September 6, 2026

It is already Sept. 6 but still 99 degrees today. I want to start our blog with one of the thoughts from Psalms 103:12. "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us." Through the atonement of Jesus Christ all can be saved.  A great quote from Elder Holland which I am learning from: "We must master this thought…..God is for us. We and all others have the freedom to make choices, including stupid, cruel, or evil ones. Because of this, He can be against things we do and things that others do for us. He will always be against sin, abuse and error…..but even then he has the divine ability to separate His opposition to the sin from his unyielding love for the sinner."

A dad taking his two kids to the first day of a new school year

A beautiful house in the neighborhood

A highlight of the week was Zone Conference in Marseilles. Another senior sister and I made chili with all the toppings for lunch - raw onions, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, avocado, and sour cream. We had homemade zucchini bread and orange bread with sliced nectarines and whipped cream on the side for dessert. We now have 6 zones in the Lyon Mission but they are half the size they used to be. It is much easier to cook for 35 than 70.

I always learn from Pres. and Sr. Schow’s presentations. He elaborated on an idea from Elder Renlund about encouraging ward members to be more involved in the work. Members feel guilty  because they are not doing enough, or they think finding and teaching is for full time missionaries and the member responsibility ends with a referral, or they just don’t know what to do. How can we bless them? How can we help? The suggestion was that the ward council develop a menu of missionary opportunities, from something as simple as praying for them, to finding and teaching with them, to supporting new converts. The menu could consist of many choices and members could pick what they felt comfortable doing. Everyone could do something.

A duet by two angelic voices...

accompanied by Soeur Rasmussen

Sr. Schow emphasized the majesty of the plan of salvation in a unique way. She started with an identity map of what I know about myself in the pre-existence: I listened to Satan and Jesus. Satan wanted to force me to follow. He wanted to thwart my becoming more like the Father. He wanted the power and all the glory. He thought he was smartest.  He wanted the Father’s plan to fail. Jesus wanted to follow the plan of the Father.  I would have the agency to choose. If I made stupid, cruel, or bad choices, Jesus would cover me through his sinless life and atonement, if I would choose to change. He would do this because he loved the Father and he loved me. I chose to follow Jesus and defend him. I wanted the chance to learn and to become with His help.

Tom: Two contrasting approaches were on display this week.  I monitor missionaries' health experiences in the MTC as they are reported in medical notes.  One young missionary developed severe anxiety, something completely new for them.  Counseling in the MTC was not sufficient, and a decision was made to return home and be treated.  Another missionary has been in the field for 3 months and is struggling to keep up with expectations due to severe leg pains that they had prior to the MTC but that flared again in the MTC.  Here is a quote from the notes: "Expresses confidence in ability to manage walking during upcoming trip... Denies symptoms are severe enough to cause limping or prevent walking 5-7 miles per day. Confirms [they are] ok to go on the trip and does not feel the need to postpone it for more aggressive treatment."  There is a 50:50 chance this missionary will have to return home.  We will do all we can to keep them here and functional.  However, from my perspective, it would always be better for the missionary to not arrive in the mission with problems.  There are so many other challenges for new missionaries that will help them grow without adding a physical or mental illness challenge.  If you know of any prospective missionary who is downplaying the magnitude of a problem so they can get to the field sooner, it would be better to help them get "tuned up" as much as possible before taking on the physical and spiritual challenge of inviting everyone they meet to Come Unto Christ.

Behold the vineyards are purple, ready for the ...

..mechanical harvesters.

 

August 30, 2026

Two days this week, I walked 3 miles. This is progress.

My walking views

We had a great FHE with the other seniors on Elder Bednar’s definition of enduring to the end. Said good-bye to the Cannons, who are finished their assignment as goodwill ambassadors of the church to the UN in Geneva. Monday evening we met Pres. Liebard and his wife of the Paris North mission at our first medical health council (MHC).  Dr. Cook, area dentistry, didn’t realize we were back in France.  He did not know we had extended until April of '27.

On Pday we took Srs. Bucy and Hänni to the Caves of  Thouzon. These were not discovered until 1902 and are in pristine condition. There were some beautiful formations and an oak tree root which had survived a five meter journey from the surface through the limestone.   

