LETTRE TRENTE-DEUX POUR LE 19 MAI 2013

This letter will relate the remarkable conversion story of Yan Hou.  Yan came to Lyon from Xian, China where she graduated from a university and was qualified to be a teacher.  She came to Lyon to study French and obtain a graduate degree in linguistics.  She also speaks very good English and understands English better then French.  She was introduced to the church last August by Johnny (English name) , a Chinese student  who was baptized a member of the church last April.  She began attending young single adult activities and Sunday church meetings at the Villeurbanne Ward.   She had began studying about the gospel with two missionaries.  One of them spoke Chinese and was able to teach her in her native language.  We met her during a Sunday meeting and visited with her every Sunday when she attended church meetings.  Some weeks later we spent considerable time talking with her during a ward activity.  She told us about her family and education plans and expressed her concerns and questions about what the missionaries were teaching.  We tried to respond to those concerns and questions by talking about our own personal experiences, including our family.  She said that she had tried to stop coming to church but then felt compelled to return.

She continued to attend church meetings, but was not ready to study seriously with the missionaries and prepare for baptism into the church.  We e-mailed her about attending  some of the October sessions of General Conference at the Ecully chapel.  She replied by thanking us for the invitation but said that she could not come. In November, we wanted to be sure that she knew about the special meeting in Lyon when Elder Andersen was to speak. A few days before the meeting, we  get on the same subway car where she was sitting while returning home from her work at Dominos Pizza. I sat down right next to her without recognizing she was there. Sister Jeppson sat across from us and recognized her and said Hello.  We had the opportunity (that was not just a coincidence) to invite her to the meeting.  She had a conflict but knew that we cared.

During December, two Chinese speaking Elders were transferred to the Villeurbanne District, Elder and Stanford and Haiparai-Hansen.  They befriended Yan encouraged her to receive the missionary lessons.    She was still not ready.  During February and March, they met with her several times so that she could help them improve their Chinese.  They would then share a spiritual thought with her from the scriptures.  I attended a few of those sessions.  You may remember that I sent a scan of my name in Chinese that she had written.  She was still not ready to move forward.  During all of this time, she continued to attend church meetings on Sunday almost as regularly as most members.

Then the miracle happened.  It is May 1^st, the May Day holiday in France.  I am at the office around 9:00 a.m.  I receive a phone call on my cell phone.  It is Yan.  She tells me that she has decided that she wants to be baptized and wonders what happens next.   She explains on Wednesday during our conversation that each time she tries to stop coming to church she feels sad and then returns.  This has happened three times.  This time she has decided that she doesn’t want to continue to feel this sadness.  She wants to do whatever is necessary to be baptized and become a member.  She has resisted in the past because she has been worried about what the future will be like when she returns to China, and what happens to her teaching career because being a member of the church could diminish her chance for advancement in the Chinese educational system.  She had also been concerned about what her friends and family think.  I talk to her about her great faith to want to follow the path to baptism, despite the obstacles.  We talk about the path which includes being taught by the missionaries, praying, and reading the scriptures. I tell her how happy I am for her and that I have been praying for her for a long time. She tells me that maybe that is why she called me first to tell someone about her decision.  She is truly an example of someone that has experienced a mighty change of heart.  

I ask her if I could call the missionaries (Elder Stanford has been transferred, so the missionaries are now Elder Gandolf and Hapairai-Hansen) and make arrangements for them to teach her.  She says yes.  They drop by the office a few hours later.  I reveal the news.  They are very excited and give her a call on the phone and set up the first meeting for the next day, Thursday evening.  They ask Sister Jeppson and I to meet with them.  We talk with her about her desires and what has led her to this point.  She shares similar thoughts as those she discussed with me on the phone.  She believes that what she thought were coincidences now appear more like God is at her side guiding her.  She has a strong desire to really believe strongly that her feelings are true.  We share our testimonies and encouragement with emphasis on faith and the Holy Ghost.  We discuss with her a baptism date to prepare for and she agrees to May 12^th. 

We meet with her again on Friday.  The missionaries discuss the baptism questions to get an idea of her progress in learning and on what subjects they should focus their teaching.  She expresses herself very sincerely and honestly.  She is already living the main parts of all of the commandments and expresses willingness to follow them in the future.  She tells us that she has called her parents about her decision.  Her mother is okay and supportive of her decision.  Her father is less supportive but acknowledges that she can be trusted to make good decisions.  We discuss the principle of faith and how the Holy Ghost can guide us.  Sister Jeppson emphasizes our understanding of our personal relationship with Heavenly Father.  We discuss the importance of prayer.

On Saturday, Yan attends the baptism service of Fabien from the Congo who has been attending the Ecully Ward.  This gives her a better understanding of what will happen during her baptismal service.  The next day she attends church.  A couple from Orem, Utah are attending that Sunday.   His brother taught Frère Cara, one of our ward members, the gospel.  Some years later, his wife taught Sister Cara the gospel.  They both bear their testimonies.  The brother from Orem meets Yan at the beginning of Sunday School.  He indicates that he served a mission in Hong Kong.  They begin talking in Chinese.  He attends the gospel principles class.  Arrangements are made for him to meet with her and the missionaries during their teaching appointment that they had arranged after church.  This is the Lord’s hand in Yan’s life and not a coincidence.

