SWISS TEMPLE
Bern, Switzerland
Monday, December 21 to Wednesday, December 23, 2015
The Freiberg Temple was already closed when we arrived in Germany; the Frankfurt Temple has been closed since September 5th. The Ward has been assigned to attend the Swiss Temple so we have been anxious to find a time to go.
Let me introduce, Silke Nissen, whom we were assigned to Home Teach in March. She had not lived here for the last 12 years while she went to school in Kiel (Northern Germany), Aberdeen, Scotland & Knoxville, Tennessee. When her post-doctorate training was completed, she had to return to Germany and she moved in with her mother and (mother's) boyfriend.
In Tennessee, Silke (pronounced Silk-eh) a young man through a dating website. On one occasion he told her that for the next two days he'd be busy watching a conference. She was curious and tuned in to General Conference and watched every bit of it. She looked online and began reading the Book of Mormon. She requested missionaries, but none came. A few weeks later she requested them again and this time they showed up. By this time she had read Preach My Gospel. At the end of the appointment she asked the missionaries, "Aren't you supposed to ask me if I want to be baptized?" Sheepishly, they said, "Oh, yes."
She was baptized a member of the Church two months later, on Dec 20, 2014.
Ever since we've met her she has been counting down to the day when she could attend the temple. She completed the Temple Prep Sunday School classes months before. She has spent her time in study and work on her Family History. She has attended the Frankfurt Temple on a weekly basis taking her family names for baptisms and confirmations.
As the one year anniversary of her baptism approached, I knew she was getting more and more excited to attend the temple. However, since the Frankfurt Temple had closed for renovations (September 5), the next choice was to attend the Swiss Temple, 5 hours away. I was surprised when I learned that she was planning to take the train and go alone to the Swiss Temple. She was not about to wait a minute longer than she had to!!! I immediately said, "Oh, no you aren't (going alone)!" So we said we'd take her.
As it turned out, she was very happy that we were with her!
The new counselor in the Area Presidency since July, Elder Paul Johnson, and his wife had family visiting for Christmas, and they timed their visit to the Temple to be there with us. He took their grandsons to do baptisms for the dead while his wife, Jill attended the endowment session with us. She was the only other person there in the session with us to be with Silke.
(Jill is the sister of our good friend, Lisa Jackson who lives just a block from us at home.)
The session was in English because that was Silke's choice. (She says, "English is my Gospel language.")
The Freiberg Temple was already closed when we arrived in Germany; the Frankfurt Temple has been closed since September 5th. The Ward has been assigned to attend the Swiss Temple so we have been anxious to find a time to go.
Let me introduce, Silke Nissen, whom we were assigned to Home Teach in March. She had not lived here for the last 12 years while she went to school in Kiel (Northern Germany), Aberdeen, Scotland & Knoxville, Tennessee. When her post-doctorate training was completed, she had to return to Germany and she moved in with her mother and (mother's) boyfriend.
In Tennessee, Silke (pronounced Silk-eh) a young man through a dating website. On one occasion he told her that for the next two days he'd be busy watching a conference. She was curious and tuned in to General Conference and watched every bit of it. She looked online and began reading the Book of Mormon. She requested missionaries, but none came. A few weeks later she requested them again and this time they showed up. By this time she had read Preach My Gospel. At the end of the appointment she asked the missionaries, "Aren't you supposed to ask me if I want to be baptized?" Sheepishly, they said, "Oh, yes."
She was baptized a member of the Church two months later, on Dec 20, 2014.
Ever since we've met her she has been counting down to the day when she could attend the temple. She completed the Temple Prep Sunday School classes months before. She has spent her time in study and work on her Family History. She has attended the Frankfurt Temple on a weekly basis taking her family names for baptisms and confirmations.
As the one year anniversary of her baptism approached, I knew she was getting more and more excited to attend the temple. However, since the Frankfurt Temple had closed for renovations (September 5), the next choice was to attend the Swiss Temple, 5 hours away. I was surprised when I learned that she was planning to take the train and go alone to the Swiss Temple. She was not about to wait a minute longer than she had to!!! I immediately said, "Oh, no you aren't (going alone)!" So we said we'd take her.
As it turned out, she was very happy that we were with her!
The new counselor in the Area Presidency since July, Elder Paul Johnson, and his wife had family visiting for Christmas, and they timed their visit to the Temple to be there with us. He took their grandsons to do baptisms for the dead while his wife, Jill attended the endowment session with us. She was the only other person there in the session with us to be with Silke.
(Jill is the sister of our good friend, Lisa Jackson who lives just a block from us at home.)
The session was in English because that was Silke's choice. (She says, "English is my Gospel language.")
Since being back in Germany, many of her friends have "unfriended" her because she has joined the Church. Her family has been very antagonistic, so we have tried to be the support that she needs. She is now making new Church friends. She decided to not pursue her career as a scientist and now has a good job in the Area Office, although not as high paying.
Our first sight of the Temple...so beautiful with the clear skies and sunset.
Just after we arrived, we walked all around the temple's circumference, taking pictures from every angle.
The grounds are about as large of an area as the London Temple has, also unfenced, with just grass and beautiful trees but not much in the way of other landscaping.
Monday, after our arrival. We were so excited to be here! The Temple was closed this day.
The Swiss Temple was the first built outside of the USA (1955). The London Temple was a close 2nd. They are quite similar.
We wanted to have the whole experience that members have so we stayed in the Temple Patron Housing. The rooms are small, narrow and bare bones, but are clean and much less expensive than a hotel.
The community kitchen and dining room are downstairs. There are refrigerators, a freezer, cooktops, dishes, and cooking supplies provided.
In true European style, other families set the tables very nicely, even with table cloths for meals together.
Rarely do we ever see or use disposable dishes/utensils in any restaurant or home.
We went to a nearby restaurant for a meal and found it to cost at least twice as much as in other countries!
The view from our room.
The Church owns half of the nearby forest area. We saw a spot where it looked like youth groups could gather.
Tuesday morning early we went to the Distribution Center. Silke already had purchased all she needed online, including the carryall bag...I said she was anxious!
It is one of the larger temples.
There were hardly any patrons in the Temple due to its being Christmas week, so we got lots of individual attention.
In the 10 months we have been traveling through Europe, this was undoubtedly the most international place we have been! Signs were printed in four languages: French, German, English, and Italian.
Workers doing the Initiatory did every part of it in a different language; one sister spoke a different language for each part of the ceremony in which she officiated.
After our session.
Here's one happy girl!!!
We enjoyed this little Deseret Book-type store. The owner said that with the Rome and Paris Temples in the process of being built, patrons coming from those countries would diminish; she wasn't sure how long her store would be able to stay open.
That is the Swiss flag.
This was a perfect celebration for Ken's birthday (December 23rd).
Goodbye Swiss Temple. Hope to see you again!
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