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.

The Most Memorable Baptism Ever: Part 2

We went back to see the family, after picking up the Elders, the very next week on the 7th of Nov.   This time, we were prepared with a psudo-flannel board and colorful circles to help explain the Plan of Salvation to the kids.  We also had mini-Twix bars to 'bribe' them into listening, and all together it worked like a charm.  The poor Elders, being kids themselves, were clueless as how to calm the masses, so they once again took the back seat to Jack.  He, being a natural-born teacher, caught their attention and soon had them raising their hands and participating.  We got Daniel involved with placing the circles on the board, and it was a good night of learning.  They all wanted to have a turn to pray, because it was a new experience for them, and Alecio promised they would be at church on Sunday, but they didn't come because the toddler got sick.

     Our main concern on our next visit was to wish Sofia a happy 15th birthday (with a big chocolate cake) and figure out how to help them get to church.  (Alecio's panel truck has no seats, and the last time he tried to take his family loose in the back, he got picked up by the police and fined.)  They have a DVD player and an old TV where everyone's faces are green, but we watched the Joseph Smith Story, in Italian, on a laptop.  With no speakers, however, the children had to huddle around close to hear it.  (You would be amazed at the electronic devices that even the poorest people have in their possession nowadays).  Everyone sat quietly through almost the whole movie, until Daniel made them all scatter when he passed gas!  He's the 'bomb' all right!

     On our next visit on Nov. 20th, we had visual aids to help teach the proper steps of a prayer, and the Elders taught about the 10 commandments.  Then they dropped a 'bomb' on us by setting a baptismal date for the girls for Dec. 1.  We were surprised, but the girls squealed excitedly.  Alecio hadn't stayed for the lesson, he'd gone with a gym bag to do some boxing.  Sofia blurted out the news that she didn't want her Dad to baptize her, and Sara said," He's not baptizing me either!"  Rosa was upset and said her girls don't honor their parents like the commandments say they should, and we soon said good-bye leaving chaos in our wake this time.  Jack and I had reservations 'big time' about this rush to baptism (then we found out that one of the Elders was going home the 5th of Dec. and it meant a lot to him to see them get baptized).  I brought up my concerns, but they countered with the girls' need to have the Holy Ghost in their lives to help them progress.  That made sense, but they also 'need' parental involvement, and will be hard pressed to find it with a mother who is overwhelmed, and a father who works hard, but doesn't relate well with his daughters.  Then, the Elders had to admit defeat after all, when none of the family made it to church on the 25th because their oldest son's wife had just had their first baby.

     I can't figure out their lifestyle.  I've never seen any signs of dinner being cooked.  They seem to exist on snacks and candy, which are plentiful and spread out all over the large round table (and onto the floor as the little kids grab and run with cheese puffs and chips and bon-bons of all sorts), and liter bottles of pop, guzzled without a glass by Daniel, and  I wonder if Alecio brings home out of date products for them?  The time Bishop Duez came to meet us there started out badly.  Ten year old Kelly was striking matches on the porch, then in the house (that tinderbox!), chasing her siblings all around with them!  Rosa wandered in with the baby on her hip and I pointed it out to her.  She distractedly shook her head, 'Oh those children', she sighed.  Jack called them all together and retaught prayer, and Sara gave a good one.  The Bishop showed up and will help Alecio get started on the papers he needs to become legal in France...step by step progress is being made.

     We were at another ward when the family came to church and met with the Bishop in his office.  A new date was set for the baptism, for the very next Saturday at 3 P.M., if Rosa felt they were ready.  We took the Elders out there on Friday night, and they were determined to get all the rest of the lessons taught that night.  Jack was beside himself...'You're going to do all those tonight and call it good?'  We sat back this time and let them handle things, but the girls were giggly, and Sofia sat by herself.  When they talked about tomorrow's baptism, Rosa protested that they weren't ready, but in the end she was talked into it.  Sofia is a question mark.