I meet with her and the missionaries on Monday evening.  We discuss the Principles of the Gospel lesson.  I share my understanding of Repentance and talk more about the Holy Ghost.  The missionaries talk to her about plans for the baptism program.  She asks me to give the talk about the Holy Ghost at the baptism service on Sunday and to confirm her a member of the church in sacrament meeting the following Sunday.  She gives a very spiritual closing prayer.  They continue to teach her almost every day during the rest of the week.  She is interviewed by the district leader on Friday.

The baptism service takes place at the Ecully Chapel at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 12^th.  The 8 year old son of a less than active member who has begun attending church again for two months shares the baptism service with Yan.  The baptism service is conducted in French.  The talk on baptism is given by a missionary in French.  The bishop baptizes her and speaks in English at Yan’s request.  I speak about the Holy Ghost in English at Yan’s request because she understands English better than French.  I tell her that we love her, and that we are her American parents in France.  However, I want the baptism service to be special for Haeven, the eight year old, so I translate important parts of my talk into French for him.  I use three primary songs to teach about the Holy Ghost:  I am a Child of God; Faith; and I Know My Father Lives.  Yan speaks in Chinese while her best friend who is from the same city in China and who is attending her first church meeting translates into French for her.  During her talk, she thanks several  people who have helped her along the way including Elder and Sister Jeppson.   This was a very spiritual and memorable experience that we will never forget.  Elder Hapairai-Hansen leaves on Monday, transfer day, for Toulouse. 

On Sunday, May 18^th I have the opportunity to confirm Yan a member of the church and bestow the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  This time I speak in French and feel the inspiration and guidance of the spirit.  Please remember Yan in your prayers.  She is very special.  We hope that she can come and visit us in the United States so that you can meet her.  We are grateful to be in instrument in the Lord’s hands to help Yan on her journey to joining the church and receive the many blessings that await her. 

 NOS PETITS-ENFANTS

Megan, Zack, Bradley, Caleb, Lauren, Riley, Hunter, Abby and Natalie, remember that special day you were baptized.  Do you remember how good it felt to get the Gift, from Heavenly Father, of the Holy Ghost?  Never forget that feeling.  You will be blessed all of your life if you choose the right path and are worthy of His companionship.   To the rest of our wonderful grandchildren, continue to prepare for that special time to come.  Heavenly Father and Grandma and Grandpa love you very much.

LETTRE TRENTE-ET-UNE POUR LE 07 MAI 2013

We have planned for some time that when Spring came, we would perform one of our mission duties for couples of inspecting missionary apartments.  We have experienced a changing of the guard as some couples have returned home, and other new ones have arrived.  It became important for the office elder over apartments and myself to update the inspection assignments for the eight couples in our mission including instructions and a guide for fixing different problems.

So armed with our instructions and guide, we dutifully traveled to conduct inspections at five missionary apartments in several cities on the 26^th and 27^th of April.  We hoped that good weather would accompany our trip down the Rhone River Valley to Valence and through the French Alps to the cities of Grenoble, Chambery and Annecy. We ended up settling for the idea that good weather meant that heavy rain storms and temperatures in the 40’s and 50’s were better than snow and icy roads as we traveled close to sites of two previous Winter Olympics:  Grenoble and Albertville.  Annecy is a city that we grew to love along with the members of the branch last year when we traveled there for two months to attend church. 

Alas, low hanging clouds prevented our expected opportunity of seeing the tops of the lofty, snow-covered French Alps.  However, we were able to take some pictures of the heavy rain that drenched the sisters in Chambery before they arrived for our inspection tour and the scenery near their apartment.  Our expected sun drenched view of the lake and mountains in Annecy on Saturday after our inspection of the sisters’ apartment was limited by the cold and rain to a picture of gardens near the tourist office and a distant view of the lake.   

The next weekend instead of traveling ourselves, we welcomed travelers from Northern Wales, the Dickensons.  They arrived on Friday evening and stayed with us in our apartment until Monday morning when they traveled to their SYSAP (Stake Young Single Adult Program) assignment in Bordeaux.   We invited the SYSAP couple in Lyon, the Greens, to dinner at our apartment on Saturday evening.  On Sunday, the Dickensons attended church with us at the Villeurbanne Ward and Fabian’s baptism, a new convert originally from the Congo.  Fabian has studied with the missionaries and attended church for several months before deciding to be baptized.  The baptism was an inspirational and uplifting event that was well attended by ward and stake members as well as his parents and three brothers who are not members.    

  

While it was a challenge to host people we have never met before, the Dickensons,  we grew better acquainted and learned a lot about their family, culture and church experiences.  They joined the church when they were in their thirties. 

Nos Petits-Enfants

Grandma took pictures of a Cordonnerie (Shoe Repair) Shop in Chambery.  The colorful painted shoes on the outside of the building were a nice symbol of the theme of a recent talk by President Roney during our recent zone conference in Lyon.  He outlined six steps we can take (in our new shoes) to become better people and improve our character:  1) Pick a Christ-like characteristic or spiritual gift;  2) Study and learn about it; 3) Script yourself by thinking and saying things that help strengthen the gift you have chosen ; 4) Envision or see yourself doing that activity; 5) Pray and ask Heavenly Father to help; 6) Focus and practice for a while like 30 days.  

LETTRE TRENTE POUR LE 11 AVRIL 2013

We learned during the last three weeks to appreciate more deeply the light of freedom, the light of electricity, the light that shines from missionaries and the light of the gospel.

