"If ye love me, keep my commandments"

Leona and Lou at the Frankfurt Temple

There are a few things which I must tell you that impressed me the most about our mission.

This kind of experience, shared with my beloved wife, enhances a marriage experience which had already exceeded my fondest expectations. But now we had much more uninterrupted time together than ever before. We had no telephone in our room, no truck or automobile, and no TV. I really didn’t think I could survive with no football games, no sports of any kind to watch. We had no news except once an hour over the Armed Forces Radio, and we missed it most of the time because we couldn’t stand to listen to the music that went with it!

Why was it so great? Well, we spent a lot of time talking and reading and visiting with our fellow missionaries. We read the scriptures more than we ever did before, and we did some writing in our journals and a lot of letter writing. Not having a car, we did a lot of walking. First, because we had to, to get groceries every day, almost; and walking was very interesting, because there were forests within a few blocks from everyplace we lived and the towns were also very interesting. We loved to see the beautiful homes and well-kept gardens and yards. Of course, it is always interesting to see the people.

At the temples in Europe, it is the five groups of people who are so terribly important: the full-time temple workers (the staff), the local temple workers, the local patrons, the groups of patrons who come in for the week, and the other temple missionaries. We had a special relationship with each group. It was only the temple missionaries from the US that we expected to be able to see again after our mission, and that was questionable for many of them.

The temple missionaries are mainly couples, but some singles. We found these to be great, and we did many things together, especially in Switzerland. We worked together in the temple, learning from the ones who arrived before we did, and teaching those who came after we arrived. We shared our testimonies, our birthdays and anniversaries, and our pictures from home. In Switzerland we would all take our tables and chairs to the apartment foyer and have a covered dish dinner on the holidays and we would sing and visit and have a good time for the evening.

Throughout our entire mission, I was constantly impressed with the theme of the two great commandments given several times in the scriptures, “to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves.” As I was impressed with the constant flow of love among the missionaries and in the temple with the temple workers and patrons from Europe, I was desirous of being more like so many of these people that we met. I know that in order to improve anything, you need to be able to measure it to determine how to improve upon it; but how do you measure love?

The Lord said in John 14: 15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” And in verse 21, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”

So, I need to live the commandments to prove my love for Christ and Heavenly Father – that is what we came to the earth for, anyway, so it’s no additional problem.

The Lord said to Peter in John 21: 15-18 three times: “Lovest thou me?” And the three answers were: Feed my lambs, Feed my sheep, Feed my sheep. So the other way to measure my love for the Lord is to serve his children. So, obedience and service are the things that we must measure to show improvement in loving the Lord.

On the move

 We got word yesterday that they are going to close the Swiss Temple for major repairs.  It has been in constant use since 1954 when it was the only temple in all of Europe.  It will be closed for about 15 months, so we are just waiting now to see where we will be reassigned.

The official moving notice

Needless to say, this was quite a blow!  Everyone was and is just stunned.  We know we cannot be sent to a place as nice as this is, and yet we will do whatever the Lord wants us to do.  We really love it here and just know that we can't find as good a place to live as we have here, but we will have another experience in another area.  

This is a beautiful country, and we want to get out and see as much of Switzerland as we can in the short time we have left here.  We had hoped to wait till summer to really tour the country.  We have our abonnement [travel card] for half price fares [on the train], which will help if we can have good weather.

February 24, 1990 - We just got word that we have been transferred to the temple in Friedrichsdorf (Frankfurt), Germany.  We will move on April 14, traveling by train with a group of six couples and two single sisters.

We later learned that the plans were changed so that we would travel by bus, which would be much better than hoping that our luggage gets there and having to transfer several times on a train.

14 April, 1990 - Moving Day!

 A little male ingenuity helped move the heavy things.

Raining!  So we loaded the bus in the rain and left our good friends and our very good apartment house for Frankfurt.  It was a pleasant ride, and we arrived at 3:30 in the afternoon. 

