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.

CAJAF conference

We spent all last week at a YSA conference in the mountains about 1 hour from our place .Of course, it took us over 2 hours so we got a good tour of the Jura Mountian range. This week included between 300-400 franophiles (french speaking)YSA. including a grand bus from Paris, Belgium, and Switzerland. The cultures included were just as vast. The rooms were about the size of cruise rooms and the food about the same, so we had nothing to complain about. In fact I even tried Pigs in a blanket (although it is not called that here). Ratatuille, many fish dishes and tons of fresh abricots. Their salads were mostly cucumber slices, plickels,tomatoes,radishes, some green leaves. One day at the salads there was a hard boiled egg in a jelly, in little salty, but healthy. The desserts were always custards or open tarts and of course fruit, bread and cheese.We had spiritual groups in the mornings and stations in the afternoons.. Since I was the Yoga instructor we never got to take the classes. Some classes were choir, theatre, Escalade (climbing wall). le football (soccer), tia chi, choreographe (dance),cuisine, tir a L'arc (archery) Each class was one hour and there were 8m sessons, so, that means 8 hours of yoga! The last day, we closed the doors early,on the yoga. In the evening two dances, first theme , the Lettre L ( we came as a leaf, which worked out well because it was very hot and we could fan our selve) other dressed like fairies, knights,all very creatvie. There was also a grand bal,(dressy dance), talent show, and a fireside with Elder Texiera (spelling?) from the area seventies. He was the highlight as he spoke in ENGLISH, with a translator , He speakes many languages, but he could hear and see the influence of Pres. Monson in hie passion, And his wife was my favorite, ,lover her!. Loveed our time to serve. Loved our new friends, but most of all Love and miss you

Chateau de Gruyeres de Cailler

Yes, this is hard work, but someone has to do it! This week we had our last week of summer session, Preach my Gospel, which meets during either friday or Saturday and then an activity after. This gave us a free day after our district meeting to go exploring. We were lucky to "write it off" as work (you know how much Jim loves to stay on task) because we went with two familes with kids, one who will be moving to Hollywood. USA . The other family boards their children in school in England while the parents are living in Geneva. This mom's relatives were from Russia and fled during the Jewish persecution , so we are a great time visitng with both families and learning their history. We drove about 1 1/2 hour North and east around Lac Leman and into Switzerland. inland from the Castle Chillion. There is the Chocolait factory/Cailler et Nestle (yes, it all started here) and a little further Chateau de Gruyeres. This has a cheese factory and a delightful cobble stone ville with art, history and romance. We just have to pinch ourselves every week and say how blessed we are as we ended this week with 3 baptisms, one Sp, sister, one Mogolian Sister, and one Africian Man. Oh, yes, we did get some hiking in too!.

another Wedding,another fete!

This entry has alot of photos, because of the Fete Nationale (just like our July 4th only is lasts 2 weeks beginning and ending with fireworks.) So, on our blog are alot of famous Geneva sights,, Jet d'eau, St. Peters Cathedral from Lac Leman, Mt. Blanc, old buildings, museums ,and an old school we found on a morning walk. We bought a new camera for Jim's birthday and have been practicing with it! I just cant find the best way angle for my nose and the lighting to remove wrinkle ,so what you see is what you get!..Life goes on, And life together for eternity for another YSA and we served at the reception and then went to the Bern Temple the next day, The french government doesn't recognize the temple ceremony so they need to get married at the Mairie first.. SO, just like in the states, it makes for long days,, first the Mairie where the city says their names and they say OUI and exchange rings, then photos, while we rush to reception centre and get out tables, food and drinks etc ,( we had decorated and organized the night before), then the wedding reception begins, this time at 4:00. The reception went until 7:30 ish, after is the sit down dinner with 5 courses. This starts after 8: and ends 11ish then there is a dance which they say ended at 3am then next morning. In the mean time we went home and met those YSA at 7:30am ( not really close friends of the wedding ) and drove the the temple. By the time I was in the ladies changing room, after the 11 O Clock session, there was the bride who had just been sealed (it was now 12:50pm 24 hours later!!) BUT she still looked radiant!!!! . Oh, well, C'est l'amour...C'est La vie