Sorry, no photos today. We're just too tired.

SEPTEMBER 26, 2009 SATURDAY

This evening we were invited with Elders Nilsson & Harris and Richeson & Dockstader and Anthony & Rachel Mascaro to Suki’s for dinner this evening. She said not to bring anything or we’d have to take it back home but, in spite of her threat, we baked a loaf of banana bread to take to her. After that we spent all afternoon in Dietlikon and Bruettisellen inviting people to come to conference. We tried calling all of them on the phone before we left our apartment, but was only able to talk to Charles Aboussou. We have been trying to get in touch with him for months and finally found him home, but he had his daughter with him today and said he wouldn’t be home. We told him we’d drop an invitation with the conference schedule in it into his mailbox. He said he’d come to conference.

When we went to Walter Burri’s apartment and rang his doorbell, he answered which was a surprise to us. He hadn’t answered his phone, but we were hoping by the time we got there, he might be home, and he was. He invited us in and we had a nice forty-five minute visit. We encouraged him again to come to Church and again he said he’d think about it, but wouldn’t promise. He talked about being sealed to his wife again and said he hoped he would see her after this life. We bore testimony that indeed what we know and teach about what happens after death is true, without doubt. We also talked about living the commandments and enduring to the end to be able to enjoy the blessings our Father in Heaven has promised us. Last time we were there we discussed people he would still know in our ward and we told him, the next time we came, we would try and bring Heinz & Lily Locher with us. He asked us where they were. We told him we weren’t sure he’d be home so we didn’t bring them with us this time. We’ll talk to Heinz tomorrow in Church to see if we can get him to go visit Walter. Before we left we asked him if we could have a prayer and, when he said yes, we asked him to say it. He hesitated and said he wasn’t an expert in these things. We countered that it doesn’t take an expert to talk to our Father in Heaven. At that his eyes twinkled and he said a wonderfully humble prayer. This is one more big step for Walter as he responds to the feelings and promptings of the Spirit.

We finished by taking invitations to Josefina Bader, Silvana Gianatti, Berena Hasler and Vrena Zanconato, who were all not home, and then came home. We stopped on the way a bought some more bananas at COOP. We had about an hour to wait at home before we had to leave to get to Suki’s in Kloten by 6:00. We met Elders Harris and Nilsson in Schwamendingen and rode to Oerlikon on the bus, where we switched to a train to get to Kloten. Elders Richeson and Dockstader rode the same train, but we didn’t meet them until we got off. It took about five minutes to walk to Suki’s where we met her and the Mascaros who were already there. Suki had a wonderfully delicious meal prepared for us. This is the second time we’ve eaten there and both times she doesn’t sit with us to eat, but buzzes back and forth from the kitchen, serving food and taking dirty dishes back. No matter how much we begged and pleaded, she just wouldn’t sit with us until after the meal was over and the dishes cleaned up. Diana insisted on going into the kitchen and helping her was the dishes and that’s just the way Diana is although Suki tried to not let her.

Elders Richeson and Dockstader gave the spiritual thought; we gave her a couple of printed inspirational stories including the Ten Virgins along with a picture of the painting. After that we all took off and went home. We got a call from Elder Carrier asking us to make a list of all the service projects we’ve been involved with for President Matern to use with his meeting with the Swiss government concerning the number of visas (missionaries) who will be allowed into the country at any one given time. This is to show wha missionaries do to help Swiss citizens without receiving any pay.

The tender mercy of the Lord today was the inspirational prayer Walter Burri offered at the conclusion of our visit. He has resisted in our past visits, but today he had the courage to do it.