Twisted Gun.  Sculpture outside of the Resistance Museum

The brave resistance fighters of Lyon fought for the light of freedom to return to their country during the 2^nd World War.  We visited the Resistance and Deportation History Center at a location that was at one time the headquarters of the Nazis and their leader Klaus Barbie where many French people were tortured and interrogated and then sent to prison or deported because they resisted the Nazis or because they were Jews.  Klaus Barbie was extradited from Bolivia and tried and convicted of war crimes by a court in Lyon in 1987.  We learned about the heroic stories of Resistance fighters and leaders in Lyon who helped to unite various resistance groups in France to be more effective in their desperate  fight against the Nazi soldiers.  Pictures, memorabilia, commentary and listening to recordings of people who lived through the experience reminded us of the value of freedom.

Old Building in the Resistance Museum Complex

Our office elder apartment manager waged his own resistance of numerous telephone calls against the bureaucratic nonsense of the government run electric company (EDF) after the electricity was shut off at our apartment due to one side of the business who set up our account when we moved two months earlier not notifying  the other group that they needed to read our meter numbers.  After overcoming the obstacles of a strike and a three day holiday weekend, a worker finally came for the five minute reading of our meter and pushing of a button in our electric box. Voila, our electric power and lights resumed after being off for a week from March 27^th to April 3^rd.  Our little adventure occurred right at the time that a Young Single Adult couple came to town from the U.S.A. and was supposed to stay in our apartment with us from the 29^th of March to the 3^rd of April before  traveling to Nice.  It also came at a time when 19 new missionaries arrived on the 2^nd of April.  We used a camping lantern and blankets to keep warm, and quick cold showers.  The Bria couple changed their plans and stayed in a hotel.  (This is how we celebrated Easter Weekend.  Doug treated  Nancy to Saturday and Sunday in a Hotel so she could have a warm shower and be in a heated room.  It made us really appreciate our Savior and all he has done for us to help us return to the light and peace and warmth of our Heavenly Home.)

Nineteen missionaries and their lighted countenances arrived at 6:30 p.m. on the 2^nd of April instead of 11:15 a.m. due to technical difficulties with their airplane in Salt Lake City.  This problem led to a change of our best laid plans and an extra night in Lyon and a few extra meals to plan for.  On Monday the 2^nd of April, we ate dinner at a pizza restaurant with the Roneys,  thirteen departing missionaries (that we have come to know quite well), and a departing Young Single Adult couple, the Perrys, who had served in Nice.   From the 2^nd of April to the 4^th of April, we enjoyed getting acquainted with nine elders and ten sister missionaries who spent time at the office during their legal, orientation and training activities.  The missionaries came from a variety of places and backgrounds including some 19 year old sister missionaries as well as one with a graduate degree and another who had completed a law degree and passed the bar exam.  One elder is from Spain and another missionary, Elder Costa, is the son of a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, he is from Argentina.

We were uplifted and inspired by the light of the gospel emanating from our prophet, apostles and other general authorities while we watched general conference with the missionaries and some members and friends of the church from the Lyon area at the Ecully chapel this past weekend.  You may remember that our location results in an interesting schedule of watching general conference:  Young Womens Session at 4:00 p.m. and Saturday morning session at 6:00 p.m. Saturday evening.   Priesthood session at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, Saturday afternoon session at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, Sunday morning session at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday evening.  We watched the final, Sunday afternoon session at 10:00 p.m. on Sunday evening through the internet at home).  Three men from Nigeria who just arrived in France a month ago to look for work watched one session with us on Sunday afternoon.  One of them is a less than active member whose family is in Spain.  The other two men are not yet members.

Nos Petits-Enfants

Our conference weekend began with one of our favorite talks.  Through Skype on Friday evening, Kiera presented her first Primary talk that she gave in primary a few weeks ago.  She was amazing as she remembered it so well, as she spoke about Jesus while her mother held up pictures.  It reminded us of a painting hanging by Grandma’s desk at the office and the scripture in Matthew in the Bible:  “And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18: 2-4) 

   

LETTRE VINGT-NEUF POUR LE 17 MARS 2013

We finally received nice enough weather to walk the cobblestone streets of Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon) during our preparation day on Saturday.  According to the travel books of  Rick Steves, Vieux Lyon offers the best concentration of well-preserved Renaissance buildings in France.  These are buildings in pastel colors that are connected to the three main streets by unique doors opening to traboules (passageways) leading through courtyards.  There are plaques at some of the outside entrances that describe the history of the building or who lived there during the 15^th century such as a lawyers, doctors and printers.  The pastries displayed in the windows of one of those buildings constructed in 1498 lured us inside to sit down for a minute and enjoy the most delicious éclairs that we have eaten since we arrived in France.  These traboules were hiding places from the Nazi soldiers for Lyon’s French resistance fighters during World War II.

We helped two couples through a changing of the guard. The Johnstons stored some of their luggage in our apartment while traveling to Italy before returning home to Lacey, Washington last Friday.  Earlier that week, the Millers (from Rawlins, Wyoming) arrived to stay with us and then travel by car to Mont de Marsan, a small city near Bordeaux.  They will only stay there for two weeks and then move to Chalon which is north of Lyon to support the branch there.  Two young sister missionaries will likely take their place in Mont de Marsan.  There will be a similar experience later this month when the Brias come from Virginia to replace the Perrys who will return home to Utah after serving in the Nice Stake Young Single Adults Program.  Elder Bria served in Nice as a young missionary.