We took a brief diversion to Isle sur la Sorgue and walked along the amazingly clear river to see some of the old water wheels.  We tried to have a Moroccan lunch but couldn’t find the restaurant so ended up with meatballs at IKEA.  We also took them grocery shopping before dropping them at their  apartment.

Wednesday we heard from Jenna Mollinet (one of the first Soeurs we worked with in Chalon).  She was in Waterton with Jack’s family and Jane and Ron.  Apparently, she and Georgia Hicken, Jack’s granddaughter, are best friends at BYU and she was invited to join them on their trip to Canada.  It is such a small world. In the evening we attended Institute.

Three weeks ago, I was invited to speak in church. I wrote my talk based on two quotes.

Elder Peter Meurs: The Savior’s redeeming power applies to accidental mistakes, poor decisions, challenges, and trials of every kind— as well as to our sins. As we turn to Him, our feelings of guilt and remorse are gradually replaced with peace and rest.

Pres. Nelson: When the Savior atoned for all mankind, He opened a way that those who follow Him can have access to His healing, strengthening and redeeming power. Those spiritual privileges are available to all who seek to hear Him and to follow Him.

I shared 3 stories—the bread, chicken and cake (physical healing), Dad finding Zona (emotional healing), and a story of my own about judgement, loving, and forgiving (spiritual healing).

Of course it was all in French, which Tom translated for me and then recorded on my IPad so I could hear it over and over again. Today was the delivery day and the congregation could feel the Spirit and understand my French.  I am humbled by the help from both here and above.

On a lighter note, I made a caprese salad for the first time this week with fresh basil that grows by our door. It was quite delicious.

Rock formation that reminds me of my mother's favorite mountain in Canmore

Sunday Aug 23, 2026

Sue: This has been a calm week. 

I walked 1 1/3 miles for the first time since arriving in Rochefort-du-Gard. I didn’t realize there were so many kinds of cactus here. I made 28 cups of chili for Marseilles Zone Conference on Sept 4. 

When Tom went running Wednesday morning, he left me asleep in bed with the front door open to let the cool breeze circulate.  About 7 am, I awoke with a start.  Something was licking my elbow. I could barely open my eyes, although the adrenalin was pumping.  It was Yoshi, our owners’ friendly chocolate mongrel just staring at me.  He had never come in before.  I scooted him out and shut the door while he just looked at me.  I guess he wanted some company.

 We had our first rain storm since arriving and it has broken the heat wave. The thunder and lightning almost rivaled those in Minnesota.  One of the first we experienced in Minnesota was so dramatic that I thought it must be the prelude to the second coming.  

Today Laurent (our owner) brought us fresh figs and a sack of almonds picked from his trees.  Fresh figs are divine. We first had them when visiting Jericho with Ben and Christy.  I know why Adam and Eve picked fig leaves to cover their nakedness: they are huge and it would not take many.

Beautiful rock house in the village

Tom: We had our meeting with the MHA for Paris North (Elder Woods) as prelude to the handover Sept. 1 when he goes home.  We arrange our work flow and communications similarly.  We will join the Paris North Health Council meeting tomorrow and get to know the group better and the health problems they are working on.  

I was asked to lead the discussion in Priesthood Meeting today.  We discussed Sr. Freeman's talk in the April Conference.  As she promised, I also believe that our best days are ahead.  I also think they are more likely for us personally to be on the other side of the veil!  But here or there, it doesn't matter.

Meanwhile Sue is mostly over her URI/conjunctivitis that she had a week ago.  I've been able to keep running and am logging about 12-14 miles a week.  It's a good way to explore the town and surrounding vineyards and farms.  Typically I have a 375' elevation gain here with each run.  That would take me 3 or 4 runs in Jacksonville!

View of Rochefort from the SE

Sunday August 16, 2026

It was as hot as forecasted last week. Several days in a row over 104. I didn’t spend much time outside because I was hit with a dry cough (exercise induced asthma that hits me once every five years) and headaches which left me sleepless for two nights.  By Wednesday my ventolin inhaler was not doing much so we added advair twice a day. I thought I was getting better but last night my eyes were kind of goopy and this morning they were both crusted shut. So today I am adding a full regime of drugs for three days and eye drops for six, thanks to Dr. Crozier.

