9 Months

Dear Family and Friends,

Last pday was a little wierd which is why I'm writing on a wednesday instead of a monday. Nothing bad or too strange happened so no worries, just a lot of busy stuff and then we had an exchange right after that in Nice.

Last friday was the halfway mark of my mission. It doesn't make sense in my brain, but its true. 9 months have passed. Time flies and it goes slowly at the same time. (I'm sure everyone can understand that feeling) 

So this last week was pretty cool in that way. there was new years and my 9 month mark. 

On tuesday, we spent a large part of the day helping members prepare for the new years eve party that night. We cut a lot of stuff, rolled a lot of stuff, spread a lot of stuff, taped a lot stuff, set some tables, cleaned, etc..... And the arty ended up being a huge hit, everyone, including Jacqueline(who came too) had so much fun. We left right after dinner(which was yummy) but the rest of the members danced, played games, dressed up in costumes, and covered the entire church in confetti. We visited jacqueline the next day at her house and in the stairwell of her apartment building, there is confetti everywhere leading right up to her door. So all her neighbors know exactly who was the one who made the halls so messy and festive. She is doing great though. She has really progressed in the past week and we have found a very good way of teaching her. That day we also had lunch with a member who has the most gorgeous veiw of the Saint Victoire (a mountain) from her window. It was almost distracting, it was so beautiful. Its very unique from most mountains I've seen. These past two weeks, I have eaten an absurd amount of fois gras. Its not bad, especially when you get the really high quality kind ( the Atoine's had fois gras that their friend made personally which was the best one I have ever eaten), but eating it almost every other day for two weeks is a little scary.  We also got to eat Gallette des Rois twice  last week, which was really yummy. It has a almond tasting center and a flaky outside. And the tradition is that there is little figurine baked in the cake and everyone gets a slice and whoever gets the slice of cake with the figurine in it is the King for a day. The second time we ate it, I got the figurine, so I have a fun little plastic crown in our apartment now :) 

We also had district meeting with only 6 missionaries ( I have never had a district meeting so small before)  and sandwhiches. And, because of our curfew, we weren't able to eat dessert at the new years eve party, but they promised to save some. And later we found an entire giant bowl of millefueilles sitting in the church fridge. We weren't sure if they were ours, so we didn't eat them then. We talked to a member later who said that they were meant for us. We returned to the church to find them gone. I will admit I was very heart broken. So we did some investigating with the other missionaries to find out where they had gone to. But We really had no idea who would do that. Then on sunday we were sitting in Relief Society, when a sister starts talking about some charity that she got to do during the week by giving out food that she had found in the church to homeless people. Our mystery was solved then. Me and Soeur Bowman looked at each other and almost started laughing. Our millefueilles were stolen for charity. That's a good cause.

And then after church, all the missionaries went to a members house for lunch. It is about the coolest house ever. It is almost completely made of glass ( it literally like a glass box) and all the walls open up and close) and we had lots of food and laughed and talked. That was lots of fun. The member couple are both so cool. Funny, nice. And both of them speak english, so it was all easy to understand. Then an FHE at a members house, where we had to hide from her cat ( long story and I dont have time sorry) and the exchange in sunny warm Nice.

I gotta run, but I love you all!!!!!!

à la prochain!!!!

Soeur Russell