Off to the Swiss Temple with our Branch

We spent the week before our branch trip to the Swiss temple visiting members and getting things ready for our great adventure to the temple.  The day before we departed for the temple Elder and Sister Keefer, a senior couple serving in this mission and working as military relations missionaries up north, together with two of their friends from home, came to our branch for Sunday services.  After they walked around beautiful Siena for a few hours, they came to our home for an early dinner.  It was good to catch up on some of the things happening back in the States.

Bright and early Monday morning, we loaded up our little Meriva and started on our long journey to the temple, picking up our Relief Society President and another sister on the way.

We then met up with the Rotelli family from our branch outside of Florence, and we caravanned together to the temple.  In Como, just before the Swiss border, we met up with a family from the Livorno ward who was going to the temple for the first time.  We all drove through Switzerland together, arriving in Zollikofen at about 7:30 p.m. 

The temple at dawn

We had our challenges on our way up, with one of our sisters falling and cutting open a gash above her eye before we even got started.  We asked her if we should take her to the Emergency Room to get it looked at.  She declared with unwavering resolve that we weren't going anywhere except to the temple, and that is exactly what we did.  One car in our group (not us) was involved in a small fender-bender as we entered Switzerland, which required us to wait for the police and lose about two hours of time there.  We hit lots of traffic, but we finally arrived safely, and we were blessed to be at the Lord's house.

We had the unique privilege on Tuesday morning to go with this couple from Livorno and help them during their first endowment session.  Shortly after the session, we all went to the sealing room where this great couple was sealed together for time and all eternity by proper Priesthood authority.  Then their two sons, one 12 and one 6, came into the sealing room all dressed in white.  These two boys were then sealed to their parents for time and all eternity.

The Aniello Family after their sealing

It was a very long journey for this couple to get the temple.  They have a unique story.  They were converted to the gospel about ten years ago, but because of the crazy Italian divorce laws and other related circumstances, they couldn't be baptized.  They attended church regularly during these years as they worked on ironing out all the problems.  A number of miracles happened in their lives that resolved the issues, and they were baptized about two years ago.  Now they have completed the necessary Priesthood ordinances that will bind their family together for eternity, depending always on their faithfulness.  What a joyful experience!!

Everyone except Sisters Feri and Nigi

Even Darryl got to be in a picture!

We were at the temple for three full days, and part of another.  We were able to do a number of endowment sessions (some in Italian and some in French), sealings for some relatives of our great Relief Society President and for other members of our branch, baptisms for the dead with a young man from our branch and the 12-year-old from the Livorno family, and also some initiatory work.  It was wonderful to immerse ourselves in the spirit of the temple during this special week.

We returned to Siena late Friday evening, and then turned around the very next day to drive our sister missionaries and one of their investigators who has accepted a baptismal date, to a baptism in Florence.

In church today many of our members who went on this special temple trip had the opportunity to share their experiences with the branch during sacrament meeting.  A strong spirit of Elijah was present as they spoke.

As we learn in the events preceding King Benjamin's address to his people, everyone was gathered together at the temple as extended families, with the doors of their tents opened and facing the temple from where King Benjamin would speak.  We should all learn two great principles from these few verses.  First, it is the family unit that is essential and eternal, and second, we must be directed and focused on the eternal things of the gospel, and especially the temple, as we travel this road we call earth life.  If we do so, we can be together forever as families.  What a great blessing that is!

Sisters Andromidas and Remund, Bonnie, Elders Reese and Garner

This week is transfer week, and one of our elders, Elder Reese, will be leaving us and heading off to Modena.  So we had all the missionaries over for lunch today to do some missionary coordination, and to thank Elder Reese for his service here.  We love all the missionaries that we are privileged to work with, and we hope that we can touch their lives and help them as they continue to serve in this great work!