Pres. & S. Matern with Charlotte wearing her new dress in the middle; Agnes, Neide & Angela; E. & S. Larson, Aureneide Graf, Pres. & Sister Matern.

JUNE 27, 2010 SUNDAY

Yesterday we decided that our branch here in Schaffhausen would have to do without us today. However, I still had to go to the chapel this morning to write up our weekly report and to unlock the door for Michael Hartig. I always like to walk the forty minutes to the chapel, first, because it gives me time to just enjoy the morning and be able to go over in my mind what we have to do this day. Second, it takes care of my morning walk.

I arrived at the church in good shape and placed invitations on the chairs to President Condi’s first fireside as our new mission president next Sunday evening in the stake center. I had our report nearly finished when Michael showed up. I finished, printed it off and made copies for Pres. Flammia and Bro. DeMarzi amd talked with Michael for a few minutes. It was then I noticed the time and saw I had three minutes to catch our bus at the bahnhof. It only comes every twenty minutes on Sunday. I thought I could make it so I took off running around the church and took the shortcut down some steep steps but, when I got to the road, I decided I probably couldn’t make it so I slowed down to a walk. Then I decided maybe I could so I took off running again and came oh so close, but no cigar. I called Diana and let her know I missed the bus, but was coming. I walked halfway home before the next bus came which I rode the rest of the way. When I got home, I only had five minutes to get things and then we hurried to the bus and were off to catch our 9:14 train to Schwamendingen.

We arrived at the stake center at 10:30 and had a good time talking with some members and missionaries while waiting for Sunday School to finish so we could go in for Sacrament meeting. It was good to see all of our old friends again and the reception we got was heartwarming to say the least. Some of them we saw at David & Sveta’s reception on Friday evening, but there were many more today. We met Mary Makdesi Elias again who will be baptized next Saturday, July 3. Martin & Ewa Neidhart brought her and some others to the Christmas party last year and that’s where we met her for the first time. She came to church a couple times before we were transferred on January 15, 2010, and we met her in the small grocery store one time where she works. We told her we were happy for her that she’d made the decision to be baptized and that we’d be sure to come next Saturday to support her. We can’t begin to express our love for these dear members who have been so kind to us.

Neide was especially glad to see us because she was going to sing her song for the Materns during the meeting. She wanted us to be there because we had some part in inspiring the writing of it when she was baptized a year and a half ago. The Materns gave inspirational talks, of course, and things were a little emotional for Sister Matern. The last speaker was President Rueckhauer from the stake presidency who expressed thanks in behalf of all the members for the work the Materns had done. After the meeting was over refreshments were served in the cultural hall. We had opportunity to talk with many more of our friends and, of course, we invited them all to come visit us after we are released and home. Sister Aeberli said we’d be surprised if fifty of them got together and came to visit us all at once. We replied we would welcome it and we’d be able to accommodate all of them.

I brought two of my “Camp Helaman” coins with me, but hadn’t quite decided who to give them to. But after the meeting Stefan Wichtermann came over to say hello. He has three brothers and we’ve given them each one of these coins, but hadn’t given one to Stefan. We gave one to him and he was so appreciative and thanked us again and again. We continued to talk to him and Rita, his mother, and before they left, Stefan said, “You are the best example that I have ever seen.” I write this, not to boast, but to show how loving and sincere these members are. The strength the Wichtermann family is the this ward is incalculable. We will really miss them.

Neide, Madeleine, Agnes, Angela, Irene, Norma, Denise and others all vie for Diana’s attention. She is beloved by one and all. Neide especially flitted around trying to organize photos with us, with the Materns and any others she could talk into it. Charlottte finally found a dress she could wear to Church after having looked for several months. It’s harder to find a modest dress over here than it is at home, it seems like.

As we were standing there Mary and the Neidharts came over and Mary asked me if I would do something at her baptism Saturday. She said she had two people in mind and prayed to know which she should select. She decided the first one she saw she would ask and the person was me. I thought she asked me to be a witness, but later on as we were leaving, Brother Neidhart congratulated me on being asked to baptize Mary. What? It would be an honor to baptize her, but we’ll have to find out for sure what it was she wanted me to do.

Finally, we had to say goodbye and go back to Schaffhausen so we could meet with Paul before it got too late and, hopefully, Kofi would come for his appointment tonight, too. We got home, rested for a bit, marked a BM for Hannah Stamm hoping she would be at Paul’s when we visited him. We visited Paul, but she wasn’t there. After that we came home and waited for Kofi, but he didn’t come. We called him earlier and he said he’d be by around 7:30. About 8:00 he called and asked to come over Monday evening instead on tonight. That was okay by us.

We tried calling Ewa Neidhart, but she wasn’t home. We texted her a message, but she hasn’t answered as of yet. We tried calling the AP’s, but they didn’t answer either. We’ll just have to wait to find out what I’m supposed to do at Mary’s baptism. If it’s a talk, I hope I find out soon.

Elder Neuffer called for our stats for the week and to ask us to respond to some questions regarding our goals for the zone council on Tuesday. We had also called Dorothea Jaermann to see if she wanted to come with us on our P-day tomorrow. She wasn’t home, but called us back later and said she was busy tomorrow. She promised to go with us somewhere before we go home in August. And that is our day, all in a nutshell.