Russell and Eileen's Church Missions: BABY SHOWER, PRAYER, SWISS TEMPLE

Last Monday a few of the senior missionaries arranged a baby shower for Constanza who is the administrative assistant for the Welfare department. This is Constanza’s first baby and we are very excited for her. Constanza is from Spain and her husband is from Brazil. Their baby is due one day after one of my grandchildren is due to be born. I (Eileen) feel like I have been following her pregnancy as if she were my own daughter. During the time we have served in the Area Office, this is the first baby shower I have attended. It was fun to hear women from various countries talk about the traditions associated with marriage and birthing in their native countries.

Constanza seeing the shower set up for her

We received permission to use the conference room of the Area Presidency for the shower

Employees and missionaries attending the shower

Sister Bateson, Constanza and Eileen

On Thursday I (Eileen) had volunteered to take a fellow senior sister missionary to the airport. Before leaving for the airport we knelt in prayer together. She asked if I would say the prayer. I offered the prayer thanking Heavenly Father for our friendship and the opportunity we have to be missionaries. I asked for his protecting care to be with her during her travels. I then was overcome with emotion as I prayed that she might take opportunities to share our belief with others. At the close of the prayer we both looked at each other and I said to her “I know there is someone that you should be sharing the gospel with.” She was emotional too and decided to put some tracts about our church in her luggage. While driving to the airport our GPS gave me the wrong directions and I traveled for a few extra miles until I could turn around and go the way I thought I should go. When I reached the airport I realized that I needed to take a different exit other than the one I took in order to drive into the parking garage. I dropped my friend off and went to go park. Before I even got out of my car to go meet her, my friend texted me a message which said “I’ve already given my missionary materials away.” I reached the terminal and found her in a line with hundreds of people. The man standing directly in front of her in line had been on a business trip in Germany and was returning to his home in Mexico. He saw my friend’s missionary nametag and started talking to her about our church. I spent another 30 minutes waiting in line with Roberto and my friend. He seemed anxious to tell us about his family members who were members of our church. Although not a member, he said he had attended many baptisms and always had a peaceful feeling when attending. He said it was remarkable to think with baptism a person could have a fresh start in life. He wanted to talk with us to learn more about our beliefs. I felt so grateful for the tender feelings which had been given to both my friend and I that morning during the prayer which had been offered. We both knew that she should be ready to be a missionary on this trip. Perhaps the frustration with the GPS and the lack of being able to find the entrance to the parking garage were all God’s efforts to have a missionary in the right place, at the right time to help someone who was truly interested in listening.

With no new humanitarian couples training visits during the second half of June or July, and two other previously planned humanitarian related trips canceled due to budgetary constraints, we have a six week period of relative quiet. Eileen and I decided that during this period we would try to attend the temple several times. On Friday we attended the temple near Bern, Switzerland. Elder Tom and Sister Ruth Rich went with us on this trip. Tom was one of my former partners at Deloitte. Elder Rich is serving as the Europe Area Auditor. He trains and supervises the work of numerous assistant auditors in Europe. While some of these auditors are senior missionaries, most are lay members of the church.

Bern

Prior to going to the temple on Friday we dropped by the old part of the city. It is quite picturesque and there is a village clock that has worked for over 500 years. While in downtown Bern we happened to meet Olinda, a woman visiting from Goa, India. When we explained that we had two children from Goa she immediately identified the orphanage and its owner by name. Her daughter and the daughter of the orphanage owner, Bonnie Chowgule, are good friends having grown up together. Olinda was familiar with our church in Goa and we had a good time talking with her. We also shared with her our contact information and hope to hear from her again. It is interesting how the Lord helps our paths cross with others.