What a Week!

Hi Everyone,

The computer decided to eat my message last week, so I'm hoping for better luck this time. We were worried because our legal status would end the last of February, and our carte de jour (green card equivalent) was in the works, but takes awhile to receive. The Elders haven't got theirs yet either, and they've been here three months longer than we have. But, there is an extension you can apply for, the Recepisse, and we got ours surprisingly fast; so we are here legally until May 6, and we can apply for more as needed. That was a big load off our minds.

We had Branch conference two Sundays ago, and not only did we raise our hands to sustain our new Prophet and his counselors, but our members were surprised to be able to sustain Jack as the 2nd counselor to Branch President Ashpole. He just received a list of what he is in charge of: the music, getting talks for Sac. meeting, home teaching, Sunday school, help with finance, family home evening, and to have a talk in his pocket in case of mix-ups (like just this last week when he became the speaker when someone else couldn't). Oh, and do missionary work on the side. I think he can handle it, don't you? :)

I love our little apartment, with its french lace curtains and fancy different colored wallpaper, and cute light switches that buzz or ping when they are pushed. I love the window shutters that you close up at night, (we even have a shutter on our heavy duty glass door), and the whole outside world goes away. I love our tiny shower that Jack barely :) fits into, and leans out the door to lather himself . . . we need a picture of that, don't we? I love the water heater over the kitchen sink that fires up on demand and works hard to give out the hot water we need. I love the 15 inch wide, top loading washing machine, that opens up to . . . a metal ball! with a plastic button on top that seems to say, PUSH ME. When you push, flip-flap go the two doors that open up to reveal the place for the clothes. The washer tosses the clothes clean, methodically, and takes, I'm not kidding you, two and 1/2 hours to do it! But, clothes, especially our garments, come out rung out so well that we don't hardly miss the dryer that we don't have. We have a little plastic contraption with wires on three levels to hang our clothes on . . . no big deal.

Our missionary work so far has consisted of finding the lost and working with the inactives. It has really been interesting, so many stories out there. We just thrill at the successes that come our way: the frail Eric, who, with his mother, eats the gospel message whole whenever we come; Adele, who thought the church had crossed her off their records; Sister Chagot, in bad health and needing a blessing, Marie-Threse, with her word of wisdom problem who is trying to begin again; the Bennett's, who were active for years and now don't know if they're coming or going; and the Renaudet's, Patricia & Jean-Luc, who love the missionaries, (or Americans?) and want us there every Sunday night. We have a lot of juggling to do at times, but I love it because they are trying and we are there trying to help them find their way home.

Well, time to sign off until next time....stay in touch, I love you all very much.

Sister Joanne, Mom, Metcalfe