4 Feb 1928
John Griffin to Mother / Montpellier, France
Here it is Saturday, only a few days since I wrote but there is nothing much else to do or rather nothing else that I want to do, so here I am writing, cuddled up by the fire trying to keep warm. I wanted to go down to Palovas and sit on the beach today and watch the waves come in, but it seems that Frere Creer is void of sentiment, and he would much rather push the old typewriter and write big long epistles to his friends, so here we are spending our Saturday just sitting around writing letters and in my case, wishing I was somewhere else. Now please don't think by that, that I don't like to write home, but you see Saturday is the only day of the week that we have to do as we wish, and it seems to me there are so many wonderful things that we could do - if only we would.
It seems that the ground hog saw his shadow yesterday, for today, though it is right clear and nice, there is a cold wind blowing. So far, February has been colder than January and it looks as though our "midi" weather is lost for good...
We hold a meeting again tomorrow and I have to occupy a few minutes of the time. If it was in English I would quite enjoy the opportunity, but as it is, I am quite worried and don't know just what to say or how I'm going to say it. I suppose I ought to be working on something now, but I have lots of time in the morning, and I can remember it better then. We have an investigator that is coming right along. she bought a Book of Mormon last night and seemed mighty glad to get it. If we can just get a few ... ideas out of her head and a few of ours in, she'll be all right. We hold a class with here every 15 days and her faith is building up a lot. Now that we are holding meetings we can find out who are really sincere and work with them.
Right soon now we have another conference. I don't know the date but I think it will be sometime this month. After the conference I suppose Frere Nelson will get released, and we'll have a new District President. Frere Cowles is leaving for home sometime this month. He is going to meet his father in the east and come with him. This might bring about some changes down here - I don't know. However I don't expect any changes until the Conference in Paris in June. When I get changed I hope to go to Belgium. It seems the people are much more hospitable up there, and besides they have large branches with Saints, etc.
I was thinking last night when I saw the big full moon come up - that's the 6th full moon I've seen since I left home. I suppose after I've seen about 25 or 26 more of them I'll be back home again. It surely seems a long time when I look ahead, yet when I start thinking I've been over here most of five months, 1/6 of my mission, and that in a year from now I'll be over half through, and in two years from now, I'll be sitting on my trunks as the saying is over here. And then when I stop to think, here I am on a mission - my dreams come true - and to think that almost six months have gone already, and I don't seem to be doing much good. I havn't converted anybody - or been the means of bringing anybody into the fold yet. When I think of those things I am glad I've got some 25 months ahead of me.
The Saints here, it seems, have taken it into their head that they want to come over to the States. We have, or rather they have spoken of it several times, but we've laughed it off, but recently they have been asking an awful lot about conditions home, and now the young one has started to study English, and as a passing remark, said the other day, that in three years they would be sailing for the States. In a way it would be a good thing and yet in another way it would be awful hard. They would have an awful time getting accustomed to the fast American way of living at home. they even have a hard time to accustom themselves to the differences in missionaries that come here. Then they would have to be home for a year or so before they could learn the language enough to get work, and that would be hard. There would also be many changes in Church, etc. In a way I'd hate to seen them try it, and yet I would be mighty glad to see them get the chance.
How is everything going home? How is everything at the store. How is Fred Jensen and Laurence Evans coming as members of the bishopric - also bishop Halverson? Who are the M. Men officers, and who plays baskedball for the sixth ward this year. I see by the paper they have an pretty good team. I guess you think I am a regular questionnaire, but we get pretty hungry for news out here. Also, wasn't it Ruth's birthday the 2nd? How old was she, 21 or 22?
It is time I was going, for we have to get a sign and stick it up in front of our hall this afternoon. Give my love to all and write.
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