Week 27

Yep! I missed a week. I guess it was bound to happen but ich bin umgekehrt (I have repented) and am starting again! These two weeks have flown by and we have less than one year remaining until our extended release date of 25 March 2013.

Last week, as you well know, was general conference, and we loved it. We didn’t want to wait even one day before watching it so saw the morning sessions live at 6:00 pm and the afternoon sessions from 10:00 pm to midnight on Saturday and Sunday. What a marvelous experience that was. John did go to priesthood Sunday morning at our ward. How blessed we are to be led by living prophets and how important it is to follow their direction in this (and every) day and age.

One of my favorite talks was Elder Holland’s, about the parable of the vineyard and the Lord’s desire to be merciful, though there were so many wonderful uplifting messages that I’d be hard pressed to say this or that was my favorite.

Hard on the heels of conference was the reopening of our temple here in Freiberg and it was a joy to return. Having a little break in the demands of serving full time provided a pleasant change, but it is now so nice to be “back home” to the temple, participating in things of eternal import. Even though we spend much of our time in the administrative end of the work, we are still very much involved in things that matter and are glad to have it so. 

We seem to have left spring in Poland and came back to the tail end of winter, again though Spring is trying--unsuccessfully--to arrive. We do have purple pansies in front of the church but . . . notice John is also still wearing a fur hat for much-needed warmth!

Our first day back it was fun to see the little changes that always take place during a shut down. We are now cozily ensconced downstairs in the Kinderraum (youth center), which is used rarely, where we can prepare the daily plan without disrupting the office upstairs.

John has been busy training the brother of our brand new missionary couple from Switzerland, the Zymlas. It has been fun to welcome them and their amazingly musical Schweizer Deutsch so different from the Sachsen German we hear around us.

Our ranks have also been increased this week by a single senior missionary—the first the temple has ever had. Sis Tollefson was transferred here from the Berlin mission and it has been fun to get acquainted with her. She hails from Manti and knows John’s cousins Gary and Monte from the temple there and is cousin to John’s first mission president, Blythe Gardner, some 47 years ago. Amazingly small world in the Church.

The missionary couple living in our condo in Salt Lake sent us stunning pictures of the springtime views from Trevi. They provide quite a contrast from the blanket of white stuff that greeted our walk to church this Easter Morn.  John was singing “In your Easter bonnet, with all the snow upon it!” on our way out—good thing I had no Easter bonnet.

We enjoyed a really wonderful Easter weekend with a very busy temple on Good Friday evening, with a large group of senior singles here for a conference that continued Saturday morning.  After they left, numbers were pretty lean so the missionaries themselves participated in sealings and initiatories. I was actually able to be a patron in both for some for whom we have been doing family history research.  These are tender and lovely experiences for me.

Generally speaking we are doing pretty well--for us. John constantly feels that he is walking on toothpicks for legs with gum drops attached for feet--that are usually on backwards. I have been attacked by my first experience with severe hay fever. But life is bright--especially if you don't forget how to laugh! 

We enjoyed hearing this week from Patrick and Tessha, home from their honeymoon, before they immediately left for a few days at the beach with Patrick’s 5 kids, wanting them to feel included in their new life together. They all had a wonderful time. After taking them back home, Patrick and Tessha drove to Utah, where they took care of some important business and visited with Chi and David and Adam and Kimmy and their families. Back home now they are busy and happy and we are glad they are such a great team together. Marrying your best friend is always a good idea!

We are proud of David and Chi’s amazing stick-to-it-iveness as he approaches the downhill run towards completing his master’s degree in the next few weeks, when he will finish up his last class. Working full time, going to school, and being a great dad and husband is a marvelous accomplishment. 

I’m sure he would be the first to admit that he couldn’t have done it without Chi’s great support. We think they are pretty awesome with their passel of precious kids, who keep them both running. Chi & David are going to be grandparents this month when Trevant’s Carmen has a baby girl. Good grief! We are going to be great-grandparents. That gives one pause!

Adam and Kimmy are busy as ever—we don’t have the chance to hear from them as often as we’d like but know they are balancing all the important balls in the air of family, church and work. Adam is high priests group leader and has a very demanding travel schedule that takes him all over the world for his company. I guess he is following in his dad’s footsteps. I can relate to the challenges Kimmy faces having him gone frequently but there are blessings that come from it—you really appreciate having a husband home when he is able to be there. Together they try to be good parents who “teach correct principles” and have fun with their kids along the way.

We are grateful for the marvelous Easter Sunday we have had today. Each of our meetings was filled with the Spirit as speakers and teachers testified of the Savior, his supernal Atonement, death, and Resurrection. I couldn’t understand all the words but was pretty amazed at how much I did catch—certainly enough to be overwhelmed by the Spirit confirming the truth of their words. We are greatly blessed—Praise be to God for His magnificent Son.

Have a wonderful week.