Week 34

Our week began with a Monday missionary outing with a walking tour of Freiberg.  One of our sealers at the temple is Gottfried Schmidt, whose family has lived in Freiberg and surrounds since the 1300s. He loves this little Stadt and knows a lot about it that was wonderful for us to learn.

Freiberg tour with Bruder Schmidt 

He told us that Freiberg—free mountain—founded in 1186, was overseen for centuries by unusual aristocrats who owned the area's rich resources. Silver was found early on and rather than hoarding its rights, they opened it to any and all willing to dig for it. The town developed around a principle of cooperation and everyone worked together to help build a wonderful place to live—and there were “no poor among them.” Given that background it seems a fitting place for a temple of the Lord to have been built. 

Lunch at Stadt Wirtschaft Restaurant

We met in town before the tour and enjoyed lunch together at a wonderful old restaurant then met at one of the towers, still standing, in the old wall, only a part of which is still there. We love this little town with its clean streets and window boxes and flowers. 

Clean Freiberg with its flower boxes

John and I only joined for the first part of the tour—his energy and walking ability is pretty limited, so we got only a taste before turning towards home. We were most grateful when we were only two blocks into a long walk up Hainichener Strasse when Jim Chidester’s little blue car pulled up along side us offering us a much needed ride home.  We are grateful to be able to participate here and there though mostly we just conserve energy for our work in the temple.

Our work at the temple continues to bring us joy—as one of our elderly brothers, Bruder Müller says, “Ich bin immer Gesund wenn ich im Tempel bin.” (I am always healthy when I am in the temple). John echoes his view. Mornings are tough for him to get up but by the time we are dressed and headed into the tunnel he sets aside how he feels, focuses on the work at hand, and does feel better than any other time of his day. I think he is enormously courageous to be here serving given the way he feels and with his struggles with mobility.

Saturday we enjoyed some large groups of Czech youth who came for baptisms so things were hummin’. The rest of the week we also had a baptism every day, put together for just one young man who was baptized three weeks ago and who had traveled from Vienna to Freiberg to spend the week in the temple.  He arrived first thing each morning to participate in a baptismal session which required two workers as witnesses, one baptizer, and two others to record and confirm. Five brethren were there to help one young man have a wonderful experience each day.  The rest of the day he spent his time in the waiting room off the front entrance reading the scriptures, leaving only when the temple closed after the third session every day. On Friday night he came back, just to sit, feel the Spirit, and be in the temple (waiting room). Tomorrow he is going to Frankfurt to see that temple and to spend another week before heading home.  What a nice way to begin your new life as a member of the Church.  

Schw "Blue hair" Harzt

Sunday, one of our ward members, Schwester Harzt, invited us to join her and her non-member husband for dinner. We had a lovely time sitting in their garden before enjoying a nice dinner. John said the experience reminded him a lot of being on his mission.  Schw Harzt is a charming lady who is a very pretty but rather unique in having blue hair—not a bluish grey, but actual blue! 

Relaxing on a Sunday afternoon

Brent would have loved this yard with its gardens and trees. We enjoyed sitting and relaxing while our hosts fixed dinner.

Sister Harzt is a fun person who was born in the Church in about 1938, was sealed to her parents in the Swiss temple before the wall went up, and is very musical. Her father was a counselor to Henry Burkhardt, the first temple president in Freiberg.  She married her husband hoping he would accept the gospel. They have everything in common and are very happy, except for the fact that he has “keinen Glauben” (no belief). My heart goes out to her. Hopefully some day his heart will be touched with a desire for more.

Dinner and conversation

We are enjoying these lovely spring days with a hint of coolness in the air, beautiful billowy white clouds in the blue, blue sky. We received some pictures from John’s brother Mark from Cody Wyoming where they had just had snow! And were doubly grateful to be here.

May snow in Cody, Wyoming!

Hope you are happy wherever you are in your little corner of the world.