I am impressed with our leaders in the Lyon stake.  President Bennasar, our stake president, is a strong dynamic leader who always inspires us when he speaks.  We were blessed with his inspired words during our last sacrament meeting and then earlier in the week during the Lyon Zone Conference.  He talked about the Lord not necessarily always calming the storms of life but calming and supporting us during the storms that we encounter.  He also taught us that the Lord’s ways to bless our lives may not always be the logical ways that we map out for ourselves.  President Bennasar is in his forties and he describes “Why he is a Mormon” on Mormon.org.

President Roney, Sister Roney and the assistants also provided edifying messages during zone conference about the power of prayer, setting standards, and the importance of planning.  Four missionaries who will depart for home in two weeks bore their testimonies for the last time in a Zone Conference.  A couple from the Ecully Ward in Lyon prepared and served lunch.  We and they were touched when all of the missionaries sang “As I Have Loved You’ to thank them for their service.

Nos Petits-Enfants

You will notice in the pictures that are part of this letter that there are unique doors that require a special touch to open.  When opened they reveal dark passageways that lead to the light.  Our prayers of faith are the special touch that can open doors that lead us from the darkness of difficult and troubled times to the light of the Savior’s love, example and guidance.  Prayers of faith can be enlightening and powerful and produce miracles in our lives.  Please strive to receive the blessings of prayer in your lives.    

LETTRE VINGT-HUIT POUR LE 03 MARS 2013

Our mission’s future planning is now focused on the expected impact of President Monson’s announcement during the October 2012 general conference that lowered the missionary age for young men and young women.  After the arrival of twelve new missionaries last week, we now have 153 young adult missionaries:  110 elders and 43 sisters.  After the June 2013 transfer, we will have 190 young adult missionaries:  122 elders and 68 sisters.

To plan for and accommodate our expanded missionary force, President Roney divided the mission into eleven zones instead of seven and called four new sets of zone leaders,  and he also called  two additional office elders (Elder Dean from Fairfield, Ca. and Elder LeDuc from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) to devote a major part of their time to finding and setting up new apartments.

We welcomed six elders and six sisters last week:  two elders and two sisters from French Polynesia, one  elder from England, one sister from Germany, one elder from California, one Elder from Oregon and one elder and three sisters from Utah. 

Sister Jeppson and I are getting accustomed to a major role in planning, providing the food and cleaning up duty for lunch on Tuesday and breakfast and lunch on Wednesday when a new group of missionaries arrive.   Providing lunch continues on Friday when missionaries that arrived six weeks ago come back to Lyon with their trainers for additional instruction and the following Tuesday when the zone leaders come to town for zone leader council.  The work is totally worth it when we have the opportunity to  associate with these new missionaries and their trainers and the leadership of the mission.

Eight of the 22 zone leaders arrived in the mission field after we did.  It is inspiring to see these relatively young elders step up and take on these leadership responsibilities.

In the middle of all of this activity, Sister Jeppson prepared and delivered a talk on prayer in sacrament meeting a week ago Sunday with the help of the wife of the second counselor in the bishopric who translated for her.  Sister Jeppson has a wonderful and inimical way of communicating with and inspiring people when she speaks.

During this busy time, I  had the opportunity twice to meet with our Chinese speaking elders and a student from mainland China.   They need to have a member with them when they teach a woman.  She comes to church almost every week.  They teach her about the gospel, and she tutors them in Chinese.  She tried to think of a Chinese language characters that would come close to the name, Jeppson.  She wrote Elder Jeppson and Sister Jeppson on a sheet of paper in Chinese for me.

NOS PETITS-ENFANTS

We know that President Monson is a prophet of God and was guided by Jesus Christ to expand missionary work though out the world by changing the missionary ages.  It is exciting to serve in France at a time when we can help our inspired mission president implement the impact of these changes.  As my mission president, President Martin, communicated to me 46 years ago during my last missionary interview with him:   Always follow the prophet.  I encourage you to read in the Friend and the New Era, and listen to General Conference in April for the messages of President Monson and follow what he teaches. 

LETTRE VINGT-SEPT POUR LE 13 FEVRIER

We have accomplished a major milestone so that we can legally stay in France.  Last year in March we obtained an entry on our passport page that allowed us to stay in France until February 2013.  We like all of the missionaries are required to assemble a defined set of legal documents and apply ahead of the expiration date for a Carte de Sejour to legally stay in France for another year.

The line we were in to do legality.  It was cold.

Over two weeks ago, we began our quest for our Carte.  We traveled by metro and tram and on foot so that we could stand in line starting at 8:15 a.m. with hundreds of other foreigners awaiting the 8:30 a.m. opening of the doors of the Lyon prefecture building.  We briefly visited with our fellow line mates including a woman from Morocco.   Fortunately, the weather was relatively nice.  When the government offices opened, we were given the numbers of 92 and 93 at the entrance and then sat in a waiting room to see which government helper would have the honor of helping two well meaning Americans.

We were summoned to window 26 at 11:30 a.m., and the lucky woman began to examine our papers.  It didn’t take long for her to get confused with how to legally handle these senior citizens.  After conferring with her fellow workers, she informed us that one of our documents, our birth certificates, needed a traduction (translation) into French.  My offer to translate the document from English to French didn’t help.  My earnest pleading that hundreds of missionaries in other cities were not required to have a translation fell on deaf ears.  One fellow worker was friendly and spoke pretty good English, but his English knowledge did not overcome their supervisor’s insistence that the legal requirement in Lyon for a professional translation of our birth certificates applied to us.  So hat and documents in hand, we retreated by foot, tram and metro back to the office after stopping at a McDonalds near the metro stop. 