      We spent the morning baking banana bread and cookies when we got a frantic call from the Elders.  The Strecovitch girls had gotten wet and dirty from the floor of their Dad's van and were refusing to come.  Could we go and pick them up and smooth things over?  We had room for 3, what about the others?  They said they'd call Bishop Duez and see if he could help, and he was soon on his way also.  When we got there Sara was distraught that her good pair of jeans had gotten dirty (there was dried mud on the sleeve of her shirt also), so Jack said, "Come with us and we'll get you a new pair to wear!"  She was so surprised at that, she got right into the back seat, followed by Kelly and Indira.  Rosa looked nice in her long black skirt, dangling earrings and sparkly top, but her face had that usual worried look as Sofia was not to be found anywhere.  Jack said, "We're leaving now so we can shop for Sara", and we did.  We found a chic clothing store and our funny little band trooped in and found something suitable right away.  Sara tried them on and worried that it cost too much, ($14.99) but we grabbed them and got going again.  At church the girls were whisked off for their interviews, and the next time we saw them they were a sight to behold.  Kelly was in a ruffly dress, Sara in a 3 times too big jump suit, and Indira had on knee length trousers and a large white shirt that someone had knot-tied in the front showing tummy.   Bishop Duez had told Rosa last Sunday that the baptism would not be today, and she was relieved because "My girls aren't ready yet."   Someone mentioned that they should bring extra dry underwear, and she wailed, "My girls don't have underwear!" YIKES!  That's why she put up a fuss yesterday when the Elders told her it was set for today.  We didn't know any of this until after we talked to the Bishop, and he was 'misinformed' also.

     Finally, they got the program started at 3:30, with one glaring omission from the printed program; Sofia had refused to come with the Bishop no matter what he said to her, she said NO.  She said that her father and she had fought, and claims that he hits and kicks her. 'Why can he get away with such behavior and be a church member?' seems to be her question.  So, 4 sisters names were on the program, but only 3 young girls dressed in white on their baptismal day, Dec. 8, 2012.

     In  PART 3  you will find out what happened next.

The Most Memorable Baptism Ever: Part 1

 Back in early November was the first time we met the Strecovitch family.  One of the Elders in the ward recognized the father of the family, when he slipped into sacrament meeting by himself two weeks in a row, from the time he had met him earlier elsewhere.  In talking to Alecio, the Elder found out that he was a member, and had 7 children at home, 4 of whom had not been baptized yet.  If you ever want to make a missionary drool, just tell him that!  Their problem was that they live a good 30 minutes out of town, and transportation was the issue.  The Elders got out to their place one time, but found that they live in an enclave of illegal, ramshackle, pasted together hovels, where the kids run wild and they were unable to corral them long enough for any kind of lesson because of their undisciplined behavior.

     The Elders begged for help from us, not only to drive them there, but to help teach them if possible.  Our first look at their place was quite a shock, it had rained and the ground was muddy and strewn with hoses stretched across the width of their yard as we drove in.  The people there tap into the city's water supply that way, and also know how to string electricity to their places too.  We hear that the police raid this complex of several streets of shacks periodically, tearing out all their lines and hoses, but before long things are back in place and 'normal' for them once more.

      Alecio is Italian by birth, and found the church when he was a young man.  His wife is a Bosnian gypsy, born to that nomadic culture and way of life, and when they married she persuaded him to join in it also.  His family were so upset by this that they disowned him.  Somewhere along the line though, Rosa gained a testimony of the gospel and was baptized, to the dismay and chagrin of her own family with their traditional Catholic background.  Some of their children were born in Italy, some in Germany, and now some in France, and they all have language issues and speak quite the mixture of Italian/German/French.  The kids are struggling in school, where they stand out because of their slightly shabby used clothing; their language problems have some insensitive teachers telling them to 'go back to where you came from, we don't want you here'.  They don't go to school regularly, so keeping up is hard, but two of them are especially smart and determined, so there is hope for them.    
                                                                                                                        
      Their house is an amazing conglomeration of cast-off pieces of building materials, such as  french doors with glass squares, which make up the front wall, and Rosa's cooking area is a room off one side of their long front porch.  Alecio is industrious to the max and has created a huge living room space for them with wooden floors and a roaring fire in a make-shift stove made from a metal barrel complete with a fat pipe that leads straight up through the ceiling.  I was impressed by how shipshape the room was, with paintings on the walls, and couches and cupboards and a large round table and plenty of chairs.  He probably is a collector (with his large, white panel truck, with no seats), a scavenger of discarded items that people put out on the sidewalks and within minutes just disappear as if into thin air. Rosa is a sweet-faced earth-mother type with a lovely serene smile and laid back manner with the chaos all around her.....'Oh, these children', she would say to me over and over as they raced madly around, showing off to their four foreign visitors.  But then Jack took control, and before long had them seated, and mesmerized as he taught them about Joseph Smith's first vision.  The 8 year old, shy Indira, 10 year old wise-eyed Kelly, the deceptively quiet 12 year old Sara, and 14 year old Sofia who is just budding into young womanhood all listened intently, but the younger three listened best.  Sofia was easily distracted and hard to reengage, but we loved being with these kids, they are good kids, just clueless at how to comport themselves in an accepted manner.  There is also 6 year old Daniel, the instigator of all havoc in the house - literally bouncing off the walls and off his sisters with karate chops to the backs of their legs or boxing and hitting them whenever they weren't looking;  wow what a kid!  Jack even corralled him for awhile.  The other children are 3 year old Kristina, with deep dimples and a crush on one of the Elders which she showed by pummeling his face constantly, and 1 year old Samata Amela, big eyed with amazing dimples also, who was still nursing and was very insistant about it!  What a family...we went home happy, but exhausted, and hoped that they had learned what they needed to know about the prophet and what an important event the first vision was; and we left wanting to return again to see them again soon.

