A Thanksgiving Fête and Snow!

We have now spent three weeks in Chalon. We have Christmas lights sparkling just across the street and we celebrated with a supposed Thanksgiving dinner after our Primary program today. The program, with 9 children participating, had some real  highs. They sang Gethsemane, He Sent His Son, and I Feel My Savior’s Love.  A young Tahitian girl was singing a solo about her testimony, when her mom and dad joined in. It was a tear jerker. It reminded me of my talented musical children and my increased love of music because of their participation. 

One of the sisters had cut out colored leaves for the walls of our  chapel and arranged  each table with real leaves, acorns, grain stocks and little circles of wood,  all on a lace ribbon.  So festive and tasteful.  The meal itself was potluck with everything you would expect: leek and artichoke quiche, Italian meatballs with tomato sauce and rice, my contribution was broccoli and cauliflower with cheese sauce and a piece of chicken for everyone.  It takes a long time to fry chicken for forty people. Of course there was apple tart for dessert.  Clean up was very fast with everyone helping.

We love the two missionary sisters who arrived a week ago. One, Soeur Mollinet, will return home to Utah before Christmas and Soeur Tuhoe is here straight from Tahiti. They have certainly changed our schedule.  Neither of them have driving privileges so we take them to appointments too far to walk plus we meet them regularly at the chapel when their contacts are males.   I was asked to prayer in French at the conclusion of a lesson of a young Muslim.  I remember Neal teaching me that Muslims believe that Christ was a great prophet but not the son of God.   To say something appropriate, I prayed that this good man who was curious about Jesus Christ and his restored gospel could feel the Spirit as he studied. 

We have been assigned to visit 7 missionary apartments and help them get what they need and fix what needs fixing. They include Chalon, Dijon, and Besançon in France and 4 towns in Switzerland near Neufchatel.  We had the good fortune to receive the assignment to help the Dijon missionaries have their cable internet restored (it had been cut 3 1/2 months prior by an installer working on their neighbor’s access) after most of the work had been done.  I simply sent an email off to Frankfurt requesting that it be done and the next day the installers were there to do the job.  Would that we were always so omnipotent!

This week we visited Soeur Navarro out in Le Creusot. She is about 80 and has not been contacted since May.  I was very impressed with the double binders lining her book shelves.  Asking if they contained her genealogy, she explained that she has submitted 22,000 names to the Temple.  She told us about her conversion and agreed to send us some early history of the Church in Chalon-sur-Saône.  

We went with the sisters for a lunch date and were treated with raclette, which is melted cheese on potatoes with some charcuterie.  Sort of a culinary cousin to a grilled cheese sandwich.  It was very good, and was a typical French meal where the missionaries are not to allowed to leave until they are stuffed!  During our conversation I pointed out to the young sister missionaries what it meant to join the Church in France in the ‘60s and ‘70s.  There were very few members and they often met with mostly missionaries in small meeting rooms.  Many of the new converts were ostracized by their family and friends for joining a strange church - no wine, no coffee or tea, etc.  However, as we visit with them today and they look back on their experiences, they are grateful for the testimony they received that propelled them forward in their faith.  They count their blessings and have passed those on to their children and grandchildren (where they would accept them).  

On the meteorological front, it snowed a couple of inches here midweek as a cold front came through.  It could be that winter is coming!  Today it warmed up again to the 50s (F) and it felt almost warm.

A bit of architecture in the neighborhood

Preparing the raclette

Enjoying the raclette

Another bit of architecture

Snow seen from our apartment

Nov. 11th Ceremony and New Arrivals

Since childhood, I have been aware of the war, WWII. Perhaps it was because my father took me to movies about it, or I  heard stories about it, or read books about it. My favorite author for years was Chaim Potok who wrote about the repercussions of that war. Since, I have been influenced by ‘All The Light I Cannot See’  and ‘The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.’ When I came to France for the first time in 1978, what affected me most was the top floor of Les Invalides which is a war museum, mostly newspaper clippings, documenting the atrocities committed in this country. It was at that time, that that war became reality to me invoking some intense feelings. 

I was anxious to attend the memorial service for their war dead, this week on Nov.11 at 6 pm. Tom and I live around the corner from  the cenotaph (bathed in light of red, white, and blue for the evening) in our little city of Chalon-Sur-Saône.   It was sobering and inspiring at the same time and very formal. It included Gendarmes, Cadets, and Veterans (mostly from the Algerian War) carrying 25 French flags, a military band, Firemen, First Responders, Politicians and 4 school children. Each was paying tribute to their country and to those who had gone before. I was so grateful to be there. I pray that none of my grand children will have to participate in a physical war.