Two traductions to our birth certificates in hand and almost two weeks later, we bravely returned to the battle ground where we had once been defeated to try again.  This time, we forgot our map and a nice lady was placed in our path to give us directions to the prefecture.  We arrived to stand in line at 7:45 a.m. hoping to receive a lower number and visited with a man from Bosnia.  We were rewarded with the numbers 62 and 63.  I jokingly informed Sister Jeppson that our friendly English speaking worker from two weeks ago was seated near to us behind window 14 and that we deserved to be summoned to his window this time.  At 11:00 a.m., window 14 was matched with number 62 and we succeeded in providing each legal document that our friendly opponent requested.  We proudly departed the prefecture with a temporary document in hand that supports our legal status until we obtain the real document that allows us to stay for another year.  We have the opportunity to return to our increasingly familiar location around the end of May but at 1:30 p.m. instead of the morning to pick up our cartes de sejour.

We have moved from the third floor of our apartment on Rue de l’Abondance to the third floor of an apartment four blocks away on Rue de la Bannière.  It was hard work to pack up and move boxes and furniture to the new place.  While waiting for the availability of the mission van which was on a zone conference tour, we were anxious to take advantage of a few moments in between rain drops and snow showers.  So we asked the missionaries to take a load of boxes on our mission’s four wheel cart on the side walk and across intersections from one apartment to the other.  We then decided that we would try to move a few loads ourselves while the weather was good.  During our first try, we were doing very well until we came to a place where dog poop was strewn along the middle of the sidewalk.  While trying to maneuver around it on a slight incline, some of the boxes fell off and their contents ended up in the gutter and on the dog poop that we were trying to avoid.  We bravely salvaged most of our things but had to throw away some Ensign magazines.  The next day the Lord blessed us with a partial day of sunshine that allowed the missionaries to move two loads of heavy furniture in the mission van from the old apartment to the new apartment.  Just as they finished around 5 p.m., it started to rain.  

We now have a longer walk to the office, but this apartment has several advantages for the future:  a parking place for our car in a locked garage in a parking area under our apartment building, storage in the back of the garage and in a cave (storage unit) for missionary materials to free up office space, and an extra bedroom where new couples arriving in Lyon can stay before they travel to their new assignments, a small grocery store near the apartment, and four blocks closer:  the mall, railroad station and our famous pencil shaped building that you see in the background of our mission blog.

Standing, Bishop of the Gerland Ward, from Gabon

We continue our edifying experience of attending baptism services for converts from different countries.  Two weeks ago from Saturday, Allie, a student from Sydney, Australia was baptized by President Roney.  His family and the Ecully ward were instrumental in fellowshipping her.  Sister Green ,  who directs the Young Single Adults Center with her husband spoke in English with a French translator.  A student from the USA who speaks excellent French spoke in English but translated her talk into French while she spoke.  We hope that Allie’s twin sister will progress towards baptism also.  Yesterday, we attended a baptism service for Gavin from Nigeria who attends the Gerland Ward.  He has been taught over a five month period by sisters  and then elders.  One of the elders returns home on Tuesday.  A sister from the ward gave a heartfelt talk  on baptism in French and then Soeur Hyrkas, a sister missionary from Finland, gave a wonderful talk about the Holy Ghost.  The bishop of the ward who conducted the meeting is from Gabon.  Gavin was baptized by a member of the Gerland ward who is French and his wife is from Utah.  He speaks excellent English.  Gavin then had the courage to speak.

Sister Jeppson and I participated in some ward and stake activities recently.   We went to a relief society activity in the home of one of the sisters in the ward where Sister Jeppson operated a sewing machine to sew clothes for needy families.  I spoke in the place of President Roney at a stake fireside where three coverts, a ward mission leader and a stake high councilman also spoke.    I knew that people from areas as far as two hours away would be coming to the fireside to hear President Roney speak so I really needed help from the Lord.  I felt guided by the spirit as I prepared and delivered the talk about the blessings of the gospel in our lives.

NOS PETITS-ENFANTS

We just moved to an apartment on 1 rue Bannière which means banner in English.  In English we can also compare a banner to a flag.  Our American flag is a symbol of patriotism.  Our French Triple Combination scriptures dictionary states that the Book of Mormon and the Church of Jesus Christ are symbolic bannières (banners) for all the nations of the earth.  We feel very blessed to serve as missionaries and in our own way raise a symbolic banner of the church as we wear our missionary badges and represent Jesus Christ in France.  We hope that you will set good examples of our church for other people and prepare to one day raise a symbolic banner as a missionary.

LETTRE VINGT-SIX POUR LE 23 JANVIER 2013

After Centerville received heavy snow fall that closed schools earlier this month, Lyon received a few inches of snow last week which was enough to cancel the flight from Paris to Lyon of our eight new missionaries.  Instead of arriving by plane at 9:00 a.m. they arrived by train at 3:00 p.m.  That may have been a blessing in disguise because their opportunity to rest on the train probably helped them to be more alert the rest of the day.

They still managed to be trained, fed and legalized during their two days in Lyon before heading out with their trainers to assigned cities in France and Switzerland.  Two sisters from the same stake in England joined six elders from the Canary Islands (Spain), Finland, Texas, North Carolina, and Utah.  Fourteen missionaries returned to our Lyon office last Friday with their trainers for their customary follow-up training after serving for six weeks.  Our fourteen zone leaders received training at the office from the Assistants and President Roney on Tuesday of this week to prepare for zone training that they will conduct on Thursday.

