A week of thanks!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! It is actually really funny because none of us knew if Thanksgiving was this last Thursday or the one before it... so many things you actually don't know before your mission.  Anyways we had Thanksgiving at the church with a bunch of members and it was awesome! minus that Frere Professo told us that he would bring the turkey... well ya so he did which was great but it literally could have fed me and thats it... it was TINY!  We brought mashed potatoes but more people showed up than we were expecting and moral of the story.. we had one tiny turkey (which i am pretty sure it was chicken) and some mashed potatoes and some sweet potatoe thing that this lady in our ward made... not sure what it was.  And some cookies... to feed like 20 people! haha so ya I was STARVING! There is a first for everything... first Thanksgiving that I have gone hungry… it's good for me! I eat way too much French chocolate and nutella!:)

But to start from the beginning.. I slipped running this week and have a gnarly bruise on my forearm! Reflexes from snowboarding... never fall forward and try to catch yourself with your hands... just fall flat:) That's what I did and if I wouldn't have, I would have broken my wrist for sure... I fell hard!!!  It doesn't really hurt surprisingly... it looks worse than it is. I then had lunch with Heidi Heras and her awesome husband! It helped so much to have a fun lunch and just chat... I needed a little break like that and it was perfect and I was so grateful!!! After that we went out and worked and we found two more cool interested Chinese people! haha I think if China would have been opened when I got my call, the Lord would have sent me there... but since it's not, I am trying to convert all the Chinese people here in Sainte!:)  Needless to say, we had lots of miracles this week and it was much needed! The sun is still hidden a lot of the time and it's FREEZING, but I had some retail therapy this week and I am happy and warm:) Thank you H&M and Zara! (and Big B):)

Friday I was on exchanges with Sr. Sarmiento from Valence and Sr. Cherry went to Valence! It was a good exchange and I profited from her help.  I took her to see Chrystelle! She pretty much took over the lesson and was really bold with her and it was good.  She didn't change but it was nice not to have to respond to the same hard questions... I let sr sarmiento do it:) She is really cool though we had a good exchange! When Sr Cherry came back I said, "How was your exchange?" and she said ".... good"  After talking for awhile, she told me how grateful she was for me because their styles were very different.  I said well exchanges are good for something... you realize i am not that bad:) but in all seriousness, she and I get a long REALLY well and we have the same desire for the work.  I am forever grateful for the support she has given me this transfer!!! I couldn't have been with anyone else.  She was so perfect and so inspired... if we split this next transfer I will be really sad! 

Saturday we were really really busy and we taught lessons and we ate with a member who is just awesome! Her son showed us pictures of his girlfriend so I naturally shared mine of my cute Beau and we may have gotten home at like 10:45... oops! I called the zone leaders and they were like again? I am said "sorry I am just trying to do the work of the Lord and that goes past 10:30sometimes:)" Sunday we had no heating in our chapelle soooooo they cut church short... which means we work more outside... fun:) #fastsunday! We were busy though and we didn't eat until 10 that night! I love being busy and being a missionary!!! The Lord blessed us with lots to do to get my mind on other things and I feel much better now!  So for all of you who may have thought I was suicidal based on my emails to Sandy Mod,  I am doing much better:) Thank you for ALL for the notes and love!! They have helped so so so much!! 

I hope you all have a wonderful week! With it being Thanksgiving, I want you all to know that I am so grateful for each of you and for all the prayers in my behalf and in Chrystelle's. They were much needed! I am grateful to be a missionary and to be here in France amongst the strongest members you will ever meet. My eyes have been completely opened to a new world in the church and it has changed me forever!!

Love you all!

Sister Mod 

Pic 1: Dr. Heidi Heras taking McCall and Soeur Cherry to lunch in St. Etienne

Pic 2: Too cold to have much more excitement than this.

Pic 3: November Zone Conference