Last week we didn’t tell you about visiting Vaison-la-Romaine, the largest archeological park in France. There were two things I was most impressed with and both were in the museum. One was a collection of Roman nails under glass. They were shaped like Ts but the long part was about 4 inches long. These gave me a more intense understanding of the Savior’s hands, feet  and wrists.

The second was a navy blue room with statues of 3 emperors and one wife: Claude 41-54, Domitian 81-96, Hadrian and Sabine 117-138. Stunning!  We have visited Hadrian’s wall dividing England and Scotland. 

We also visited Nyon, famous for olive oil production, winning 3 first place ribbons in Paris in the last few years. Catogni’s bought several bottles to take home for a tasting comparison with their kids.

Tuesday, Tom took Elders Bell and Abad to see Pont du Gard for the first time. One had served in Nimes for several months but had no public transport to get there. The other is finishing his mission this transfer and goes home to Spain. We think it is important to see cultural and historic sights when possible.

Wednesday, Tom taught  Institute (teacher was working). The topic was the Final Judgment. I was with him but made such a disturbance coughing in the first five minutes that I left and read Preach My Gospel on my own. We had all brought  food to share after so we could  stay and watch the solar eclipse together. Avignon visibility was 97%.  

Friday we six missionaries were invited to the Branch Pres'. apt in Orange for dinner. We shared experiences about the temple before eating crackers and tapenade, raw veggies and dip, ravioli, homemade bread, salad and cheese with melon for dessert. It was a lovely evening. Before going home, Tom and I walked to the mini Arc de Triomphe, a Roman structure, built or rebuilt by Tiberius in the 1st century around 14 AD celebrating military conquests. Sometimes I think I live in a  history museum and always want to learn more.  

Tom will add the responsibility of MMA to the new Paris North mission beginning Sept. 1. until they have their own.  We don’t know exactly how this will work out but will learn in the next couple of weeks. He is also playing the piano in Sacrament Mtg. although not officially called.

We are waiting to hear about the repairs to walls in our Jacksonville apartment. A sewage pipe seven floors above us overflowed and has affected sheet rock on all the floors beneath it.  Glad we are not there. 

August 9, 2026

We are not near the fires burning in France although it is very hot. The next four days are forecasted over 100 degrees.

This week was transfer week - busiest we have had since serving in France.  25 missionaries celebrated their last day at the mission home, playing outside in the yard: croquet, soccer, boules, basketball, trampoline, and pickleball. Some sisters participated but most preferred the inside air conditioning. The President had doubled the number of iced drinks so no one would get heat stroke and I unbagged 7 different flavors of chips (needed salt). I made hummus with raw veggies and cut cold watermelon and cantaloupe. 

The exit dinner, always by request, is raclette. The salad bar was set up inside, but tables and machines were set up under an awning out on the cement.

During the blessing on the food, the heavens opened and poured down rain for 3-5 minutes. Then it quit and the sunshine returned. It will be a great memory. 

Praises were sung  to our Savior and Redeemer, He who we had been serving and teaching about, and the seniors shared a little wisdom: preparing our minds for what would come on the morrow, likening a golf fairway to the covenant path, following the prophet.  All too soon it was time to say goodbye, au revoir  Elder Olsen, Sisters Appedale, Malm, Burnett until we see you again. The finality of going home.

Of course there is always cleanup. The Laters washed the dishes, Tom scrubbed all the raclette machines and before bedtime the floors were clean, the chairs and tables were packed away and we were looking forward to tomorrow.

Wednesday we got up early . The entry meal consists of a large salad bar - first time for edamame with dipping sauce, plus hummus, vegetables, fresh fruit, lasagne, French bread and dessert. We were preparing for 26 incoming, the seniors who would teach about finances, travel, apartments and health, and the supporting APs, office elders, & sister training leaders.  A total of 50 for dinner.  All the food had to be hauled to the church: 5 lasagnes to keep warm and everything else cold. It all went well.  All the food was devoured except some extra lettuce and lasagne which could be refrozen.  While waiting for 78 interviews to be completed, Elder Smith heated water and washed all the dishes. Several others dryed, stacked chairs, washed and put away tables and swept under the supervision of Sr. Nadauld. Elder Miles cleaned the entire floor in the assembly room and Elder Smith cleaned the kitchen floor.

