Family forwards and backwards; Talloires

Our Church Week—The Louit Family invited us, the Young Missionaries, Mondul Pho (Cambodia) and Louise (our 80-year old investigator) for a New Year’s meal on our Preparation Day. The Louit family has been inviting Mondul Pho to join them once a month and for about the last 7 years to help him with his French and to have family here while he works away from home. They are so gracious with their dinner invitations.

Anything food-related at the Louit’s home is multi-course dining. Since this was a special New Year’s dinner (at noon to accommodate our missionary hours), we dined over 5 hours of appetizers and appetizers galore followed by endive salad, venison, potatoes, peas and the traditional Gateau de Roi. Even though none of us drink, the traditional table setting of aperitif glasses, water goblet and dessert glasses were set up with non-alcoholic sangrias and punches. Christine out did herself yet again. We didn’t think that was possible after the incredible Christmas meal she served. What is more, we needed the 5 hours to let the previous courses begin to digest just to have room for the next course. We’ll just reiterate, France is not the place to try to diet with all these dinner invitations and multitude of chocolate gifts we keep on receivingJ.

It was so insightful of the Louit Family to invite Louise to join in their New Year’s feast and take her in as friend and family. Like many converts in France, Louise is coming from a Catholic background. And there’s nothing like the support of a Church family as you make that spiritual journey together.

Speaking of Church family, we just welcomed our newest member, Félix into our Church family. He was born 8 Jan and right on time. This is their first Sunday with us since his birth. Everyone was eager to meet the newest Braconnier. He’ll be well-loved as the 8^th addition to their family. He’s as cute as can be and looks very much like his sister in the nose and mouth.

We also had time to look at Anne’s ancestral family today. Without many official records, it can be challenging to fill in some missing holes. But with so many records now on the Internet, including Church records, cemetery records and the like so much can be at our finger tips. Marc loves a good detective-like mystery to solve so we’ll get our heads together to start on researching some possible stones not yet over-turned. Some leads we have are a Google Maps Search to identify a farm that might give us some leads on location and an old convent boarding school long ago closed down; but we have the name so off we go on the search.

For Christmas we got the Louit family and Valerie a DNA testing kit. It’s a bit tricky getting some of that through customs—both the kit and the in-coming test results—as laws vary from country to country. They have been SO good to us and both were just thrilled to have their DNA tested. We never expected such a giddy reaction from both. In France, DNA is not widely used for genealogy. So they are paving the way for their families and are eager to see where their DNA results place them. Marc has helped several families here with their genealogy—he loves it and has equal experience under belt to help on their individual searches.

Marc worked quite a bit this week on emails and administrative items including additional advancements of some of our youth. We had 3 youth advance—one young woman and two young men. Nathaniel turns 12 this year and now advances to the next level in January vs his late November birthday, the “old way”. So now he can pass the Sacrament to Church members and Leo can pass and prepare the Sacrament.

We have a fair amount of health concerns and life-threatening conditions for our small numbers. This week, one more was added to that list. One way too young and with already significant other health concerns. This young father has just been told he needs open-heart surgery this week due to an enlarging aorta. So we are remembering he and his family in extra measure this week. They had to teach their 8 and 11-year old children how to call 911 in case they are ever the ones to find him collapsed on the floor prior to his upcoming surgery. It’s just not what we expect to have to discuss in a very real way with our children. We just never know how to count our blessings of our everyday health we can so easily take for granted. Their family already bears a heavy load with his other (unrelated) life-threatening condition. Mom has been in the process of putting herself through Nursing School so she can support the family if need be. One of her finals is tomorrow; the very day Dad goes for his pre-op consultation. Given the bigger picture, she cannot miss or reschedule her final. We have a wonderfully energetic and supportive Elder’s Quorum President who will drive Dad to Toulouse (2 hrs) for his appointment. Mom will need nerves of steel to concentrate tomorrow and as she has done all this week trying to study for it.

Anyone in the Branch would be glad to take on a portion of what their family is going through. Fortunately, Dad will receive a Priesthood Blessing tonight that all will go well and as planned. A Priesthood Blessing is a special prayer with consecrated oil used for blessing the sick. They are also blessings of comfort and many times promises of miraculous healing.

