BORDEAUX MISSIONARIES

Picture of the last Zone Conference before we were transferred to Belgium and before President and Sister Merrell returned to West Virginia. It is a fond memory.  We are on the far left.

Since JoAnn added all of these missionary-related pictures to the blog, she has learned how difficult it is to move around so many pictures. So, unfortunately, these pictures are appearing as she randomly brought them into the blog from various sources. At least the memories will be there, even if they are not in any logical sequence.

The missionaries are all big on scripture study,
but Elder Warren is carrying it a bit far.



Elder Warren and Elder Hymer at Zone Conference Christmas party



The missionaries will try to contact anyone that seems ready to listen



Elder Fish, Elder Warren, Elder _______, Elder Hitoto



Soeur Walton and Soeur Eyre

Soeurs Boscarino, James and Gee find that
choices of missionary attire for women are sometimes limited



President Merrell and Elder Laird find the same is true for men's ties

 

Soeur Dethelot and Soeur Bocanegra





Soeur Eyre and Soeur Adamson



Soeur Dremeaux and Soeur Adamson



Elder and Sister Meier

 

Elders Kutschke, Coull, Sanders, Hill and Workman

 

The missionaries are always enthusiastic about their work

 

Elder Hymer and Elder Stucker role playing at a Zone Conference



Elder Hymer at baptism



Elders Warren, Sanders and Fish



Elders Quinn and Mackey



Elder Warren fighting the good fight



Elders ______, Childress, Reiben and Owen



Elders Jett, King Owen (third from left), and Dearing



The elder Elder Diedier in the center



Elders Childress and Stucker



Elder Brack and the Boisseaus



Assistants McDonald and Laird
demonstrating faith to move mountains



Elder Allegor and Elder ________

No one works harder than missionaries - they deserve the nap



Soeurs Adamson and Bocanegra

Elders Rigby and Sanders helping us move into our apartment in Cauderan

Whenever there are a bunch of missionaries around, there are always pictures, pictures, pictures.
 Poor President Merrell is often seen at these occasions with a myriad of cameras hanging around his wrist while he takes picture after picture for each of the missionaries.

This is at the Christmas Zone Conference and the President took pictures of each set of missionaries next to a Christmas tree. It was a nice memory for the day.

The following are some of the pictures we took that day. Although we can't remember every missionary's name, it is such a fond memory of wonderful, dedicated servants of the Lord, enjoying a wonderful meal in remembrance of the birth of the Savior. Missionaries love eating almost as much as picture taking.

Sister Merrell has a way of making everyone feel like they are her "favorite."



Elder Warren, Elder Stucker, Anna and Sarah Merrell,
Sister Adamson and Sister Christiansen
Can't make out the rest

 

Gotta love this picture!
The missionaries work so hard and so diligently it is hard sometimes
to remember that they are just "young" men after all





This sweet sister is always at the zone conferences
making sure the missionaries are well fed



JoAnn mingling with the missionaries and
encouraging them to "eat your vegetables"



Elder Wynder, Sister Wilson, Sister Christiansen, Sister Bocanega,
Sister Adamson, Sarah and Anna Merrell, Elder Stucker and Elder Warren



Elder Hill and Elder Lyman on the left side - can't make out the rest



Happy Elders enjoying good food and picture time

  We kidded that we got to sit at the "grown ups' table." The younger missionaries didn't think it was as funny as we did. Elder and Sister Miller and Elder and Sister Metcalf.

These are the wonderful members who supplied the fantastic Christmas meals for the missionaries and then enjoyed their meal in the kitchen. They are the best!!
Elder Owen, Valerie and Elder Childress. Elders Owen and Childress were the first missionaries we met when we came to Bordeaux. They were always there saying "Is there anything we can do for you?" -- and they really meant it. It was amazing. They went way above the call of duty in helping us get settled. They carried a heavy set of cabinets that a sister had given us down three flights of stairs and then up another flight to store the cabinets in their apartment until ours was ready. They showed up on move-in day dressed in their grubbies (Elder Owen in his "man capris" which are very popular here, although we don't think that Elder Childress was that impressed by them), ready to work. They helped us build furniture, install appliances, and they even laid on the bathroom floor to repair our toilet. We will always have a special place in our heart for these two Elders. They are great missionaries and wonderful friends. They are always pleasant, fun, spiritual, helpful, hard working, considerate, inspiring - all the things a perfect missionary should be.

We don't want you to think that they are perfect or could walk on water or anything, but .....



Our last Zone Conference before Elder Childress
was released and returned to his home

 

Sister Adamson, Sister Dereaux, Sister Donelby and daughter, Sister and Elder Miller



Sister Adamson, an investigator and her baby, and Sister Walton. The sister missionaries added so much to our mission. They were able to get to talk to people that were hesitant to talk to the Elders. They had several baptisms while Sister Adamson was in Bordeaux. She had her entire family come over when she finished her mission, and they all toured Europe before she went home. It was interesting that, because she had not been released yet, she had to keep all the mission rules, including wearing missionary attire, scripture study, etc. She was such a great missionary that it didn't slow her missionary work and zeal down a bit.



