Today was spent almost entirely on a bus. And I was kind of okay with it.
We started off from the hotel in Paris at 8. Well, we were supposed to. But as always, our group takes "we're leaving at 8" as "hey, you should probably start wandering towards the bus at 8:10" so we didn't actually leave until about 8:25. After 2 hours we arrived in a tiny town for church, which started at 10.
This tiny little branch stopped their service, moved upstairs to the larger room, and started over for us. As we crammed into the tiny little room that was probably 90 degrees, the Spirit was so strong. They had done this for us. One of my professors and his son took their seats to bless the sacrament, and we started. We sang I Stand All Amazed, the few branch members in French and our group in English, and I just started to cry.
Then we hopped back on the bus, and hit up a grocery store in the small town. We basically found a french walmart. I found some granola bars, a bottle of Naked juice, and some cherries, but they sell fruit differently in France than in the US. I don't speak French, and the checkout lady didn't speak English, so the cherries got left behind. C'est la vie. Then back on the bus, to sleep and read for a bit. And then another stop, because I guess the driver can only go for so long legally? Idk. It's so annoying. But eventually, we made it to Annecy!
At first sight, the town was kinda dumpy, and I wasn't really sure why the professors love it so much. We got split into a few different hotels for the next few nights, and I got separated from the group I usually hang out with, so after changing and settling in, I found my way over to their hotel so that we could go find dinner together. We wandered until we found a crepe place, and ordered crepes! I did a build-your-own, based on what words on the menu looked similar to English things that I like. It wasn't until after I had butchered my way through it that the girl looked at me and went "I speak english". Sigh. Oh well. I was only 75% sure of what I had ordered, but when it came, I knew I had hit the jackpot. I essentially had a BBQ chicken sandwich in a crepe, and it was the best thing I have eaten in DAYS.
After that we played around in the park for a bit, and wandered the neighborhoods nearby! One of the girls I don't know well joined us, and she was super fun to have around. She's vegan, and so we had some really good conversations about it! The neighborhoods were adorable, I never wanted to leave.
DAY SIXTEEN:
This morning I woke up and headed off to the morning workout! We had it in the park right by the lake, and it was beautiful. It was an arms and abs day, and I really need to start writing down the different circuits that we do because they kill in the most amazing way.
After the workout, I grabbed breakfast and headed off to meet the group at the local bike shop! We all grabbed our bike rentals and headed out on the first group fitness challenge, which was a 24 mile bike ride around Lake Annecy. My bike in Maastricht was a one-speed, pedal brake monstrosity, so getting the road bike in Annecy that had all sorts of gears and handle brakes was amazing. We started off, and it was flat and beautiful and wonderful! Then we hit the hill. I think it was a solid three or four miles up, and it was not easy. I managed to bike the whole thing, but it was rough at times! However, coming down the other side was a blast, and we stopped right at the bottom where there were some cliffs and started jumping in. Eventually we climbed back on our bikes and headed back out. Someone said there was a mcdonalds just ahead, so we planned to stop for lunch. The “just ahead” was a huge lie, it was like another 15 miles. It was flat and beautiful, but it was hot and long. Once we did make it, the nuggets made everything worth it, and I was able to convince the employees to give me some ice for my water bottle (side note, ice and water are not free anywhere in Europe. Bottled is the only thing available, and it is always expensive. We’ve taken to filling bottles in the bathroom at places, so I was grateful to get ice to get my hydroflask nice and cold). Then it was only about 3 miles back to town to drop off our bike rentals, which was sad. I love having access to the bike, it is really making me rethink the way I drive so much in the US.
The water was cold, but it was over 90 degrees outside, so it was worth it. It was one of the best things I have ever done.
After that we went to find a beach since it was still so hot. We found one, but it was crowded and not the best, so we didn’t stay long. Plus we were all getting a bit sunburnt and wanted out of the heat. We headed back into town, grabbed our dirty clothes, and headed to a laundromat. Honestly, not having any way to do laundry other than in a sink has been the hardest part of this trip. It’s so hot and we all end up so sweaty, and then your clothes smell and you smell and its just mildly miserable. I’m looking forward to getting home to the washing machine. But now my clothes are clean!
After a bit of alone time (and a miracle of the wifi working well enough to watch an episode of FRIENDS), I met back up with the group for family home evening. We walked up to a cathedral on the top of a hill for our lesson.
