Oh my!! Sometimes I just wonder! I've had lots of problems trying to get our old blogsites up so that I could post to them. But I just couldn't find the magic key. Finally, I asked someone else who is an expert at blog posting, how to solve the problem. After spending about 30 minutes trying to solve the problem, I was told by that expert, “Oh, just start up a new blog.” So I did. It's called http://www.gagiauque.blogspot.com/ as you know, if you're here. It worked! So I typed a whole bunch of stuff into the box where you type, and then, . . . and then, . . . and then. . . the computer went dead! Before I had a chance to really post it! And so I lost about 45 minutes worth of typing! AAARRRRGGH!
So, I'll try it again. (This is my effort to reconstruct the last pages (thank heavens, not 116!).
First of all, as many of you know, we are not photo-takers. Although a picture is worth a thousand words (wow, am I a coiner of proverbs or what?!), I write more than I shoot (photos). And even then I don't write an awful lot. (Lots of filler sentences here.) So, excuse the lack of photos. But we'll try to improve that defect of ours.
The last time I wrote to some of you was last Thursday. Today is Tuesday and a lot has happened. Friday and Saturday were very busy days. The temple was quite full, and we were doing as much as our limited knowledge allows us to do. Everyone seems to very patient, however, and even the patrons, many of whom know a great deal, are patient with us as we try to “help” them do what they are supposed to do (at the veil, in the initiatory rooms, etc.) I don't remember what we did Sat. afternoon after 2 p.m. when the temple closed, but that's no big deal.
I think we just came back to our apartment and took it easy.
Sunday, of course, we went to church. The Zollikofen (Bern) ward meets in the chapel located right next to the temple. A full-sized ward! Lots of people. The Italian temple workers (about 6 or 7 couples, including the temple president) attend the ward and use ear phones in Sac. Mtg., then have their other meetings separately in Italian. I went to the German meetings, and understood some, maybe 40%. Then at 12:30, the 4 or 5 French couples car-pooled and caravaned to Bienne, about 30 clicks away for the French branch which meets there from 1:15 to 4:15. Good meetings! We enjoyed them!
Monday is “P-day,” or at least “Temple is closed-Day..” One of the Asst. Matrons took us to a bread factory 200 yards away, where everyone in the neighborhood (including the LDS couples, of course) buy bread at ½ price! Great! Then our “landlord” (LDS apt. manager) had us drive him about 5 clicks over to “Shoppyland” a big mall, just so we could learn about it. And a second mall about 2 KM beyond that. The first week, we walked to small (but expensive) stores. Now we'll buy in larger quantities and less often and cheaper at the mall.
Monday evening (last night) we had Fam. Home Ev., led by Pres. Castellani (tall, young, bald Italian. . . not at all the stereotypical Italian). We'll take and post photos of everyone soon. He led us in a “scripture chase” activity: In groups of four, we were to find and cite cases in the Four Gospels in which Jesus is directly involved with the temple. There are four (or five), in case you're curious. Then, part 2, each group of 4 were shown pictures of 10 temples, and asked to name them (name of town). There was some grumbling (light-hearted though) because the pictures the Pres. showed were of old temples, i.e., St. .George, Manti, Logan, SL, Hawaii, Cardston, Mesa, Idaho Falls, Los Angeles, and we, the Americans, knew them better than they, the Europeans did; (that's why the other groups of 4 grumbled).
Today, Tues., we've been given the “real training.” That is, we've (or maybe I should say, “I've”) learned how to “run a session.” Alice tells me she's worked behind the clothing distribution desk, in the initiatory area, standing at the exit of that area, at the veil, as a monitor (shush-er. . . ssshhh, be quiet) in the Celestial room, etc. And she plays the organ in the chapel for the prayer meeting.
