New Assignment

 We were coming home from a home teaching visit with the Atta family when our cell phone rang. I reached into my pocket and handed the phone to Joanne. President Poznanski was on the other end with a surprising new calling. He had need of someone in the mission to help with finding and furnishing new apartments throughout the mission for the 90 new missionaries that were coming into the mission in the next few months and we were the ones called to do the job. At the end of the conversation president said that the choice to do the work was up to us and that we could stay in Lille with the young adults if we decided that way  and he asked us to call in the morning with our response. We ended the conversation and talked about the call for a few minutes and came to the decision that a call from the president was a call from the Lord and we didn't need until the morning to make up our minds even though it would be very hard to leave Lille.

   We called the president about six minutes later and Joanne told him that we would do our best in the call he had made to us. He asked Joanne if she was sure because he always wants to hear it from her since I am ready to do anything at the drop of a hat and Joanne thinks things through more completely. Joanne said that we both felt good about accepting the call and that we would be in Paris as soon as we could. President Poznanski asked us to stay in Lille until the Newberry couple could arrive and we could show them the ropes.

    The Newberry's arrived with an Opel, smaller than the Chevrolet that we were used to. We stayed in a former sister's apartment and for the next few days helped the new couple get around. Our last institute class was tears, goodbyes, and pictures. It was hard to leave all those young people who we had spent so many great times with and had watched so many of them come into the church and grow in their testimonies of the truthfulness of the Restored Gospel.

   Friday we came to the mission office and exchanged our Opel for a nine passenger mini bus. We took the back seats out because we had to haul furniture and all manner of repair materials as we traveled throughout the mission. I liked the mini van because even in Paris where the driving can get dog eat dog, the Parisians respected the size of our vehicle and we were able to be the first in line. We needed this advantage as our apartment was on the opposite side of Paris from the mission office and we had to pass through the traffic of the city each time we made the trip to get our instructions.

   Our first task was to settle in a new couple, the Harris family, in a far flung city on the Atlantic coast. Off we went to Saint Nazarre. We stayed in hotels the first few nights until we were able to get the electricity turned on and then we threw down the air mattress once the heat was on. We traveled to the nearest large city, Nantes, to Ikea to purchase the furniture. Nantes is an hour from Saint Nazarre. Two trips to Ikea and we had all we needed from them; the rest we could buy locally. The missionaries organized a day for the members to come to assemble the furniture and the 5 members and the two missionaries were life savers.    The one thing I always disliked about Christmas was the assembling of the bikes and other gifts for the children. Now I was into assembling every piece of furniture except the kitchen appliances. I was really not in my element and so all the help I could get was great. Before the couple arrived we had the bed together and so we had one night of good sleep off the air mattress.

   The couple came by train and the Elders met them at Nantes and took the next train to Saint Nazarre. I met them at the station with a member and we got them and the luggage to the apartment. They were both former French missionaries in their youth and had pictures in their heads of the apartment they would have. To their surprise this place was far better than they ever expected and is one of the best apartments for couples in the mission.  We took Sister Harris grocery shopping and she was able to pick out a few more pieces of furniture. Once we had them situated it was late so we stayed in a hotel and off we went in the morning. That whole process took a week with travel, purchases, assembly, getting heat and water turned on, and orientating the couple to some of their surroundings. We now knew about the time frame for each apartment.

   On the way home we stopped in Alencon, a city that was to be reopened now the new missionaries were to arrive. We met with the owner and took stock of what needed to be done and what part of the repairs was our responsibility. When we got back to the mission home we noticed that the bill for repairs was far too much money. I priced the materials and the labor hours needed to do our part and came up 500 euros less than the bid from the builder. The amount we would pay was referred to the owner and I think he to knew the price was high but he wanted someone locally to do the work. We will do some painting before the new missionaries move in on the first week in April.

   We got the sisters in Lille situated into their new apartment with the help of the Elders. When the Elders saw their place they called it a palace and I think there was a little jealousy in their voices. There are now two teams of sisters there. One of the first of the 19 year old sisters is now in Lille with her companion.

   Our next assignment was an apartment not too far from the mission home that needed cleaning, fixing plumbing problems, and a fresh coat of paint. The problem in Paris is parking and so the nearest place to park was 4 blocks away from the apartment. Dressed in our work clothes with all our equipment on a dolly and in hand we looked like the gypsies when they go around collecting scrap metal and wood in Lille. We were able to stay in the apartment over night because the furniture was still in place. Two days and the mission in Nannterre was accomplished.

   One thing that has happened to your mother since we have gone back and forth through the heart of Paris more that a dozen times, is that she has become a little blase about the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysees, but she never tired about driving along the Seine River in the day or night.

   Off to Lille to paint and fix up two apartments that we will not rent any more. One is too far from transportation and the other has two problems. The first is that is on the ground floor, which is against the mission rules, and the other is the the 90 year old man next door will urinate in a cup ever morning and night and throw the contents of his cup across into our side of the yard and kill the grass and spoil the side walk. Since the cost of water is high all over France I think he is saving money by not having to flush the toilet and also at his age he is losing some sense of reality. One apartment is done and we will return Monday to finish the other.

