Week of 8 November 2009

One can’t have too many pix of Mt Blanc, courtesy of Sis Jones


“We’ll find the place” (somehow): We went to Lausanne for their stake conference. In trying to save 3 minutes travel time, we took a route I’d printed out from Google maps, which gives instructions according to street names. Unfortunately, most Swiss cities do not post their street names on signs, except very sporadically on the sides of buildings – usually after a block or two of travel. Thus, instead of arriving 30 minutes early, we got lost. Fortunately, we had a GPS that we could plug in. It took us to the convention center. Unfortunately, the parking required a ticket and payment of a fee, but I’d not brought any Swiss money. Fortunately, after driving around for a few more blocks, we found a very narrow alley with a free parking spot. I had to let Dede out of the car and turn it around in order to fit within the blue lines and not get side-swiped by passing vehicles. The passenger door was right up against a wall. Fortunately, it was not raining, and after a 5-6 minute hike, we found the correct door to the building. I’m not sure which of these were the tender mercies, but we did arrive with 3 minutes to spare. A children’s Primary choir stood reverently on the podium and opened the meeting with a song translated into French “Love is Spoken Here.” We had tears in our eyes. Scattered thru the congregation were most of our young single adults, several of whom were acting as ushers,. President Maerki emphasized a vision of building Zion within the Lausanne stake. I wondered if by any chance my Mom were able to witness the proceedings and the size of the congregation from her side of the veil.

The second granddaughter is on her way (or else!): Monday morning, when we checked our emails, we found a request from Allie to fast, asking Heavenly Father to allow her to go into labor today, since her parents need to return to Texas Wednesday, and Dede’s sister Connie won’t be able to come help her with the baby if it isn’t born this week. We decided to fast all day, starting immediately with a prayer. Then, we got a phone call from Dr. Dye (the European physician who takes care of missionaries from Frankfurt) who shared 4 different exercises I should do as “preventive maintenance” for my back. I decided to begin Tuesday.

It’s not just puppies who are glad to see you: When we walked into the French class for Spanish speakers that evening, the Montoya/Bustamante sisters Nelly and Rosa, who had been baptized about 6 weeks earlier, jumped up and rushed to Dede to give her hugs and kisses; their smiles and the joy in their eyes were indescribable. We can only hope to qualify for a comparable joyous reunion with our loved ones on the other side of the veil. The love we felt from the sisters makes us want to strive hard to be valiant so we can be worthy of such future joy!

New callings bring new enthusiasm: At Tuesday’s Rive Gauche ward correlation council, we were quite impressed with the enthusiastic efforts of both Sonia (Single Adult Rep) and Margareth (Young SA Rep) to organize and plan activities for their groups. Their spirit will be felt by others in the ward and will do much to build a stronger sense of unity and belonging, where every individual feels welcome and valued.

Enlarge this pix to read gifts that a mother gives her child


Abigail arrives: We got a call from Jeff, who told us that Abigail came on her own Tuesday afternoon. The fasting may not have done the trick, but Jeff and Allie were thankful for it and also for our missionary service, that they feel brings tender mercies to them. Several miracles were associated with this event: Allie was able to deliver naturally, without a Caesarian; labor was not too bad once it finally began; the baby came the day it had to in order for Mom and Dad Sparks to be able to see 6 lb-7 oz Abby before having to return to Texas; mom and baby Abby are doing just fine; Connie arrives the next day to help the family.

Hinmans, Afton Beutler, and the Doyles at the UN Quilt Exhibit


A Halloween incident: In Elder Doyle’s Wednesday French class, we read a news report about a fellow dressed up for Halloween as an alcohol breathalyzer who was arrested in Ohio for: a false ID card (drivers’ license?), driving the wrong way on a one-way street, failing the police’s alcohol breathalyzer test (being over the legal limit for blood alcohol), and having beer in his car when he is too young to legally possess it.













Sister Hinman demonstrates the African version of the game “Chutes & Ladders”

Quilts that care: Thursday we went to the United Nations for a special quilt exhibit in support of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Probably 150 people attended. A tender mercy was that in the rain, we had not found a parking spot, so drove up to the main gate. The car in front of us was turned away, had to back up and leave. I thought the same thing would certainly happen to us, but Dede encouraged me to pull forward and show the guard our printed invitation. I don’t know if it was the invitation, or his seeing our name tags (and perhaps not realizing they didn’t mean we were VIPs but simply LDS missionaries), or just a tender mercy, but whatever it was, he directed us to park right next to the gate. There were about 30 quilts, beautifully displayed, with descriptions and information regarding the efforts of the UN Global Fund to help reduce childhood mortality in the third world due to those diseases, where about 10 million die before age 5 each year (about 1000 per hour). Amazingly, in the island country of Zanzibar (off the coast of Tanzania), childhood mortality due to malaria has been reduced by more than 50% in the last few years due to the use of treated mosquito netting, vaccinations, and other measures.





Helping Hands


Ready for baptism

Our mission is certainly international: At a baptismal service Saturday, a new elder (from the state of Georgia), who has been in Switzerland for only 3 weeks, spoke in French about the importance of baptism, while Elder Bergia, who is from Paris, translated the message into English for the two African converts from Tanzania. On returning home and getting some gas for the car and some groceries, we ended the week with a fine perch dinner at Restaurant Beaucaire.



Beaucaire’s Chef and his daughter, our waitress