10 Nov 1927
John to Mother / Montpellier, France
It isn't a week since I wrote last, I know, but I'm writing tonight first because I want to and second because I'm going to Nimes tomorrow morning and won't be back till Sunday night. I received your letter of October 23 last Monday. It surely makes me feel great to read your letters, but I believe you were feeling just a little bit blue and maybe worried when you wrote it. However I guess the letter I wrote made you feel that way. Please don't worry about me because I'm quite a big fellow and I think I can pretty well take care of myself; besides, these French(men) are all little.
I know I have my blue periods, and sometimes get feeling awfully blue and discouraged, but that's only natural. Every missionary goes through the same experiences and I'm not half as bad as some. Sometimes I get so tired and sick of tracking I could die, but that just makes it worse and so I try to forget and usually I get quite a bit of joy and satisfaction out of my work. Last Night I felt awfully low. The sisters and everyone tried to cheer me up but I just couldn't be cheered, but today I went tracting with the Conference President and tonight feel as happy and contented as one could feel. In a month or so when I get so I can speak better, I'll quite enjoy my work, I think.
As for the food, it's coming lots better. I've learned to eat lots of things that I never would (at) home, such as cold string beans with vinegar and olive oil; all kinds of fish, almost, and lots of other things. I am feeling better physically than I've felt for a long time. I've lost about 10 pounds and my clothes fit nicely now instead of (being) so tight. Don't worry about diseases, there isn't but very little typhoid fever around here, and we are very careful anyway. Besides, the Lord is watching over us and if we do our part He'll do his. Remember that when you get a blue letter or a letter saying I'm sick, that by the time you've got it, I'm all better again and happy.
There's not much happened since I wrote you last. I've been opening up a new tracting district and that isn't always the pleasentest work, but if one goes at it in the right spirit it's not so bad. I've certainly changed my view on life since coming on a mission. I can see now the importance of the Gospel and can see that after all, it's all that counts in this old world. If you have time, read the 6th chapter of Matthew, especially verses 24 to 34. I'm certainly convinced in that, and from now on I think that my first motive and wish will be to serve the Church and I know (that) the other things will follow. If I don't get a thing more out of my mission than just what I've got now I would feel rejoiced for having spent the time and money. I certainly enjoy the company of these two sisters; they are certainly strong in the Gospel and I don't believe they could live without the missionaries. They just live on our joys, fears and hopes.
As I said before, we are going to Nimes tomorrow to spend Armistice Day and then stay over Sunday to help them with their meeting over there. Tomorrow or Saturday we might get a chance to play a little tennis and I wish I had my tennis racket. I guess I'll have to skimp and buy one over here. I certainly enjoy meeting the group of Elders over at Nimes and get together to have a good time once in a while. they are all such clean, good fellows and .. it makes you feel good to see some Americans you can talk english to. Maybe on Thanksgiving we are going to have a conference over at Nice...
Frere Cowles received a box from his girl today. It surely seemed good opening it. It contained music, magazines and two big pecan rolls. Boy they were sure good. You asked something about a box for Christmas. I certainly enjoy opening a box of various things such as candy bars, several kinds, nuts, etc. You can't buy those things over here and a little American candy certainly tastes good. I must have given the wrong impression in one of my letter about (candy) bars. That bar I got in Belgium was a chocolate bar and here they have no bars, not even good chocolate ones, and candy is very expensive. A magazine such as a college magazine is also quite a novelty over here. I can buy sox, hankys over here cheaper than home and besides I have more soxs and hankies than the whole Marseilles Conference put together. Ties over here are not the same as they are (at) home. They're very European; anyway I have plenty of ties. In fact I have most everything I need. You know better that I what would suit me best. Anything inexpensive; both homemade and boughten candies find a warm welcome over here. Anyway I suppose you will have sent it by the time you get this letter.
I have a box of candy from Dot up at Geneve waiting for some missionaries coming down here to bring it. It's over a month old now, and it is homemade so if she didn't wrap it in wax paper I suppose it will be all dried out. The reason they don't send it down is that I would have to pay double duty on it. they've paid duty on it there, about 45 cents, and I would have to pay about 60 cents to get it down here. Don't send packages to the Swiss address if I'm in France because there is double duty on them. I think you know this. I guess Dot didn't. I guess you think that we pay quite a bit of duty for those things but we'd rather spend it for good candy from home than for the stuff here. When you send parcels, under-value them about half because we have to pay on that value and they never open it to see. Especially candy. Dot valued hers at 75 cents and I had to pay .. Geneva about 48 cents. I don't know what it will be if they mail it here. She could have valued it at about 40 cents and the duty would have been much less.
Well I guess you've heard enough of duty and packages for awhile. I think I'll try an experiment. I'm going to send one pair of gloves by mail home. If the duties are high I'll send the rest by missionaries. This will make it late for Christmas, but there will be no duty. If there is no duty (on the package) I'll mail the rest.
The Armistice Day guns are booming already and it's only 10 o'clock at night. They always start celebrating a holiday before it starts, and boy, they surely celebrate over here. I saw the first American flag I've seen since I left home. It was flying from an apartment store beside a French flag. You can't imagine the thrill of just seeing the old Stars and Stripes way over here. France is friendly toward the U.S. but you never see an English flag flying with a French flag over here; not even on Armistice Day. that reminds me, I would like a pretty American flag, about 8" by 14" or thereabouts to hang up in my room if you find a little extra room in a box sometime.
We got the first touch of winter today. A cold wind has been blowing all day and tonight the fire in the fireplace surely feels good. We have our own private little fireplace and it's surely nice to have a fire on some of the cold nights... I got the Oct 23rd Ogden Standard Examiner. It seemed great to read it. Thanks very much.
I suppose you know that I had a wonderful birthday and again, thanks very much. I'm afraid though that your big 19 year old boy is not coming up to all the expectations, but you must be tolerant and maybe someday he'll be able to do a little better. Elder Cowles and President Nelson say to say hello for them...
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