Visitor's Center Helpers

We are in good spirits holding down the fort at the visitor's center in Paris. The regular couple have taken a trip or some thing and so we were asked to keep the center open. Like all assignments we were sent on our own and scramble to get things going. I think the story of the couple missionaries is to fumble through things until we get it right.

We have had three contacts today and two yesterday and the we hope for more today as the day is still young. The missionaries use this place as a place to meet their contacts and give lessons. There is a large room with pictures and explanations of each but I go around with the people who come in to answer any questions and add some needed information. In a smaller room are two TV's with videos of various teaching and the testimonies of the 12 apostles. the last room in the back is for missionaries who teach lessons to their amis or friends of the church and a sound room for CD's. We have continued to have people come and I was able to get a person to want further contact with the missionaries.

We are waiting until after the new year for the apartment search to continue so we will be in Paris for at least another week. We will be with the young adults next week, so that will give us something more to do.

We had a good conference with the other 10 couples in Blois, which is on the Loire River. We were able to get some good games and interaction helps from the other couples. We did get to see a huge chateau and walk around Blois. The members fed us well on the second day at lunch but we went to two restaurants for the evening meals.

We had a miracle happen on our trip. I left my brief case in Angouleme and in it I always put the keys to our place in Paris. There are three large french keys plus the small chain and metal container for the consecrated oil attached. All in all there is some heft to the combined package. I called Angouleme and arranged for Carole Serard to bring the brief case as she was going to visit a friend in the outskirts of Paris. I wore a pair of slacks to the couples conference because the president told us to come casual. Each evening as usual I would empty my pants pockets and put everything on the dresser. Each day I would don the same pants. On the way home in the train Carole phoned us and said she couldn't find the keys in the brief case. Joanne thought that she had left her key in the apartment, but she looked in her purse once more and in the far recesses of her purse she found her key.

When we met Carole at the subway exit I couldn't find my keys in the case, so we went home and the three of us entered the apartment. We gave Carole some money for the two train rides, coming and going, and then I put my hand in my pocket to take out some change for the metro. She refused but I dropped it into her hand bag anyway. I then sat back and placed my hand back in my pocket and touched something metal. I grabbed what I felt and pulled out the keys that had been lost for three days. We all looked at the keys with wide eyes knowing that there was no way they should be there. I emptied my pockets for three nights, the keys were heavy enough that I would have felt them in my pocket, and when I went in the pocket for change I would have felt them. Heavenly Father can do what He must to help His children on this earth and I am thankful that He sent a message that we were under His care.

We wish all of you a Happy New Year or, as I would say, have a frantic first, and all the best for 2012.

Arrive in France

We left the airport with hugs from Heather and Josh. It is always tough to leave family knowing that we won't see everyone for 18 months. It is good that I have enough technology in my brain to get us to the blogs so that we can see what is going on with some of you. The flight was uneventful and we even managed a few hours sleep. I had the chance to talk to a Frenchman headed to his home in Lyons as he was coming from his work in Las Vegas. I gave him some reading material and we said goodbye.

At the airport we meet the Assistants to the President, Elder Hall and Elder Duarte. Elder Duarte is from Portugal. It took us 2 hrs. from the airport to the mission home due to bottle necks on the freeway. We talked along the way and were able to get a feel for the mission.
At the mission home we met President Poznansky and his daughter Marie. The President's wife was off to Angers to take care of a problem with their home there.

After lunch we got squared away with a cell phone, keys to our apartment and off we went with the AP's. The AP's paid for our metro pass for the rest of the month and away we went on the metro with all our bags. On the way we made two contacts, one with a less active sister. I was able to get her name and phone number.

The apartment was at the next to the top floor. Sixty-two steps up on an almost circular stair case. We were exhausted by the time we reached the door and it is a good thing two young Elders were there to get our bags up the stairs. We are staying in Paris because the church has not been able to find us an apartment in Lille.

The place we live in is a studio apartment. It was for 4 elders with bunkbeds at each end of the long room. The zone counselors who were there before us broke one of the bunk beds into two single beds for us and left us enough to eat until we could buy some food for ourselves. There are four study desks, a eating table in the middle of the place, and a bathroom fully equipped. The stove and sink plus some shelves are opposite the dinning table. The place is big enough for the two of us.

The 62 steps, the 400 meters to the metro, the 400 meters to the platform, and the same to get out of the metro has changed us physically. With all the walking we are doing, my calves are big enough to take to market and we have so much more stamina. The other benefit is that we only eat two meals a day so our weight is dropping. The weather is not too bad. It has rain lightly a few days and got down to 38 degrees on one day, but the temperature has raised to around 50 degrees yesterday and today.

We did have one bad experience that made me angry. I put my wallet in my pants pocket and my suit coat was over my pocket. My raincoat was over all that, but I think that I looked to well off and a group made me their mark. On a rolling sidewalk in the metro four people, one right after the other, bumped into the side where my wallet way and when I got to the end of the sidewalk to get my metro pass out, the wallet was gone. Driver's license, 30 euro, debit card and my metro pass were in the wallet along with photo copies of my passport and the two visas to France and Belgium. It was a good thing they were only photo copies.

We came to the church visitor center and used the phone to cancel the debit card and then trudged home with a new metro card the zone counselors bought me. What a bummer! My feelings about Paris went down a few notches, however when I made my report to the police I got to talk to the officer about the church and that helped build my spirit. I have been able to give out pass-a-long cards most every day in the metro by using some unique approach. Once as we were bout ready to board the metro a lady saw our tags and read out loud the name of Jesus Christ. We talked to her as two other trains past and gave her some literature and the address to the church.

Well that is all for now. We will try to get some pictures to Joanna or Chris so they put them in since our lap top doesn't let us do that.

Love Pappa et Momma