Our opportunity to associate with all of these wonderful missionaries greatly outweighs the work of planning meals, buying groceries, Sister Jeppson baking around 220 chocolate chip cookies, setting up and cleaning up.  We also had a chance to take the office elders out for lunch at a “Fish & Chips” place before we lost two of them at the transfer.

In addition to hosting missionaries, we found ourselves in the middle of some extra office activities like overcoming the technical difficulties caused by Orange communications upgrading our internet system and the church missionary department switching from JP Morgan to Bank of America for providing debit cards for the support funds for missionaries.  Our technical support expert at the office, Sister Jeppson, solved the problem of a network printer that didn't work after the internet upgrade by figuring out how to input new codes to the printer system and re-installing the printer to all of our computers when one level of technical support in Salt Lake couldn't solve the problem while the next level followed their usual “respond within 72 hour  schedule”.

There was so much going on at the office, we thought that you ought to finally see a picture of the Lyon Business Centre.  We are on the 2^nd floor.  We were able to get a better picture of the office building recently because old structures which housed a car repair garage and other businesses have been torn down to make way for a new apartment building.

I have had more opportunities to practice my French recently.  I was the intermediary while upgrading our internet system between French speaking technicians at our office and English speaking technicians at the church offices in Salt Lake.  The two groups had different ideas on how to solve technical problems.  Trying to mix language problems with technical computer lingo was an interesting challenge.  I sometimes have opportunities to communicate problems on the phone or by e-mail or letters with various vendors like a phone call yesterday with a representative of EDF, the French government’s electric company that provides electricity to all of our apartments. 

While waiting for Métro (Subway) when we were traveling to church a week ago Sunday, I spoke to a man from the Congo about the gospel and gave him a Book of Mormon.  During sacrament meeting a week ago Sunday, I received a note from a counselor in the bishopric that led to an unexpected opportunity to speak.  Last Sunday, at the request of the High Priest Group Leader, I taught the Priesthood lesson from the new George Albert Smith manual. I will soon have another opportunity to practice speaking French because President Roney recommended that I speak in his place at a fireside the first Sunday in February because he will be out of town.  

NOS PETITS-ENFANTS

Your grandma and grandpa find ourselves doing difficult things outside of our comfort zones like solving technical computer problems, trying to speak and understand the French language and talking to strangers about the gospel.  Your grandmother continues to study the French language every day even though it is hard to understand what people say because they speak so fast, and she only hears the language spoken once a week at church meetings.  Think about how hard it would be to attend church meetings for three hours every Sunday and only understand a few words.  It is okay to try to do hard, worthwhile and righteous things because Heavenly Father will help us through the challenges. Remember the promise found in D & C 84:88:  “…for I will go before your face.  I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.” 

LETTRE VINGT-CINQ POUR LE 6 JANVIER, 2013

The number of this letter happened to fit with the date that I am writing about first.  We awoke on Christmas morning with excitement to open our presents.  Fortunately, we had something to open thanks to Jack, Sherry and Natalie.  They had sent a Christmas package containing wrapped gifts and messages intended to be read and opened during several days leading up to Christmas.  We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas morning by reading each poem, story or saying and opening the present with the corresponding number.  We enjoyed the creativity used by the Pagets to match each gift with the message.  The final message was a beautiful Christmas tree that Natalie had drawn.  The related present was a miniature Christmas tree that we placed in middle of our table.  It became our apartment Christmas tree until New Years Day.  

An artificial Christmas tree was set up and decorated at the office by one of the missionaries with lights and ornaments that were small pictures of each missionary in the France Lyon Mission.  We will remember one of the presents all year because it is a book of daily inspirational church history thoughts entitled, All is Well.

 We enjoyed skyping with most of our family members on Christmas eve or on other days during the holiday season.  Four missionaries came to our apartment on Christmas evening to use our skyping capabilities to communicate for one hour each with their families. We enjoyed hearing the excitement of these encounters with their families from Calgary, Alberta (Stanford); Gresham, Oregon (Hanset); North Salt Lake, Utah (Haiparai-Hansen:  His mother is Tahitian); and Orem, Utah (Kunz).  All of the missionaries in our Lyon Zone gathered at the Ecully chapel for a training meeting on December 27^th led by the zone leaders.   We were sad to miss Abby’s baptism service on December 29^th.

The days leading up to the end of 2012 were packed with a lot of accounting activities and year end journal entries that were completed with Sister Jeppson’s help on New Year’s Eve.  Instead of staying up past 12:00 a.m. our time, we decided to celebrate the arrival of the New Year of 2013 using mountain standard time of 8:00 a.m.  on January 1^st with a breakfast of a croissant stuffed with scrambled eggs and bacon.  Members of the Villeurbanne Ward fixed and served a delicious New Years Day lunch at the ward building for all of the Lyon missionaries.

NOS PETITS-ENFANTS

We were very happy today to attend church meetings for the first time in 2013 beginning at 9:00 a.m. instead of 2:00 p.m.  We switched meeting times with the other ward that meets in our building.  Today, Grandma and I began listening to Histoires Du Livre de Mormon in French while following along with this French version of Stories of the Book of Mormon for children.  As I have mentioned in other letters we also listen to ten pages of the Book of Mormon in English while following along in French.  There are no recordings in French that are available.  This activity helps us to learn from the scriptures and improve our French.  We encourage you to read from the Book of Mormon or Stories of the Book of Mormon every day during 2013 along with Grandma Jeppson and me. This will help the church history saying of All is Well be applicable to all our lives in 2013.

