Soeur Hurd in Lyon: 6 Months Ahh!!

I LOVE CANNES. Seriously it just always smells like flowers here and it's so pleasant! I will admit the weather is very humid and sticky and hot but it is still just so nice to be here. I cannot complain. Everywhere you look it's just white buildings and beautiful architecture and I love it. The ward here is awesome! I already had the pleasure of meeting several members throughout the week, and then Sunday I met so many more. Everyone was kind and welcoming.

I LOVE SISTER HOLMES. We've just had a blast together so far. She reminds me a lot of our cousin Erin so naturally she's just the most pleasant companion! We get along super well! She does MirandaSings impressions all the time and it's hilarious and just like Juna's right next to me doing the same thing haha. I am scared she'll leave next transfer because she's already been here for three! We are always laughing and having fun!

Yes, in a few days I will have reached my six month mark. I remember when Allison reached hers when we were together and I was thinking, wow, she's so far and such a great missionary and speaks amazing French! Aaaand now I'm there and still feel like a bleu. Scary how fast the time goes! On the plus side, some people told me I sounded like a French person when I speak so I'm getting there hopefully.

This week we have our final zone conference with President Roney :( I'll admit, it is very, very sad to think of our mission without the Roneys. Even though I've only served with them for 6 months, they've made a huge impact on my life and I admire them in so many ways! I can see the impact that President has made on our mission the past three years and I know it's forever changed for the better. Although it will be sad to part with them, we'll be in touch throughout the years. I'm excited for President and Sister Brown as well! I know they're the inspired leaders to be here at this time and I'm excited to get to know them and learn from them. Later this transfer we'll have a zone conference with the new president and we'll be doing interviews! Cool.

This week I've been studying a lot about finding people because in Cannes it's hard to find people that want to hear about the Gospel. And guess what? It always comes back to families. I know I've put the plug in for family history several times already in my letters home, especially because we have Project Elijah that we're working on as a mission, but I'm doing it again. Families are SO IMPORTANT. I was reading Allison's talk she gave on Mother's Day in Nice and it was so great and so true. Mothers (and Fathers) are to bring up their children in light and truth and if they don't then a child's life is changed forever. They will forever wander in darkness, searching for truths, searching for true happiness, trying to find it here and there and maybe for a time they will think they have found it. We know that greatest happiness comes from families and that working towards success in families is the most important thing we can do in this life. Everyone...call someone in your family right now and tell them how much you appreciate what you've learned from them.

I think next Sunday is Father's Day in France....I'm not sure if it's the same in America or if it was yesterday, but either way, I LOVE YOU DAD. I frequently think about the advice you've given me before and during my mission and all the lessons you've taught me my whole life. You always know what to say.

I read a talk this morning about patience and there's a story of a young son whose dad owned a motorcycle shop. One day they got a new shipment of several shiny new motorcycles. They lined them up one by one in a row. One day the boy did what all boys do and got on one of the motorcycles. He even started up the engine, then decided he probably shouldn't so he got off. When he got down, he knocked over the motorcycle and then watched as it knocked over the one next to it, and then each one went down like a string of dominoes. The father heard the commotion and came out and saw what happened. He slowly smiled and said, "Well son, we better fix up one and sell it so we can pay for the rest." Ah!! What a perfect father! What incredible patience! I would have blown up! I think about my own dad and I know that after a long, exasperated sigh, he would say the same thing. I'm so lucky to have a patient earthly father and perfectly patient Heavenly Father.

Je vous aime!!

Soeur Melissa Hurd