      Well, I had to set the stage, so if you are interested in the rest of the story you will have to wait for chapter 2.   ;)

Love to you all.........Mom  (Joanne)

Visit from an Apostle

   On Friday, Nov. 16, we drove to Paris for our first All Mission Conference, held in the Versailles Ward, to hear an Apostle of the Lord speak to us.  We timed it to arrive at 10:30 and we did, with 10 minutes to spare, only to find out that with a V.I.P. arriving, preparations and expectations and time schedules are on overdrive.  We didn't do much for 2 hours except try to get the whole France-Paris Mission in place for a mission photo on the stage at the rear of the chapel area.  Just in time we were alerted that they were driving up, and the noise of talking abated, and as Elder Marquez sat at the piano and played, we all began to hum or sing softly to the music of the hymn along with him.  The Spirit was strong as we anticipated seeing our leaders, and as they came into the chapel they were very touched by the reverence and love being shown to them by the missionaries. 

     They sat in the seats in front of us for the picture taking session, then they lined up to shake hands with all of us as we filed out of our rows.  Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Twelve Apostles shook my hand and thanked me for my 'service', then Elder Teixeira (Regional 70), Elder Boutoille ( from Lille- Area 70), President Poznanski (Mission Pres.), and a couple of other leaders each shook our hands.  We then found seats in the chapel and heard several short talks by some of those men and 2 of their wives.

     Elder Andersen then came up and told us how he has known Pres. Poznanski for many years, ever since he, himself, was the Mission President in Bordeaux, and Pres. Poznanski was a 28 year old young father and Branch President there.  He was running himself ragged in his job with a pharmaceutical company, with his church position, and with a family he sometimes didn't see for days on end.  He decided he had to ask to be released from his calling, but then President Andersen, counseled him to hang in because the Lord expects more of us than to give up when the going gets tough.  So President Poznanski changed his mind, and he and his wife also changed some of the ways they were doing things, and life got easier and better for them as they were obedient and continued to serve with honor. 

     Then, they were asked to become leaders of the Institute in Angers (working for the church), so he quit his highly paid job, uprooted his family and moved to northern France where things are a lot different.  It was hard on the kids, especially at first, to leave everything they knew and their friends behind, but they thrived in their new home and became much loved in Angers.  One thing I know for sure, Elder Andersen had his eye on Pres. Poznanski for good reason - he and his family  (his wife is a jewel) are outstanding people and members of the church here in France. 

     Elder Andersen then threw out the question:  Where in the Book of Mormon do you find the Doctrine of Christ outlined?  Some of our sharp missionaries called out the very scriptures that explain it best :  2 Nephi: 31  Tells why we must be baptized - to follow Christ,  it is an ordinance of commitment ;  3 Nephi: 11  Christ appears in his resurrected body so that ALL the people would be witnesses of the truth, and he authorized his disciples to baptize, to become one with Him ;  and 3 Nephi: 27  To call His church in His name, and He gave commandments to repent, be baptized, and to follow His works.. the 'do' 'do' 'do' 'do' 'do' verse 21 ( if that is not works, I don't know what is! )  These chapters should be studied carefully and  become precious in our lives.  The Doctrine of Christ is the True Belief...of Atonement and Faith.

      He spoke for a long time and emphasized that being a missionary is not just baptisms, but giving spiritual aid to all, especially members who may be struggling.  Baptisms are only one measurement of your mission, you have to see yourself in the true role you are in.  Be simple, be concise, share your miracles with the members, be the flame, be the light among them, it helps them be firm and true over the years.  He said that he was just an ordinary, every day missionary when he served in France, not a leader at all, but he tried to have the spirit with him every day.  He told us if we will see ourselves as disciples of Christ who carry the light of Christ to the people of France daily - that is how we will be successful.

