Editor's Note: a holiday shout-out to all you lovely Liv friends! Count this merci beaucoup for you, too--thank you for your love, light, and goodness. We are grateful for you and glad to count you among our favorite people as well. Merry Christmas, Happy Boxing Day, and on to the New Year!

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1. Pymm and I in our Christmas gear holding up merci beaucoup signs because  OHMYGOODNESS THAT ADVENT CALENDAR IN THE BEST THING I HAVE EVER RECEIVED IN MY LIFE

2. This wall is by our house and we walk by it everyday and it is a sweet little gangsta reminder to keep your head up. And it was pouring rain which is why I have a scarf on my head. (p.s. thanks for the scarf!!! LOVE IT!)

3. the biggest rainbow I have ever seen (pic doesn't do it justice) in Villejean, on our walk home.

4. we may not have cool bugs or spiders in France but we do have cute little hedgehogs that hang out on lawns while we port! 

5. Your beautiful advent calendar hung up over my desk. Really Mom, it is beautiful and we love it and every day is Christmas nooow! Not helping our case of too much Christmas spirit though . . .

 

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"Take in the Christmas spirit, but don't let the Christmas spirit take over you."

Famille,

This week at district Meeting the zone leaders talked about the schedule for Christmas--dinners with members, Christmas parties, pday etc--and then said "Take in the Christmas spirit, but don't let the Christmas spirit take over you." Soeur Pymm and I lost it right there and burst into laughter to which they replied "No seriously! It is possible!" We rolled our eyes and kept laughing about it, but truth be told, Soeur Pymm and I have been taken over by the Christmas spirit. We do our morning studies wearing a Santa hat and an elf hat (photo provided), we attempted to make a life-size gingerbread house out of cardboard last Pday (it failed. we don't want to talk about it. 2 hours wasted . . .), we sing Christmas songs at the top of our lungs in our apartment, we go to Christmas fetes where St. Nick himself is there. NBD.  This week was magical. We continued doing a lot of porting in our own neighborhood, building after building. Every single night we did porting we got let in! Every night! This usually doesn't happen. We met so many great people: A lady with an adorable little girl who cooked artichokes in her tiny kitchen while we taught the first lesson, a giant African family (seriously. they just kept on piling into the room) whose son is a preacher and HOLY COW he likes to talk, a Moroccan family who invited us into their apartment and then voila all the sudden we were basically in a Middle eastern palace and they fed us the most delicious food everrr, a young Mom from Madagascar etc. It was such a fun week. We met so many great people, and a few of them are interested to learn more. The best experience was teaching a guy name Blaise who is from the Congo. One of his best friends in the Congo is Mormon, and it turns out that he had been to watch General Conference with him once. He was so open, and really loved the message of the restoration of Christ's church. After a really great lesson about the importance of a restoration and the continuation of revelation and truth, we gave him the Book of Mormon and he flipped through the pages for a few minutes, held it up in his hands and said "Je vais le manger", and then proceeded to kiss the Book of Mormon. I kid you not. We continue to teach Lucy, and she is doing so well, and is still reading and learning and it is always the highlight of my week to teach her. We taught he with a member named Soeur Alliot this week, and Pymm and I just love her. She is like a character out of a Jane Austen novel and has the best stories and linked arms with us while we walked through the streets. You guys would love her. 

This Saturday was the ward Christmas party and we went early to help set up everything. We cut out about a million stars and then threaded them to hang up on the ceiling. It was the most tedious thing ever, but with Pymm there is never a dull moment, so we made it fun. The Christmas party was also a 'soiree de talent' and we realized we should probably do something as missionaries. We called Elder Foley and Tauhiro about it, and said we should sing, but they had a better idea: that puppet thing like the dogs on sesame street, where someone is in the front and then you go behind them and put your hand through the sleeves so it looks like your hands are their hands (does this make sense? I don't know how to explain it. I've seen it a bunch at BYU, apparently it is a missionary staple . . .) We practiced before and were just dying with laughter at how ridiculous it was. Especially because Elder Foley is SO tall and so his hands were so long and gangly, and Tauhiro looked so hilarious. We used a medley of Christmas songs/Chariots of Fire/MC Hammer. Then the talent show starts and it turns out the French do really classy talent shows (should've known . . .) and everything was all beautiful and serious. And then come the missionaries. They either loved it or were scarred for life, I'm not really sure. One of the members after said, "It was weird--pause--- but . . . good." Classic. But it lightened up the show and people laughed so whatevs. Yesterday a member of the ward had a Christmas party and it was MAGICAL. She is from Belgium and they have different Christmas traditions there, so she told us the story of St. Nicolas and then St. Nicolas appeared, and gave everybody their gifts and we sang and ate yummy food and Jackson 5 and James Taylor and Zooey Deschenel were playing in the background and I was so happy. It has been so much fun because we are getting to know the members a lot more and I just love them. 

