2 Jun 1928
John Griffin to Mother / Montpellier, France

I am back from the conferences and I suppose all the excitement is over for a few more months. we got in from Tulon last night or rather this morning at 3 a.m. Of all the conferences we had the best, both in number and in the attitude of the crowd. At Nimes they only had 25; Avingnon, 35; Marseilles, 60; and Tulon, 45. At Nimes the President called on me to speak, five minutes before the meeting started. So I held them down for about 7 minutes of so. Frere Cortez said that I did all right. The President wanted to hear how my French was coming along, I think. Well, we went to Tulon, held the conference Thursday night and the Missionary meeting Friday morning. It was a very good meeting, one of the best I have attended. The meetings seemed to have a better spirit when President Rossiter is there.

Nothing more has been said about my move. Sunday night after our conference the President told me that I would leave the "Midi" some time next week or so, but that he didn't know where I was going. He has said no more about it since. He has talked with several other of the missionaries and some seem to think that he has changed his mind again. He does that quite often. Anyway he said that he was going back to Geneva and think it all over. So if I don't get a letter next week I suppose I will stay here a few more months.

Now about those shoes. I hope that the Floorsheim will be all right. However you should not have sent them by mail. I will have to buy them over again in duty. I think I still like them all right. I wish I had told you though to go to Wrights and get a pair like that old pair that is home now - the ones with the strap across the front. But it doesn't matter now and I appreciate very much what you have done. Also thanks very much for the pen; I surely have a struggle with this one. I hope you got one with a coarse point because I cant use a fine one.

I have certainly enjoyed this last week traveling around with the conferences. The weather has been very good - this wonderful sunny "France" weather. Thursday we went swimming again at Tulon and perhaps we will go down to Palavas this afternoon. Yesterday afternoon we visited the French naval yards at Tulon. We were taken on a battleship and shown all around. We also saw several submarines and a large factory where they build them. But we were not allowed to visit one. It was certainly an interesting and instructive visit. The harbor at Tulon is one of the biggest in the world and is one of the big stands for the French navy.

We left Tulon yesterday afternoon and arrived in Marseilles last night about 8 and went to a show, and caught the train from Marseilles at 12, arriving here about quarter to four a.m. when I got here there was a package of newspapers and a letter from you, dot and Gaston. I think that Perce has a chance yet. I don't believe he is as bad as some of us think. He writes me very good letters. Here it is 9 months ago today since I left home, just the summer then a year will be gone.

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