So apparently you guys are like winning marathons, killing mice with your bare hands, harvesting blackberry forests, and riding roller coasters with your seatbelts off. Good work. Party hard.

We partied pretty hard ourselves this week here in Reims. Maybe a little too hard actually, seeing as my companion has fallen prey to a stomach virus/ fever. Once again, wounded in combat. Back at the field tent I've been pumpin' him full of morphine and preparing for the rehabilitation stages. He should be back on the front lines by 1830 tommorow night.

In other news, it looks like we've got some warm weather headed our way this morning in the sunny Chapagne Valley. That's right boys and girls, grab a friend, grab some sunscreen and roll down those windows cuz it's gonna be a hot one.

Although, hot may be referring to my companion's forehead right now. He's not feeling to good so he told me to hurry up so that we can go back home. So hurry I will.

One cool thing that happened this week was (don't judge) teaching two homeless people that hang out in the park right by our apartment. Christophe and Yannig. Everyday they are sitting on their bench in the park as we walk past, and everyday they ask us how we are doing. Yannig is always reading a book and Christophe always is the one to wave at us. So we were walking through the park one night on our way to go contacting when I just felt like giving Yannig a Book of Mormon. So after walking past them everyday for 6 months, I finally went and sat down on their bench and talked with them. Yannig enthusiastically took and promised to read the Book of Mormon, and they both promised to not smoke cigarettes as long as we are sitting on their bench with them. We ended up talking to them for about an hour. They both have stories and they are both very real, very very nice, people. I kind of felt bad for having judged them before. They said that they felt peace and calmness while we were there. So after trying to answer several of their profound questions, we sang them "Where Can I Turn For Peace," said a pray with them and went home. We will stop by and talk to them again in the future. As Elder Bjerga pointed out, "They that are whole need no physician, but they that are sick." So that made us feel good :)

We also taught a couple this week that live in centre-ville Reims. They have a REALLY nice apartment. Like, it was the nicest teaching setting I've ever been in. He owns a newspaper so... yup.This couple actually just got back from vacation in St. George and they had visited them temple and given the missionaries their information. We were so nervous that right before the rendez-vous we went home, changed into our suits, brushed again, and said an extra sincere prayer on the way out. It was a really good lesson, although we won't be able to have another one with them till things settle down for them at the end of September.

Okay, one more quick thing. Brandon had to come back to Reims for the weekend to move some stuff from his apartment and so we saw him yesterday afternoon. I am SO RELIEVED. Mirco-Brandon Fai is just as amazing as he has always been. He is really really really stressed though because his manager is putting him through a stupid training schedule where he has to run 60 km every single day, and he never gets time to rest. We had an incredible little rendezvous with him in the park and then he had to go to training once again. He said that he will be back in Reims for about a month in September and still very much wants to get baptized. Then he is headed off to Ethiopia for a marathon, then America for a marathon. He is trying to get into a marathon in Utah :) He is incredible. One of the first thoughts I had when I realized that everything was still good with him was "Yesss, now I can still name one of my children Mirco!" After our rendez-vous I handed my bag to Elder Bjerga, turned to Brandon, and said "Let's run!" So Elder Bjerga (being sick) watched as Brandon and I took off down the street (me in my full suit). We jogged like 20 meters and then I told Brandon I wanted to go at his pace. After making sure I was serious Brandon instantly took off into a full sprint that left me in the dust. Holy crap. After I caught up with him he smiled and informed me that that was his half-marathon pace. Then he ran off to catch the bus (that had already passed us). I love him.

Okay, I for reals half to go. My companion is writhing on the ground and frothing at the mouth.

Love,
Elder Coburn