Moving . . .

 box by box. . .

on a bus . . .

 in the rain!

Ready for the next adventure!

Holidays - Mission Style

Although Lou and Leona were serving a mission in Switzerland with a group of new friends from many countries and backgrounds, their mission holiday dinners had a familiar look!

"The dinner table - before we messed it up eating!"

An international potluck

Donna Neilson told a Christmas story in English, 

and Jurgen Mossner translated it into German.

With the festive little Christmas tree

We've been had!

I know in this previous post I said I wasn't going to detail individual experiences Lou and Leona had on their day trips around Switzerland, but when I read the following journal entry I couldn't let it go unreported.  I guess every country has its own version of exaggerated marketing!

 

 photo from flickr

12 February 1990 - [Today] we went on an excursion with about 17 other temple missionaries.  We were supposed to go see a Stainless Steel factory and have a demonstration and a sales pitch in Strasbourg, France.  But - we had our dinner someplace in Switzerland, and they talked to us for a few minutes about the value of stainless steel cookware and then the man in charge started demonstrating and showing some blankets and pillows that looked like some kind of sheepskin, and it went on forever.  Then we had lunch and found out that our "free" dinner which came with our 17.50 franc fare for the trip consisted of some pasta with a few little pieces of pork in it; we had to pay 3.5 francs for our salad and 2.60 francs for a glass of apple juice!  I ordered a dessert, but I was full by the time it came time for dessert and I felt I had been "had" enough so I didn't take a dessert!

photo from flickr

Then he started in on selling some kind of liniment for rheumatism and then some garlic pills and another something for the arteries and called it snake oil, so we were sure we had been to an old fashioned medicine show - without the show!  However, the young salesman did put on quite a show of salesmanship.  I finally got disgusted, so I got up and walked out in the hall and on outside for a breath of fresh air - to top it off we were sitting with some Schweiss couple and the guy was smoking a big black cigar.  I just stayed out in the hall waiting for the "show" to finish!

Raclette - it sure was good!

A Sunday dinner with a Swiss born fellow missionary introduced Lou and Leona to traditional Swiss meal - Raclette.

Raclette table ready for the meal
photo from flickr

Leona described the meal this way: 

22 January 1990 - Yesterday we had “raclette” (however it is spelled). It’s more fun than fondue. There is a “pan” with a handle on it for each person. They fit in an electric appliance that is a little bigger than a waffle iron. The cheese is cut in thick slices that just fit in the “pan.” Then the pan is put in the oven (appliance) to melt the cheese. In the meantime, there is a bowl of small potatoes cooked with the peeling on. You take several potatoes – take the peeling off and pour the hot, melty cheese on them. There’s a little wooden paddle at each plate to push the cheese with. Wow, is it ever tasty! Lou started slicing his potatoes and leaving the peeling on. It was just as good, and a lot less trouble. There were also bacon, eggs and sliced tomatoes on the table. We cooked them right in our little pans, and they were so good. At first I thought the bacon wasn’t done, but it was, and tasted so delicious. We had this at the Cardon’s. She was born in Geneva, Switzerland. The Swiss are really smart to let everyone cook their own dinner on Sunday. I want one of those appliances before I leave. 

 

Raclette is the name of the cheese as well as the name of the meal

photo from flickr

.
According to Wikipedia, raclette is part of Swiss culture.  Traditionally, the Swiss cow herders used to take the cheese with them when they were moving cows to or from pastures up in the mountains. In the evenings around the campfire, they would place the cheese next to the fire and, when it had reached the perfect softness, scrape it on top of some bread.

Raclette grill

photo by flickr

 A modern way of serving raclette involves an electric table-top grill with small pans, known as coupelles, to heat slices of raclette cheese in. Generally the grill is surmounted by a hot plate or griddle. The cheese is brought to the table sliced, accompanied by platters of boiled or steamed potatoes, other vegetables, charcuterie, and perhaps seafood. Diners create their own small packages of food by cooking small amounts of meat, vegetables and seafood on the griddle. These are then mixed with potatoes and topped with cheese in the small, wedge-shaped coupelles that are placed under the grill to melt and brown the cheese.

