June 30, 2025

Il fait très chaud - sweaty with some days in the high nineties. Tom figured out an air conditioner, déhumidifier, that we found in the front closet. It has an eight inch wide hose which goes out the window and a normal hose which drains the water into a bucket. He also found a big fan in the store room so we are surviving. The forecast is for cooler temperatures after next Thursday. We may hit some 100s before then.

Where has June gone? In Raymond they have started the celebrations for Canada Day with the 10k race yesterday.  Some of Pudge's kids and grands came especially hoping to win that race.  The rodeo starts tomorrow and the parade is Tuesday.  Next year we will be there with some of our family. 

Our fifth Sunday discussion was Elder Renlund’s talk ‘Personal Preparation to Meet the Savior'.  His examples resonated as truth with me, just as they did the first time I heard them. I will share one of them. I was thinking about Ben specifically but this applies to me, to Tom, to all our children, their children and to everyone.  It is the incident of Zusya, the great Hasidic scholar and teacher of Anipol who was anxious about his death.

    "His disciples asked, “Master, why do you tremble? You’ve lived a good life; surely God will grant you a great reward.”

Zusya said: “If God says to me, ‘Zusya, why were you not another Moses?’ I will say, ‘Because you didn’t give me the greatness of soul that you gave Moses.’ And if I stand before God and He says, ‘Zusya, why were you not another Solomon?’ I will say, ‘Because you didn’t give me the wisdom of Solomon.’ But, alas, what will I say if I stand before my Maker and He says, ‘Zusya, why were you not Zusya? Why were you not the man I gave you the capacity to be?’ Ah, that is why I tremble.”

    Indeed, God will be disappointed if we do not rely upon the merits, mercy, and grace of the Savior to magnify the God-given abilities we have received. With His loving assistance, He expects us to become the best version of ourselves. That we may start with differing abilities is irrelevant to Him. And it should be to us."

We saw pictures today of the temple grounds in Jacksonville.  Old buildings have been cleared away, the grounds are being cleared, and there is a sign showing an architectural renduring of the building that will be constructed.  No mention yet as a date for groundbreaking but we are excited.

June 22, 2025

It is always significant to listen to promptings.  Early this morning I was preparing a little (2 1/2 lbs) pork pot roast for dinner.  I wanted to cook it at a very low heat because the high is 94 today and didn’t want to heat up the apt.  I had the feeling that I should throw in some extra potatoes, carrots and onions, so I did.  No choir today but I noticed our branch president, his wife, and 21 year old son still in the building.  Leandre told me they were waiting for his brother and girl friend to arrive on the train from Paris at 3pm.  I invited them to come to our house because it was cooler than the chapel.  I made a good salad and they brought a picnic of sorts and together we had a great lunch. They had never had pot roast with such tender roasted veggies and Catherine especially liked the gravy.

It has been a busy week of travel, family, friends, and music!  It began when Erin and Elizabeth from Texas arrived Monday at the Geneva Airport.  Their flight from Austin was delayed due to weather and they were rebooked in Paris to arrive about 9:00 PM in Geneva.  It was light just long enough to get a sense of going through the Jura mountains on the way home, but too late to avoid the closure of the autoroute for 40 km due to night construction.  The backroads in the dark were interesting but slow and we arrived home at midnight.  We did a walking tour of old town the next day and we waited for Ethan and Haley to arrive at 6 pm on the train from Geneva.  We had borrowed two mattresses for them to sleep on in our small living room while Erin and Elizabeth had the guest bedroom.  Everyone enjoyed beef stew and went to bed at 8 to recuperate.  The apartment was at capacity but it worked well.

Wednesday we took them on a ride through the countryside to the Cormatin Chateau, built by the warrior Marquis Jacques du Blé in 1610 to show the favor given him by the Queen Regent Marie de Medici.  Parts have been restored and the grounds are beautiful.  We learned a bit about the history and customs of the time and subsequent eras.  People who have visited there (to stay) include the author and poet Lamartine and the opera singer Enrico Caruso.  Thursday our crew flew together from Lyon to Biarritz and then caught the train to St. Jean Pied de Port where they started their trek to Santiago de Compostela on the camino, which will take about 5 weeks and 450 miles.  We are happy to not be with them but are cheering them on from here.  They will drop in again when they are finished.

