1st Week in Geneva

Hi Mom!

 

Ha I found the exclamation mark! The keyboard is a little different here.  So if I type a z I might mean y and if i type < that means the letter right after it should be capitalized.  <o and if I type a y it might be a z.  So yeah.  Fun Fun keyboard.  I wont be able to type when i get back home.

 

I didnt get pictures, but I can get pictures when I get back.  Right now, I donàt (the à is where the apostrophe should be!!! :p) know how to print them off or get them developed, and I dont think Im going to, either.  Ill just concentrate on other stuff and get pictures when I get back :)

My companion, Sister Thacker, has already been in this mission for quite a while.  This is her 10th transfer. (I found the apostrophe!! yay :D)  She was serving in Lyon, and Dijon, and I forget where else.  I am the second person she has trained.  She can understand french, and she can also understand the gist of what Spanish and Portuguese people say.  Yeah, we come across all sorts of people here in Switzerland.  It's about all I can do to realize that they are speaking french, let alone understand what they are saying.  But I am definitely understanding more than the first day.  It's interesting, because from what people say (people in general, not just in Suisse), understanding a language comes before speaking it.  But at the present time, I can speak and get someone to understand what I'm saying.  The problem is understanding.  So I am a bit backwards.  That's ok, though :)

 

I think I am finally getting over jetlag.  I might not have had it, I don't know.  What I know is that I've had a headache since I got here.  We have been riding the trams and buses alot, and those give me headaches.  And alot of cigarette smoke around, and that gives me headaches, too.  Then speaking and trying to understand a new language, I'm told that can give headaches, too.  So all of that, plus jetlag...  yeah i was surprised yesterday when I realized I didn't have the headache that has been my constant companion since I've arrived. 

 

You tell that brother of mine that he is crazy for training someone his first (second?) transfer!!  Perfectly insane!  But that is awesome.  Way to go, Robert :)

 

I am serving in Spanish Geneva, which I thought was pretty funny when I first heard it considering I learned a little bit of spanish at the MTC! On Sunday, we went to both the Spanish ward and the French ward.  Spanish first.  They had us missionaries introduce ourselves.  By the way.  We are both new to this area!  So we both had no idea who lived where, where to go, who to talk to, etc.  I still have no idea where to go.  I follow my companion.  She is pretty smart. But yeah.  So Sister Thacker introduced us, and I got up and bore my testimony in Spanish.  It was awesome!  But just the fact that I went to the Spanish ward first, and then the french ward later that afternoon, it showed me how much I really understand in french.  Because in the spanish ward, I understood... not much.  But I got most of the lesson in the french ward.  At least, it sounded like a lesson, complete with a beginning, middle, and end.  Haha yeah it was good.  I'm excited to go back for church next week, and see how much my understand improves in a week. 

 

It is so interesting being here in a new country!!  There are so many things that are different, besides just what it looks like.  First I noticed was the smell.  Everything smelled different.  The buildings, outside, people, rooms,... it was interesting to make that realization.  Then of course the currency.  Haha I have always had comfort from having a few bucks in my wallet, because then I can use it when I need it.  It doesn't work like that here, though!!  Because they don't use dollars :P But now I have a few francs in my wallet, so it's all better now ^_^  Let's see... Oh yeah!! at church for the spanish ward, I went to Primary.  Oddly enough, they spoke in french.  Those kids know both languages.  I'm jealous.  They called up the kids for birthdays this month.  And my comp's birthday is March 25th, same day as Cyndi's!  By the way:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CYNDI!!!!!!!!  But the kids sang happy birthday, and then one of them said "en anglais! en anglais!"  Which means, in english.  AHH!! I was even more jealous.  I wish I had known more languages back in primary :(

 

Another difference is they don't have any public restrooms.  So before I go out for the day, I need to make sure that I go or that I will stop by the institute or the church, because I can't just stop at a gas station anymore!!  It is a new experience.

 

Well I think I am out of things to say at the moment.  I need to make lists of what I want to say during the week so my mind doesn't go blank...  There is a joke I have heard, before I got here: What do you call people who know 3 languages? Trilingual.  What do you call people who know 2 languages? Bilingual.  What do you call people who know 1 language? American.  It's so true!!! Or maybe I am just running into all the people who speak multiple languages.  But as soon as someone figures out that my native language is english, a lot of times they start speaking in english.  It is so awesome, I think :)  I hope that I will soon be able to understand and speak french really well... Patience is a virtue, Tiffany!! 

 

Love you, Mom!!! And everyone else at home in the United States!!  If you're not at home, I don't love you.  Haha jk.  Love you all!!

 

Love,

Sister Bartlome

Arrived in Switzerland! 1st Address

3/15/2011

Dear Parents,

We are happy to let you know your daughter arrived safely in Geneva today.  She was met at the airport by Pres. and Sister Murdock and then had lunch at the Mission Home.  The attachments to this email will show her at the mission with President and Sister Murdock.  After lunch she has had the opportunity to go out and make contact with people on the street.  She will have an individual interview with President Murdock after she returns.  Tonight she will have dinner with Pres. and Sister Murdock and the other missionaries that arrived today.  She will stay at the mission home tonight.  Tomorrow she will have training with Pres. Murdock and the Assistants to the President, then she will meet her new companion who will be her Trainer.  In the afternoon she will leave with her companion to go to her first area.  We will send you her address and companion's name in the next day or two.

