Robert, E. Dockstader, E. Richeson on Uetliberg; An old photo of Suwang in the hospital.



NOVEMBER 17, 2009 TUESDAY

We were in the middle of doing our wash this morning when we got a call from Suwang who just wanted to remind us of our appointment with her at noon and confirm if we were coming to meet with her today. We assured her we would get there this time; we didn’t anticipate any problems with the trams and buses that prevented us from getting there the last time. She said we could come earlier, if we wanted, but we couldn’t because a batch of clothes was still in the washer. As soon as the last batch was out and hung up to dry, we left on our hour journey by tram and bus to get to her apartment in Morgantal. Suwang was waiting for us when we got there and she didn’t wait to launch into her complaints about her neighbors. She still has the complaint that someone has a key to the apartments, including hers, and comes in and puts poison in their food. After eating food one day she said she got a terrible pain in her kidney and since then, she hides her food under her bed or on her balcony, and only buys fresh food and eats it the same day. She said two of her neighbors had died since she moved in about 6 months ago complaining of the same pain in their kidneys. She claims another neighbor, who lives in the apartment on the other side of her wall, hits on her and badgers her, gets drunk and makes a lot of noise in the night so she can’t sleep. She thought that if he saw that she had company and wasn’t all alone, that he would quit harassing her. We stood out on the walkway on the third floor in front of hers and his apartments for a couple of hours hoping, if he were home, that he would look out the window and see us and, if he weren’t home, he’d come home and see her standing with us. Her neighbor on the other side came out and said hello to us and she really likes her. Finally she decided he wasn’t home and went in and cooked us lunch. She left the blind to the window up so if he came by, he’d see us eating with her. And that is exactly what happened and what she had been praying for. That seemed to make Suwang happy for him to know that she had people she could count on, if she needed help for some reason. She also showed us how she blocks the front door so no one can get in during the night. We still don’t know if what she is telling us is true, has a vivid imagination or if she has a persecution complex. Before we left we had a gospel discussion. She has a desire to talk to her brother and sister about the gospel, but she said that her mother is not supportive of her being a member and, as long as she’s alive, the others go along with her. In spite of that she wants to write both of them and we suggested she send each of them a Book of Mormon, too, with her testimony. She thought that was a great idea and so we promised to get her two in the Mandarin Chinese language. When Diana said the closing prayer, Suwang asked her to include three things in it: that she be able to continue to live in her present apartment in peace because she really likes it there and has made some friends; that a neighbor would be able to find a key that he lost; and that her family would listen to the gospel. When she found out that her neighbor, Herr Meier, had lost his key, she asked him if he had prayed to God to help him find it. He thought she was joking, but she told him of her experiences about finding her keys and her cat after having prayed. She told him she would ask us to pray with her for him to find his key. She’s convinced the Lord will answer our prayer and, when He does, she hopes she’ll be able to talk to him about the gospel.

It was almost dark when we left for home, and we arrived with a little time to rest before it was time to go to Institute. Diana heated up some leftover soup from Sunday and I had the last piece of pizza from last night. At Institute we got some disappointing news from Elder Richeson. He told us there was no room in the mission van for us to ride with them to Zollikofen tomorrow for our temple trip. The other AP’s spoiled us and we just expected to be able to not worry about how we were going to get there. We’ll have to get up and be out of the house by 6:45 in order to arrive at the temple by 9:00. When we went by car, we didn’t have to leave until and hour later.

What touched us today was that Suwang told us again how much she appreciated us coming to the hospital everyday while she was sick. Before she knew us she really didn’t see any point in living any more and was hoping she would die rather than get well. When we started visiting her in the hospital, we really thought she was going to die because she looked so bad. She has been very grateful that we’ve been there to give her an example, and give her hope that she can also serve a mission. She is currently working on getting a temple recommend with the intent of serving a mission in her home country of Thailand. We have been supporting her in her desire to do this. She keeps telling us, “If the Larsons can do it, I can, too.” And we tell her the same thing. She also wants to do missionary work with her son and daughter and her own brother and sister. And we feel blessed to know our dear Suwang even though she talks a hundred miles a minute and we only understand about 2/3 of what she says