NOVEMBER 1, 2009 SUNDAY

The last thing I did last night was fill out our progress report for correlation meeting this morning. By the time I had it finished it was midnight and Diana was asleep. I always rely on Diana to help me remember everything we need to write on our report, so the first thing we did this morning was go over it. Diana reminded me of some things and I added them and then printed it. After Church we were invited to the Moeller-Russo’s for a fondue lunch and we offered to bring boiled potatoes for it. Before we left for our correlation meeting we scrubbed the potatoes and got them ready so all we had to do was turn on the stove and cook them after Church.

We arrived on time for our meeting, but it didn’t get started until the usual 15 minutes late. Bro. Daehler said his pants split on the way to Church and he had to go back home and change. Our meeting went ahead as usual, but this time Pres. Matern was present. He reviewed the progress reports from us and the other two missionary companionships and noticed ours was the only report listing less-actives on it. He reminded the ward mission leader about the new program that was introduced some weeks back in that the ward council was supposed to prayerfully go over the less-active list, decide who they should begin working with, make the first contact and then refer the person or family to the missionaries to be taught, if the less-active was agreeable. He said it wasn’t just the Larsons who should be working with the less-active members.

After this meeting was our usual Priesthood/Relief Society meeting. While Diana went to hers, I hurried into the foyer to see if Anthony Dkere and/or Liz Bouso had arrived. Neither were there and neither kept there promise to come. We always have hope that people will keep their commitments, but it seems hard for people to make changes in their lives. Some of the others we try and keep an eye on were also absent today, but Cornelia Schaer remains faithful. Neide has missed a couple of Sundays and that worries us as well. Her sister is here from Brazil and that has disrupted her schedule.

Next came Sunday School, but I had to quickly go home and pick up a couple of birthday presents we had forgotten to bring. If birthdays fall on Sundays or Mondays, we usually try to give them their gift and card at Church if they are active members. Mondays we usually don’t have time because we are gallivanting around the country and we have home evening in the evening. While I went after the presents, I tried calling Anthony, but all I got was busy signals. Today it was Lydia Azzola’s birthday. She’s an older widow and we’ve wanted to visit her at her home, but never have had the opportunity yet. We made an appointment to visit her next Thursday. Sarah Schmid, a sixteen year old, was the other one with a birthday, but hers is Monday. When I got back to Church, there wasn’t room to sit by Diana so I sat further down along the back bench. People just like to sit by Diana and, if I’m not there quick enough, she gets surrounded. Soon after, Fabian came in and sat by me. I looked down and saw something stuck to the edge of my shoe so I wiped it off with my finger. Bad move! When I got a whiff of it, I knew what it was, but Fabian confirmed it when he asked if it was poop. I hurried out and washed my fingers and my shoe off in the bathroom sink. I returned and enjoyed the rest of the meeting. During the break I was still was hoping Anthony or Liz would show up, but they didn’t.

Today was fast meeting and it was fast; it seemed like it was over before we even started. One brother, who was here on a business trip from Africa, was the last one to bear his testimony. He said that at one time in his life, before he was a member, he was kidnaped and kept as a slave for ten years. For some reason they were all rounded up and were going to be killed by being thrown into the water with alligators. He was praying like he had never prayed before for the Lord to save him and, just as the two holding him were going to throw him in, the men who had actually kidnaped him came and took him away from those wanting to throw him to the alligators. Soon after that he was able to escape. He came into contact with missionaries, recognized the truth and was baptized. Since his baptism, he’s been responsible for over forty baptism in his neighborhood. And some times we think we have it bad.

After Church I quickly ran home and turned on the stove to cook the potatoes while Diana stayed at the Church to find Sarah and give her the present she had for her. Members like to visit and talk after Church as no one is in a hurray to leave. Diana got home about a half hour after I did. She has had a cough and chest congestion for a few days now and it’s not comfortable for her to try not coughing in meetings. As long as she is sucking on candy or something to keep her throat from getting dry, it seems to help. However, she didn’t feel up to going over to the Moeller-Russo’s for lunch; I had to go alone. While I was there, she tried to get some rest. Elders Richeson, Dockstader, Nilsson and Irick were there as well as Charlotte, Irene and Joerg. It was a pleasant couple of hours and the fondue was delicious, but all would have been better for me, if Diana would have been there too. After the meal, as is the custom, one of us had to give a spiritual thought. I volunteered this time and used the one that Roxsan sent us the other day, bless her heart. I had everyone focus on and memorize what was red in the room. Then I had them close their eyes and then asked each one to tell me something that was green. This demonstration worked like it was supposed to in that not many of them could tell me something that was green. The morale is that we get so focused on our problems (red things) that we forget about our blessings (green things). Elder Nilsson added that another way to be happy is to serve others and forget ourselves.

While I was there, Fabian called and wanted to come give me and Diana something. He is going to leave Switzerland and move permanently to the USA and get married. He wanted to give us something before he left. When he arrived he gave me a army Swiss pocketknife and Diana a small Swiss pocketknife. Both had our names engraved on them. We are going to miss Fabian, but maybe we’ll get to see him once in awhile in the States. He plans on opening a Swiss restaurant in Chicago and, if that one goes well, he wants to open one in the Church’s City Creek development in Salt Lake City. We wish him well.

The rest of the afternoon and evening, we worked at making the armor for our lesson on Ephesians 6 for tomorrow at home evening. After that we read and gave our weekly report to our DL Elder Knight when he called. Diana tried calling Liz, Angela Campbell, Neide and Denise. Denise was the only one home and she talked to her for awhile. She found out that her mother, Margarita, isn’t doing to well, but also found out Margarita now has Bruno Diethelm for a home teacher. Bruno is a reliable home teacher and that will be a blessing for her. I tried to call Tony again, but still got a busy signal.

The tender mercy for today is that while we were in the foyer waiting for our correlation meeting to begin this morning, Edi & Marlis Fuhrer arrived for Church and they surprised us by giving both of us a small gift. I received a shoe horn long enough to use without having to bend over and Diana got a sack of chocolate hearts. They said they just wanted to show their appreciation for us and the work we do in their ward. Fabian also gave us a gift of appreciation. Even though it’s been hard being away from our family and dear friends at home, we are grateful for the many friends we have made over here.