Wild Missionary Life

6.1.2014

Bonjour and hi from Bdx! 

Missionary life is so busy here I barely have time on p-days to write my family but here is somethings I'd like to share with you!

Chrismas is Bdx was great, on Christmas eve we visited people who were going to be alone on Christmas and we brought them finnish Cinnamon rolls! One of my favourite people that we visited that night is an old man who takes care of his sick sister. They had no plans for Christmas so we surprised them with Christmas gifts and a Christmas tree. They were so happy and it felt so good just to give. He gives so much to his sister by taking care of her everyday so this time we wanted to give him something. It was great! I felt so happy.

New year's we wen't to bed early and woke up at midnight to see a couple of fireworks from our window, then fell back asleep. Wild missionary life.

Lately we've been working a lot with unactives! And I love it. Last week we were able to contact a couple of unactives that we've tried to get a hold of since last transfer. We are working with wonderful people and a couple of really cool families. Our Heavenly Father truly blesses us when we work hard and do our best trying to find people. :)

The work in France is progressing and I love being here! What a great way to spend 2014. Being a tool in the Lords hands... in Southern France.

Not bad.

Avec Amour Soeur M

Pics from Soeur N

Mission is awesome. It's hard but awesome.

Transfer 1, week 3

This week started with a little miracle. 

On Monday evening we were on the tram coming home from FHE (family home evening) that was held at the senior couple's home. Soeur Kofoed was busy talking to someone and I was standing a few meters away and minding my own business even though I should've been contacting... Speaking French just really scares me sometimes!! There was this beautiful young girl standing opposite to me and I noticed her looking at my name tag but didn't think much of it because everyone looks at it. But she kept looking and at one point our eyes met so I said bonsoir and started talking this and that, all these things I could in French like complimenting her scarf and asking if she's a student. Then she started asking me about the name tag and church and what we do as missionaries but my French was awful so we started talking in English and the first things she says is: "I would like to learn more abour your church." I couldn't believe my ears!!!! We got off the tram at the same stop and talked to her for 10-15 mins and she was so awesome! She has a really strong faith in God and she's really passionate about it (in a good way) and she's studying medicine because she believes God sent us on this Earth to help each other and that's also why she appreciates so much what we do as missionaries because we devote our time to helping people. She was just so awesome, everything she said was so awesome and she was just so full of happiness and light! We gave her a Book of Mormon and we'll see her soon, she's super busy with her exams at the moment. It was such an amazing experience meeting her, a good reminder for me to not to be scared of talking to people, you never know who's prepared and ready hear the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

This week was also a special week because of CHRISTMAS. We spent a very traditional Frech Christmas which means that we just ate ate and ate. I got to taste escargots (= snails) and they were surprisingly good! On Christmas day we ate at a member's house and I almost died. The foos just kept coming!!!! By the time we got to the dessert I was feeling super sick and my companion actually had to help me out with the dessert hehe, she was my fave person in the whole world that day, not even kidding. I decited then that eating is worse than contacting people in French. As long as I don't need to go and eat at a member's house I'll be happy. I'm still recovering from that meal. And the worse thing is the food is actually good but there's just too much of it!!!

We also got to Skype home on Christmas Day. It was awesome. My family is awesome. I feel so blessed to have a family that supports me in the things I do and is a great example of living the gospel. 

Oh and another funny food story! We ate again at a member's house on Boxing Day and got rabbit. Soeur Kofoed had to eat the rabbit's heart. That was fun.

Mission is awesome. It's hard but awesome. The hardest thing at the moment is the language, it's so hard not to be able to understand what people are saying to you. And also not being able t have any kind of real conversation. But I know it will come if I do my part and I also know that if I'm just brave and open my mouth I'm able to touch people's hearts even with the little French I have. It's the spirit that will do the most important talking anyway.

ALMA 37:37

Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.

- Soeur H

CHRISTMAS = LIGHT = LOVE = CHRIST

Transfer 1, week 2 (16 Dec-22 Dec)

My second week in france was just as crazy as the first one. Monday was our preparation day, jour de préparation, and obviosly: my first one in France! We were still staying with the Sister Training Leaders in Lyon and Soeur Carter made us cpêpes for breakfast! After emailing and grocery shopping me and Soeur Kofoed went touring around town and got permission to ride the ferris wheel in Bellecour! It was such a nice and sunny and warm day and we got to see all the rooftops of Lyon from the top of the wheel. Gorgeous! 

Tuesday was a service day. 4 hours of gift wrapping at Toys'R'Us. I'm starting to get soo good at wrapping gifts I'm considering becoming Santa's elf after my mission... I'm already the right size so that shouldn't be a problem!

Wednesday we had Christmas conference!!! So awesome. 5 zones together at the fully Chapel in Lyon, singing Christmas songs and learning more about Jesus Christ and the Spirit of Christmas which is the Spirit of Christ. CHRISTMAS = LIGHT = LOVE = CHRIST. I also got to see some old friends from the MTC, like Soeur Rönndahl, my beloved Swedish MTC companion!! Ohh I've missed her and it's only been a week! MTC was so much fun, I miss it sometimes...

We also got Christmas presents from the Roneys: new mission Christmas music cd's, hand sanitizer and THE COOLEST MISSION WATCHES EVER. Mine's too big for me so I can't really wear it... :(

And Wednesday was also a happy day because we got to finally move to our own home in Clermont!! Our apartment is so nice, it's very big and there's a bus stop right in front of our house and we're just loving it. Even though we still don't have a fridge and the toilet doesn't work very well... But we get by and we're just so excited to be here!!! Our senior couple the Burtons have helped us so so so much and they're just the best, I don't know how we could ever live without them.

For the last few days we've been trying to get things organized. We've been sitting in meetings with the mission leader and the Elders and the senior couple going through ward mission plans, ward lists etc. We've been making lists of people we need to visit and we've spent hours trying to make a map out of our area and where people live. Our area covers more than 40 little french towns; it's crazy! We've been trying to do a lot of contacting too and... I'VE DONE CONTACTING BY MYSELF!! I don't understand a lot of what people are saying to me but I just smile at them and give them pass-along cards.

French is really hard, trés dificil. I thought I'd come here and after a week start undestanding but NOOOO. I understand more and more each day but still!! It's frustrating sometimes because you feel like you're totally useless when you can't speak or understand what people are saying to you. But luckily my trainer is awesome. Sister Kofoed is so patient with me and helps me out a lot. And it's good to remember to be patient. Heavenly Father has his own timing and right now He need me to smile and speak broken and S-L-O-W french. Maybe that will touch someone's heart.

On Friday we had a rendez-vous with the Rapinats, the couple where the wife is Finnish. They are so lovely!! Their home is  so finnish, all these finnish decorations and books and paintings. And soeur Rapinat had baked us finnish cinnamon rolls and Karelian pie! I was in heaven.

I'm so glad I get to serve in Clermont, there's so much work to do but we're already witnessing miracles. Faith and obedience are the keys, God will do the rest.

MOSIAH 8:18 "Thus God has provided means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracled; therefore he becometh a great benefit to his fellow beings."

- Soeur H

The coolest mission watch!!

On the ferris wheel

 

 

Escargots