was busy all day doing wash. Diana talked to her on the phone for a half hour and finally made an appointment to go to her place next Thursday. She is all alone and she’s so happy when we visit. She has nobody to talk and discuss the gospel with. And that’s what’s so fun about Suwang; she always wants to discuss gospel principles and how it would help her and her children to live them. Her children, Halina and Danek are not active, and she’s working so hard to be a good example and teach them so they’ll come back. Also, she wants very badly to invite us to lunch. Next we got a call from Charlotte who told us she just saw that Kanton Appenzell would be celebrating some holiday with a parade in which its citizens would be dressed in that county’s particular traditional costume. When asked when the parade would be, she said tomorrow. We had a teaching moment in which we taught the concept of keeping the Sabbath day holy and not participating in worldly pleasures. As a newly baptized member she has learned a lot, but still needs guidance along the way. We sent Neide and Gabriella a text “hello, we’re thinking about you” just to give them a warm fuzzy. We should see them tomorrow in Church.

We received a letter from our ward today with Bishop Schilaty as the main writer and May’s bishopric newsletter written by Lynn Olsen and April’s bishopric message written by Roland Radack. We appreciate them thinking of us and the spiritual messages we received.