Siene Mascaro; Emeri & Siene Mascaro; Anthony & Rachel Mascaro.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2009 SUNDAY

This morning it was raining as we walked to the Church with our big umbrella protecting us. In our correlation meeting we made sure we had arrangements made for someone to go pick up Werner Buehlmann for Sacrament Meeting. In addition we reported on our meeting with Valerie Otte and Friede and Sister Kalt. Following correlation meeting we split up for Priesthood meeting and Relief Society. Suki is the new class president; she must like to hear Diana pray because she asked her to open the meeting with prayer again today. After classes we met in the primary room for the gospel doctrine class because the primary kids were in the chapel getting ready for the sacrament meeting. Today was the day for the primary to present the program. The lesson was on the pioneers and was just focusing on the Willie and Martin handcart companies when Markus Brechbuehl came and got me. I was so engrossed in the lesson that I forgot the time and was late in meeting him to go get Werner from the care center. We drove there and expected Werner to be waiting for us, but he wasn’t. I hurried into the center and up to his room hoping he would be there and that I wouldn’t have to search for him. Yep, he was there and it took him but a minute to get his jacket on and then we left. We got back in time to get seated in the chapel before the meeting started. Werner hadn’t been to Church for a long long time and he seemed to really enjoy it. He sang the hymns and was very attentive throughout the whole service. After the sacrament, Brother Markus Weidmann blessed his new baby, Maleah. The Primary did a wonderful job in presenting the program and we could just feel the Spirit very strongly. He commented he especially liked the way the children did the program. Pres. Bolt was present and, after the meeting, came and talked with him for a few minutes which made him feel appreciated. Irene talked with him for a while also. Unfortunately, Markus and his wife had to leave right away to go to Luzern so Werner wasn’t able to stay for the social in the gym afterwards. I wasn’t able to go with them back to the care center because the Breckbuehls weren’t coming back this way. We told Werner we’d come and visit him again soon. It made us feel good to be able to help Werner become connected to the Church again.

Anthony and Rachel Mascaro invited us and Elders Nilsson & Harris for lunch this afternoon and, after the social in the gym, we rode with them in their car to their home in Volketswil. We helped them prepare the lunch which consisted of sea shell macaroni with ground pork and broccoli mixed in it, and small slices of toasted bread rubbed with garlic with a mixture of cut up tomatoes, basil and olive oil on top. It wasn’t exotic, but it was good and the company was better. They have two little girls, Emeri and Siene and she is due for a third child in the middle of November. They have lived in Switzerland for three or four years. He is in the Elders Quorum presidency and she is a counselor in the Primary and has responsibility for the music.

Elders Roberts and Norton called to see if they could arrange haircuts for tomorrow. We told them they could come about 11:00, right after we get through with our interview with Pres. Matern. This round of interviews occur in each missionary apartment so Sister Matern can inspect their apartments to make sure they keep them clean. Elders R & N have their interview at 1:30 so we’ll have to be quick with their haircuts so they can make it back to their apartment before the Materns get there. We don’t have anything scheduled in the afternoon yet for P-day, but we’re sure Charlotte will have something planned for us. Before our interview in the morning, we want to go to the immigration office and get our legal work done so we don’t have to worry about it any more. Elder Carrier called for our weekly statistical report before it got to late.

We felt the tender mercy of the Lord focused on Werner as he sat with us to worship Him, sing songs of praise, partake of the sacrament and listen to the children talk of forever families.