Aug 17, 2025

I learned this week how to host a celebration for a future missionary who has a call. Invite family members and friends who have had influence.  Ask them to wear their missionary tag if they still have it and find out where they served.  Take time for all to get to know each other and something about their mission.  Have lots of good food. When all are seated, the future missionary tells how each guest has affected his or her life.  Do a multiple choice quiz with crazy questions about the new missionary so you can  laugh together.  Conclude with written bits of advice and lots of love and gratitude.  What an evening!  Best wishes to Léandre who has graduated from college, served as YSA stake représentative, fluent in French and English, and committed to Jesus Christ and his church.  We hope America welcomes you with open arms.

We are headed to Dijon tomorrow to pay the man who hauled away the moldy couch and chairs from the balcony of the sister’s apartment.  They now have an outdoor space and each has a desk to work at.  There are many physicalities to successful missionary work.

This has been a good Sunday.  We were up late last night at the above celebration and found out that our branch president is in the hospital with an infection.  It started in the urinary tract but after not getting the right antibiotics for a week it manifested as a septicemia with very high fevers.  Fortunately he was seen quickly at a hospital and the IV antibiotics are working well.  However, he was not able to attend meetings today.  

His two counselors are away and working, and the EQ President is gone for a month to Portugal.  That left the 1st counselor in the quorum (Tom) to preside and conduct today.  It has likely been 35 years since he last conducted a Sacrament Meeting and that wasn’t in French! - but old bishops don’t forget.  Only one speaker was assigned and we had a lot of visitors today.  Fortunately all went well - a couple of early notices were given and one was invited to speak.  The young man did very well.  Attendance was 68 - perhaps a branch record!  Sunday School was a lively discussion in groups about Section 88 led by our outstanding SS president.

After a short lunch and catnap we were off to take the sacrament to one of our shut-in sisters and then do some priesthood training with our member who is preparing for the Melchizedek Priesthood.  We might take the rest of the day off.

A corner of the ramparts in Autun, on the old hospital campus

Aug 10, 2025

How quickly the time passes!  Our two youngest grandchildren turn 12 and 11 this month.  We pray for all our grandchildren and children.  It is both a harsh and glorious world we are living in.

We love the Wednesdays when we have zone conference.  It is great to be together with the young elders and sisters but mostly we learn from our Pres. and his wife.  We studied the parable of the talents but tied it in with spiritual gifts and  faith unto miracles.  I learned that a monetary talent is the equivalent of 16 years of work.  Pres. Schow told us about vacuuming the carpet in the celestial room of the Kansas City Temple in preparation for the open house.  He was asking himself why he was doing this when it was spotless.  He  realized he was not doing this because it was dirty but to always keep it clean.  Then he taught us about false dichotomies.

We spent a lovely afternoon visiting, dining, and walking in Lyon with the Nevilles - another of the fascinating couples serving here.  Their calling is to interview pioneers in the area.  

Cooling off in the fountain

Lyon Hôtel de Ville

Fountain by Bartholdi, who also did the statue of Liberty

Tom and I are in charge of 4 (young) missionary apartments: Chalon, Dijon, Besançon, and one in Geneva.  We spent 5 1/2 hours this week getting rid of stuff left by probably six sets of missionaries who did not believe in throwing things out or giving things away.  We bagged clothes, shoes, binders, games, color by numbers, pens, pencil crayons, cloth grocery sacs etc. Those we gave to two families.  We carried close to 200 hundred pounds out of their cupboards to the garbage and to our car.  This week we will deliver 70 hard cover Books of Mormon, mostly in Arabic but several other more obscure languages, over 500 pamphlets in English and Arabic and more bags meant for the mission office.  Now the young soeurs have a place to put their shoes, the canned goods, the Christmas decorations,  p-day equipment and their books.  I joked that we should have taken before and after photos.  Meanwhile Tom was installing a new shower head, fixing a lock so the bathroom door would shut and working on all the folding doors in the apt. and arranged for a company to haul away the moldy couch and chairs off the balcony.  Who knew he would become a handyman on this mission?

We are grateful that some days are quiet and we can do the laundry and make a good dinner and watch a movie or read a book. There is much I will miss when we leave France - the history, the physical beauty of the countryside, the bread, cheese and fresh fruit and the diligent members of the church. We consider it a great blessing to serve here. 

