Hey Mom and Dad!

It sounds like Kirtland is going so well. I would LOVE to be able to go with the youth one day. Those youth conferences are alwyas incredible. I'm glad that you got to go drive up with the youth and are now touring like crazy. (Dad, how was the driving? Did you have to do any late night face slapping? ca fait peur!) How come you're not staying in the marriott residence?? haha are you sleeping in bunk beds? It's more fun to be at the dorms with the youth. It's a party! I've forgotten a lot of the history already, I'll have to go back soon. I should have taken notes! I want to go to nauvoo as well. We went before the temple was built so I think its time to go again.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY HADLEY! I hope that it is way too much fun and that you eat lots of ice cream cake! I love you so much and can't believe you are turning 14! You are getting to be so old! Are you as tall as me yet?
Gma wrote me a letter and told me that she and grandpa are coming to paris in the fall? Is that true?
Ok, so i have to share this miracle with you. So we saw N every day this week! He is such an incredible man. He has a lot of trials in his life but he has such an incredible desire to know the truth and to serve. He keeps saying that he wants to find out how he can serve others despite not having anything. So we went to see him on wednesday and he said, 'you know I'm not finding work here. I'm just sitting here not going anywhere. I need to progress! I talked to my brother in Germany and he has a friend in Marseilles who can get me a job. I'm moving to marseilles this weekend.' Well, of course, we were devastated. He is so perfect BUT at the same time we thought this is going to be a good thing for him. He needs to get a job and he needs to keep moving forward so of course this is oging to be good. Well that same day we get all the info for the elders in marseilles and we were told just to call the elders there so we could give them all the infor and explain what weve taught and tout ca. SO we call them that night and we hear the message, 'hi this is the missionaries in marseilles, elder BIRK and elder something?, we cant come to the phone right now but please leave a message and well call you back.' NO WAY! elder birk was my district leader in the MTC. i couldnt believe it! so then we left a message and told them all about N. we had exchanges this week and i was up in villaneuve d'ascq (right next to lille) and it was perfect because we were able to meet nelson at the gare to get him on the train and say goodbye! so THEN that night we got permission to call the elders again to make sure everything worked out ok and elder birk said that they met him, found him a place to stay AND he is going to start work next week! so perfect. apparently he got off the train and said, 'i want to be baptized! i am here to be a member of your churhc!' hahah i love him so much. it all worked out so perfectly. we know that we can trust elder birk to take care of him and we are so excited to get pictures of his baptism. OK so the other increidble part about this whole story is that the only reason we were even in the park to meet N was because we were worried about J(he lives just up the street). We hadn't heard from him and that was really unlike him. he was always on time and always in contact with us. so we went to pass by his house but he wasnt there. anyhow we were really depressed about that but then we went to the park where we were able to find nelson. THEN the day before N leaves we get a text from J telling us that he had a family problem and he had to go to germany very last minute to work things out. not excited that he had a family problem BUT we have been in contact with him and are going to be able to start teaching him again! isnt that incredible! sometimes things dont work out as expected but we know that heavenly father always knows! jacob 4:10. i love it so much. C is also doing really well. we are trying to figure out what is going to help her recognize how much she already knows so we decided to challenge her to read the book of mormon in 59 days! that is how many days it took joseph smith to translate it! unbelievable. we are doing it with her and it is definitely pushing us too. she accepted and is excited about it. she is leaving for a couple of weeks for vacances but i really think she can do it and it is going to make a big difference for her! the exchange was good but it was national greve(strike) day so almost all of the transport was cancelled. we did a lot of finding! i got to work with sr houtz! she is super cool and we were friends inthe mtc. she was really good firends with todd and dustin and danny as well!
hey sarah got home this week! you should give her a call and tell her that i love her. i hope that everything is going ok with her family and that the adjustment is going ok!
today has been incredible(HOT)! we went to the family babin last week for dinner and they asked us what all we have seen here in paris. weve seen all the big things but they wanted to take us to the lesser known spots in versailles. of course we couldnt refuse:) they live right by the vallee de cheuvreuse. its this huge national park that is GORGEOUS. they took us to a chateau and then to a 12th century abbey. it was beautiful and not a place a lot of missionaries get to go because its not accessible by public transport. it was a perfect day. we are so blessed!
ok something that wasnt so cool about my week...i was messing around with my camera and i managed to delete all my pictures from my last transfer in brussels and since i have been here in paris. it kind of felt like i had died inside BUT as sister gifford reminded me, president hinckley tells us were supposed to come home with 10 things and none of them are pictures:) hahaha its true. im going to try and scrounge sp? from other missionaries but if you could try and make sure and try to keep safe the ones i already sent i would appreciate it! thanks

still havent bought new shoes and luckily it hasnt rained much:) im still on the hunt. as far as bdy presents i think ill just go buy something cool and french? any ideas? maybe some art? jewelry? i dont know? do you all want anything? dad, i picked up lots of brochures at the tourist center today. i want to send them your way. ok time to go i love you tons and am excited for your summer plans. tell everyone in the stake i say hi and am grateful for their love.