Christmas

Dear Family and Friends,
What a great week! But of course its always great at christmas time. All worries seem so distant and small when we focus on the life of christ. For Noel, we spent christmas eve at our bishop's house with one whole side of his family. The entire family is awesome so they made us feel right at home. We played games, ate a lot of food ( caviar, cheese, chicken, potatoes, fois gras, shrimp, salmon, a buche de noel , rasberry mousse, date paste, salade, sparkling grape and apple juice, more drinks,etc) and watched Home Alone (with president's permission of course). We got to sleep in a little christmas morning and then we opened presents. That was lots of fun and thank you to all the family and friends that sent me something. Our ami jacqueline also gave us presents, (I got a bag and an expresso tea set with cats all over it :)) Later we went caroling to homeless people with Soeur Zassor (a member)  and handed our little sachets of food for them. And then we ate Lunch at her apartment and afterwards, went back to the bishop's house to skype our families. It's so amazing how we can just open our computers these days and see our families faces and talk with them. It was great to see them, and I miss them lots. As well as all my other friends and family. :) But I'm so happy I have the chance to be here working for the Lord.
On friday, we had zone Training, and after we ate domino's pizza and Cookies ( a very american meal) and later that day, we met up with a potential ami named YunLin. She is really cute. She says she is not interested in religion, but she still asks us lots of questions about the missionaries and the church, so we are hoping that will change soon. She is really darling and just a fun person.  After church on Sunday, we taught  Jacqueline, who is doing well, but I can tell she is not always grasping the significance of what we tell her. But she is progressing and reading the Book of Mormon, so she is doing great. :)
Today, we got to do service for some members and ate way to many french desserts.( the member bought us croissants and pain au chocolates and beignets and the elders brought a gallette des rois to our RCM meeting). This time of year is not good if one is trying to be healthy. But it is good for everything else. :)
How blessed we are to have the gospel in our lives. To know that we have a savior who has made everything possible for us creates such hope. The gospel is such a comfort and a blessing.
Je vous aime tous!!!! Beaucoup!!!!!!
à la semaine prochain,
Soeur Russell