Holiday Time

Hello to All,

This has been a hectic time of the year for missionary work, especially for the two of us since we are trying to take care of all the members, amis, and all the activities that the season brings. We had a good Christmas party at the branch (I will leave that to Joanne to tell), Zone Christmas program in Bordeaux, Zone Conference, cooking goodies for the people here in Angouleme, home evenings, Christmas dinner for the missionaries and others who wished to come, and last but not least the genealogy work that is going on at the branch.

I will start with the Zone Conference and the Christmas program held in Bordeaux. It is interesting how different the mission president and his wife are compared to the Merrell's. This couple decided that the missionaries in each zone should prepare and give a Christmas concert for the members and their amis, so they organized Christmas songs to sing and other musical numbers and events for the missionaries to participate in during the program. Each zone held the program in conjunction with a zone conference. We spent some time in a zone development meeting practicing the program, then we were on our own for further practices. However with all the missionary work and branch happenings, we only got in two short song practices.

The program for the three zones was well attended, however it was hard for members and amis outside of Bordeaux to attend, so Angouleme had no one there. An hour and a half drive was a little much to expect, but we did our part. We have some outstanding missionary talent in the zone and members in the Bordeaux area. The Defrancie family in Bordeaux has a father who is a lead tenor in the Bordeaux opera and the rest of the extended family plays various instruments. One of the daughters is presently at BYU. Well all went well. On the way down, we delivered some Christmas goodies to a family in the branch 24 miles south of Angouleme as we were on the way to Bordeaux. It was a short visit, but the real hope is that they know we care. The only problem was that we didn't get back home until after 11:00 PM, with permission.

The branch Christmas party and program went very well and even though 8 of the people we hoped would come either had family sickness, unexpected visitors, or in the case of one of our amis, had some tragic news about a friend so that he was not in the mood for festivities, we still had 30 people out to the program. Joanne spent a great deal of time preparing the meal and it was great.

Our family home evenings for the singles in the branch are good. Even though we don't have any young singles, we do get together with the older group and one amis, Jean Bourdicheaux. We have a lesson and with Jean there we get questions from him and this gives the members a chance to answer him. We have an activity and goodies after. This week it was a good 4 hands of Uno and a cheese feast with French bread. There was plenty of cheese left over from the Christmas meal and in no time flat the cheese was devoured and enjoyed by all. Jean, the 77-year-old amis, enjoys the friendship and has progressed in his knowledge and faith in Christ and even he can see the tremendous change in his life since he started learning and living the principles of the Gospel.

The Portuguese family, the Corgas, have so much to overcome in their move to France: the language, finding work, a place of their own, and just getting into life. Their 5-year-old has to learn a new language at school and make new friends. It is coming, but the transition is slow and painful. Both Joao and Sandra can speak fairly well in French and Sandra has a good grasp of English, so Joanne and Sandra can get along very well. Coming to church is a new experience for them and especially how to deal with the two children. We are making slow progress, but when we think of the training that went on with each of our own under learned experiences, this is hard for people new to the Church.

The Elders have a young family coming to church. Miguel has great faith and his wife Justine has started to understand better the last few weeks, especially as she attends Relief Society and participates. Miguel is from the north of France and Justine is from Cameroon in Africa and has only been here a few years. They have a sweet new born baby girl and there is a lot of love shown to this baby by their parents and the branch members.

Things are good here. We are finding that there is progress in the branch. Sister Bouchard will be leaving for her mission on Jan 4th, so we have three branch positions to fill. We have prayed and will interview two members for two of the positions, but the piano will remain silent until we can find someone to take up that position. The Elders, the members or Mom and I, with good spiritual direction, will just have to find someone to do that.

We will send a few pictures later so Chris can insert them into our blog page.

Love Elder Dad and Sister Mom

Christmas Party

Bonjour to all of you, and to our friends! It's the day after Christmas here and I'm sure you all had a wonderful time with your families yesterday. At home it usually took me a while to wind down after the big day finally arrived, and that hasn't changed. The build up and the anticipation seem to keep me flying high on adrenalin enough to get through it all somehow.

Our Christmas party grew to such huge proportions in our minds (with all those who showed interest in coming) that Jack said to plan for 40 people. So, Patrick Humblot (drop the H, and cross off the T for the real pronunciation of his name!) assigned out the salads to the members (bring one for each table of 6 people!), and the "pain" (bread!) to the single men to furnish (after all what could be easier than that!). I spent most of Friday making funeral potatoes (we don't advertise that name to our elderly members!), until I had 4 large pans filled to the top with cheesy, gooey spuds.

The next morning, we went shopping for last minute things like: 6 bottles of fizzy non-alcoholic apple juice to drink along with dessert; 6 bottles of mineral water and 2 cans of the fruit flavored syrup the French serve with it; and just for insurance, a $3.50E pkg. of TEN 3-foot long baguettes that I've always wanted to buy just once, because they make it look like you're going to a party. The thing was, we weren't sure if JJ (our almost there janitor) got the message through his head about the bread, and Alain's thought process is so unorthodox we never know what we'll get from him. As Jack and I looked at each other in the store. . ."We're getting insurance baguettes!" We hid them in the trunk of the car so we wouldn't hurt their feelings if they brought some too.

Two ladies promised to come early to help me, but neither of them showed, so it was Jack and Patrick and me. We worked together well. We covered the tables with pretty red and gold paper that had a nice satin finish on it, and Jack set them with the salad plates and silverware, while I created centerpieces with greenery off the trees outside and some ribbon and red shiny bulbs. Patrick did a neat trick with the red napkins standing up in the glasses. I popped the turkey rolls in the "oven from h*ll" (which just can't wait to burn everything you dare to place into it), and hoped I guessed right on the setting this time. It's a convection oven, but it's 40-years-old and very cranky, and if you fiddle with it too much, the next time you look it will have turned itself off! That happened this time too, so after my primal scream, I turned it off and started over again, and it seemed to stabilize.

Patrick left for the half hour drive to pick up 98-year-old Madeleine, and Jack went to pick up Adele, who we got to agree to come. The members began to arrive with their salads, and they all needed space to put their creations together. Lucienne (my menace in the kitchen) came with enough salad for an army, and as I began taking out the turkey, which had baked quickly, saw something that she just couldn't abide. One dark meat turkey loaf looked too crispy for her, so she grabbed a bottle of vegetable oil and began pouring oil all over the brown little thing! I begged her to stop, and she did, with a satisfied smile, and a "that's better" look on her face. When she got busy elsewhere, I poured off the oil and patted down that little hummer until he wasn't shiny anymore. I got the potatoes heating up when Alain arrived in the kitchen with his bread. He had slaved over an automatic bread making machine, and presented me with 2 loaves of undercooked, tough, square shaped, dough blobs . . . I could only stare. What in the world was he thinking? (Well, one of them was studded with dark things, which turned out to be bits of chocolate, to make it more "special.") I took them and told him that we had baguettes to serve to people, at which he looked relieved and then took back the chocolate one!

