23 Dec 1928
John Griffin to Mother / Grenoble, France
Lots of things have happend since I wrote you last. In the first place, our party is over - it was even a greater success than I hoped for. We had 68 people out; among them about 25 children. The program though not so well practiced as we would like to have had it, went off quite successfully. In all it was a real success. The only thing was that we only had place for about 50 chairs so the rest had to crowd into the coridors, etc. The hall was just jammed. I hope that it does some good and that some of the people come back to meeting. Over half of the 68 were new people from our tracting districts that had never been out before. We think that his will do us a lot of good because the first time is always the hardest. We spent a couple of dollars to buy toys for the kids and everyone was very well pleased. Our tree was just as well decorated and just as pretty as the tree we have at home, though we had less than half as many things to put on it. I put a sheet under it like at home [and] put all the toys and candy around it and then covered it all with artificial snow. Everybody remarked how pretty the tree looked and several came up and told me I had 'beaucup de gaut". But you see after such extensive training as I have had the past 12 years, I just reflected the "gaut" of my instructor.
Tomorrow we are going to play Santa Claus and go around and take things to the poor. Several friends have given us things and money to distribute. One lady gave us a hundred Franks [about $4], saying "I would rather give this to you because I know you will spend it rightly, while if I gave it to the Catholic priests, I don't know where it will go." So tomorrow we are going tracting, using Christmas packages for tracts. I think anyway that we will have a better welcome than usual. There are lots of poor here, and we find quite a few while tracting. I often give them 5 or 10 Fr when I go around with the tracts. They seem so surprised and appreciate it so much.
I don't know yet just what we are going to do for Christmas. All the missionaries were coming up here but the other day they wrote saying they had arranged for a dinner in Lyon Christmas day. I wrote back telling them what I thought of them and that we didn't feel as though we could afford to pay some 75 Fr just for a dinner. Whether they will come after Christmas, I don't know. I suppose we will spend Christmas alone this year.
Now the other thing that has happened since I wrote last. This morning after we came back from fixing up after the party last night, frere Middleton found a letter in the mail box from headquarters with instructions to leave the day after Christamas for Paris to work there as junior Elder. It about took his breath away for a while but now he is taking it all right. That means I'm due for a new companion. I received no word and so don't know who the new one will be. President Christensen has strange ways. President Rossiter always wrote the branch president advising him of the move and telling him who his next companion would be. I suppose it doesn't matter much, but it seems to me that is the way things should be done. This means that I am to stay here for at least 2 or 3 more months as they very seldom move two missionaries from the same city at the same time. I thought all the time that the next move would be mine. However I suppose that those who are directing know what they are doing and we should be submissive to their direction.
Last Tuesday my allowance arrived with your long letter. The "flu" is now starting over here. There several up at the "pension" where we eat that are down now and there is quite a bit of it around. I suppose I'll be going down one of these days, as I usually manage to get hold of everything like that comes along. I am surely thankful that it passed so lightly at home. I received a letter from Ben the day before yesterday saying you still had a tough time of it. I hope that it is all better by now. I see I will have to guess at the gloves. I don't remember what I sent last time so I may gaff it this time. Oh yes, here I am forgetting a most important event. The package arrived from Geneva (and how). As a result, the French Government is richer 116 Fr. or about $3.00 duty. I about passed out when I saw how much it was, and now every time I think of it, cold shivers go up and down my back. Chuck didn't know exactly what was in the package and so he just guessed. Well, the custom official opened the box and of course found that the list wasn't in accord and thus stuck on a heavy tax. I would protest it but I don't think it would do any good. Last year frere Creer had to pay more than that. He protested it but had no results.
The shoes were just the thing. They fit perfectly. The wool line affairs were surely nice too. I have a habit of having cold feet, and these poorly heated French houses don't better things. I'm sure my feet will be less cold from now on. I don't know who sent what. The customs opened everything and mixed it around. But I believe it was a tie from Donny, sox from Gord, and Elsie Mae. That is the first new tie in 16 months; quite a record, and the sox were a timely arrival because I hadn't hardly a pair left. The candy was quite hard except that which was wrapped separately in waxed paper. The dates from Aunt Orita were quite hard but that tasted pretty good anyway. The sweater fits perfectly and I am so glad you sent it. I had my vest cut up to patch my pants and so have no vest for one of the suits. This serves this purpose very well. The other day I found that my blue suit, the one I bought at ZCMI just before I left, had a big hole worn in the pants. That makes it - that all I have is my light summer suit that isn't patched. That blue suit never was any good. I've only worn it Sundays and on special occasions. It wouldn't last tracting one week. My new suit is being made and will be done some time this week. I hope that I like it all right.
You asked me a lot of questions about the house we live in; the prospects for baptism, etc. I have filled three pages already and so won't have room to tell you abut that - I'll save it for the next letter. Monday morning - had a good meeting last night. Must go out and play Santa now for the biggest part of the morning...
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