No English in our villa

Sorry about yesterday everyone, but we had an awesome zone conference. :)

So a little bit about becoming a trainer. For those of you who know my geneology on the mission my grandmother is Tongan, my mother is Somoan, so it was no surprise when the day before getting my blue came that I had a dream that I was going to be with a Polynesian....not the best dream because she was sitting on me...but a dream nontheless.

So training day came, we went to our little formation, and the trainers were on one side, the newbies on the other and they had this nice slideshow. The name of the ville with the trainer, the trainer stands up, president talks about the ville, and then they say the name of the blue. So he did all the girls first, but me. And I was like, oh its just like when I was a blue, he saved me for last, its all good. Then he goes through all the elders, and the screen goes black, and President is like 'okay, we've done everyone now, you can all go sit by your blue'. And I just stand right up and i'm like 'NO YOU DIDN'T PRESIDENT!!' And he was like, 'Oh no, Soeur Jackson' turns and looks at the APs 'ELDER DUSSERE YOU FORGOT SOEUR JACKSON?!' And I drastically turn around (yes drastically), ' SERIOUSLY, seriously Elder Dussere, your the one that called me to train!!!!!'

Anywho, I guess it was funny for the other missionaries, and President has made A LOT of jokes out of it, so that's cool. Anywho, I got my companion, by force.
Her name is Soeur Tehoiri, she is Tahitian. :) Polynesian just runs in the family, i'm the oddly white person. So luckily she speaks French, unluckily, she doesn't speak English. So now for language study each day I teach someone English, its weird.

But she's cool, and luckily not 19. There are of course cultural differences that are so random and you don't realize until you live with someone. But the biggest difference is probably speaking in French ALL THE TIME now, and that I have to wear ear plugs at night because she snores like a hybernating brown bear. The first night figuring that out was so much fun. Anywho, so yes, I am a trainer, its weird, but I mean like, its all in the Lords hands. haha

So that is that is the biggest news I can give this week. I will spend my whold mission life surrounded by Polynesians. :) 

I hope everyone is having fun getting ready for Noël!!!! Love you alll!!!!

Soeur Jackson

I think this picture says everything about my week. :) 

Its winter here in France. That means that as missionaries get up to go out you put on your leggings, then your scarfs, next goes hats (yes I had to buy hats, its apparently a rule). Giant coats go on after the hats, and then you put your boots on, but not before you wrap your feet in trash bags so that the water doesn't get through your boots and soak your feet. Then you nicely put on your gloves. After you have all the battle gear you leave your apartement, to do what? BAPTIZE PEOPLE!!!

So like no big deal, but Soeur Obel was baptised!!!!!!!! So so so so awesome! Each companionship in our city had a baptism yesterday. It was so sweet. And totally stressful, and totally awesome.

Soeur Obel has been a long time running to be baptized. It's been a 12 year story, and I don't know why the Lord let me be here for her baptism, because seriously I did nothing, it was all her and the Lord. But it's so awesome. And its so awesome watching someone you love, that you have worked so hard for go under those waters. It was a pretty awesome day.

I just don't have much else to say for the week. I feel like the picture should say everything else to you guys. :) Love you all, keep being awesome.

Sarah.

 

Spreading the gospel at home

...

I'm sorry everyone, but this just isn't going to be an awesome e-mail. One, because we are leaving emails early to run and do something. And two, because nothing is going to beat that I have a new niece!!!!! Really, I just can't beat that thing. I'm super happy and excited, and I just think its wonderful.

The big thing that happened this week was a last minute conference with some general authorities. Because they only had 2 days notice they only invited the missionaries in the Paris zones. So I got to go. :) It was really cool, just giving us advice on missionary work. There was a really really funny video that we had to watch, for an awareness test. I want all you guy to do it. It was hilarious as missionaries watching a not church video. And they had 2 elders do an exercise competition. But what they didn't know was that one of the elders was a Navy Seal, so he blew him out of the water! Literally, he was a machine at the push-ups.

But it was really cool. We got a nice little discussion about the 3 D's of Ammon. Desire, Decision, and Determination. Basically you need those 3 things. :) And if you loose one, you do the other two and until you get the one. It was really interesting. So that was a really fun conference to go to.

They also talked about member and missionary work. And it got me thinking. So me and Soeur Walker are in the process of visitng all the ward and giving them a book of mormon and giving the the challenge to give it to someone before Christmas. It goes in line with the challenge given by Elder Ballard last conference for every member to invite a soul unto Christ before Christmas.