We had a nice program, the centerpiece of which was, the DVD, "Joy to the World," telling the story of the birth of Christ, and featuring the beautiful music of the Tabernacle Choir. Some of the people we expected to come, didn't, but we had a non-member family there, as well as some inactives, and the number was 30 to the program and 28 to the dinner. Just after we served dessert, which was plenty of Buche de Noel (cream filled Christmas Logs all fancy and fine), I got a call from Heather who was wandering in a Wal-Mart and wondering if I needed something (4 orange flavored children's aspirin would be nice), so Jack had me take her (via phone) in to meet the members and they called out "Joyeaus Noel, Heather!" to her. That was neat. Then, cute little Madeleine made everybody give me a standing ovation for being a "bonne cuisiniere," and that made it all worthwhile.

Our Christmas day was party left-overs with the Elders and Alain, quiet and simple. We thought about you all, and thanks for the cards and calls and pictures you sent us, we love that kind of stuff the very best. Be safe, happy and healthy, and keep in touch . . .we love you.

Sister Mom

Paint Dry

Hi Everyone,

We are about to Christmas and everything is going full bore here in Angouleme. The branch is gearing up for the annual Christmas party and as of today, we have 30 people coming to the feast and festivities. We are working to bring others and who knows, we might have to put people on our knees to squeeze everyone in. The work is going like a house a fire. We are blessed that the two Elders that are here now will stay together for another 6 weeks. We had 9 amis at church today. I must admit that two of those are our perennial "dry Mormons," but the numbers are up. If we keep this pace up, the dream of our last branch president will come true, as he saw shoots of flowers blooming at the branch.

It was exciting to see families coming to church. One of the amis has a baptism date at the end of January and our Portuguese sister told me today that she knows the message of the restoration is true. All we need to do is get over some hurdles and break out the white clothes and fill the font with warm water. Sandra's (our Portuguese sister) husband-to-be is an inactive member of ten years, but he is back and hugged me today and said when he saw me today he was happy. He said that there is more love between the two of us than his own family. This is what it is all about. It is not about numbers, but the love of Christ being spread by the Gospel message.

I have a wonderful 2nd counselor and will have our 1st counselor next week. Both these brethren are from the branch and will be the leaders when we are gone and the branch will be able to stand on its own two feet. With two prospective priesthood holders coming into the fold, we will be growing the branch and the leadership potential. This is a great blessing the Lord has allowed us to see by asking us to stay here during our entire mission. We love these people and would feel it a blessing to spend the eternities with them in the Kingdom of God. It is a little hard to type while weeping with joy.

If we could only get more of the older couples to realize that there are blessings out in the mission field that they will never experience at home. If I could only get you retired couples to get off the couch and come out here with us, you would struggle, cry, struggle some more, and cry, but in the end the results are well worth it.

We went today to see our shy Sister Adele, and she agreed to come to the Christmas Party. Joanne was holding her hands and whispering, "oui, oui, oui" and she then said yes as she saw pure love in Joanne's face. These blessing wouldn't have come if we stayed at home. The souls of these people are precious in the sight of the Lord and He needs someone out here to reach out to them for Him.

Now for my latest French experience. You have all heard the expression, "That is as exciting as watching paint dry." Well, in France, that is an occupation. French federal highway officials do exactly that. Every year, just like at home, the lines along the highways and bye ways get dim with the weather's toll. Well, here in France the nation has not heard of the fast drying paint that we use in the States, so you will see men out on the streets and highways, painting the lines back on the roads by hand or by machine. Ah, you think it ends there, but it doesn't. A group of gaily green clothed men then set up cones along the newly painted area and sit or stand and wait until the paint is dry. The painting truck stops and waits also. One of the men, who must be the supervisor, gets down and tests the paint. When he is satisfied that all is well, he gives the signal for the cones to be taken away and the truck to paint the next 50 meters.

We came upon two men that had painted a line of about 10 meters at an intersection. The truck was blocking off one end of the line and a cone was place on the other side. One of the men must have been a new supervisor because he did not have the sophistication of the others we had seen. Instead of kneeling down and gazing at the paint and then using his index finger to test the paint, this one used his foot to test it. How barbaric can someone be? This testing paint is as important as tasting wine or cheese with a discerning palate and to use the sole of your boot is just uncouth. Only in France can the waiting for paint to dry be such a national obsession. Well, that's all for this week. Keep and enjoy your faith in Jesus. We love you all and our prayers are with you. We feel yours for us. Thank you.

Elder Dad

Our Other Anniversary

Bonjour, to you all . . . you are all family, and I miss you a lot right now especially.

Last Wednesday was the anniversary of the day we went into the MTC last year (is it still called "HUMP DAY," as in "over the . . ."), man, oh man, how these last few months have galloped by. I can't even remember Summer, it went so fast. I think the big difference is the added responsibility of Jack being called as Branch President; it really takes time and effort to keep things moving along smoothly for the members. Just last Sunday, the speakers he had lined up for Sacrament meeting didn't show, so he called on his 2nd counselor, Patrick Humblot, and the two missionaries, and he finished things off, and it went well; but no one saw all the sweating and fretting that preceded the meeting! All of our little elderly sisters are doing well, and we still see them often. Sister Adele, our Sunday night visit, is deep into the Book of Mormon (2Nephi), wading through the Isaiah chapters, and underlining things for Jack to explain to her; sometimes he just says, "Uhhhhhhh," and smiles weakly at the prospect of picking apart some of those image-filled verses. He used to do most of the reading, but now she won't let him, and buts right in if he forgets. She is such a hoot. Also, from not even trying to pray aloud, she has gone to offering a short, slightly jumbled, but sweet prayer by herself (Jack used to guide her through it each time she would try, because she would get so flustered that she'd open and then close without any in-the-middle stuff!). Last week she touched us by thanking Heavenly Father that we could be a family. I was blown away when he told me all she'd said; her own family is totally fractured and absent from her life. Anyway, it's moments like this that I treasure and hold to myself, and know why we'll be here our whole mission.

Now, lest you think all is smooth sailing with us, let me tell you the rest of the story. Sister Bouchard, our 81-year-old Relief Society President, (now Jack has to find a new one in a branch of 3 active sisters) got her call to the Genealogy Library in SLC, and has to be there Jan. 5, 2009. She asked us to move into her home while she is away, so we went to our landlady, Mme. Labadie, to give her our one months notice. "Is someone coming in your place?" No. "It's in your contract to give me two months notice." French law requires one month. "Well, you used much more water than was your share, and I'll have to be paid for that!" Hmmmmmmm.

This is the first we've heard of any water restrictions in France. We wash clothes to be clean, and bedding occasionally, and even ourselves several times a week. Is this excessive? Then, when she made mention of us paying for the extra maintenance it took to get our heater to fire up right, I thought WOW, this is crazy. This is the woman who, as we sat down to take this apt. with Sister Bouchard at our side (she was the one who noticed the "for rent" ad and called us immediately to go see it), slyly said, "Now, the rent will be $600 Euros a month." We didn't catch that, but Sister B. did! "No, no, madame, the ad said it rents for $560!" and looked at her steadily until she conceded that was right, and wrote it that way. This is the woman who actually clapped her hands for joy when Jack told her he had bought a replacement toilet seat for the flimsy, thin plastic thing that had just finally broken a bolt (and didn't charge her for it). This is the woman we heard yelling at someone through our connecting wall, and him shouting at her that there NO prophets in the world now! This was shortly after Jack gave her the wonderful Easter Liahona which was all about Christ and the prophets of the restoration. Maybe she's just gonna miss us when we're gone! Well, we will see what happens next, life is a kick isn't it?