On Other—the Yellow Vests are growing. Yesterday morning we kept hearing a distant “sound” through our double-paned windows. Sometimes it sounded like music, then voices, then ??? We came over to our windows, threw open the shutters…when what to our wondering eyes did behold?…….easily upwards of 1000 peaceful Yellow Vests demonstrators. We are on the major artery for pedestrians and buses going from the train station, down the street to our left, and to our right toward town and Place Verdun, the main plaza. To our right are the Pyrenees Mountain, one of which we look at each morning to see what brews, weather-wise. Most of the Yellow Vests were on foot, but the lead was on a tractor with four others beating loud and large drums. Some had megaphones in the lead. All the noise seemed to magnify the numbers, until we started counting and found they were plenty despite the noise. Some had protest signs; most carried noise makers—large cow bells which have a surprisingly loud and distinct ring, ram’s horns and other clanking and reverberating noise makers. Then proceeded the crowds…..by the HUNDREDS. HUNDREDS and HUNDREDS. They just kept coming and coming and COMING. The tail, about 30 minutes later, had a chant they were singing back and forth. Many were motioning us to come down and join them.

We couldn’t see the backed up traffic, but several buses use our street so we know that is why the street was used. It was a disruption to traffic, people’s routines and they brought the desired attention to themselves just as they desired. This was 11^th week of demonstrating. The anger has died down; but the movement has not. The organizers seem…well, organized. That’s not always been a strong point on previous “revolutionary-type” movements historically in France: certainly not in Paris a few weeks ago. Our town plaza has a “booth” where you can ask questions, air your complaints, join the cause and register. These demonstrations through town have to be registered with the Prefecture. We’re not quite sure why or what went “amiss” in the Paris demonstrations in terms of registering. The platform of their disputes seems to be expanding beyond the initial gas-hike tax.

We travel next week. Between the Young Missionaries and ourselves, we’ll put in upwards of 30 hours of travel. We just saw the Missionaries travel itinerary tonight; it might prove to be more. We’ll see by week’s end. It’s a BIG country and we stretch the entire southern East-West band of France and into French-speaking Switzerland.

We’ll have our second Apostle, Neil A Anderson visit us. That’s a rare occasion since Elder Quentin Cook was just here. Elder Anderson will meet with the missionaries in our Zone and the neighboring Zone and they’ll satellite broadcast to the rest of the Mission. He served his Mission for 2 years as a Young Missionary here and then was a Mission President for 3 years and when his family was young. Then, it was the Bordeaux, France Mission. It must be thrilling for him to see the growth he has been able to witness in France personally over these last few decades. He will also meet with our Stake, so we wait with baited breath to see what changes may be in store for us. We are a large geographic area so it would not be surprising to see modifications to ease up on some of the inherent challenges that brings. We’ll know soon enough.

Town of the week: Talloires—on our trip to Switzerland some months ago, we passed through Talloires. Hence some of the left-over fall leaves. This is a resort town of the 1800s with roots and buildings from the Middle Ages. It’s located in the mountainous region surrounding Lake Annecy. Marc spent time here in High School and we’ve visited this region on several other trips over the years. When Marc was studying French in Annecy one day, an old lady out in town invited Marc and two of his Swedish friends to tea in Talloires (herbal tea for Marc). Marc and his friends made the trip around the large lake to Talloires where she entertained them. It was a fun experience and an opportunity to see the town of Talloires for the first time. It’s a beautiful jewel of a town lost in time. Mostly, it’s scenic, peaceful and fills us up…..no matter the time or the season.

A la prochaine.

A kind family invited the missionaries and an investigator names Louise to a New Years meal

That's non-alcoholic sangria!

and gâteau des rois cake with a hidden prize in some piece

Elder Scharman had the special piece of the cake making him King

Elder Scharman's prize and crown

Elder Gardner goofing around

Sea of fog settling in on Tarbes; Pyrenees in background; rain above. Altitude makes a difference!

Old-style French car

Tarbes

Catholic Church, Tarbes, still displaying its manger at the altar

One of the Catholic Churches in Tarbes

This Church sign says:
''It is possible that upon entering this church you may receive a call from God. On the other hand, it is less likely that he will contact you by telephone. Please turn off your phone."

Tarbes....this week, back to sunny

The carts here have all 4 wheels on a swivel, so when pushing them they float, drift, careen and go everywhere except where you'd like it to go. They require a lot of strength to keep them straight. Sometimes it's just easier to push them side ways: they behave much better