Almost Two Months Gone By Already!

Here we are almost the middle of May!  It's been 3 or 4 weeks since I last wrote.  I know we've done stuff, but I'm not sure I'll be able to remember what.

At last report, I had just received approval to rent an apartment (rue Roland) in Villefranche.  As of today, we still don't have the rental agreement from the realtor on that one.  But we did sign up three leases last Friday (my first ones) in Toulouse, Carcassonne and Cannes.  I have about 6 more in the hopper, and I have a list of more than 20 others that I need to find.  It's a slow process.

We had one in Nice proposed by a friend of a member, but it did not meet our criteria.  That's tough, because we could really use help from the members, but they don't always understand when we can't use what they bring us.

As hard as it is to find them, we also have problems with the ones we already have.  Recently we received a formal complaint from a neighbor of our sisters in Toulouse.  Seems he doesn't like how early they wake up and start flushing toilets, taking showers, exercising, etc.  His letter is laced with negative stuff about the Church, accusing the sisters of turning the apartment into a convent.  "There are places for that kind of thing!" he says.  We don't know how that little drama will end.

We've just passed through the slow weeks of the 6-week transfer cycle.  We'll soon start over with a new cycle, where the first two or three weeks create full-blown chaos in the office.  Then, six weeks later, we lose Elder Kunz and I will be truly on my own.  Even Elder Manwaring (Mom's trainer) is starting to intimate that he could be transferred.  That really scares Sister Kennard.  But to prepare us, they both have spent the last week or two mostly absent from the office, so we've been forced to carry on without them.  But we both have some back-logged items that we can't complete without their help.

We've had a couple of interesting P-days since our last report, and one kind of traumatic one.  First, we went to Old Lyon for some photo-taking.  That was fun, and we ran into the local stake president who was there with President Uchtdorf's son.  Suzanne immediately made friends with the Stk Pres' wife, since they're both photographers.

A photo of the Rhône River, taken on one of my early morning runs.

Then, we had a weekend when our power was out.  Seems our apartment was not on the master contract for electricity, so the bills were not being paid.  EDF (the electric company) thought the apt was vacant, so they cut the power without any warning.  We had to take temporary shelter in a spare apt for three days, displacing the "hospital' elders (two with health issues).  Elders Manwaring and Kunz earned Mom's eternal gratitude (again!) for the way they cleaned the apt for us.  But even with the relative convenience of the alternate housing, the weekend was full of stress.

This weekend, we drove east of Lyon to visit a medieval village, Pérouges.  It was relaxing and fun.  The village was full of interesting things to photo, and the distraction re-charged our batteries.

One of the many cobbled streets of Pérouges.

Below, are three buildings with distinct architecture.  Then, on closer inspection, I found a little gargoyle attached to the wall separating the building on the right from the one in the center.  Curious!  See the close-up that follows.

This statue of Saint George, slaying a dragon, is in the church at Pérouges.  The village's crest also bears the image of a dragon.

Today, Mothers Day, we're hosting some sister missionaries, so they can skype their mothers.

Here are two photos of flowers for Suzanne and all the mothers in the family for Mothers Day.  Love, Papa Duck.

We also received callings in the local ward Today.  Mom will be a teacher in the nursery - she's very happy about that!  I will be a teacher in the Gospel Essentials class.  I think I'll enjoy that.  I've done it before, but this will be a different situation from a ward in Utah.  The bishop also asked me to help coordinate his efforts to locate about 200 lost members.  That's going to be a long project, and it will involve the other missionaries and also many of the members.

When Bishop Léporé set Suzanne apart to her calling, he blessed her that she will have a "gift to see the children as God sees them."  It struck me that she already has this "gift to see."  She sees in her photography, not just windows and flowers, but especially children.  She really sees them, and captures their joy and goodness.  She will be fantastic in this new calling.  Her partner is a very nice local member from New Caledonia, a French possession in the South Pacific.  They're going to love each other like sisters.