     When he finished talking to us he couldn't stay around and shoot the breeze because he had things to do, places to go, and more people to see, so he took his leave and said goodbye.   We also did what else we had come to Versailles to do, exchange cars with the newly arrived couple in the mission.  They were given the car that the Hall's had used in Brussels, but with its Belgium license plates, taking it to Cherbourg ( south of the Normandy coast ) would put it too far from that country.  We, on the other hand, being only minutes from the Belge border are the more logical ones to drive it.  The cars are both Chevy's, but ours was a bit bruised and worn from being driven by the Elders before we got it.  Their's was the newer model of the two cars, and I think Elder Bellessa looked askance at its several minor, but noticeable cosmetic problems, and Jack heard him ask someone inside the church later if they were aware of them.  We had to chuckle a bit, I guess little things like that bother some people more than it does others. 

     Funny enough that was not the end of our adventures in Versailles that night.  We were asked to get a hotel room so we could take the papers the real estate people needed on Monday with us back to Lille, and they would be ready for us in the morning.  That sounded like fun, we didn't have a tooth brush between the two of us!  Jack's nose always sniffs out the nearest inexpensive Ibis Hotel, but it was on a busy one-way street with no visible parking, so he made his way around the block and parked like a local, illegally with blinkers flashing!  We quickly realized this was NOT a good idea (from the disgusted looks of passers-by), because we were partially blocking a pedestrian walkway....OOps!  So he went to back up and this fine new car would not go into reverse...no matter how he tried, it utterly refused to do so!  People now were stopping by to give us a piece of their mind, with Gallic gestures galore, not exactly what my thoroughly fustrated husband needed right then.  We checked the instruction book but that was not helpful at all, so we switched places and he pushed the car  back into the street far enough so we could go forward again, and called the Elders to meet us at the chapel.  I know he was furiously trying to figure out the 'why' of the problem.  We sat in the parking lot looking at the book again when suddenly his fingers found the elusive 'ring' on the shift nob that when pulled up turned 1st gear into reverse.  This Chevy, being newer, actually had one more gear than our other one had, so the mystery was solved, but what drama!  

     The one thing we cannot say is that things are boring out here!

The Invasion Sites of Normany

*The pictures accompanying this post met a tragic digital death in France, but Mom says it gives them an excuse to visit again.  The two pictures included are from earlier visits to World War II cemeteries.  They are included to give an idea of what the cemeteries are like.* 

    It is here in the north of France that you see the signs of the wars that have been waged on these vast plains of Europe.  The most poignant ones for me are the many individual, pocket-sized military cemeteries that dot the countryside,  most simply carved out in the middle of corn or wheat fields.  They are always walled, and filled with rows of crosses or tomb stones lovingly kept bright and clean by someone, with the grass all around each marker clipped to perfection.  There are always road signs indicating that a cemetery is just ahead for Regiments of Australians, Canadians, British and some Americans also.   Months ago at the Canadian visitor's center at Vimy Ridge, we were given a map so we could find the grave of Jack's uncle, who in the first world war lost his life two weeks before the Armistice was signed.  We finally found it off the beaten path, and it too was in perfect order, almost one hundred years later.

     After working in Rouen for 2 days, President Poznanski gave us leave to take time for ourselves, so we decided to head to the Normandy coast to see the World War ll Allied Army Invasion sites.  All through this area is where the German army tried to repulse the Americans (at Utah and Omaha beaches), the Canadians (at Juno beach), and the British forces (at Gold and Sword beaches).  The tide was out now in the late afternoon as we looked at the vast Atlantic ocean before us, and we wondered what it must have been like that day, June, 6, 1944, for the awaiting Germans, to see the vast array of troop ships, battleships, destroyers and support craft spread out upon the waters, coming against them with their might!  They did have some strong defenses ready just in case, but they were not expecting the invasion to be in this area because it was not the most direct route from the staging point in Great Britain.

     The beaches the Americans stormed onto were vast, flat, sandy expanses with a small knoll in which the Germans had built many cement gun emplacements, all pointing seaward.  I can't imagine how it must have been for our soldiers being rushed ashore in those transports, knowing there was a huge probability they could die in the next few minutes. 

