Bonjour a tous! So this email is going to be more about maladies in Melun instead of miracles in Melun. About two hours after I sent my email last week I starting feeling pretty under the weather. Ultimately this week we did missionary things for two days, and the rest were spent in the apartment or at doctors' offices or pharmacies having the most ridiculously hilarious adventures. This week was one of those weeks where you just cannot catch a break.
Exhibit A: Tuesday I was feeling a little sick, but I woke up and got in the shower and then in the middle of the shower someone bangs on our door. Turns out that beaucoup of water was leaking into the apartment under us. Shower goes off shampoo still in my hair. Washed it in the sink.
Exhibit B: Wednesday I woke up and could. not. get. out. of bed. I felt like death. My body was aching and I was coughing up a storm. So up and out the door we go to find a doctor. Here is the deal though: doctors' offices are not open on Wednesday, 'Oh and also don't come back tomorrow around this hour because this is our lunch hour so please don't bother us' says the doctor to the sad little coughing American girl. Here is something you should know about France—they like to close up shop at whatever hour pleases them and when you go ask them questions it is like you are doing them the greatest disservice in the world. So great.
Exhibit C: We realized that there was a doctor in our ward so we went to her but she is from Venezuela and can't write ordonances (can't think of the word in English—the thing to get medicine) so she said to go to the pharmacy. Guess what though? Pharmacies are closed on this particular day at this particular hour! Probably for snack time. But she told me I had Bronchitis and to stay inside out of the rain and snow. So we went home and I slept for probably 10 hours. And watched The Testaments and Legacy. I was desperate.
Exhibit D: The plumber came to our house and looked at our shower on Friday and comes into the room after and we ask "C'est grave?" He replies "Oui, c'est GRAAAAAVE" We will not have a shower for at least another week. Cue us getting on the train to go to a member's house to shower. And there may or may not have been a member who said "Well we have a baptismal font in the church. You could just fill it up half way and use that?" We still aren't sure if he was kidding . . . We first went to a Russian member in our ward who is the kindest woman in the world. And she lives in this beautiful home and it sort of felt like going on vacation. We playing these funny French games with her kids as we traded off taking showers. Then we went to our Bishop's family's house and I love their family. We had dinner with them too and it was so fun to be with a family. Silver lining! Our pride might be gone, but we are clean and got to eat some killer French cheese.
Exhibit E: When we finally found a doctor's office, we walked in and it was up this creepy stairwell and there were all these cracks in the ceiling and we walked into the waiting room and there was DU MONDE (a lot of people) there. And no one was talking and we all just waited for the doctor, and part way through it I looked at my comp and said "Does this feel legal to you?" The doctor would just walk out and n'importe qui would go in and it just seemed kind of sketchy. BUT the good news is he prescribed me medicine and told me I had Bronchitis and something I couldn't understand and I have medicine and have only had a few negative reactions that can be explained at a later date.
So I am on the mend and the shower is . . . not on the mend, but we are doing really well. We had the chance to still teach a few lessons and had some great experiences. We started teaching William's (the recent convert) sister Sonia and we had a really beautiful lesson with her about the Atonement. She has had a really sad sad life, and has found it hard to have faith. We talked about faith through our difficulties and how Christ understands her sadness. Soeur Jenkins did such a great job about testifying about the hard things in her life and the burdens she has that have been made lighter through having faith. As we talked about faith, it felt like the room even became lighter. In church on Sunday we had a lesson based off of the prophet's quote "Your future is as bright as your faith." I love that quote more and more and find it to be so true in the lives of people we teach. William talked about how before, his future looked dim but now he has faith in things so he works for them and then asks God for help, and he has seen how it has changed him. The future really is more bright with faith. There are a lot of really sad corners of this place. A lot of really lost people living hard and lonely lives. I want them to have this brightness of hope for their future. When we taught Sonia, I felt like we were able to offer that.
Eugene, the Russian man, continues to do well. We got to his house for our rdv, and he said apologetically "I am sorry to disappoint you but I haven't studied very much." We said, "Oh that's okay, so you didn't read the introduction of the Book of Mormon then?" "Oh no I read that! I just meant I haven't finished the whole book—I am only on chapter 26." Oh, Eugene. If only he knew how happy that makes us missionaries. He is very intellectual and has really great questions, but he is also very sincere about his search for truth. And he always gives us delicious tea and cakes. We love him.
Today we decided we needed to get out of the apartement after being cooped up for so long, so we are headed to Montmartre to find the Amélie cafe. I just wish I could have the soundtrack playing as well as I walked around. So magical. Next week I promise to have more spiritual and uplifting things to write, but hey, now you just have a fun look into the medical system in France. I love you and am thankful for you. Everyday everyweek!
xo,
Olivia
P.S. Good news: Remember Oyun from Rennes who we taught? She is getting baptised!!! So happy. She is the loveliest person and I am so happy for her!
No comments:
Post a Comment