Friday we left again for Geneva for the music festival after getting official pictures taken at the Photo Booth at the mall for our visa for the next year.  A pretty slick system. The Photo Booth gives  you a number which you send to the processor and they pull your photo for their papers.

The drive from our house to Geneva is spectacular: forest, rolling hills, deep valleys, viaducts and then mountains and mountain air.  We had only been to the airport and to Zone Conference there. This trip we were visiting friends who worked with us in Nairobi in Family History.  Did they ever give us a different perspective of their city!  We rode the tram to the lake to see the water spout (jet), the beach, the park where a large screen was being set up for the outdoor 4 hour version of La Traviata the next night.  We took a boat ride across the lake (crystal clear water) and hiked to the venues of our three free musical concerts that evening. On the way we saw Reformation Wall in Bastions Park, honoring Calvin and others.  The first concert was a carillon accompanied by improv dancing (not from the audience) in the church courtyard.  The second, an organ recital at the famous Église de St. Pierre and the third at Église St. Germain - Baroque Français using ancient  instruments.  The acoustics were exceptional and by that time I was pretty excited.

Next morning the Stafflers introduced us to white peaches and muesli with cream and strawberries before driving us to see the International Red Cross and the United Nations buildings.  Then we went to four more free concerts: a cellist, a Ukrainian choir, a harp siesta (she played soft relaxing music while parents and children relaxed on pillows on the floor, some completely laid out) in the Grande Théâtre de Genève, and then a brass quintet with organ accompagné.  Sorry I keep flipping into French.  These men were superb musiciens.  Not only did they play their chosen instruments, but also alphorns.  Have you ever heard a Mass played on alphorns?

It was time to drive home. We stopped once just to catch our breath.  We were exhausted but what a day of many firsts and memories for more than a life time. Thank you Josette and Karl for teaching us to love Genève.

Visit to Cormatin

Erin, Haley, Ethan, and Elizabeth

Tram and clocktower

Le Jet d'Eau

The Reformers

6-stringed cello and Long Necked Theorbo Lute

Ukrainian Choir

Siesta Harp

Brass Quintet

The Alphorn Mass

Tom & Sue with Josette & Karl Staffler

June 15, 2025

Such a joyous exit afternoon on Tuesday. Seventeen missionaries returning home honorably with experiences to cherish and refer to for a lifetime. Some had five different mission presidents in their two years and each had difficult adjustments to make.  All had learned more about themselves but more significant was the time spent ‘walking with Jesus’ and serving his children. We were grateful to be included in their enthusiastic hymn singing and invited to share some words of advice. Mine: Your life is just beginning. Continue with the good habits you have developed. Move forward in your relationship with Jesus Christ by following Him and loving as He does.  Tom mentioned our recent visit with the Sorhaïtz family,  56 years after attending the baptism of Sr. Sorhaïtz,  and then at the Bayonne Sacrament meeting, being Introduced to her grandson, preparing  to submit his mission papers. Seeds sown for generations to come. We served a lovely raclette dinner and all said their good byes. It is always a touching experience. Five hours later they were on a plane back to their different worlds.

The mission home has a beautiful yard with huge trees, a grassed area big enough for a pick-up soccer game and an in ground swimming pool.  It also has 2 basketball standards,a pickleball, tennis, or volleyball court, a trampoline and a boules court. I especially enjoyed swinging on the patio where there are tables and seating for at least 30.  It is a lovely space.  When new missionaries arrive we feed them lasagne, crusty bread, a big salad bar, and ice-cream.  Then they are interviewed by three people individually: Pres. Schow, Sister Schow and Tom.  He goes through their medical info to find out if anything has changed or anything undisclosed. This week he found a sister who has been having panic attacks.  Knowing this helps in selecting a companion who can understand the situation and be extra supportive. The sister has the opportunity to receive professional counseling as well.

