I always wanted to teach a Nun.

January 17, 2011
Dear family,

This week, was eventful and not all at the same time....the end of last week, my back started hurting, so we weren't going at our typical speed....

Monday was spent in Paris. We met up with missionaries and went to Angelina’s, this amazing restaurant for hot chocolate and patisseries. I got what was called a "Japanese cheesecake" and white hot chocolate. Both were amazing. We then hung out at the bottom of the arc de triomphe and sadly, I did not take pictures.

Tuesday we saw Ngwang and Annie and they made us traditional Tibetan food. They made us pot stickers! I was so excited to see the mound of pot stickers coming my way...and then when another mound came my way. I believe I ate about 25 pot stickers, a ridiculous number of chocolates, fruit, some sort of soup, and like 7 glasses of tea [don't worry, it was an infusion]. It was when we learned that Ngwang and Annie were friends that met in a monastery, that we discovered that they are Tibetan Buddhist nuns! I could not believe it! We are teaching nuns! We talked about the Godhead and helped them understand what we meant when we said, Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. I feel it went well. We went home and rested from eating pains and then went to see some recent converts.

Wednesday we were getting ready to head into Paris for visitor center when we received a call from Melun, the ville that Soeur McClaine is in, saying that she woke up and could not move and wanted to know if we could do an exchange with them, as they had rendezvous’ that night. We decided yes, we only had English class that the elders could cover and rendezvous are more important. We went to visitor center and nothing exciting happened. The contacted was difficult, I was still feeling sick and so I was super stoked to be able to rest that night and Soeur Turney was able to go out with the other 2 sisters [Melun is a 3-some]. Plus it was nice to catch up with Soeur McClaine :) we ended up getting stranded in melun and having a sleepover :) very fun, but at the same time, we had district meeting the next day in a ville that was not in Evry, so we felt kind of gross...

Thursday we went to Torcy, complete other side of Paris, for district meeting. We were able to watch the district 2, these DVD’s that the church made of missionaries. It’s weird that I find this as a form of entertainment; they are doing the same thing as me, except in southern California. Still was not feeling tip top, so we rested in the evening.

Friday we were supposed to see Nathaly for one last time, but she had to move the rendezvous’ to Saturday, so we went out to do a pass by, but I was feeling completely miserable and Soeur Turney told me I looked about that way. We rested through the afternoon and did planning until Yué’s that night. I really want to take a Chinese member from Paris, but I haven't been able to get a hold of one yet :( we talked about the gift of the Holy Ghost and how it is a great blessing. She never really has many questions and didn't have any over the reading. She said she can't come to church this week or next week, so that was kind of a bummer:/

Saturday Soeur McClaine was still down and out. She had talked to the mission doctor in Germany and he told her that he thinks she has gangy fever. How she got it, no one knows, so we went back to Melun so that they could go out. This time, we did not get stuck :) I spent the afternoon visiting with Soeur McClaine and reading le petit prince, very good book and mission approved :) Sadly, Nathaly had to cancel our rendezvous’ tonight as well so we never got to see her before she left :( she said that she will come down and visit, so hopefully I'll see her soon.

Sunday church was very hard, all that sitting. I was supposed to give a talk, but when I approached the microphone the bishop asked if I would mind only giving my testimony to leave time for the high counselor. I told him that was fine by me. I had read "Faith-the Choice is Your's" and I really enjoyed it. We all know my new found understanding and love of faith. Elder Neil l. Andersen has said:
"Faith is not only a feeling; it is a decision."

Let us all decide to be a little more faithful :)

until next week,
Camille