Fetez le defi!!!

Well I have finally done it. I have become a parent. I am now the proud parent of a little beautiful girl named Soeur Kim. And we are off on a new adventure of Marseille.

What does parenthood mean in the mission world? It means that I am now responsible for this sweet girl. But I guess i'm not really her mom, more like a cool big sister. Yeah. Cool. Definatly cool.

And we are what we called...swept in. New ville. New apartement. No amis. No lessons. Days ahead of contacting. But it's all good...nous fetons le defi.

What does that mean you ask? well We are celebrating the challenge. It's going to be good. I have an amazing capable companion. An incredible God on my side. Well do all right.

This last week was hard. It's hard to say good bye. But like Nephi in chapter 17 the Lord prepares all things necessary while we are in the desert and then he brings us to the waters of Ireantumm and Abondance. That's the name in french. I think it's Bountiful in english right? I like abondance better. And so we will become strong like unto the men and we will not murmur becuase of the heat and we will live off of raw meat until we puke and we will rejoice in the challenge that the lord has intrusted to us untill he feels free to lead us to bountiful.

It is all good.

My year mark is next thursday. my birthday is the week or so after that. I'm getting old. Today I saw an elder take his last train ride to the mission office. It was weird to watch him go. I can't imagine the feelin of what it is to have successfully accomplished this mission thing.

Hi five to all who have.

my address is still

France Toulouse Mission
4 rue alaric II
Compans Cafferelli
31000 Toulouse
France

And rejoice in the challenge.

Love you all
Shai

Why do nintendo girls look like porn stars?

So I'm sitting in this cyber cafe thinking of all the things that I have to do today and realizing that I haven't done any of them becuase well...I went to the zoo with 1/2 my zone and the we went to a locked institute and practiced juggling with chocolate easter eggs...and man I should have been productive.

And in my frenzied stupor my eyes fell upon a final fantasy x2 poster with nice looking girl in really short shorts and some sort of tail thing protruding from her perfectly sized back. And then I realize-she's actually a computer generated advertisement for a nintendo game-target audience 11 year old boys. That kinda makes me crazy...why do they do that?

Ok random. Vite fait my week was pretty good. I had a nice easter meal Saturday night of hallabot and spinich quiche with a side of salmon and bread. Sunday we were blessed with a traditional camaroon meal of what I can only consider is giraffe food. And the best chicken i've easten in france. it was good.

An american family showed up at church and I translated for all 6 of their blonde hair blue eyed selves. And everyone thought that it was my family coming to pick me up from the end of my mission. Weird. But hey they are from utah and I think that some how or other I will end up there. At least for a momentary lapse in judgement. The dad was a missionary here 23 years ago and told some great stories and walked around the chapel with fondness and longing. He said it is a sureal mix of reality. The mission he explained is yours and the Lords and no matter how hard you explain and how many times you force your family to look at your photos they can never really grasp that time in your life. And to be back in his "old reality" with the kids of his "new reality" ...the only world he could think of was surreal. I thought it was cool.

President did surprise apartement checks and interviews. That was a fun easter basket full of goodness...We watched the sun set from my balcony while talking about my goals for the future. And I think I might almost have it figured out. I had a little dance with personal revelation this week. And I think the 5 year plan might once again be complete. A 5 year plan. All is right with the world. I'm sure it will change.

What else...T7 and counting...May 4 is my one year mark. That's pretty cool. Wish I was 1/2 the missionary I should be. But well...I'm so annoyingly human. just today I let my humanity cripple my whole hearted desire for christian perfection when I let out words of criticism to an unsuspecting victim. i really don't like that in myself. Why do i do that? And now that the whole zone knows that I'm a shallow idiot, I'm not sure how to repaire the damage. Dang you Satan!!!

But we learn. And we improve. And maybe by the end of the next six months I'll finally be who the Lord sent me to france to find.

But in the mean time...I'll still be loving ya all.

Shai