Saturday, December 23, 2017

The Week Before Christmas

For most of our married life, the week before Christmas has been extremely busy and often rather hectic.  We always had a fall semester to finish out, many presents to purchase, and huge meals to prepare.  Our mission pre-Christmas week this year was a radical departure for our norm.  And what a wonderful week this has been.

We began with an experience that is typical in Idaho, a drive in a snowstorm.  But rather than our usual voyage from Rexburg to Idaho Falls, this trip was from our home in Lyon toward Paris.  We checked into our hotel just a few hundred yards from the entrance to the Palace of Versailles and the next morning had the opportunity to go to the "Paris" temple.  It was so exciting for us to come back to the temple where we worked as guides during the open house.  But this time, we were able to participate in sacred ordinances.  It was really amazing that we saw at least fifteen people there whom we already knew.  We probably don't see that many friends when we go to the temple in Rexburg!  It was really special to us to also be invited to attend a temple sealing of a couple from New Caledonia.

The next event of our week was a visit to a self-reliance group in the Antony Ward located in the southern suburbs of Paris.  One sister in this "Finding a Better Job" group admitted that she had been reluctant to join, even though she was dissatisfied with her employment.  But after just two of the twelve-week meetings, after learning how to prepare an effective C.V. and mastering some interview skills, she had found a job that required fewer hours, paid a significantly higher salary, and that she enjoyed so much more.  But the most impressive thing was that the group was now on lesson seven of the twelve-week course, and this sister was still actively attending.  She realizes that the self-reliance initiative is not just about what it can do for you.  It is also about how you can help others.  So there she was, acting as an action partner and encouraging the others in her group even though her own personal objectives had been met.


Before leaving for Paris, we had done a Google search on the best Christmas markets in France.  It turns out that most of them are in the Alsace region between Strasbourg and Mulhouse.  So even though it about doubled the driving time back to Lyon, we made a loop through Alsace.  It is impossible to describe what some of these places look like at any time of the year, but at Christmas it is just magical.  If you have ever seen one of those little medieval looking villages that people often set up under their Christmas tree, that is the portrait of Alsace in December.

On the Paris temple grounds.

The Antony Ward "Finding a Better Job" self-reliance group with our manager, Momo Djemai.

Momo and the Antony Ward sister who found a great job after just two weeks with the group.

One of the many Christmas markets in Strasbourg

Another market beside the Strasbourg cathedral.

Obernai, just south of Strasbourg.

An entry gate to Riquewihr.

The hotel (yellow, on left) where we stayed in Riquewihr was built in 1550.

The restaurant just a few steps from the hotel served wonderful Alsatian meals.

Kaysersberg, just a few kilometres from Riquewihr.

A medieval chateau overlooks the village of Kaysersberg. . . 

. . . and a little stream runs through the middle of town.

Part of the Christmas market in Colmar.

The market at Mulhouse was the last stop before returning home to Lyon.


16 comments:


  1. ashampoo soundstage pro crackThis article is so innovative and well constructed I got lot of information from this post. Keep writing related to the topics on your site.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You've made really good points there. I checked the web for more information on this issue and found that most people will follow your thoughts on this site. guitar pro crack

    ReplyDelete
  3. https://shanpc.com/corel-draw-x7-crack/
    https://shanpc.com/idm-crack-patch/

    ReplyDelete
  4. Bytefence Anti Malware Crack Such a nice and helpful piece of information. I’m so happy that you shared this helpful information with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing. Visit My site

    ReplyDelete
  5. avast driver updater activation code intelligent scanning can detect and repair outdated or damaged drivers to solve various PC and driver problems. It can reduce PC crashes, crashes, and errors, solve connection problems, mouse and printer problems, and more. The dynamic online driver database uses real-time scanning to ensure that you always have the latest drivers, and you can even install one at a time to reduce the risk of hardware conflicts.

    ReplyDelete
  6. It's fascinating to visit this website and read all of your friends' opinions.
    While I am interested in the subject of this piece of writing, I am also excited to
    acquire familiarity
    apeaksoft dvd creator crack
    open cloner ripper crack
    libreoffice crack
    cinema crack

    ReplyDelete
  7. I really like your site. Fantastic colors and themes.
    Did you create this site yourself? Reply again because I hope to create my own
    site itself and I would like to know where you have come to
    it is here or where the item is named from.
    Thank you!
    adobe creative cloud crack
    adobe after effects cc crack
    adobe photoshop crack

    ReplyDelete
  8. I really appreciate your clever writing as a design for your blog.
    Is it a payment problem or did you receive it yourself?
    In any case, it is best to stay in writing.
    It's rare to see a webpage as beautiful as this one.
    hotspot shield crack
    avast cleanup premium crack
    faststone capture crack
    burnaware professional crack

    ReplyDelete
  9. Good article! We will be linking to this great article on our site. Keep up the good writing.
    Annocrack
    avast antivirus crack

    ReplyDelete
  10. However, what about the last sentence? Are you sure of the origin?
    Hello friends, your wonderful article on the subject of learning and well explained, keep up the good work. Hello friends a good and offensive note is mentioned here for me
    I love it. Surprised, I have to admit. Rarely do I find a blog that is similarly informative and entertaining, and
    Sure enough you hit a nail in the head.
    pinnacle game profiler crack
    serato dj pro crack

    ReplyDelete
  11. Amazing post, thanks for sharing this article. I am truly motivated by you for blogging.


    EmEditor Professional
    AVG AntiVirus
    Dropbox

    ReplyDelete