LETTRE VINGT-QUATRE POUR LE 23 DECEMBRE 2012

 We have been blessed to spend the days leading up to Christmas with wonderful experiences with members, missionaries and new converts.

We attended our ward Christmas party on the same day as the Bagley Christmas party.  The French people really know how to celebrate.  They had decorated the room at the church very creatively and set up tables with the name of each person planning to attend.  They served a four course meal and we enjoyed the games, messages and stories that were part of the program.  The party started at 7:00 p.m. and we arrived home at 11:30 p.m.  We sat at a table with a Sister from Ethiopia who joined the church in Australia and an ami (friend) of the church whose family were refugees from Viet Nam during the war.  His father served in the South Vietnamese army and was killed during the fighting.

On Thursday of this past week, we ate lunch at the home of Frère and Soeur Roux.  He is the High Priests Group Leader.  They have been members of the church for sixty years.  He has served in three different temple presidencies at the Swiss Temple.  They have served for six years in total.  He received telephone calls from President Monson on two occasions when the calls to serve were extended.

We attended two baptismal services last weekend.  A man from the Congo, Hadric, who was taught by the sister missionaries was baptized on Saturday and a young woman in her 20’s from Bejing, China, Liu Jing, who was taught by two elders who learned Chinese at the MTC was baptized on Sunday.  The young woman’s baptismal service was conducted in English and was especially inspiring as she bore a powerful testimony after she was baptized explaining her conversion experience.  She described how she was encouraged while growing up to be competitive in sports and other activities in China by focusing fully on achieving and putting down others.  She said the more she selfishly focused on herself at the expense of others the worse she felt.  She said that during this time she felt that there was a small box of light deep inside of her waiting to be opened. She came to Lyon to study French at one of the universities.   When the missionaries contacted her and taught her, the box opened and she felt the light of the Holy Ghost and warmth and love of the Savior and others as she learned the truth and progressed towards baptism.  She expressed her love for the people attending the baptism and we felt the spirit strongly.  

President and Sister Roney, the office elders and the assistants have been planning and preparing for conferences with the missionaries that happened last week.  We worked hard to support them.  Sister Jeppson had communicated to the families of the missionaries to send their Christmas packages to the office.  I kept a record of the receipt of the packages and used every empty shelf space to store them.  If some missionaries did not receive packages, President Roney purchased various small items to wrap to put in large plastic bags for each of them.  Sister Jeppson spent a lot of time helping to wrap everything and put them in the bags.  The office elders and assistants prepared a CD with appropriate Christmas and spiritual music and a DVD with pictures sent in by the missionaries.  We also received just in time liahonas (Ensigns) for November and December and new Debit Cards for each missionary to be administered by a new banking institution.   

Conferences were planned for our seven zones for last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in three locations:  Geneva, Marseille and Toulouse.  Tuesday was a very busy day as we prepared the debit cards and instructions for distribution and organized all of the packages and other items so that the elders could load them into our large mission van.  Four missionaries traveled to Geneva in the mission van on Wednesday morning.  Sister Jeppson and I took the train at 6:30 a.m., (We started the day at 4:00 a.m.) , Wednesday morning to Geneva with another couple and all of the missionaries from the Lyon area.  After a two hour train ride, we caught a tram that arrived at a stop close to the Geneva church building.

The theme of the conference was centered around the Savior and Christmas.  President Roney spoke of the birth of the Savior and His relationship with his mother Mary.  He then spoke of a tender experience when his mother passed away while he was serving in the Toulouse area as a missionary.  Sister Roney spoke about the gifts that the Savior and our Heavenly Father have provided to us.  The assistants are accomplished singers.  They sang Hark the Herald Angels Sing and used that as a theme for their instruction.  President Bonny (the Geneva Stake President) and his wife also addressed us with uplifting messages. 

During lunch the Christmas packages, CDs and DVDs and a surprise, an apron with a new mission logo, were distributed to each missionary.  They enjoyed signing each other’s aprons during lunch and after  conference.  The Geneva Stake Relief Society had organized and served a delicious lunch.  President Bonny distributed a sack to each missionary with a loaf of delicious bread and a chocolate bar.  They became our dinner at the train station before returning by train to Geneva.  Many of the missionaries were in the same train car with us.  I sat across the aisle from a lady that seemed to wonder about who all of these young people were.  I spoke with her about them and their missionary service and purpose and gave her a pass along card.  She is a resident of Geneva.  We returned to Lyon and arrived back in our apartment around 8:00 p.m.

NOS PETITS-ENFANTS

Intermingled in the talks and instruction at the missionary conferences were opportunities to sing Christmas Carols including a portion of the Hallelujah Chorus with a recording of the Tabernacle Choir.  We felt the spirit throughout the meeting, but especially while we sang that song which praises the Savior.  Although we miss our family members, we have felt that there is no better way to spend the Christmas season than being in full-time service for Him whose birth we celebrate.  We hope and pray that you will have a wonderful experience during this Christmas season and encourage you to especially focus on the life and example of Jesus Christ.  Joyeux Noel!        