Thursday was easy transporting 80 lunch bags for what I think is the most fun meeting in the church. That is when missionaries meet their first companion and receive their first assignment.  A map of the mission and pictures of the new companionship with Pres . & Sr. Schow are taken and sent to parents. It is always a little rambunctious, exciting, and surprising. We arrived home from Lyon about 4:30 after stopping at a small roadside fruit stand. Yum! Both of us blobbed for the rest of the evening and were happy to be in our own bed listening to the ancient church bells.

Friday was another great day. At 10 o’clock Pres. and Sr. Catogni arrived for Tom’s black beans, fried potatoes and onions, scrambled eggs with lardons, and wonderful melon. The Pres. said it was the best he had ever had.  Then we were off on adventures they had never been on before. St. Rémy is where Van Gogh was housed by the Sisters (nuns) in the Abby St. Paul de Mausole for a year.  Some of his most famous paintings were inspired by the scenes viewed from the windows in his two rooms.  Visiting this place one can get some idea of how the crazy were treated 125 years ago: straight jackets and water therapy. I have just finished a book on PTSD after the First World War and discovered they were not treated as mentally ill but as too lazy to get a job. We still have much to learn.

Albert Schweitzer was also interned in the Abbey with his wife as a prisoner of the French toward the end of WWI.  

Schweitzer's room and organ

Close by, we visited Glanum, a settlement started by Rome after taking over the Greek city of Marseille between 300-200 BCE.  It  was  discovered under some olive trees that Van Gogh painted regularly. They were removed and excavation began in 1921.  Although acres of ruins have been uncovered, an entire city is anticipated.  Only 10% is visible at this point.

A mausoleum by the entrance gate

It was hot and time to go inside the hollowed out limestone caves near Les Beaux to watch Carrières des Lumieres, a production of paintings with musical accompaniments. We are talking projected paintings 40 feet tall, 60 ft. wide on multiple walls simultaneously. Picasso was the premier artist. I have to admit he is not like my favorite, Rembrandt, but some of his early works I like and may even understand. We came home to some homemade soup and salad, took a short hike up to Castelas, our 1000 yr old church to watch the sunset and then collapsed into our beds.

  

August 2, 2026

This week we learned how to use the stove and oven. The oven is electric but has numbers 1-10 instead of temperatures so it will be guesswork for a while. The stove has three gas burners and one electric. I made bbq sauce, potato salad, chicken tortilla soup, roasted veggies, hamburgers and fries.

Tuesday I started an indoor exercise program because it is so hot outside (95-100 every day this week and next). When I took my shoes off there were huge blisters on my right arch, so I didn’t put weight on that foot the next three days. Walked carefully yesterday and hope today will be normal.

We attended our first Institute class with 1 recent convert, two investigators, two  members on line, Sr. Huby the teacher, two young sister missionaries and us. It was not as I remember teaching Institute but good to be there. They all went to McD’s for treats but we graciously declined.

Thursday we met at the church for District Council Mtg. Two other senior sisters (Hillary and Mathews) were there from Manosque, two elders (Keep and Muller) going  home to California and Switzerland in three days, Sr. Burnett going home to Michigan, Elder Lamb to Canne and Elder Abad and Sr. Bucy staying here awaiting new companions. We were impressed with their commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ and their discussion of how will I choose to be when I am home. Elder Abad (Spain) shared the experience of his father becoming inactive after leaving the mission. It was a spirit felt meeting of endings and new beginnings.

Friday evening we heard a lot of drumming in the neighborhood and followed the sound to see this group: 

They were part of the weekend festival in Rochfort, which includes riders herding bulls through the streets, which we missed.

