We continue to diligently work at our real job at the mission office in Chambesy, a suburb of Geneva. Sister Jeppson has assumed full responsibility for her job and is doing well with the many things that she has to do. She prepared some new magnet labels of each of the zones and districts and missionary equipes in the mission. These labels will be placed on a large magnetic board that President uses to plan for transfers every six weeks. I am assuming more and more responsibility as financial secretary as we transfer those responsibilities to me from Elder Pittson. While the office Elders traveled to Lyon on Friday, we took on the entire responsibility to answer the phones. We soon realized that we needed to learn more about how to transfer calls.
President Murdock related to us this week two experiences that were very inspirational. When transfers are to occur every six weeks, he ponders and prays for inspiration from the Lord concerning what positions and places missionaries should be transferred to. Several weeks ago, he was inspired to transfer an Elder to Nimes, which is in southern France. He found out later that this missionary's parents that lived in Virginia had befriended a couple from France while the French couple was in the states. They were interested in learning more about the teachings of the church. They later returned to their home town of Nimes. Their son then had the opportunity to teach them. The wife continued to be taught until she desired to be baptized. Her husband wasn't ready but just recently gave permission for her to be baptized. Another sister who lives in Dijon is from French Guiana in South America. She was taught by the missionaries and wanted to be baptized. However, her husband would not give permission. She loved attending church and received callings to serve in the ward. Just recently, after the ward members fasted on her behalf, her husband gave permission for her to be baptized. She was so happy.
It was a very inspirational experience for me to attend the Geneva stake's annual general priesthood meeting on Saturday evening. Even though I missed seeing many of you on Skype, I was glad that I had the opportunity to attend the meeting. It was the first church meeting that I have attended where French is spoken and the chapel was almost full. President Bonny who treated us with dinner two weeks ago, conducted a well organized meeting during which some media presentations were used and brethren holding priesthood keys from the wards and branches (Bishops, Branch Presidents, Elders Quorum Presidents, Teachers Quorum Presidents (14-15 years) and Deacons Quorum Presidents (12-13 years) were asked to come and stand in front of the group. It was wonderful to see the strength of the priesthood holders in this stake in Switzerland.
Today, we drove for about forty minutes with Elder Pittson to Annecy, a very picturesque city in France. He came along to show us the way for the first time. From now on and until we move to Lyon, at President Murdock's request, we will be attending the Annecy branch. Annecy is located by a lake, with the Swiss Alps in the background and not far from Albertville where the Winter Olympics were held a number of years ago. In future letters, we will discuss some of the history of the city which dates back to the 11th century, and we will also provide some pictures when we have a chance to go there on a Saturday, which is a preparation day when we are not working at the office.
A sister missionary team was assigned to the branch three months ago. Sister Marker is from Wisconsin and Sister Harline is from Orem. She is Johnny Harline's sister. I think many of you will remember that he was the famous BYU football team tight end that caught the winning touchdown catch from John Beck to defeat Utah several years ago. We attended all of the meetings at the branch. I helped pass the sacrament and then we were unexpectedly asked to bear our testimonies. Sister Jeppson bore most of her testimony in French. We learned after the meetings that the French members were very impressed with how well she spoke French and that she would speak in French when someone could have translated for her. We also participated in their every third Sunday pot luck dinner after the block meetings. Sister Jeppson made some cake while using our apartment oven for the first time. It was delicious.
Nos Petits-Enfants
We are really going to enjoy attending this small branch in
Annecy with about thirty-five members including some wonderful families, some
with three or four children. They attend
church in a location on the first floor of an office building that contains
several rooms including a small chapel. Most of the children are primary age or
younger with a few young women that are over twelve years of age. President Demeure,
the Branch President, is a convert of sixteen years. He and his wife have four children and moved
to Annecy fifteen years ago from St. Etienne, the last city where I served
during my first mission to France. The
children range in age from one to fifteen years old. I enjoyed watching some of the boys hit a
ping pong ball with a paddle in the hall/recreation room while they were
waiting for the dinner to start. One of
the rooms has a ping pong table. It is
wonderful to be around members of the church and feel of their love, friendship
and testimonies while they teach the same gospel principles and use the same
manuals that we do, only in the French language. 