Anway, I was saying that we got the *real * training today. I found out that two men are responsible for making things happen, and I'm not talking about the person at the front of the endowment room! There's a lot to do! Alice told me after the session that the wife of my trainer (the wives train the wives, and the husbands train the husbands) told her that my trainer is an ex-parachutist in the Italian military! I kinda felt he might have been something like that. And they speak to me in Italian 90% of the time! But if I'm confused, I can ask them to repeat, and they do, more slowly, or show me something, which generally clears things up for me. I am not really sure what Alice does (or did before today, but see above), but I can tell you we've been learning all of the ceremonies of the temple, little by little, except of course, the sealing. Alice is concentrating on learning them in English and French, and I am trying to learn them in French, Italian and German.
We have a fair amount of free time, and are encouraged to go on sessions ourselves (except, I think, during the morning, when there are 3 sessions).
The first couple who helped /trained us a lot last week were Lorenzo Perticaroli and his wife Lorenza, who I think looks a lttile like . . . well, I won't tell you yet. I'll try to get photos, and then you'll have to guess. Her husband, tall, easy going, looks to me like. . .well, again. . .we'll let you guess. Anyway, they know a little French and want to improve it, so we invited them into our apt. for a short time yesterday. Then Alice played the electronic keyboard and she and Lorenza sang hymns in Italian. It was a lot of fun. We lent them the book of temple pictures Don Busath (our SLC condo neighbor) gave to us; they left, then came back an hour later, bringing a loaf of bread to us.
This is not really a mission! This is comparatively easy work, and everyone is so, sooo, soooooo nice! We know what it's like to get out there and meet people who are not that interested, or less-active members who may even resent us! Or drive long distances. Or try to set up a household. Hats off to those people, past (we've done that, and so have some of you, *we know *!), present and future! Here, everything is already set up for us. Even the laundry, across the hall from apt., is free! The internet is free. No need for a phone, much. People are coming to us, smiling! Wow! I love it!
Well, I can't think of much else for right now. Since we now have a blogspot, and a little more time, I'll try to do some photo shoots and post more.
Luv,
Dad/ Gerry
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Report of Jan 22, 2009.
Can't resist giving you another report of the day for 22 Jan 2009.
1. I've been meaning to put Greg and Ruth on my mailing list. As you may know, we had to have our computer “re-booted” back in November. There was a problem which required us to buy a new hard drive and much of the stuff we had on the old one did not get transferred to the new one, including several addresses. I'll put you guys's names in my address book before I send this.
This morning before starting our shift, I went over to the temple to pay our rent. We pay it in the office there rather than here in the Miss. Apt. Bldg. (MAB). They put me off. “Come back later” they said (nicely). So I did. Same thing: “Come and make your payment tomorrow” (again, nicely). It's incredible! No one is money-grabbing here. The level of trust is high, high, high! We'll *force * them to take our rent for Jan. tomorrow! The cost is 555 Swiss francs, about $525, since the Sw. Fr. is worth 90 cents. Like Mom says, I'm in “hog heaven!”
If we were busy yesterday, today was. . . *wow *! (Almost overwhelming!) I was taught how to give the new name, and did it about six times, in 4 languages, including English. (I wouldn't try to do it in Dutch, but I think I would in Portuguese!) Then I was shown how to do initiatories. I used only French in that, because it's a long ceremony and I can't speak very fast in German or Italian. Someone was there to “watch over me,” but he didn't seem to feel a need to correct me. There were a lot of them to do!!!! By the time we had done about 15 (I suppose), my back and feet were starting to say, “Hey, that's enough!” We kept on going, for probably another 15 more! Owww!
Then down to the baptistry. This time I didn't have to do much, just serve as a witness for the baptisms and recorder for the confirmations.
Then upstairs to the endowment room, where I served as a veil worker, again in three languages for about 5 patrons. One of them goofed up. Thankfully, there was a supervisor there to help me deal with the problem. I'll have to ask tomorrow what I would have done if the supervisor had not been near by.
We start at 11:45 am, and work through until about 4:30 pm. It's not a *long * day, but by the end of the initiatories, I was already tired. Came home, unwound, grabbed a bite to eat, and went shopping again, this time for jam and laundry soap (and a few other things). Yesterday we got French bread, and I simply want to have something on it (even if it's mayonnaise, but I prefer jam).
