LDS Missionary: France Paris Mission

Christmas in France

Christmas Eve started as it probably would for the next two years. Work-out, get ready for the day, and study. During studies, someone came to the apartment and rang our buzzer to let them in.

"Oui, allo?" Elder McQuay answered the intercom.

"Yes, hello, Elders. I've got some gifts for you," the other voice came quick, crisp, and in English with an English accent.

We walked down to the front door and it was a man with wispy white hair. He wore glasses and a friendly look. He was holding a bag full of what looked like Christmas gifts.

"Hello, there. How are the Elders today?" He asked as we opened the door. He spoke at an incredibly fast pace. "This must be the greeny. I'm the Branch President, Nelson Oliver."

"Hey, we're doing well, thanks." I replied. "I'm Elder Abel."

"Good to meet you, Elder Abel," President Oliver said. "Sorry to bother you during your studies. My wife and I just wanted to drop off these gifts and wish you a happy Christmas."

"Thanks," Elder McQuay said as he reached out to take the bag.

President Oliver left and we went back to doing our studies. to an elderly member's house, Marie Thérèse, to just talk with her. She wasn't very active anymore because she has leg problems apparently and lives too far away to get to the chapel. We were going with our branch mission leader, Frère (or Brother) Braux.

We drove over to Frère Braux's house and he was waiting for us outside his apartment building. He was in a white shirt and tie also, which was kind of nice, so we weren't the only ones. He was a bigger guy, with a kind face. When he saw us his face lit up even more and he couldn't stop himself from grinning.

He got in the car and started talking, and I didn't understand a word he said. He laughed and motioned toward me. I didn't dare laugh because he would think I knew what he said, so I just did what any other person would do -- I stared blankly at him trying to put anything from what he said to make sense of it, but there was nothing there.

"He said, 'So this is the new missionary,'" Elder McQuay explained. "When you didn't respond he said that you must not understand anything. That's why he laughed.

"Oh ok," I said and I gave a slight chuckle and just nodded back at Frère Braux. Then I thought, 'well, he was right. I didn't understand anything.'

Elder McQuay and Frère Braux spoke throughout the drive, which seemed to take forever. It was probably only about 45 minutes, but because I couldn't understand much of what was said, the drive seemed much longer than was real.

We arrived at a little house in the middle of what I would call the forest. There were trees all around and then it opened up to a little neighborhood. We pulled up to a house and got out. Immediately, we were greeted by a yellow labrador with the signs of happiness that he just gained three new friends.

"Snoopy!" Marie Thérèse appeared from inside the house. She was an older Haitian lady, who also was incredibly difficult to understand for me. "Vas!"

The dog moved away from the gate just enough for us to get inside before he attacked each one of us. Elder McQuay and Frère Braux pushed the rowdy dog away and continued, but I embraced him with some pets.

Marie Thérèse gave a loud cackle of a laugh and embraced Frère Braux with a bizou on each cheek.

Marie Thérèse was a really nice lady from what I could tell, but I didn't understand much of what she had to say. The only understood about two words. The first was "EH?!" Which was what she practically yelled if she didn't hear or understand you. The second word was "Voila," which was just tacked on to the end of her sentences because it sounded cool, or at least, that's what I thought.