Lou summed up their inaugural raclette experience like this:

I ate too much and I am sure that I shouldn't eat that kind of a meal very often . . . but is sure was good!

Missionary Friends

During the time Lou and Leona were in Switzerland, they did a lot of fun things with fellow missionaries.  They took some short trips, ate a lot of meals together, cut hair, and enjoyed the pleasant company of good people.  Because this blog is not a travel log, I won't detail the individual experiences, but will share this overview from Dad's journal.

Missionary Christmas Dinner

Leona & Lou on left at the end of the table

December - 1989

As we became acquainted with the other missionaries in the apartment house, we were again impressed with the effect of obedience to the two great commandments. There was such a spirit of kindness, love, and brotherhood among the missionaries that it was a joy to be with them. We ate with other missionaries or they ate with us in our apartment. We got to know each other pretty well this way. Because the Bottas only spoke Italian, and the Mettlers only spoke German, those who could speak English and German and Italian were often invited to be interpreters; so it paid to be able to speak other languages!

Whenever anyone was ill, there was always food, medicine and plenty of advice brought in. It is amazing how many people our age have ways to cure anything! In this climate, everyone was willing and anxious to help, no matter what the need. There were always offers to pick up something at the store and to help with chores around the apartment building.

 Flier announcing an outing

A couple of the missionaries were always planning things we could do on our preparation days if the weather was suitable, and then helping us with directions, money, tickets, interpretation, etc. Several couples would walk two blocks to the train station and go see many beautiful parts of Switzerland. $18 American money would buy a day pass, and we could get on and off at different villages or cities to see the sights, and then get back on the train and go on.

Sunday afternoon walk - March 1990

Leona - Jan and Max Berryessa - Garnet and George Standage

Some of the missionary couples had served several missions already. Several were in their late 70’s and a couple of the men were in the early 80’s. The Standages who finished their mission at the Swiss Temple in March 1990, are now serving in the Washington, DC Temple. Several of the couples we worked with had lost their companions and remarried. They were some of the neatest couples. They were so appreciative of each other, and so caring and courteous, that they made some of us take another look at our roles as husbands.

No Problame!

Swiss Temple schedule
week of September 4, 1989

The Swiss Temple served stakes and missions in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Austria, and Switzerland, and sometimes groups from northern Africa. The stakes and missions are assigned for a one-week period, one to five weeks a year. The members from Portugal had about a 24-hour bus ride to get to the temple. Pres. Ringger said most of them spent about ¼ of their annual salary to spend a week at the temple. Most people who came either had their own temple work to do, or had previously sent in the family group sheets for temple work for their relatives, so there was a lot of paper work to do, and we had to help them see that they got the work done for their kin.

Brother and Sister Portalano
Responsible for the hostel

The Church owns a hostel across the street from the temple, next to the forest. It could handle about 200 people, with six bunks in a room for the women, and six bunks in a room for the men. Honeymooners are not too happy with this arrangement! Downstairs in the hostel is a large kitchen with several stoves, refrigerators, sinks and tables where families would cook and eat part or all of their meals. They often brought some of their food with them, and would go to the local stores for milk, etc.

On a clear day we could see the Alps from the steps of the temple.

The patrons would arrive by bus and cars, with a few coming in motor homes and trailers, arriving usually on Monday evening or early Tuesday morning. If a large group arrived, we would open up the temple on Monday evening and encode their recommends, rent their clothing [white clothing worn in the temple] and assign them lockers. This would make things a lot smoother on Tuesday morning. At 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, the patrons would be standing at the front entrance to the temple waiting for it to open. They would be visiting and admiring the view of the Alps from the steps of the temple.

