Week 31 June 1, 2015 French Mother's day

Week 31   June 1, 2015

Wow.... You said you were going to go to bed like three or four times in there and kept on going haha so Happy Mother's Day again haha I sang yesterday with the young women's for the mothers. Well all the missionaries sang. I wasn't alone. And on Saturday there was a Cowboy Night! Oh my gosh, it was the cutest thing ever to see all these French people dressed up as Cowboys and Indians and try to line dance. Their cowboy meal was hotdogs and some chili haha but when we went out of the party to go home, one of the teenage boys came up to the car window and said "wait! We need to bisou!" (That is the way that the French greet and say goodbye. It's that little kiss thing on the cheeks.) and he "bisou"ed me right in front of all the girls and then there was one girl who said in English, "I am jealous! I want to bisou him!" Hahaha it was the funniest thing ever! 

The ward is really my family now. They have taken me in and have loved me and I really don't want to leave. It is more possible for me to leave because I have been here for four transfers (6 months) and I don't want to leave. I mean I want to because the work here has killed me, but I have put my everything into this ward and into this work and it has become my home and my family and I don't want to leave.... I am glad that I have made a family here because now I definitely have a reason to return after the mission, and when you come with me, you will see what the ward thinks of me. It will be so great! So happy will be the reunion. I'm looking forward to it already! I have to get emails!!!

That is so awesome that the missionaries are teaching in our house!! Oh my gosh! I wish I could be there to help out! Haha that makes me happy! I am glad they are having success! I know that our ward is very hard to be a missionary in. Tell me more about the people they are teaching!!

I got an email from Julia's dad haha it is super awesome :) it makes me so happy! He likes me, which is good!  ;) 

Well I am off! I have some other people to write to. I hope that you have a wonderful week and I will get to you next Monday (maybe a day later if I have to move very far) and tell you whether I stay or have gone!

I love you so much mom! You're the best mom that I could ever want! Julia all the time tells me about how "cool" you look. She really loves you. You have become a second mother to her. Remember that you are doing a lot of good for those that are around you :)

Elder Martin :)

Week 22, March 30, 2015 Happy Birthday to My Sis Mysti!!

Happy Birthday to my oldest sister, Mysti. She just had her shoulder replaced so I am praying for her recovery.  Wow that sounds a lot like Lyon and Paris! Here in Antibes it is super nice and I can't stop smiling! The sun works a magic in me :)  (We, Mike, Jake, his friends and I went on spring break to Long Beach, Wa and Nick and I were comparing the weather on our beaches.) 

 
 

Mom's door from Astoria Oregon

His door from the French Rivera...he wins.

This week was pretty uneventful.... a bus caught on fire on Tuesday, I got sick with a head cold, and a lot of walking around trying to talk to people and spread them the gospel!!

 

I bought Dad a present today!! I don't know how I am going to get it to him though..... It's a tricky one....

 

I am busy all the time which is good! I feel like I am actually doing work!! I really am so thankful for Elder Lago. Seriously. I feel like he is my brother and we joke around and beat each other up. It's really fun! I am enjoying myself so much and I am having a great time!

 

Today was actually a really cool P-day! We got to visit and look at a couple of Cathedrals and it was free, too!!

This is the Cathedral that overlooks Cannes. It is the one with the clock tower I love taking pictures of.

We went to the beach and swam! Ok.... maybe we didn't swim, or go on the beach... There are starting to be tourists and that means it is hot here for them and so they are in bikinis and that's not good for us. So we now have to stay away from the beach unless it’s the morning when we go on our runs. But it really is beautiful here!!! They have been getting ready for the Cannes Film Festival!! If I am here next transfer, I will be able to go and see that!!! soooooooooooooo awesome!!!!!!!! I can take pictures of the red carpet and all the stars!!! hopefully I see Clint Eastwood!! that would be sick!!!!

I am excited! 5 months is a long time!! It has already been one year since me and dad went to conference together and threw up from all the excitement!! That seems like yesterday!! It will go faster and faster!! You will be picking me up before you know it!!  

Love you!!!!

These are my two "girlfriends" in the Cannes ward haha they are pretty good friends of mine and they are characters!

Week 15 February 9, 2015 Bleu's Conference in Lyon

I sent a package today! You will probably get it in about 10 days if customs doesn’t stop it. I really wish it wasn't so expensive!! It’s stupid! It cost me 36 euros to send 1.8 kg! Outrageous!! I might have to just hang on to the stuff that I buy.... I sent home a bunch of Swiss chocolate! Can’t really hang on to that for two years though haha :) 

Dad really is a great guy and I am lucky that through the plan of God that I ended up with him as a dad and you as a mom.  Aww poor grandpa! Tell him that I miss him!!

The French is coming along haha I am not perfect, but it is a miracle of God that I can understand the amount I do! They teach you French in the MTC and then you have to relearn it here in France because they speak so differently!! Haha but I keep getting better every day! I can sing, but not that well... My comp makes me sing fast songs. At first it was hard to say the words, but it helps me read faster and not have to be slow and sound out every word like a first grader haha so yeah! But I will sing to you on your Birthday/ Mother's Day! :) The next time we Skype! It’s only like three months away! Crazy!!

The weather was bad for half the week but now it is sunny again! Super sweet and warm! Sweater weather. We tried to go to a fort today, but it was closed on Monday’s lol so maybe some other time! I want to show you all these awesome pictures but I don’t know how to get Dropbox to work!!

I sleep on the mattresses now. They do help a little. I was really tired and grumpy this week. Well tired and broken. I was depressed all week.... but then Sunday came a long and now I am happy. I wrote about it in the letter I put in the package. It will explain everything.

I went back to Lyon for my bleu's conference! It was very cold and very snowy! I slept in a robe on the first night because there were no blankets! I am so glad that a parting elder gave me that robe because the parts of my body that weren’t covered were absolutely freezing!!! But it was nice to see Elder Landry! MTC reunion haha

This is a picture I took today! How do you like the haircut I gave myself?

Well I am off!! I got to write a lot of people today!! Thank you for your love and support. I really need it always.... I am weak without you. 

Tell everyone that I love them  :)

Talk to you later!!

Elder Nick Benjamin Martin

A cathedral in Lyon, France.

Apparently there is a movie/film festival every year or so in Cannes! the whole town has these murals and pictures of famous celebs everywhere!! (if he only knew how famous it is or is he just joking with us??)

A cool tower in Cannes!