So I thought, if that challenge is good enough for the members here at Evry then why not my family and friend. So hear ye all who are reading this email. This missionary is officially inviting you to prayerfully give a book of mormon to someone before Christmas. (if there are some of you who are in Utah who say you don't have a not mormon friend to give a book of mormon to, start praying to make friends). Seriously though, I know that this could be a great blessing to each of you as each week you pray to recognize who you can give it. And it wont offend someone if you just give it to them in love, and explain how much it means to you. Then it is in there hands. Just as each of you know about the spirit of Elijah and all the blessings and joy that you can get from that, the spirit of missionary work is the same. And as Christ devoted his whole life in missionary work, why not follow his example? And as your Christmas gift unto Christ, place a book of mormon with someone. I know that it can make your Christmas more meaningful. (And don't forget to write you testimony in it!!)

24 Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto ^arepentance; that I might bring them to ^btaste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be ^cborn of God, and be ^dfilled with the Holy Ghost. Alma 36:24

You each have tasted of the joy, and have been born of God and filled with the Holy Ghost, now go labor and bring a soul to Christ!! :)

There you go, you all are engaged. :) And trust me each and everyone of you, I will be emailing you each to follow up. :) 

Love you all!! And I hope that you all have an awesome week! Keep being awesome. :)  

Here is the link: ....I think...I can't actually get to youtube on the church computer to make sure.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahg6qcgoay4

Acting as angels

Okay, so this week was a little hard for a lot of reasons. So by Saturday night we were about done for the night and ready to go home. But were like, 'hey we have 5 minutes left, lets be obedient' So we walked down the street to the Gare looking for someone to contact. Anywho finally we saw a woman, and I screamed 'Woman!' and drastically turned and started walking to her before she could ge away. Anywho so we go up to her, say why were here and that our message can bring hope to her life. And she starts crying. And I was like, wow this must be the best street contact i've ever done, nobody cries. High five Sarah. But no, her boyfriend had just broken up with her. And we were like 'oh no', and she turned to the side and we stood there awkwardly for a minute. And I was like (being me) 'Do you want to talk about it?' Because I mean who wants to sit out in the cold and not talk about it? She didn't answer for a minute, and I was like drats, and then she started talking. And said she was waiting for her sister, and I was like 'Hey! We can wait with you, we were just going to head home, so we've got nothing else' And she said yes, sat and talked for a bit, and I was like 'You know when i'm sad I say a prayer, can we say a prayer?' And she's like "if you want to" So we said a prayer. Her sister came, and we went home. Anywho, we had given her our number, but didn't think much of it because we didn't get hers. But about an hour later we got this text from her (And as I send this email to French speakers I will put the actual writing):

Je tenais a vous remercier. Je prend votre intervention comme un signe. On vous a mis sur ma route au moment ou j en avais le plus besoin. Vous m'etes apparu comme 2 anges tomber du ciel. Vous avez appaiser ma peine. Encore merci. Ludivine. 

For those of you who dont speak French that is one awesome text message. Like seriously. We read it and our mouths fell open. I mean i'm often called an angel ;) But seriously, such a sweet tender mercy from the Lord.

Also really cool thing. We got a new bishop this week, and he is a young guy from Portuguese. He used to be a missionary in Evry, and now he's bishop. Isn't that weird? He's super awesome.

Anywho that's about it. Hope you are all having an awesome week!! Love you all!!

Sarah

Oh my goodness! I totally forgot! haha and I can't believe you forgot about Skype!!!! Its like the shining moment in my life!!

Je tenais a vous remercier. Je prend votre intervention comme un signe. On vous a mis sur ma route au moment ou j en avais le plus besoin. Vous m'etes apparu comme 2 anges tomber du ciel. Vous avez appaiser ma peine. Encore merci. Ludivine. 

She's just saying thank you. And she taking our intervention as a sign. She thinks that we were set in her path in the moment that she had the most need of us. And to her we appeared as 2 angels from heaven. We eased her pain, and again thank you. :)

Baptism Scheduled!

For those of you who read this on Monday, sorry its getting out super late. But its getting out, so that's the bright side!

First thing first, they don't celebrate Halloween here, like at all. Isn't that the saddest thing ever? It was the lamest Halloween of my life. But we had a pretty cool day involving food, because we wanted to feel like it was a holiday. So that was nice. All my pictures from Halloween involve food....and that is why I have gained weight.....

Also we cut my hair. We didn't have a brush, so I stood there and Soeur Walker and Soeur Bernhardt eyed it, and just cut, with childrens scissors because we couldn't find the real ones. It was time. Except for it was a lot of hair. Oh well, it grows I guess.

