Marseille – my home 50 years ago!!

16 August 2024 by Catherine Frodsham

This might sound strange to some of you who know me so well. But when I was 15 years old, I was a rebellious, rotten teenager. I had some bad friends and an older brother, Mike, who had some bad friends. We hung out together. My Aunt Donna and Uncle Wes Peterson decided to go on a sabbatical from their teaching jobs for 7 months. They had a son named Jon Peterson who I loved as a brother. We were pretty close. So, they took both of us on this sabbatical to Europe. We lived in Marseille, France. a rather large port city on the Mediterranean Sea. It was beautiful. We lived at 161 Bis Boulevard Boisson, Marseille France. I still remember that address.

I am not sure if that was a punishment for me to send me to Europe?? I wish I could have offered that punishment to all my kids when they were in their teens. It saved me. I grew close to my sweet Aunt and Uncle and my cousin Jon. Jon and I read the Book of Mormon together and we learned to love that book, and our testimonies grew at that time in our lives. The missionaries would come over and teach Jon and I missionary door approaches. “Bonjour Madame est Monsieur, Mais ami et moi nous sommes American. Nous sommes des missionaires des l’Eglise de Jesus Christ des Dernier Jour. Est qu’on vous en parler pour quelque minute? Jon could go out proselyting with them, but I couldn’t. We had a 6-month Eurail pass to go anywhere in Europe. We visited, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden, Brussels, Austria. What a blast! We went to many museums and Jon, and I needed to write reports and take pictures of what we saw to turn in for school credit when we got home. It was an amazing experience. I saw beggars, gypsies, all types of people and learned to see them through different eyes than I had before. I had never seen homeless people in the US but there were many homeless people wherever we would go.

Here is what I learned 50 years ago. God loves all His children. It matters what we do in our life. I am grateful for my family. Lessons learned so long ago still apply.

When Tim and I were called to Lyon France Mission it was like Heavenly Father knew what this country meant to a girl who turned 16 years old the day we landed in Europe. I remember the night my aunt and uncle and cousin and I were on the train leaving to go back to the states, Jon and I leaned out the train window and yelled, “We love you Marseille!! We will be back!!” I never thought it would only be me to go back to Marseille, 50 years later. My cousin, Jon died last year so this trip was bittersweet. I felt Jon with me on my visit to 161 Bis Boulevard Boisson. I even smiled because He and I were happy there.

It is hard to believe this apartment building looks so good after 50 years. But it is still there, and I remember being on the 3rd floor.

Good memories. I miss my Aunt Donna and my sweet Uncle Wes who was more of a dad to me. I also miss my bro – Jon.

Lessons learned as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Lyon France Mission:

God loves all of His children. He knows us each by our name. If we trust Him and let Him, He will bring us home to live with Him and His son Jesus Christ. Repentance is for all. What a blessing that is to know we can be forgiven. The temples bind families together forever. We can receive revelation in the temple. I am grateful to be wearing the name of Jesus Christ on my missionary tag every day. We must all endure to the end which is so hard sometimes when things seem unjust or bad decisions from others cause us or our loved one’s pain and sorrow. We must still turn the other cheek. That is hard for me at times, especially when it comes to my children or grandchildren. I am still being refined. I am still “BECOMING”.