We have an appointment, so talk to you later, take care,

Love,
Sister Mom (Joanne)

Scarlet Letter

Hello from Angouleme,

We are busier than ever with all the goings on at the branch. We will have our 1st coun. soon as our branch member was waiting on the Stake Presidency and visa versa. Now I have put the two parties together it should happen during our next visit.

Our Sister Bouchard received her mission call to the Genealogy Mission in Salt Lake and she is as giddy as any young person could ever be. I had the privilege to sign her acceptance letter as is required. To send the first missionary from this branch in decades is a thrill. She will be leaving on Jan. 5, 2009 and we will be moving into her house and paying her rent instead of enriching someone else. She has a big house and we will have plenty of room although we have nothing to complain about where we are now. We will probably rattle around in the new place. She is happy to have someone she can trust to take care of her place.

We are headed to Bordeaux this weekend for Stake Conference and Sunday I will drive a 9 passenger mini bus for the members. The Sat conference will be held in the stake center and on Sunday we will be in a large conference hall. It will be good to take a different route to Bordeaux tomorrow to see some new things since we don't have to be there until the early afternoon.

We have noticed that in France there is a Scarlet Letter. It is displayed on many cars here in our area and I was afraid that the old custom that was around in the colonial days was coming to France. I asked one of the members what it means to go around driving with a large red "A" pasted on the back of a car. He said that it was placed there to warn all the other drivers that these people were potentially dangerous. It signifies that they are amateurs and they have just passed their drivers test. The red "A" will stay on the back of their car for two years instead of the previous one year. We were also told that the police take strict notice of the speed and driving habits of the cars with the red". It is not bad enough for everyone to be on the lookout for you but to have the local police and the national gendarmes looking for you makes it twice as nervous for the new driver.

If the amateur driver gets a ticket during those two years they must pay the $1,500 to take the driver school all over again and go through the process once more. I think that all the young people in our country should thank their lucky stars they don't have that cost and that type of scrutiny.

Joanne is getting things ready for a family here as well as the missionaries to join with us for a thanks giving feast. The family is providing their home and the regular cheese, bread, drinks and veggies but we are bringing turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, apple pie and rice crispy squares. I'm not much help except for peeling what's needed.

Our investigator, Sandra is coming along. There is so much to do to help them put their family life in order, but the family is so willing that it will all take time. They are filling out all the necessary papers to find housing, work, and to get themselves onto the rolls of the French government. They are very anxious to get away from Joao's drinking brother. The brother, parents and our little family all live in the same house. After they get into their own place we will get them married and then finish the teaching of the basics and Sandra will be baptized. It is so great to see her want to follow the principles of Jesus even with all the problems she is facing. All their problems makes our look so small.

We love you and you are always in our prayers. Keep growing in love and especially in the light of Christ.

Hello from France

Hello to all,

Every time Windows decides to change the format of something, it causes havoc with my brain because I am thrown out of the usual and into an area where there is not enough familiarity to wrap my brain around things. I have just spent the better part of two hours figuring this whole thing out so I could send a message. Up to that point, we didn't have time to spend and so no messages went out to everyone.

We have been very busy meeting with the Saints and taking care of the needs of those who are far from the chapel and have no means of keeping in regular contact. It is great to serve those who need the help because of age or sickness. It gives real meaning to the Savior's words,"When you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me."

I am very pleased to have a counselor now because he is very competent and has a desire to do the work and he is French. It is tough to know all the words and the slight differences in meanings, but to have someone by your side who does makes all the difference in the world. Patrick Humblot is the exact meaning of inspiration.

We are getting ready for our genealogy activity at the branch today and it will be great to introduce the members to the wealth of help that comes with the new program of the church in genealogy. I have worked with New Family Search, and the added new information that is already in the data base is amazing. As you merge duplicates, it adds the new information of others to your line and expands your genealogy family tree most of the time. Since this situation has happened, I have been in contact with others who now see the connections to us and our family.

The members here are excited to have the library back on line. After six months of working, it is exciting for me also. We are now opening up the genealogy library on Thursday afternoon and evening. Joanne and I will take the afternoon session and Patrick will handle the evening session. He has the genealogy bug the way I do. We will use this Internet connection and advertise the genealogy sessions to the people in the city to see what contacts we can make. The Elders have made contact with a single woman from Ethiopia and she is planning to be baptized within a week or two. It is hard to get the final interview process done since we are the furthest city from anywhere. Almost makes you feel you are in Cokeville. Our stake president is 5 hours away and so is the mission home. We are felling like we are out in the frontier.

Joanne and I are still meeting with the Corga family and they are fighting so many problems. No job, having to go back to Portugal to have money sent here, dealing with situations that are foreign to them and not having their own home, makes life pretty tough. We can empathize with them 100%. They are working hard on their stop smoking program, but with others smoking where they live makes it extra hard on them. They are a neat young family that wants the best for their children and they want to be part of the Gospel plan as they see it an advantage to their lives and the lives of their two children.

We are getting ready for stake conference at the end of the month and we will rent a mini-bus to get everyone there for the Sunday session. It will be great for everyone to be there together and to come back having attended as a whole branch, instead of just those who could drive their own cars. We will come back more unified for the experience. The conference will be held in an assembly hall in Bordeaux so there will be enough seats for everyone. The stake center in Bordeaux is not large enough to accommodate this large and spread out stake.

We hope and pray for all of you back home. We are planning many activities for the Christmas holidays here. It seems strange to realize that this will be our second Christmas away from all of you.

Take care and know that we love you all very much.

Our Progress

Hello to all,

We have finally made some progress on the Internet connection at the chapel and we now have the link to the church genealogy site. We are back on line and we now can hold our long over due Saturday session and prepare the member and friends on the genealogy program of the church. Our branch 2nd counselor, who is as big a genealogy bug as I am, will be the facilitator. He almost danced a gig today when I told him that everything is connected and ready to go.

We had two church officials come today and while one was doing a full inventory, the other was helping get us connected. He was able to use his laptop and information from the French church headquarters in Thoriy to find that one of the connector boxes had gone dead. He carries spare parts in the van and in no time had the Internet up and running. All the frustration over the last 6 months went down the drain and happiness was the end result.

Our Portuguese family is making some strides. Juan is still looking for work, but with the help of one of our members, he is now signed up and is waiting for the call to go to work. But their friend in Portugal, who was taking care of transferring their mail to France, up and died suddenly last week and their bank account couldn't be accessed from France. Sandra prayed all Monday after not making connections with anyone in Portugal. This morning she got a call from a friend and that friend was able to forward her mail and access the bank. The Lord works in mysterious ways.