Also awesome news!!! We have a baptism the 24th of this month!!! WOO HOO!!! She's super awesome. I didn't even have to do anything, she was all ready, and its just awesome. I'll send you guys a picture, I got one with her family (and since they are all very dark skinned I stand out ridiculously). Its super exciting. So keep her in your prayers you guys, Agathe Obel.

And as missionaries (and especially sister misisonaries) we get the honor (and that's not being sarcastic) of getting to work with non-pratiquants. So this one here in Evry, her name is Stephanie, and we just kind of clicked. So she was baptised 7 years ago, and went inactive like 2 months later. She has these 2 adorable little girls now, and one is called Shesha :). Anywho, missionaries have been seeing her FOREVER! But she has never been back to the church, or willing to really have lessons. So I saw her my 2nd week here for the first time, and we got her to say a prayer. And then the next time we watched the Joseph Smith movie and she cried. And then the next time we read some Book of Mormon and we both cried. Then she agreed to come to a family home evening at a members house!! So we did that. And now she has accepted a "church calender", like a baptism calender we give amis, but instead of baptism date, a get to church date. And the date she accepted and prayed about is the 24th of November!! It just will be an awesome day. So keep Stephanie in your prayers!!!

That's about it for the week! Oh, and I went to the Eiffel Tower today :).

Love you all!!! Miss you!!!!

Sarah

Missing Soeur Bernhardt

  

Worst transfer day ever. Soeur Bernhardt is getting moved. She has 3 more weeks to wait for her visa so she's going to another ville with a sister, and then when she leaves there wont be an equipe there anymore. Isn't that so dumb? We are all pretty upset about it. Its kind of setting off the whole p-day. Worst news, we might have called the mission president and asked if it was real, and then when he said yes somebody might have gotten on and told him how she felt about it. But I said it all in French, so maybe he was proud.......

So....I just don't have much to say at this moment, we are all in shock. And me and Soeur Walker are staying here. Its so weird. Its just the icing on the cake for my week.

Another random weird thing. I finally saw a car fire, it was HUGE. They happen quite often here in France.

Also I finally went to a French wedding. The bride was American and the groom French, so there were some Americans at the wedding. And man you could pick them out so easily, they were hilarious. And they were picking at there food like they didn't know what to do with it, and then one came running in 'I found one with just cheese!' It was hilarious. French eat weird sandwiches, but not that weird. And I don't think they appreciated they portions sizes. It was pretty funny.

The bright side to the week is we have this inactive member, Stephanie. She went totally inactive right after her baptism 7 years ago. She says she just got baptised for the missionaries. Anywho, I met her a few weeks ago and we just kind of clicked really well, I just love her. So we taught her a lesson and Soeur Walker said she never prayers. But she prayed at the end of the lesson. And the next lesson I got her reading the book of mormon. And then the next lesson she told us that she believes Joseph Smith was a prophet, and then this week we got her to go the a FHE with a member. It was sweet. To just see her progress little  by little. She says she's still not ready for church, but she told me we can set a goal, and she will work towards going that day. I'm not going to lie, I think she likes me. :) Her two little girls are adorable!! With there curly black hair, and the youngest, her nickname is Shesha. If that isn't a sign I don't know what it. So that was good.

So lots of random stuff this week. Sorry. But I hope you guys all have an awesome week. LOVE YOU!!!! Miss you guys.

And hey, i'm hitting my 7 month mark. Weird right? I know.

So random cool thing. We went this little place by Notre Dame to eat before Sacré Cœur, and to meet up with Sœur MacKay (my MTC comp) so that she could talk, and there were other sister missionaries there. So we got to all eat together, 8 sisters missionaries. It was pretty awesome. We had lots of fun, and the food was pretty awesome. Its like the missionary hangout in Paris, because you can get a panini and crêpe and drink for 5 euros, so its pretty awesome.

This week was pretty good, learning to teach with 3 in an équip is not easy though. So we are still all adjusting, and Sœur Bernhardt is getting up the courage to actually talk. There are actually shy French people, who knew? But we are slowly but steadily getting into synch. Although let me tell you, I already knew French people do things different, but I didn't realize to what extent, man French people are so different from Americans. haha And transfers are next week and we have no idea what will happen since we have Soeur Bernhardt, so it will be interesting to see.

