What I Like About France

There has been a reoccurring theme that has been going through my mind for the past little while and it is about what I really like about being in France. It was not hard to come up with a large list, but I will pick out just a few of the highlights.

The first is the members of the church here in the Lille area. Today we had ward conference in both wards and as usual Joanne and I split our time between both of the wards by attending sacrament meetings in each of the wards. Some members come as far as 30 to 40 miles away to come to church and every week they are faithful in doing so. The members here give 10 minute talks in sacrament meeting so that means there are at least 4 talks each Sunday. The chance to give a talk comes much quicker here than at home, but they are always well prepared. Most Sundays there are as many as two youth speakers and their topics are well thought out and their testimonies are strong. The youth here are usually the only member of the church in their schools and they are very missionary minded even though French law prohibits the discussion of religion on school grounds. They show by example who they are and what they believe and that brings about questions from their friends. The members here need to be ready with the answers to so many more questions than we do at home because the church is not as well understood here in France and many of the news that is disseminated is false.

The leaders here are the same quality as at home because they are called by revelation. These brothers and sisters toil a few more hours than we do at home. Joanne and I are home teachers to two families that live far from our home and that means the leaders here are constantly on the road to keep in contact with the members of their ward. The bishops of the two wards here are very different in age but their dedication to the flock is the same and it drives them to be mindful of everyone.

Today with ward conferences the two ward decided to have a meal after and with both wards ending at about the same time there were about 140 people to feed. The Lille ward had the main course, which was couscous. Since distance is a problem the sisters came to the ward and spent Saturday afternoon getting everything ready and then took everything to their homes and put it all together in large quantities. The other ward had the salads and desserts and that was somewhat easier to get ready for, but everyone did their part to make the event a success.

Working with the young adults of the stake is a joy. These young people work in schooling and work along with their church assignments. We are having the privilege of meeting with 8 to 10 at Monday's home evening at the ward and then anywhere from 10 to 19 at the institute class on Thursday. Joanne prepares something good for Monday night and then cooks a meal for after the institute class because some of the students come from different wards that are 50 miles away. The youth gets along very well and we know that as they go on missions and then come back and marry in the temple that the foundation of the church will be solid. This program is inspired and it keeps the youth together and focused. We have a major stake activity once every two months and local activities every two weeks. Our Stake is planning a tri-stake youth activity at the end of Easter vacation. Keep your fingers crossed for us.

The next item on my list is peanut butter and a French baguette. You might think that bread and peanut butter is good but if you put it on French bread you will think you have died and gone to heaven. The typical French bread is baked in a special oven and the different wheat blends gives it a taste we thoroughly enjoy. We try very hard to keep this eating ritual down to a minimum or we would balloon out of sight with the added weight. The other food that we limit ourselves to a once a month feast is kebab. This is the North African equivalent to our American hamburger tradition. It is made with a special foot long bun and the sauce is spread on the inside of the bun. You can have it your way if you want to add lettuce and tomatoes. The meat is lamb, well cooked and it is placed in the bun until it overflows. French fries are then added to the kebab in large quantities. The fries in northern France are delicious and much better than anywhere else we have tried in the country. Wrap that up and take it home and if we don't split it in half for the next meal we would get fat in no time.

Keeping with the food theme, cheese is definitely on the list of the great things in France. Each region has its special cheese and so that means the variety is almost unlimited. The cheese section in the super market has three aisles and each aisle is 30 yards long. There is soft cheese that spreads on bread, hard cheese you can slice off and eat with bread, cheese to cook with and cheese to make deserts with. You have cheese from milk of cows, goats, and sheep. Most of the cheese is aged to perfection, but there are some that are fresh. The cheese that is aged is enclosed in a special outer coating that also adds to the flavor over time and keeps the cheese from spoiling. Every meal that is worth being classified a true French meal always has a cheese course with at least 4 to 6 difference types.

We have a few other favorite foods here. One is a cereal that is called Jordans Country Crisp. It is a mixture of grains and nuts, although you can get it with dark chocolate or strawberries, instead of nuts. I like the one with nuts, because there are many varieties of nuts in with the grains. It has a touch of honey to go with it. Hot dogs are something we have come to enjoy. With the fast pace missionary days we resort to eating a French style hot dog. We buy the ones made with chicken. They are long and thin and fit nicely in a bun called, "Pain au lait" or a special milk bun. The bun is soft and when you spread a mild French mustard and some ketchup on it you have a treat.

One last thing that I have come to appreciate here in Lille is the freeway system. With the cities in France being established centuries ago the building of freeways was a mighty feat. In Lille the construction was done in such a way as to make it efficient, but also in a way that did not destroy the ancient flavor of the city. Some of the system goes through tunnels that save the structure above. The signs are very well marked and the interchanges are done with the traffic flow in mind. The drivers in the north of France are for the most part very mindful of each other. The flow in and out of the interchanges is done courteously because there is an understanding that everyone must change lanes to get into their correct freeway so as to get to their destination. It is very easy to signal and be let in to your next lane.

We love the people here, their old traditions with food and some we have changed as we mix ours with theirs. The time is flying by because we are busy and see the progress that is being made. A mission is a great way for a couple to grow together and make a difference. The members love us because they think we are making a great sacrifice to be with them, when in reality it is a great blessing to serve and be with such great people.