I loved this week because we just worked and loved our work and had fun while we did it. I hope I can hold onto that (maybe it is just the Christmas spirit taking me over . . .) because it was one of our more successful weeks AND it was fun. I love teaching this gospel because  every time I do, the truthfulness of it is testified to me. I see peoples' demeanor change as we teach it, I see them begin to understand and see--and it is kind of a crazy story to be telling people that Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ. But I know that it is true, and it is beautiful seeing other people come to know that it is true as well, and that Christ lives and through Him we can find peace and hope and joy. I feel so lucky that I get to share this message, especially during the Christmas season. And I get to talk to you next week which is the bestest Christmas gift of allll! 

I love you! Hope Christmas time is magical and that you take it in, but don't let it take over you ;) 

Olivia

These photos comprise of our adventures in St. Malo last Pday (We ventured out to the tide pools this time and Tauhiro ate oysters right off the rocks . . . and then eventually everyone ate them too. Sans me because food poisoning plus sea food probs isn't a good idea) and our fave Swedish couple (the Salas) and my fave little friends Titi and Aaliyah. Tifan enjoys playing hairdresser while we are over. Just look at that dedication and focus in her eyes. Aalyiah likes wearing our tags and walking around saying "Je suis missionaaaiiiireee." 

if you squint it looks like a real Christmas tree.

Chere famille,

I have decided that this week can be summed up in the subject of this email. It was a long weird week and I found that things might not be as beautiful and as magical as you want them to be, but if you change your perspective they can become something pretty. (I can hear Naomi laughing and Elizabeth saying mmm you are so wise) I know it is not actaully profound but it isn't supposed to be. On Tuesday we went to IKEA to buy things Soeur Poznanski wanted us to buy for the appartment, and a member gave us a 50 dollar IKEA card, so we bought Christmas things! And other important things like bookshelves, but we were most excited about Christmas. And we bought a paper Christmas tree! That night, after we had set it up and put up some Christmas lights, we were lying on the floor talking about Christmas traditions and family and getting all homesick and teary I sat up and looked at the tree and exclaimed "Pymm! If you squint it looks like a real Christmas tree!" And then we sat there squinting at it and imaged it being real and laughed and laughed. 

This week Soeur Pymm got pretty sick so we spent a lot of time cooped up in the appartment. It was actaully kind of nice to have some time to sleep and read and just be alone for a minute. It was sad staying in and being sick, but it was kind of nice in a way as well. We had a lot of lessons fall through this week, and we were really bummed about it. Whenever that happened though we would end up going somewhere else and meeting other people and having other experiences. Last night after a long night of porting, we hadn't eaten dinner and we got a text from a member who said "Hey I have somes foods 4 u, wen will u be home?" And we were so so excited and told him we would be home at 9. So we get home at 9 and don't eat dinner and wait. And wait. At 10:15 we decided to call him and ask if he was still coming and he said he ran out of time but that it wasn't a big deal, he would being us our BAGS OF FLOUR we had left at the church after cooking there this week. Bags of flour. Not food. Lost in translation. It was hilarious, we were imagining this full meal. So long story short, my little piece of wisdom I learned this week is to change your perspective on what isn't the most ideal situation, and it can become something beautiful. Or hilarious. And the happy part of this story is that he could totally tell that we thought he was bringing us dinner (so embarrassing) and so this morning we got a text saying he had food for us and then he said "Do you like steak?" We don't want to get our hopes up, but I THINK it is actaully steak and not a bag of sugar or something. Maybe if it isn't steak we can just squint and pretend. 

Last night we went porting in two different batiments and did door after door after door. We hadn't done it all week because Pymm was sick and I actually missed it quite a bit! This batiment was filled with mostly Muslim people (I often wish Naomi was with me to speak Arabic. We talk to so many people who speak it!) and can I just say how thankful I am for the people we met last night? They were the definition of kindness. Even though they weren't interested in our message, they greeted us kindly, told us that they respected us for what we are doing and one even invited us in to have dinner with their extended family. I love meeting people and seeing how they live their lives and I find it so hopeful that we will knock on one door and someone tells us that the world is much too depressing to believe in God and that what we are doing is worthless, and then the next door I meet the kindest people who are teaching their family good principles and see the good in life. It gives me hope that there are good people partout. We still regret not going in and eating with the Turkish family. We thought we didn't have time but now we are kicking ourselves about it. 