     We were in awe as we drove around the countryside, down narrow roads surely unchanged since those very horrific events that were happening virtually in people's backyards those first few days.  The nearby city of Caen looks unlike any other city in France, especially from a distance as it is full of white, similar sized buildings.   It unfortunately was in the middle of the war zone and largely destroyed in the fighting.   We passed through the famous town where one unlucky American parachutist had dropped next to the large Catholic church and his chute snagged onto one of the spires.  The poor kid was a sitting duck, and was soon shot dead by a German soldier.  Imagine our surprise (and dismay) to see that poor paratrooper still hanging from that spire when we drove into that little town.  The city fathers have made a cottage industry out of that historic incident and there are replicas of the doomed soldier in all the store windows down the town's one main street.  The town's name is Ste. Mere-Eglise, and Jack remembered it from seeing the notable war movie "The Longest Day" in France on his first mission in 1961. 

      The American Military Cemetery is along the ocean not far from Omaha beach, and what an awe-inspiring spiritual place it is.  The grounds are pristine in every way - not a leaf out of place, grass like a carpet, and the markers white and gleaming against all the beautiful surroundings.  People were walking among the crosses, reading names and musing about all those men who willingly put their very lives on the line for freedom's sake.  I can't help but think that men with principles like that had to be some of the best of our nation - a whole generation of good men who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

 

      It was a cool and blustery afternoon, yet lots of people were there, with their families in many cases.  The thing that really surprised me was that most of the language being spoken was French, and it was evident in their hushed tones that there was reverence and respect being shown at the grounds.  Many French people have the point of view that throwing down gum wrappers or other unwanted paper is no crime because there are people employed to pick this stuff up.  They are actually 'helping' someone with job security, so what's a little littering going to hurt?  But here, nothing marred the surrounding burial grounds at all, and I was so grateful for this recognition of the solemness of the grounds we were visiting.


     The next day before heading back to Lille, we checked out the Canadian and British landing beaches further north along the Normandy coast.  These areas are vastly different from the long wide expanse of flat sand where the Americans disembarked.  These troops were facing tall cliffs up from the water's edge to climb, so their task was quite dangerous in a different and formidable way.   This whole coastline where the invasion took place has a special feeling about it, and I'm so glad it worked out that we could come here before returning home to the U.S.

Lilloween

   The two wards here have had a tradition for some time to give the ward members a chance to have a Lilleoween party in the cultural hall. The young adults made up the greater part of the decoration committee and they worked hard all Saturday to get everything ready for the night's festivities. There was a spook alley that had a long line during the night and an area for other activities for the youth. At one point there was a scream test to see if the children could give out a good scream of fright and when they did they had the chance to break a pinata in the form of a black cat. When the pinata was finally broken open the candy flowed and there was a scramble to pick up all the goodies. Special treats were made available for all who attended and it was a time for the members to invite their friends who are not members.

   Joanne and I decided to go dressed as a missionary team. Joanne took an old missionary suit left in the Amiens apartment that fit her very well and I dressed with my shirt, tie, french hat , and suit coat on backwards. I had Joanna send us in one of our care packages a pair of plastic glasses with a nose. I put that on the back of my head and we entered the chapel to the joy and laughter of the members and the missionaries. I went around shaking hands with everyone with my hand backwards. We had a good time and it was especially good to show the friends of the church that we were not stuffy and that we could have fun like everyone.

The Servants of All

 After a couple of months of being put off by Sandra and Michel Thille, we came to the conclusion that what they needed more was our friendship, rather than to feel that we were pressuring them to come back to church.  So we asked if we could just have a time to play Uno with them one day, and they happily invited us back.  We spent a fun hour with them, while Emma slept through it and Maelys sat on her Dad's lap as his lucky charm.  On a Tuesday, two weeks later, Sandra called Jack for advice about how to take out a wall to open up her kitchen area, so we dropped everything and drove out to see what could be done.  The wall had an electrical outlet, but was not a bearing wall, so Dad concluded there should be no problems with it.  We promised to be her helpers, but Jack said we'd have to come back in a week.  On Thursday night she called again and said she couldn't stand waiting to hit that wall of hers until next Wednesday, and had begun punching it out...would we come tomorrow? She knew how to get his attention!  So, we loaded up the ladder and toolbox and headed out to Armientiers, where we found that the impatient Sandra had taken a mallet to the left side of her kitchen doorway and was feeling very proud of herself.

Sandra and her mallet.

