Peeling Pumpkins.

This has been a very funny week! Understatement of the day, I know. Every week is weird and funny when you're wearing a nametag and talking to everyone on the streets.

So Monday night we were the only ones on the bus, except the bus driver, so I went and talked to him... and we chatted ALL the way back to the other terminus. He was seriously so funny and was driving extra slow so we could keep talking. He asked lots of questions and taught me some French (that is the easiest way to get French people talking, be American and ask for language help). The funny part of the story is that the nexy day the elders tried talking to this same bus driver and he remembered my name and told the elders he liked me more. HA. But really, I love talking to the bus drivers. They say the funniest things.

The next night we had to drop something off for the elders and went up to drop it by the door, but they were there still and we were talking a minute. When someone presses the button and it's to firemen and they ask to come up. Of course they are mircowaving rice in a microwave they have plugged into the hallway (long story, don't worry about it) so we freak out a little. Turns out they are just selling calendars. So all four of us get them talking and they are SUPER cool guys, but they find out we are volunteer and are like, I guess you can't buy these then. We're like no sorry, but actually we have a free gift for you! The elders run inside and get two books and we start filling out our testimonies and teaching the first discussion and it was the coolest little miracle ever. They accepted the gifts and then gave us some calendars in return :)

Our week mostly revolved around a big Thanksgiving activity we have been planning. We made hand turkeys, put them on a streetboard and invited everyone and their dog (literally, I invited a guy and his dog) to come. We had a little competition with the elders and we had a good time with it. People are a lot nicer when you are inviting them to come eat :) Haha, but yes. The preparations for the event were really interesting. Because we don't have access to American things here. Therefore, my simple pumpkin pie turned into literally buying a pumpkin, cutting and carving it, PEELING IT like a potato and boiling it to make what kind of comes in the can. We also didn't have the right spices. So, it wasn't a masterpiece but it turned out pretty well for what I had to do to make it :) Admire the picture, because I'm really proud of it.

It turned out so well! Not tons and tons of people, but all the right ones and lots of food and music :) We really achieved our objective of getting lots of amis and non-members to come. We even taught all the French people how to do American line dances like the electric slide and cotton eye joe. SO funny. It was a fun night, except everyone left to catch their bus and we (the missionaries and a recent convert) got stuck with ALL the dishes. But we left the music on and it made dishes a lot more enjoyable :) Then we walked all the way home... there's the sad ending. Haha.

It has been a good week, but this week we're giving everything. Our goal is to talk to 1000 people this week. I've never done it, but I'm pretty pumped. That requires talking to about 143 people a day so... should be fun :) I love being a missionary! Yesterday we saw the new Mormon messages, Wrong Roads and the one for CHRISTMAS! I invite you all to watch them and be uplifted :) Je vous aime tous!

Sœur Loder