Week of 11 October 2009

The world is indeed small: Between Sunday School and the priesthood/relief society meetings, we met a couple in the hallway at church. The girl was from BYU, here on an internship at the UN. Nick, a marine, was a guard whom she had met and asked if he could help her get to church. He’s not a member, but seemed to enjoy the meetings. As we chatted, we learned that he was from Portland, and more specifically Oregon City, having graduated a couple of years ago from the very same high school where I’d graduated in 1961. He also knew some of Dan Bean’s kids – specifically Aaron and Stephanie, and had been in their home (Mom’s home at 818 Promontory Ave). And he used to fish and float down the Clackamas River from Carver! Perhaps it was well not to have learned he isn’t a member, else I might have tried to pressure him to take the lessons immediately. I really hope we see him again soon. That evening, a real high point was our getting to speak with Rob, Crystal, Jeff, Allie and Emma in a single phone call. Rob and Crystal had driven 7 hours to spend the weekend in N Carolina. Crystal had taken a whole bunch of exams and turned in her projects the prior week. That might not seem like a tender mercy, but she had to fly to Utah for the better part of a week for her grandfather’s funeral, and this past week was essentially free of either tests or homework assignments, allowing her to go without worrying about school.

A Zoroastrian in Geneva: During Spanish Family Home Evening on Monday, I had occasion to peak with Amir, a fellow from Iran whose religious background is Zoroastrian. Apparently, the group is quite persecuted in Iran, which has led many to become refugees in Europe. He commented how he feels a warm and good spirit when he comes to the Center or when he attends church (he also attended the satellite broadcast of general conference last Sunday). He said that such a feeling is important, rather than just learning about theoretical religious doctrines. He said he appreciates the inclusiveness of the people – especially here in Geneva, many cultures are represented among our members. He also was astounded that the missionaries pay their own way and receive no compensation from the Church. He mentioned that when he told his “group” of Zoroaster followers in Germany that he was interested in the Church and was considering baptism, they sent their leader down to Switzerland to try to hold onto him. They met in Zurich last week. He told me that the man sternly lectured him for about an hour, but that when Amir was allowed to speak and was able to share some of the things he had learned and his feelings about them, the man relented and even responded that they had to conclude their conversation “lest you persuade me that I ought to consider becoming a Mormon.”

Jumping frog legs: Thursday evening, we took the young missionary Sisters Ness and Pettitfils to our local French restaurant, “Le Beaucaire,” partly because the village of Beaucaire is in the Avignon region of southern France, where Sister P is from (a legend from the 1200’s –Wikipedia- says that a dragon used to come up out of the Rhone River and snatch people for dinner, and that a serious problem was that the dragon was impossible to slay because it was invisible – check out the details if you’d like!). There are only four or five main items on their menu, but we like them – and we like their cold water and the good service.



Dinner at Beaucaire





Sister P had steak, Dede and I had chicken and mushrooms, and Sister Ness was adventurous enough to try their frog legs plate. She enjoyed the flavor and the experience, but was surprised that the legs in many cases were still attached to the spine, which made it look like what was left of the creature might still be able to jump or swim. Friday, Flor, a lady from Columbia, prepared a delicious chicken dinner for the sisters and us, which we shared around her 3 ft-square dining table.


This frog almost got away







We’re here, but where are the Young Single Adults?







Even with a map, it’s easy to get lost:
Saturday morning, we got up early so we could drive to the young single adult annual campout in the hills above the village of Moudon, northeast of Lausanne, about 40 miles away. Although we had printed out directions to get to the village, we had no idea where the Boy Scout cabins might be where the YSA were staying. We arrived at the village square by 9 am, and fortunately saw that their office of tourism was across the street. It had just opened for the day, so we were able to get a map of the local area, but unfortunately, the young lady there had no idea either where the cabins might be. Indications on the map suggested a couple of places at the edge of forested areas where camping might occur,



These Boy Scout cabins look just like those in Toledo, Ohio




so off we went up the rather steep hillside, winding around a less-than one lane road. We were able to locate both sites, separated by a beautiful drive thru one of the forests, but neither had any evidence of 34 single adults camping there. Finally around 10 am, from a trail near the middle of the forest, we called Eric’s cell phone. He didn’t know how to tell us how to get to their cabins, but asked us where we were and said he’d send his friend Serge to look for us. We thought it wise to get back to a paved road, and to our amazement, encountered Serge at a sharp bend in one of the roads leading back down the hill. He led us to their cabins, and we arrived just as the group was ready to begin their morning class. We were impressed that three girls had come from Paris for the weekend, one had come from Beaufort (somewhere near Colmar), and Doria (Dijon's institute instructor) had brought four young adults from Dijon – about 2 ½ hours west. Our refugee friend Lam from the Ivory Coast was also here. After the lesson, everyone pitched in, either to haul brush or logs for firewood out of the surrounding forest for an evening bonfire, or to clean up the site by picking up trash or mowing the grass, or by helping prepare the noon meal. Temperatures were probably in the low 40’s, but it was sunny.



I can’t believe it takes 4 guys and a supervisor to cut one log;
we sisters could do much better

















Dinner is served After a wonderful spaghetti bolognaise lunch prepared by the young adults, we headed back to Geneva, since we’d been invited for dinner that evening by the Bustamante family. Their apartment is also so small that guests have no place to sit, so they met us at the Institute building, where they prepared a “typical Peruvian dinner” for us and for Elders Zarate and Escalona. We can hardly imagine the joy it has been to associate with such kind people this week. We hope the Lord blesses them for their generosity and for the love they radiate to others.



The Bustamante-Montoya family
treats us to dinner