And we also hiked up the hill to this 11th C Romanesque chapel whose bells we hear each hour and half hour:

Seen from our terrace at night

We listened to Elder Bednar’s talk redefining enduring to the end and Elder Stevenson emphasizing the worth of the individual illustrated by an airport in Japan which has never lost a suitcase. We checked two missionary apartments in Avignon for needs and cleanliness and purchased sunblock curtains for the sisters. We connected our portable speaker so the quality of our music has improved and hung our three pictures from our other apartment. We enjoyed the meatballs from IKEA (thank you Wendy Johnson) and put away all our suitcases.

Picture by the entryway staircase

One of my favorite quotes from Pres. Hinckley: ‘The best antidote I know for worry is work. The best medicine for despair is service.The best cure for weariness is the challenge of helping someone who is even more tired.’

Sunday July 26, 2026

Although it has been an exciting week, I am going to write about the last 24 hours first.  We arrived in Avignon yesterday after a 4 hour drive from the mission home with our last load of stuff.  The traffic on the road was horrendous, most likely because of vacationers or those evacuating from fires.  It normally takes 2 1/2.  I had been preparing what I would say in a Sacrament Mtg prayer if asked today.  It was based on an idea of Hugh Nibley who said we come to earth to learn two things: how to repent and how to forgive.  Sr. Schow had her own interpretation - the same as the two great commandments, loving God (repentance) and loving your fellow men (forgiveness).  I had figured out how to say what I wanted to say.  This morning  when reading the talk for RS, I shed a few tears for it said, in different words, what I would have been praying for.  Sometimes the Lord is gracious and lets us know we are on the right track.

We made it to church in time to welcome and bisou branch members.  It is about double the size of Chalon, with members from Spain, Ghana, DR Congo, Tahiti, and those were only the ones we met.  Our branch president is young with two little girls under 3.  I was struck with emotion as we sang the opening song  ‘Enfant Jesus grandit dans la vérité ‘.  I learned this hymn first in French and love the words, especially the last part of the chorus: 

    Il peut changer mon cœur et m’aider dans mes choix

    Je marche avec Jesus, et il marche avec moi.

They did not ask us to pray but to bear our testimonies and tell a bit about ourselves.

While still in Lyon, Tom explored a different running route that includes the woods of Serre.  Alongside the trail he noticed a stone marker with the words "An VIII" (Year 8) and the names of the two towns on either side.  This was a boundary marker between the two communes (Ecully and Dardilly) erected in Year 8 of the 1st Republic, which would have been 1800.

We had two outings from Lyon this week. We explored a restored medieval city (1300s) about 40 kms away - Pérouge. Original hardly walkable cobblestone streets, tiled roofs, stunning rock wood buildings, gardens and windows boxes, Church and coat of arms of each family in the area, stunning scenery.  It was a lovely morning.  

Wednesday we drove to the high plateau beyond St. Etienne - a much longer trip looking for the villages and farms which sheltered so many, mostly children but some families, from the dangers of the Nazi régime of WWII.  This was the protestant area of France and had experienced persecution for hundreds of years.  On the lintel above the door to the church were the words LOVE ONE ANOTHER.  The stories and records of what happened here during the Vichy régime are recorded in a book called ‘A Good Place to Hide’.  The goal was to smuggle the Jews out of France at the peril of your life, either to Switzerland or Spain. Sobering, but they were successful thousands of times.  Lyon was the headquarters of the Resistance.

The protestant church with the lintel

The stream (Ligne) in Chambon-sur-Ligne

On our way home from the plateau, we came through Chaponost, about 20 miles SW of Lyon.  There we found the remains of an amazing aqueduct built by the Romans to bring water from the Gier river to the Fourvière Hill in Lyon, a distance of almost 55 miles.  It was one of four built to bring water to Lyon.  Why, since Lyon is the site of two huge rivers coming together?  The Romans built the core of their city high on the hill and it was better to bring pristine spring water from the surrounding heights for their fountains and baths than it was to haul the water up the hill from the big (not so clean) rivers.

The Gier aqueduct

I am charmed with our accommodations. We open the shuttered doors and windows after the sun goes down and the evening breezes blow through.  I think my favorite room today is our bedroom.  The window sill is probably 14 plus inches deep.  I love the foliage outside and hearing the church bells. We are testing the oven later today.

Outside our window: the blossoms close during the heat of the day