66th email from France (the Bureau)

Hey Everyone, We kind of had a good week. It started off kind of slow. We had our zone conference Wednesday which went well. It’s always really good to see everyone and they talked a lot about stuff that hasn’t been very clear for everyone such as how to contact, like how to introduce ourselves. They kind of made a new mission standard which will help a lot after receiving different instructions on how to do things over the last year. We had two 70’s come and teach us completely different techniques then when President Carter came he had his new way, then we still have others trying to hold on to President Merrill’s teachings- so it feels really good to have it all set straight. The weirdest part about zone conference- well, you need to know that every time we have a conference, the new and leaving elders and sisters bear testimony- well, this time it’s the Soeurs from our mtc district already going home! Their 18 months are over and they’re gone in a few weeks after this transfer! I couldn’t even believe that it finished so fast for them but it was cool to have them (Soeur Oliver et Daun) in the Toulouse zone and also I’ll get to see them as they pass by the bureau the day of transfers. It’s just too weird how fast it’s going. This Saturday the ward did an activity. We just all got together and played soccer. Not that many came but it was still fun and we had one of our investigators come so that worked out really well. He seemed to like it. This week in the bureau has been a little hectic. Elder Wright has been pretty busy closing apartments and stuff then last week the sisters in Nimes left their cell phone at the place they did their emails so I’ve been running all over trying to get a new phone and sim card and getting it to them. This week should be really good. It’s the 14 Juillet tomorrow like the French Fourth of July. It was last year when we did the big parade and party with Robert. I’m going to go to Tarbes for an exchange so that should be fun then Wednesday we’re going to be going to Pau, another town down at the bottom of our mission to drop off a fridge. Also, next week there’s a big possibility we could go to Gap. I’m praying that works because it’s the one town in our mission in the Alps so it would be a cool change. We got a new couple missionary this week. They were in the bureau for a few hours. They are really nice and excited to be here. Thanks a lot for the notes you sent me from the setting apart blessing. That helps a lot especially the part about being happy and all. It’s been kind of hard lately. I feel like there are really people that we could find to be baptized, it’s just going pretty slowly even when we work really hard. I haven’t been feeling super good either; not sick but just really tired all the time and I’ve been losing weight. I’m way more skinny that I ever have been before. I think I just need to sleep for about two weeks but I just can’t! Hey, you’re going to be proud of me. So, Elder Mak here can see how much money people have on their mission cards for like the mission money and there are always people that go from month to month just barely making it and running out at the end or always calling us at the bureau to look online to see if they have enough to buy food and whatnot; so I guess I must have learned to be trendy (I think he means “thrifty”) or something because I have the second most money out of the whole mission. It’s true I’ve been kind of budgety, I’m not sure why though. It’s weird for me. Hey, I finally found a suit. I’m super excited for that. It was 70 percent off. It’s a super nice one from a store called Devred. I also bought shoes for really cheap and a new belt. The suit with a really nice tie cost 48 Euros then the shoes 27 and the belt like 12- so it all worked out really nice! Love y’all, Taylor