Week 5 in France

This past week we were on the afternoon schedule, which gave us time in the mornings to go for walks, do some shopping, and study French together.  However, it also meant we walked home in the cold, dark evenings.  The other senior missionary couples either live much closer or in the temple on-site housing, and they think it a hardship for us to have to walk so far.  We, however, enjoy the time walking and talking together, and we enjoy the beautiful scenery and the many French families out walking and riding bikes.  Janet's phone counts her steps, and so she knows she gets her 10,000 steps each day walking back and forth to and from the temple.  She knows she takes many steps in the temple, too, but can't take her phone there to count them. Here's a picture of Janet walking towards the Versailles gate called St. Antoine's gate.                                                                         

Since it was taken in the dark, the image is a little fuzzy, but you can still see the light directly above the arch, which I like to think of as the Angel Moroni! The bright light in front of the arch is a bicyclist coming toward us.  You can see how well lighted the path is, so we aren't too worried about walking home in the dark.

 On Sundays we walk 5 minutes to the bus stop through the Parly 2 mall, take a bus for about 10 minutes, and then walk another 10 minutes to the chapel in Versailles.  We met this young couple while walking to church from the bus.  The chapel you see in the background is one of the first chapels to be built in France.  I remember going to a zone meeting here once as a young missionary 50 years ago! Now 2 wards meet there: the Versailles ward and the Le Chesnay ward.  We attend the latter, which starts at 2:00 pm, but starting in January, we will be meeting at 9:30 am.  No more sleeping in on Sunday mornings!  The next picture shows a beautiful autumn tree at Place Laboulaye where we get off the bus. It's getting to be winter coat time here.

The next four pictures show us on other walks and a sunset from our apartment balcony.  As you can see in the picture of us together, we finally found the tunnel under the busy highway.

 

One day as Janet was getting dressed, she pulled out a beautiful
scarf that Jane had given her.  It went well with the outfit she
planned to wear that day, but Wayne saw it and commented that
it was just the right size to cover the piano keyboard.  So he
needs to thank Jane for a beautiful piano cover! Sorry, Janet.

The next picture was taken outside of the Dessange Hair Salon. Janet got her first French haircut.  She is still suffering from sticker shock, but the cut was nice, and while they washed her hair before cutting it, she got to sit in a massage chair and get a back massage while getting her hair done.  It was nice, but pretty expensive. Next time, she might try a different place since there are so many to chose from.  She still will not consider letting Wayne cut her hair!  She learned her lesson in Tarawa during out first mission.

Christmas is in full swing at the Parly 2 mall.  Here are a few scenes we thought were picture worthy:

Notice that this nativity scene is missing the baby Jesus. That's because
in France they don't add him in until Christmas eve.  The next picture shows a close up of the same nativity.

Janet saw this Lindt chocolate shop and wandered in. The sales lady gave us free samples, and we ended up buying a bunch of chocolate to put under the Christmas tree for her.

We happened to wander past a store that sells telescopes, but I doubt if I'll find one of these under the tree for me.

As we are given additional responsibilities working in the temple, we realize even more how eternally significant the work we do there is for both the living and the dead. We believe that many of those who have passed out of this world welcome the opportunity to learn of Christ's sacrifice and atonement. We welcome people from many different countries, but all have a happy glow as they enter and leave the temple.  We hope and pray we can always contribute to that happiness and help them feel the love and peace our Savior Jesus Christ wants them to feel.  We hope you will also feel his love for you.