We had a great Sunday School lesson with them last Sunday about the Plan of Salvation. This sister drinks in the Gospel as if she was the most thirsty person on earth. Her eyes never leave you as you unfold the scriptures and truths of the plan of Heavenly Father. Today as we took a coffee substitute to her home, she said that because of the loss of her father recently and her husbands brothers all the information made sense; especially the part that all mankind will get to hear the Father's Plan here or in the life to come and will make a choice on whether to accept or reject the commandments of Christ so that when the judgement comes we will all be on equal footing.

They still need to find a place of their own so they can be a family, instead of sharing a house with so many others and having all the distractions that are going on, but as we take the challenges one at a time. With the prayers of all and the help of our Heavenly Father, all will get done.

We had a hard time saying good bye to Elder Giles. He said one day that he cried twice on his mission. Once before he boarded the plane after saying good bye to his mother and once in his first city in France when he had no idea what anyone was saying because they were all speaking so fast. Well, he cried once more as we hugged and I said my farewell to him. He sobbed and said he didn't want to leave. I told him he had to take the next step in his life and that this experience would be a great help to him. I told him that I loved him and that he needed to go home to progress further. I wept also because he was raised without a father and he and I bonded well together. I said to him just before I released him, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

We have sent two good missionaries home from here and it is rough to spend 6 months with them and then to let them go home. It is different when they continue on their missions because we see them again at Zone Conferences and other situations, but when we send them home it gets tough.

Our new Elder is Elder Green. We have known him before and once he said that he missed peanut butter. The next time we got together we bought him some good American peanut butter and he was in heaven. We will buy him another jar tomorrow and give it to him as a welcoming gift.

Love you all from Angouleme,

Elder Dad & Sister Mom

Time Flies

We are well into another week and time stands still for no man. We have had a good week. Our amis at church jumped to 7 this week and with people coming to visit, we nearly doubled the branch numbers. It was great to have two investigator classes. The Elders are teaching two amis in English and Brother Mazaleyrat and I worked with new amis from Portugal. We sure could have used Phil and Jaime on that day. They speak pretty good French and with the first vision in Portuguese, we did alright.

The Elders were in town, a walking mall, and were contacting the people who were strolling through the area. They contacted a family of 4 and the husband said that he was a member of the church and was baptized in his home land of Portugal 20 years ago. He is inactive and his
wife is not a member.

Joanne and I went to visit them after two visits by the Elders. Sandra, the non member said that when Joanne and I showed up at their door, she knew that she should let us in. She had not let the Elders in the two times before. We were able to teach her the restoration of the church and they said they would come to church. They have a 4-year-old boy who is having trouble in school because he doesn't speak French and a 16-month-old daughter. Juan, the father, is looking for work and right now they are living with the father, mother, and brother. Things are a little cramped with all of them. They came to church on the 3rd Sunday of the month, which is our branch meal together. It was a good thing that Joanne over cooks for the meal because that made enough food for everyone. The meal also helped them be at ease with the members and Alain Kause got with Juan to help him with some job agencies in town.

The next time we went to the house Juan's sister was there. We taught them a little about the plan of salvation and again invited them to church. Juan, Sandra, and their kids came and so did the sister and her young 3-year-old boy. We went back on Tuesday and Sandra said she felt comfortable at church and could feel a special spirit there. We were able to teach them about the Holy Ghost at that time since she had recognized the feeling. I made some of my banana bread and we took it with us. They enjoyed it and we continued with the plan of salvation because Juan told us about the death of two of his brothers.

Sandra is a choice person. If we can get them settled into a job and into a place of their own , we will be able to make better progress with them. Sandra speaks very good English, French, and, of course, Portuguese. She has a sweet spirit and both Juan and Sandra treat their children in a loving way. Too many French people just shout at their children.

The Elders are teaching a brother from Nigeria and a sister from Ethiopia. Our sister from Ethiopia is progressing in her understanding of the Gospel. Both Bright (Nigeria) and Unsete (Ethiopian) speak better English than French, so they are taught in Sunday school in English. If this keeps up we will have an real international setting.

It looks like we might move to a house if all goes well. Our 81-year-old Relief Society President has put her papers in for the genealogy mission in SLC. If she is called, we will move into her home and pay her the rent we now pay for our small place here. The house has much more room and many of the comforts of home.

I had the opportunity to interview our only teenage girl last week for a trip to Spain and a week stay with the rest of the Stake's young people at the temple complex in Madrid. She will have the chance to meet many others of her age, do baptismal work, study the scriptures with the youth and the leaders and see the sights of Madrid. I am anxious to hear her remarks on her return.

We are slowly getting things in order in the branch. The lost and found work goes on and we are paring down the numbers as we find the members in other areas of France and the world. We have had members move not only out of the province, but out of the country. In one way or another, we are finding out where they are and sending their membership records where they belong. I feel like a sleuth when I use all the avenues at my disposal, but the greatest way is through prayer. One way or another, we are led to find out where these members are.

Well keep smiling and doing your best.

Love Elder Dad

Plunging for Converts

Bonjour mes freres et soeurs (my brothers and sisters)--I can picture you all in my mind today, and I hope everything is "ca va" (going well) in each of your lives.

We are having some good things going for us to push out the bad. The family Soumahoro, from Africa, are the hard luck folks here. They've been members for a few years and were once active, but now are not. We visit them occasionally to keep in touch, and try to connect with Abdel, their 16 year old son. He plays soccer all his waking hours, and has some natural talent for the game (we watched him one Sat.), and his family seems to think he will become a famous professional someday and they will all be millionaires. The mother, Assa, is a business woman, and has her fingers in a lot of pies, trying to keep things afloat. The dad was a strong, vibrant man, until hit by a terrible illness that has left him crippled and so weak he can hardly walk. The last time we stopped by to see them, I could hardly watch as he made his torturous way down a flight of stairs just to shake our hands, smiling all the way.

Abdel, the nicest, and most polite boy I've met here, wasn't home. His other sibling, his 9 yr.old sister, has an affliction that just makes you want to cry. She has a facial tumor that covers much of her head and neck, and seems bigger to me this time. She's been seen by doctors in Paris, but I think they are stumped by its massiveness, and have given up on her. Assa sat us down and served us orange juice and Pringles, and introduced us to her older, married daughter, who has moved here from Paris to start a Coiffure shop for African women with her mother. She was very nice, and Jack asked her if she'd like to hear about the church, and she said yes, but after they got the business up and running in Oct. Then, when Jack informed them that there was a new branch president, and it was him, they applauded! Their faces just beamed, and they congratulated him, and as we departed Assa called out, "Bless you President, and we will be coming to church this Sunday!" (I thought for sure we could take that declaration to the bank, but they didn't come.)

Anyway, my undaunted husband went by the shop to see if he could help, they were in the painting stage then, but they had all the help they needed. Then last Sat., opening day, we dropped by again, and it was fun to see the women in full, bright native dress walking between the '2' shops they have there! The other is just across the street, kitty corner, and sells food mostly; this was the first we'd heard of it. Jack just ran in to ask how everything was, and there was a big problem with the plumbing--the toilet there has not been working, so now they needed a plumber. They hated the expense of that, but now that the shop was up and going, this must be fixed. Jack told them he knew a plumber in our branch, and promised to see about it. "Thank you, President!"