P.S. Last week our mission had 1004 media referrals. WOW

Aug 4, 2025

It is so great having family visit, even for a day and a half.  We picked up Erin and Axie in Lyon, arriving from Madrid after finishing  their Camino de Santiago de Compostela.  We all enjoyed Tom’s homemade black beans with our fajitas, donated Erin some clothes from my closet and found Axie a skirt to wear to church.  Christy, Erin, and Ben were each asked to share their testimonies in French.  It was a sweet experience to have our little branch members meet and hear from some of our kids. They brought the Spirit to the meeting.

After meandering  through the luxurious country side, we explored the 1000 year-old medieval castle of Couches, then headed to Branch President Catogni’s home for dinner.  What an evening of sharing, discovering  commonalities  from biking and running to love of music, French, and excellent food. Our kids bonded with Roxanne (their oldest daughter), her husband Contin, and baby Eugénie, and Leandre ( their youngest son) who just graduated from college and has a mission call to Ogden Utah. Ben oriented Leander to the Cavalry and invited him to join.  We played a fun lawn game called Mokky and concluded the evening with singing - at Erin’s request.  What a choir!  Being invited into this French family home will be a memory that will always bring a smile to our faces.  Today before church, the Catognis told us they loved our kids. Who wouldn’t?

Ben, Christy, Erin, Jeff, Sue, and Tom at Couche

Château de Couches

At Catogni's home in Dracy St. Loup

Monday, we drove Erin and Axie to Geneva so they could catch their plane to the Japan - Seattle Suzuki Institute where Erin is the boss.  Along the route, I told Axie stories about her mom and grand parents she had never heard before.  The two hours went really fast.  In Chalon, Ben and Christy were welcoming Ethan and Haley, our oldest grandson and his wife.  They were dropping in for an overnight on their way to Paris from Spain.

Tuesday we were invited to the Landrés ‘museums’.  We learned about the 14 générations of grape growers and vintners in his family and saw all the accompanying historical accoutrements.  There must have been some huge adjustments for him as he left that life to join the church.

Wednesday Ben and Christy packed their suit cases and we headed east on country roads to the Haute Jura, a regional park with five waterfalls.  It was a sunshine, blue sky, birds singing kind of day and the park itself reminded me why I love mountains so much.  We hiked along a rocky stream umbrellad by huge trees, moss clinging to the trunks.  In Florida we have moss on the trees but it hangs like torn gauze from the branches. We could hear the falls and after a block , there it was - the tallest in the area.  I have always loved waterfalls and added this one to the collection of soothing pictures in my mind.  Then it was over the mountains (literally) to Geneva and a flight back to Utah for the last of our family here. How we love them all!

Hedgehog Falls

Lumpy tree moss!

July 28, 2025

We listened to a live broadcast from Brussels with Sister and Elder Oaks. I was surprised to see him helped to the podium by two men and a chair placed behind him so he couldn’t fall. I loved what he said:

‘There are many interferences with unity: economics, politics, controversies over  doctrine.  There is one sure and permanent solution. Pres. Hunter - Only Christ can be our ideal.  Avoid anything that robs you of your agency because obsession becomes your God.  Be different from the world.  Act, speak, and dress like you are disciples of Jesus Christ.  Seeking perfection is a Destiny which will take âges to accomplish —line upon line, example to example, even beyond this life.  Overcome our natural self-centeredness by serving others, motivated by the pure love of Christ or it counts for nothing.  Pray unto the Father that you may be filled with this love.  Be a witness, testify of him - the more excellent way.’

Also heard  a podcast of Markus Martine, the first black missionary (Brazilian).  He spoke of the role of thinking - not just feeling, of pondering, of having questions but not doubt, of having absolute faith that eventually there will be an answer.  Can I be patient and continue to build a connection with Jesus Christ?  He quoted Elder Eyring from  2010.  

´Reading, studying and pondering are not the same. We read words and we may get ideas. We study and we may discover patterns and connections, but when we ponder, we invite personal revelation from the Spirit. Pondering is the thinking and praying I do after reading and studying the scriptures carefully.’

