Hello to all of you out there. It has been some time since I have written and so I will overcome my blue funk and get to the news at hand. The first thing is that time is passing so fast and there is so much to do that I am worried there will not be enough time to get it all done. We have good news though with the progress of some of our amis.
We will set the baptism date of Sephora Croq this Thursday. She has made so much progress. With our last visit, we felt the Spirit. Her promise to continue to pray and read the Scriptures is a great factor to her being ready to take on the challenges that are hers now and to progress in the future. I will interview her Sunday and then the Stake President will be here on the 30th for her final interview.
Carole is ready and prays for her baptism to come soon. We need to get her and her fiance married. We will meet with Dominique and Carole to see when the date will be. Getting the family members here that they would like to be present is the problem and we are patient with all that. It has been great to see the change come over her and the major hurdles she has met and conquered over the past year. Each of you would be amazed at the challenges that have faced her, but I know it would not have taken place without the Gospel teachings and the Lord's help. Clement, our young 9-year-old young man, bore his testimony Sunday and wants to be baptized. We need to get his estranged mother's permission or according to French law there will be future difficulties. Even though the father has custody of Clement, the French law allows a mother who is divorced, does not have custody, and has other major problems, to have a consent ability even though she has become disinterested in his real life progress.
The Corga family had a new addition with the birth of a new beautiful baby girl. Joao's health problems are still a problem and his treatment to be cured is difficult on him. They both have cut back on their smoking and it is the only thing holding them back. Sandra is down to 2 a day but this is the hardest thing she has had to do in her life. She has smoked since she was a young teenager and this habit is so tough for her to kick. It makes me want to take on the cigarette manufactures and give them a swift kick.
Our new young family is great for the branch and they both accepted calls last Sunday and were set apart as branch missionary leader and primary president. With their 4-year-old daughter, Jeremy, Sophora's 5-year-old son, and Clement, we had 3 in primary. We have the Corga's two young children to add if we can and we will be up to 5. We had one other visitor Sunday so we are growing. Joanne does such a great job with the help of the missionaries, but having someone there who can be there always and who can speak French will be such a great boon to our progress.
It took a lot out of me yesterday to take 2 missionaries to the mission home for their return trips home. Elder Archer, from Magna, has been here for 4 months and this is the third missionary we have sent home from Angouleme. These are tough moments after we have spent so many good and tough times with him and the others. The other missionary was Elder Green, who served here at the end of 2008 and into April of this year. He was in a city to the south and so we picked him up on the way down to the mission home.
At this time in our mission, it was a sad reminder to us how soon we will be leaving. We love these people with all our hearts and being here for two years and investing our efforts in their eternal opportunities has taken a toll on our heart strings. These are great members and amis and we will leave behind a major portion of our hearts here in this part of France. I know it is a hazard of serving and not being able to bring them home with us, but there are other major projects for us to do and loved ones to see and squeeze with huge hugs when we get home. I have learned the value of a hug since being here. The missionaries do it all the time when they meet. It not only shows your emotions through the force of the squeeze you can give but it puts your mouth to their ear to tell them how much you love them.
We love all of you and are looking forward to showing some of you the sights and the people here when you come. It will be good for you to put the faces and personalities with the names. Until the next time.
Love Elder Dad
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