Weeks 49-50 in France

Wow! We are at the halfway point of our mission.  We have only 50 weeks left. The past two weeks have been very quiet for us.  Serving in the temple leaves us tired enough that we don't really feel like travelling much, and we always get a good night's sleep.  We did, however, on Saturday, September 21st, go out for a late breakfast/lunch, visit a special exhibition at the Versailles Chateau and then meet another temple missionary couple for dinner in the old section of Versailles.  Because we purchased a 1 year membership to Friends of the Versailles Chateau , we get notices of special events.  This event allowed us to visit parts of the chateau that are not normally open to the public such as the opera, the chapel, and the chateau historical painting wing, all the while enjoying performances of renaissance music.  Here are just a few of the two dozen or so pictures we took:

The guy in the middle is playing bagpipes!

A gory battle scene

another gory battle scene

The Versailles Chateau Chapel

the Versailles Chateau opera

Janet in front of a formerly famous knight

another formerly famous knight

There's a small restaurant just up the street from us called Ellis Burger.  We eat there once a month or so and love their gourmet hamburgers, but had never tried their "American Breakfast".  We finally did, and found it very good, but quite expensive.  I guess they think Americans are all rich!

We don't usually get involved in the "tourist scene", but quite enjoyed an evening sidewalk meal with the Winstons in a crowded little restaurant called "Chez Lazaras".  The food was excellent.

Even in late September the parking lot at the Versailles Chateau is still filled with tourist buses.

Today is Sunday, September 29th.  At church today we were introduced to the new children and youth program for the church starting next January.  We're excited to see how adaptable it is.  Each individual sets his or her own goals in four areas: spiritual, physical, social, and intellectual.  The program is mostly administered at home, thus encouraging parents to be more involved in their children's lives and build family relationships.  We look forward to hearing from our grandchildren as they share with us their goals.

Weeks 47-48 in France

Great fireworks!

The big news in our neighborhood this past week has been the Festival of the Green Oaks (or Fetes des Chenes Verts).  The name of our town is Le Chesnay, which basically means "the Oak Grove".  Every year they set up vendor booths, a giant stage, food booths, and amusement park rides and celebrate their community.  The fireworks were much better than the ones we see every Saturday night from the Versailles Chateau.  Here are a few pictures:

Karate Club demo reminded us of Jeramiah

Our walk to the temple looks very different now!

Nicely lit up at night.

They spent a week setting up.

Another setting up picture.

The vendor booths - everything from cars to athletic clubs.

Janet and I on our date night getting ready to watch the Karate demo. Notice the coats (except for me). It was in the low 60's

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You might notice in the picture above that Janet is wearing a patch over her left eye.  About 2 weeks ago she woke up and noticed she was seeing double.  After several visits to the ophthalmologist, a crazy visit to a hospital for tests, and a visit to an orthoptist (I don't even know the English word for a person who does physical therapy for eyes) we still don't know what is causing it. Janet has had a CT scan, an MRI, an EKG, and complete blood tests, and is in excellent health except for seeing double. In the meantime, the orthoptist gave her a prescription for a stick-on prism lens to put on her glasses to correct the problem.  The reading glasses are fine, but her distance glasses don't quite completely correct it.  Ironically, our New Testament lesson this week was on how trials can make us stronger, and like Paul, we should rejoice in our weaknesses.  Janet is getting tired of rejoicing! Many at the temple liked the wink I sketched on her eye patch.  Out temple president and matron had a good laugh when they saw it.  The next day, at Janet's request, when I didn't draw it, they all asked where the wink was, so Janet again agreed to let me sketch her wink again!

Janet did some baking in preparation for having the sister missionaries come over, but because of tranfers, they weren't able to come. We ended up bring cake to the temple break room where it disappeared quickly.

The other big event here was the massive changing of all the local bus schedules and routes. The bus we used to take to chuech on Sundays is no longer running.  We now have to take a longer route and walk more.  Oh well.

A new bus schedule!

This being Sunday evening, our last picture shows me eating one of my favorite lunches: tomato soup and a toasted cheese sandwich.

One of life's little pleasures!

We are astonished that in the next week our mission will be half over.  We have truly learned loving to serve in the temple.  It is as close to working in heaven as we can get on Earth.  We send everyone our love to share the love we feel from Him.  Wayne and Janet

Weeks 44-46 in France

We had the opportunity to go to the Louvre again, and this time actually got to see the Mona Lisa close up.  The attendants made sure we only had time to take two pictures before moving us along to the next room,  We were able to look at other magnificent paintings while ziz-zagging our way through the long lines for half an hour to see her.  We'll wait until after the tourist season ends befrore going again!!

We've gotten together with the other senior couples several times in the past few weeks.  Here are some pictures of us rowing on the Grand Basin behind the Chateau of Versailles, and eating together at a creperie and at a Vietnamese restaurant.