Finally, as you may know, we have suspended our effort to avoid wheat and its products.  It's too hard for us to completely avoid wheat, and trying to do it half-way would drive us nuts.  So, we're making the best of it, and enjoying all the different kinds of wonderful bread products available in France.  For example, these "pains de campagne" (country breads) were sitting in a window in Pérouges, letting the yeast rise before going into the oven.  Looks yummy!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Report for Week 3

It's only been less than a week since our last report, but somehow we've just passed our first month-iversary.  Yikes! I guess, I forgot to count the week-&-half at the MTC.

I already reported on our trip into the country last Saturday.  The next day was a special meeting of all the Lyon wards to divide them (three) into four.  Three new bishops were sustained.  It was a good meeting.  I was amazed at how many members there are in Lyon (compared to my earlier mission)!  Elder Roney told of a Spaniard who was befriended by a member lady from Lyon while she was on vacation in Montpelier (southern part of our mission).  She invited the guy to church and gave him a Book of Mormon.  But the Montpelier missionaries lost contact with him when he went back to Spain.  A year later, one of the Montpelier sister missionaries was in Geneva and ran into the Spaniard at the train station.  He was returning from the Swiss Temple where he had been doing baptisms.  Pretty cool!

On Monday, Mom and I drove to Villefranche sur Saône (about 25-30 Km north of Lyon) to look at some apartments.  Villefranche is part of the newest ward out of Lyon, and the mission wants to put two elders in this little town.  So, we need to find them an apartment.  It's a cute little town, and the apartments we looked at are right in the center.  One was terrible!  It gave us an idea of what the low end of the spectrum looks like.  The other (St. Joseph) was tolerable.  Large bedroom, living room, medium quality kitchen, tiny bathroom/toilet.  I am so desperate to find my first apartment, that Elder Kunz and I lobbied pretty hard for the one on St. Joseph.  Elder Clark helped temper our enthusiasm by asking us to get more pictures of the bathroom, and to make sure all the appliances could be hooked up and would fit.  So, reluctantly, Kunz and I agreed to go back to Villefranche on Thursday for another look, and to check out some more choices.  [The photo is of the main cathedral in the center of Villefranche - near where we're looking for an apartment.]

We have leads in other cities, where missionaries or members are doing the site visits.  But we can't get them approved without lots of pictures, and a completed checklist with answers that satisfy Elder Clark.  It takes time and lots of back and forth, so we haven't had any approved since our arrival.

Meanwhile, this week was transfer week, with close to 20 missionaries going home, and 9 new ones coming out.  Plus all of their companions in the office, since none of the young missionaries can ever go anywhere alone.  Suzanne has been busy buying train tickets for everyone.  The office is in chaos with all the missionaries milling about, eating, and renewing friendships with old companions, telling exaggerated war stories, etc., etc.

Today (Thursday) Elder Kunz and I went back to Villefranche and looked at 3 more apartments.  We were unable to get the key to St. Joseph.  The first apartment had possibilities, but was about to be renovated.  In theory, it would be perfect with all the improvements, but we would never get Elder Clark's approval on the speculation of what it might look like a month from now.  The next one (rue Roland) was very nice!  Hooray!  It leap-frogged ahead of St. Joseph on our list.  Then we saw one twice as big for less money.  The reasons for the "bargain" price were obvious before we got through the front gate, and at every turn throughout.  It looked like the set for a horror movie.  So, now we have a couple of examples of the low end of the spectrum.  We came back to the office, showed the pictures and the checklist to Elder Clark, and he approved the apt on Roland!  Happy Day!  Later that day, he also approved one in Toulouse that was scouted by another senior couple.  Finally, we're starting to check off some new apartment needs from our list.

Above: an old dovecote (pigeon tower) in a private back yard.  Below: I took these lilacs for Suzanne, in memory of her mother.

This is the private home where the lilacs were growing.

This is the cool-looking train station ("gare") near the center of Villefranche.

Tonight, we had supper with President and Sister Roney at a nice restaurant in the middle of Lyon.  We walked there with the Clarks.  Well, they do a lot of walking, so we tagged along behind them, trying to catch up whenever they got stopped at a traffic light.  The steak and fries were very good.  The entertainment was watching the quantity of food that a couple of the elders could eat!  On the way home, we decided to take the Metro.  That cut our walking distance by probably 80%.  And it gave us our initiation to the Metro, so we know how it works and can use it to go to Church or to see things on our P-day.

