C & C in France Paris Mission
Week Eight
May 29-June 4, 2023
To start the week off, we attended a Mozart Requiem performance at Englise Saint-Louis-en-I'lle in Paris. The conductor was President Frederic Loisel, our current Paris Stake President, who is a professional cellist as well! He did a terrific job conducting this masterpiece. I have soloed/performed this work many times and know it well. The soloist were good, and the orchestra and chorus were very good! This was a beautiful setting to perform this great work in. We all really enjoyed it!
This week we assisted again at the Paris Family Search Center. Several patrons came in to do their family trees. Craig and I assist more with visitors that speak English, and continue to work daily on our French. We so want to learn to speak and understand this language and the people in France.
Tuesday was a Personal Day (PD), so we got up early and took off to Givery where Monet's home and gardens were. It was stunning. The flowers were all in bloom, with so many variety of flowers. My favorite moments were to be standing on the bridge overlooking the gentle water full of lily pads, and remembering all the paintings Monet did at different times of the day - different lighting effects, etc - to perfect his painting style. Standing on this bridge really was a special moment for me, smelling the wisteria hanging above my head, and imagining Monet out on his row boat painting the bridge from the water, which he did. A glorious day to see his home as well. His yellow kitchen, blue and white china, his bedroom, and kitchen with copper pans hug neatly in a row on the walls were beautiful. He also had a statue of his favorite cat curled up on a stone blanket in the kitchen where he used to regularly sleep. All in all, it was wonderful and gave me insights into this great artist. We walked through the small village, up to the city chapel, and saw Monet's grave (also two wives buried there with him), and felt time stop for a moment as we sat in the dark church alone. Only the smell of the burning candles had any life in it. As we returned to the bigger city by bus, then train, then metro and finally home, we felt grateful for artists that gave us such beautiful paintings about their time on this earth.
As we serve with other Senior Missionaries, we feel grateful to be serving here in Paris.
This week the famous Stained Glass Exhibit by artist Tom Holdman premiered/debuted here at the Paris Center from June 1-10. It will next be seen in Rome and then travel all over Europe. Holdman Studios are designing and making all the stained glass windows for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Temples worldwide.
The artist felt inspired to create this special nine-panel work depicting the life of Christ. It is absolutely glorious! The lights behind it illuminates Jesus Christ at the center, and all the panels tell the story of his life on the earth, his service, his miracles, the important people in his life, and a testimony of his divinity. Symbols are throughout the work - many small but significant - which give us a picture of who Christ was and what he did for each of of us. The spirit I felt while viewing this work is powerful. There is also an app that you can download that when put up to the figures, they begin to move, talk and tell the story of the event as music plays at the same time.
How we love our Savior, and are so grateful for this beautiful depiction of Him and His life. It is here on display at the Paris Center for ten days. We already have had thousands of people come, see, and feel the spirit of this masterpiece.
Our message this week is what our Savior said:
"A new commandment I give unto you. As I have loved you, love one another. By this will men know ye are my disciples, if ye but love one to another." John 13:34
As Jesus Christ taught us by word and deed, and set a perfect example of how to love God, our neighbor and our fellow man, may we all follow his example in our own lives.
God bless all of you. We love and miss you!
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