We had some cool experience, and some sad ones this week. One of the awesome ones was I was teaching Nalde. She is one of our amis with a baptism date. She's super awesome.....but she doesn't speak French or English really, so sometimes is hard, we always need a translator. So I was teaching her with a translator, and Soeurs Walker and Bernhardt were somewhere else teaching. Anywho, we got to the end of the lesson and I finished explaining and bore my testimony and invited her to be baptised, AND SHE UNDERSTOOD!!! So awesome. The translator didn't even need to say anything. And Nalde said yes. And we have had tons of lessons where when the spirit is really strong she understands what we are saying without someone translating. Its really really cool you guys. She's super awesome, just having a really hard time right now, but I love her.

So that's my cool story for the week. Keep being strong and awesome, love you guys so much, and miss you.

Sarah.

Changes

 

    0/14/2013  

Its true you guys, sometimes the Lord brings us lower to make us bigger....although I don't know that i'm getting bigger.....at least not physically, which would be really really nice.

Anyways, we got our bleu! Her name is Sœur Bernhardt. She is from France of course, but also (and you will all laugh at this) German. But she's cool, its been interesting. Her mission call is to temple square, but she doesn't want to speak English because she thinks its 'moche', or in other words ugly, pretty funny. So we've been doing A LOT in French. I don't know that I feel like my French is improving, I just feel like my head is going to explode by the end of the day. And its totally weird being in a trio. And just in general living with a French person, sometimes French people are weird you guys, and have no idea what a grilled cheese is, and then your like 'how do you not know?!' And on top of that we had a VERY LONG conversation about Emu's. She didn't believe it was real because the translation wasn't in the dictionary, she thought I was making it up. And we just kept trying to describe it, and she's like 'a black ostrich? (snort) Yeah like a unicorn'. Pretty funny, when we finally got a picture to her she was like 'oh,yeah, i've seen that'.

 

Anywho...what else could have happened this week that I could write home about?....I don't know...maybe that WE ARE GOING TO HAVE 3 BAPTISM DATES!!!! Okay well we are already have 2, and the third one will happen in the next week or so. AWESOME!!! Its kind of super amazing how they each worked out, so i'll have to tell them each another time because it would take a long time, and I don't have that time. One of them will be a bit more difficult to get done then the others, because they might be here illegally (and oddly enough you can't baptise them). But we will see.

We're not emailing a ton today because were going to Paris to see Sacre Cœur. So sorry this is a short one, but I want to spend more time doing personal e-mails today too.

We finally got to hear Elder Ballards talk about missionary work, you all better be doing what he told you to, and share the gospel with someone before Christmas! If not this little missionary will be very dissappointed.

And Haley, its against the rules, but i'm trying to get permission to go to Disneyland so that I can check it out, and see if its Worth it. I'll let you know how that works out. I think eventually i'll break one of the AP's into letting me go. One of them played a prank on me, so he owes me.

Love you all! Have an awesome week. :)

 Snails and frog legs

This week we have enjoyed a lovely conference, as I sat and watched it with 4 elders I couldn't help but pointing out, it was very much directed about how women are pretty awesome....And I loved Thomas Monsons talk, I don't know what session it was for you guys, but it was pretty good. I spent most of the time finding talks to use with non-pratiquants that we have, so I have to go back and re-read them. Plus I wasn't able to watch all of them here, so we still have to see them.

But alas, the wonderfulness of conference was all an illusion, heavenly father gives you some awesome spiritual experience just to prepare you for something horrible. It would appear that the Lord has mistaken me for another missionary, as I specifically asked to never train, or at least wait until the end of my mission. But alas, the president has spoken. She will arrive this Thursday, but shouldn't be here long, she is waiting for a visa, so Evry just gets her for a few weeks. Hopefully I wont have to do the 12 week program again, because that was a rough 12 weeks. Anywho, she's French, which means that it will be French 24/7, so excited... Me and Soeur Walker are pretty bummed out, we really like our companionship and don't want it to change, but unforutunately as a missionary it is always changing. The Elders just think its hilarious. Elder Hall (our district leader who just got done being AP) just laughed, apparently I was on the list to be a trainer, but I told him that Lord isn't that foolish, and then 2 hours after this conversation we got the phone call.

Bright side, we got to go to the Arch de Triomphe today, so you know, thats cool. :) I'll get pictures to you guys.

Also on a French note, I have officially had snails and frog legs. I am very ashamed to say that I actually really liked the snails, I think if you like clams then your going to like well made snails.

A great week in Evry 

Sorry you guys, this will be a short one. I wasn't going to write one today, but Sœur Walker insisted it happened. But this last week in Evry was pretty good for us.