One of the professors taught about Christ and angels reaching out and ministering to him, and it was a touching lesson. Then we had a discussion about the World Health Organization, regarding who they are and what they do. All of this is occurring as the sun is setting, and it was gorgeous. My friends and I grabbed gelato on the way home (raspberry and coconut), and then I called it a night!
DAY SEVENTEEN:
I almost got up for the group run today, but I have a nasty cold and I figured that a little extra sleep would do me better than any early morning run would (I think I made the right choice). Today we went to the World Health Organization! I grabbed a yogurt at the store across the street from the hotel, and climbed on the bus. We drove about 45 minutes to Geneva Switzerland (that’s country #6 for this trip!) to where the WHO is located. We all got checked in and given our visitor access badges, and then headed up to one of the conference rooms for a series of lectures.
The first we heard was about the Global Initiative to Eradicate Polio, and was really interesting to listen to. It talked a bit about vaccinations, but mostly about the effort of volunteers around the world during week long vaccination campaigns, volunteers to go door to door, carrying coolers and begging people to vaccinate their children. There really isn’t a push back against vaccinations in the countries that need them, as the diseases are so visible and terrible that people want their children to be vaccinated, they just often don’t have the means to make it happen (which is where the WHO and organizations such as UNICEF come into play). The presenter told a really cool story about a volunteer who was talking to a father about vaccinating his children, and the father was against it. He hadn’t been vaccinated, his father hadn’t been vaccinated, his kids didn’t need to be vaccinated. Finally the volunteer gave up, and asked this father, who was a shepherd, if he could buy a lamb for a feast they were having. The father agreed, and started to choose the best lamb. The volunteer said no, he wanted the bum lamb in the back. The father argued, saying that lamb was bad, but the volunteer again insisted, no, he wanted the bum lamb. The father looked at him and went “I am the expert on this, I know best,” to which the volunteer replied “and I am the expert on vaccinations, I know best.” The volunteer got the good lamb, and the shepherds kids got vaccinated! The next presenter talked about vaccination resistance, something we were all stoked to hear about. She talked about the difference between resistance (picking and choosing which vaccines you trust) and refusal (not getting any of them), and some of the reasons people have their opinions. It was interesting to talk about. She taught that the best way to try and convince those who are vaccine resistant is to listen to their perspective, ask questions about why they feel that way, and then try to present facts in a non-offensive way.
After that we had lunch in the WHO cafeteria, and it was wonderful. Probably the nicest meal I’ve had/will have this whole trip thanks to the fact that the program paid for it rather than me paying for it. Also the WHO had a ton of vegetables which was great because I have mostly been drinking mine through juice smoothies this whole trip (I miss cooking so much that whenever I have reliable wifi, I find myself watching cooking videos). After lunch we listen to a presentation on mental health, how it correlates with chronic disease and how the stigma in different places is being adjusted. It was crazy to see the stats about how mental health has been on the rise in the last few years, but also it’s good that we’re able to talk about it rather than suppress it and pretend it's not an issue. Finally we had a presentation on AMR, or anti-microbial resistance, which is how all of our anti-biotics are going to be useless in a couple decades due to the fact that bacteria is growing resistant to them due to overuse. A big focus right now is on cutting back the antibiotics in our meat supply, as well as in human prescription rates. If we keep using them the way we do now (give them for everything, cause hey, it might work), then we won’t be able to use them at all. It was a bit of a dooms-day way to end the day, but it was a really great presentation and a topic that actually really interests me! Then we climbed back on the bus and headed back into France. I split off from the group for the night because I needed some alone time. I grabbed a crepe sandwich again, and wandered towards the park, stopping to grab a merengue the size of my face and to fill my water bottle at the cute little fountain in town (so cold and wonderful). Then I found a space in the park looking over the water, and I pulled out my book of Mormon. I’ve set the goal to read the entire thing while on this trip, and I’ve been slacking the last few days and hadn’t really read much. I picked up back up again, and read/studied for close to two hours. Once you get into it, it can be hard to stop. At one point, a French family walked over to me and asked if I was Mormon, because they saw what I was reading. I replied yes, and they said they were too! They’re from Annecy, and were just walking into town to drop the boys off for a young mens activity. It was so fun to talk to them about the branch they are a part of, and how amazing it is to find the church everywhere you go. Honestly, it was an answer to a prayer that they came by, as it made me feel so important, known, and loved while I was alone in a park thousands of miles from home. I love the little ways that I can feel the love of God in my life, and that was one of them. Shortly after, when I had closed my book for the night, I looked up and saw my friends walking not far off. I was able to join up with them, and just enjoy the rest of the night with people who care. It ended up being just what I needed, which is I’m sure just how the Lord intended it to be.
