Better than Christmas

Another great week this week. I am so happy here!

First of all, I LOVE GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!! It is the best as a missionary. I feel like all of my questions were answered, and that many of the talks were given just for me. I got to listen to most of it in English but there were a few that I had to listen to in French. I especially loved the first session each day because we got to watch it at the same time. It was fun to know that you were watching the same thing that I was and even singing the same songs at the same time that I was. What a blessing it is to have a living prophet! I just couldn't stop telling all of our amis how special it is and how lucky we are to listen to the prophet and apostles.

Our amis are all incredible! We had a mangez-vous with Fatilha and her family this week. I will send you a picture that we took. I don't know if I mentioned it before but they are Algerian and they fed us food from their country (some kind of food with lamb in it). It was good. I adore that family. You know how in the Doctrine and Covenants it says that when someone accepts you, they will feed you and take care of you, well that is them. They take care of us so well. At the end of the RDV we told them that we needed to go catch our bus and they said "You can stay and sleep over here at our house!" We told them that that isn't exactly allowed. Haha They are incredible and they are progressing so much in their knowledge and love for the gospel. In the picture that I send home you will notice that I look really silly- that is because the 8 year old boy Mecipsa kept decorating me with flowers and plants. I LOVE THEM!

Another miracle this week was Yue. She is 22 years old and Chinese. She is so much fun and full of energy. We taught her Friday night about the Plan of Salvation. When we told her that she can be baptized her eyes got really big and gasped. She was so excited and touched. But then she said "But I don't know how to swim." I love her. The next night we met her at the train station to bring her to General Conference. She had brought her best friend, Suphan, with her (also Chinese). Yue told us " She doesn't know anything about the Mormons but I know that Conference is only twice a year and I don't want her to miss this special experience." Yue is already a missionary, I love it! Both girls loved General Conference and now Suphan wants to start meeting with us. After Conference Suphan told us "I loved it! I felt so good. I think I want to continue becoming a Mormon." Haha Man! We have the BEST amis. I love them all so much!

Another miracles this week was Assaitou! She is 30 years old and again INCREDIBLE! She meet an LDS family in France(during their vacation) 7 years ago and they became good friends and kept in contact. Assaitou went to go visit them in Idaho just this August, and they taught her all about the gospel. She loves her friends dearly and was touched by the Spirit, so she decided to find the missionaries in France. We met with her Monday night and had the best RDV ever. During the RDV she said "Yeah, today I am a Muslim, but tomorrow I think I might be a Mormon." When we told her about baptism and invited her to be baptized she said "I really want to learn more first, so maybe not this time, but probably next time we meet?" We explained to her that we weren't going to baptize her that night but that we want to help her learn and gain her testimony first. She is very excited about the gospel!

There are so many miracles here. I know I say that a lot, but it is true. God lives and He is a God of miracles. I heard a quote in the MTC that says "If you have enough faith, God will not limit the amount of miracles you have." As I continue to strengthen my faith, God continues to bless Soeur Brough and I with miracles. I know the same goes for everything else in life. I think sometimes it is easy to get so caught up in the things that we can see. Some things may seem impossible to our human eyes, but with God all things are possible. Miracles are real! The atonement of Jesus Christ changes lives. All it takes is our faith first, then God won't limit that which we receive.

The first P-Day of every transfer is "Paris P-Day" and everyone in the Paris area goes up and plays football at Les Invalides, then eat lunch together and do something fun. Soeur Brough and I played football today with all of the elders and it was actually really fun!!! It was raining the whole time but it really was fun!

Well, I don't have a whole lot more to say so I think I will just tell you some random french facts. I hope you enjoy:
-The snails here are pink and green. I'm not even kidding. They are actually really pretty.
-French dress suits are really cool! They are shinny and men wear then A LOT tighter than then men in America. Let's just say that they are very fitting and stylish.
-Missionaries do not at all look out of the ordinary here. It seems like everyone wears suits and skirts. All the time I think "Oh, there's the elders"... but it never is.
-The cars here have "park anywhere" lights. So you can put on those lights and literally stop anywhere and get out of your car. It's kind of ridiculous.
-Evry has the most beautiful clouds I have ever seen. It is beautiful!!!!!
-Public restrooms do not exist here.
-Bisous(hello kisses on both cheeks)are totally normal to me now- to the point that I have almost done them with missionaries. That would be bad news. Haha


Well I think that is about it for now. I love you all and hope that all is well in America.

Love,
Soeur Andrea McClaine