Bonjour!!
Saturday and yesterday I was in Marseilles and Nice for stake conference. It was the last stake conference for Président and Soeur Carter here in France! They gave a wonderful goodbye. They are released June 30, 2011.
Good news! I found out that Vitrolles may be receiving a car which is a must because my head is constantly spinning. For example, Saturday We missed our bus which arrives outside our apartment. We RAN to the bus depot to catch our bus. When we arrived, we realized that Elder Bowen looked at the bus times for the week and not for a Saturday. So we missed it big time. We had to be at the Train Gare in 10 minutes and from where we were it was easily a 20 min run. So we started calling ALL of the members trying to figure out how to get there in time. No one could give us a ride.
To top it off, we were broke because it is the end of the month and the transportation each month in Vitrolles costs about 90 euros. We had not been reimbursed yet so I literally only had the 15 euros on me that Grandma gave me. So I saw a taxi and waved him down. I asked, "how fast can you get us to the Gare?" he said, "5 minutes!" We had exactly 6 till our train left. I said, "let's do it."
We hop in the car, he is driving like a mad man this few minute ride costs me 10 euros! As we drive into the parking lot, the train gets there, we hop out start running for it throw the 10 euros at the man in anger and frustration now knowing I have 5 euros for 2 more meals. As we arrive at the top of the train Gare, we realize the train is on the other side and it is illegal to hop over, as we realize this the train strolls away.
We then get a phone call back from our Mission leader saying, "I'll give you a ride to Marseilles". This is where we were going to switch trains to head to NICE. He said the only way he could do it though was if we could be at the church in 15 minutes. We just look at each other! Elder Bowen and I and laugh because we know the only way to get to the church in that time is to hop over the backyard fence of the Gare and run through tons of Romanian camps and cross over 6 lanes of freeway traffic and than take a dead out sprint to the church and even then it would probably take 20 minutes, but we go for it.
As we do, I recognize a man that I contacted in my first transfer stop and gave him a brochure in Spanish that I randomly had on me and continued to sprint on. Made it to the church arrived in Marseilles at the Gare. Our train had already left but we could just transfer our tickets so we wait in line and realize that a train to NICE is leaving in 11 minutes!! We get to the front of the line and the lady says its impossible because it's a reserved train and we only had general seating. We convinced her to give us the tickets and we booked it to the other side of one of the largest Gare's in France! We hopped on our train as it started inching forward to move. We land on the train and sit down in between bars because it was packed and headed finally to Nice.
We arrived in Nice and met up with the other Elders. Elder Graham, my trainer was there which was awesome to catch up because he leaves next transfer. In the morning, we went to the conference and our ward mission leader offered to give us a ride home which was super nice of him because we didn't know how we were going to get back to Vitrolles. So after the conference, we go back to the Nice apartment just Elder Bowen and I. We think we have the right key to get in, but it doesn't work. We than sooner (Ding Dong) all the apartments to get in get in, run to the top of the building 5th story and start to try and pick the lock to the Nice apartment. Pick the lock-- with my Boy scouts of America Eagle Scout card and amazingly get in grab our stuff-- run out. We finally made it home last night at about 8pm it was insane.
Mom you and Dad need to visit France that will bring a tear to your eye seriously beautiful.
Grandma, I made no bake cookies with your recipe yesterday and we ate that this morning for breakfast because we still have no money. Thank you for the breakfast and also the dinner the other night with the bear creak soup that was very good. I have never seen someone eat as much as Elder Bowen! I think he can eat a whale in one sitting no problem.
It was good to see Elder Graham and notice how much I have grown as a missionary and how far my language has come along.
Thank you for sending me the letters of the other missionaries. I love to receive them. They give me good ideas and I can relate so well. In English class we now have 7 people coming.
Love you all and thank you for your prayers, continue to do so.
love,
Elder Garlock
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