Mr & Mrs. Juan Rodriguez - Louis & Leona Butler
temple workers from Seville, Spain

Brother Mongiovi - a tailor
Temple worker from Italy who came to the Swiss temple very often

Meanwhile, prayer meeting would start at 6:30 a.m. in the temple chapel, with the temple missionaries and temple workers from the stake/mission in attendance. President Louis Ringger would preside and conduct this meeting, and since he spoke German and also English, French and Italian, he would give greetings and instructions in four languages. If there were Spanish or Portuguese, we usually had another interpreter or two. When we sang, we had books in many languages and we would pick up our songbook in our language as we entered the prayer meeting. Every hymn was sung in the 4-6 languages!

After observing this for several weeks, I wrote this:

NO PROBLAME

Communication is sometimes difficult
When different languages we speak;
But there is always one ready answer
After using hands, head, body and feet.
NO PROBLAME!
They had traveled for 24 hours
On a hot, stuffy old bus.
The hostel was noisy, and the beds were strange.
The youth wanted to stay up all night.
But at 6:45 they are waiting at the door
to come into the house of the Lord.
All year they have waited and yearned to return,
And now, with recommends in hand
they visit and chat and look at the Alps
as the temple workers prepare for the day.
As the temple doors open, they proudly present
their recommends to the Temple President.
All clothed in white and ready to serve,
They respond to the workers’ every request,
NO PROBLAME!
May we all learn to say to the Lord,
NO PROBLAME!

A warm welcome

Vincia and Camilla Botta
temple missionaries from Italy

13 October 1989 – One of the first persons to greet us was Sister Botta, from Italy. She saw us come in, and she rushed into the room and started hugging Leona and kissing her on the cheeks; Leona was so surprised that she didn’t know what to do. She was also speaking in Italian, so we didn’t know what she was saying!

Later in his history, Dad made this reference to the Bottas:

Brother and Sister Botta, temple missionaries from Italy, told of their conversion (which is a great story, but will take too long to tell). However, let me tell you about Bro. Botta’s great sacrifices. He had a well stocked wine cellar when they were baptized. After lunch and dinner he greatly enjoyed a glass of wine as they visited. His wife, as usual, put the glass of wine by his plate after dinner. He looked at it, tears rolled down his cheeks, then he said, “Take it away.” After that he would quickly leave the table after eating and go back to work in his cabinet making shop – no more husband and wife conversations after dinner. Sister Botta got tired of that, so she brought the wine back and got a commitment from him that they could have time to visit after dinner without the wine.

I'd like to know of their conversion - if I can get Mom to tell it to me, I'll add it later.

Temple Leaders

Garnet and George Standish - counselor in the Swiss Temple Presidency

13 October 1989 - We were set apart as Swiss Temple Workers by President Standage. He promised us health and satisfaction if we were obedient to the laws pertaining to such. He also put great emphasis on the love and appreciation for us by them and Heavenly Father, and the admonitions to be kind and helpful to fellow workers, and especially to the patrons

Hilde and Louis Ringger - temple president

18 October 1989 – When we met the president of the temple as we were invited up to his home for dinner, he told us he wished they would just send us straight over to him, and he would instruct us. Then he said, “Forget about using German and use English until you feel comfortable using German. This is an international temple, and the primary language is English.” This put us at ease right away.

Max - counselor in temple presidency and Jan Berryessa

. . . a beautiful country

This is a beautiful country, and we want to get out and see as much of Switzerland as we can.

Flowers everywhere!

Rather typical of the city houses around Zollikofen, Switzerland in the fall.

We walked past this beautiful red tree on our way to the Post Office and the store. Unfortunately, I kept forgetting my camera until many of the leaves had fallen off.

Winter in Zollikofen - we didn't get a lot of snow, but had many beautiful frosty days.

The forest behind the temple

walking from the apartment to the temple

the temple president's home

Swiss temple in winter

Home, Sweet Swiss Home

Leona studying for German class.

Where Lou spent a lot of time - the computer!