Please see today's photo in the attachments.

Thank you for sending us such a fine young woman.

Sister Todd, Mission Secretary

Switzerland Geneva Mission

3/16/2011

 

Dear Sister Bartlome,

Sister Bartlome has been assigned a wonderful trainer/companion Sister Thacker.  They are serving in Geneva, Switzrland.  Their address is:

Les Missionnaires

Sister Bartlome

17, rue de la Prairie

CH-1202 Geneva

Switzerland

Please address letters or packages in this format.

Please see the attachments for a picture of her with her companion.  We are grateful to have your daughter in our mission!

With Warmest Regards,

Sister Todd, Mission Secretary

Switzerland Geneva Mission

Mar 11, 2011

Hi Mom,

 

I'm leaving in less than 3 days!! Wow I'm so excited :D :D :D

 

Last Sunday, Elder Dick (he is from Oxford, England!!) sang in the fireside.  A song called "He Healed Me".  And I accompanied!! It was so nervewracking.  While something is going on (A fireside, a devotional, etc) the media people have a recording of what is happening going on.  Like in General Conference.  The camera will be on the speakers.  When there is a musical number, it will be on the performers.  While I was playing the piano, I could see the screen, and what was going on.  So I was trying to decide which would be more nervewracking:  Being the singer and seeing the whole audience of missionaries, or being the pianist and seeing yourself on camera.  Needless to say, I tried not to watch what was going on, or else I'd get way too distracted.

 

The foreign missionaries had the opportunity today to go to the Salt Lake Temple!  Elder Dick is gone.  He is in Salt Lake right now.  And I think I told you about the Elder from Switzerland, Elder Aubin (Don't think I mentioned his name).  He is there, too.  It is awesome that they give them the opportunity to go there while they are in the country and nearby.

 

My companions and I met a couple of guys from Switzerland yesterday! One of them was taking pictures.  He was working on a project for his diploma.  He and his family were Catholic, but he found the Mormon community interesting.  He noticed that at our church meetings, there were families and kids and babies, which was different from what he was used to.  In Switzerland, Mormons are often viewed as a sect, and kind of weird, because they are always wearing suits and walking around knocking on doors.  He wanted to see how it was when Mormons were a majority.  He said he'd learned a little bit about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith, and he wasn't interested so much in whether or not it was true.  What he was focusing on was on the Mormon community.  He took a picture of my companions and I, and then some more later (I don't like pictures... :P).  He said maybe he will see us in Switzerland or France. Which would be awesome for his project, having pictures of us here in Provo and then again in Europe.  The most awesome part for me, though, was that he explained most of that in French.  And I understood most of it!! Unless I completely misunderstood, and it was nothing like that... Just kidding XD

 

I bought a cool new watch that has 2 times on it!! So the top one has the time here, and the bottom one has the time in Switzerland.  It'll help a bunch when I'm trying to figure out what time it is there.  Not that I'll have to do that often, but...

 

Some people here know Elder Matt Smith!! Elder Howden is a missionary here at the referral center, and he knew Matt.  Also, Elder Fitch in my district is from Kaysville, and he knows Matt, too!!

 

Ok I will write again after I get to Switzerland!  Look forward to calling!! Bye

 

Sister Bartlome

Mar 3, 2011-Almost gone!

Dear Mommy,

 

I got my travel plans!!! Oh I am so excited!! And everyone else is, too :) :)  It just makes it so much more real to know what time we will be leaving, and that we will be leaving in a week and 3 days!! gaah! I'm so excited!! :) yay

 

That woman I mentioned, from Italy, she said she was converted to the gospel about 40ish years ago in Italy.  So I mentioned your name and asked if she knew of you, but she didn't :( But it is still cool, cuz that was about the time you were there :)

Tell Deane thanks for the suggestion!! One of the problems I always have is how to get a conversation started, and that seems like a really good way to do that! I will definitely use it :)

 

I have been getting everything I need.  I am going to put a bunch of the stuff I don't need into one of my suitcases, and send it home.  Then they will give me a bigger suitcase to... use or to have, I'm not sure which.  And then I think they are also going to send some stuff via mail, so I don't have to pack it all.  So.  Be expecting a package from me sometime.

 

Speaking of travel plans.  I will be able to call you while I'm traveling between the MTC and France.  So that's the 14th and ... maybe the 15th.  I don't know the time difference, but I know that when I arrive, it'll be Tuesday.  But yeah.  Give me some times I can call you, and make some time.  Yay I excited ^.^  I'll keep my watch at Utah time until after I call, so that I can keep track of what time it is for you without doing math.  I know I like math, but it's not quite as fun when I have to know time differences, too. And I don't have a calculator.  So :P

 

You know, I am getting more confidence in being able to follow promptings of the spirit.  In a few of the lessons we have been teaching in the past week, I have found myself having really good ideas that I normally wouldn't think of; when I follow them, they have a good effect on whoever I am teaching.  It is really exciting :)

 

Anyways.  Gotta go.  Love you!  Save that voice so I can hear you when I call!  Here, how about you do this: just don't talk for the next week and 3 days.  That's not too hard ;) ok.  Bye!

 

Soeur Bartlome