violin, green stuff and long walks

Dear Family and Friends,

I get to see fireworks tonight and then we get to sleep in tommorrow morning!!! Its a treat from president roney and I'm super excited. :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) 

Soeur Jensen, plays the violin. And is super cool. She played the violin for an 95 yearold lady last night who gave us a marriage 101 class ( we get a lot of those). she was just about the sweetest things I have ever met and she blessed us and our families. We got to go to this gorgeous village the other day. We were searching for a less active that lives on Rue du chateau, road of the castle, and we didn't have a map, so we just went in the direction of where we thought there was a castle and found this gorgeous village with a castle and it was filled with flowers and strams and little bridges. Its called Chabyeuil or something like that. We didn't find the less active, so we will be returning, maybe on a pday. :)

Soeur Jensen is super fun and super funny. She is also a really hard worker, so everything is peachy wonderful with working and having fun. 

The other day we helped some people move in the rain and then visited a less active and missed the last bus home. So we walked about two hours ( we got back before 9 so everything was ok) from one village to valence and we actually had a lot of fun laughing and talking and the weather was just perfect. Soeur Jensen says to tell you that she thinks that Soeur russell is awesome and that we walk a ton. 

Its been really pretty this week because it is really cloudy and overcast, so all the greenery is so bright and beautiful. Its kinda cool that I live in france.

Je vous aime!!!!!!!!!!!!!! plus que le chocolat français!!!!

et Dieu vous aime aussi!!!

avec amour,

Soeur Russell

Food, violins and germans

Dear friends and family,
This last week, I ate a lot at members homes. Moday night we ate at our bishops house, thursday we had a BBQ for our district meeting, and tacos for dinner at a members house and squash and chicken for Lunch chez les membres on friday and a 4th of july party for dinner at a members and friday we hyad a ward picnic and then an italian dinner with some italian members. Is it wierd that I define my weeks by food? Thats about the first thought that pops into my head when I think about my weeks. This week, we had an exchange with some sisters from grenoble and I was with a sister that was actually older than me in the mission. It was interesting doing missionary work with someone with more experience than me. That still happens sometimes, but it was cool to see how two experienced missionaries work together.
So we got our transfer calls this week and I am staying in Valence, but now I am with a new companion. Her name is Soeur Jensen, she is from Utah, she has a master's degree in violin and she loves smoothies. I'm in the middle of getting to know her, but she seems great. I'll miss Soeur Röse a lot. She is by far my favorite german. (no offense to other germans)
Update on our amis, all of our african and indian amis are really hard to get a hold of or they are constantly changing or canceling our rendezvous. Alexandre and Sylvia are speeding their way through the Book of Mormon. Estelle is spectacular, she is already sharing what she is learning with other people and asking us for Books of Mormon so that she can give them to others. She is spectacular and keeps a good attitude about it though.
I gotta run!
get excited about missionary work! it is extremely exciting!
Dieu vous aime et vous aidera!
avec amour,
Soeur Russell