Winter photos of the Davos area, the middle one from Daniella's room balcony.

DECEMBER 27. 2009 SUNDAY

Christmas is past and now it’s back to work. We were up, got ready and made it to our correlation meeting at 8:00. Elder Irick & Nilsson were already there, but no one else came until 8:30 when Pres. Matern, George and the other ward leadership came. Elders Dockstader & Dias didn’t come at all. Pres. Matern was a little disturbed when he was told the missionaries didn’t have an “Investigator Progress Report” to turn in today. Progress reports are for reporting the teaching and progress of investigators and not necessarily for work with the less-active. We normally report on less-active work verbally. The week was taken up in visiting and working mostly with less-active members and being invited to members for meals. I jumped in and reported on all of the less-active members we and the other missionaries visited and sang hymns to including some investigators and he seemed a little more content that we were not just goofing off for the week. Elder Irick discussed Madeline’s baptism next Sunday and it was decided it wouldn’t be announced until after Bishop Schwendener had an interview with her to talk about tithing. We think she will be baptized next Sunday, but we’re not sure at this point.

In Priesthood and Relief Society opening exercises it was announced that Phillip Ryser, who just left on his mission a month ago, was hurt playing soccer on a P-day. We were asked to fast and pray for him so he wouldn’t have to interrupt his mission to come home for an operation. The Priesthood was asked to pray in their quorum/group meetings in Phillip’s behalf. In our High Priest Group we did that and then time was given to me for the lesson. I have been asked to give the lesson twice in the 15 months we’ve been here and both times Pres. Matern and Pres. Bolt have been in attendance which puts extra pressure on me. They are normally not here because they are visiting the many other wards and branches throughout the stake. Just my luck. However, we had a good discussion and I hope it helped everyone be a little more committed to being not just better diligent home teachers, but also feel responsibility for anyone else in the ward who needs a lift, help or encouragement.

A surprise for us all was that Michael came and attended Sunday School and Sacrament meeting today. I sat by him until Elder Irick came and invited him during Sunday School to attend the Gospel Essentials class being taught by the missionaries and, when he left, I went and sat by Diana. In Sacrament meeting I wished I would have taken my camera to Church to take a photo of Diana with Madeline sitting on one side of her and Priscilla sitting on the other. If she would have had another shoulder, I’m sure Suki would have been there, too. Diana just loves these people and they are drawn to her because they feel it, too. When the meeting was over, we talked to various people to try and let them know we care about them all even though, because of the sheer numbers, we can’t get to everyone. We did notice who wasn’t here today including Cornelia, Sister Azzola, Sister Stoehrer, and Gabriella Rodriguez.

We wanted to go visit Daniella Martin in the Davos rehab clinic today so we needed to make our way home rather quickly in order to catch the train at the Zurich Bahnhof at 1:37. Before we got out of the chapel, however, Elder Nilsson caught us and asked us if we had anything they could have for lunch. Of course we invited them over, but didn’t guarantee them much of anything because we had so little time. Word quickly spread to Elders Dias and Dockstader and they came and asked us if they could come, too. We hurried home, cooked some rice and made some sweet and sour chicken to go over it. That along with bread, orange juice and apple cider and banana bread and cookies and ice cream made up their lunch. We didn’t have time to partake and we left them to eat their lunch while we met Charlotte at our tram stop to leave on our 3 hour trip to Davos.

Daniella was surprised and happy to see us. We stayed for over an hour, but when we tried to leave, Daniella kept right on talking. Finally, we just had to leave and we almost missed our bus. We made it with only seconds to spare and went back to the train station. The train was crowded on the return trip, but we found three seats open and the fourth was taken by a young lady of about 18-20 years old. On the return trip Diana struck up a conversation with her and ended up teaching her most of the first discussion before we got to Landquart where she had to get off. Her name was Jasmine and she lived in Chur where we have missionaries stationed. We tried to get her address so the missionaries could bring a Book of Mormon to her, but she wouldn’t give it to us. We had already given her the pass-along card to call a number to order a free copy of the Book of Mormon and she said she’d call it and get one. If she does that, the missionaries will get the referral anyway, at least we hope.

We got a call from Elder Knight and gave him our weekly report while riding the train home. He said he’d call us later with our assignment for district meeting Tuesday. We arrived home at 9:00 tired and hungry and Diana with a sore knee. It doesn’t seem to want to get better. Elder Knight kept his promise and called us with our assignments, me to choose the opening song and give the opening prayer, Diana to give a five minute workshop on how to contact people on trams, buses or trains. We sent a text message to Cornelia telling her we missed her in Church today and inviting her to Charlotte’s New Year’s eve party. We also found out that neither the Bolts nor the Moeller-Russos were going to be around tomorrow night for FHE so we will have it here at our place. We will have to organize who is doing what tomorrow.

Tender mercies were that Diana received an assignment for district meeting. At first Elder Knight said he didn’t have an assignment for her, but she badgered him long enough that he thought one up for her. Another is that Michael came to Church today. Another is that Diana was able to talk in German to Jasmine on the train, but I had to help her a bit over the rough spots.