It seems to me that there really aren't a great many patrons here, and yet we're still busy most of the time. I can't imagine what it must be like in temples like West Jordan, where I hear it is going, going, going, all the time, with no let-up.
We met the Depierraz family, people we knew in summer of 1972 when we lived for 3 months in a suburb of Lausanne (Pully). They remembered that we had two little boys (Rod, 20 months and Eric 5 months), and that the diapers were terrible! Now their hair is almost as white as mine is.
9. Today at 7 p.m., our “landlord” (the person responsible for overseeing all the housing) came, at my invitation, to do a walk-through of the apartment. What a nice guy. He's a French speaker and he lives next door. We all three (he and we) inventoried everything and “checked it off.” . Most anyplace else, that would have to be done before we moved in. Not here. Wow!
10. Tomorrow is Friday, and it'll be along day. . . 1 p.m. until 9 p.m. I don't think I'll write tomorrow. I probably will write less next week.
11. Today, Mom did the new name, in English for Germans and in French, for French and Italians. She stood or sat in the hall or in the Celestial Room (just kinda like a “monitor.”) She went on the 3 p.m. session. Our “landlord” found out Mom does piano, and now he wants to get her to do the organ for the preparation / prayer meeting of both équipes (“shifts” in English, not “teams”) (of which there are two. . . one morning and one afternoon). We'll see if that happens.
Still got other things to do. Luv to all,
Dad / Gerry
1. I've been meaning to put Greg and Ruth on my mailing list. As you may know, we had to have our computer “re-booted” back in November. There was a problem which required us to buy a new hard drive and much of the stuff we had on the old one did not get transferred to the new one, including several addresses. I'll put you guys's names in my address book before I send this.
This morning before starting our shift, I went over to the temple to pay our rent. We pay it in the office there rather than here in the Miss. Apt. Bldg. (MAB). They put me off. “Come back later” they said (nicely). So I did. Same thing: “Come and make your payment tomorrow” (again, nicely). It's incredible! No one is money-grabbing here. The level of trust is high, high, high! We'll *force * them to take our rent for Jan. tomorrow! The cost is 555 Swiss francs, about $525, since the Sw. Fr. is worth 90 cents. Like Mom says, I'm in “hog heaven!”
If we were busy yesterday, today was. . . *wow *! (Almost overwhelming!) I was taught how to give the new name, and did it about six times, in 4 languages, including English. (I wouldn't try to do it in Dutch, but I think I would in Portuguese!) Then I was shown how to do initiatories. I used only French in that, because it's a long ceremony and I can't speak very fast in German or Italian. Someone was there to “watch over me,” but he didn't seem to feel a need to correct me. There were a lot of them to do!!!! By the time we had done about 15 (I suppose), my back and feet were starting to say, “Hey, that's enough!” We kept on going, for probably another 15 more! Owww!
Then down to the baptistry. This time I didn't have to do much, just serve as a witness for the baptisms and recorder for the confirmations.
Then upstairs to the endowment room, where I served as a veil worker, again in three languages for about 5 patrons. One of them goofed up. Thankfully, there was a supervisor there to help me deal with the problem. I'll have to ask tomorrow what I would have done if the supervisor had not been near by.
We start at 11:45 am, and work through until about 4:30 pm. It's not a *long * day, but by the end of the initiatories, I was already tired. Came home, unwound, grabbed a bite to eat, and went shopping again, this time for jam and laundry soap (and a few other things). Yesterday we got French bread, and I simply want to have something on it (even if it's mayonnaise, but I prefer jam).
It seems to me that there really aren't a great many patrons here, and yet we're still busy most of the time. I can't imagine what it must be like in temples like West Jordan, where I hear it is going, going, going, all the time, with no let-up.
We met the Depierraz family, people we knew in summer of 1972 when we lived for 3 months in a suburb of Lausanne (Pully). They remembered that we had two little boys (Rod, 20 months and Eric 5 months), and that the diapers were terrible! Now their hair is almost as white as mine is.
