Soeur Hurd in Lyon: Best week ever.

This week was so funnnn I don't even know where to begin. Well, the
conference was a blast. Day 1 was just party day because we were
allowed to wear pday clothes so everything is just automatically 10
times more enjoyable. The whole mission reunited together at the
confluence, which is where the two rivers that run through Lyon come
together. Like Allison described in her email, president has often
talked about the temple as the confluence. The missionaries are one
river, the angels of ancestors of people in France are the other, and
both sides of them come together at the temple. It was fun to see all
the missionaries come together as the buses came in one by one. So fun
to see old companions! Baby sister Holmgren! She's so old now! And so
cute!

The rest of the day we hung out at the park and then we went to the
aquarium for the rest of the night. We had an auditorium rented out
and could walk around to see all the fish after it was closed for the
night. It was pretty fun! President talked about our goal of teaching
with 1000 members in the month of December (number now is 1112) and we
put together the star art project that he had wanted us to show. We
played lots of fun games and then watched LION KING OMG MADE MY WEEK
BEST THING EVER. There is so much true gospel doctrine in that
movie--watch it again and find it!

Day 2 was the spiritual part at the chapel. There were lots of
beautiful musical numbers and all the mission presidency members bore
their testimonies. Sister Brown's was the best! This move has not been
easy for her--she didn't put in any mission papers. But she's been
such a trooper and has really been blessed to feel part of a family
here with us. SHE IS THE BESTTT.

Christmas Eve was such a great day!! Well, apart from having to move
out of the Brown's home. It was a perfect, blissful week. The closest
thing I've ever felt to living in the celestial kingdom. But it was
time to go. Anyways, after we moved out we went to a nursing home and
sang with a bunch of other Lyon missionaries. We sang on each floor
and it was probably the greatest thing we did all week!! The people
were so touched and so many of them started crying. Singing "il est
né" and "les anges dans nos compagnes" were the best because they're
French songs and so most of the time people would light up and start
singing with us. It was sooo cute. That night we were invited by the
Bize family to have dinner and they also invited nelly! It was so
cute, she was helping in the kitchen the whole time and setting
everything up and just in the best mood. We went to sing for their
neighbors and then had a very traditional French meal. When we got
back to the apartment, the four of us had a very traditional Hurd
Christmas Eve as we acted out the nativity and it was not bad!
Considering there were few of us. And of course we sported our new
Christmas pajamas.

Christmas morning we slept in and made crepes together. Afterwards
sister grant and I went to the Georges' home for Christmas lunch. Six
courses and three hours later we were about to die. But I had
escargots for the first time and it was not bad! Kind of like really
rubbery pesto pasta. You just can't look at them too long. The Skype
was so fun! It was great to talk to Juna at the same time as
well--pretty incredible to think that people in France, USA and Peru
can all talk together at the same time.

The weekend after Christmas we were invited to more members homes for
Christmas meals and it was wonderful to get to spend time with them
and get to know them better. However, if I have to eat any more duck
liver on toast I think I will die. I love the members in our ward
though, they are seriously such wonderful people. We will be making a
lot of thank-you notes every night this week!

I'm so excited for the new year and new transfer and making goals.
2016 will be half missionary in France and half member missionary in
the USA so I think I actually have to think about real life in those
goals :( also "six months to sexy" has officially started but not
really because ALL I've eaten is chocolate the past week. Pray for me.

Je vous aime! Très bonne année!

Sœur Melissa Hurd