On our way home, he said, "I think I need to try plunging it; maybe that's all it needs." So, we stopped at Brico Depot and bought a wimpy looking plunger for the job (cross your fingers), and today was the day. We dressed in our grubbies (apparently I may have to hold his legs, or something!), and armed with a bucket and the plunger we headed out. Assa's daughter took us back to the toilet, a dingy old thing with the tank so high up on the side wall that Jack had to climb a ladder to get to it. What he found there was amazing--someone had put a plastic device with blue dye into the tank, and it had slipped out of place and gotten tightly trapped in the working parts, and gummed things up. He removed it, and turned the water back on, and VOILA!, flush, flush, & more flush, they have a working toilet again.

She was so happy, and wondered if he could look at the toilet in the other store, because it wasn't working either. So, escorted by a family member, we entered the little market, and were taken back to the problem area. The toilet here was in a sort of cupboard, with a cylinder style tank, on the wall also. The dapper man who brought us there was bemoaning the time he had spent pumping away with the little plunger he had. Then, Jack stepped up to bat, (so to speak), and began plunging away for all he was worth. He turned on the water, and to our friend's amazement, the water went down the hole like it should! The man beamed from ear to ear, and shook both our hands, and it was great to see the respectful look in his eyes and gratitude he had for that simple act of service. Can toilet plunging lead to bigger and better things?

I think I've written a book! Sorry I got carried away, but time to go :) !

Love, Sister Mom Joanne, Mam

Better Late Than Never

Hello to all,

I apologize for not getting on the stick and writing especially after complaining that I don't hear from all of you enough. We have been very busy with all the things there are to do here in the branch and with the missionary work on top of that it all compounds into full days and weeks. I have been busy trying to learn all the terms and forms that have to be filled out and getting the branch membership list put in order. The branch membership has changed over the years due to the shift in factories that have left the region. It seems that no one until now has tried to track down the total membership. Joanne and I have have used almost every method known to us to get the lost sheep found.

We have tracked many down through the white pages on the Internet. If we get more than one phone number for the same name, I then call each number and say that I am from the U.S. and am looking for so-and-so. Many times I get a polite no when I add the necessary details to the search, but after many calls, I am successful. The members have gone throughout the country and I am able to track them because France is broken down into numbered departments. If I don't find them locally, I can then branch out into the surrounding area. I have found some as far away as 500 miles. Some of the members have moved out of the country. With those, I have sent referrals to the countries through the missions located there. Sometimes when I call related last names and let them know I am interested in contact so-and-so, I get an enthusiastic response about the person being a mother-in-law or some other relative and I then get their address and telephone number. Of the total 154 members on the original list we have paired it down to 80 that are still in the branch boundaries. This has made a major difference on our percentages for visiting and home teaching and attendance at meetings.

I am happy to say that I don't feel like a direct descendant of Aaron, the brother of Moses, anymore. I now have one of my counselors and hope to have the other soon. Patrick Humblot is the new counselor and he is a great person. His son who lives in Bordeaux has told me that he has been invigorated and is very willing and eager to serve. Patrick has been in the branch a long time and his insight and knowledge about the members will be a great help. He and his family were devastated when his youngest son was killed while serving the NATO forces in Bosnia. The event caused his wife to have a nervous breakdown and a family breakup ensued after years of struggle. It has taken its toll on the family. There is a son who is active in the church in Bordeaux and a daughter in Brieve. Both of these cities are in our stake but they are 2 hours away.

Patrick has a great sense of humor and we get along like brothers. He has the same passion I do for genealogy and we have spent time getting to know the new church genealogy program. He is 57 years old and works for a group that does dental crowns, false teeth and the like. He has done this all his life and with his fine hands he is well suited for the work.

His youngest child, a daughter lives in Angouleme and is slowly coming back into activity. I hope that knowing that her father is a leadership role will give her a greater reason to come back into the fold. Florianne, the daughter, is the youngest of the family and was shocked when her brother was killed. She was just in her early teens when this took place and it has taken her time to get her back on her feet.

Last week, Patrick had a granddaughter baptized and Florianne attended the baptism and stayed with her sister in Brieve to attend Sunday services. The missionary work is progressing with a number of people fully working with the Elders in the missionary discussions. We have two investigators, but we are at the beginning of the teaching process. We are working very diligently with less active members who are working their way back.

In our travels this month we have asked when the grape harvest will be and found that last week it was in full swing. We thought there would be a large number of people in the vineyards, but much to our surprise the greatest percentage of the work is now done by machine. We got to see a couple of these machines up close and personal. They have two sides that surround the gape vines and then, with a relatively hard rubber flap on both sides, the machine hits both sides of the row of grape vines and shakes the grapes off. The clumps of grapes drops to the floor of the machine on each side and is carried by conveyor belt to the top of the machine to a container on each side. When the containers are full, the grapes are unloaded into trailer and the harvester continues on.

The grapes are then hauled to the farmer's distillery where the wine or Cognac process takes place. As we passed the villages we could smell the fermentation process taking place. This country could be self sufficient in food because of the good soil and climate. If they took the vineyards and put them into crops that could be eaten, the country would be able to feed more than the people of France. You would be shocked at the amount of ground is taken up with the vineyards all over the country.

Well, take care all and keep your chin up.

Elder Dad

Time Flies

It is amazing to me how time flies. We have a good routine and many things that come up to fill in the time that remains. I enjoy visiting members who have a difficult time getting out. It gives them contact with the church and gives them a chance to sing the songs of the saints and have the sacrament and study with us. It is very gratifying to go to the rest home and see Sister Louise hang on to Joanne. She hugs Joanne with all her might and then gives her the biggest kiss on the cheek. She enjoys the visits so much she won't let go of Joanne's hand the whole hour or so we spend with her. I also have learned to appreciate how much the French Saints revere the title of Bishop or Branch President. They have a great deal of respect for the priesthood authority. I feel very uneasy when I am called "President," as I would just like to be brother instead, but I know that the members here have so much faith in their leadership that it humbles me each time they refer to me as their branch president.

I am still without counselors, but I hope that will be taken care of this Sunday when the Stake President comes with the Mission president and his wife. Then it will be easier to function with good brethren with me. Although we are small in numbers, the members have the strongest faith in the Lord Jesus Christ I have ever seen.

We are teaching a number of people and hope that they will continue to progress. Joanne and I have been out tracting and even though we have not met anyone willing to hear the message, we have left everyone with a pleasant felling and have not tried to put anyone on the defensive. We have a couple of neighborhoods we would like to do, so our efforts will continue as we have the time. We are teaching a daughter of some members in the North. Sophora has a 4-year-old son and has been to church once. We will have the 2nd lesson this week. We are also teaching a young woman who is a friend of one of the members.