Report for Week Two

Our second week consisted of more training in our jobs at the office.  Mom is buying train tickets for all the missionaries who will be moving around the mission next week for transfers.  It's mind-boggling!  I've been looking for apartments.  I've identified possibilities in 4 or 5 cities, but haven't actually had a site visit yet.  Next Monday, Suzanne and I will do our first site visits in Villefranche sur Saône.  Meanwhile, I'm arranging for missionaries in the other cities to visit the prospective sites in those cities.  I send them a checklist of criteria and problems to look out for.  They fill out the form during the visit and take lots of pictures.  Then we will consult and decide if any of the apts look promising.  From there, I have to get approval from the other office elder and maybe the Mission President, before we can tell the realtor to prepare a contract.  So, I've done a lot of research and correspondence, but I have yet to score my first done-deal.

In addition to travel tickets, Suzanne is also arranging for people to come in to Lyon for their periodic visits with the police to keep their residency permits current.  (We call this "legality.")  We may have her also help with ordering supplies, since it does not require much French.  But, so far, I've been doing that because my trainer Elder Kunz had that portfolio, and Mom's trainer Elder Manwaring has been keeping her swamped with the travel and legality.  Kunz and I did an inventory of supplies in the office, and found Books of Mormon in 103 languages!

On Thursday we hooked up our Magic Jack and were able to call (and receive calls) anywhere in the USA with our old landline phone number.  (801-523-8146.)  That made Suzanne happy!

On Friday President Roney came into the office for a planning meeting to make sure everything was lined up for next week's transfers.  What a major operation that is!  I had no idea.

So, the week flew by.  We still feel very much like greenies, and inadequate in our assignments.  For P-Day Saturday ("Preparation Day") we decided to drive out into the country to see if we could photo some French quaintness.  Driving is not for the faint-hearted.  It was supposed to relax us, but the driving tends to wind the tension tighter.  The plan was to go to Thizy-les-Bourgs (about 73 Km from our apt.), where there is a cluster of little villages that should offer some photogenic charm.  The drive was so stressful, with traffic, not knowing the way, being confused by the GPS,  inadequate air conditioning in the car, and Suzanne’s difficulty with winding roads (especially when she has to read the GPS instead of looking out the window), that we turned off the road at Chåtillon sur l’Azergues to stretch our legs and see what we could find.  It was quaint enough, so we snapped off some photos.

When we were refreshed a little, we pushed on toward the original goal.  A couple of missed turns, with the GPS correcting us, the car too hot, and the roads too winding, and we were getting to the end of our patience.  Just then we saw a sign for Thizy 35 Km!  We weren’t even half-way, and I knew we had not yet come to the really RURAL roads.  Suzanne said “turn around.”  I knew better than to insist on ploughing on.  So, we did demi-tour, re-set the GPS for home and started back.  We stopped once at Chessy, which we had seen on the way out, for a photo of the beautiful yellow flowers and the chåteau, below.  (Plus another interesting dwelling on the other side of the road.)

From there, we stopped at Lozanne (about 20 Km from Lyon) for some lunch.  We found an inviting pizza restaurant, with outdoor seating on a shaded patio.  The pizzas were good, and refreshed us.  At the next table was a family with a cute little girl.  Suzanne composed a sentence in French and asked me if it would work, I approved.  When I got the attention of the father and said my wife had a question for him, she asked, “Would you like me to take a photo of your daughter and send it to you by email?”  The man and woman said "Yes," so Mom took then to an isolated corner of the patio and did a quick photo shoot.  No translator.  Just her and them.  I don’t know if she used English, French, gestures or all of the above, but she seemed to do just fine.

We then drove home with only minor mix-ups, and ignoring the GPS that had somehow re-set itself for Lyon city center, instead of our house.  After a stressful day on the road, we're ready for the safety of the office!

Report for Week One

So much has happened!  We're learning our jobs, but they are complex, and we seem to be learning little pieces bit by bit.  So far, we've had the office elders to back us up.  What's going to happen when we are the last resort?  I shudder to think!

