How I Learned to Love the Work

Semaines un à trois (The First Three Weeks) 

It would probably take a lengthy bit of my life to describe the spectrum of emotions I have experienced over the course of the last two months. Needlessly to say, I am overflowing with gratitude for having the opportunity to serve the people of France (That was copyrighted from a Miss America speech, most likely). 

I am inhabiting one of the most picturesque landscapes known to European kind. Everything here is practically the same, except that before you enter the country, they feed you the same kind of cookies that Alice in Wonderland ate and everything becomes much smaller to you. What is this, a country for ants?? (Thank you, Ashley Rossello).

FUN FACTS I LEARNED:

• Aaron Eckhart, the actor who played Two-Face in "The Dark Knight", served in my mission.

• Muslims have the coolest ringtones ever. Every time I'm on the tram and hear one of their phones go off, I want to climb onto the roof and pretend I'm in a movie.

• Kids love it when you make faces at them when their mothers are facing away from you. The cutest little four-year-old Muslim girl and I had an "ugly face-off" for ten minutes straight on the bus going home from contacting.

Many fun adventures have happened since I last wrote home. The video tour I sent may have given the appearance that I am living in Disney World. In fact, the Elders have officially deemed our apartment as such. 

However in the course of one week, our washer has leaked all over our kitchen, our water heater has broken twice (and yes, I did have to boil water on a stove and shower by pouring bowls of water on my head. More than once, so you know that it wasn't just for the experience), Mold has decorated the walls of the other sisters' room so we had to disassemble their bunk bed and put in ours), and when the water heater is fixed, you have two options for your showering experience: freezing rain or molten lava. It usually depends on what mood I'm in whether I spend my bathing time in Hoth or Mordor.

View from our apartment window

On a positive note, I've made progress with the language. In fact, I've made progress-ish in other languages as well. Last week, I was so proud of the fact that I can greet and ask someone how their doing in Italian, I thought I would show off in front of one of the members of the ward here who, as I heard through the grapevine, was from Italy. He was quite impressed and started shrieking out more Italian words at me, so I thought I endeared him pretty freaking well. I was feeling like a golden missionary for the few days that followed until a sister later revealed to me that he was, indeed, a Frenchmen. Someone else in the ward is Italian. Not the one I shouted random Italian words at. He's French.

I now avoid that member.

One of my favorite things about Dijon is the prevalence of Nigerians here. Their culture is stark different from anything I've ever seen, and I love it. 

Dijon

Aside from learning a lot about different cultures and how to make it in different country, I have also learned a lot about the concept of hope. Hope has gotten me this far in my mission. There isn't another word you could use to replace it that would accurately describe my key to survival. Last week, my companion and I were raté-vous'd, which means we set an appointment with someone and they weren't there (which is very common as a missionary). 

As a back-up plan, we went street contacting. The first woman we walked up to was adorable, sharing the same appearance as those podlings from "The Dark Crystal." We asked her "What brings you hope?" The response was unexpected. She replied, boasted actually, that she didn't need hope, that there was nothing in this world that could bring any hope to her. She walked away smiling, but something was very off about that woman. 

I reflect on that moment quite frequently and think of the many roles that hope plays in the lives of human beings. Hope is the ability to be patient with life, to except what comes your way, regardless of how great or terrible it may be, and knowing that things are going to be okay. In the end, things really do turn out okay. Hope is prerequisite however. Our attitudes reflect so much about ourselves, our experiences, and what path we are on. Please roll your eyes at my sentimentality. I already have. But then think for a second about how you view the course your life is on. Are you the person who smirks at the thought of being positive, or are you the person who keeps moving forward because you have the knowledge that things are going to be okay?

I could probably continue for hours on the experiences I've had here, but unfortunately I'm under a time constraint. I love each and every one of you, even if you're some creeper that found this link through Facebook at 3 o'clock in the morning. I know that each of you are going through something hard. But, I also know that changing your attitude, your perspective on what truly matters in the outcome, can get your though those things.

Bisous to all! I think about my family and friends often and hope that you guys are doing great! I'm trekking though this. There's still so much to do here (and so much to learn!).

Présèrverez jusqu'à la fin!!!

Sœur Green