Birds

Hello to all from Angouleme,

We have just gone through a period of rain and now that the sun is out for a few days, Mother Nature has put on he best dress as all is in full bloom. After being in Cokeville for 29 years we really forgot what beauty really can be like. There are so many different flowers here in the yard that at times it boggles the mind at what colors and smells there are here in France. Outside the office window are three trees that are entirely different in size and in shape. I have watched the trees flower and the leaves change as the season has progressed.

As I sit here typing I can also hear a myriad of tunes played by many different birds in the yard. It is so good to hear the blending of the birds calls here so that it sounds like a symphony with all the various instruments playing in harmony. This is a far cry from the crow's caw that was the only ear splitting sound coming from the trees in Cokeville. It is the difference between classical music and heavy metal.

We are enjoying the branch membership so much that I know that leaving here will be a major emotional situation that I am not looking forward to experiencing. We are progressing and the branch is growing. One retired member returned to Angouleme, an English couple contacted us about moving hear in June, and our member who runs a growing construction company just hired a return french missionary. This missionary has a small family of wife and two children, with a new one coming soon.

We are still working with Sandra Corga. She is having a rough time trying to stop smoking and she has asked for a blessing to help her. We will gather the brethren on Sunday for that. Carol is progressing and we have encouraged her to pray. Praying is something new for the people here because they have never had a conversation with their Heavenly Father. Either they only know prayers that are memorized or they have abandoned religion altogether because of the bad reputation it has had in the last 40 years. To get people to realize that they have a Father in Heaven who loves them is a concept as far removed from them as quantum physics is to the average citizen. The public's view of Heavenly Father is also new to them. Someone that is a resurrected glorified being as is taught in the Bible is so strange a concept and so different from that taught by the Nicene Creed that is the present belief and has been for centuries. It is so different yet appealing to those who will listen that they want to pray and have a meaningful conversation with God as James talks about in the Bible, but it takes time for them to grasp the idea.

We are in good health. We have been in good health throughout our mission even with the damp weather here in this part of France. The weather is like that of the Northwest with overall temperature stability without the constant rain. We do have rainy weeks, but in between a 5 day period of rain are weeks of good weather in the 70's and 80's.

We are doing well and the time is flying by. People are telling us that they want to boycott the end of our mission and go on strike so we can't leave. Our hearts are pulled in two by the love we have for these people and the future of seeing family and friends at home.

Love to you all,
Elder Dad