It was a full yet wonderful experience to be with over 100 young adults in Paris where they attended 2 days of meetings and social activities.  My wife directed the efforts in preparing to serve them a Mexican lunch on Saturday by helping the young adult leaders buy and prepare the dinner.  It was great to see them dig in and get things done.  Even the men assisted in the food preparation as well as the shopping.  Events like this are where relationships often begin because they came from most of the Paris wards and stakes as well as many other places in France.  One of the high lights was the flash mob dance that I video taped.  They practiced for a couple of hours and then we went to two different places to perform.  The one I will attached here was across from the Eiffel Tower.

The goal of the activity was not to look professional, but to help everyone feel part of the group, connected.  Six months ago they were dancing as separate groups but this week they really connected.  Their Sacrament meeting on Sunday and the food afterward really gave the a chance to get to know each other and even perhaps find someone to date.  I guess that would make us match makers.

Historic missionary Prep training held in Paris, France

A historic missionary preparation seminar was held in Paris, France on February 2, 2013.  This brief video shows 66 prospective missionaries attending the first such seminar from all over France, part of Belgium, and Switzerland.  The institute of religion has been preparing for it for over 2 years by teaching them in classes which included classes by telephone when they lived too far away from centers to travel there one evening per week.  They spent all day hearing from brother Euvrard, brother Petion, and President and Sister Poznanski of the France Paris Mission things that will help them prepare to enter an MTC some where in the world.  It was the first of three that will be held during 2013.  In 2012 there were 69 missionaries called from this same area and we expect to double that number this year.  Several of them have already received their call from President Monson.  One young sister has been called to serve in St. George, Utah beginning in March.

Dixie and I along with others were busy for weeks preparing for this event and although it was a very long day, we appreciate the opportunity to rub shoulders with these wonderful and faithful prospective missionaries.  They had the opportunity to be assigned companions just like in the MTC and teach with them for a couple of hours during the day and share wonderful testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We expect them to serve all over the world.  We are getting excited calls from more young people who want to attend in June and submit their papers for service within the next few months.