Taking pictures of each other

Looking back towards the chateau

Eating out at a nice mom and pop type crepe restaurant.  Good crepes!

A really nice Vietnamese Buffet

We had the sister missionaries for dinner two seeks ago and the elders for dinner last week.  Unfortunately we forgot to take pictures of the sister, and Sister Etherington has already gone home.  We were going to have the elders over on Thursday, but Elder Duffin was getting transferred so we moved their appointment up to Monday.  They asked for Mexican again, just as the sisters had the week before!  Mexican is hard to get in France.

Elder Duffin, us, Elder Thomas, and Elder Hopuu

Elder Duffin making his own new drink: grape lemonade crystal light topped with whipped cream and a Doritos chip

Sister Utile Nduwimana was a sister missionary we knew from the Christmas programs she sang in last December.  Wayne had the privilege to attend her wedding ceremony in the temple, and then played the piano for hymns and a musical number at her reception.

Utile and Quentin 

Flowers are still out in force even though summer is fleeing fast.

This past week we had a farewell gathering for Elder and Sister Kirkham. He has been having health issues requiring them to return early to the U.S.  We will greatly miss them.

The Kirkham's,

Left to right: Sisters Baird, Winston, and Tahiata

Sister Cadin and President Lazeras getting food ready

The dessert table.  Janet's two bundt cakes were delicious

Left to right, sisters Lazeras and Giraud-Carrier, wives of the temple first counselor and temple president

The Riquelme's are volunteer servants at the Paris temple who are waiting for a call to serve at the Montreal Canada Temple

Two days ago we received a surprise package from Janet, Rebecca, Brandt, Khyah, and Jeramiah. We loved reading their postcards from Canada and tasting the delicious maple creme cookies.

While shipping changed their shape, it didn't affect their taste!

The past two weeks have been especially busy for Wayne.  He served at the temple all day as the assistant temple recorder while the temple recorder was on vacation.  He has gained a new appreciation for the work that a recorder does in support of all that takes place in the temple; everything from observing that ordinances are performed correctly, to making sure ordinances are properly recorded, to verifying recommends for people who come without theirs. Knowing the joy temple worship brings to those who come makes serving a delight, even if tired!

Weeks 41-43 in France

The weeks are flying by so fast we can hardly keep up with our blog.  We've gone to Paris twice in the past 3 weeks, we've ridden our bikes around the Versailles park, had the missionaries over for dinner, been to the ophthalmologist and got a new pair of glasses for Janet, and served in the Paris Temple 5 days each week.

The Eiffel Tower from the boat

Riding with the tourists on "fly boat" on the Seine in Paris

Views of Paris from the Ferris Wheel by the Louvre:

The Richlieu wing of the Louvre

Looking across the Tuilerie garden to the Eiffel Tower

Looking toward Sacre Coeur

Looking down on part of the Tuilerie gardens

The reason we went into Paris on July 22nd, was to see about getting a form needed to obtain a French driver's license.  However, the only form they had to offer was a French translation of my driver's license, which I had already.  They said to wait and see if the French government would accept the one I submitted before paying the Embassy $50 for a different translation.  We found the security at the embassy to be tighter than at an airport.  We were not even allowed to bring in our cell phones!

The American Embassy

We walked from the American Embassy to the Fly Boat dock, and passed a statue of a Russian soldier and his horse.  The statue was made to honor and thank the Russians for their help in some war.

This next picture shows a sign covered with locks.  There is this craze in Paris where people attach a lock to something (like a sign or a bridge railing) and then throw the key into the Seine to lock their love with someone.  It has gotten so out of hand the the city has started cutting off the locks!

On our walk, we took a few other pictures that tourists always take:

This monument was donated to France by the school children of the U.S. to thank France, and Lafayette, for their help during the American Revolution.

Riding bikes in the backwoods of the Versailles Park

Elders Prendergast and Duffin over for dinner.

I finally finished making a mosquito netting screen for our bedroom door/window so we can start taking advantage of the cool night breezes without Janet getting eaten alive by mosquitoes.

This last picture is of the 5 knitted temple pouches that Sister Wolstenhulme made for the sisters serving in the temple. She serves in the south of France, and had them delivered to Janet to pass out to the other new sisters serving in the temple.  One day, Janet was asked to attend a sealing session, but after putting on her temple clothes, she was told she would not be needed after all.  As she was going back to change, one of the sisters commented on her pretty apron.  Without thinking, Janet thanked her and told her it was a gift from her mother nearly 50 years ago.  She suddenly realized how precious that apron was now that her mom had passed away.  Now, each time she wears it, she thinks of her mother, and the precious gift she gave.  Later that day, the same sister said that someday she would like to buy a pretty white knit temple pouch like the one Janet was wearing.  Janet was thrilled that she still had one pouch left that she didn't know who to give it to.  Now she knew. We think of it as another tender mercy from the Lord.  God bless you all.