So our mission has a way of porting called Montana way, that we are supposed to do, its like offering to pray for the families. Frankly I hadn't seen it work and neither had my companions, but mission president says to do it, so we were doing it.

Anywho, we had extra time we hadn't planned for, so it was my turn to pick where we go porting. So we got on a bus and I picked a stop as we went, then we walked to a street that I felt good about and knocked on the first door.

It opened, we did Montana way, they let us in. And mom you'll love this. They are Italian, so there is a bit of a language barrier, but we're figuring it out. It was a Young couple, they said we could come back.

So after we taught them we walked down to the next door and knocked. They opened, we did Montana way, they let us in. This time it was a big family. We taught them, and said a prayer, at the end we looked up and the mother way crying. They said we could come back.

In one hour we found 7 new amis. We almost set the record for the week of finding new amis this week. It was really an incredible moment for me. Previously I had received a blessing that said that if I can find all the joy and happiness here in France that I would feel if I was with my family. I felt it.

The members here are really great, they have decided I look like I am from Little House on the Prarie, and have debated if I look like I could be related to Michael Jackson, they say yes because i'm white enough. This week they are making me eat all the French specialties, it was an outrage to them that I hadn't had them yet. So snails and frog legs, and gross stuffed duck bladder here I come.

That's about all I have to write for today. I love you all and miss you. I hope you are all getting ready for General Conference this week. It's pretty exciting over here. And I will tell you all what I am telling all our amis and our inactives. If you listen to general conference will a specific question in mind, you will find your answer.

I love you, I miss you, I pray for you.

Sœur Jackson.

A visit to the Louvre and a first report on Evry

I feel before I say anything else that I should tell each and everyone of you, I just came from the Louvre. No big deal, casual thing. Haha We hit of the Louvre this morning and ate some crepes in Paris. It was sweet!!

Anywho, update on my ville, so I am in Evry. Its big. I thought Mulhouse was big, nope. I don't know how I will ever learn how to get around here and all the buses. But its cool. Its a lot greener than I thought, so that was a pleasant surprise.

My companions name is Soeur Walker. She's pretty cool, she's 23, and only 2 transfers ahead of me. She looks like she would be all quiet and patient, but she's super sassy. Its kind of awesome, i'm enjoying it. Its a lot to take in, a new ville, companion, ward, everything. But evry seems really cool, the ward is really big and they are all really nice, I think we'll get along just fine. They call Evry little Africa, there are a lot of Africans here, its kind of awesome.

Down side to Evry. The old AP is my district leader, its proving to not be the best. I knew after that first night when I had to call him to tell him we were late that it would be bad. But to top that off one of the couselers to President is also in my ward. Before, since I was way out in Mulhouse it didn't really matter, now the president could actually find out. This could be a problem. I mean its not like I go around breaking rules all over the place, and I certainly dont do it on purpose, it just seems to happen a lot with me. But the other sisters in our district are really happy about it, they think it makes them look good. Anywho.

Evry doesn't have a ton of amis right now. I think President is just going to keep sending me to areas where they have no amis, and then right when i get to the point where we have investigators, and even some close to baptism, hes going to move me! So now I have to start finding people again, because they don't have lot, kind of a bummer. Its even more of a bummer, because I am pretty awful at finding new people. Oh well, just keep going I guess.

I miss Mulhouse, and the members. I miss Soeur Casy. My last day in Mulhouse we went and said goodbye to her, so I could give her a picture of us and a letter. And she was like, well since your leaving its time I showed you this. And she had sitting in acorner a big photo album and a case of paintings. She's an artist!! Didn't even tell me. But she showed me her paintings from her fathers garden, so pretty. And then a photo album that she was very proud of, it was a service project she did for 2 years. It was so cute, man i'll miss that lady.

Miracle of Sarahs week. So Sunday night we had set contacting goals upon going out, and we were coming in for the night and hadn't hit our goals, mine was to get someones number. And I rarely set goals like this, unless I feel the need to. So we were sitting there waiting for a bus, and getting down that we didn't get our goal. It was a little past curfew so i had the phone out to call Elder Hall, and these people came up to the stop and started talking to us! And I stood right up, I was like, I would be the biggest idiot not to take this opportunity. and BAM, right as our bus to go home came up I got the number. It was pretty awesome, I just kept saying thank you in my head on the way home.

I can testify to you guys that setting goals, then taking them to the Lord will enable him to work miracles in your life. 

Love you all!! Miss you! Have an awesome week.

