District meeting attendees: Elder Nilsson, Irick, Dockstader, Middleton, Vincent, Knight, Sisters Miron, Robinson, Wellborn, Larson and E. Larson; cute yard decorations by the Daehler family.

NOVEMBER 12, 2009 THURSDAY

Last Tuesday we got a call from Elder Harris requesting we send an email to his mother concerning his failed attempt on Monday to register at the U of U for the spring quarter. He’d forgotten his student ID#. He wanted his mother to try from her end to get his ID# and find out what he had to do to register. We got an email yesterday from his mother with the information and then forgot to forward it on to him. It was while we were enroute to Sister Frioud when Diana asked me if I had remembered to call Elder Harris. I called our apartment and Elders Nilsson & Irick were still there so I had them locate the email and call Elder Harris with the information. All this information is to explain that we got a call from Elder Harris late last night asking if he could come and use our computer to finish what he had to do with the U of U. They arrived at 8:30; he did his computer work while his companion did his personal study. When he was finished, they stayed and did their companion study until time to catch their train back to Winterthur. While they did that, Diana dipped the caramel wrapped pretzels in chocolate while I put the finishing touches on my part of our district meeting assignment. Right after they left we left also to go to our meeting.

Our district meeting had a few different faces today because the AP’s were on a split and because Sister Price went home, three sisters are currently together in Luzern. Sister Wellborn was in our district last spring and now she is with Sisters Robinson & Miron. Elder Middleton was here in place of Elder Richeson. Our regulars, Elders Nillson, Irick, Vincent and Knight, were also present. The pretzels were a hit with everyone as we knew they would be. We had some good training and the two hours went by all too fast. Sister Bea Rothmund was at the Church cleaning, as usual, and Edi Fuhrer was there also and we gave them some pretzels, too. It’s something they’ve never seen before.

After the meeting we came home and shortly after we were invaded by Elders Nilsson & Irick. They have a meeting with an excommunicated member who they tracted out some weeks ago. They wanted to find a conference talk and download it onto a DVD to help them with their lesson and to assist her in quitting smoking. It took them quite awhile to find the talk they were looking for and then they started the download and left, planning to come back later, or tomorrow, to pick up the disc. While they were doing that, Diana encouraged them to try contacting Liz Bouso and others we feel they would have a good impact on. I spent my time mostly in the kitchen making poppy seed bread for our visit to Helena Rofflers tomorrow. I also tried to find a good spiritual thought for our visit to Brigitte Roffler this evening.

We all had a prayer together and the Elders went their way and we traveled out into the county to Freienstein to visit Brigitte. It was getting to twilight when we got there and the skies were heavy with clouds and misting a bit. We didn’t have trouble this time in finding the group home which is located down in a hollow behind some businesses. We rang the doorbell and the Director came and then went to get Brigitte for us. Brigitte came and escorted us to her room after which we had a good visit. Tomorrow is her birthday, but she wanted us to come today because she’s working all that day. We gave her a fleece comforter that she really liked as well a couple of candles (which she isn’t allowed to burn in her apartment, but will take to her mothers next time she goes). The last time we visited her some months ago she was depressed and seemed to have a lot of problems coping with her situation. This time she was quite the opposite. She was bright, she was happy and she had hope for the future. She talked about maybe getting an eye operation to help with her one bad eye; she has a part time job she is happy with, and she really likes her group leader. Her right eye doesn’t track with her good left eye and she has only 30% vision and mostly just sees light. She said the operation would help coordinate the eyes as well as hopefully improve the vision somewhat. She still has the goal of maybe someday not having to live in a group home and being able to have her own apartment and live a normal life. We used the same spiritual thought Roxsan sent us about not letting our problems keep us from recognizing the many blessings we receive from the Lord. We followed that with a prayer and then left to walk back to our bus stop and travel home in the dark. When we are out after dark, we are blessed with good connections between trams and buses. We step off of one and the other is ready and waiting for us to get on again.

The tender mercy for today is an experience Brigitte told us about a dream she had in which her group leader came to Church with her and she hoped the members would come greet her. But, rather than the members coming to greet her, the group leader went and greeted the members. Brigitte has such a good relationship with her group leader that she felt she could tell her about the dream, which she did. The group leader responded back to Brigitte saying, “then I’d better come to Church with you.” Brigitte invited her to the ward Christmas party on December 19. We’re excited to see if that happens.