I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go: #frozenround2

Bonne Année!

Well, here it is, 2015! My blackout year is over and we're jumping into the New Year :)

Last Monday we dropped of Sister David at the airport. She finally got her visa and is heading to the MTC to serve in the Temple Square Mission. After that, we dropped some packages off at the Visitor's Center and headed in to look at an apartment for the Paris Elders (we're trying to move them by the end of the transfer) It was a nice apartment, but it is fully stocked and decorated, there's an office inside of it that the landlord regularly uses, and it's just 2 blocks from the Moulin Rouge... so, not gonna happen. So we're starting over the search in Paris, which is definitely one of the hardest villes to find apartments in. The rest of the day, we went crazy in the office :)

Tuesday was District Meeting. Elder Faura gave a solid training then he and I went on exchanges here in the office. We did some normal office stuff and he made CDs for the Bleus for next transfer (it's hard finding things for people to do when they come on exchanges here). We went and picked up the Gionet couple at the train station in Paris, because they decided to not drive their car in to the Mission Home at the end of their mission. That means that Elder Bates and I will have to go out to Nancy to bring the car back eventually. Président Babin invited us to have a Raclette dinner with him, his wife, and the Gionets, since we were too late to make it to Coordination Meeting and we would miss it by the time we got there... but we knew that if we didn't go, the APs wouldn't have a ride back home. So, we passed on the best offer of the month to save them haha. But, they bought us kebabs after, so it worked out :)

Wednesday morning Elder Faura and I went out to Cergy, just northwest of Paris, to drop off some stuff that we bought for them. We got another kebab (I felt terrible afterwards) and headed back to re-exchange with our comps at the church while the APs gave a church tour to a Chinese lady who's gonna get baptized next month :) We headed back to the bureau, then that night we went to the Bourgeois family. They are pretty nice, but totally crazy :) They gave us each a cachemire sweater, a tie, and cans of Dr. Pepper and A&W Root Beer! :) We had an intense fondue party with some crazy French cheeses, it just about killed all 4 Elders (we were with the Versailles Elders) :)

Thursday we had a lunch party with the APs, the Bussons, and the Bousseaus. It was pretty chill, and we ate pretty well :) We went to the church after to watch a movie with all 3 Elders équipes from our ward. We tried to get Dragons 2 but couldn't find it... so it ended up being Frozen...again... :) But we all loved it, so it's all good haha. Our Ward Mission Leader invited all the missionaries over for a little meeting and party. We had this dish that his wife made that's just like Annie's Chicken, but it was made with lamb :) I thought I was gonna die, it was so good. After we had a Galette des Rois, which is a simple pastry that you cut in slices. Inside one of the slices is a little ceramic Baby Jesus, or some other ceramic thing having to do with the Nativity. If you get that, you win, and they give you a paper crown and stuff :) Kind of a fun tradition :) I was one of the winners, I got a little ceramic thing of a stained glass window picture of one of the shepherds at the stable. I think I might bring this tradition home :)

Yesterday was the office... all day. I got a ton of work done, but it was murder haha. We made chili dawgs for lunch, and for dinner we were bored with normal cous cous and ratatouille. So, we made a Mexican cous cous with the taco mix you sent and some left over beans and chili haha.

Overall, a super awesome week. We definitely got spoiled (and a little fat) and got to just enjoy being where we are. Hopefully I can bring you guys here someday. I love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Tyler Martin