Where to begin?

Family Dearest,

Let's just set the record straight once and for all--despite my as-of-late horrible emailing habits, I really do love you! I think you are the best family in the world. That said, I just don't even know where to begin telling you about all the horrific, hysterical, spiritual, and just down right crazy adventures we've been having lately.

Especially when I am currently completely wiped out from a day out at the French Open. (For those who didn't hear, there were some people from BYU's presidents council (or something like that) that came to Paris, and my companion and I were able to spend the day with them at the French Open serving as their translators) Can I just say--so much fun!? Djokovic is great, but I just don't think anyone else compares to watching Federer play. He is just too good, and it's fun to actually be able to understand his french now, even if he does have the horrible Swiss accent thing going on! And the BYU people were so nice. So anyway, I feel like we have had some pretty dang sweet p-days lately.

Did I tell you about the Paris scavenger hunt we did last week with a bunch of the elders? Well if not, the most important detail I guess would be to assure you that, despite all the cockiness and trash talk that the elders were throwin down before the hourglass was turned, we totally handed them their behinds on a silver platter. Satisfying? oh yeah! The Scavenger hunt had different things you could get pictures of or do to get certain points. (one example film yourself singing the mission song in front of the Eiffel Tower)

the rules were as follows:
1. only one camera per team
2. must have at least two missionaries in each picture or video unless otherwise noted
3. will be docked one point for every minute late coming back for first ten mins and two for every minute after that
4. other than that all goes

so of course i added the no eye gouging rule!!!

And the work is going pretty dang SUH-WEETLY as well!! Our Elders had 4 baptisms last week that were so good--regular old dunking machine font going on! And then there are a few more in our ward scheduled for the beginning of June and, of course, we have Anne-Sophie's baptism this coming Saturday! We have a pretty crazy week already getting ready for that and all the other things going on, but I'm just lovin' it! Sometimes I laugh at how easy it has been to get Anne-Sophie ready to be baptized, because maybe it's just a lack of faith on my part, but somehow I always feel like it should be harder than this. She is just that golden! When we sit down and tell her what we're going to talk about that day, she practically teaches us the lesson and I just start laughing so hard (which I think she likes haha)! Anyway, we can hardly wait for Saturday, and I wish I could tell you how excited Anne-Sophie is, because you would love it! (Oh this is totally a random side note, but speaking of baptisms--Marie Laure fixed a date for June 25th! Apparently she is insistent that she get baptized before I leave the country, but she hasn't been able to get work off yet, so I'm praying that her step of faith will make things all work out. And don't worry--we have had the talk about not getting baptized for people....

Okay, well I'm just going to bullet point some of the highlights of the last while and hope they make some sort of sense!!! Good luck.

1. Soeur Smith telling a story that included the phrase, "when I had a child." Don't worry--we took care of it!

2. Making these little Muslim girls sing I am a child of God and read from the Book of Mormon.....stellar Sister Pearce signature move.

3. Followed (seriously, I was just on a roll this week) by an unforgettable english class that unraveled into quite the horrible and/or hilarious mess remarkably quick after the suggestion (supplied of course by yours truly) of starting out by sharing first kiss stories in an attempt to practice speaking and anecdote telling. Good intentions, maybe, but big time OOPS! Hey, gotta learn somehow, right?!

4. Teaching a member, at his request, how to properly use "to cut his head off" in a sentence.

5. Experiment gone bad that resulted in the stark conclusion that elder Gubbay is still taller than me when I am standing on a church chair. (he is 6 ft 7)

6. Being invited to a member mangez-vous that included us, a super precocious and informed young couple (that has not been living in the mission bubble for the last long while), and then a husband pediatric gastroenterologist and a wife MIT PhD grad, whose own father invented like some catalyst thingymajigger that was used to convert something into some sort of useable energy that, EVIDENTLY, revolutionized the automobile industry and ended him up in the Inventor's Hall of Fame (which, begs the question--who knew that existed?! and ps those are all the really technical terms for those thingies that i was using. just thought I should clarify.) As you can tell, Soeur Smith and I had a whole lot to contribute to that dinner time conversation! When we walked in the apartment and told the other sisters about it, Soeur Williams responds with a, "Were you afraid to say anything?" haha, so funny! But, really, it was such a nice evening at their home and we were grateful to have a little taste of America again. And to get to bask in the presence of such genius--even if it made me go home feeling like a royal idiot! (But, that kind of relates to one of my favorite quotes from this movie the Area Presidency had us watch this week at leadership training (called the Quest)--"It keeps a man humble to make him admit he's a complete dodo.")

7. And hilarious exchanges, of which, stories will have to wait until next week (parts of which you can stalk on my companion's blog...pretty good stuff, let me tell ya!)

Anyway, sorry for that rushed hodge-podge. is that a word? I don't know, but I do know that is a sign that I need to stop. Have a great week gang and know that I absolutely love being a missionary and I love you to eternity! Cheesin it up this week, I know.

Love, Jordan xoxo

P.S. Tell Stephanie congratulations! Even if I am totally bummed I can't be there, I'm excited for them.

pss to mother dearest--have you been stalking soeur smith's blog for updates?(courtneyerikasmith.blogspot.com)

pps J&M that is so awesome about state!!!! And I got such a kick out of those girls that john was johnny bravoing it up for.....too good!!