The question Martine is pondering at the moment is ´What effect does eating of the fruit of the  tree of life have on us?´

Last week in Chalon on the weekend was the second largest street festival in France.  It was called ‘Chalon dans la Rue’.  Thousands came to town to watch mimes, jugglers, musicians, break dancers, theatre productions,  lights on the river and even a levitator.  Most were great entertainers but there was one I walked away from.  It was not appropriate for a person with the  name tag of Jesus Christ and his Church pinned on her shirt, to be standing there.  The young missionary sisters said they had never seen so many hippies.  I was not sure they knew what hippies were since most of them were born 40 years after the fact.

We had the largest exit and entry days of our mission career.  Tuesday, 24 mlssionaries, including both APs were going home.  It was a raclette dinner for them plus 4 senior couples.  It was exhausting.  For advice about going home we shared the ideas of being your best self (Renlund) and our Sackley plan.  Next day we received 24 assigned to our mission plus two visa  waiters - one from Tahiti and one from northern France.  The group from the Provo MTC  arrived at 4:30.  All were interviewed and fed and were preparing to leave when the others arrived from Preston England.  We were very late leaving the Sans Souci Chapel.  Thursday was the most exciting day because each missionary met their trainer and accepted their first assignment.  By the time Tom and I got home, we were exhausted. 

Last p-day, at the mission home

New arrivals

Friday Ben and Christy and Jeff arrived from Paris.  We were able to watch  the sweet memorial service for Ross with his children sharing their love for their father verbally and in song.  Jack was the closing speaker, basing his comments on four of his own poems. 

Our week ended checking off part of my bucket list.  We drove to Champignon to observe part of the 20th stage of the Tour de France.  WOW!  A parade of sponsors  preceded the actual race.  They threw to the bystanders everything but the kitchen sink: hats, sausages, cans of Orangina, and even Asterix books.  This was not the candy at the Raymond Canada Day parade.  Then came the support cars with extra bikes on top, the Gendarmes, the street sweeper, the EMT vehicles, the helicopters and finally the lead cars with flashing lights and the camera men.  The bikers themselves sped by in literally seconds: the leaders with the crowd erupting wildly, two minutes later the peloton - the crowd exploding again, the third group and the fourth group.  An hour and a half drive, two hours picnicking, waiting, and within eight minutes it was over.  ALL WORTH IT.

                                   

Sponsors parade - Orangina!

The leaders arrive

                     

Support car & photog on moto

The rest of the pack

                               

We visited the Comte cheese museum after the race

July 20, 2025

We had the opportunity to testify of personal revelation in response to the question ‘How do you recognize God’s will for you?’ Tom told this couple of his lightning strike answer on moving to Florida. I told them of waiting patiently, praying  about the same thing. It came after three months - both a spiritual confirmation in the temple and a physical confirmation in that the Lord provided our housing. It is humbling to realize how much the Lord has guided our lives.

We spent 3 days in Lyon with all 16 senior mission couples.  A retreat.  My favorite parts were visiting with each other, a religious tour through old town and the testimony meeting. Lyon had Christian missionaries around 150 AD.  Gaul was of course part of the Roman Empire.  Near the St. John the Baptist Church, there remains an immersion baptismal font from that time period.   Within a few years the members were being fed to the lions because they would not deny their faith in Jesus Christ. 

Early Christian baptismal font

Arch entrance to early church

Explanation of the early churches in Lyon

I loved a statue on the river called Le poids de soi or the weight of self.  Very thought provoking considering the burdens that each of us carry.

Le poids de soi

Friday morning we, with the David Spackmans, the Powers, and the McCoys visited the Museum of Résistance and Déportation.  Lyon was also one of the centres of the French Résistance during the Nazi régime.  We watched a film of the trial of Klaus Barbe -  the Butcher of Lyon.  Those who testified had survived his heinous tortures.  It was a powerful reminder of man’s inhumanity to man.

