Hail ? In July?

New Mission President—This week our new Mission President, Christophe and Isabelle Giraud-Carrier, and their 2 youngest children arrived in France. Their assignment will be for 3 years. Even though they arrived fresh from Provo, Utah where he taught at BYU, they both have French roots. The Giraud-Carrier couple have 8 children and are an accomplished family in both directions—ancestors and descendants. Three of their children are married and with children and four of them have served missions and one is currently on a mission in Washington, DC French-speaking. The couple have been instrumental in the growth of the LDS Church in France for more than one generation and Christophe’s father and mother (Girard and Annie Giraud-Carrier) are the new Temple President and Matron for the now one-year old temple in Paris, France.

Here is a link to a short video of the inside of the Paris Temple with some beautifully sung music by a female vocalist who served here in the France, Lyon Mission.

Click here to watch the Paris Temple video

Hail ??—Yes, in Tarbes and in July. And what a storm! Thunderstorms were predicted; but this was in an entirely different category than what either one of us has ever experienced. Meg grew up on the East Coast where humidity plays a big part in summer thunderstorms. Often we had heat lightning which lit up the whole sky at once and of course “ordinary” lightning bolts. When we were little (probably to lessen the fear of the loud thunderous crashing and the sudden striking of lightning) we grew up hearing that thunder was the devil bowling his bowling ball down the alley to the bowling ball pins and the lightning was when an angel had a strike…and of course the angels always won. As children, we couldn’t wait for the lightning!

We’re not sure if the storm we had this week was atypical to Tarbes or the Pyrenees; but it sure got our attention! Everything seemed pronounced. The loudness of the thunder was like nothing we have experienced and it just rumbled and rumbled and RUMBLED some more. Then the lightning would crack, once getting a reaction from the 4 of us (ourselves and the young missionaries). Out of the blue hail started pelting down. It was huge, about 1 inch in diameter and a few the sizes of a golf ball. We were afraid the car roof would get dented it was coming down so fast and furious that we pulled under a covered area.

We all got out and watched the hail….just like little kids. The water was gushing down the sides of the road fast as it could go with large ice balls hitting it with a huge KERPLUNK. It looked like fish jumping up to catch flies. One hail ball hit Marc’s leg and stung quite a bit.

Prior to our storm, the heat and the humidity were just unbearable. After the thunder, lightning and hail stopped, the Elders turned and looked at us and both almost simultaneously asked if they could go out and just run in the downpour of rain. They said they were SO hot all day long and they couldn’t cool down. We held their book bags and watched them leap and frolic, jumping into puddles and circling back for shelter. Their suit pants and shoes were drenched in all of 45 seconds. But they said it felt SO good. There I was pulled back to childhood days when all the neighborhood children would run into the house pleading with Moms and Dads to get on their bathing suits to play in the summer rain just as soon as we got the “all clear” from the Moms and Dads that the thunder and lightning had stopped. It could have been yesterday.

Sumner Couple—This week we finally got to see the Sumner couple again. The first time we met with them was in Salt Lake City just prior to Christmas and prior to both of us slated to come to Lyon just a few days apart. They were to arrive first. But hours before they were to board their plane, Janet had a stroke. It’s hard to call such a challenge and change of plans a mixed blessing.

The Lord was already in the details as devastating as it was: for some “odd reason” their flight was scheduled the day after the main group. Had it been with the rest of the group, it’s not a big step at all to have our minds wandering….what if they were at higher altitudes or….what if they were on a lay-over or…..far from a hospital? Needless to say, a stroke can be devastating; but considering the timing, we can’t help but see and acknowledge the Lord’s hand in the details of our lives.

On this trip, the Sumner couple met with our new Mission President here and will recommence upon their return to submit their mission papers in hopes to finish what they began in the Lyon, France Mission. So we all wait with baited breath to see where they will serve next. They have tremendous faith, trust and a calm expressing they will accept whichever assignment they are given. What great examples!

In the meantime, we were the benefactors and spent some very nice days with them getting to know “Park Avenue” and the Natural History Museum in Toulouse and see some absolutely beautiful and stunning vistas in the Pyrenees Mountains together. We shared stories and insights, lessons learned and dreams not yet lived over French baguettes, French cheese…..and Italian ravioliJ.

The Sumner couple have an attachment and love of and for France. Wayne served his first mission here as a young Elder. Through their married life, Wayne made many business trips here to France. Then they came to the Paris Temple Open House to help guide visitors through the Temple before its dedication. And on Sunday Wayne spoke at Church sharing their faith-promoting experiences at the Paris Temple and since he loves to play the piano, he played the Prelude, Postlude and Sacrament hymns for us this week for our Branch. The second speaker. our former Branch President, just returned from the Paris Temple where he and his wife served in the Paris for 2 weeks. He spoke on Temples. Coincidence that both speakers from different parts of the world spoke on Temples? One planned months in advance and the other an impromptu speaker from thousands of miles away and half-way around the globe who happened to serve with his wife in the Paris Temple a year prior? We think not. And as one of our hymns states, "I Stand All Amazed". We just marvel continually how the Lord provides and blesses the Tarbes Branch.

Over the years, Janet served as Primary President twice over, Relief Society President and Young Women's. So she brought an amazing, already built-in strength. Oh how they could bless France, or wherever they are called to serve.

A la prochaine.