Elders Butler, Didier (grandson of Elder Didier of the 70s), Lyman and Downs

Elder Brack, Elder Stucker, Sister and Elder Miller. We had the Elders over for dinner on the last night before one of them transferred to another district. This was Elder Brack's last night in Bordeaux. Elder Brack was such a shy Elder that at first we were worried about how he would be as a missionary. It just took the first Sunday for us to see him with an investigator and watch how he came alive to realize that who the Lord "calls He qualifies." Elder Brack is such a wonderful missionary. Upon his transfer he was made District Leader and a counselor in the Branch Presidency in his new branch. Elder Stucker was "stuck" in Bordeaux for an exceptionally long time. We kept thinking each transfer that it would be his turn to have a dinner for, but it seemed like it would never happen.
 It turns out that just before he actually was transferred that they baptized a woman who was a little hesitant to come into the cold water at her baptism. Elder Stucker used the exact right words, spoken in the exact way that helped her come to his outstretched hand and be baptized. She was so thrilled afterwards. We felt that Elder Stucker needed to be in Bordeaux for so long just so he could help Bernadette become a member of Heavenly Father's church. Elder Warren is on the left.

Elder Lyman, Elder Childress, Sister and Elder Miller. They also were at the dinner at our apartment as Elder Childress was also transferring the next day.



Elders Lyman, Childress, Brack and Stucker at our apartment
They look happy, don't they?

When we got back from Paris, our electricity had been erroneously turned off so we were unable to have the transferring Elders over for dinner, so we took Elder Lyman (he was the transferee) and his companion Elder Hill out to dinner at the Celestial Dragon, a cute Asian restaurant with an all you can eat buffet. The Elders loved it. It is hard to fill up a missionary, but we think we finally accomplished it.

Elder Giles and Elder Gill at our apartment for Christmas dinner. We wanted to invite all the missionaries in Bordeaux but the President thought we should share them with the ward members, so we were lucky enough to have Elders Giles and Gill to join us. Elder Giles is from England, so we were not sure if he appreciated the "American" Christmas as much as some of the others might have, but he really did seem to like the mashed potatoes. He had 3 or 4 very large servings. Elder Gill mentioned to the other Elders every day until his transfer how terrific the egg nog was. Funny, we always buy that cartoned stuff in America. They don't have it here so JoAnn made egg nog from scratch. We will never go back. Thank you Elder Gill for requesting it.

There was a funny coincidence after one of the transfers. All four of the Elders in our ward were from Kaysville, Utah. They all went to the same high school and seminary - which seminary we are told is the largest one in the world.
 

Arnold dubbed them the "Kaysville Quatre" meaning Kaysville four - Elder Johnson, Elder Edwards, Elder Hill and Elder Warren. Elder Edwards and Elder Hill were the Zone Leaders. Here they are in front of the chapel in Bordeaux.

Elder Mak and Elder Johnson. Elder Mak is from Hong Kong and speaks French and English nearly perfectly, as well as Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese. Elder Johnson was what they call a "blue" - the same as we call a "greenie" in the states. He was so advanced for a new Elder. He spoke French so well that he actually was translating at church for an investigator who spoke English only. After his next transfer he was made a District Leader. They both are super missionaries.

Elder Butler, Elder Didier, Sister and Elder Miller, Elder Downs and Elder Lyman

A typical scene with missionaries - all writing in their planners
Here they are making "plans" with Bishop Bame (in the middle)

We unfortunately do not have pictures of all of the missionaries that we worked with in Bordeaux, but we did keep a list of their names and where they were from.

Elder Owen from Heber City, Utah

Elder Childress from Kentucky/Ohio/Indiana (his family moved around a lot while he was on his mission and before)

Sister Adamson from Colorado/Utah/New Mexico

Sister Walton from Taylorsville, Utah

Elder Mackey from Taylorsville, Utah

Elder Didier from Kaysville, Utah

Elder Brack from England

Sister Christiansen from Oklahoma

Sister Wilson from Las Vegas, Nevada

Elder Lyman from Colorado

Elder Stucker from Cedar City, Utah

Elder Reese from Kaysville, Utah

Elder Allegor from Seattle, Washington

Elder Downs from West Jordan, Utah

Sister Dereaux from Dijon, France

Elder Hymer from Erda, Utah (near Grantsville - he went to Grantsville High)

Elder Butler from Australia

Elder Giles from England

Elder Gill (I think from Utah)

Elder Hill from Kaysville, Utah

Elder Warren from Kaysville, Utah

Sister Bocanegra from Peru

Elder and Sister Metcalf from Cokesville, Wyoming

Elder Hansen from Sandy, Utah

Elder Hitoto from Paris, France

Elder Walker from Kentucky

Sister Fairchild from Provo, Utah

Elder Johnson from Kaysville, Utah

Elder Page from Riverton, Utah

Elder Kutschke from Germany (near Frankfort)

Elder Fish from Utah

Elder Mak from Hong Kong

Elder Wynder from Washington State

Elder Allegor from Washington State

Elder Rieben from Coeur de'Alene, Idaho

Elder Lapray from West Jordan, Utah

We only hope that someday we may be able to meet them again. We told them that they are welcome to stay at our house if they ever visit Las Vegas, so maybe the chance for free room and board in "Sin City" may cause our paths to cross someday.

They are possibly the finest young men anywhere in the world and it has been a privilege to know them all.