Almost Halfway - Starting to Look and Feel Like a Missionary

The weeks are still flying by! If I'm counting right, this is about the 52 weekly email I'm sending you guys. 362 days down. :)

It's been tons of fun so far, let me say that much. I've learned and grown so much, but, as I imagine is often the case for missionaries at this point, I want to grow and learn so much more than I have thus far. It's exciting to think that in about a year I'll be coming down that escalator in the Salt Lake airport and looking down to see my family for the first time in two years. But, it's really sad to think that in about a year I'll be riding that good old dirty Paris metro for the last time to the Charles de Gaulle airport, about to leave behind the Eiffel Tower, the stinky cheeses, the baguettes, and most of all, the people. All things that, already, have become a part of me. I don't know if it's just because I've been out for a year now, or just because of constant effort to love these often stubborn people, but I really am not looking forward to leaving them. Missions are crazy.

Celtic Festival in Lorient

There's the big Celtic Festival going on here in Lorient, and this place is CRAZY! So much music and SO many people. I can't even believe it. This week was fun, and a good missionary week, but I don't really have that much time at all, so I can't talk much about it. Just know that first off, I'm still alive, nothing dangerous has happened and no life threatening diseases have come my way. I'm doing the same old missionary stuff, just a little bit better each day I do it.

I'm up to about 1,700 pictures on my camera, so I might need to buy myself a new memory card soon... I've gone through 3 pairs of shoes already, but I just bought 2 new pairs for a good deal (60% off), so I should be good for at least 8 months. I hope. My socks are looking old, I don't even know how many ties I have anymore, and I've probably walked around 2,500,000 steps in the service of the Lord. My wardrobe is starting to look a lot more like what I imagine a missionary wardrobe looking like, worn out from service and hard work, and I love that, in a weird way. Basically, what I'm trying to get across in this really unorganised way is that I feel like this last year has made a big difference in my life, and one that's only now really becoming visible, like the wearing of my clothes. And who knows what the next one has to bring for me!

Well, before I get TOO cheesy, I'd better be off. I love you all and hope you have a good week! Don't celebrate too hard on Thursday just cause I've been gone for a year. ;) Keep working hard and having fun Tyler and Kevin! Remember, every drop of sweat equals one more tenth of a point! Or...something like that... :) Brian well...keep reading and singing! :)

Elder Bigler