St Etienne 7

Ok, here is the transfer news.  Elder Brady is by now on a train to Toulon to be collegues with elder Jackson who I knew in theMTC.  I am staying in St-Etienne, and getting a new blue.  I am also district leader now yeah!  I am actually in Lyon at the moment (writing you in the same internet café that I used when I first got here).  The new missionaries don't get in until Tuesday evening, and we'll go back to St- etienne Wednesday afternoon.  Cool schtuff.  I hear that about 3/4 of the new missionaries are frenchies or french speaking islanders, so I may get a new collegue who speaks better French than me.  Anyway, it will be fun.

questions:  

Christmas,  We have already been invited by a member family for Christmas, the ward is also having a little christmas party the 15 Dec, and a new years party the 31st.  It think that we will be able to go to both of them because there will be amis there, and it could be really good.

The decorations are up.  In the centre ville there are little lights strung around, and whatnot.  Not to be negative, it isn't breathtaking.  It is fun though, people seem a bit nicer, but I haven't noticed much of a difference.  It honestly doesn't really feel like Christmas time.  It snowed yesterday and today, but it didn't stick.  IT is super cold super super super so so so so flippin cold, but not bad :). I bought an advent calander a while ago, but I already finished it ha ha.  I need to get another one.  DONT FREAK OUT MOTHER I am  still loosing weight.  I am a size 38 inch waist now just so you know.  There are some pants leftover from other missionaries in our appartement that fit except the legs are a little snug still.  It's my goal to fit into them in..; by the end of next transfer.

Yes I am doing well.  I am happy and loving the mission.  I am really tired today.  Maybe it's all the traveling, and I was in the train station for about six hours directing missionaries every which way.  I'm ready for a nap.

I have gotten the stake presidency letter, but if Dan Wells sent me a specific letter, I havn't gotten it yet.  

I am not sure what our altitude is, kinda high?  Higher than sea level I know that much.

No we didn't use rosetta stone at the MTC.  We used something called TLC... no... TALL that's it.  Something unique for the MTC.  They didn't bother too much with any non missionary vocab.  All our French study was for the missionary lessons.  I think Rosetta stone helped a little.  I didnt' use it as much as I would have liked.  maybe I'll try it right when i get back see if it's easy.  The first level was already really easy for me.

No I do not miss my boots.  One of my pairs of shooes thought has holes in them.  They still look good, just a big crack in the balll ofthe foot.  I wouldn't have space for my boots either, and There is really only a handful of villes where you might need them, and most of them are in switzerland which I no longer have legality for...

I do not have my old planner with me so I can't tell you what we didi specifically each day...  Sunday we had two baptisms, Djo and Childric.  Two people came who accepted rendez-vous this coming week, so two more amis yeah, then there was one of our converti recents in the train station at Lyon this morning with a friend who agreed to come to church and meet with us.  Also a woman we talked to on the street gave us her number and we have a rdv this week with her, so things are progressing.

The Transfer schedule changed for next year for some reason, I am not fully sure why, all i know is it looks like I am ending my mission a week earlier then normal, so I could even be home for halloween!  Anyway it is interesting.  

In case you were wondering my temporary collegue is Elder Smith from Toulouse.  He is also going to be training, so we are haning out in Lyon together. 

Other than that, it was a pretty normal week.  We saw the same people and they are doing well.  

I am sorry this email is not very long, but I have no more time, I think I'm doing something with one of the equipes here, tomorrow, I'll just work in Lyon with Elder Smith.  I'd like to pass julie Loango who I taught who got baptised.  Then wednesday I'll get my new blue and run back to Saint Etienne.  

Love you all very much.  Have a wonderful week, and about travel plans, could I just talk to you about that when we do calls, or do you need to know asap?  October 29 is when the transfer ends now.  Have you looked at Gits?  they are supposedly the cheapest way to stay in Europe, and they are nice as well.  But I've never done any vacationing here so I really don't know what is "good" and what isn't. just look up French Gits on google.  They are people's houses that they rent out for a couple weeks while they are on vacaation.  Love you lots, ciao!