   The other reason for returning to Lille was because a young Jewish man who had contact with the Book of Mormon 10 years ago met the missionaries again and with the teachings of the church has received a testimony of the restoration of the Gospel and desired to become a member of the church. I had the opportunity to teach him about Joseph Smith and the restoration and then joined in with the two missionaries in Lille to teach him the other principles of the Gospel. He had asked me to baptize him and then on Sunday to confirm him a member of the church and, through the power of the priesthood, give him the the blessing of receiving the Holy Ghost. Those are the blessings of a mission when someone decides to follow Christ and the fullness of the Gospel.

To Do: fix the toilet that has to be
flushed by a fork!

   Last week was helping missionaries to put apartments back in proper shape and fixing things that have gone wrong in the last many years since the apartments have been occupied by missionaries. We were able to help two Sisters get their lock to work and help them back into their place. When we receive a call from the mission home we never know where it will take us or what we have to do.

   Next week we will be back in Lille to finish the one apartment and renew our visa, then off to Nancy in the east of France to open a new apartment and a new city close to Nancy. We have a list of problems in each missionary apartment in the zone, so we hope to get accomplished as much as we can. Then it is off to the center of the mission where another new city is being opened. Our van is packed with furniture and we will pick up more at the mission home tomorrow morning.

   So much for staying put and finishing our mission in Lille! We are called the "finders of the mission" and I feel that we are somewhat in Radar's position in the TV series, MASH, as we repair, find, deliver and make contacts in doing the work. We know what we are doing is important and it is taking some stress off the president and his wife. The job will not be done by the time we are to leave so we have requested a 3 month extension. President Poznanski had to go to Joanne when I proposed the idea and she said absolutely it was the thing to do. When he asked her about how our children would feel, she responded that they know the work of the Lord must be done and they would welcome us with open arms whenever we arrived home.

   Until the next chapter of our adventure we wish the blessings of the Lord on all of you.

Elder & Sister Metcalfe

The Most Memorable Baptism: Part 3

   The baptismal program for the girls got off to a great start with a talk by the Spanish-born YW's president, Raquel Degrave.  She is a young mother, and is so full of enthusiasm it's fun just to be around her.  Quite a few members of the ward had now arrived to support the girls and the missionary effort.  Alecio was so happy for his daughters, I really do feel that he is a good man at heart.  We all headed to the font where he finally coaxed the more adventurous Kelly down the stairs and into the warm water.  Her two sisters watched and giggled loudly as their father couldn't figure out first how to hold her, and as he read the prayer in Italian from the chalkboard beside me.  He plunged her in deeply and she came up laughing.  The very shy Indira suddenly disappeared back into the locker room!  We waited two, then three long minutes until finally Sara pulled her to the door with mighty tugs, and Alecio grabbed onto her and brought her into the water.  The big crowd of strangers was hard for her to take, and she struggled a bit more before finally giving in, and he got her baptized.  A newly arrived sister missionary later told me that she had wondered, 'Are we forcing kids to be baptized now?'  I looked over at Rosa and tears of joy were rolling down her cheeks as she had a confirmation of the spirit that this was right for them.  Elder Andrus then baptized Sara without too much more drama, but as the electronic curtain went down Sara jumped back into the pool and splashed and enjoyed the water for a few minutes longer; I'm sure that much water was a rare event for them, where and how they live.  Later, the sweet treats were eaten and we drove the girls back home.  We talked to Sofia a bit, but she stubbornly vows to leave home by next year....to what?  We can only wonder.

     Sunday morning Alecio and the three girls slipped into the filled chapel after the song and prayer and found seats in the back.  Rosa had stayed at home with the three younger children.  Bishop Duez announced their confirmation and motioned for them to come up front.  None of them wanted to come, and their dad couldn't make them.  Jack went back and reasoned with Sara like a Dutch Uncle to be the leader for her sisters, and not be afraid.  With a look on her face like, 'I can't believe I'm doing this', she arose and Kelly and Indira followed her up to the stand where they all sat facing the crowd.  Alecio came up, and Jack was asked to confirm Sara with the Bishop and one of his counselors.  Sara squirmed and covered her eyes against us and got through the ordeal in one piece.  Kelly was led to the chair and the Bishop confirmed her with her big eyes open wide and staring.  He then called for Indira, but she would not budge from her seat.  Her father tried pulling her over, and a genuine tug-of-war ensued to the great discomfort of the rest of the congregation.  Bishop Duez stepped in and restrained him saying, 'It's OK, it's OK, we can do it later', and they quickly returned to their seats.  Honestly, in hindsight it's so easy to see where everybody went wrong, and just didn't understand the extent of their timidity and genuine fear of strangers for one thing.  But the good thing is that now they are members of the church, and they can feel a part of the programs that are introduced to them for learning and growing up, and hopefully getting out of the cycle of poverty and living hand to mouth as they  are now doing.  Having the gift of the Holy Ghost will be a blessing in their lives, I'm sure of it.  Sara and Sofia were invited to their YW teacher's home to help her prepare cookies and other goodies for New Beginnings just a few weeks ago.  When we picked them up I couldn't believe how nice Sara looked.  Her long hair always looked like a rope thrown over her shoulder before, but now it had been cut a few inches (it still is to the middle of her back) and was shiny and clean and worn straight back from her forehead with a band.  She was just glowing and looked like a brand new kid.  That night they had fun with new people, and got a taste of what it would be like to marry a responsible man with a good job, and have a nice place to live, with a darling little son to raise.  What kind of options do you see before you in the enclave of shacks that they have lived in all their lives so far?  We have really come to love this family, and hope they continue to feel the love of the Savior in their lives,  and continue to grow and develop in the gospel of Jesus Christ.