LETTRE VINGT-TROIS POUR LE 06 DECEMBRE 2012

Last week, our planning for the arrival of fifteen new missionaries on Tuesday, December 4 became complicated because the mission’s nine passenger van was in the shop for body work to repair three  dents in different places that are named after the missionaries that caused them.  We decided to rent a van for three days this week (Monday-Wednesday) so that we could transport luggage and missionaries when needed along with using three other smaller vehicles.  This requirement led to Sister Jeppson and I taking a more prominent role in the activities than usual because rental companies only allow someone who is 25 or older drive a 9 passenger van.  The choices for chauffeur were between President Roney and me. You can guess who was selected.

Elder Gubbay, one of the assistants, located a rental van (Renault Trafic) in St. Etienne, a city about fifty miles southwest of Lyon.  Our adventure began when Sister Jeppson and I caught the 8:00 am train to St. Etienne on Monday morning.  Upon arrival, we walked on icy sidewalks about a half a mile to the car rental office .  It had snowed the night before and was still snowing a little.  We got accustomed to the van and its standard transmission as we drove back to Lyon.  Driving in Lyon in heavy traffic on sometimes narrow streets and parallel parking in small parking spaces on the streets with an automatic transmission compact car can be an interesting experience.  When you consider the added requirement of driving a large 9 passenger standard transmission van, the “interesting experience” level raises dramatically.  Our challenge for Monday afternoon was finding a place to park on the street.  After driving around several blocks several times, we recruited a missionary experienced in parking our mission van to help us.  After I rode with him around several blocks several times, we finally found a parking space.

The next morning we drove to the Saint-Exupéry aeroport in Lyon about thirty minutes away from the office along with two smaller vehicles to meet the new missionaries and load their luggage.  We greeted fifteen missionaries(fourteen elders and one sister) arriving on three different flights from Salt Lake City and Madrid, Spain (MTC for European and Pacific Island missionaries).  These missionaries represent many different countries and cultural backgrounds.  Two elders come from small Islands, Réunion Island near Madagascar and Vanuatua near New Caledonia.  They come from small branches of the church and had only left their islands once to visit the temple.  Two other elders came from Tahiti and New Calendonia, islands in the Pacific Ocean.  A third elder lives in North Salt Lake, but his mother is Tahitian.  Another Elder from Las Vegas was born in China.  Four elders have European ties:  two elders from the Paris, France Mission area, one from Belgium, and one who is American but his family has lived in Germany for several years.  Our lone sister missionary is from Northern British Columbia in Canada.

After loading the luggage, the vehicles traveled to the hotel while the missionaries along with President Roney and the assistants took a train, the Rhone Express, to the railroad station near the hotel.  We arrived at the hotel after being misled by our GPS for a little while.  The missionaries unloaded their luggage and placed it in their rooms.  Then six of the missionaries piled into our van and we drove along with four other vehicles carrying the new missionaries to a Lyon landmark, Fourviere Hill to see the famous cathedral and the view of the city.  Driving up to the top of Fourviere Hill became a new adventure of driving a large van, that just doesn’t belong in a large French city, to the top of the hill on narrow winding roads with sharp turns, stopping on a steep hill and starting up again with the delicate synchronization of clutch, brake pedal and gas pedal and parking in tourist attraction area bustling with people and cars. We found a place to park up on the sidewalk along with a few other vehicles.

After the missionaries enjoyed the view and talked briefly with President Roney, we loaded them into our vehicles and traveled with a better behaved GPS to the Roney home, through a maze of streets, several miles away.  The missionaries valiantly tried to stay awake and alert through playing ping pong, shooting baskets, singing around the piano, chatting, eating Hawaiian Haystacks, financial and legal instructions  and interviews with President Roney,  It was quite late in the evening when our GPS took us and our exhausted passengers back straight to the hotel this time after traveling along the Rhone river for part of the way.  We worried about finding a parking place near the office and our apartment for our large van at 11:00 p.m.  We were amazed and greatly blessed to find one just around the corner from the office.  Our night was not quite over.  Sister Jeppson sent an e-mail message and pictures taken at the airport to the parents before we went to bed at 1:30 a.m.

The missionary trainers who had arrived in Lyon the night before came to the office for breakfast on Wednesday morning while waiting for some of the new missionaries to arrive after meeting with French officials at the Office of Immigration to obtain their legal papers.  We enjoyed again the experience of observing the announcement through a letter read by the new missionary of where they are being assigned and their new colleague.  During lunch, Sister Jeppson took individual pictures of the new missionaries and pictures of the missionary and their colleague.  We then drove our van back to St. Etienne, turned it in and rode the train back to Lyon.  The trainers and their new colleagues traveled to their new locations later in the afternoon.  Sister Jeppson e-mailed the pictures to parents and missionaries this morning.  We were greatly blessed with the guidance, protection, and stamina to fulfill this challenging but rewarding assignment.

NOS PETITS-ENFANTS

During one of our earlier letters, we provided pictures of an old church in Lyon, the St. Jean Cathedral.  We saved some pictures of an old baptismal font located outside of the cathedral, which dates back to 400 A.D., until now because they have special significance for two of our grandchildren:  Abby and Natalie will celebrate their 8 year old birthdays next week.  We feel very sad that we will miss their baptisms and confirmations in January and encourage them to prepare well and have a wonderful experience.  The fonts were very interesting to us because they remind us that the Savior set the example of baptism by immersion, not sprinkling, as the way to baptize.  We are so happy that we belong to the Lord’s true church on the earth today.  We are so blessed to have this knowledge.  Yeah!  Natalie and Abby.