Passing of the Torch

Sunday, August 7, 2016

We got word this week that we will be going home on August 15.  That means that next Sunday will be our last Sunday with our Charleville-Mézières Branch.  We have had bouts of joy and tears of sadness.  Of course we are very excited about seeing our children and grandchildren.  We are very much looking forward to that.  At the same time we are very much going to miss our Charleville Branch family.  We have grown to love each and every one of them and have had a great relationship with all of them.

Let's back up a bit, though.  On Monday we went to Luxembourg to spend the day with the Luxembourg missionary couple, the Slaughters.  We wanted to say goodbye to them.  We had a wonderful day together.  It would be the last time we see them.  We had lunch and saw the sights.  

On Tuesday we went to Biver's house for Home Teaching.  We had a lovely meal and shared a message with them.  We played a great game that turned out to be fast and furious.  It involved passing a corks around the table and singing a little song.  The longer it went the faster it went and soon corks were flying around the room.

It has been a week of great change.  This week was transfer week.  We had learned that our Elder Asato was being transferred.  We drove him to the gare Wednesday morning to catch the train.  In the afternoon Ed had meetings at the Church and Lynn sewed all afternoon at our place with Beauty and Gift.  They had a lot of things that needed taken in.  Actually Gift is a very talented seamstress.  They had a great afternoon together.  On Wednesday evening we met our new missionary  Elder Silva.  He joined us for French Gospel class and for the Wednesday night activity.  We played balloon bingo and some other games and we had a spiritual thought from the missionaries.  We had baguettes and peanut butter for a meal. 

Speaking of change, on Wednesday Florine Biver got engaged to her boyfriend, Phillip.  They are so happy about it.  She has been glowing all week.  They have some legal issues to iron out as she is from France and he is from the U.S. but love will conquer all and it will all work out.  What great news!

We got the big news on Thursday, August 4.  We had learned from Our Mission President, President Babin, that a new couple was coming in on August 3.  In fact they came in on August 2 but did not get their assignment until August 4.  Our replacements, the Clarks, came to Charleville on the afternoon of August 5.

We have spent a great deal of time with them since their arrival.  We have about ten days to share what we know about the Branch with them - to pass the torch so to speak.  We didn't just work since then, though.  We did take the time to show them some of the sights.  We walked around town and visited the church.  We also went over a great deal of information that they will need.

On Saturday we got a visit from Neil Smith who had travelled to France on a super standby ticket.  As luck would have it there was a medieval fair at Bouillon castle.  We all went out there and had a great time.  It was a huge fair.  There was falconry, sword fighting, juggling, fire juggling and booths selling everything.  All of this in a medieval castle and all over the town.  We had a blast.

Struggling with Jet Lag

Just love all the costumes

When we got back home it was back to work, though.  We had membership lists to go over and scheduling to do and sharing some of the blessings and needs of the Branch.  The Clarks will do great which really helps us feel better about leaving.  We have truly been blessed once again.

Today at church the Clarks got to meet the members and find out more about them.  They dug right in and got quite involved in all that we did.  The members welcomed them warmly and made them feel wanted and needed.  

Lynn's Sunday School classes today.  It went great with lots of great discussion.  Elder Silva and Sœur Clark's first.

After church we showed Neil and the Clarks where we had our baptisms and on the way back Neil took some pictures.  A few are of the tour du Roy and the ramparts.  We drive past it all the time as it's right here in Charleville but we've never taken pictures of it. 

Our Charleville-Mézières beautiful Hotel de Ville.

On our hotel de ville in Méières - The Sanglier

Spider on the gates of the lavoir here.

Neil leaned over the balcony and this is a view of our street

We don't have our itinerary yet but it is in the works.  We have been assured that it will happen.  And this brings us back full circle to the feelings of joy and tears of sadness.  We have lots to do to get ready.  Oh, oh better quit writing and get ready for the next great adventure.       

Au revoir de la France,
Lyndi-lou and Eddie, too