9. Today at 7 p.m., our “landlord” (the person responsible for overseeing all the housing) came, at my invitation, to do a walk-through of the apartment. What a nice guy. He's a French speaker and he lives next door. We all three (he and we) inventoried everything and “checked it off.” . Most anyplace else, that would have to be done before we moved in. Not here. Wow!
10. Tomorrow is Friday, and it'll be along day. . . 1 p.m. until 9 p.m. I don't think I'll write tomorrow. I probably will write less next week.
11. Today, Mom did the new name, in English for Germans and in French, for French and Italians. She stood or sat in the hall or in the Celestial Room (just kinda like a “monitor.”) She went on the 3 p.m. session. Our “landlord” found out Mom does piano, and now he wants to get her to do the organ for the preparation / prayer meeting of both équipes (“shifts” in English, not “teams”) (of which there are two. . . one morning and one afternoon). We'll see if that happens.
Still got other things to do. Luv to all,
Dad / Gerry
Report of the day, 21 Jan. 2009.
Hi all,
Well, our second day here was interesting!
At our preparation meeting, Mom played the organ again. I think she will be *the* organ player from now on.
After the announcements (in 3 languages), the hymn (choose your hymnbook and sing the hymn in the language you want), the prayer (not translated) and the scripture (done in 3 languages), the men and the women separate, and we have our preparation and are told the new name for the day.
Mom went and did something, I'm not really sure what. I went to the reception desk for an hour (where I learned, from trainers who spoke German or Italian, what I am supposed to do). While I was there, alone, some people came in, and I greeted them (with a smile and kind words) and checked their recommends. I learned that there were in the group three native speakers of Spanish; some of them spoke French or Italian, but one spoke only Spanish. I asked her about herself and she said she was from Ecuador, from Ambato Stake (near Quito?). I told her my wife and I have a daughter who went to Ecuador, and of course, she lit up, and asked when. I said about 5 years ago (am I mistaken?), to Guayaquil North. She even asked for Nicky's name so I told her Hermana Giauque. No connection, and I am not surprised. But she was so pleased to find someone who had a connection with “her home” here.
Then I was asked to go to the veil, where under the direction of one of the temple presidency, I learned to do the veil ceremony. I was able to do it in French once, twice in Spanish, and once in German. I've still got some learning to do! But it will come, I'm sure.
Later, I was called to the baptistry again, as yesterday, but today I didn't do baptisms. I was the recorder, instead, pushing cards into the card reader and checking the box with a red pencil after the baptism had been done. Then, after all the baptisms, they had me do confirmations: 45 in Spanish for the lady mentioned above, and 40 in French, for an older gentleman who knows only French (and who was not a proxy for baptisms). I figured that that's the reason they didn't have me do baptisms. The idea is to spread the blessings around. And although they could baptize the Spanish speaker using Italian, it was better to do the confirmations in a language they could understand better. Anyway, all this to say that it was both satisfying. . . and tiring. By the end, my voice was starting to crack.
I am very glad we are here! This is the fulfillment of a life-long dream!
After we finished, we came home and put our empty luggage in the storage area. It's in this building's basement, where they have what was originally built as a bomb shelter (a concrete box!). But now, in addition to a storage area, it's even a “game room” for the temple missionaries! Wow! (But I don't think there's much time for games. We'll see, though, on P-day, Monday).
Then we learned where garbage is supposed to go; lots of different categories! This place is eco-green! But being green and eco-conscious doesn't mean they're “liberal.” I have the feeling that Switzerland (if the country itself has a mind) wants everyone in Switzerland to think the same way! They love that “freedom” to be just like everybody else! (Conformity versus diversity???) I haven't been to Oregon for a long time, but I'll bet the same feeling is there.
We then walked to the store, 300-400 yards away (just the right amount of walking for us tired people), bought a fair amount of food (expensive!) and got “shushed” out the door because it was past 7 p.m., and they wanted to close!! We seem to be a problem for these Swiss in that regard! But crossing the streets, every (every!) car stopped and let us cross. We didn't even have to take our grocery bags, because the M.A.B. (Missionary Apartment Building) actually provides a couple of “poussettes” (push carts) designed to carry groceries home. Free!
