17 Nov 1928
John Griffin to Mother / Grenoble, France
Frere Caldwell has been here this last week, but is leaving tonight or early tomorrow morning. He is about ready to be released and is sitting firm on his trunk. I think he expects to be released most any time. The work here seems awfully hard to get going. The other night we only had one out to our Book of Mormon class and it is hard to old a good class with only one person. Our sister that is in the hospital seems to be improving some, yet nothing remarkable.
Last night we held a very good class at one of our investigators. I think if it wasn't for this class, I would easily become discouraged. Last night she invited a friend to come, making three in all. They are very interested and just seem like they can't get enough of the Gospel. I wish I had about a half-dozen more classes like that one. I guess there is no chance of any baptism this year and by next spring I will probably be moved and another missionary will reap the harvest.
The weather her the last week or rather the last two days has become rather disagreeable. It has rained most of the time and even now it looks like we will have a little more before it gets through. It is not very cold, not even as cold as the month of October. By the time you get this I suppose that Thanksgiving will all be past, and just think, I'll be most of half-way through with my mission. The first half has gone reasonable quick. If the second half goes as quick I'll be home before I know it. Yet, I've lots to do yet before I go home.
There is still a little fruitcake left. I have given some to the saints here and they all send their felicitations to the maker. It is surely good. I don't know whether I will be able to send anything home this year or not. If you will send me your size I will get you another pair of gloves. Grenoble is the glove center of France and I can get them reasonably cheap here. Also try and find out Dotta's size. I don't know whether she uses gloves or not, or you either, but that is the best thing I can get here, and they'll always keep. .. Dot sends me expensive things most all the time and I am really not able to pay her back. I tell her but it doesn't seem to make any difference.
I suppose you are all satisfied with the elections [President Hoover was elected]. The French are all for Smith because of his wet [anti-prohibition] stand. They were all quite sure he was going to win too. Now they are quite disappointed. Who was elected Governor of Utah? I've heard both Watts and Dern. If you have the paper with the results I would surely like to see it. Of course all of the missionaries were glad Hoover won and by such a large majority. There are a lot of people right here in Grenoble that thought we were fanatic and narrow on our view of those things. I was surely glad to be able to tell them that our views were backed up by about 125 million people all over the United States. It kind of gets the Frenchman down. But really, the condition here is terrible. On this one street that we live on, that is about two blocks long, there are about 15 cafes. One can't imagine the Frenchman without a cafe'. The intelligent people admit the bad [alcohol] condition, but there are some that are just dumb that can't admit it even though you give them all the proof in the world.
I suppose all the newlyweds are getting along fine. I don't know whether you remember Charles Heiner. I read in the paper that he had married a girl that I knew at Weber. Only they were married in the temple as one should. At least I'll have my 21 and probably 22 or 23 years before the big experiment comes my way. How old was Joe?
Tell Gord that shotguns are for ducks and not for ceilings. I am enclosing him a few stamps I've amassed. I hope Dad is all better from his cold and that everything is going all right at home...
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