Tuesday I learned how to bear my testimony in one sentence without concluding "in the name of Jesus Christ, amen". “This afternoon, in the country of France, I heard an apostle of Jesus Christ testify of the joy His gospel brings.” Elder Soares was in Paris and zooming to the Lyon Mission.  He connected joy in Jesus Christ with power, allowing the Holy Ghost to work through us. He talked about dealing with rejection and adversity and shared a personal gut-wrenching story.  His first son was born prematurely and he and his wife were told he would not live but through many struggles he did. Their second child, a son, was also born prematurely.  They were told he could not survive and he did not.  While his wife was sick in the hospital, he picked out a little white casket, got his baby out of the fridge, and alone took him to be buried.  He cried unto the Lord over and over “How can I do this?…. How can I do this by myself?”  He testified that he heard the voice of the Lord saying “Do not lose your joy. Everything will work out well.”  That was the mission theme as he and his wife served as Mission Leaders in Portugal.  

I was moved to tears by some of the lyrics of hymn #1008:

 Now I come before the altar

Offering Him my broken heart.

Seeking for the precious gifts 

His atonement can impart.

Bread of life, living water

Feed my soul, fill my heart.

Lord, give me new life in Thee

And make me whole

Complete and holy

Bound to Thee eternally.

We had a delightful supper with the Landrés and the young Elders who were transferring the next day.  Bro. Landré is an 85 year old war veteran in our little branch. He was in charge of the Remembrance Day program. Each wall in their home is covered with artifacts from as early as 1740 to the wax statues he sculpts out of the red wax that the cheese comes in. It was a real experience not made for people with claustrophobia. Lovely people and a lovely evening.

Tom and I spent 36 hours with Pres. & Sr. Soulier welcoming in 16 new elders and sisters from Réunion, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Tahiti, Canada, and the US. They came from MTCs in Provo and Preston England.  We fed them a lasagne dinner while the Pres. and Tom (medically) interviewed each person individually.  The Pres. oriented them to lives focused on Jesus Christ and his restored gospel.  He also debunked all that they had heard about France - eating well but not teaching and baptizing.  He testified that the Lord will move the work forward if we do our part.  Later in his office, we were invited to give our impressions about individuals and personalities as the president confirmed feelings about first companions.  These were announced the next day in an energy-filled meeting of hugs and back slapping and clapping and receiving train tickets and leaving for your first area.  It was exciting and exhausting to see the process of how the Lord directs his missionary work here.  We now have two sisters, one in her first area and one in her last.  

Center for the History of the Resistance and Deportation, Lyon

Plaque on the above building where many were tortured and killed, or sent to concentration camps.
Lyon was the center for the resistance.

Plaque in our neighborhood

Bro. Landré and friend, preparing for the ceremony

Saluting the colors

The cenotaph

Bro. Landré

Elders Neilson and Mou: Is this the salad course?

The Landrés at home

Newly arrived missionaries with Pres. and Sr. Soulier

Warming up

We rediscovered the old truism that you don’t know what you don’t know.  We thought that the radiators in our apartment were supplied with hot water from a central source.  After someone asked about our thermostat however, we investigated ours more closely and then followed the instructions written there.  Voilà!  The gas heater in our kitchen, which we thought was only for the kitchen, roared to life and the apartment warmed up nicely.

We have been walking more this week, with Tom able to do some running.  He has almost recovered from a stress injury from about a month ago.  We can walk to our chapel in 13 minutes.  The closest market on Wednesday is 5 minutes away and the Friday market is 10 minutes away.  The markets have many stalls with fresh vegetables, fruit, meat, fish, chicken, cheese, spices, clothes, etc.  We continue to explore the town and appreciate its ancient and newer character.

Wednesday we were invited with the elders to visit a family who live 30 minutes away by car.  They were sealed in the temple in the summer and have had many spiritual experiences to guide them.  The brother asked Elder Mou to give him a blessing. Elder Mou is Tahitian and speaks French well.  His blessing was an eloquent expression of love and strength.

Thursday we were invited with the elders to visit another older sister and her middle-aged son.  Her husband passed away a couple of years ago, so the son lives nearby.  They served us a lovely salad with  a pork pastry. It was very good.  We thought that was it, but then they brought in a huge bowl with paella.  Delicious!  Then came the cheese course, and two dessert courses, chocolate mousse and an apple tart.  That’s typical French hospitality, and we loved it!

