HOLY CRAP I'M HAPPY.

Reims is my favorite city, Elder Pieper is my favorite companion, and we have my new favorite investigators. The past four days have been literal bliss. We have been working our tails off and having SO MUCH FUN. Elder Pieper basically a mix of Richie and Kirby. He is from Kentucky and also went to BYU. We talk nonstop.

Our lives are basically running in between lessons, buying patisseries, eating at members houses. Reims has a ward of about 70 people. It's kind of sad though because in this city there used to be 400 members, and 10 missionaries. I'm not really sure what happened, but it is starting to look better again. They just had two baptisms here the week before I came.

We found a new investigator this week named Fred. He is African and speaks English. He reminds me a lot of Sony who we found back in Evry (who is getting ready to get baptized!!). We had our first lesson with Fred two days ago. It was one of the most spiritual lessons on my mission. I cried during the rendez-vous for no apparent reason. It was just that good. He sent us a text afterwards thanking us for everything he felt, and then he ended it with a african-like, "Be Blessed." We found another new ami this week who is in college to be a blacksmith. Hah, yeah. His little apartment is full of swords and midevil stuff. There are lots of other amazing people here too.

Once again: can I tell you how much I love life? IT IS SO GOOD. And if that's not enough, it has been warm beautiful spring weather all week. There are flowers blooming everywhere. Reims is the champagne capital of the world so it is surrounded by grape vinyards. The are going to be GORGEOUS when they all start getting leaves here soon.

For district meeting we go into Paris every week. We have sisters in our district which just makes everything better. The elders are just more.. mature. Our district is sweet.

Well, don't you dare worry about me. Life rawks. Reims rawks.

Elder Benjamin Coburn