The Church built an apartment house on the edge of the temple grounds – 16 apartments. We had a lovely apartment with a bedroom, living room, kitchen, bathroom, and plenty of storage cupboards and closets and a storage room downstairs for our suitcases, boxes, etc. The apartment had everything we needed in it; all we brought was our clothes.

One of the great things about the apartments in Switzerland was that they were big enough for us to have other couples or several couples in for dinner. It was a great way to get to know other missionaries better and a time when friendships really developed. For farewells and holidays, we took our tables downstairs to the main hallway where we had covered dish dinners and some great times as a total group.

Temple view from our apartment window

The temple at night

Our bedroom window opened toward the temple and at night we could lie in bed and see the temple all lit up and beautiful with the moon always shining over it – or so it seemed. Out our other window we could see the chapel which was next to our apartment house.

Walking back to the apartment from the temple.
This shows about half the distance.

Also located on the temple grounds was the ward meetinghouse where we attended church. The temple and the church were within a two-minute walk from the apartment. It was about a 15 minutes walk to the shopping area of Zollikofen, where we had a savings account at the bank, a post office, and all kinds of stores. However those stores were more expensive than at the big mall which was about 5 miles down the road.

When we arrived in October 1989,
the forest behind the temple was beautiful.

The forest was right behind the temple and we often took walks in the forest – sometimes by ourselves and sometimes with other missionaries. Several of us always went for a good long walk on Sunday afternoons. The Swiss families love to take walks together and there are many beautiful places to walk. This was also true in German, but to a lesser degree. We soon learned the great joy of taking longs walks in the woods and around the edge of the little town in which we lived. We could see the beautiful Alps off in the distance, about an hour drive to the base of the Alps.

And they're off!

After church in Pleasant View before leaving for Switzerland
Colleen - Leona - Jessica - Jimmy

8 October 1989 – We were in Pleasant View today, for our last Sunday before leaving for Switzerland. Jim and Tesi and their family and Kari and Dave came for the weekend. In our Fast and Testimony meeting Kari sang, “I am His Child.” I never heard her sing so well, and she always sings beautifully! Her voice was so full and every word was so clear and distinct. I was so proud.

11 October 1989 – The big day! We had spent three days in Salt Lake for temple training, and this morning we left for Switzerland. Lou and Colleen and the kids came to the airport. We were glad to have them there to see us off. Jessica really cried hard when we left. We could hear her as we went down the ramp to the plane.

Grandma and Grandpa arrive in Switzerland!
Leona - Chuck - Tom

12 October 1989 –We arrived in Zurich to begin our mission. We could see Chuck, Carol, Jeremy and Amy looking through the big window outside of the customs area. It sure was good to see familiar faces in a strange land, and to know that they can take us where we were going. They took us to a shopping mall near Zollikofen and then they took us to the Missionary apartments. They had the key to the apartment for us and had already been to our apartment, bringing food from the PX in Germany and filling our refrigerator and cupboards. I think we were the first missionaries to get that kind of reception!

While at the mall, Mother lost her purse. We thought she had left it in Tom’s car, so we were not concerned until we got a call from the US Embassy saying that they had Mother’s purse! The temple recorder took us over to the Embassy to pick it up. We never would have found the embassy by ourselves. Everything was in the purse! The bills, the change, the credit cards, the passport, the hairbrush were all there along with the name and address of the man who had turned it in.

It's probably unusual for senior missionary couples to serve in an area near their children, but Louis and Leona had that opportunity since Chuck and Carol were not far away in Germany. Dad recorded this about that bonus:

We spent most of our weekends with Chuck and Carol. They would pick us up on Saturday at noon and bring us back on Monday afternoon. Chuck was the Bishop of the Servicemen’s Ward in Mannheim. He was working at the Mannheim Army Depot as a civilian. Each weekend they would take us to see some special sights, famous towns, museums, etc.

And as this picture shows, the commissary privileges were really appreciated!

What do I do with all this food?
January, 1990