24 Nov 1927
John to Mother / Montpellier, France
Today is Thanksgiving Day. Quite a contrast between the way I've spent today and the way I usually find Thanksgiving. We had hot cakes this morning for our Thanksgiving feast. I made them. They wern't as good as I make at home but tasted mighty good anyway. They don't have baking powder over here so I tried to make them from sour milk. the milk didn't get sour enough so they were pretty flat. I got some lemon juice and soda and mixed it up and put it in (the batter). This made them a lot lighter and after that they wern't so bad. The sisters liked them too and asked for the recipe.
After this we both went tracting, but it got me down so much to think of tracting on Thanksgiving that after about a half hour I quit. Frere Cowles only got an hour in. This afternoon we sat around the fire and wrote letters and studied. Tonight we're going to go to the opera - La Juvise, which in English is "The Jewess". I hope it is good. This will make up our Thanksgiving Day celebration. But after all Thanksgiving is not a day to celebrate on but rather a day to give thanks for the many blessings I have. I'm thankful that I was born of such wonderful parents and under such wonderful conditions. When I see the awful conditions that so many people of the world have to live under, I am surely grateful for the wonderful blessings I have. I am also thankful that I was born in the Church - the only Church of God here on the earth, and that I have had the opportunity of hearing this glorious Gospel. For after all, the Gospel is all that matters in this old world. I'm thankful that I've had the wonderful opportunity of coming on a mission to preach this glorious Gospel to those who have been less fortunate than I, and have not heard it. At times it seems awful hard, and though it is no use, but all in all it is a wonderful work and if we put our trust in the Lord and go at it in the right way I know that we will find happiness in it.
As I said in my last letter, we were due for a good shakeup down here. Well the shakeup came. Frere Cowles has been made the President of the Lyon District and so I have a new companion coming from Belgium. His name is Elder Creer, from Salt Lake. He is a University graduate so I suppose he will make a good companion. I hate to leave Frere Cowles. He and I have gotten along so well, and you can never tell about the next Elder - whether you'll be able to get along with him or not. But I suppose the Lord is behind it all, and it will be for the best which ever way it goes. The Elder from Belgium will be here tomorrow or the next day. Then Frere Cowles leaves and we start out on the old routine again. We didn't have our conference as expected so not about all there is to look forward to is Christmas.
I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving and also a happy Christmas. I hope that the Christmas presents get there all right and that they go through without duty. I've never got the candy Dad sent yet. I guess Elder Creer will bring it when he comes from Geneva. It won't be any use if they don't send it soon. It will be all dry and hard by now, I suppose. I hope my Christmas package has better luck.
Well, the opera is over. Wasn't so very good. Was just good in places and the rest of the time I slept. They had a great big fat lady sing the leading role of a beautiful young Jewess so you can probably see why I didn't like it. They usually make a good selection of casts here, but they surely missed it this time, in my estimation.
If you havn't already sent that book on Modern Prophecy I asked you to send, I've got another one to add. I think we have it too - The Articles of Faith by Talmage. Its a very wonderful book on the Gospel. I read about a third of it. Frere Cowles has one, but as he's leaving I won't have a chance to finish it. Anyway it's a very necessary book for a missionary to have to prepare speeches, etc. So if possible, please sent that too.
Well, it's awfully late and I've got a big day's work ahead of me tomorrow so I'll have to say goodnight for now. I am well and happy and hope you are the same. Give my love to the family.
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