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