Sorry about last week. We will blame the forgetfulness that comes with old age... because I'm now 21! Hooray! Still alive! October 24th was a good day to be born! Followed closely by the 1st of November. Which is the birthday of the best 9 year old named Risto in the world. Tell him happy birthday if you know him!
This email will be pretty short today! I don't have too much to say nor a lot of time to say it. Then weeks 51 and 52 which risk to be long will be even more exciting. The 50% review! The difference between 365 and 351 days won't make much of a difference but it will be more symbolic.
It is also Halloween over there! One of the best holidays in my humble but objectively correct opinion. Children get to go door to door getting free candy! Adults get to follow their children around whilst being cold! Teenagers wonder if they are too old to still dress up! Dentists rejoice! Ahh what wonders. The rumors of king-sized candy bars attract droves of children to the wealthier well decorated neighborhoods. Take advantage of this joyous occasion and spend some time with your family. Make sure those children get candy. Don't be the house who gives out raisins or religious tracts (irony) or even worse the house who gives out one normal tootsie roll per child.
Holiday season definitely isn't here yet. I wonder how commercialized Christmas will actually be. I'm not in the largest or most festive area but so far I see no signs that we are closing in. Halloween slipped away without any noise. In talking to people I have the impression that a few communities have tried to get a Halloween thing to work but it hasn't really taken. And the religious holidays are pretty dead too. All Saints Day was just as exciting as Halloween.
There is a funny old chap named Pascal who wanders around Dunkerque. He always asked us random questions about the United States whenever we run into him. He is very kind! He has a ridiculous stride length and promenades gaily around in the evenings. He refers to us as "young men." He reads English fluently and likes to listen to the BBC but doesn't speak a lick. He just adds a bit of spice to the day whenever we see him!
Our buddy that came to church that one time came the next week but was ill this last Sunday. There is a senior missionary couple who are in the process of moving up here to Dunkerque. The wife is actually back in the US for two weeks but the husband is here in France. We helped him unpack and move into the appartement this week and this was his first Sunday as part of the branch. The branch is ecstatic about the senior couple moving in! We are pretty pumped too. It will be two weeks before they are both here and we can really work with them but we look forward to it.
I wish you all a great week! We will talk more the next week.
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| Failed attempt at a pyramid of elders |
