Feb 7, 2011
First off - I don't know if I'll ever be able to figure this keyboard out. I fully believe that keyboard layouts should be a universal thing!
I'll try and answer all of your questions. But sorry in advance if I leave something out.
So the flight over - it wasn't too bad. I definitely didn't sleep at all, but I survived it. And that's always good, right? I don't know if I will ever be able to love babies on airplanes. I had two a row ahead of me and one a row behind me. None of which were happy about the fact that they were on that flight.
Our steward on the plane absolutely hated us. ha ha so that was "fun." At one point when I was up walking around, he was talking to two other flight attendants, saw me, turned back to the two and rather loudly - making sure that I could hear him, he said, "I don't know why I always get stuck with the ****ing missionaries!" He has to be one of the most bitter, jaded people I have ever met. Elder Andrus really wanted to write him a thank you note and leave him a tip, just to see what he'd do. ha ha (by the time we got off, we forgot to do it, but it would have been awesome!)
I didn't watch any of the movies they aired. I ended up writing a couple of letter the majority of the time. And just being able to listen to my own music again was amazing! However, they did show "The Pursuit of Happiness." That one was pretty difficult to pass up...
We landed about 40 minutes before they originally expected us to. Elder Liao and Soeur Woodruff were really excited to see the Parisian skyline, but it was crazy amounts of clouded over. So...nothing to report came from that.
As for seeing Alan - I really feel kind of bad. I clearly didn't give the reaction he was anticipating. (But how could I?! I knew he would be there.) In my conversations with different office elders since then, it became more and more apparent how much he wanted me to be surprised. So like I said, I feel bad about it, but ça la vie I guess.
That being said; it was really bizarre ha ha! Just seeing him was strange enough, let alone talking to him for as long as I did. But overall it was fine.
We spent our first night in the mission home. We had dinner with President and Sister Staheli and Alan and his current companion. The mission home is beautiful! And President and Sister Staheli are absolutely wonderful.
On Wednesday morning, after telling us who our companions would be and where we'd be serving, President took us with the APs up to what he calls "consecration hill." (If I remember correctly what he said, it's where either Louie the 4th or the 14th was born.) Again, it was very foggy, but normally you can see all of Paris
Soeur Thompson is my new comp. I absolutely love her! She's only got two transfers left. So we're expecting that I'll be with her until she leaves in April.
She and I are currently in Belgium
I have SO much more to tell you, but the library we're at is closing right now. So I've got to go. I'll try and write you a letter later today.
You can always reach me at the mission home, but in case you want it, our physical address is:
Soeur Jorgensen
Les Missionnaires
16/26 allée de fréesias
1030 Shaerbeek
Sorry this is so rushed, but I should be used to it by now after the MTC! ha ha
Love you,
KimLetter from Alan Schwind with pictures
Hey Shauna!
Kim (aka Soeur Jorgensen) made it to
It was so bizarre to see her walk out of baggage claim. It seems like yesterday that we were running all around the
She is and is going to be an amazing missionary. I wish we had more time to serve together, but that's the way it goes. ;)
Love you so much and think about you tons!
Alan
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| Kimberly on Consecration Hill |
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| Kimberly with Pres. and Sis Staheli |
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| Kimberly's new group meet up with Alan and other office missionaries |
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| New Missionaries arrive in Paris |