We were told that behind the temple there is a field. In the summer, it's full of flowers of all kinds. Anyone can go there, pick or cut flowers, and leave a monetary contribution in a box at the edge of the field. *That* would never happen in most of the rest of Europe. (Maybe so in Scandinavia, though.)
It's late. Gotta go-da bed. Luv,
Dad
Well, our second day here was interesting!
At our preparation meeting, Mom played the organ again. I think she will be *the* organ player from now on.
After the announcements (in 3 languages), the hymn (choose your hymnbook and sing the hymn in the language you want), the prayer (not translated) and the scripture (done in 3 languages), the men and the women separate, and we have our preparation and are told the new name for the day.
Mom went and did something, I'm not really sure what. I went to the reception desk for an hour (where I learned, from trainers who spoke German or Italian, what I am supposed to do). While I was there, alone, some people came in, and I greeted them (with a smile and kind words) and checked their recommends. I learned that there were in the group three native speakers of Spanish; some of them spoke French or Italian, but one spoke only Spanish. I asked her about herself and she said she was from Ecuador, from Ambato Stake (near Quito?). I told her my wife and I have a daughter who went to Ecuador, and of course, she lit up, and asked when. I said about 5 years ago (am I mistaken?), to Guayaquil North. She even asked for Nicky's name so I told her Hermana Giauque. No connection, and I am not surprised. But she was so pleased to find someone who had a connection with “her home” here.
Then I was asked to go to the veil, where under the direction of one of the temple presidency, I learned to do the veil ceremony. I was able to do it in French once, twice in Spanish, and once in German. I've still got some learning to do! But it will come, I'm sure.
Later, I was called to the baptistry again, as yesterday, but today I didn't do baptisms. I was the recorder, instead, pushing cards into the card reader and checking the box with a red pencil after the baptism had been done. Then, after all the baptisms, they had me do confirmations: 45 in Spanish for the lady mentioned above, and 40 in French, for an older gentleman who knows only French (and who was not a proxy for baptisms). I figured that that's the reason they didn't have me do baptisms. The idea is to spread the blessings around. And although they could baptize the Spanish speaker using Italian, it was better to do the confirmations in a language they could understand better. Anyway, all this to say that it was both satisfying. . . and tiring. By the end, my voice was starting to crack.
I am very glad we are here! This is the fulfillment of a life-long dream!
After we finished, we came home and put our empty luggage in the storage area. It's in this building's basement, where they have what was originally built as a bomb shelter (a concrete box!). But now, in addition to a storage area, it's even a “game room” for the temple missionaries! Wow! (But I don't think there's much time for games. We'll see, though, on P-day, Monday).
Then we learned where garbage is supposed to go; lots of different categories! This place is eco-green! But being green and eco-conscious doesn't mean they're “liberal.” I have the feeling that Switzerland (if the country itself has a mind) wants everyone in Switzerland to think the same way! They love that “freedom” to be just like everybody else! (Conformity versus diversity???) I haven't been to Oregon for a long time, but I'll bet the same feeling is there.
We then walked to the store, 300-400 yards away (just the right amount of walking for us tired people), bought a fair amount of food (expensive!) and got “shushed” out the door because it was past 7 p.m., and they wanted to close!! We seem to be a problem for these Swiss in that regard! But crossing the streets, every (every!) car stopped and let us cross. We didn't even have to take our grocery bags, because the M.A.B. (Missionary Apartment Building) actually provides a couple of “poussettes” (push carts) designed to carry groceries home. Free!
We were told that behind the temple there is a field. In the summer, it's full of flowers of all kinds. Anyone can go there, pick or cut flowers, and leave a monetary contribution in a box at the edge of the field. *That* would never happen in most of the rest of Europe. (Maybe so in Scandinavia, though.)
It's late. Gotta go-da bed. Luv,
Dad
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