Emma

I want to thank my sister Laraine for putting together two packages of 'stuff I can't get in France', and sending them to me in the mail...they got here amazingly fast! Graham crackers, and powdered spices ( Herbes de Province is the favorite for the people here, all manner of dried leaves abound, but I think powdered is best in many recipes), and instant pudding so I can make Joanna's cinnamon rolls one day, and a cup of corn syrup very cleverly contained in a juice box bottle, plus more. Sandra also sent a goodie box...thanks so much!

Shopping here is a scream...so many aisles, so many people! The mega-mart Auchan has it all, so that's where we shop the most, any day but Saturday if you value your sanity. One time we were in the checkout line there when I got tagged as a loser! The cashier held up my bag of 4 lousy little tomatoes that had 'no price' on it...with this disgusted look on her face. Jack was bagging our other purchases as I looked desperately at him. "Go price them", he advised, "Hurry!" The line of customers behind us made way for me as I tried to remember which way to get to the produce department. The resigned looks on their bored faces made me scoot away in double time, down the cheese aisles..turn left several rows, then turn right. The produce areas at home are nothing compared to all the choices here. I found a scale, tapped the Legumes picture, glanced at the offerings - no tomatoes! Tap it again...there they were, all 15 different varieties - find 'tomate allongee' (same as our Roma), push the picture, and out springs the price tag: $1.20 Euro; slap it on the bag, and hurry-scurry back to find that No One had defected to another line! WOW! What troopers! French people are used to waiting in lines! The cashier smiled gratefully and counted out our change in English.

On a Thursday in early March, we had our first visit with our other home teaching family set for 5 PM at their home in Armentieres. After searching for people all afternoon, we headed there, and Mappy-anne got all goofy on us directing us in the opposite direction at first, so instead of being just a couple of minutes late, we were 20, what with rush hour traffic to boot! When we arrived at the Thille family place, the father, Michel, seemed reserved at first, but soon warmed up with smiles all around. His wife, Sandra, had been on the phone for the last hour with her sister, and asked if we'd tried to call, (we had, but couldn't get through), so all was well. I brought her a pretty purple-flowered potted plant and chocolate chip cookies for the kids, and also had 2 of the soft balls from our Green Leaf Ward humanitarian project tucked into my book bag. Their oldest girl, little sharp-eyed Emma, grabbed one and ran off with it first thing (to her mother's chagrin), so my plan to give them out as part of Jack's lesson was thwarted! Emma has Down Syndrome characteristics and is big for a 6 year old, going on 7. Both she and her 4 year old sister, Maelys, have beautiful red hair. Emma has the mental abilities of an 18 month old, and the very unfortunate 'habit' of communicating by SHOUTING very loudly, MAMA! MAMA! MAMA! constantly, as she busily runs around, or drags jam, bread and knife from the kitchen to the table for a snack. She can do that, but spreading jam is beyond her, as is dressing or washing herself. Sandra said, "Emma, no!" so often that it could be her name: Emmano! Sandra is a wonder; patient and kind. They have fallen into inactivity because how could they have Emma with them in Sacrament meeting at this stage of her life they wonder?

Jack had visited them in Feb. with the Bishop and found out that Emma had torn pages from Michel's Book of Mormon, so he presented him with a brand new one in a zippered case, which blew him away! Jack then gave them the Ping-pong ball verses Golf ball lesson, comparing two look alike balls, but one full of nothing, and the other full of substance (like the gospel of Christ to keep you strong even when adversity or trials come into your life). He let the girls hold each of them, and try to blow them away with puffs of breath. The ping-pong ball of course rolled hither and thither, but the golf ball remained steadfast...such a good object lesson for the parents, that they need the gospel in their lives to steady them through the tough times that come to us all. Emma reluctantly gave the ping-pong ball back to Jack and then was horrified when he stomped on it to make the point about it having no inner substance at the core. She burst into tears and ran from the room and stomped up the stairs, condemning his heartlessness with every step! Michel began to laugh and almost lost it, and we couldn't help but join in at Jack's expense, because he hadn't thought ahead of what Emma might think about ping-pong ball cruelty! She soon came back down again, and now she was MAD - at Jack! ( He was having a rough night!) She mumbled under her breath at him for the rest of our visit, but finally got over it. Bishop Doit told Jack that he always comes away with a headache from Emma's constant, top of her lungs racket when he visits them. He's asked his quiet, 20 year old daughter, Esther, if she'd be willing to take Emma into another room at church so that the family could attend Sacrament meeting, and she agreed to do so. It probably won't be as easy as that, but we're trying to figure out how to help them. We met Michel coming out of church the next Sunday with EMMA, we missed it because we had an early meeting in St. Omer and had just got back for our regular ward Sacrament meeting. She was dressed nicely for church and was so demure I was speechless, and he carried his scriptures and seemed calm, but Sandra and Maelys stayed home.

On our next visit in April, as we walked inside, we immediately sensed a difference from last time. Emma was lying drowsy-eyed on the couch, and Sandra said she was sedated because of a urinary tract infection. Emma noted our entrance, but fell back onto the pillow, sucking her binky and clutching her floppy toy dog. I gave them a bag of rice krispie squares and we sat with them at the table for our lesson. Jack had Sandra read John 17:3 'And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.' They then talked about what it means to KNOW God and to KNOW Jesus Christ...and Sandra knows that it is she that is holding back and knows what she is not doing. (It is so hard to call people to repentance, but it is essential for us to face up to what is holding us back from the path to eternal life.) She said, 'When I was on my mission, I knew the importance of the gospel and how to live it. But, now it's so hard.' Emma literally wears her out, and at the end of the day she unravels, and feels she never accomplishes anything. By now her tears were flowing and little Maelys got a tissue and reached up and wiped her mother's wet cheek. Do you pray for Heavenly Father's help? asked Jack. No. Do you pray over the food? No. Why? Then came the excuses...too tired, it's late, we're not together as a family...Jack said, Heavenly Father can't do his part until you do yours and show that you want his help. Michel chimed in and said, 'I want to pray, but she doesn't want to.' Sandra is bogged down in depression; she's sure that it's her fault somehow that Emma is how she is. Jack told them both," No, this is just one of the hard things that we have to deal with in this life, it's why they are called trials. Emma has an assured future, no matter how old she becomes, she will have the mind of a toddler, she is innocent of the sins of the world and will live with Heavenly Father again. We're the ones who have to overcome the world to be worthy to be with Him again. Do you want to see your daughter in Heaven, faculties restored to her perfect body, and be with her there? We are the ones who must work towards that goal by doing all we've promised to do." He got them both to promise to begin again. Sandra is such a sweet-faced, mild-mannered woman, but this trial is taking its toll on her. We should all pray for one another and our trials, so that with God's help they can be borne.