Her refrigerator had been hiding behind that wall, and was now in the open, plus there was a hole in the tile floor and a scar running up the wall and across the ceiling to be dealt with.  She is such a funny duck - I knew when we saw her Tuesday that she was mentally ready to go after it, and saw the disappointment in her eyes when Jack said we'd be back in a week.  But, when she took the bull by the horns, he had to go to her aid, and that was that!  She would not give up that mallet  it must have been therapeutic to the max as she pounded on the wall with all her might.  Their walls are not like our sheetrock at all.  They are thick and hard, like white chalky cement, so it took lots of heavy hitting to bring it down, piece by piece.  Hiding behind the right wall was her bank of built-in floor level cupboards, one tall free standing cabinet that held her oven and microwave, and counter space with those cupboards underneath.  Plus, behind the tall cabinet was a door (to the hall area), closed and unusable until now.  What she wanted us to do seemed slightly crazy; to saw through the countertop and remove the underneath cupboards to just THIS side of the countertop burners, then reposition the tall cabinet into that new space.  To hire experts for this job would cost hundreds of Euros, so just get the nutty Metcalfe's to do it for free!

Jack worked his tail off down on the floor trying to figure out how the cabinets were attached to one another.  He finally found the well concealed screws and was able to work them out; so he and Michel pulled out two banks of drawer units, and were left with the free standing counter top.  Sandra borrowed a 'mighty' hand sized jig-saw from a neighbor and Jack cut across the piece real slick and Voila!...her dream kitchen is realized!  (Thankfully not the nightmare of last night when she dreamed that all her pounding made her house fall down!)  The tall cabinet slipped into place beside the countertop burners nicely, then Michel took the once hidden door off its hinges and a new passageway through (past the WC) to the hallway and stairs to the second floor was revealed.  Sandra is a wonderful person and I came to know her much better that day and found out a lot about her life.  I would like to write about that one day.  We enjoyed our time there and playing with the new addition to their family, a little black puppy who reminds me of the little dog we had on the ranch in Cokeville whose name was Muttsy.  It was fun playing with her even though she is a toe-nibbler.

Cutting the countertops.

  
On our next big working day in the Thille family kitchen we brought a young adult with us, a refugee from Somalia who was rescued by the Catholic church and sent to live in Italy.  There, Emmanuel Katura encountered the LDS missionaries and later joined the church.   He has gone through some horrible things in his life (the loss of both parents by violence), but he has a great attitude, a wonderful outlook on life, and an irrepressible smile that wins him many friends wherever he goes.  He told us that he learned the plumbing trade in Italy, so he was happy to help members of the church all he could.  His friendly personality and disarming manner quickly won Sandra's confidence, and they soon had mutual respect for one another.  He and Jack's job today was to replace the kitchen countertops: one holding the sink and the other the gas-top burner unit.  They loosened the burner unit first and used the old counter as a pattern for the new one that Sandra had found for a good price online.  

Emmanuel and Elder Metcalfe

Emmanuel knows his stuff!

                                                                                                                      
    Cutting out the hole with the little jig-saw took a lot of time, and Sandra wanted to feed them lunch, so we took the two girls and walked down the street to a small store for sandwiches.  That's when the 'fun' began with Emma.  There was a line of people (with 2 groups ahead of us), and only one man filling orders.  Emma was content for a couple of minutes with the toy she had brought to hold, but then the attraction of all the different candy displays was just too much; and her constant "Mama, mama" filled all our ears as we watched her grab a candy bag here and some Tic-Tacs there.  Sandra tried to restrict her enthusiasm, but she kept twisting out of her arms, her strong little body almost too hard for her mother to restrain all ready.  I felt guilty because I had not wanted to leave her behind with the workmen.  They were so absorbed with what they were doing, they'd all ready left the front door open so that the puppy had gotten out and led us a merry chase as she dashed into the street.  So the customers in front of us, and behind us now too, waited in uneasy silence, wondering who would win this mother/daughter tussle; while the tally for treats that Emma couldn't live without evened out to 3, to Maelys 1 item.  The poor overworked sandwich maker was throwing himself into his work, hands flying, until we finally got our two baguettes and could get out the door.

Emma keeps busy while the work progresses.

     It was interesting to see how the two girls co-exist in their family setting.  Maelys is now 5 years old and she wonders why Emma gets by with things that she is taught are not to be done, and wonders why her sister doesn't interact or talk to her like her little friends at school do.   With Emma there is always lots of drama going on, whereas Maelys can be talked to and reasoned with, so that gives the parents joy in a sometimes hopeless seeming situation.  The two girls sometimes fight over possession of what one might have and the other wants, but I didn't see 'mean' aggressiveness (hitting), so that's a positive.  But, Maelys IS frustratedas with Emma's lack of sisterly or even human connection to her (sharing smiles, talking to each other, playing dolls together); it just doesn't happen, and that's just really sad.  Later, when Emma was amusing herself outside in their large playhouse, Maelys came up and said something to her mother about us two speaking English to each other.  Sandra, who served a mission in England, told her that's why she should study hard at school, so someday she can do it too.  Then the bright little redhead began showing me all the English words she has learned so far:  hello, good-bye, thank you, you're welcome, pleased to meet you, etc.  Her accent was very good, so I hope she takes the challenge to heart.

