The Snyders in the France-Paris Mission

A few months into our time serving in the France Paris Mission, Delys pulled up the mission roster listing all the missionary companionships, their locations, their assignments (Sister Training Leaders, Zone Leaders, District Leaders, Office Elders, and so forth), and their individual status as junior or senior companion. Usually, the more experienced missionary is designated the senior and the less experienced missionary the junior. When I served in the France-Belgium Mission from March 1972 to March 1974, it was a very big deal to “go senior” because, in those days, the senior companion ran the show, while the junior companion was considered a sidekick, like Tonto to the Lone Ranger or Robin to Batman. The junior companion was subject to pranks of various kinds, especially during the first few months, and relegated mostly to keeping the daily door-to-door tracting records. When the companionship had a productive week and achieved some success, it was the senior companion who rece...

When I was young I had long red curly hair. My red faded just when red became fashionable again and lots of people were dying their hair to obtain it, and I like natural color rather than dyed, so I am left with just curly hair.  But my hair isn’t curly enough to leave it naturally curly, so I blow dry it every day.  Then I walk out into the humid Paris air, and within minutes it all turns curly again! So I was especially delighted to find out that in our area of the Île de France is known as the Boucles de Seine. I translate “boucles” as the curls of the Seine, the place the river Seine turns back and forth on its way eventually to the ocean. Nevermind that others translate “boucles” as the turns or loops of the Seine. The title “Curls of the Seine” is more picturesque for the activities that happened in this part of France.  This area was a gathering place of impressionists. Two kilometers down the road from us is the Île des Impressionists, an island in the Seine where...