Happy Thanksgiving family!!
Oh man, we have been excited for this day for awhile. We were informed this weekend that President Murdock switched our Preparation day to Thursday this week, and I didn't want you to worry or anything that you wouldn't get an email on Tuesday, so I told a girl here to send you an email to let you know...hopefully you got it?
Anyway...today is TURKEY TROT DAY!!! Yeaahhhh!!! You have SO many people signed up for it! Ah I have been praying and praying that it will all go super smoothly. It sounds like the packet pickup was pretty good...one crazy part down! And by the time you read this it will all be over! And then you can relax and EAT! I am so excited that there are so many people running this thing. Did you get turkeys and pies like usual for prizes? And how did the sweatshirts turn out this year? You will have to show me a picture. Take lots of pictures today/this Christmas season so I can seeeee! Speaking of pictures, we took some cool ones this week but I forgot my camera cord today so they will have to wait until next week. And then I can send you pictures from today as well.
So at the beginning of this week, we were a little bummed because we didn't have any plans for Thanksgiving, and the one American family in either of our wards had not invited us over, so we were feeling a little down. But then, we heard that President and Sister Murdock had given the office elders a 160 FRANC TURKEY for the elders to eat. (Also, every time I hear that it is 160 Francs, I imagine a 160 pound turkey...haha). Normally, the rule is that Elders and Sisters are not supposed to do preparation day activities together without permission, but I was not going to let us sisters miss out on this, so I manned up and called President to ask him if we could combine forces to celebrate Thanksgiving. He said 'Well, I don't think many people know about this, but we gave the office elders a turkey, and you are more than welcome to help them eat it. We paid 160 francs for that thing, you know.' And I said 'Oh, hmm, I didn't know that, that sounds lovely!' So then Sister Metro and I took over and started making assignments for everyone. We are having all 19 missionaries in our zone meet at the Church today to eat the 160 pound turkey (it's actually 20 pounds I think...still a big bird, no?) and I am making my specialty, green bean casserole. The ingredients here are a little weirdie though, so we will see how it turns out. They don't really have canned soup like we have, so I got powedered cream of mushroom soup and just didn't put a lot of water in it so it would be creamy. And we couldn't find French fried onions for the life of us (the best part!) so I'm just using these little onion pieces things that were in the spice section. I mixed it up this morning to get it ready to cook and it smelled like green bean casserole, so that's a good sign. I will let you know next week how it turns out.
So the other cool thing this week was our Stake Conference. I am not sure if I mentioned it in my email last week? Anyways it was the 160 year anniversary of missionaries/the Church being in Switzerland so the Conference was all centered around that and missionary work. It was so so wonderful. The highlight for me was this: On Saturday afternoon, all the missionaries and some other people from the stake (60 people total) went up to the top of Mount Salève, which overlooks all of Geneva and gives you an INCREDIBLE view of the French Alps, to reconsecrate Geneva to missionary work. We all sang up there and then President Allenbach (from the Stake Presidency) and President Murdock gave some great prayers, and then President Bonny (the Stake President) gave an amazing dedicatory prayer. OH it was so so cool. And then afterwards we had a petit snowball fight, of course. I have some lovely pictures from the event, but I will have to show you them next week. It was really great though. It kind of re-pumped me up for this work. These people are precious and there are people that are so ready for this message...I have to find them! It's overwhelming but exciting at the same time. Also, for the Sunday session of conference, we sang in the stake choir. We sang this really neat arrangement of the Spirit of God and man, it was powerful. The congregation sang with us on the last verse, and I got goosebumps for that. That song gets me every time!
Remember Martha, the woman who is supposed to be baptized this Saturday even though her husband is against it? Well, she went to Spain a few weeks ago and was supposed to return last week, but she's not back yet. And we can't get ahold of her because we are pretty sure her phone is dead. So it looks like we are not having a baptism this week. Bah. Martha. But it's ok. We know that she will get baptized sometime, as soon as she gets back. But I told you about Gladys, right? She is SO wonderful. We are teaching her and helping her get ready for her baptism on the 12th and she is just taking everything in amazingly. The other day we watched the Restoration video with her and she told us 'I believe this. I just know it's true!' And then yesterady, she basically taught us the Word of Wisdom, so that was great news. She is just great.
The other day we watched the Testaments (just like you did!) with Paola. Holy moly. While I was watching it, I was just reminded how incredible the sacrifice of the Savior is. It means SO much for us that we can turn to Jesus Christ and He can SAVE us. We can be happy, together, forever, with Heavenly Father. It was a really great thing to watch that with Sister Metro and with Paola. Those two girls are seriously two of my best friends ever. I love them. And I love the Savior.
So Rachel, I saw at the end of your email that Garrit's grandparents said I should try chestnuts... we did already! We were heading to catch a bus home the other day, and we passed this little chestnut stand (they are all over) and we decided to see what they were like. The lady let us sample one, and it wasn't too bad. Sister Metro didn't like it, but I thought it was alright. It would be really good with something on it, like sugar or cinnamon or something. But cool, right? Just eating some chestnuts roasted on an open fire...
I loved hearing about your trip to the Salt Lake Temple. I love that place! Did they have all the lights up yet? Or does that start in December? Also, are y'all going to see David Archuleta with the Tabernacle Choir? I surely hope so! The decorations are really cool. They've been putting lights and stuff up on the main streets here, but they haven't all been turned on yet. I imagine next week it will be really amazing. The displays in the stores are so pretty though. Aah I love Christmas! 30 days from today! I haven't gotten the package yet, but it might be at the mission home. I will ask about it today. I did get that envelope though, that says don't open until I get the package. I'm excited though! I think next week we are planning on sending some stuff home for our families, so be on the look out! It won't be a lot, but it will be with love and you will love it!
We haven't gotten any snow yet, but I'm expecting it any time now. It's been COLD. And I think I have felt a couple frozen water drops coming down, but one of these days I am expecting to just wake up to a ton of white. It will be pretty I think!
OH also, I am going to France next week. I have to go to Lyon for some legality something (apparently I have to get a medical test done for it...blech) but we get to go to France! Soeur Metro served there before Geneva, so she is excited to go back for an afternoon and show me the hot spots...just like a good pastry shop or something haha.
The other day, we were visiting this less active woman, and she had this CD playing softly in the background, but it was a really funny CD. It had these jazzy, instrumental, elevator type renditions of Beatles songs, there was some ABBA on there, and some others. I think you would like it.... bahaha.
So all in all, the work is going pretty well here. It's really hard, and we need more people to teach, but it's still really good. Our goal of 5 baptisms this transfer is still not impossible. We have two dates set, and we have two people who potentially could, and then we also started teaching two couples, so that could be good too. One of them though, the one who is more interested, isn't married...BAH. And we are pretty sure the woman is not here legally so I don't know if they could get married here or not. And they have the cutest 4 year old son, but maybe they will have enough faith to move out until they are married so they can get baptized...? We are praying.
I just want you to know again how much I love you. I am so so grateful for you. I am still praying that the race goes well and I know that you will have an amazing holiday today! I LOVE YOU!
Love,
ALLIE
P.S. You should re-read the 'Rock of Our Redeemer' talk from last Conference. I read it this week and it is so good.
Also, think of me while you are eating orange rolls and pumpkin pie! We will have some pie here, but it just won't be the same.
Also, are y'all going to do some Black Friday shopping tomorrow? Oh and Dad are you having the big shoe sale like you did last year? Let me know how it goes. I love you!
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