Pres. and Sr Soulier invited us to dinner at a restaurant last evening.  We greatly enjoyed the conversation.  They will launch some form of Zoom FHE on a regular basis for the senior couples.  The mission is too big to gather the seniors in person more than once or twice a year.  They also attended our sacrament meeting this morning and spoke.  Sr. Soulier gave a very understandable testimony in French, which she is still learning. She served in Italy in her youth.  Pres. Soulier had an inspiring message from the scriptures about the Savior.

He pointed us to Matt 14:23, where the Savior went up into a mountain by himself to pray, and asked, “What would the Savior have been praying about?  He was the Son of God, He knew the Father.  Why should He need to pray?"  He then pointed us to D&C 45:3-4 where Christ says, “Listen to him who is the advocate with the father, who is pleading your cause before him…”. Likely when Christ went to the mountain to pray, He was praying for his disciples, for us.  There was much more and it was a sweet message of hope and courage.

Following the 2 hour block, the “branch choir” rehearses.  It involves almost everyone in the branch, most of whom can sing but not all.  We are working on the new hymns.  One brother who tries to sing tenor said that he doesn’t have the ear for music.  I suggested that he use the other ear but he didn’t laugh so I won’t use that one again.

This week is transfer time, or “mutation” as is the French translation.  We will be losing our new friends, Elder Mou and Elder Neilson, who have been very helpful and are a great team, to be replaced by sisters.  As part of our medical assignment we will meet briefly with the 16 incoming missionaries to review their health history and help them understand the healthcare system.  We are really looking forward to getting to know them all.  Pres. and Sr. Soulier say that they used to have 4 children but now they have over 200.  

Saturday morning on the river

Reflections

Walking home from church

Héron cendré

First week in Chalon

What a week it has been!  We picked up our car Tuesday afternoon and headed to Chalon-sur-Saône. It was a beautiful drive as we passed the different vineyards with their grapevines golden in the sun.  I didn’t realize that their leaves turned color.  It took two drives around the block to finally discover the entrance to our apartment building. It is very skinny and has four parking spots in the back.  

Our apartment is on the second floor, and we were quite surprised as we opened the door because we  were told it had been professionally cleaned.  I guess everyone has their own idea of clean.  Tom unplugged the bathroom sink, fixed the broken vacuum, stabilized the fridge so it didn’t move when you opened the door and made many trips up and down on the stairs because the elevator was broken.  He has been my hero.  I spent most of 3 days washing every dish, pot and pan, garbage pails, cupboards, and floors.  We found out the hard way that the pressure cooker doesn’t work.  We donated many things to the Relief Society and are hoping that someone in the branch can use them. Now if I can find some pictures to put on our bare walls, it may feel like home.

We love the location of our apartment.  It is within a  half block of the of the river and a scenic walkway.  It is so charming to hike  across the bridge to Ile Saint Laurent and see the medieval tower (1410 ) completely restored with it’s original brick.  French architecture has me charmed.  We found the market with all the fresh fruits, vegetables  flowers, cheeses, breads, and fish.  My first purchase was some cinnamon from Madagascar from a man who mixes or grinds all his own spices. We have two boulangeries within 1/2 block of our house.

The young elders invited us to a baptism in Dijon on Saturday morning. We were happy to support them and ended up meeting half of the branch there.  Tom played the organ and I led the singing.  David Campo, a middle aged man, was baptized.  He will be a great addition to the branch and was confirmed this morning .  We have maybe 30 active members who attend regularly from a 70 mile area.  The Branch President drives every other week from Lyon which  leaves a heavy load on his councillors.  We did meet the Stake President today.  He told us that he was grateful that we were here. We are having dinner with our mission leaders on Saturday and will be happy to listen to their direction.

It is very cold here compared to Florida.  It has been a long while since we had temperatures in the 40’s.  Today I  wore  tights, an extra pair of socks, boots, a skirt and cashmere turtleneck, scarf, leather jacket and gloves and a raincoat over it all and was still cold.  Apparently the heat will be turned on in the building sometime in November but we don’t know when.

We have two appointments this week. Tom is getting calls from concerned missionaries and Life is good.  We are adjusting quickly and counting our blessings and opportunities.  

Dieu vous bénisse.       Elder and Sœur Spackman

View from our kitchen balcony

Church in Place l'Hotel de Ville

Fishing on the Saône

Marché in Place St. Vincent

A bit of trompe à l'oeil in Place des Arts