One thing that is different in France is the drivers and the way they get about. Those who are on foot cause all kinds of problems due to their indecision. I have learned to stop whenever I see one, but that is not always evident as they come out from no where. Bikes are the next interesting situation. Most of the bike riders are dressed as if they are entering the Tour de France. The roads are small enough that one rider on the side of the road can hold up traffic pretty good. The motor bikes range from the ones without much power to loud dirt bikes. The low powered contraptions have to be started by pedaling and then the rider puts the small engine on the front wheel and it starts up and hits a top speed of 35mph. When going up a hill, the driver has to pedal to get it to the top or it would stall. The dirt bikes are allowed on the road here and their noise level can scare you out of your wits as they go by. All bikes don't follow the same rules as the rest of us, as they zoom in and out of traffic to get out in front. The large motor cycles never go the speed limit and will pass you with just the slightest amount of room. Cars come in all sizes, from the two seaters to just about the largest we have at home. All drivers want their side of the road and some of yours. No one here can say that Americans are obsessed with cars as even in the projects here in France there are some of the fanciest cars in the parking lots. Truck are something else. The 18 wheelers back home could never negotiate the sharp corners and tight spaces. The Europeans have built trucks that will handle the toughest driving situations. They have a better turning ratio and the cabs are much smaller to start the tight turns.

It is all an experience I will never forget and if you come to Europe one must be a master of the parallel parking. If not you might as well stay home. Getting use to the fact that the guy on the left has the right away has been a challenge and it is good that my copilot, Joanne is always on the look out.

Well, keep on smiling and remember that a good sense of humor and a good laugh will keep you in good health.

Elder Dad

I'll Have Bacon With That!

Hi and bonjour to all of you this morning. We were up at six to pray for the success of the Toulouse Mission, and to read another two chapters of the Book of Mormon (in French), on this P-day. Then, to tell the truth, being still tired, we went back to bed since all of that was accomplished before 7 a.m., and it was still black outside. We don't tell the Elders about all the extra perks available to senior couples, as they seem to think we have it much easier than they do as it is. And it is true actually, because we have a lot of freedom to make decisions and go with the flow, where they have rules and regulations to follow to keep the spirit and do the work. Anyway, we are up and at it after our nap, with Jack fixing French toast, and me mulling over Isaiah's words in 2Nephi. If you think Isaiah is difficult to figure out in English, you would not believe how hard the French translators worked to get his meaning across, while dealing with his wild word imagery. We keep the English scriptures handy to be able to understand what he is saying, and are so glad to have them.

We went to visit a woman who has had contact with the church over the years, but is not a member. She has come into our path because her sister wants the lessons, and is living with her right now. Christelle has 3 little children, two divorces, and is a hard worker, trying to keep things together; but she hurt her back, and is really in bad shape. She asked a member for a blessing, but he had no oil, so he came to Jack and asked him to do it for her. The room was full of smoke as we entered (with the Elders also), and as we sat, the first thing Jack asked her was if she had faith in Jesus Christ as her Savior. She looked at him straight, and admitted that she didn't really because she had a hard time believing in Mary's virgin birth. So he taught her about Heavenly Father and His son for several minutes, and I got the feeling that she was sincerely trying to listen and learn. We made a date to return a few days later, and when we did we found her totally down. She'd tried getting something done, and had only made things worse. She was slumped on the couch, unwilling or unable to move or even look up, as Jack gingerly sat down beside her. She answered some questions dully, with others in the room doing most of the talking, and so we left her with a prayer, wondering what we could do to help?

Just as we were pulling out of this vast "projects" apartment complex, and I was rolling up my window, I saw from the corner of my eye, "the egg," as it flashed by and hit the right side mirror, and splattered across the windshield and fender. The little brown missile was well placed, and just missed the open window, which would have been lots of fun for all! We were a bit stunned, and Jack automatically pressed on the brakes, but there was no sign of the pitcher. Jack optimistically thought maybe we just got in the way of some kids playing around, but I'm having a hard time with that idea. Anyway, after we dropped off the Elders, he said let's take them DINNER tonight, so we rushed home to do it. He peeled a big pot full of potatoes to boil, and I cooked hamburger and gravy and those fast Toffee bars, and with everything mashed and baked (in proper order), along with a green salad, we were back by 6 p.m. The surprise on their faces when we returned bearing food was priceless; plus we got a surprise too, of going into a smoke filled room of visitors for Christelle, and being stared at as if we had flown in from Mars. It's the Mormons! And they're bringing food! We had a spy there, and he later reported that they ALL ate and wanted to know how I made the gravy! No Campbell soup here in France to help you out; I'll tell if they take the lessons.

Well, I guess that's it for me now, I hope you all are well and happy.

Much love, Sister Mom Joanne G' ma

Hello

Hello to all of you this new day.

Seems to me like I've been the silent partner lately, and it's true, mainly because of the timing involved in our coming and goings. We worked very hard to prepare for our 'Porte Ouverte', as a part of the national 'open house' day last Saturday. Jack took a picture of the chapel, showing the spire, with the gate open symbolically, for the fliers he and a member created. They ran off 1400 invitations: a few were taken by members to give out, the Elders took some to pass out while contacting, but most were taken by Jack and Jean-Jacque (JJ), and dropped into mailboxes in neighborhoods all around town. Jack and JJ (who is a little nuts anyway), walked their legs off for three days in a row, while I was in the church working on creating posters for the rooms. Each room was to be manned by a member who would explain an aspect of the gospel, such as: the family, temples, genealogy, the plan of salvation, and the restoration. Last week we helped a single dad by watching his 12-year-old daughter for a day, and she helped me by drawing her version of the 'plan de salut' on 3 large pieces of paper. I thought it was so good that we set up a special display just for her with her photo along with it. Anyway, things looked great, and we were all ready for a crowd with refreshments set out (I baked another sweet treat at 10 o'clock the night before just to be sure we had enough!), and our members all in place. We waited, and waited, and waited some more, and not one person came to visit us, to say hi, to say boo, nothing--nobody. At 2 p.m. the overhead clouds let loose a torrent of rain, and the very intense Richard Humblot was sure it was the wrath of God on the city of Angouleme; but President Metcalfe (that's Prey-zee-daun in French) set him straight, "No, Richard, it's just rain, like always." We were all disappointed, but not down and out. Everyone sat together in the chapel to discuss what we could have done better, and how to be more effective next year, and we stuffed ourselves with lemon bars, and left with smiles all around.

