Paul Hunziker, Dorothea Jaermann, Greta Troesch, Irma Pietroboni, Elder Larson

JUNE 24, 2010 THURSDAY

Once a month the old single adults in our ward get together and today was our turn to sponsor it. That meant that we had to prepare a lesson and provide the refreshments. The crossandwiches we had yesterday were so good we decided to make some more for today. We also wanted to make a pineapple upside down cake for dessert and a cottage cheese jello salad. We had some leftover chicken salad from yesterday’s district meeting, but we needed the croissants to go with it. We also needed to buy some cottage cheese. Before we went to the store we baked the cake just to make sure it turned out the way it was supposed to. If it hadn’t of, we’d have bought dessert instead of trying to make it. We made the trip to the store and bought the things we needed and had everything prepared by the time our guests arrived at 2:30.

The normal attendees came including Paul Hunziker, Dorothea Jaermann, Greta Troesch and Irma Pietroboni. We spent the next three hours generally chatting about everything under the sun as well as going over the lesson we had prepared. The lesson was taken from a talk given by Elder Robert L. Simpson, The Law of the Fast, in the March issue of the Liahona. It generated a good discussion which helped Paul, our new convert, better understand this principle. After the lesson we served the food we had prepared. They weren’t expecting the veritable feast Diana had prepared. Each got plate of two croissant sandwiches, a scoop of cottage cheese jello salad, two small bunches of seedless grapes and a few BBQ potato chips. They had never had this type of sandwich before nor the cottage cheese jello salad. They loved them, but only Paul was able to eat it all. They were familiar with doggie bags just as we are at home so we offered them one and they took their second sandwich home with them. Dorothea especially thought it was funny that our lesson was on fasting and then we served them so much food. She said she’s never forget this experience.

We spent the rest of the evening getting ready for tomorrow’s appointments, one with Carla Sprenger in the morning and the other with Emely DiPaolo in the afternoon. Madeleine called to see if we were coming tomorrow to attend David and Sveta Wichtermann’s reception tomorrow evening. She is making something for the refreshments and needed help to carry it to the stake center. We said we planned on coming and we certainly would help her with whatever she needed. Sylvain also called to let us know he was still doing okay and we had a pleasant talk about what he’s been doing out on the farm and the challenges he’s had to face in staying free from alcohol. Even though it’s forbidden to drink in the group home where he’s staying, other residents violate the rule everyday which makes it a struggle for him. He said he’s trying to figure out how he can leave there and find somewhere else to live where he won’t have to face those temptations every day. He mentioned that Paul Hunziker had offered him a room in his apartment at one time and he may call Paul to see if the offer is still open.

The last call we received was from Charlotte who wanted to let us know that she was going through the temple on July 31st to get her endowments. That’s just five days before we go home. She also said Pres. & Sister Matern had sent all their belongings to their home in Germany and were ready to leave on June 30 when their mission ends and President Condi takes over. June 30 is the last official day of the Zurich Switzerland Mission. July 1st it’ll be included in the Alpine Lands Mission. We’re not sure if that is the correct name, but we’ll find out.