°°14th of July°°Vive la France!°°

Once again I’m painfully behind but I’ll go back to some highlights : Tuesday the 14th of July was France’s national holiday and I was invited to go see the fireworks with Angelique Derome and her family. Seeing as it’s been 20 years since the fall of the Berlin wall, the announcer recounted much of the history, mentioning several countries that contributed to the efforts and during this there were the national anthems of each country and a spectacular display of fireworks. Earlier that day I had another experience which came as quite a shock. I was walking through the city on my way to Angelique’s home when a very old homeless man approached me and asked for either a cigarette or money; I responded that I had neither and he started to tell me his life story. He has been homeless here in Lille for 15 years and was born in a nearby village. After him asking all about me and what Utah is like he looked at me and said, ‘’Could I ask you a favor?’’ I responded yes and he said, ‘’Would you please help me change my urinary sack?’’ I was in such shock I stuttered out something about not knowing how etc… and he then asked, ‘’Could you at least hold my blanket up in front of me by the bushes so that I can do it without anyone seeing?’’ How could I refuse this man with no legs and who had absolutely nothing to his name? I took a deep breath and helped him as he kindly kept talking to me. I will never forget the nauseating stench; certainly his blanket hadn’t been washed in 15 years. I don’t know how I was able to do it but I couldn’t push the thought out of my head that he was Heavenly Father’s child just as much as I was, and how disappointed He would be if I turned away from this man in need. That was an experience I’m sure I’ll never forget.