First Week--We survived!

We have come to the end of our first full week of our temple mission service. It has been wonderful, challenging, overwhelming, and well worth writing home about.

We are so grateful that it is here to this temple that we have been called to serve. The only downside we have thus far found (other than my not speaking German, of course) is that Sachsen German is very different than the German John is fluent in. (Actually, I think it is good that he has to struggle a little too. It makes him more empathetic with my challenges.)

This week I began memorizing the ordinances in German with John, during our rare study times (President Apel believes strongly in OJT), prompting me with correct pronunciation--a huge challenge for my American tongue. By the end of the week, however, I had learned two of five segments of dialog and had actually been on the firing line twice with one of them. That I got through it at all I find to be a miracle. I am ever grateful that I already knew these sacred words in English so that at least I had that orientation to try to make sense of the phrasing in German. I walk by faith that step by step it will come. I find it is much more difficult to memorize by rote, as am having to do, than to just memorize words in English, though memorizing anything for our old brains is tough.

When the temple is open the eight missionary couples (two who are German and the others from the USA) are there. Each day we have three sessions: 8:00, 10:30, and 1:00 as well as other work going forward. On Friday we go home, eat dinner, before returning for a 7:00 session. It is truly a joy to be there so much. We have loved our temple service in Washington DC and in the Salt Lake Temple but I have never been like Anna of the New Testament, who "dwelt" in the temple and had been serving there all the day long for many years when she, with Simeon, was privileged to behold the newborn Savior with his mother.

One thing we were trained on both Friday and Saturday was spät and früh Dienst--late and early service--where we opened and closed the temple, putting all in order for the following day. Normally we are in the temple at 10 minutes to 7:00 in the morning but for these assignments we go at 6:00 and stay until the last patron has left the temple and we have handled all the remaining tasks we are assigned in tidying up, turning off the lights, and locking up prior to the custodian's later arrival.

It occurred to me today that with the arrangement of our apartment, with the tunnel connecting the temple to the Herberge,where we live, that we could--and did--go for days and never set foot outside! That is sure to be a very convenient thing as East German snow piles deep in winter. Last year, we are told, the snow was shoulder deep! I told John that we better stock in food so we never have to go out in it, even for shopping. For now though the weather is beautiful, sunny with clear blue skies, the kind we never saw while in China.

The days have been crisp and lovely with the bite of fall in the air. Saturday, however, was more than crisp. It was downright cold, as it is today. And we still have winter to look forward to. However, as I compare our weather here with that at home in Utah, it appears that winter has arrived early there too with the first snow of the year.

Though we didn't do much outside the temple this week, we did go to "anmeld" downtown by registering at the police station, a requirement of everyone who lives anywhere in Germany (and in China, for that matter) a few days after arrival. Though we have not taken a single picture this week we appreciate some from Trip Advisor that probably show our little city better than pictures I could have taken. It is a charming old town which will celebrate its 850-year-old birthday in 2012.

We love the narrow streets and charming vistas every which way one looks. One of our fellow missionary couples who have rented a car while here, provided us with a tour of the town. These photos may help you visualize our Sachsen (Saxony) Germany world.




I think all these towns around have what are called "Christmas Markets" in their market places in the season. Meanwhile these open areas are apparently used for Farmer's Markets each Saturday. One of these days we may even be able to see them--if there isn't a late sealing and we don't need to lock up the temple.

But, for now, we aren't here for the charm of the old town or for the beauty of the surrounding setting, but for the light and joy of serving the wonderful East Germans, Hungarians (some 50 are to arrive next week!), Czechs, Poles, and the stray American and Russian who are drawn here.

I suppose if I had to choose just one impression to hold onto from this first week it would have to be the overwhelming love that these dear people have for their temple and the blessings it provides them.

We are currently reading President Monson's book, Faith Rewarded, which is simply his entries from his journal about East Germany and its people, from 1968 when he first became a General Authority and was assigned to this area, until the last entry included, from 1995. It is a story of devotion and commitment to the Lord that is there in everything we see and feel here.

These dear saints come to their temple, not just for a session, or even for a day, they come again and again, day after day. Some come from distances and stay in temple housing from Tuesday until Saturday, drinking in the spirit of the temple. They are there when it opens at 7:30 and never leave until it closes late afternoon. Friday they come again for the whole day and evening. We have never been in a temple that is more reverent or full of the lovingkindness that is so much a part of the Lord's own character--we have never heard a word in this whole week that was not whispered. One cute young Russian sister, Sis Semmenkova, had driven 14 hours to come to the temple for this whole week, leaving her non-member husband and her son home as she recharged her batteries for a few months. She assured us she would be back in February, if not December.

In many ways, I envy them their years of hardship and sacrifice for what it has made of them. They love one another in the way I imagine the early pioneers loved one another, who had paid such a price for the gospel. Unusual for the German temperament, they hug and kiss one another (and anyone else who is lucky enough to be around them), greeting each with their joy in being there. In our church meeting today we recognized face after face of local members who had been in the temple repeatedly throughout the week, often bringing with them their own family name cards--it is apparently the #1 temple in the Church for people participating in behalf of their own ancestors.

Our temple president, President Frank Apel and his wife Helga, are third generation members. He was the first stake president behind the Iron Curtain, and prior to that was the last missionary called within East Germany before serving was prevented, he was mission president in Dusseldorf, and now is completing his service in this temple at the end of this month.

The Apels have four children who are all active members of the Church and all live in Freiberg on the same block, and who were all in the temple with their parents for a Friday evening sealing session. Their son-in-law is the recorder and our newly called bishop. Another son-in-law is a counselor to the bishop. Today our fast and testimony meeting rang with other family members' fervent testimonies among the others born. Though I could not understand their German, I felt their spirit of love for the Lord and his gospel. It is not surprising that President Apel could say with a huge smile "The Church is my life." And so it has been. I have so much to learn (and more than just German!) from these dear people that I might become more as they are in love, devotion, and reverence.