We had a little taste of Thanksgiving last month when Canada celebrated the holiday, but we definitely stuffed ourselves this past weekend. Besides our Senior missionary group dinner on Thanksgiving, we were also invited to 2 other Thanksgiving dinners from ward members who apparently know about how we Americans do it up big. It really was great to gather with friends and play some fun games together after. On our third dinner out the Elders actually dropped in just in time to eat dessert with us. Of course, we fed them more than dessert and loaded them up well with leftovers that they were happy to take home with them. They also helped with the dishes, so they earned their keep. We love our Elders Meyring and Madison, both from Utah. Elder Madison is a newby and seems to be getting along great.
This week we also found a new friend, Mark. He is a member but has gone through some troubling years in his younger life. Now he wants to come back into full activity. He has been reading the scriptures and enjoys hearing the messages of truth. He also has two teenage children who he would like to bring to the gospel. His father is also a member, and Mark wants to help him back as well. Today he sat with us in church and really enjoyed being back. What a blessing to see his faith and desire to do good. We love visiting the members in their homes here. Our junior missionaries do most of their lessons via zoom, but we prefer person-to-person encounters. We are learning that there really are a lot of people who want the gospel in their lives, but the first step back can be the hardest.
The weather here has definitely turned cold. We are hanging right around freezing for now. I’m ready to break out my long puffy coat. We actually had our first snow this week, but it was mostly just a dusting. Everyone tells us to brace for the worst in cold, ice and snow. This brings me to the funny things that we have noticed popping up all over town. They are these white tents over the driveways of the homes here. They call them tempos. It’s a metal frame with white plastic shells and concrete blocks to hold them down, though some have straps to hold them down too. We are wondering about the winds here as we used to see trampolines in the US go flying in the wind. We have asked and heard that there have been occasions of flying tempos, thus the concrete and straps. Apparently, you can rent these tempos, but if they get ruined by the wind you may also have to pay for them. We are amazed to see so many of them all over the residential neighborhoods. They come in all sizes; single wide, double wide, double length and even double wide and long. Most homes here only have a one car garage if that. Even in the fancier neighborhoods a two-car garage is the exception more than the rule.
We are grateful to have friends here and for the opportunity to work with these amazing young missionaries. And the French is coming along by degrees.