The first we heard was about the Global Initiative to Eradicate Polio, and was really interesting to listen to. It talked a bit about vaccinations, but mostly about the effort of volunteers around the world during week long vaccination campaigns, volunteers to go door to door, carrying coolers and begging people to vaccinate their children. There really isn’t a push back against vaccinations in the countries that need them, as the diseases are so visible and terrible that people want their children to be vaccinated, they just often don’t have the means to make it happen (which is where the WHO and organizations such as UNICEF come into play). The presenter told a really cool story about a volunteer who was talking to a father about vaccinating his children, and the father was against it. He hadn’t been vaccinated, his father hadn’t been vaccinated, his kids didn’t need to be vaccinated. Finally the volunteer gave up, and asked this father, who was a shepherd, if he could buy a lamb for a feast they were having. The father agreed, and started to choose the best lamb. The volunteer said no, he wanted the bum lamb in the back. The father argued, saying that lamb was bad, but the volunteer again insisted, no, he wanted the bum lamb. The father looked at him and went “I am the expert on this, I know best,” to which the volunteer replied “and I am the expert on vaccinations, I know best.” The volunteer got the good lamb, and the shepherds kids got vaccinated! The next presenter talked about vaccination resistance, something we were all stoked to hear about. She talked about the difference between resistance (picking and choosing which vaccines you trust) and refusal (not getting any of them), and some of the reasons people have their opinions. It was interesting to talk about. She taught that the best way to try and convince those who are vaccine resistant is to listen to their perspective, ask questions about why they feel that way, and then try to present facts in a non-offensive way.
After that we had lunch in the WHO cafeteria, and it was wonderful. Probably the nicest meal I’ve had/will have this whole trip thanks to the fact that the program paid for it rather than me paying for it. Also the WHO had a ton of vegetables which was great because I have mostly been drinking mine through juice smoothies this whole trip (I miss cooking so much that whenever I have reliable wifi, I find myself watching cooking videos). After lunch we listen to a presentation on mental health, how it correlates with chronic disease and how the stigma in different places is being adjusted. It was crazy to see the stats about how mental health has been on the rise in the last few years, but also it’s good that we’re able to talk about it rather than suppress it and pretend it's not an issue. Finally we had a presentation on AMR, or anti-microbial resistance, which is how all of our anti-biotics are going to be useless in a couple decades due to the fact that bacteria is growing resistant to them due to overuse. A big focus right now is on cutting back the antibiotics in our meat supply, as well as in human prescription rates. If we keep using them the way we do now (give them for everything, cause hey, it might work), then we won’t be able to use them at all. It was a bit of a dooms-day way to end the day, but it was a really great presentation and a topic that actually really interests me! Then we climbed back on the bus and headed back into France. I split off from the group for the night because I needed some alone time. I grabbed a crepe sandwich again, and wandered towards the park, stopping to grab a merengue the size of my face and to fill my water bottle at the cute little fountain in town (so cold and wonderful). Then I found a space in the park looking over the water, and I pulled out my book of Mormon. I’ve set the goal to read the entire thing while on this trip, and I’ve been slacking the last few days and hadn’t really read much. I picked up back up again, and read/studied for close to two hours. Once you get into it, it can be hard to stop. At one point, a French family walked over to me and asked if I was Mormon, because they saw what I was reading. I replied yes, and they said they were too! They’re from Annecy, and were just walking into town to drop the boys off for a young mens activity. It was so fun to talk to them about the branch they are a part of, and how amazing it is to find the church everywhere you go. Honestly, it was an answer to a prayer that they came by, as it made me feel so important, known, and loved while I was alone in a park thousands of miles from home. I love the little ways that I can feel the love of God in my life, and that was one of them. Shortly after, when I had closed my book for the night, I looked up and saw my friends walking not far off. I was able to join up with them, and just enjoy the rest of the night with people who care. It ended up being just what I needed, which is I’m sure just how the Lord intended it to be.
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