Week 55--Final full week in Freiberg

Every now and again Pres. Husz will say to us, “We are really going to miss you,” and I know they will, because friendships are priceless, but still we will be replaced by those who will come at their time to preform the work needed. In the Church it is always the case of a finger being pulled from the pond. The hole is quickly filled.

That said, without doubt we know that “for such a time as this. . .” we have been allowed to be here and as we leave we take with us wonderful memories that will not soon fade.

Abmelden from Freiberg

Monday Norbert and Antje took us to town to abmelden (check out) from Freiberg a week early. We had to let them know we would be leaving on the 23^rd. So many things are so "final" for us these days. Afterwards, we walked in the old Stadt and Antje shopped for a neighbor at home.

John and Norbert (with his salty Bayern jacket--and beard)

We couldn’t have wished for a more wonderful final full week than this one, surrounded as we were by 50 of our beloved Hungarian Saints, here to serve yet another week in this wonderful temple.

Pres Monson greeting (but here everyone was in white!)

The week sparkled with a surprise visit from Pres. Monson to our temple—the first visit ever by the prophet. He spoke with everyone in the temple crowded into the foyer, greeting each person individually and then pronouncing a blessing upon all the patrons and workers and all of their families because of their service here. It was a marvelous experience to be part of this visit.  

He affirmed that there was an "amazing spirit" in this temple. Tears were flowing down cheeks of these precious Hungarians, who have paid such a price to be in the temple repeatedly throughout the year that we have been here—and many years before we came. This week on Tuesday five among them received their own endowments in the second session of the day—just before Pres. Monson dropped by! 

What an experience for these newly endowed Saints! From then until Friday night they, with great joy, attended every session—12 in all—so that by the time they left they had become seasoned temple patrons. This is the pattern. What an immersion of the Spirit in their lives. These sweet people who have so very little, choose "the better part" in life. Anytime the Hungarians can take time from work, they come to the temple. It is their focus in lieu of vacations of other types. I always think of those listening to King Benjamin—with their tents firmly pitched toward the temple. What a marvelous example of devotion they are to us.

Pres. Monson spoke warmly to us all for several minutes using double translation into Hungarian and then Deutsch. Though we caught only the last few minutes since we were finishing up our assignment at the end of the session, Norbert and Antje Primas were there and reported that he had personally greeted each individual with a warm handshake--even tugging on Norbert's beard with a smile, and kissing the forehead of a tiny, 90-year-old sister from Vienna. With so many Hungarians in the temple, Pres. Monson laughingly asked if there were any left in Hungary!

Wednesday and Thursday we had very busy days in our efforts to complete the last of our assignments from Pres. Husz and to put everything in order before turning things over. Wednesday Andreas and Ingrid Ortlieb came from Leipzig to serve for the day in the temple and then took us to Hotel Schwarzes Ross in Siebenlehn for dinner. 

Andreas and Ingrid Ortlieb

They had wanted us to come to Leipzig and stay with them but neither we nor they had had the time to fit our visit in, so we made do with a wonderful visit over dinner. John trained Brother Ortlieb with such gentle encouragement that Andreas says John will be with him in his heart every time he works in the temple. He wrote him one of the most expressive, letters of appreciation I have ever read.  They are wonderful, kind people, and are among the many who will leave big holes in our hearts as we return home.

Thursday night we had a triple farewell dinner with the missionaries at Himmel und Hölle restaurant in Freiberg, since three missionary couples go home so soon. We rode down with the Huszes after Sis Husz and I finally went for a walk in the woods, which we have been longing to do for a long, long time! It was fun to walk and talk. I will really miss her.

A walk in the woods with Marikka Husz--finally!

The restaurant hosted a delightful gathering with yummy food and wonderful company. Pres. Husz asked each of the six departing missionaries to share a highlight of their experiences here in the temple and that made for a wonderful event, following which the president and matron presented each couple with some lovely small mementos.  

Homeward bound first--Us

Homeward bound a week after us --Linda and Jerry Meyers

Homeward bound mid Nov:Jim and Lynne Chidester

Pres and Sis Husz--a favorite picture and a favorite couple!

Miryam and Robert Koch--assistant to the matron and 1st counselor

By Friday we had turned everything over to the wonderful new counselors we have quickly grown to love and went home looking forward to Saturday, when we would do only ordinance work.

Barbara and Bernd Suckow--assistant to the matron and 2nd counselor 

Saturday morning I spoke in our morning preparation meeting with John translating for me. The focus was on the importance of our savoring every day (as Pres Monson had counseled us on Tuesday)—staying in the middle, as Pres. Uchtdorf put it, not focusing just on endings or beginnings but on the now! I like that principle. Too often we miss precious moments as we worry about the future or regret the past. Doing so also allows me to hold on to this singular day without thinking only of next Tuesday—our last in Freiberg.

Saturday, we attended the first session, doing some Laing family names, read a wonderful history of the miracle of this temple, which Pres. Husz loaned us to read while in the temple, and then participated in a sealing session—again doing family names.

In the morning I had brought my camera, checking it at the recommend desk, and then found Pres. Husz to ask if it would be permissible to take a picture just outside the temple doors with us in our whites, to which he replied, “Only if I am in it too!” We were so happy to have it taken with both of them in the picture with us.

John, Pres. Ernst Husz, Marikka Husz, and Sue

In the evening we went to dinner with Antje and Norbert—since we have no food left in our cupboards, then came home to put the finishing touches on our talks for Church. We decided that I would speak in English (rather than my abysmal Deutsch) and John would translate, as he did in preparation meeting Saturday. 

He took my talk and translated it paragraph by paragraph so that we could toggle between us, working together as we have done throughout our mission.

We just returned home from Church having given our talks. John spoke briefly after I concluded and did a great job, as always. Two young missionaries spoke after us, with great enthusiasm. The balance of the block today was for the ward to listen to the last session of conference. We came home, having been able to already see it auf English to write my weekly blog—another last in Freiberg—and get farewell letters out to friends here and in neighboring countries.

Tomorrow means laundry, cleaning, shipping off a last box, and final packing before we return to the temple Tuesday morning, where together John and I will lead the 8:00 session before getting released as Freiberg temple ordinance workers. We will then pack Norbert’s car to the hilt with our one piece of luggage, plus all our other stuff we are giving them, and head for Munich and the beginning of our restful return home. As the sun sets on our mission we feel grateful to had a such a glorious experience! Missions are wonderful! It may seem like a dream by the time we get home, but we have loved it! And we love you, too.

Sun setting on our glowing temple Freiberg--and our time in it!