WEEK #12 IN PERIGUEUX, FRANCE AND A TRANSFER TO VITROLLES, FRANCE

Dear Family and Friends,

HAPPY 19TH BIRTHDAY,

 ELDER RACE ACHESON!!!!

We got transfer calls, and I am now heading to Vitrolles! It is in the very south and right next to Marseille! 

I have Elder Arts from The Netherlands as my companion. He dies in two transfers, so I might kill him! (That's mission lingo for being his last companion.)

Elder Acheson with Elder Arts from Eindhoven, The Netherlands

Ok! To start out the week, I packed, said goodbye to some families, and got ready to leave Perigueux, which has been my first city in the mission field.

We woke up and took a train to Bordeaux, and then took a bus there all the way to Lyon with all the missionaries in the two zones near us. We all sang hymns and studied and talked. 

We arrived in Lyon and took out all our suitcases. We then had 1000 boxs of pizza waiting for us! So we all chowed down. Soon the entire mission was there. I saw all my old friends!

We then had to leave to go to the apartment in Lyon to sleep. We took metros and buses. We got there pretty late, and got ready to go to bed.

The next day was the conference. We came back to the chapel in Lyon and we all studied while we waited for the General Authorities to arrive. We had Elder Kearon and Elder Nielson of the Seventy come. Elder Kearon is this super funny British man! Elder Neilson gave a talk in this last conference about his sister Susan who fell away from the church. It was so amazing to shake their hands and meet people who spoke in front of the world in conference!

It was a great conference! We were taught about the iPads that we will get in a bit. We saw some cheesy videos that they showed us! We learned a lot about what the Lord has in store for his missionaries! 

We say hymns, and then prayed, and then the conference was over. We all then got our bags, and our mail, (I got a birthday package from my mother!), and then we got back on the buses and left to our new sectors. 

Little gifts from home for Elder Acheson's birthday

We made it to Aix-en-Provence and stayed the night in the other missionaries' apartment. I opened my package, and got some Seattle Seahawk socks and shirt, some great seasonings for cooking, candy, and some toys! (Thanks Mom I love you!)

The beautiful LDS chapel in Aix-en-Provence

On Sunday, we stayed in Aix and went to church in their beautiful chapel! Just so you all know, if the Church uses a picture of a chapel in France, they usually use the Chapel in Aix! It is really big, has an elevator, and a parking garage under it! 

We saw the baptism of an old ami of Elder Arts my new companion. We then went to their home after church and had some lunch. They drove us to our new sector from there. We took this small winding road through the mountains. The Formula One race cars go through the same road! We then got these great views of the area around us! 

We got to our new apartment, and settled in. It's a nice apartment, and I am happy to be in it! 

Today so far, it has been raining non-stop... We went shopping at the store right next to our house, and we have some people we are teaching at a members home for FHE! 

I am excited to serve with Elder Arts here in the south, and am happy to serve the Lord!

I love you all! Thanks for the Birthday wishes! Have a great week!

-Love Elder Acheson!