Big Changes

December 13, 2010

Dear everyone!
Lots of big stuff happened this week, seriously LOTS!

Wednesday was the big Christmas mission conference and it was so fun to see everyone and take pictures. I got to see all the elders from my mtc district and that was definitely fun. President announced that this next group of missionaries coming in would be one of the biggest with five sisters coming in. I made a rookie mistake in the special musical number and was watching my hands and not the music and got lost in one of my solos. Very very embarrassing. We had made some homemade reese's peanut butter cups to give to people as a Christmas treat and so now Soeur Pobst is known for her no-bake cookies and her reese's peanut butter cups. Both recipes were passed to me from other missionaries.

For the assistants training they talked about the Book of Mormon. They have been really focusing on that the last 3 transfers and they announced that our Christmas contacting challenge would be to give a box of book of Mormons away before the end of the year. It was not fun walking to the gare with the box. During the zone conference it started to snow a lot and so it took us forever to get home that night. All in all, Christmas mission conference was the best!

On Thursday, almost all of our rendezvous' cancelled because of the snow the night before and none of the buses were working! None of the children had school or anything! It is insane what a little bit of snow can do! We were able to see our ami Fatilha with a member. Fatilha is non-practicing Muslimut who has faith in Christ and is searching for the truth. She has the cutest family, a son who is eight and a baby girl that is one and her husband. They haven't been able to come to church yet because they go to Paris on the weekends to help her parents get ready for the week. We taught them with Soeur Kehl and she was awesome! She talked about her own search for the truth and how it went when she was taught. She even offered to come and pick them up for church on Sunday! Fatilha just looks so hungry for the gospel and I wish she could just come to church!

We weren't able to see Nathaly. Even though we had talked the night before, she forgot the rendezvous:/ kind of unfortunate because a member had come with us. However, on Sunday she went to the young adult Sunday and had a good time. Yue was going to go as well, she studied all day on Friday and Saturday so that she could go to church, the stake choir concert and Christmas broadcast. She didn't end up coming to church due to ride complications, but she went with us on the train to the Christmas choir concert and taught us Chinese on the trains. All I remember is how to sing happy birthday. They both really enjoyed the concert, but left before the broadcast :/ Yue enjoyed talking to the Chinese elders and one of their recent converts and they switched numbers :) I am excited for this upcoming week where not everything is going to get cancelled!

The big moment of the week was Friday. At Christmas mission conference, President Staheli announced that the transfer email would be coming out a weekend early, this weekend that just passed. I nearly had a heart attack. If you are training they usually call you the Friday before. I had the phone in my pocket the whole day. Around 3 we got a phone call from the assistants, he said "well sister Pobst, we, no the Lord would like for you to train next transfer in Evry." I said ok and then he told me to be at the mission home at 11 on December 22 to pick up my bleu! I am sooooooo excited to train! I remember last year having such a great time with soeur Roberts. At first I was not at all excited about being away from home Christmas last year, missing Emily and Westin. I specifically remember standing over the stove making burritos on 23 December and missing everyone as I knew the festivities at home were starting for Matt's birthday and Soeur Roberts walking up and going "what does your family do for Christmas eve?!" I told her I didn't want to talk about it and that I was not happy in that moment. However, the 2 days that followed are probably one of my most memorable and favorite Christmas. I am really grateful and excited for this opportunity :) I am also grateful and excited to talk to all of you very soon! 12 days!

I love you all lots and can't wait to hear how it all goes this week with Allison traveling and Elder Bair's homecoming! Very Very exciting!

love,
camille