30 May 1928
John Griffin to Mother / Montpellier, France
It is over now as they say. I should have written sooner and told you about the conference but I have been so busy and it is so hard to try and find time to write when you are traveling. There has been a lot happen since I wrote last, I don't know here to start.
Friday night Frere Cortez arrived from Avingnon. When he opened all the mail that was waiting for him here, he found out that he was released, or rather would be just as soon as the conference was over in Tulon. so all we heard for the next three or four hours was travel plans and the excitement of going home. Saturday we went down to the sea and I took my first sea bath. It was surely a lot of fun. It was a wonderful day, in fact a little too warm. The water was still a little chilly though and we had to hug the warm sand every once in a while to keep warm.
Sunday the day of the big conference came at last. We got up and waited around all morning for President Rossiter. He didn't come though until about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Then we sat around and talked until time for meeting. Sunday was Pentecost over here and its a real big celebration, so we didn't know whether we were going to have anybody out or not. However when the time came to start there were about 200 there, and before it was over, we had about 230. Though there was not nearly so many there as we had hoped for, it was a very good and attentive crowd. I opened with prayer and Frere Johnson spoke for about 2 minutes. Then Frere Cortez and President Rossiter occupied the rest of the time. President Rossiter did very well and he was exceptionally well pleased with the conference, and I guess so were we.
Monday we got up and did a few odd jobs and then caught the train for Nimes. At Nimes they only had 20 out. Here I got the biggest surprise of my life. About 5 minutes before the conference the President informed me I would occupy 5 or 10 minutes. Well I did it, and Frere Cortez said I did all right. We visited the big Roman gardens in Nimes and then left for Avingnon the next day. At Avingnon they only had 30 at their conference. I closed with prayer. So far I have got in on every conference. Last night we had to leave Avingnon at 2 a.m. because our tickets would not be good any longer. There were four of us that left at that hour. We couldn't saty in the Elders' rooms until 2 a.m. so we just walked around. We went down on the Rhone River and sat on the bank and watched a full moon on the river and sang songs. We got on the train at ten before three and arrived in Marseilles this morning at ten before five. I didn't get much sleep on the train either. Here we went to a hotel and slept until 10 this morning. Today we went down on the seashore and also took in a show. It is 7 p.m. now and the conference starts at 8:30. I have to eat first so you see I have not much time to finish this. Tomorrow we are going to Tulon and will stay there until Saturday when we will return to Montpellier.
But there I have almost finished without telling the most importing thing. I got my change. I am going out of the "Midi" district but I don't know where to. I will probably find out at the conference Friday or right soon after. I seem to be superfluous material right now. I am glad I got the move and yet I like the "Midi" very much. Also the missionaries (those who can afford to) are allowed a trip down into Italy, a part of a vacation. You and I will miss out on that.
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