October 26, 2025

We found out this week that Zone Conference has been changed and is two weeks earlier than planned.  Tom has cooked and frozen his 6.6 pounds of black beans and I have cooked and seasoned and frozen 10 of my 20 lbs of hamburger.  We finally found cheddar cheese in a bigger quantity than 8 oz although we will need to shred it, and corn chips (tostitos) that taste just like those at home.  Avocados went on half price this week so we even could afford some of those.  We are keeping them cool so they will not ripen too fast. Sister Later found litres of salsa so we will have plenty of that and sliced black olives.  This just leaves fresh lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and sour cream.  Can you guess our menu is taco salad for 55?

The borrowed harp came for Sr. Rasmussen this week.  She is accompanying our branch choir in Stake Conference on it and played prelude and postlude today.  She is a harp major at BYU and it was so peaceful to listen to her.

On our trip to Creusot this afternoon, the countryside was so beautiful after a week of rain.  The grape harvest is finished and the vines have changed from green to gold.  This is why our area of Burgundy is called the Gold Coast.  

There is a weekend  celebration beginning with the conclusion of the last grapes being pressed called Paulée where samplings of different wines are in multiple outdoor areas of Chalon and partakers wander from place to place finding their favorites.  This was last weekend. The huge cathedral, St. Vincent, closed for renovations and cleaning since we arrived, was also open.  The main section of the church welcomed visitors and we were delighted to see inside.  Thus the pictures below. 

October 20, 2025

I am so impressed with our Mission President and Sister Schow.  We spent three days this week with them, those exiting the mission, and the seventeen new missionaries arriving from the Provo and Preston MTCs and Australia. Let me share what we do on these days. 

For those who have completed their missions, their last afternoon is spent at the mission home participating in board games, pickle ball, boules, croquet, basketball, playing piano or just  swinging on the porch swing and visiting or watching.  A traditional regional meal, raclette, is served.  This is a kind of cheese, individually melted at the table, and served over charcuterie and hot vegetables.  It is a fun social occasion.  A devotional follows with singing, advice from any seniors attending, the final words from the mission leaders and a goodbye prayer of gratitude for the Savior, his Church, and the opportunity to serve his children in France, offered by a missionary.  The evening ends early.  The trip to the airport begins between 3-4 am.

Wednesday is always busy because the numbers of incoming Elders and Sœurs is usually large. There are snack bags to prepare, at least two trips to the airport, luggage to haul, metro rides into the city, an introduction to inviting, documents to receive and record, and personal  interviews.  Food prep and service moves to Sans Souci Chapel.  When all have arrived and the interviews completed, we serve lasagne, a salad bar of fruits and vegetables, French bread and dessert and the office staff shares info about train tickets, driving in France, money and banking, housing, and necessary papers.   At last, the zone leaders get them to their sleeping assignments.  Everyone is exhausted.

Thursday is an exhilarating day. This is the day each new Elder or Sœur will meet their first companion and accept their first assignment.  In the morning Sr. Schow takes them on an inspiring historical tour in the old town while the President has a training meeting with those who will introduce the newbies to the mission field.  We all meet at noon.  During this meeting, a name is picked at random.  That new missionary comes to the front, stands with Pres. and Sr. Schow by a large mission map and reads in French from an office-prepared document the name of the city of service and who they will serve with.  Now the action! The trainer runs to the front and hugs the new companion and points out where they will be going.  A picture is taken with the four of them.  The trainer and trainee return to seats together to begin their companionship.  This is an  exciting time even for those of us who are watching, who know where we are serving and who our companion is.  Pres. Schow teaches us to expect miracles by inviting all we see to attend Sacrament Meeting with us, to learn and teach with power from the Book of Mormon, and to follow the prophet.

If you are new, you receive a hard copy of the Book of Mormon and a colored pen.  In study,  each is to underline every reference to Christ, his characteristics, and his teachings.  You also receive a journal to record your feelings and the ideas or personal revelation which comes.  This is the place to record their miracles.  We then hand out the lunches and it is time to catch the trains.  May you make good choices and know that God is going with you.

