Happppppy Birthdays!

Hellllooooo family!

Happy late Birthdays to Rachel and Daniel! It was way fun to read all of the descriptions of the festivities. It sounds like both of the days were really fun. Bah I'm sad I missed them but I was thinking about you, don't even worry! Sister Cutler's birthday is this month too, on Friday. We have been looking forward to that. Hey it would be cool if y'all could just send her a quick happy birthday email for her to see next Tuesday. Her email address is emily.cutler@myldsmail.net. She would like that I think. Anyways, here is some news: I will be back for your next birthdays. I officially have less than a year left on my mission and that is weirdie to me. Anyways, we celebrated Rachel's birthday with a baptism! It was a 12 year old boy named Jeremie in the Salève ward. His family had been on-and-off active for awhile, and his 16-year-old brother was able to baptise him. Oh man, it was sweet. Elders Burke and Mason and Sister Cutler and I sang a musical number after he was baptised. I was a little nervous for it, of course, but it turned out alright. I knew it was a success because I saw tears in people's eyes. If I can make someone cry during a musical number or talk or something, I know I've done well. Just kidding haha. But it is a really pretty song called Savior. Sister Cutler had translated into French, which was cool. I have a copy of it so I will play it for you when I come home. Speaking of music, I have been practicing playing the organ when we have a couple of spare minutes at the church before meetings or something. My goal is to be as good as the man who plays with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and dances with his feet on the bass pedals. There is a hymn in the French hymn book whose music is actually from Mozart, and there is a great bass line in the chorus, so I am working on that. It's coming along quite nicely. Sister Cutler plays the song on the piano and I come in with the organ just on that part haha.

Oh also, thank you for the Valentine! I got it in the mail Tuesday I think, so right after Valentine's day. It was so nice! We obviously can't celebrate Valentine's Day much, so it was nice to know that you were thinking of me still. Will, how did your play go? I was thinking about you last week and hoping you would do awesome. I was also thinking about how last year for his play, I went right after my silly little surgery... already a year ago! Nuts. Time sure flies.

So, to follow the trend that has been at least since I have been in Geneva, we are having more success in the Spanish ward than in the French ward. I really want to find someone to be baptized in the French ward because those members are so into missionary work. I don't know what it is that is preventing us from having any progressing investigators in that ward. Hmm but we keep trying. But we have a couple of good investigadoras in the Spanish ward. Actually all three of them are references from members. Pretty incredible, no? We are going to start teaching this 10 year old girl named Victoria, and maybe her 8 year old sister Mikayla. They and their mom have been coming to church the last couple weeks with their aunt, and so on Sunday I was talking to Victoria after Primary and I asked her if she was interested in us teaching her so that she could be baptized and she said Yes!! (well, Si!! actually) and gave me a hug. So cute. It would be great to teach her mom too, and I think she would like to, but she works a ton, apparently. But we have an appointment with them for next week after the holidays, so I am excited to see how that goes.

Hey that is pretty exciting about Camille being engaged! I expect a wedding announcement over here... :) I am getting passed up by younger cousins! But it is awesome that she is getting married, and in the temple... it's the only place to be, you know?

Also, I was thinking the other day... does Cougar baseball start pretty soon? Bah I will miss baseball this spring and summer. Will you keep me updated? Oh and I want to see pictures of my family! It has been a really long time!

Oh one more thing I wanted to tell you before I finish: you told me that y'all are memorizing the Living Christ, so I decided to do the same, but in French! I have the first paragraph so far: 'Au moment ou nous célébrons le deux millième anniversaire de la naissance de Jésus-Christ, nous temoignons de la vérité de sa vie sans pareille, et du pouvoir infini de son grand sacrifice expiatoire. Personne d'autre n'a eu une influence aussi grande que lui sur tous les gens qui ont vécu ou qui vivront un jour sur la terre.' I did that from memory...hopefully I didn't miss anything. But that will be cool that we are learning it at the same time, no?

Anyways, I love you all alot and am more than grateful for your prayers and support. It is a huge huge blessing to have a family like you backing me up. Have a fantastic week! I LOVE YOU!

Love,
ALLIE

P.S. Did you get the email ok last week on your regular email? Or is it still being weirdie?
P.S.S. My camera is not connecting to this computer for some reason so I can't send any pictures today... boo!