Week 10
June 12-18, 2023
What fun it is to get together with all the Senior Missionaries for our monthly luncheon! They are a great group of men and women who are doing so many wonderful things for our Paris brothers and sisters - and for each other. I learn so much talking with each one of them and learning about their experiences that they are having here in the France Paris Mission.
We are working at the Paris Center by greeting all who come there: missionaries, visitors, people who want to work on their genealogy at the Center, practicing my music, and studying, practice speaking French. We enjoy the missionaries so much and as soon as I figure out how to really cook on our stove and oven, we will begin inviting them over for dinner.:)
Today I saw the Paris Opera House for the first time. Marvelous! We look forward to attending operas here while in Paris.
As I looked over the city from the top of the Lafayette Department store, the opera house was a cross the street. Beyond that was a 360 degrees view of Paris. As I looked all over the vast city and saw the old buildings (hundreds and hundreds of years old) mixed with some new, I felt grateful for being here- to be able to experience so many new and growing experiences with Craig.
Paris Opera House/View from roof of Lafayette Department Store
As we walk through the busy streets of Paris, there are cafes, lots of shops, markets, stores of every kind, and lots and lots of people from all nations, tongues, ages. It is humbling to be in a sea of humanity and know that you have a calling to hopefully serve and touch their lives in some small way.
We have helped people in the subway carry their luggage up stairs, we have been helped by thoughtful people when we look lost; we have appreciated the French people's kindness and ability to cope with such a busy place in such a civil way.
We decided to go to the countryside and see another castle on our P Day: Vaux le Vicomte Chateaux, built by Nicolas Fouquet, who was the King's Superintendent of Finances. It was built in the1760's. Many villages were taken over and destroyed and their land was used by Lord Fouquet to build his castle. The peasants had to help build the castle as well. I can only imagine the division of power and wealth at that time and how the people felt having this happen to them, but also having to accept it. They built an beautiful work of art in about 3 years - unbelievable how hard they must have worked to make this massive building and grounds.
This was THE castle that inspired King Louis XIV to build his Versailles Chateaux. In fact, there is a real sad story about this castle which I will share a little later.
King Louis XVI used the same architect, painter, and landscape artist that designed Vauz le Vicomte to build his Versailles Chateau and massive grounds.
We had a real adventure getting to the castle. We took the metro to the train, train to the Mission Office (to pick up a package- thanks, Nate!), then another train outside Paris to the countryside; then we took a bus even further. When we got off the bus, the driver gave us the wrong directions, but we figured it out with the help of a group of boys and their leaders on bikes. "Speak English!" said the leaders! We laughed and thanked them for their help. One leader biked to us down the road and explained that we would need to continue to go straight, cross and bridge and would eventually come to the chateaux, Ha! We then walked through fields of alfalfa on a cow path to the castle.
We finally reached this enormous, beautiful castle! But no one was there! Why?!!! We later learned that all the shuttles had ended for the day around 2:30 PM, just before we had arrived, so we missed all the tourists and had the whole castle and grounds almost completely to ourselves, which was wonderful!
We took an audio tour inside the castle and learned of the sad story of how the owner has invited the King to his castle for a visit. He even offered most of the castle to the King, and the King said he couldn't accept this offer because it would look bad - as if he was taking from the poor. Ironically, three weeks after this visit, the owner/lord was accused of stealing resources, was thrown in jail because the King wanted to steal his castle and used false witness against him in court. He was in jail for over 10 years! His wife and children were banished, and he died shortly after finally being released. We felt a great sorrow inside this castle as we walked through it, but I hope that the nobleman who built it knows how much we appreciate him creating this remarkable castle. It has inspired the great chateux of the world - it has inspired Versailles, which inspired the Mad King Louise IX in Germany to create and build Neuschwanstein (who invited Wagner to visit him there often and had then proceeded to design and decorate the whole castle around the operas written by Wagner - with lush paintings, tapestries, etc.). This king helped financially promote Wagner's operas as well, (paintings and scenes of Wagner's operas are all over the Neuschwanstein Castle and the Linderhof Castle and gardens in Germany), which then inspired Walt Disney to create the Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland, which then has inspired generations of children young and old for many generation - with his songs, and movies, cartoons, etc. Still to this day, Disney movies and other Hollywood movies are inspired from these castles. And it all started with the Vaux le Vicomte Chateaux!
Vaux le Vicomte Chateaux
A golf cart ride around the massive gardens
On Saturday, we went to sing at a funeral of a sister who had her celebration of life in her former Catholic Church. All of the family dressed up in traditional African colors - bright and bold. Beautiful! The Mass was traditionally Catholic with an african choir who sang with full voices, drum and keyboard. They sang with gusto and lots of volume. At the very end of the service, our small choir of members sang some traditional LDS hymns (I stood at a keyboard playing). After our choir, I was asked to sing "Amazing Grace". It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop! People had tears in their eyes. That song really is touching. I sang it accappella. After the service, there was celebration of food, music, and dancing. It was an interesting experience for us.
On Sunday, Craig conducted the English speaking Sacrament Meeting and I directed the music. It was well attended with visitors to Paris. We enjoy the testimony meeting very much.
We are so grateful to be here serving a mission. We are learning to put our trust in the Lord.
We wish you all the Lord's blessings be upon you and your family. We love and miss you all so much!
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