Maelys

     The men finished up with the sawing part on both counters, now it was time for Emmanu (his nickname) to shine, and he did; he knew his stuff.  They put the burner unit together and settled it into place, then they worked to hook up the new sink and faucet, complete with overflow device.  When the water filled her 'chic' new round sink, Sandra beamed happily.  Michel came home from work just then and as he looked at the kitchen he also beamed happily.  It was a good day of work and we've come a long way with this wonderful family.

Sandra beams happily.

Flea Market

We kept hearing about something that was going to happen on the last weekend of August, but since we really didn't know what it was and we were so busy we forgot to ask. We have heard of a lot of city activities in Lille, however we have not had the time to look into any of them because there is always some activity involving the church or church members. We kept hearing about the Braderie and this time we got totally immersed in it because it is the biggest outdoor market or flea market in Europe and our neighborhood was totally swallowed up in it. When we came home Friday evening we noticed that all parts of the streets around us were being taped off with red and white plastic tape and every available space on the sidewalk was beginning to be occupied by trucks, cars, and vans.

   Saturday morning we got up early because we had a home repair project with one of our home teaching families who live 30 minutes out of town. We drove out of our private parking spot onto the street and off we went without any problems. We worked with the Thille family all morning long and at about two in the afternoon we started to head back to our apartment.. The closer we got to Lille the more the traffic started to pile up. This is not unusual for a Saturday but soon we were at a standstill. It took us twice as long to get off the freeway as usual and when we did we noticed that all the streets heading to our place were blocked off. We tried a few side streets but they all led us to police barriers and so we kept looking for a way home. At the same time we noticed that, in our absence, street after street was filled on both sides with make shift or professional booths set up on both sides of the streets and the middle was filled with the walking public going up and down looking at whatever was placed on the ground or on tables.

   We finally found a street that wasn't blocked off and started to move towards home. We found out that this was our only avenue home because there is a fire station on the next block near our building and they needed a way to take care of emergencies and so that street was not used for the public market. We got within 200 yards of our parking place when we ran into the full force of the flea market. We pleaded with people to let us through and when they did we had just enough room to inch the car down the two blocks. It took us 20 minutes to go the 200 yards. We finally parked the car and got safely into our apartment. Once we got our wits about us we decided to see what this was all about.

   We immediately launched ourselves into a sea of humanity and we found out that the entire downtown area of 4 square miles was taken over by sellers of every type of merchandise and that there were a million buyers who had come to Lille from all over Europe to look for just the right item (s) that they were looking for.

   Every one way and two way traffic street had booths on both sides of the street and every four lane street had 4 lanes of booths. The city even arranged the different sections of the downtown by the type of merchandise that was for sale so that the interested consumer could look on the map provided and go to the sections that interested them the most. We traveled up and down the streets in our neighborhood and were struck by the amount of things for sale and the mass of humanity that had come by train, plane, car, and bus to pick over the merchandise that was for sale. It was interesting to see that many people had come prepared to buy their chosen article whether big or small. They brought furniture dollies, wheel barrows, children's wagons, and baby buggies to cart away what they bought.

   I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that Joanne was not carried away by the many things to buy and so the only thing we came away with was two pair of new socks for me and we only shelled out 2 Euros for both pairs. I must admit that there were paintings, furniture, and other things that, with a discerning eye and good knowledge of antiques, a person could come away with great buys, but we kept our hands in our pockets and were content to experience the greatest flea market we will ever see.

   On Sunday we learned our lesson and left the car in its spot and walked to the subway to get to church. There was not much activity at that time in the morning, but as we returned the streets were packed again for the final day of the Braderie. This was a once in a lifetime treat.

Desmond

  One of the things that we have noticed in this mission is the ways in which the Lord brings his willing children in contact with the restored Gospel of Christ. We have witnessed many miracles through which brothers and sisters have been provided the opportunity to meet the missionaries. Today I would like to introduce you to Desmond Asante. Desmond is from Ghana, Africa. He had a small business in his country and wanted to build his financial business beyond his own country, so he made a trip to England to see what could be done find business partners. While he was trying to expand his business, his partners in Ghana cut him out of his major interest and he was left destitute and could not afford to return to Ghana. He knew that his visa in England was coming to an end and so five people he met in England that were in the same situation decided to leave England and try their luck in another European country. So the six of them entered Belgium and tried to find visas and work to support themselves, but alas Belgium was less inviting than England. The six of them, one young woman and five men, were living on the streets and trying every which way to stay alive.

