Einsiedeln Cathedral; Robert on carriage at Einsiedeln; Triana Bouso.

OCTOBER 16, 2009 FRIDAY

Since we were up so late last night, we didn’t exactly get up and going very early this morning. We were showered and shaved, but not quite dressed when someone rang our doorbell at 10:00. We quickly threw on our clothes and then opened the door. Elders Dockstader and Richeson were standing there with grins on their faces so we let them in. They just seemed to want a port in the storm today because it was really cold outside. We talked about investigators and members and how we could help them. Diana brewed them some hot chocolate and that seemed to warm them up. It came time for us to get ready for Brother Locher to come pick us up to go visit Walter Burri and so they had to leave. In retrospect, we probably should have fixed them some lunch over their objections that they weren’t hungry.

Brother Locher was late and just when we were dialing his phone number, he came driving up. We got in his car and he drove us over to Dietlikon, but it took us ten minutes driving around and not finding a free parking spot, so we parked in a pay lot. The lot wasn’t all that close so we had to walk quite a ways. We were just hoping Walter would be home because, when we made the appointment, he said he wouldn’t promise to be home but, if he was, we could visit. However, when we rang his bell, he answered the door and let us in. Brother Locher and he were neighbors some 20 years ago. Then Bro. Locher moved, Walter’s wife died, Walter quit coming to Church and they lost contact. The two renewed friendship and they chatted away in Swiss German as if they were the only ones in the room. We think they totally forgot we were there until almost time to go an hour and a half later. I could understand most of what they were talking about and translated for Diana. Walter told Heinz everything he had told to us about needing his beer and coffee, not really needing to come to Church because he had a relationship with God on his own, that he was okay being alone and so on and so forth. Heinz asked him if he would come if he came to pick him up. He said that he would think about it, but not promise. At least now the High Priest Group Leader, Heinz Locher, has met Walter and can work with him further by assigning home teachers to him.

We got home about 4:00 just in time to receive a phone call from Elders Irick and Nilsson. They asked if we had any left over food from last night that needed cleaning up. We assured them we did and that we would be glad to share, if they wanted to come over. They said they would be here between 6:00 and 6:30, but they didn’t arrive until almost 7:00. Being respectful missionaries, they called and let us know they’d be a little late. We warmed up the leftovers, pork roast, potatoes, carrots etc. and for dessert, we made a hot topping out of a mixture of berries and put it over ice cream and cake. It was all just as good tonight as it was last night, and maybe even better. After dinner we talked of investigators, especially Liz, and how to teach them. Elder Nilsson has a cold and cough and needed to not be out in the cold tonight. Before they left, we sang several songs out of the hymn book together. We used that as our prayer, for a song is as a prayer unto God and it was a nice way to end our visit. While we were talking, they told us that when they are knocking on doors, if people won’t let them in, they offer to sing a song out of the hymn book to them. Sometimes they will and sometimes after the song, they are let in. It seems to give the people time to look at their name tags and feel the spirit to soften their hearts.

We forgot to mention Diana received her absentee voting ballot the day before yesterday and it got mailed yesterday. Today I received mine via the AP’s because it was delivered to the mission home. I’ll fill it out and mail it tomorrow. The vote was for mayor and council persons for Sandy City.

The tender mercy for today was the reuniting of old friends, Walter and Heinz. We hope it will help Walter come back into activity in the Church.