Our VERY busy Weekend

YSA Temple Trip

We left early Saturday morning for the Freiberg Temple with a large group of YSA, teachers and leaders.

 The bus left from the Tiergarten Ward building at 7:00 AM and we arrived at the temple about 10:00 AM.  Some of our group did baptisms and others attended endowment, sealing and initiatory sessions.

 This is a picture of Sara (our cute YSA Student Council President) giving instructions and information about the schedule for the day at the temple. 

 Our Group

 Hal and I were able to attend 2 endowment sessions.

After the temple sessions, our group enjoyed lunch together and then boarded the bus to return to Berlin and arrived home at 7:00 PM.  It was a lovely day at temple!

YSA Sunday

The next day was our last YSA Sunday.  We were asked to share our testimonies in the Sacrament Meeting and then we served about 60 - 65 people lunch. 

 Our Menu:

Ham 

German potatoes in cream sauce

Carrot and Cabbage Salad

Garlic Bread

Pumpkin Squares with cream cheese frosting

 The kids and adults all seemed to enjoy the food.

 The Cooks

 Some of the clean up crew working after the lunch!

We love these young people!

 "The Piano Guys" Fireside

Sunday evening we were privileged to have the opportunity to attend a special fireside for missionaries and friends.  "The Piano Guys" were in Berlin on tour and were kind enough to present this fireside.  They each spoke and shared spiritual experiences and testimonies, answered question and performed three beautiful musical numbers:

  O Come, O Come Emanuel

Bring Him Home

Silent Night

They were very humble, spiritual and personable and it was a thrill to hear them as well as to have an opportunity to meet them!

The Fall of the Wall 25th Anniversary

 The city of Berlin had a wonderful celebration of the 25th anniversary of the coming down of the Berlin Wall which was in place from 1961 until November 9, 1989.  They placed 8,000 balloon lanterns over 15 Km (9 miles) marking where the wall had once stood.  This stretch was guarded, barbed wired and divided the city for nearly 3 decades. 138 people lost their lives as they tried to escape from East Berlin into West Berlin.  The balloons were on poles that were 3.6 meters high to match the height of the wall.  Beginning at 7:15 PM at the Brandenburg Gate on Sunday evening, the helium filled balloons were released one by one to float over the city as the Berlin State Orchestra played "Ode To Joy" from Beethoven's 9th Symphony.

A beautiful photo (taken by a professional photographer) of the Brandenburg Gate with the balloon lanterns in place.

 A beautiful aeriel view of the balloons marking where the wall had been.

 Balloon Lanterns showing the location of the wall near Potsdamer Platz.

This map shows how Berlin was divided and the line that the balloon route followed.  

 Hours before the designated release times, crowds gathered all along the route.  We could only observe from a distance.  There were tens of thousands of people throughout the city.

 Excitement filled the air as the time to release the balloons got closer and closer.

To avoid the crowds, we went to our friend Susan's apartment and viewed the release of the balloons from her balcony.

One by one they were released to symbolize the breaching of the wall by the crowds of protesters 25 years ago.

What a wonderful and memorable time to be in Berlin and share in this celebration of freedom and hope!