“It Was a Real Dream for Me”

After her baptism in October 1991, Diana Kovatcheva looked forward to being able to attend the temple. “I had a very strong desire to go to the temple for my own endowment and to do the ordinances for my ancestors,” she later recalled. The nearest temple, however, was 1,460 kilometers (907 miles) away in Freiberg, Germany. “I learned everything I could about the temple,” she recalled. “This learning increased my desire to go to the temple. It was a real dream for me.” Diana also began to save money to pay for the trip when the time came.

Finally, in February 1995, Diana learned that the first group trip to the temple was being planned for August that year. She was excited to hear that seats on the bus had been reserved for her and her sister, Vania. Over the next several months, members attended weekly temple preparation classes, researched their family history, and gathered the necessary travel documents for the trip. As part of her personal preparation, Diana set a goal to read the Doctrine and Covenants before the trip. “It was difficult,” she recalled. “The book was very big, and it was in English.” The night before the trip, Diana stayed up most of the night to finish the last several sections.

Bulgarian Saints boarding the bus to begin their journey to the Freiberg Germany Temple, February 1995.

As they made the 30-hour journey by bus across five countries, the 39 members of the group passed the time by watching Church videos, singing hymns, reading, and napping. At about 9:00 p.m. on the second day, the bus arrived in Freiberg. “It was very dark outside, and suddenly the temple appeared before us,” Diana recalled. “The view was surrealistic.” Overcome by excitement, the Saints erupted in applause.

They were greeted by the temple president, who ushered them into a dining room, where a meal was waiting for them. After the meal, they were shown to their rooms in the temple patron housing.

Diana and Vania received the temple endowment the next afternoon. “I was very happy,” she said. “I felt like I was at home.” Later, they attended additional sessions and performed ordinances on behalf of their ancestors. “It was wonderful to be together, side by side with my sister, and do the endowments for our grandmothers,” Diana said. For three days, the Bulgarian Saints spent many hours in the temple performing ordinances.

“My life changed very much after my baptism,” Diana recalled, “but after visiting the temple it was even more.” Upon returning to Bulgaria, Diana told everyone she knew about her wonderful experiences. In the years since her first trip, Diana has returned to the temple many times, helped other Bulgarian Saints prepare to receive their own temple blessings, and served as a temple worker. Since 2003, Diana has worked as a consultant at the family history center in Sofia, helping others research their family history. “I remember the experiences in the temple, and this gives me strength,” she said.