Well hello again! We are emailing at the gare (train station) right now because the silly other missionaries are using the computers at the institute, where we usually email. Did I tell you last week that we do a lot of work at the young adult institute? We do a lot of our teaching there because I guess people just feel more comfortable not meeting at their homes. Meh. But it's fun, we have our French class there every Monday and Saturday and we have Noche de Hogar (family home evening for Spanish peeps) there on Monday night too. Anyways, it's been a lovely week and I was so excited to get all of your emails again! Also, mom, I got your and the boys' letters today! That was a lovely surprise because it was the first mail I^ve gotten at our apartment! I also got a lovely Palmdale postcard from Rod! Mostly we just get ads in our mailbox, so this was way nice.
So, my very first real Sunday in the mission field was this week. I don't think I told you last time that we cover two wards. There are four wards in Geneva: two French wards, a Spanish/Portugese ward, and an English ward, which I don't think is very big. But we cover the Spanish ward and one of the French wards, so I get to go to six hours of Church each Sunday! It wasn't too bad, except during the Spanish ward, I kind of zoned out because I couldn't really understand much and it was in the afternoon, so I started to feel a little sleepy. Meh. BUT I was asked to get up and bear my testimony in the French ward...that was exciting. Everyone was so encouraging though. Haha I would look out at the congregation and people would just be looking at me, smiling and nodding their heads like they were thinking 'oh its so cute how she doesn't know how to speak any French.' Oh well, I keep telling myself that it will come...hopefully that's the truth! But I really love the members that I've met. The bishop in the French ward is so so great. His name is Frère Junod, and he's actually the brother in law of one of my MTC teachers, so that's kind of cool. But he told me and the other new elder in that ward to not worry. It's ok that we are feeling like this because that's when we will rely on the Lord the most and really put our faith in Him. Which is so so true. There's no way I could do this one my own. I'm not going to lie, it's been a little discouraging, and I feel a little worthless as we're teaching because I can't really contribute anything, but I just have to remember that the Lord knows what He is doing. Ugh. Just keep praying for me, ok?
We had a zone conference on Friday, and Elder Weidemann of the 70 spoke with us. It was really good. He actually talked a lot about just working hard, praying, and trusting in Heavenly Father...so basically more of what I needed to hear and work on! But it was good to meet some of the other missionaries in the mission as well. Also, I played the piano for the musical number during the zone conference...cool, right? I played the French version of Lead Kindly Light (don't worry, the piano part is exactly the same) and Soeur Metro, Soeur Cockerham, Elder Whittaker, and Elder Tracy sang. It was lovely. I told them that no matter what happened on the piano, they should just keep singing...haha. It turned out just fine though!
So this Saturday is DAD'S BIRTHDAY!!! What are yall doing for it? Wait is it on the same day as the Oktoberfest? That will be a fun way to start your birthday, right dad? I did send a package last Tuesday, and they said it would take 7-15 days to arrive, so hopefully you'll get it before Saturday. I will be thinking of you, for sure, not that I don't every day. I will celebrate it with Paola's baptism. She is so great. What's even cooler is that a man named Javier Miranda is going to baptize her. He and his family were baptized a little over a month ago and he gets to baptize her! We had lunch at their house the other day, and even though I can't really understand them, I love that family. They are funny. They have a 14 year old son who passes the Sacrament and it's so so cool. So it will be a pretty cool day on Saturday, n'est-ce pas? (That kind of means 'right?' when you put it at the end of a sentence like that) We are teaching some other people here and there, but not a lot of them are progressing. It's hard to get them to come to Church, but it's so important! We studied Alma 32 yesterday, with the Cycle of Faith. God has promised us that if we just try it, do an 'experiment upon his words,' then the faith and our desire will grow. And it really is a cycle because if your have more faith, you'll want to exercise it more, and it just keeps going and going!
Will, it was so fun to hear about your football games! I can't believe that I have a star football player for a brother! I am excited to be able to watch you in a little over a year. And Daniel, you just gotta keep running! But I'm so proud of you with your saxaphone stuff. Let me know when you get 1st chair, ok? That's pretty cool.
How is Beauty and the Beast on Bluray, Rachel? Are you learning a lot of French from that movie? For a long time at the MTC, every time someone said 'bonjour' I would start singing the song from that movie, sometimes in my head, and sometimes outloud. It's a good one. And I don't know if that was the first time I had tiramasu, but it was so so so good. I will have to ask for the recipe. Mmm. Grace face how is band going? Oh also, Soeur Metro asked me yesterday if I have ever had candy cane Kisses....pffff, have I ever had them! you might have to send me some because I'm pretty sure they don't sell them here.
I'm so glad/a little jealous that you get to go to and serve in the temple! I seriously miss it a lot. The Spanish elders that we work with got to go last Saturday because a family that Elder Zarate had worked with got sealed...so so wonderful but I was jealous! Until now, I hadn't gone more than like 10 days without going to the temple...bah! Oh also, those same elders plus some other elders get to go to a hockey game tonight for p-day...lucky mighty ducks... haha get it?
Oh here is a fun story for you: last night we were walking home from the institute, and this crazy old man rode by us on his bicycle and definitely Donald-Ducked us... he made the weirdest noise at us and so of course, I reacted with some sort of scared/grossed out noise, out loud. There are some weirdies in Geneva, for sure.
Oh mom, you asked about Soeur Lehmann. So she is this wonderful lady who is a widow and feeds the sister missionaries every Monday...she feeds us pretty healthily, but gives us a lot of food. It's delicious. But she is from Germany, but she moved here like 30 years ago or something. So she speaks German, French, and some English. She's so great. She's really patient with my French and she is just great to talk to. And she lives up in that cute part of Geneva where I am in that picture I sent you last week. Speaking of pictures, I didn't really take any this last week... I'm sorry!! But with the baptism and everything this week, I am sure I will have some more to send you next week. I want to see some from you all too! Oh and I will take some of our apartment...it's a lovely little place, that's for sure (not at all, actually). Oh and dad, you did have the right spot on your google earth thing! The yellow outside is ours, and those pipe things are right across the street. And then we go by that round about to go up to a tram stop or to go grocery shopping and stuff. Neato! Maybe sometime you will see me out there haha.
Well, I just want you all to know how much I love you. Ugh I also found out this week that on Christmas and Mothers Day when we get to call, I only have 45 minutes on the phone with yall...that's not very much! But that's not for a couple months, so we'll worry about that later. But yes, I love you and miss you and pray for you every day. This work is hard...in a different way than I though, I think, but I am trying to be faithful and patient and just work hard. I want you all to have a marvelous week! And have an amazing birthday Dad!!
I LOVE YOU!!
Love,
ALLIE
P.S. Go Giants! Keep me updated when you can, s'il vous plait
Also, wish Dakota all the best for me!
Oh also, I got a letter from Kami and she wants me to have you forward my emails to her...I can't remember her email address but I will send it to you next time. Thank you I love you mucho!!
Love you sister!
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