One of the core purposes of Cumorah Academy is to assist individuals in their desire to follow Jesus Christ and to give our students a spiritually enriching experience during their 3-month stay here.
For this reason, each semester Cumorah takes a trip to the Freiberg Germany Temple where students have the opportunity to connect with each other in deeper, more meaningful ways and also have the chance to explore the beautiful city of Freiburg.
The temple is a sacred space set apart for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to worship Jesus Christ in a more meaningful and holy way.
The purpose is to create a meaningful and uplifting spiritual experience which is why there is much preparation required to enter the temple.
Find more information on temples here
With most of our students being members of the Church, the temple trip becomes a highlight of each semester because they can attend the temple in a foreign country while also building stronger bonds with their newfound friends from other parts of the world.
While the temple is the trip’s main focus, all students—regardless of their religion—are invited to join. It’s a chance to be with friends, find unity in the journey, and explore the beautiful city of Freiburg
Shining a Light Out of Darkness
A little-known history about the Freiburg Temple – it was dedicated in 1982 while the Iron Curtain still hung down over the Independent state of East Germany.
While under a communist-controlled government, East German citizens were prohibited from attending officially designated houses of worship and also there were instituted laws which prevented missionaries from proselytizing.
Under these circumstances, the building of a sacred space such as a religious temple in East Germany at the time was seen as an impossibility but members of the church believe it was a miracle that the temple was ultimately permitted to be built.
In this way, the temple has shined in many unique ways as a light out of darkness, becoming a beacon of hope for many who lived under the Iron Curtain in the early 1980s.
The Temple As a Beacon of Hope
Now for one day, the temple becomes a beacon of hope for Cumorah Academy students. Many of our students who come from parts of the world which are impoverished or war torn find their developing hope greatly enlarged by our day trip to Freiburg.
It’s because in this key moment they can be apart from the darkness of the world.
With Cumorah already providing them with a base to be free to learn important life skills and gain valuable experience, the temple trip further expands upon those feelings, giving clarity to the students about what they’re accomplishing this semester.
Those who are working hard to better themselves and figuring out what’s possible for them in their lives will find this trip incredibly enriching and edifying. Whether religious or not, our students can find peace on this trip and can look back on how far they’ve come.
Cumorah is just a beginning for greatness to be cultivated. It’s a starting point for most of our students, and the temple trip becomes that reflection time for them.
Small Blissful Moments of Togetherness
When students first arrive at the temple there is time to take pictures and be reminded of the people who have had an impact on each other’s lives.
Everywhere on temple grounds is sacred space and being there has the tendency to remind everyone to just be in the moment.
Taking pictures at the temple with people you’ve established strong heartfelt connections with for the first month of the semester becomes a kind of confirmation of the progress each individual has made.
Progress because you can be in the moment together, tune out the rest of the world, and realize the growth everyone has undergone through the shine in their eyes and smiles.
Our students are on an adventure of a lifetime – living 3 months in a foreign country, learning leadership and life skills important to growth and development, and traveling to special places which remind them of the sacredness of life.
It’s in these moments of togetherness that they create the memories they will look back on. It’s because, in these moments, the bonds are made, the connections are strengthened and everyone can be seen.
Exploring The City of Freiburg
After the temple tour and taking pictures, the students have a few hours to explore the city of Freiburg which is a gem of a city.
Unlike a fast-paced hustle and bustle kind of a city, Freiburg exists in a small, peaceful location of bliss and serenity.
Expanding on the feelings explored on the grounds at the temple, exploring the city finds a sense of stillness since the city kind of slows the world down.
There you can forget about the things that bother the mind on a daily basis and instead just let your heart be swollen in gratitude.
Gratitude for the adventure, for the process of becoming stronger, for the reminder to just let everything soak in and fall in love all over again with the beauty of life.
Freiburg offers so much history – and exists as a living story that’s continued to be told for centuries.
Likewise, our students find beauty and meaning in all of it. Right now our students are starting to construct their own stories. Each day they add to their story and this temple trip is another piece to that great puzzle.
It is our hope that one day, just as we do with the city of Freiburg, we can look back on our students’ lives and view all the great wonderful things they’ve accomplished and the good they’ve brought into the lives of their families as well as the world.
Written by Weylin Hollister
Photos by Natalia Lopez
Supervision by Kamila Uberto Fullmer