We went to see an inactive member who is confined to her bed mainly because of obesity. I frankly was not looking forward to this because of things I'd heard and because of preconceived ideas, but after meeting her, that all changed. Bernadette Petite (an unfortunate name!) has a life that consists of sitting propped up in a double-sized hospital bed, with no way to get out without help. In spite of the hand she's been dealt in life, she has an outgoing personality, a great smile, and seems to be a people magnet (what with folks popping in to see her left and right while we were there). She used to come to church about 10 years ago, but someone was so mean to her that she went inactive. We mentioned the names of some of the faithful, longtime members we know, and she remembered them fondly. She testified of her strong belief in and love for her Savior, Jesus Christ, and feels that she is worthy to receive the sacrament. Gladys, her older sister (not a member), lives with Bernadette and her husband and helps him care for her (I think hubby gets money from the state for her home care and keeping). Gladys is overweight and wracked with arthritis pain and has diabetes like her sister, but is at her beck and call without a murmur. Their relationship to one another is special, and Gladys seems to always be by her side. I really like them both, and their interaction with one another as they talk about life, and interject thoughts, and finish each others sentences. While we were there, Gladys suddenly got up to get their blood sampling kit. She pricked her sister's finger and read the results and got a needle ready, and bared a large portion of Bernadette's stomach. Jack hid his head, which made them both laugh because it doesn't hurt at all, they claimed, as Gladys plunged it in deep! Apparently the nerves there were cut in some long ago surgery; but he was only trying to preserve her modesty and dignity, which they seem to think is unnecessary at this late date! So, the Petite's, as we call them, are now on our rounds, and I look forward to our visits with them.

Well, my last attempt at an e-mail flew into outer space because (Jack sez) I take too long writing them, so I'm trying to hurry, but it's hard for me! Just don't forget that we love you all and think of you often. Thanks for caring.

Love, Sister Mom - Joanne - G'ma

Drivers

As you might or might not know, as of last last Sunday I was released as 2nd counselor of the Angouleme Branch and sustained a few minutes later as the Branch President. I did not think the call was going to take place until the end of the month, so I didn't have time to get ready for it--which was probably a good thing. Stress is not a good thing. The prior Branch President had to come from 2 1/2 hours away each Saturday to handle the affairs of the branch. He and his wife were called for 6 months and they served 15. The 1st counselor is from Bordeaux and he and his wife have been coming to Angouleme for 33 months every Sunday. Brodeaux is an hour and a half south from Angouleme. I have had the privilege to work with these two men from the time we arrived and there are no finer members of the church than these two. Their unselfish service and the love that developed between us as we served together will last into the eternities.

I have called two counselors from the branch and we will find out how their interviews go when the Stake President comes at the end of the month. These two men have become close friends of mine. When I was asked to serve, their names were cemented into my mind by the Holy Ghost. I think that the 1st counselor in the stake presidency was surprised that I was already giving him names, but I had plenty of time to petition our Father in Heaven about the subject.

This will be a challenge, but we are looking forward to serve these great members and build the branch. I am sure the work will move along and we will progress with the help of God. This has been a great growing period in our lives and I would not trade it for all the world.

We would like to solicit for your prayers this Saturday when we have our open house. It is actually a national day and our activities chairman came up with the idea. We are looking forward to having some good success. Our activities chairman has made some classy invitations and we and the members will be putting them in the mail boxes in their local neighborhoods and we are saturating the neighborhood around the chapel. The missionaries are also handing them out as they make contacts throughout the city. We have 5 rooms set up for displays and we will have members and missionaries present to give 3 to 5 minute presentations on the: family, temples, the Plan of salvation, genealogy, and the restoration of the church. We will have church music playing in the chapel and refreshments in the relief society room.

We are grateful for your support and prayers.

Love Elder Dad

News from Angouleme

Good morning everyone,

We just got home from church and I have some news to give to you. Elder Dad was released from being 2nd counselor in the Branch here, and was then sustained as the new Branch President. It has been a wonderful experience to be associated with the former Pres. and his wife, and the former 1st counselor and his wife, both of whom came every Sunday from their home wards, quite a distance away. In the mission field the bonds of friendship and love can grow very strong and lasting, and we will miss these good people very much. As for President Metcalfe, he is feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment, but truly loves the people here, and wants to do the job well. In his testimony, he said that the young Elders can be sent from city to town, all around the whole Toulouse mission: Nice, Bordeaux, Marseille, Corsica, etc.; but we will be staying in Angouleme, the best city of all. We are happy here, there is hope here, and a reason we were sent here! So, I thought you would like to know the latest, up-to-date news; all is well with us, hope you are doing well too.

Lots of Love to you all, President and Soeur Metcalfe :)

This Week

We have been very busy these last couple of weeks as we are getting ready for the Aungouleme chapel open house. The 13th of Sept is a national day in France for open house of business, homes and churches. Our activities chairman came up with the idea. Joanne is using her skills in the area of drawing to get all the proper pictures with good drawings and headings. We are having the 4 rooms set aside for different themes: Families are Forever and the video on temples; Plan of Salvation; Genealogy; and The Restoration of the Gospel. The missionaries will take the Plan of Salvation and the Restoration. The 1st counselor and his wife, a great couple, will take the Family room and Patrick Humblot will handle Genealogy. We will have a three to five minute presentation in each room with the chapel being used for questions and soft music. We will have a room for refreshments and hopefully we can get some interest going. We are distributing 900 fliers in the general neighborhood of the church and the missionaries are going to hand out additional fliers as they make contacts the week before the open house.

We have a referral from one of the members who we are teaching. Angelique has come to church twice and was taught the restoration lesson after church. Anyone who can sit through 3 hours of church and still want to be taught more has got to have the spirit. We are still waiting for Gilda, the almost blind lady, to come back from vacation at the end of the week.

The rest of the work is concentrated on our rest homes sisters, inactive members, and the few contacts we make as we go about town. Carole Bruce, our student from Togo went off to Canada to school and we are trying to get a hold of the Quebec Mission to get a hold of her. Carole gave us the names of her parents in Togo and the name and address of her brother in Tour, France. I am waiting for the mission office to get a hold of me so I can send the referrals.

Two things have struck me since we came to France and that is the civility of the insects and the different methods of transportation. The insects here have been trained over the centuries to stay out of the homes of potential victims, humans. We can leave the doors and windows open here and even though there are no screens on anything here, the bugs stay mainly outside. They might venture in, but for the most part they go right back outside. They are not like our insects back home. We even have mosquitoes that have not attacked Joanne, whereas in Wyoming she would have been picked up and carried off the minute she set foot outside. The insects here are not attracted by the lights inside the house at night. They have been well trained to stay in bed after the sun goes down.

As for the methods of transportation, they vary from feet to the fancy cars. After the normal feet, the next method is skate boards. Quite a few young people use skate boards to get around. Angouleme is a little tough since it is up hill until you get to the center of the city. Down hill will be much appreciated. Bikes are very popular. Most bikers wear head gear and, when it is for recreation, most of the men are decked out in the best Tour de France outfits. Mountain bikes are popular here. Then comes the moped: this is a heavy bike (like the old balloon tire bikes) with a little motor that fits over the front wheel. Once you pedal and get some speed, your maximum speed will be about 15 mph, but on any uphill climb you would have to help the motor and pedal. Motorbikes come next with a speed of about 35mph. From here on in the two wheeled types get very noisy because there are no laws against certain decibel levels. Scooters for one and two person come next. Less noisy and better to get around on because they have a rack on the back for caring your goods. Motorcycles are very prevalent and can get up to very fast speeds and are extremely loud with the lack of exhaust pipe system to cut down the noise. The two wheeled types of transportation don't follow the rules of the road. They go in and out of traffic at will and try every which way to pass you. They will go so far as to drive up on cement dividers to shoot past the slower traffic. On the freeways, they have no regard for the speed limit. If you see them coming in your rear view mirror and move over to give them even a little space to zoom by you, after they pass the driver of the motorcycle will lower his right leg a little off the pedal as a way to say, thanks. If you don't see them in time in your mirrors, they will make you jump out of your skin because they make so much noise they will startle you.

