three baptismes and a Boat trip on the Lac

Not a movie, but just as exciting, This weekend one of our YSA got baptised. First, at 8;30 a sister wanted to get baptised in the lac (this was a private one,we met her but didnt go) second at 14h Alexandra from Chad, and then at 18h Joel, a refuge (also from Africa) Alexandras family is very successful,educated family from Grenoble, She is interning here to be an avocat (lawyer) and her family didnt approve for many months, So we were happy to have this great day and meet her family. Her mother made a tuna meat loaf that I loved and got the recipe for! But, after I had a great big stomach ache (I think it was the teramasu one of the Elders made) We. also met with Frere Simonnet and found out that we will be teaching New Testament in Institute, so, I started thinking about the next show ,< Savior of the World>, (anyone seen a production and have a CD, or DVD??) It was a busy missionary week,but,.............. we did get 1/2 a P day with the Todds and took a boat from Nyon to Yvoire. We had explored both of these villes before so we went out into the edge of Yvoire and found an old cemetery with ruins from the stone age and Roman dwellings from 1 AD and then various times since Christ with different markings, This was hidden in between walnut trees and cornfields,and sunflowers, all ready for harvest.

We look forward to harvesting and Conference generale, we enjoyed hearing Dallin H Oaks CES talk about tolerance and truth and highly recommend it.

Bern Switzerland, the city and the Temple

When people go to the Temple , they always ask how long we are staying and now we found out why. We reserved a in the Temple Apt and as you will see from the photos, it is a hostel, a fun small adventure! But, first, we left very early and visited Bern city , capital of Switzerland, a medieval city settled around the Aare river in 1191. It is now rated third in the world in most cultural attractive according to Forbes. So we walked through the street market in front of the Parliament, Muster cathedral, Glockenspiel (giant clock), and Chlattebar (just a toy story but it reminded us of Chatterley name,) The temple sits on the edge of a great forest (which we have written about before, like Hansel & Gretel.and all the other scary nursery rhymes ) We like to walk in and around and this time while we walked , at the end of the forest we saw a sign (everything is in German) that looked like army with a shield (Heils Armee) and it turned out to be Salvation Army! We were delighted and spent all our franc there instead of at the open market... Back to the temple, the languages used in the Temple flow from one to the other. I wore a head set with french and the session was in Italian so you could hear it in the background., and in Initiatories each area was conducted in the sisters native language, so I had Italian, French, and German in my head as I went round and round, I managed to fool one sister. She was from Marseilles and thought I was Swiss. that my french was that good.!! But, my bubble was burst the next day when an Italian ordinance worker said, (I think) Stick to your own language ( in Italian) But the spirit is understood in any language and the message did touch my heart many times as we communicated in the Temple, through the spirit of love and service

Reflections on America

As we stop to reflect on the last 10 years, we are humbled again at the joy to be able to be so far away from our home and to represent the Gospel and a service based life. Here we get broader perspective of the world and our influence in it Only, this week end we are reminded of the tragedy of 9/11 .We listen to BBC (mostly because we can understand it) public radio from Geneve. America is mentioned, usually with the extreme weather conditions or Obama. Here in Europe, the economy, the franc, the euro, immigration,jobs,and holiday are the most talked about subjects! SOUND familiar?. There are wide ranges of schools,with most, (Like probably ALL) speaking multiple languages. If they are talking to me , they know at least know two!. The only people I found hard to talk to were--less educated and older. This week a mother and daughter , both with the name Maira from Romania. came looking for work. I introduced them to another LDS mother and daughter, also looking for work from Peru... And the LSD women said............. what a pity. The Maira's were sleeping outside, so many like them,,,,,, coming to Geneve to find something more.. I thought it was funny, here two so similar,... yet ,... not., I continue to reflect on the blessings of the gospel being restored in America, in the right place, at the right time...and the part that Geneve had in the reformation. So, as I hope we still say,,

Haut Savoie--Chalet in Onnion

We feel the summer ending as schools start this week in France and last week in Switzerland, We will have new YSA coming as au pairs and working st the UN. We were lucky this week to drive up into Haute Savoie which is close to Mt Blanc, to a chalet in Onnion. This chalet has been in the family for 700 years,The surrounding area had goats and we bought cheese, seeing how it was made right there!!! We walked along a path with rocks and rolling hills. I felt like Heidi, We also saw a Grotto which had to entire life a Christ scattered along the path with rocks, Even in the middle of the fields we saw places of worship,! Needless to say, it was a lovely afternoon,After we rushed back to teach yoga at the Salveve ward, only find no one there. I knew the RS President said Wednesday evening(, Mercredi ), and later found out that I had the wrong date! So much for my great French!.Two apt. were cleaned out this week in preparation for the mission office moving to Lyon. The Pressevin Apt, our first, is gone and we have fond memories of our friends there. Last night we had dinner with our neighbors who returned from a vacation in the states this week. So dinner and photos! great fun because their photos reminded me of ours (Only we take European stuff and they were taking American stuff) We feel blessed to have good friends that we can help and they, of course, have helped us also.

Today in Primary I will be helping choreograph a number for Stake Primary activity in Oct ( love to be with the children.) I do miss the beginning of the school year with all the little ones excited to start another year of learning, We will continue to progress as we have another year to learn, grow,and serve the Lord and our fellow friends.