Week 2

Another week has flown by and we are in a little better shape than we were last week. I think my brain is getting more used to the demands of German and of constant memorizing. . . besides it is impossible to be anything but happy to be in the temple every day.

Physically we are generally holding up, though Wednesday morning I wasn't sure John was going to make it. It was one of what I call his "Donkey Days"--when his legs buckle on him without warning. We wondered if he could even get dressed and walk through the tunnel to the temple, let alone serve through the whole day. He is marvelous though; with a little help from me to get his socks and shoes on, he went forward in faith. He tells me that he often thinks of my Aunt Alice, who, well in her 70s and in constant pain from severe arthritis and a deformed hip, was called as Young Women president in her ward and accepted the calling in faith. I remember her experiencing a weekly miracle as she went to the church, it was as though she took her pain off like a coat at the door, and picked it up again as she left. John said that his memory of her going forward in faith shores up his own. He not only got through that day, but each day throughout the week.

We both have, really; my memorization is coming along and, by the end of the week, I had done all but one of the segments in which women are able to serve. It is still pretty scary for me to open my mouth and let sacred words come out of it in German! I'm sure it will be a while yet before they come forth naturally and comfortably, but they are coming, and not as slowly as at first. I am grateful for the Lord's sustaining help in all we are doing. It is a privilege to serve.

We thoroughly enjoyed our Monday P-day, cleaning the apartment, doing laundry and cooking--the mundane things that are a perfect unwind from the week before. I made veggie pizza crusts, split pea soup, and stocked up on things we needed for the week. We felt we were now ready to face Tuesday when we had "Frühdienst." That means that we went early to open the temple for the day. Every eight days we will have the chance to close the temple at night and open again the next morning. If our turn comes up on Tuesday it means we also go in on Monday evening and put away the clothing the laundry has prepared for the next day. It was fun to participate in that activity.

Monday night several cars drove into the temple parking lot and out spilled nearly 50 Hungarian saints who had come for a scheduled week at the temple. We met them Tuesday morning as the temple opened for the 8:00 am session. They were there, and stayed throughout that day and every session through the week. The temple was full to the brim with their joy at being there. Older couples, singles, young couples (some who began their week by being sealed, having first been married civilly, as required). Many of the saints who came served also as workers, leading the sessions in Hungarian all day (while the Germans, who came and joined them, willingly put on headphones to participate in Deutsch). With them was a wonderful group of youth who came to participate in baptisms for the dead. They too were there all day.

Interestingly many of the Hungarians spoke a little English but no German so i had the chance to talk with them in the lunch room or as they waited for the next session. Friday afternoon, knowing they faced long drives of 8 to 12 hours home the following morning, I wondered if they would stay for the Friday evening session. Each one asked said "Oh YES! We wouldn't miss it!" And so they joyously came. As they left Friday night late they hugged everyone, assuring us they would be back the end of November--they could hardly wait! I loved working with them--all but trying to pronounce their names. Goodness. What a language!

Though most of the patrons this week were Hungarian we also welcomed the Germans and even one young woman from Russia who, I learned, comes every few months by herself. Her husband is not a member and she has one young son. It seemed to me that she was recharging her internal batteries as she soaked in the spirit of the temple each hour throughout the day. I look forward to seeing her again.

Thursday evening we had planned to get together with a German couple from Dresden we had met in St. Petersburg, Russia, at a production of Swan Lake.. We had arranged to meet them for dinner and an organ concert at the Dom cathedral in Freiberg. We were sorry to learn on Wednesday evening that the wife had become ill and they would be unable to come. We had already purchased tickets for the event so John gave them to another couple we met in the temple from Münster. They were excited to join us and we had fun at dinner at an old German pub before a wonderful concert on the two Silbermann organs by Albrecht Koch, the principal organist at the Dom.

Through the week in our evening hours we prepared to speak in Church Sunday with the only other new couple serving here for six months. They came from northern Germany. John translated my remarks into German and patiently coached me on my pronunciation. We gave them today--another hurdle now over. John did a great job on his talk on the Mission of the Church. I introduced ourselves, told of our love serving in the temple, and bore my testimony. Five minutes of speaking German about did me in but it is over! Hurrah!

Saturday the temple was pretty thin of company with the Hungarians back in their cars headed home. We had been warned that that would be the case when the groups leave. The third session for the day was canceled and instead we had a sealing session for the few patrons and a bunch of the missionaries who were there. John and I participated and it was a joy. On our session was a charming little elderly lady visiting for seven weeks from Potsdam, near Berlin. John and I were serving as proxies for the parents and Sis Adam as our daughter. We have never observed such sparkle in an individual participating, even after our really remarkable week with the Hungarians. As each ordinance was performed she, looking upward, said "do you see their joy and happiness in being sealed!" "They are all here and are so happy!" Though we ourselves saw nothing, we felt of the happiness and were grateful to be with her.

Saturday evening we had another event in an already full week. One of my Chinese students from Xi'an, here in Germany studying in Bamberg for six months, came to see us to spend Sunday. On her own she had traveled to Prague and Dresdan. We were her last stop on her way back to Bamberg. We took a bus to the train station to meet her coming in, went to dinner and then took her to a guest house very close by the temple. Sunday morning she came for breakfast, then joined us for our Church meetings. With the help of the sister missionaries serving in Freiberg she willingly sat through all three hours.

It was such fun to talk openly with her about the Church, something we could not do in China. She knows next to nothing about Christianity or the Savior, but has been gathering with other Chinese students at her school each Wednesday evening while they read the Bible in Chinese. She was full of questions and it was fun to share with her our beliefs. We don't know where things will go from here but we tried to at least be a good first contact for her.

We ate lunch together at our apartment and then saw her photos from her trip. In the evening I walked with her around sleepy Freiberg--everything is locked up tight on a Sunday evening--before walking together back to the train station to send her off on her journey while I caught a taxi home.

German calendars show the first day of the week to be Monday and the last to be Sunday. I like that. It feels like the week has drawn to a close. I am ready for bed and look forward to beginning the new week ahead. I hope it is a good one for each of you too!