I was very impressed with a new elder from New Zealand. He had worked at several different jobs to earn money, in a hospital, as a bouncer and as an artist. One could tell he had people skills. It is fascinating to meet these kids fresh off the plane and watch as they develop under the direction of their mission leaders.  I feel the role of mission leaders is to relate or connect with each missionary as he or she build a relationship with Christ and through service becomes His disciple. Our role is to help those mission leaders in whatever they ask and however we can. I find the Schows extremely encouraging and motivating.

Elder G. helping

A raclette celebration

Sunday June 8, 2025

What an outstanding week! Thursday morning we were part of a Zoom meeting with the mission - a broadcast from the mission home with Pres. and Sr. Schow talking with Elder and Sr. McConkie.  Several important points were brought out during that meeting:

1. If we are to become disciples of Jesus we need to spend time with him as did his original disciples.  We can’t follow him over the dusty roads of Judea and the Galilee, but we can spend time with him in the scriptures.  Elder Wirthlin taught this and it has been amplified by other apostles.  Nephi said that we need to liken the scriptures to ourselves and then went on to quote Isaiah - why?  Isaiah was the best scriptural reference to the Savior that they had. No four gospels or third Nephi. The difference between being a student of Jesus Christ and being a disciple is the difference between information and a covenant relationship. The key to that relationship is to be on our knees, in the scriptures, and serving others. There we can learn how to emulate Christ.
2. When a disciple has a covenant relationship with the master, he or she has pledged allegiance to him, active loyalty and fidelity.
3. The Sacrament facilitates the development of our faith through repeated remembering of previous spiritual experiences.  That explains the emphasis on attending the meeting every week and of thoughtful preparation to receive the ordinance.

Thursday we were able to experience a bit of that as we took the Sacrament to a shut-in widow who lives about 40 minutes away.  We will probably change that schedule to allow other priesthood holders to participate.

Yesterday evening we participated in the long-anticipated branch talent show.  It was an amazing evening!  Normally I (Tom) would try to find a way to avoid the flawed performances.  However, knowing these folks made their offerings all the more fascinating.  The chapel room was transformed into a stage with lights, decorations, etc.  The whole program lasted 4 hours (!) with 36 listed performances in the printed program by members and friends.  They ranged from original poetry and art, embroidery, a reading, wood-carving,  and tiramisu consumed during the intermission.  Then on to a slide show of Portugal, original computer art, break-dancing, a recorded display of Serbian dancing (by someone from there), a demonstration of martial arts, a family performance of mime since they don’t speak French well, a demonstration of a 72 hour survival kit.  And more dancing - colorful costumes  from Colombia and Polynesia and the western line of the Cupid Shuffle. Tahitian singing, a saxophone solo, a bit of jazz piano, and some comic opera concluded the program. We all had a blast - lots of clapping and appreciation and lots of laughter.  And the cleanup went very quickly because everyone helped.

Viva Colombia!

Polynesian dancing

Misty - Sax and piano

Today in meetings we were visited by Pres. and Sr. Schow and they spoke very well.  I want to repeat a story about the Sabbath Day as told by Sr. Catogni, the wife of the branch president.  They have four children and would often take them for a ski vacation growing up.  When their two daughters were getting ready for one of those weeks, the first day of ski school was on a Sunday.  It lasted five days with the best skiers given an award at the end.  They wanted to let their daughters decide what to do about that.  Both decided on their own that they had the faith to do well despite not attending the school on Sunday.  Their younger daughter ended up getting the award despite only having 4 days of school, and attributed that as a blessing for keeping the Sabbath Day holy.  The older sister fell and broke her leg on day 3, and so didn’t get any award.  However, she told her parents that she wanted to keep the Sabbath Day holy not to get the award but to please her Heavenly Father.  