This morning the sonner rang and I had a magical Christmas package filled with amazing treats from Trader Joes! Merci Merci! I can't believe it already opened there . . . totes jealous. Now we have TWO paper Christmas trees (Mom that is the cutest thing I have ever seen) and a whole bunch of treats. Thanks a million. 

I love you and miss you, especially this time of year. I can't wait to talk to you in 2 WEEKS!! I will let you know details next week of how that will work. We get to Skype so I get to see your lovely faces! 

Love you 

xoxoxo

Olivia 

Fam,

Due to the fact that I had a nasty bout of food poisoning last night (think Olivia circa 1995 in my yellow PJs: "Daaaad I fink Im gonna fwow up . . ."), and we are leaving for St. Malo with some members in a few minutes, I am afraid this email will be short and sweet. This past week was full of so many small miracles. I am starting to realize that too often I overlook the small things looking for some large miraculous occurance to remind me of why I am here. And then I add up the small things that happen everyday and realize that if I forget those, I am missing the point. So here are a few small little miracles we saw this week that made it beautiful:

This Wednesday we were on the metro to go porting, when Soeur Pymm and I felt like we should go somewhere else. So we got off at a random stop and took the bus and then starting walking. We were in an area with a lot of office buildings and hardly any houses, and then when we were about to turn back I looked over and saw a fence with a tiny little house inside. I just pointed to it and said "Porte." So we knock and a 19ish year old boy answers and he LISTENED to us. I know that doesn't seem like a miracle, but trust me. It is. So he let us in and we heard his story: Atheist, never even thought about the possibility of a God, doesn't think we have a purpose or a soul etc. And so we started from the basics. We told him there is a God. We taught him how to pray. I could literally see the light entering him as he thought about this very new concept. He told us that he would pray that night, but he didn't know how, so we said a prayer with him and the whole time he just stared at us confusedly, but in such an inquisitive way. When we asked him if he would pray he said "Why not? If there is a God and a purpose then it will only add something to my life, and if not then I don't lose a thing." He said if it goes well then he will let us know if he wants to talk to us again. As we were leaving he was so concerned that we just go knocking on random peoples doors, and he said, "Make sure that you stay close to all the street lamps and that you are always on a busy road." I knew you would appreciate that Mum and Dad. 

And then miracle number two occured: we texted him to see how it went and he asked us to come back. I have no idea if he will ever be baptized or interested in the church. But I do know that introducing God and the possibility of purpose to someone is what this is all about. Everyone needs something to believe in and to hope for, and I know that that is what the gospel gives. And out of all of the thousands of people in Rennes and the hundreds of streets we ended up in his hidden little house. THAT is a miracle, no matter what the outcome is. 

Miracle number three: Pymm and I set up our new IKEA beds all by oursleves. Trust me, if you saw the instruction manual that IKEA gives you, you would realize just how big of a miracle this is. On this night we also had to go pick up our car from Republique (Rennes city center) because the Elders had borrowed it, and we were all grumbly because it was late and we didn't want to have to go back out, but then we take the escalator out of the metro and realized it is December 1st which means CHRISTMAS LIGHTS! It was pure magique. Hundreds of lights lining the cobblestone streets. It's not quite Christmas Street, but it was pretty good. 

We met a woman from Vietnam with the most increblie faith. She told us stories of being in Vietnam during the war, and there was one time that she was in a boat for five days without food with her children and she prayed and prayed and they found food. She said she could never deny that someone was looking out for her, and that we need to follow Christ because of his bon coeur. If all our hearts were that compassionate she said, the world would be a better place. She was lovely. 

The Salas had us and Elizabeth (girl from Connecticut) over for a Swedish Christmas tradtion. On the first Sunday of December they have all of the Swedish treats and Glog (Note to Richard Fetzer--RICH! GLOG! I thought of you and Reece. . .) Homemade gingerbread and carrot cakes and oh my goodness. It was beautiful. They are the sweetest people I have ever met. 

There were lots of other little things that happened this week that made it great--tea with Lucy, Saturdays with Nathalia, falling UP the stairs on the metro. Sigh. We had one lesson with a couple from the Congo though and oh la la we were un peu attacked. And man, they know their Bible. I had a migraine by the time we left their house. Pretty impressive but also a little too aggressive on their side and it didn't feel like a real discussion, which I don't like. But it was an experience.

I have to go, we are being picked up to go to St. Malo with the Elders and a guy in our ward named Pierre. I can't wait to see the ocean again! Huzzah. I love you all. 

Don't forget to see the little things and be happy for them. Life gets overwhelming if you don't.

beaucoup d'amour,

Olivia