I'm going to attach a few photos.  They don't tell the whole story of our week, but they give a flavor.

This is the front door of the building where our office is located.  Usually there are people standing in the shade of the entry smoking (since that's where the ash trays are located).  The office is on the 2nd floor, namely two flights up.  The French count the ground floor as # 0 (rez de chaussee - level of walking), next level up = 1st floor; 2nd level up = 2nd floor.  When you think of it that way, they're the logical ones, and we're the crazies!  Besides, it doesn't seem as far to climb when it's only the 2nd floor, instead of the third; although we do have an elevator.

This is the bedroom of our first (temporary) apartment, almost next-door to the office.  Our permanent apartment was not ready when we arrived, and much of our first week was occupied in helping the elders get it furnished (with Ikea stuff), and assembling the various pieces.  The photo below is the bathroom of the first apartment.  Our new apartment has a bigger bathroom (with a tub), but the bedroom is about the same.  The toilet in each case is in its own little closet, not in the bathroom with the sink & bath/shower.

Our new apartment is in the building on the left.  We're on the 1st floor (one floor up), and you can see part of our little balcony at the corner.  Our living room, kitchen & bedroom windows are the next three windows visible above the red/blue no parking sign.  It's been handy having that sign right there, so that the parking space is always open when the elders deliver stuff to us.

This is our car.  We have a garage in the basement of our building, and the car sits there most of the time.  Finding parking spots is tough, even with such a small car.  Mostly we walk.  We followed the elders to Ikea one day, and we went for a ride yesterday (Sat. 4/5).  The car has a built-in GPS, so we haven't used the one Ashley gave us yet, but I may use it when I go walking or jogging.  Even with the GPS, I've still managed to take a few extra turns getting places.  Mom is SO patient with me!  

On my first early morning walk, I came to this view: Ave. Saxe, looking toward the Rhône River.  Straight ahead in foreground is the Ancien Hôtel Dieu (the old hospital); on the hill, center is the biggest cathedral in Lyon, Notre Dame de Fouvière.  I don't know what the significance is of the Eiffel Tower replica.  Also on the right, in front of the hospital is a carousel dedicated to Jules Verne (scenes from many of his novels).

An open-air market about 10 minutes from our new apartment.  It operates every Saturday and Wednesday.

Below is a shot of a skate park (half-pipe) near the river.  The graffiti here is almost "art" vs. most of the graffiti we see everywhere we turn.

The next few pictures are of churches, with some close-ups of their doorways:

Protestant church 15 minutes walk along the river from our apartment

The words carved above the door are: "I am the way, the truth and the life; No one comes near to the Father except through Me."

Same church building.  The words read:  "The heavens and the earth will pass away; My words will not pass at all."

Yesterday, we were going to Écully (western suburb of Lyon) for a baptism, which required the car.  So, we left early in order to drive out into the country in search of some quaint little village.  I found Brindas on the Internet, and it looked promising for its age, and for the fact that it is the summer vacation village for Guignol (of puppet fame).  It has a bit of ancient stuff, mixed in with more modern.  Here's the church in the main town square.

Above the church door is this carving depicting the message:  "Feed my sheep."

From there, we drove back toward Lyon in search of the chapel at Écully.  The GPS did not recognize the address, so I typed in the closest thing.  GPS led us to a dead-end!  We finally found the chapel just in time for the baptism.

The black fellow in the middle was baptized that day.  His name is "Promise."  He speaks English since he's from Nigeria, so the meeting was in English, with translations for the French speakers.  A sister Carter gave the talk on baptism, using the young man's name (Promise) as her theme, connecting it to the promises he makes at baptism, and the promises God makes in return.  It was very effective.  There were quite a few missionaries and local members present, and a very sweet spirit.

We then drove home with only a couple of wrong turns, and went to the office where we listened to the first session of conference (from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.), while Adam fixed our two laptops through his remote connection.  Amazing.

We've just finished listening to the Sat. afternoon session.  (It's Sunday 2:00 p.m.).  I don't know how may more sessions we'll be able to get before bed time.

Love, Dad & Mom