After meetings today we were also able to witness a small miracle.  Two older sisters in the branch have had bad feelings for many years because of something that happened in the past.  Today, as we exited the building onto the sidewalk near the street and several parting conversations were taking place, we noticed that these two sisters said goodbye with bisous - the traditional two-cheek kiss.  Whatever the situation was that provoked the division, it is now resolved and forgiven and peace reigns again.

June 1, 2025

Tom: As anticipated last week we had a wonderful visit with the Collette and Robert Sorhaitz, now in their 90’s.  Although time is taking its toll on their mobility and sight and hearing, they were delightful to visit with.  We shared photos of our children and grandchildren, and of ourselves when we were young and newly married.  I joked with them that that way we would be able to recognize each other when we meet again in the spirit world!  We visited the ward in Bayonne on Sunday and met one of their grandsons, who is preparing for his bac (high school) exams and then sending in his mission application.  One great consolation of growing old is that we can see the good things that can come with time from small seeds planted long ago.  The gospel changes families for the good, through all the generations of the faithful.  And the past two Sundays have seen the dedication of two temples in places with people we love: Nairobi, Kenya and Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.  Such great blessings for those saints and friends!

Sue: Tom says sometimes the days drag but the weeks fly by and what a week it has been.  Where did May go?  The last half went to driving from Geneva all across Southern France to Bordeaux and home again.  I discovered some new things in those ten days.  France is every bit as beautiful as Italy.  Basque country is the whole  southwest corner of the country including Bayonne. Their villages are spotlessly clean with the white houses trimmed in red, green, or black and are as manicured as anything in Switzerland.  The fruit tastes fresh from the orchard.  I relearned what it feels like to say good bye to someone you know you will not see again in this life.  

We spent a lovely afternoon and evening in Mont de Marsan with the Ferrells from Meridian Idaho. They are an MLS couple and share an apt. wall with two young missionary sisters.  She is the French speaker and he, the driver and supportive husband. They made us some cooked veggies which we were craving and we shared the blessings and hardships of our individual assignments.  They also work in a small branch but that is their main focus.   I think most of the Senior couples feel isolated except those in Lyon.  We see each other only on line at FHE twice a month…

Monday was a tiring day from it’s 5:30 am beginning.  It took almost two hours to get to the Bordeaux Talence Chapel, where Tom was in a zone conference 56 years before.   We got everything ready for our presentation, then got everything ready for the Schows the next day.  We left just after 12 for the marathon drive to Lyon for our appointment with the French immigration office (OFII) the next morning.  This visa allows us to stay in France another year.  We stopped a couple of times on the road for a quiche and sandwich and for gas  and made it into the city just before dark.  Our hotel looked pretty scary on the outside but the room had beautiful wood floors and very comfortable beds and we  were exhausted.  It also had an excellent breakfast.  We made the appointment on time despite a couple of hangups and both passed. The doctor said my blood pressure was perfect - perhaps the only time in our married life that mine was better than Tom’s.  The Canons who work at the U.N. arrived in time  for a good visit before their appointment.  Following that, we were able to do our zone conference presentation on Zoom for Toulouse.  They were as enthusiastic about the exercise/stretching session as all the others, but we missed seeing their expressions and being with them.  Our contribution to the conferences was really appreciated by Pres. and Sr. Schow.

Tom: We arrived home Tuesday afternoon.  It only took us a couple of days to recover from the travels.  Thursday we were asked to take the sacrament again to Sr. Navarro, who is a faithful widow and lives about 40 minutes from town.  She is in poor health but loves to visit.  Often her friend and member in the same town is also there and she tends to speak more.  It was a pleasant surprise to hear some stories abut her youth in Lorraine.  She learned to play the accordion and the saxophone, and shared the story of being asked to go with a local musical group to a sister city in Italy in the Dolomites to perform.  She loved that area and loved telling the story.  The elderly can be seen in their infirmities and not appreciated unless we have the opportunity to hear about their lives.

St. Peter Church in St. Pierrre du Mont, with parts >1000 years old

Selfie with Farrells

The store of the Good Moment (the Present Moment)!

Rows of umbrellas to decorate the street

A unique truck at a gas station