Tom and I are blessed to be part of this process which happens every six weeks.  He has an interview with each of the incoming to insure the medical information received is correct and to give the missionaries a chance for some one on one time with their health advisor.  I help plan, purchase, prepare, serve, and clean up the food.  We love that we can serve and have the close association this gives us with the missionaries and Pres. and Sr. Schow.

Pres. Schow teaching

Running up the aisle to greet the new companion

Hugs

New companions

Elder Kastendieck (L) is from Edmonton.  Sue taught his aunt in seminary in the 70's.

October 13, 2025

Tuesday we watched the funeral for Pres. Russell M. Nelson. The Tabernacle Choir sang.  There were tributes from a daughter and a son, Elder Holland, and Pres. Eyring.  We chuckled about Pres. Oaks differentiation between a surgeon and an attorney leading the Church.  All were appropriate for this extraordinary man.  He had a tremendous influence on us personally.

We have heard that our replacements will arrive in France on April 25.  We have also heard that Christy has been accepted to the Max Planck Institute in Germany from March 15 to June 15.  We are hoping to visit them in Berlin for a few days and then join a Collette Tour (bus and train) with stops in Eastern Europe, ending in Krakow.

We are planning to be in Raymond on July 1 with our kids and grands who can join us.  Most of our grandchildren  have no recall of being in Alberta because they were so little.  We will spend a few days in Waterton and some of us may make it to Banff where I worked in High School.  Booking ahead is very tricky but essentiel for twenty people.

Several other good things happened this week. Alban blessed the Sacrament for the first time.  I bore my testimony in French without a translator for the first time.  Sr. Schow returned to Lyon after necessary eye surgery in Utah.  The Nevilles visited for a day and copied some branch history materials, which led to a walk and a round of golf.  We celebrated Tom’s 76th birthday, eating raclette at Landre’s, with Alban, and Sr. Lewis and Sr. Rasmussen.  I walked 18.5 miles this week although I did something to my calf that I had to ice.

View of the golf course from the walking path

Views in the countryside

Relief Society yesterday

October 5 , 2025

I was so proud to be a member of the same church as the Bishop of the Grand Blanc Ward as I listened to and later read his statement about the tragedy in his congregation.  He  exemplified the true spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ by emphasizing the quick response of the police, and the kindness and generosity of so many in their community.  He also expressed gratitude for all the good there is in the world.  I was also impressed with the GoFundMe for the family of the perpetrator of the crime and how many dollars had been raised —a modern day application of turning the other cheek. 

On Tuesday we were invited to visit the vineyard managed by the newest member of our little branch.  Alban takes care of several hectares of Grand Cru vines, some very expensive grapes (50 euros/bunch).  He taught us about quality, trimming, shaping the foot, fertilizing, etc.  They have one plant every meter, and November will be trimming time to cut back to 5-7 shoots per foot (root).  One bottle of Chardonnay wine made from his grapes (labeled Corton-Charlemagne) costs 50 euros or more.  The fields were probably planted originally by, or before, the Romans and were owned at one time by Charlemagne.  They were extensively developed and cultivated by Cistercian monks in the middle ages.  The vines have been in the same families for generations (hundreds of years) and will never be sold.  He says all of them are millionaires but you would never know it.  Their villages and homes are modest but very neat and clean.

A farmer outstanding in his field!

Le vignes de Burgogne

It has been impressive to hear the tributes to Pres. Nelson —brilliance  evidenced  in music, medicine, family,  leadership, faith in Jesus Christ and  personal ministry.  Tom and I were blessed to have a FHE with him and Wendy in Rochester shortly after they were married.  They had two grandchildren training at Mayo and Tom was their Stake President.  Wendy was a good friend from my high school.  Another time they sent us a private note after visiting the church in Mongolia where Tal was serving his mission.  He was playing the music in the meeting they attended.

General Conference starts in France at 6 pm.  We watched the first session last night and the other Saturday sessions this morning.  So many excellent talks. We were so moved by the conviction of Elder Brown of Jamaica, the story of Elder Cziesla’s grand mother, Elder Gong’s one liner- No one sits alone emotionally or spiritually- Elder Jaggis’ understanding of altars.  We are anticipating what will be said this evening.  Have a great Sabbath.