I don't know know what to call this blogpost.

First, I'll post the pictures in reverse order. That way, you'll see them in the correct order!!!


O.K., this is a picture of our family in about May 1985 (24 years ago!). This is the picture we used as a "proof we are who we claim we are," when we were in Angers, in France. (Everybody who doesn't speak French please remember: the name of that town is pronounced like "On-JAY," not like what it looks like in English!).

Analyze the picture carefully!
















While we were in Angers, we attended a branch presided by a brand new (in many ways!) branch president named Jean-Yves Raveneau. He was 25 years old. He called his father to be his first counselor (keep it in the family, yeah!) and me as his second counselor. I guess I was 44 at that time.



Well, here he and his wife Marie-Antoinette are! They just spent a week at the temple. Jean-Yves has served again as branch president (6 years) and has served as second counselor in the Angers Stake Presidency since the creaton of the stake about 4 years ago. It was so nice to invite them over for dinner. They left their kids (4 of the 5 are married) at home with their own families.

















Another picture of him. He seems to smile more in real life than he is smilling in this photo.
















Interesting things going on here:

1. A new second counselor has been called in the temple presidency. The former first counselor and his wife (assistant matron) had to cut their mission short for a variety of reasons. The former 2nd counselor, a really fine Frenchman serving as a temple missionary, is now the 1st counselor. The new 2nd counselor is a local Swiss (German) speaker who also speaks English very well, a fair amount of French, and a little Italian. The former 1st counselor was a lingusitic wizard, so there will be a little more challenge in that respect. However, we are pleased to see a native German speaker in the presidency, because it seems the Swiss Germans (on whose territory the temple is located) don't attend the temple as much as the authorities wish they would.

2. I noticed on the www.lds.org under the country site section, under Switzerland, that the European Area Presidency is being re-organized too (about Aug. 1, I think). Elder Robert Oaks is to be released, and will be replaced by his first counselor, a native German, named Elder Kopischke. The former 2nd counselor, a Frenchman, Elder Gerald J. Causse' is the new 1st counselor. The new 2nd counselor is a Portuguese, Jose' Teixeras. Very (!!) interesting!


Weather is beautiful here. Days are busy!

There's no end to the "excitement!" Today, we had 2 people pass out in the temple within 30 minutes of each other! Because it was too warm in the temple? I didn't feel like it was too warm! Not enough oxygen? Just getting too old? There certainly is a place here for a group of temple workers who know what needs to be done. The word is that it takes 4 months to train someone to do all there is to do. I believe it. But we are getting there (we've been here for 3 mos. and 20 days). There seems to be five people (I guess I should say "couples") on each shift, morning and afternoon, who are the "work horses," and now we are almost "trained."

Take care, all of you.