Peace reigns, service projects and the Primary

We came out of the week with no significant activity from the local syndicat (union) as we waited for judgements against their leaders. Those will not now be announced for several weeks. meanwhile the government is making a regular showing of power keeping things quite calm. A welcome relief for all.

Pictured nearby are 4 of the Elders' Quorum Presidents in our training session from Wednesday evening. Carl is gradually moving through the organization with some kind of training along the way. These good, young, energetic brethren carry heavy responsibilities and work hard at serving the members of their branches. We focused on helping in their responsibility to teach how to perform the ordinances of the Gospel to their quorum members and how to organize home teaching. the latter including what a home teacher is to do, how and why to get reports from each home teaching team and how organize their efforts delegating some of the work to their counselors. Co-incident with this training was the visit from Tahiti of a team helping the District install the Church's record system. It has a significant module on home teaching, so we invited one of them to come and demonstrate. These young Presidents are computer savvy brethren and had no trouble learning to navigate the system. Of course there will be some work up front getting things started, but then the tool will help enormously.

On Saturday we participated with most of the missionaries as well as about 60 members of the District in a clean up service project in one of the neighboring towns, Mont Dore. We have a chapel there and two teams of missionaries serving in the area. The village was hosting a clean up along roads, around schools and parks and athletic fields. We congregated about 7a and started working by 8 finishing about noon. Donated hours amounted about 320. Bags of cans, plastic bottle and general garbage were significant. We sorted as we accumulated to make re-cycling easier. The community provided sandwiches and water for us midway through the morning for which we were quite grateful. Starting at 8a meant leaving home by 6:30a and breakfasts were much earlier. Kept us from fading away before noon. Pictured nearby are the members of the district being instructed by our public relations co-ordinator as well as the missionaries outfitted in the complimentary t-shirts given each of the workers. We worked hard and were quite tired by the midday completion.

Home for showers, a quick nap and then the Primary talent night which commenced at 4p. Old people have trouble keeping up such a pace. Each branch in the district provided a talent usually around a story line. While the relationship between their assigned theme such as repentance, hope, or longanimity were sometimes a bit of a stretch, we completely enjoyed watching these beautiful children perform dances they had learned. They are beautiful with large brown eyes, beautiful olive skin and quick smiles. Sister Mautz notes they have eyelashes to die for! A number of pictures nearby will give you a better look at cowboys, native dancers and the like.

We visited the Tontouta branch for Church services today. These good Saints welcome us, help Sister Mautz with her French and feed us. Elder Mautz was one of the speakers in Sacrament Service. In teaching about serving together as one, he used the example of our own home ward in Oakton where much is given supporting each other in the difficulties, sadness and challenges of life. We are grateful for their example as we serve here. The branch is preparing for a fireside next Saturday. Nearby is a film clip of the branch choir with a few missionaries singing a familiar Primary song, in French however and with some great harmony provided by the local musical talents.

We look forward next week to a visit with our Mission President and a Zone Conference. the next posting may be a few days later than usual.