We have had some interaction with two of the area mental health advisors from Fernie B.C., who came to teach in the recent round of zone conferences.  Elder and Sr. Mcdermid are both licenced councillors and had great ideas -  "As we Really Are--Recognizing Ourselves".  They talked about challenges, emotional resilience, the cognitive triangle [thoughts, behaviours, emotions]. The best way to open thoughts and feelings is to journal with positives in one book and negatives in another.  We address the negatives so that we do not loop them over and over in our minds.  That can become very serious and dangerous. They also suggested being in the present, not living in the past or not too far in the future.  What can I do today?  Their definition of who I am is quite different  from self esteem: 

I am a child of God

I am a child of the covenant

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ

Self esteem is external--dependent on circumstances, culture, and what others say about us. They ended with always remember that you are becoming and look for gratitude.

On July 3, I got a call from my sister Pudge telling me that her husband was saying things that didn’t make any sense and that if that behaviour continued, it would be tricky taking care of him.  Three days later, on Sunday, we got notes from Will and Darin saying Ross had passed away.  We were so grateful that all their family had been together for the weekend of Canada Day  and that Ross and  his 5 sons sang a spécial musical number in church that Sunday.  It was something they did many times when the kids were growing up.  It was determined that he died of congestive heart failure. Ross was always a gentleman and accepting and kind to us. He was buried in a family service at the cemetery the following Wednesday.  There will  be a memorial service in Raymond on July 25.  We are sorry that we will not be there but I am sure the church will be overflowing.  

Srs. Schow, Spackman, and Later after setting up the buffet

The lunch buffet, with Elder Dinkelman

The accordian player at the entrance to the Basilica of Notre Dame

Walking to the church

July 13 2025

I think last week was the first Sunday we have not published in the nine months we have been here. And now we are deciding what to share.

July 3, 2025  Conference in Lyon with the Nice and Marseille Zones. 87 missionaries. A scorching 98 outside with heat advisories over all of France, Spain and Italy.  No air conditioning and Sr. Schow teaching us how to connect with Jesus Christ through the Sacrament.  She shared her story of being one of the first 25 U.S. high school students chosen to go on exchange in Russia.  Their strict instructions included bringing no religious material and they were not to talk about religion.  On the train into Stalingrad, the border police searched every bag and found a Book of Mormon in one student’s backpack.  He and it were publicly ridiculed and all of his bag was confiscated.  She did not know which state he was from but was praying he would not be taken off the train.  He was not.  She spent the next 6 weeks in Kiev attending great summer camps and did not see him again until all the students were brought together in Moscow.  He contacted her, the only other member of the Church, asking if she would secretly like to take the Sacrament with him.  They ditched their minders (people assigned to constantly watch them) and in a private place, he blessed some crackers he had saved, and blessed the water in a broken cup, which they shared.  This was the beginning of her meaningful expériences with the Savior during the Sacrament.  Her story remlnded me of the members in Holland at the end of WW2 who were using rotting potato peels for the Sacrament because they had no bread but wanted to renew their covenants with Christ.

She taught us that we choose our own experience during the Sacrament by our preparation, by intentionally being present, by focusing on previous experiences we have had with Christ, by remembering His sacrifice, by pondering on becoming, doing a self inventory with Him, and being grateful.

Pres. Schow taught the necessity to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ: faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism (ordinances), gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. Why?  It allows the Holy Ghost the opportunity to testify of truth, giving the seeker a spiritual confirmation and for them to then ‘act according to their wills, whether to do good or evil’. 

He told of being with Elder Maxwell 32 years ago when he was rededicating France.

How is the miracle of finding going to happen here?  Miracles happen by faith.  The Lord is using us to move a mountain.  You are grafting the ‘young and tender branches from the wild olive tree ………whither so ever I will’.  Last year there were 40% more converts in the Central European Area than the year before.  Pres. Langer (Lyon Stake Pres.) announced that so far in 2025 there have been 97 new convert baptisms in his stake alone.   We can do this.  We can act on our faith and teach the gospel of Christ.  We are already seeing miracles.

You can see why we love our mission leaders. They are exceptional individuals as well as inspiring teachers.

Exercise for balance and co-ordination at zone conference

What a surprise. .One of many fields of sunflowers along the A6 Autoroute

A  dear homebound sister who we visit Sundays. 

A few photos from our visit to the Chateau de Couche on a p-day excursion: 

Srs. Peterson, Spackman, and Lewis

The keep, dating from the 1100's

View of the chapel and a tower from the 1300-1400's. Tunnels  underneath