Dinner Anyone?

Hello to all of you back in the States. All is well with us and the work has its ups and downs, but the ups are ahead and that makes us look forward to a brighter future.

Joanne's cooking is becoming a favorite topic in the mission. Each third week in the branch there is a dinner provided by all the members, so that we can all sit down for a good meal after the meetings and everyone goes home happy and with some good conversation and closeness. Joanne is always worried that with all the single guys in the branch that there will never be enough to eat, so she gets out her recipes and cooks as if all the family was coming to dinner. The members usually supply one main dish and/or a dessert, but not Joanne. She cooks up a storm with me as the sous chef. I am always the one who peels, grates, and slices. As Joanne goes from one recipe to the other, I wash the dishes so she will have something clean to mix the next sauce or whip the next topping.

When everyone sits down to eat, there are glances around the table so that the members can spy Joanne's dishes. They are always polite because they know there is enough for seconds. Our bachelors always have seconds and after they have had their fill they then look forward to the desserts. The whole branch does so well in this area that we have to split the dessert courses into soft and hard categories. Last time there were three in the soft category and four of the hard delights.

The Elders get the leftovers and some times they can't carry everything home with them. The Elders in Angouleme eat better than any where else in the field, so I hear. Not only do they eat well the 3rd Sunday, but the small membership are always having them over for meals. Last week one of our Elders was put on a diet by the president.

The district meetings are a treat for the missionaries because Joanne always brings something special. The missionaries look forward to the times when we meet because there are few care packages from home when there there aren't special occasions. One missionary who had been out 3 months exclaimed when eating Joanne's treats, that it is the only taste of home he has had since he arrived in the mission field. When the meetings are held in Bordeaux, we make a double batch because two districts meet at the same time. Whenever a missionary gets transferred to Angouleme, he already knows about Joanne's cooking as the word has spread as the missionaries come and go from here. Also, the missionaries who get to the Bordeaux region also know that twice a month they will get a taste of home.

We are excited to serve in any way we can and cooking is one way. We have made progress with our amis and we have one baptism in the future. The young couple, after having two children, 3 and 1 1/2 are obtaining their marriage license and then after that happens we can proceed with the baptism. It is good to see the great changes that are made in the lives of people as they work toward living the Gospel.

We love you all and we love to hear from you.

Elder Dad