A Week in Lyon

This has been a week of adjustments and getting used to new things.  But first, a small miracle to tell.  We were working in the office last Monday morning because of the internet access.  We walked 5 minutes home for lunch, and rode the elevator to the 5th floor.  The front door and elevator all work with a fob on a key chain, but our apartment door opens with a large key.  As we exited the elevator I took the keys out of my pocket but fumbled them.  They fell to the elevator floor and slid to the 2 cm crack between the elevator and the landing, and fell.  We could hear them hitting something on the way down, but they were gone!

We rode back down to the 3rd floor and knocked on the Miner’s door.  Elder Miner opened and was very conciliatory during my confession.  He had another set of keys and we shouldn’t worry about what was lost.  Relieved, we were able to get in to our apartment.  About 20 minutes later our doorbell rang and the Miners were standing there smiling with our keys in hand and a unique retrieval tool.  He had gone to the lowest level and, with the light from his cell phone, could see the keys.  Using a coat hanger, duck tape, and a broom handle, he was able to reach and hook the keys.  Amazing!

Early in the week we walked to the Tête d’Or Parc for an excursion.  The name comes from a legend in the 1600’s about a statue of Christ with a golden head that was supposedly buried in the area.  It is a huge park not unlike NewYork’s Central Park with lots of paths, trees, a lake, and a zoo.  We saw giraffes and zebras. Coming back we walked through the Westfield Mall which is one of the larger in Europe with more than 260 shops 

Tête d'Or Parc

Friday we took the metro (subway) to the funicular that takes you up the steep Fourvière hill to the Basilica Notre-Dame, built in the mid-1800s.  From there it is a short walk to the Lugdunum museum of Roman antiquities overlooking a huge theater complex.  The museum does a good job of explaining how and why Lyon was the 2nd major city in the Empire (after Rome). In the last week we have walked 27 miles.

Notre-Dame

Notre-Dame

   

 

View from the hill

 

Roman ruins

On Thursday we attended the conference for the Lyon Zone, almost 40 missionaries. We met our mission leaders, Pres. and Sr Soulier, face to face for the first time.  The number of baptisms is increasing, and after the transfers in November the mission will have over 200 missionaries.  In his presentation Pres. Soulier asked the young missionaries to repeat the first four Articles of Faith: 1. God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are real.  2. Agency. 3. We need a Savior. 4.  The doctrine of Christ is the path for missionaries and all of us to become like Him.  This is what we are here to teach.  

Our favorite missionary was Elder Jensen, our grand-nephew.  He is known for his pot cookies that he bakes and brings to conferences.  He shares the cookies but not the recipe.

We also met with Elder and Sr. Mcbride, who we are replacing, for an orientation about the work and about their apartment in Chalon-sur-Saône.  They leave tomorrow and will drive to Lyon.  We’ll get the car keys and then pack up and make the 90 minute drive north.  We are eager to finally get settled after nearly 4 weeks of visiting family and friends, training, and travel.  The work with missionaries and their health has begun and we anticipate getting to know the members in our branch soon.

View of the Rhône from the quay

Arrival

Welcome to the first post in our France Lyon Mission blog.  We arrived Saturday and were exhausted, but after a good night’s sleep felt quite rejuvenated.  The Miner’s (office couple) picked us up at the airport, brought us to our temporary apartment in the same building where they live, took us to dinner with the Dinkelmans (another office couple) and helped us get settled.  We also went to church with them Sunday (Confluence Ward) and were invited to dinner and to use their internet - our router needs a different sim card to function.  We would truly be in much worse condition without all their help.  

We wanted to share some of the things we learned in our four days of training in Salt Lake.  The training was much improved and more practical than what we received 3 years ago.  In our group of 11 couples, all but one were assigned to an international mission.  People were going to Taiwan, Scotland & Ireland, France (Paris and Lyon), Chile, Australia, Guam, Armenia, Belgium, South Africa, and California.  

A study was done by the Church looking at the number of members worldwide over age 60 who could afford to serve a mission (based on tithing donations).  They found that less than 1% were serving.  We are happy to be in the 1% but it’s not an exclusive group and we’d love to have more company!  Missions change you.  You come home a better person than when you left, whatever your age.  

We learned a lot about early releases, since most are for medical or emotional reasons.  In one speaker’s experience, about 10% of the missionaries in his area returned home early.  Today there are many resources to help missionaries succeed.  Area Mental Health Advisors (or Family Services counselors in N. America), Mission and Area Medical Advisors, the booklet Adjusting to Mission Life, and Mission Leaders are all there to help missionaries overcome their challenges and stay in the field.  When that isn’t possible, it is now standard to transfer missionaries home to a service mission so they can continue their mission while working through problems that they have.  

There are four mental health conditions that require mandatory transfer home: psychosis, suicidal tendencies, self-harm (like cutting or burning), and eating disorders.  Of those, eating disorders have the highest mortality rate.  

In 2016, Elder Holland made the following remarks in answer to this question, received in preparation for a Face-to Face event: “I served a mission only 4 months.  How can I look at my mission in the best way?”  He said:  Be proud of your service.  Serve to your best capacity for however long you can.  The Lord knew you wanted to go.  You served well.  If people ask if you served a mission, say “Yes!”  You do not need to add for how long.  You do not need to relive, or rehash, or feel inadequate.  You tried.  

The Lord works with flawed people.  That includes missionaries.  Look into the scriptures for young people who had major problems and later became great leaders and accomplished great things.  The Savior loves these missionaries.  Don’t put them in a box.  Open up your hearts and let Him take you where He will.  

A study done a few years ago found that ten years after serving a mission, 82% were still active in the Church.  In the same age group of those members who did not serve, 16% were still active ten years later.  There is a powerful beneficial effect for those who teach and testify of gospel truths.  

We are looking forward to our assignment to help the branch in Chalon-sur-Saône and to serve the missionaries in France Lyon.  

If any are in need of encouragement, we would share this from Mark 10:27 “…for with God all things are possible.”