   They felt that the only avenue to find work was to go to France and so the six went to Calais, France. Upon arriving in Calais the group was picked up by the French national police and taken into custody because of lack of the proper papers. Desmond being a Christian, turned to prayer while he sat in his cell. He and the other five were interviewed by French officials and in the end the woman and Desmond were given permission to stay in France and the other four were deported. Desmond was told he could go any where in France and continue the process to stay in the country, but nothing was for sure. He exited the police station and immediately felt that he needed to evaluate his situation; a park close by provided him with a place to pray and meditate. After a silent prayer on a park bench he met two missionaries as the two elders were going through the park to their apartment. Missionaries are not encouraged to contact people in public parks, but both elders were prompted to go to Desmond and talk to him. After introducing Desmond to a short explanation of the restoration of the Gospel and the Church of Christ to the earth, Desmond received a feeling that he should go to Lille. 

 

   The Calais missionaries gave Desmond the address of the church in Lille and gave the Lille elders a heads up about Desmond. Upon arriving in Lille, Desmond and the elders made contact and the process of introducing our new friend of the church began. Desmond came to church the next Sunday and we had the pleasure of meeting him. An invite for supper was given and accepted and, with elders, we spent time together enjoying a good meal provided by Joanne and great conversation about the principles of the Gospel. We were able to take our brother to buy some new clothes so his needs were met.

 

   We had been given some clothes and two suits from a departing missionary and in sizing up Desmond everything fit just right. Joanne spent some time fixing one of the suits and presented it to our  new friend the next time we met him at church. Another thing happened and that was Desmond began to read the Book of Mormon with the free time he had. In his previous religious experience he was told to shun the Book of Mormon because it had nothing to do with Christ. The experience this brother had in reading the opening pages made him realize that he had not been told the truth. He was very quickly into the chapters and through prayer realized that within the pages he was studying many of the questions he had before were answered and new truths were revealed to him. 

 

   He requested baptism and to my surprise he asked me to baptize him and also give the talk on baptism. He made a request that Joanne give the opening prayer. The day arrived and Desmond came dressed in his new suit, white shirt and tie and a huge smile. The two of us entered the waters of baptism and since Desmond doesn't speak French, I gave the prayer in both French and English. After coming out of the water the joy of Desmond could be seen and felt from everyone at the service. The next day was Sunday and Desmond was confirmed by the first counselor, Charles Tessa. The expression on Desmond's face and his words after the meeting about his spiritual experiences of the last two days were overwhelming. He said he could not express his feelings in words adequate to do it justice. It reminds me of experiences in the scriptures.

 

 

 

   The story doesn't end there. Desmond has since brought one of his new found friends to church and his baptism date is set for next month. The french officials have done something that is rare in France, and that is that they have quickened the acceptance process for Desmond to receive refugee status. He has been given a small living stipend which is very rare and now instead of going from homeless shelter to homeless shelter, he now has a permanent place to stay and some work to earn his meals. Desmond is active each Sunday and was ordained a priest two weeks ago. He is willing to teach with the missionaries, bear testimony in church and the two of us gave a talk together. It is not easy to translate for someone who wants to move on with his message of the restored gospel in quick fashion. I was able to give the members the main points, but as they say, much was lost in the translation.

 

   It is great to be here and see people come alive to the gospel and to play a minor part in the spreading of the word that has been revealed to us in our day. In a side note we met with Margaret yesterday and I asked her if she has continued to pray about the truthfulness of the message we have presented. She responded by saying, "I don't need to pray about the truthfulness of the restored gospel because I know it is true." We still have some more to teach, and her attendance at church needs to become a priority as well as getting her husband's permission for her baptism. This last time we had the pleasure of meeting her husband and he was very friendly and it doesn't seem that permission will be a problem. Margaret asked if she could keep the DVD on the life of Christ that we watched while we were at her home. She hopes to show it to her oldest daughter before she heads off to Paris for school. We also gave her the restoration DVD since I had ordered two for some reason and had an extra. I don't wonder any more why I ordered two. We also let Margaret know that there were young adult groups of the church in Paris and they would welcome her daughter with open arms. Margaret is all for that because she does want her daughter to meet some good clean living young people.