Happy Sabbath!
Today started early with a 9:00 Sacrament Meeting in Bern. We enjoyed meeting with the Saints and partaking of the Sacrament. A renewal of the Spirit for the week to come!
After church we had a lunch in the hotel restaurant for their Sunday Brunch. Seeing how we won't pay for it until we leave on Tuesday we justified that it was ok.
Plus we all (especially the children) need to eat:)
The Brunch was superb with the regular breakfast fair of meats, cheeses, eggs, fruit, yogurt, and a plethora of breads. Added to that was chicken, peas, noodles, muesli, and juices. We all filled up and then settled down for a Sunday nap. Well, everyone else did but Rick and I looked into some family history since driving to my ancestor's birthplaces were on the agenda for this afternoon. I needed to be prepared to tell the kids stories of their Swiss ancestors.
In searching I found a gem of a story about Samuel Reber my 2nd great grandfather. I'm so grateful for Family Search that these amazing stories can be told. Anyway, I will not retell his story but suffice it to say it involved miraculous healings, baptism in a frozen over river (the missionaries took an ax along to break the ice in the river), a 16 year old runaway, crossing the Atlantic, a love story, a tragedy, and dedication. Good stuff! I am grateful for my Swiss ancestors and feel a great connection with them as I am in their homeland. Sammy Reber (as he was known by those who loved him) came from a village called Schangnau. In all of my travels it is one of the most beautiful places on the earth as far as I'm concerned. As I read his story out loud to Rick I was overcome with emotion several times. I could barely speak because my heart was so full of love for this man. I sincerely enjoyed getting to know him better this day:)
Rick and I in the Schangnau cemetery.
A family picture
Schangnau's small chapel built in 1657.
We also stopped in Rothenbach where my 2nd great grandmother
Mary Ann Stucki Hafen
was born. We couldn't find the cemetery but the church was beautiful!
In the intersection just outside the church was the city public spring.
After our travels we had dinner in the hotel. It took and hour and a half to get our meals!!!
The kids did surprising well though (thanks to phone videos:)
Tomorrow is going to be another wonderful day!
We just returned from Schangnau two weeks ago. I took a picture of the church from the hill above but that is all. I have regretted not actually going there ever since we came home to USA. My great great grandfather was from there. Did you happen to take any photoes in the cemetery of any of the headstones. I Missed a great opportunity to do so!
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