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
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| The coolest mission watch!! |
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| On the ferris wheel |
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| Escargots |
