These past few months have been so interesting. I feel so stupid for having never blogged about the fun events and things we did. I have been even more awful with my journal. I highly praise anyone who is a steady journal keeper, and I invite everyone who is NOT to join me in a pact to always do better.
I just realized that I haven't even talked a little about the mission. There is NO way I can share many great details, but I would like to share how I feel about the experience. People always ask the same questions. Its not annoying, but it does get kinda old. So here are the mission FAQs and my answers:
1. How was your mission?
It was amazing and incredible. It was the best 18 months of my life.
2. How are you adjusting to being home/ what is it like to be home?
It was sometimes still is weird to be home. I still expect people to speak french in public. I am very used to speaking english with the american and english missionaries, but I still do a double take when my cashier or waitress don't speak french.
So, even though being home is weird, it is really good.
I tried to explain it in many ways, but it was actually a Harry Potter quote that helped me find a simple way to describe how it feels. I came to the conclusion that even though you feel pain of ending, pain of loss, pain of change, you feel like a large weight has been lifted off your shoulders. Despite the hardship of change, you feel lighter.
But I certainly learned that the transition is easier when you have lots of stuff to do.
3. What was France/Switzerland like?
I LOVED the countries. I loved getting to know the people. I very much miss the cultures. And I can never get the sights out of my mind. Both countries were BEAUTIFUL! I would go back as soon as I have money for a ticket. The big cities don't always look much different from home, but there was still a beauty that you don't find in San Diego. I would have given anything to serve in a small village, but sisters rarely do. But even in the big cities I had enough beautiful things to see to make me wonder at the foreignness of Europe. I want to see so much more!
4. So you speak french now. (this is rarely inflected, so it often sounds like a statement)
yeah
5. What are your plans now?
I am not planning on going back to school this year, but hopefully next year, at SDSU. But I still might sign up for yoga and dance at Grossmont this fall- those are my favorite forms of exercise.
I have never been employed, and I want to take this year to get work experience and make money for school and for having fun. I mean, how am I ever going to get back to Europe if I don't have money?
3 months home and I now have a small job as a nanny for a 2 year old. Its only about 3 days a week, but it is something!
I also am volunteering at the aquarium, as soon as their computer lets me log in.
This Saturday I will start taking a midday shift at the Temple. I will be there every week, but I hope it doesn't make me miss any important events, since it IS a saturday.
6. Was it a hard mission?
It certainly had its difficulties. It was very rare to find true French/Swiss people willing to accept the gospel, but we still had much success because there are a LOT of foreigners in the country. Half of the population are people from very humble backgrounds, from places where religion is so much more important. In switzerland there were so many people from south america, which is a place we know that accepts the gospel very well. In france, you find an incredible number of people from africa, which we know are the most humble, loving people on earth.
Every mission is different, and each has unique difficulties, but there are always more blessings, more positive things to see. Its not a balance, it is more GOOD than hard.
My mission president said in his homecoming talk that people always say that their mission was a big sacrifice, but he never associated the word sacrifice with his mission. He was living in the garden of Eden- surrounded by the best scenery, the best people, and the best cheese and chocolate in the world.
I say ditto.
I can't think of any more common questions right now. If there is something you want to know, post a comment with a question, and I will answer it!
Someday I hope to share all my photos and experiences with everyone who wants to know about my mission. I am so passionate about it and I think about it all the time.
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