The cars come in all shapes and sizes. There are the two-seaters, like the Smart Cars that are now selling in the U.S. Smart Cars are not the only two-seaters around. Many other companies make them, but you won't see them in your local showrooms because they don't meet U.S. emission standards. You hear a lot of criticism by Europe of the U.S. not accepting the world wide treaty on industrial emission standards, but if the European car makers had to meet just our national standards for cars, we would be the only ones selling car along with the Japanese and Koreans. Don't let anyone tell you that it is only people in the U.S. who love their cars. The popular expensive cars are seen all over Angouleme, even in the apartment buildings we call the projects.

There are many more car makers in Europe than back home and I sometimes wonder how they all make it. Many can't sell in the U.S. because they don't meet our pollution standards. There are no emission control standards like many states have at home. Once a year tests here in France would put half the cars off the roads.

Well with all the cars on the roads here, it is a wonder that they get around with the huge gas tax that puts the cost of a gallon of gas at about $7.50. The schools for learning how to drive are about $1,500 a session and if you fail the drivers test you must start all over again at the same price.

Well keep the faith and soyez sage, be wise.

Love Elder Dad

The Heat Is On

The summer has arrived and the heat has come on and we are grateful that we were able to get the air conditioner in the car fixed or we would have melted by now. There is always humidity in the air and with the heat getting into the 90’s it makes it somewhat harder to handle. The nights are still cool enough to sleep and so we feel good about that.

The price of gas has fluctuated up and down as it does in the States but it has come down about 45 cents a gallon, but it is still $7.50 a gallon. Gas is our biggest expense here since we travel around the area seeing members and going to Bordeaux quite often for missionary meetings. We are headed to Toulouse next week to go through the library of pictures and posters in the mission office because we have an open house at the chapel coming up in mid-September. The car has only a 4-cylinder engine so when we put on the air conditioning we get a double problem with the gas consumption, but we would rather be cool and pay some extra centimes.

Many of the French people just roll down the windows and take the blast of hot air rather than pay the extra price for having the air conditioner on. The taxes here are so high that it is the main complaint and the main cause for the high prices. They say that the economy is better here than in the U.S., but I can say that the prices here are much higher on everything than they are back home. Maybe the dollar has dropped in comparison to the Euro, and that hurts us here, but we get more bang for the buck than do the Europeans.

The government is a socialist society here so the people get everything covered by the government. One might say that this would solve all the social ills, but from what I see it has compounded the problems. The medical situations here have in some case come to a crisis state in the dental area, but are still good in most other areas. Dentists here are in short supply. Rather than try to save or restore the teeth as we do at home, they pull the teeth and that is that. This happens especially for those who can’t go off the government market to non-government dentists. The cost of a private dentist is very high and only the rich can afford them. You see a lot of smiles with missing teeth here.

France shuts down in August for a vacation period. For the first year, the French employee gets no vacation time, but in the second year it jumps to three weeks and August is the traditional month for vacations. If the lawyers and judges go on vacation in August, it is said, so do the assassins. It is true; the country almost shuts down and most things come to a screeching halt. I have a hard time picturing this in the U.S. The productivity of this country has to suffer for an old tradition. The French also only work 35 hours a week. The traditional 2 hours for lunch is also a problem for us. It makes us plan more because most everything closes down for two hours and from 12 to 2 you are in limbo.

We are in good health and the work keeps us busy and on our toes. We are dealing with a lot of poor health among the members here. We try to keep in touch with everyone and with the distance, it takes time. We have some sisters in pretty bad health. One just came out of the hospital and another just went in. Both have some life threatening problems. When we have situations like this, we take the sacrament to their homes and teach them a short spiritual thought.

I just wish that I was stronger in my faith to talk to everyone we meet. Today I failed to take an opportunity and then, when looking for which hospital our sick sister was in, we talked to a man who parked next to us and in the end made a rendezvous with him for Saturday. Since we are in the car, our opportunities are few and far between and I shouldn’t squander them. It still is a leap of faith to talk to everyone we meet. It would be easy if all the people who would join the church had a red dot on their collar, but since they don’t we need to talk to everyone with whom we come in contact.

We have had two fantastic Sunday meetings with visitors coming from different parts of the world. It is great for the branch members to see members coming to church while they are on vacation and for them to help fill the chapel with their presence and to help bring the Spirit as we worship together.

We love you all and ask you all to do the best you can so that life has that special meaning to it.

Love Elder Dad

Bonjour Everyone

Bonjour everyone, and hope all is well with all of you.

First and foremost, we’d like to send our heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Andrea and Don on their upcoming marriage this week. We would be there to help you celebrate if it were at all possible, but just want you to know that our thoughts will be there for sure! Help us be a part of things by taking lots of pictures so we can see them soon. Our only advice for the two of you is to treat each other as you would want to be treated, and that takes care of most of anyone’s problems. We love you both, and hope your life together is a happy one.

After floating high on the heady cloud of the wedding, your real life begins as you land on earth again, and it’s wash day. Actually here it hasn’t been too bad at all; I don’t wash Jack’s suits, and we just have a load of whites and a load of darks to do about once a week. Drying things is more of a challenge, but we do have two of those collapsible drying racks, plus our imaginations. The chicken wire fence out back is perfect for the sheets, and when Jack pinned his blue jeans up on the roof storm drain, they were dry in record time. It’s funny though to come back home after appointments, and walk into the muggy, heavy air that hangs in the apt. from having our drying racks filled with wet things.

France is good at growing things, and they love their flowers especially. Open air flower shops are common, and the cities themselves vie for the title of Ville-Fleurie, that they win by how much they decorate their townships with flowers in every form. Each town has signs on all the major streets that show with posies how they are doing. Some towns have one posy, some have two, but Angouleme is a Four Posie Ville-Fleurie, and we’ve watched them work hard to maintain that distinction. When the spring blooms were past their prime in the round-a-bouts, and the islands in the streets, and in the parks, out came the workers to dig everything up and plant new, beautifully color coordinated beds of blooming flowers and bushes overnight. Some areas actually place planters in would-be parking spaces, in the street, to slow down traffic as well as grow more flowers, and drive motorists crazy. As soon as one flowering bush or tree stops blooming, it’s another one’s turn; I’m enjoying the sights to be seen.

As you can probably tell, summer is the slow time here; it feels like the whole country has taken a siesta! We met a bright young college student from Togo a couple of weeks ago, and had a great first meeting with her. She really is interested in reading the Book of Mormon. We have high hopes for her, but getting together again has been hard. Pray for the missionaries, they really are trying hard, but the opposition is great against them in so many ways; I am proud of their efforts.

That’s it from this part of the world for now.

Love, Mom (Joanne) Mam