May 4th email

The week has been good. We had a few rendez vous with less actives and new investigators as well as a fun day of service. We drove half an hour out of Angers and ate a big lunch. The cammembert is really good too. Then we moved some boxes out and waited for the truck. It came after four hours... But we got some good games of rock boules in and stuff. Elder Williams also has had the hiccups for the past five or six days so we spent a long night at the hospital this last week. And nothing came out of it. So ya, it was pretty intersting. France is amazing and I am glad to be out here.

Haven't been able to teach music or play it for the ward but it is all good. The day with the DL was good, walked around a lot and talke to people. Got my first chance at knocking doors. That was a whole lot of fun. I got to do one door and they understood me and then rejected me right away, but alteast they understood me.

The week has been weird. The work has been slow and haven't had a lot to do, but hopefully that will pick up soon. We had a really hot day here earlier in the week followed by a cold day today and rain yesterday, so the weather is all over the place, but it is still good. It is kinda dreary today and we didn't go play sports because of it, lots of clouds and wind. But we have a rendez vous tonight that hopefully goes through and if not we are going to pass by some old names in the area book. Hopefully something comes out of it.

I have gotten to drive and it isn't too bad, just weird driving on some of the really small streets that people park on so it is really a two lane but we use one and both directions use it, takes some getting used to. I generally yield the driving to another missionary but when it is just me and my comp, I get to take the wheel.
In Paris we didn't have time to do much besides take a picture of the eiffel tower and catch our trains. I did get to see my district which was good along with the rest of the missionaries which was cool. Mission conferences are once every few transfers I think. Not really sure. I hope you can get the money saved because that will be a really fun trip wth you here.

But life is pretty good for the most part. After church we generally have lunch with a member so they drive us there and then home and members are pertty good with giving us rides from the church after activities and such. I have had a few meals with members and had one with some people we did service for. A full french meal with wine and everything. Yes we denied the wine, and the cafe too. The ward is good and it is basically our whole area, still not sure of the cities in the area though. But it is pretty big. Just look at the surronding areas and you should find most of it.

Until the phone call

Elder Sanborn

Post Mother's Day call

Happy Mother's Day! The meeting went pretty good, we just answered a question that they had about which church is the true church then we told them how we knew of the truth, that you don't need to see God but you can feel the peace about it. And then their question about Noah's ark being found in Turkey as well I answered. But besides that it was pretty normal. Missed the bus by a few minutes and were forced to walk home in the slight rain so it wasn't too bad. Talked about our phone calls and other stuff comme ca. (like that). We are really trying to get this couple baptized but they aren't making the step to come to church like they need to before we can commit them to baptism and Huai Xi leaves at the end of the month to go back to China for three months, so hopefully we can either get him ready this month or teach Lei while he is gone and she how interested she is alone. Hopefully it all works out. We had a rendez-vous earlier today but got frujed so now we are emailing. (to get frujed means to have an appointment or an investigator and then it falls through. I guess there is a drink called Fruji that tastes good at first but the aftertaste is really bad. So when someone doesn't show up for an appointment we say we got frujed. anyways...) So not much happened today because of the rain too.

I remember reading or hearing something from one of the apostles of prophets that funerals aren't sad for us but more a celebration of life and it sounds like they really got that down at the funeral. Huai Xi and Lei actually asked that question; if we are sad or happy at a funeral. I made the comment that when grandad died I was sad because I won't get to see him again on the Earth but happy to know that I will be with him together after this life and that he can truly be free and happy now. I'm glad our church has that perspecitve on life.

I have learned to have fun out here, at times it is hard but I just realize the mission is what I make it, so why not make it good? and it works usually.

(This email was sent to us the Monday after our Mother's Day call--so this is just an exerpt of his email)