Monday, November 24, 2014

Week 14 - Mission Conference and a New Coat




FAM! 

I'm in LOVE. I bought a coat and it's become one of my dearest friends. 

Tuesday we had our plans fall through a bit so we decided to head out in to the BOONIES to track down a member that the branch council gave us to find- her number didn't work so we decided to show up in person. It took forever and a day to get there and no one was home -but- just as we're turning to leave who should pull up outside but the very woman we were looking for. She had no idea who we were/what the church was... So we're not really sure how she ended up on the ward directory but we invited her and talked with her and now one more person in France knows that we are not the Temoins de Jehovah so success for the day! 

Wednesday happened! 

Thursday! Setting the stage: alarm goes off at 4:30 am. Roll out of bed and eat, out the door and walk to the bus stop. Get to the gare at 5:45. Meet up with the Elders. Train leaves for PARIS at 6:10. Get to Gare Montparnasse at 7:30, and meet up with more and more missionaries before leaving on the RER for Versailles for MISSION CONFERENCE!! It was absolutely incredible. The whole mission was together - I got to see my whole MTC district and Soeur Walton and Blackhurst whom I've missed like crazy. Plus it was our three months mark! 

With Soeur Walton
 The APs and office elders were running around like crazy people and probably reminded us 5 times to stand when Elder Cook came in. The energy and anticipation was tangible. Then one of the APs poked his head in the door of the chapel - "Elder Cook has just pulled in!" Soeur Babin was the first to walk in and I saw that she got a little choked up seeing all 280 of us in the chapel. We stood when Elder Cook walked in (we're very obedient) and he just goes "oh sit down, sit down!" with a big smile on his face. Then we all got to go up and shake his hand one by one. 

[Click here for a link to a video posted on the mission Facebook page, showing some of the missionaries shaking hands with Elder Cook. You can see Maren from the back almost at the very end - she's wearing a green skirt.]

President welcomed and introduced Elder Cook - and the coolest thing is that the Versailles chapel is where President Babin grew up going to church. How incredible is that, going from doing your primary programs to introducing an Apostle as a mission president in the same chapel. 

The meeting was so good. Not even just for the messages that we heard but just the spirit and power of being there with Elder Cook and the WHOLE mission. President and Soeur Babin each gave short remarks, and Elder and Sister Teixeira (the area president) and then Elder Cook gave his remarks - interrupted by his wife leading us in singing a simple arrangement of "Hark All Ye Nations." Part of it was question and answer and then he told us about the "four loves" people you should love - your companion, the people, the mission president and his wife and the Lord. He also gave some other last points, and kind of in the middle he stopped and said "I don't always do this but I want to talk about how we assign calls" and then told us that it's either because we need to be with a certain president, a certain culture or people or we need to have experiences or learn things (like a language) for the rest of our lives. It was very very powerful to hear about what it's like when they make those calls and to hear someone who does that personally tell us that we are where we are supposed to be. He closed by giving a very powerful testimony of the Savior.

There were so many good things that there's no way I can really capture (but I took good notes!) and you probably aren't interested in too much more haha but Elder Smith and two other Elders I was in the MTC with did a musical number - Danny Boy- that was INCREDIBLE, they did it in the MTC too and it was so so good. Oregon Pride. 

After the conference we trajet-ed back to Montparnasse and had like 2 hours before our train left sooooo Sr Hopkins and I bought a couple of metro tickets and took a trip to the Eiffel Tower!!! It only took me three months to see it! SOOO fun. Such a good memory. 

Bought "mommy/daughter" scarves


The rest of the week was more just missionary work- traveling all around Tours offering to pray with people. Sometimes I have to remind myself that we're doing something sort of weird. I also have started to forget that wearing a skirt/dress everyday is not normal. 

Friday! Ran all over Tours doing things! Talked with this girl on the bus and naturally the topic of language came up, apparently there's one textbook/course that a lot of French people have and the first thing you learn to say in English is "Where is Brian?" and the response "He's in the kitchen" so if all else fails you can say "where is Brian?" and people will understand haha. 

Saturday night we went and passed by this lady who we've seen two other times. We gave her a LdM and invited her to read the intro and then when we passed by again she'd read it so we invited her to read 1 Nephi 1. She was hesitant to set an appointment, she has a lot of faith but she wasn't really into the idea of being formally taught so we just left it. We passed by last night to check in and asked her how reading went and she gave us a very precise, detailed summary of Lehi having a vision to leave Jerusalem and Laman and Lemuel complaining but Nephi being righteous and I'm over there thinking "this isn't chapter one, this isn't chapter one how much did she read?!?!" She read to chapter 5!!!! Seriously a miracle. We have never had anyone actually really read and comprehend. She also told us a little more about her life and her faith and she's truly just a remarkable person. She let us fix an actual appointment with her but she still seemed a little hesitant hopefully she'll keep reading! It was a wonderful experience. 

Sunday! I understood a solid 60% of what was going on at church! improvement! 

We're getting super excited for Christmas! Apparently it's a magical season for contacting and I'm excited to get started bringing Christmas cheer to Tours! 

With Soeur Taylor from the Tours Branch
That was pretty much my week. It was a good one! 

Love you all! 
Soeur Hansen


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