我很老

I'm old. I mean that in a couple ways, first of which is the fact that I had an awesome 19th birthdayon Wednesday, complete with 9 letters at once from my wonderful family and surprise chips and salsa from my district! Secondly, I'm old because July 22nd was the arrival day to end all arrival days at the MTC. We got 23 new Elders and Sisters in our branch, which puts us at about 70 now, like 140 Mandarins total for both zones. In addition, we are one of the 4 oldest districts all leaving in 2 weeks! The missionaries we hosted weeks ago hosted these new districts, it feels weird to be a grandparent and an example to them. It's good though to have the added pressure to be obedient and anxiously engaged in a good cause!

Thank you so so so much for the gifts! (And Mom, you're hilarious and super cool :D ) I hung the French flag up in our classroom to join Taiwan and Australia, still need a New Zealandish one... (hint hint to the three Elders emailing their parents right next to me). The language is coming pretty well, it just comes at the cost of all the others :/ I tried speaking French last night to a Sister from France and my mind simply wouldn't come up with the words. I had to resort to English and I felt awful, hopefully that will change in just a few weeks!

By the way, dearest Mother and Father I hope you know that I did mentally acknowledge your anniversary on the day of, and I now wish you both all manner of joy! Hope Trek goes well, I think it's going to be awesome. Dad, have fun in India again! Let me know how it goes and see if you can't run into some Senior Missionaries that just recently left the MTC. New Delhi and Bangalore are both in my mind kind of mysterious mission calls that I never really hear about, but a few days ago during dinner we ran into a senior couple going to Bangalore! I don't remember their names, sorry. 

Fun to hear about all the happenings going on at home, hopefully life settles down just a bit but if it stays busy that's okay! 'Tis the Lord's will. 

I got the Mission Newsletter this week in my email, so now I know for certain that President and Sister Brown made it to France, as did the Frenchies that left a week ago. I've met a few of the new Frenchies, but I fear they don't remember me from social media as well as I remember them so I come across a little stalkerish and annoying, plus I rarely see them because I'm Mandarin-speaking. Hopefully I can find them today and set some things straight.

I don't have much longer, but there are a couple more things: my tongban was just made district leader so we're now in charge of getting the mail, which means we get to pick up the flight plans when they come at the end of this week! Woohoo! Also the normal choir director Brother Eggett came back after his 2 and a half week tour in Canada, and we're singing an awesome arrangement of A Child's Prayer. Those choir practices with him are some of the most spiritual times I have here, it's fantastic. The language is still coming, but I know I could be progressing faster. I need to revise my goals and really work and be perfectly obedient (the focus on that doesn't wane, by the way) and the Lord will help me to bless others. Okay I have to go! Be obedient all the time and the Lord will bless you all the time!

Fare thee well,

江長老