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