My companion is incredible.

I have like zero time, but HERE GOES because this week has been amazing!

Last Monday I went to Lyon and voilà. I'll give more detail later, but I didn't meet my new companion until Wednesday morning. I found out the Saturday before (so the day after transfer calls) that there was a new Chinese Elder coming into the mission, a lot of missionaries knew already but no one had told me. Big surprise :O

As we walked into the chapel to meet our blues, I was hiding my name tag with my iPad so that it would be a surprise for him :) we were the first équipe to get put together and he freaked out and I freaked out and it was so much fun :) I think they took videos of the experience, I'll have to see if I can get my hands on that.

Donc, je vous présente Elder Alvarenga! Also known as 敖长老. He was born and raised in Montréal, Canada and actually knows my trainer Elder Pien! Not super well, but they've crossed paths a time or two. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, eh? He's half Peruvian and half Spanish, so he's completely trilingual (mostly taught himself English by watching movies, and he sounds native with a slightly Hispanic accent). His Chinese is coming along nicely, though he never studied it before the mission. He won a couple international powerlifting tournaments before the mission, so despite being about my height his max bench press weight is over twice what mine is at. Not only is he physically strong, he has a really solid testimony and he's super bold, not at all what I expected from a new missionary. He's amazing. I don't even know what to think really but all is well here in Grenoble!

I'll send you pictures of Elder Alvarenga's first p-day in the mission...

"And it is my purpose to provide for my saints, for all things are mine." (D&C 104)
Remember: God will allow bad things to happen to help us learn and grow. We don't always understand it, but trust Him. All things are His, can we really ever think that He's not in control? He is in control and He does love you. Trust Him and everything will be fine (not easy, but fine).

江长老

Right after we met

The Grenoble Crew (5 of us new to Grenoble)

I LOVE GRENOBLE

HOOOLLLYYY COOOOWWW