1-9-2010 Happy Birthday

Dear FAM!

Thanks for the birthday wishes. It was very good.
Before I get to all the happiness of being 22 I'll chat about the great week that this week was. Last Sunday we met with Mamadou and Michele who were in the area book. They both have testimonies, but have not baptized. They told us that the missionaries stopped seeing them because they were unsure if they wanted to be married. Soeur Roberts and I are going to keep meeting with them and help them with that and hopefully prepare them for baptism.

I forgot to tell you last week about Jeanne. Last Tuesday I met her on the train. She is this older tiny Chinese woman who was reading an English verb book. I went to sit by her and right when I said "excuse me" she got so excited! She's been trying to learn English for about 2 years now and speaks great. I gave her a flier for English class and she got scared when she saw "Mormon" on it [half of this country thinks we are a cult]. She told me that she was scared and asked if we were a cult. I pointed to my badge and told her it said "Church of Jesus Christ" not "cult of Jesus Christ". We could tell she was a bit cautious, but she was trusting enough.

Soeur Roberts and I had an appointment that night and the elders would be teaching. We called them the next day to see how it went and they had forgotten and didn't go! I was so upset! I called her daughter's cell phone and left a message apologizing and told her if she wanted private English tutoring we would gladly do it, I didn't get a call back. The next Tuesday we had exchanges and I hosted in Versatile. Soeur Bellini came here and the first thing we did was go to Jeanne’s shop and promised her we would be at English class that night. Luckily, she was too tired to go last week, so it was ok. However, she showed us a book that she had been given to read for an English class she is taking at a university and it is called "the nineteenth wife". It is about polygamy in the "Mormon cult". I almost died. I told her the book was wrong and it would say many false things about the church and our beliefs and very proudly she said "I will defend you in my class". it was the best.

For my birthday Soeur Roberts and I went the Chateau. It was really cool to finally go inside. After we walked around the chateau and made movies {which I am trying to get to you}. They are pretty funny. The peanut butter we had on our pancakes was a very lucky find; we found it in an African grocery store. It isn't the same as American peanut butter but it is pretty dang good. We finished the day off with a DMP meeting in which the elders brought me pastries, how very nice.

Last night we had a small party at Martha’s. It was really nice. Jess and Jean-Paul and Joy came and we invited the 2 elders that we want to teach Jean-Paul. The family made the night very fun and good. The best part of the night was when Jess was like "do you remember that movie about that guy Smith we watched? That was such a beautiful story." Jean-Paul also said that he wanted to learn everything about the church. I'm thinking a baptism this transfer. Lots of other missionary stuff happening, not as cool though

Other good news, they have crispy m&m's here.

that's all I can think to write this week, hope you all have a great one!
love, Camille