Soeur Jackson

On to Paris (or Evry)

That's so weird. Here it is again:

Well many important things went down this week. For those of you who weren't aware we had some apostles in France this week, now why you ask did we have some apostles in France? Well let me tell you, because they started the fondation of the temple!!!! AH!!!! I can't even tell you guys the reaction of the members here in France, what a big thing this is to them. Its amazing. And you can feel the spirit of the temple, and it's not even built yet!! France is catching fire!! WOOHOO!!

We had a good week, our zone did a prayer and fast thing this week with the apostles and temple, and it was awesome. We had a rendez-vous with an ami of ours who is an older woman, I love her. And we had asked her to do some reading, we started the lesson and she pulled out a paper with notes of every verse that she read, what she thought, questions. It was the most adorable thing. I couldn't help it, I reached over, grabbed her and said, I am very very happy right now because of you. She thought it was hilarious. I think I was glowing for the rest of the lesson. And we did a baptism invite, she said she will pray and if she gets an answer she will be baptized. I think that Sr. Hafen will get her baptized by the end of next transfer. Of course I wont be here for it, but that doesn't really matter in the end. Spirit of the temple you guys, spirit of the temple here in france!!!!

It is official, I will be leaving Mulhouse. It kind of breaks my heart, I spent the last few days saying goodbyes to everyone. Its hard leaving a place that has become home and you love people here. But if I decide to come back I have MANY houses to stay at, that's always nice. And several have invited the family to come stay. But I am being sent to Evry, its just right outside Paris, but its in the Paris zone. Its the smallest apartment in the mission, that will be interesting. But it will be cool....hopefully.... It's weird leaving. I love Mulhouse, and I love the people here. Plus I feel like i've learned a ton here. Everything in my life that I said I hated, or that I would never do, the Lord has had me do here in Mulhouse. But he has had me do it in a way that I volunteered happily for it. And I have loved it. But alas, the Lord has called me somewhere else.

Oh and family I sent a package off to you guys, it should get there in like 2 weeks. I hope it all gets there safely and you like it!!! Love you and miss you!!!


Well I just realized I forgot to put my address in the last one... awkward... here it is!!!

11, allee Boissy d'Anglas

91000 Evry
FRANCE

Also I almost forgot to tell you guys!! I am in the Liahona. Well the French pages...so you'll never see it. But all the members got it before us and were telling us about it, I was so worried. Not the best picture. Its my first day here in Paris, but it's all good. Apparently from the picture and the way I am all the members think I will get married RIGHT when I get home. That is what everyones parting messing for me was. Advice on being a mother, and to send them an invitation, because I look like someone who will get married right away. Weird French people.

Anywho, there you go. :)

Non-Practicing

I'm sorry that I don't have too much to report on this week. I ended up pretty sick and we had to cancel many appointments. It was really hard on my companion to be sitting home, while I just laid around.

But it was still a fun week. I learned A LOT about the Alsacian people this week. It was very interesting. It would have been a lot nicer to know it all the first few weeks here instead of the last. But what can you do?

We had a nice little miracle. An ami that has been meeting missionaries on and off for 6 years, and I have been teaching her for 4 months, came to church! This is the 2nd time she has come. And she did a family home evening with some members, it's kind of awesome. You can slowly see her changing, and she says that if she keeps coming to church it will become a habit and become easier and easier. Its really great because she has been unwilling to keep any of the commitments that missionaries give her, but we gave her a nice accountability lesson, and she showed up at church! haha That was probably one of the highlights of my week.

We spent a lot of time with the old non-praticing's this week too, who are just not able to come to church because they are so sick. They are so grateful to see the missionaries, and so touched by our spiritual messages. They have incredible testimonies of faith after all that they have been through. And they are in some amazing trails but stay true to the faith, and are just unable to attend church. It may not be baptisms, but some of my best moments on the mission has been with these old people, they are incredibly strong, and deserve to be supported just as much as the person on the street.

One of them, Sr. Casy, I know i've talked about her, but I believe she is just so amazing. We were sharing a talk from conference, it's one that mom loves, the beautiful morning talk, given by a 70. We talked about how we have some super hard challenges but have to be positive. And for the first time I heard her say something not very positive. She said that she didn't understand why she was in a wheelchair and not able to move (she is in a wheelchair in a VERY high apartment building with stairs, and is unable to leave it, she's on the 6th floor, so once a week someone comes and does her grocery shopping). She said that you read about all these miracles in the bible, why don't they still happen? That she would love to be able to walk. But that she will die in that apartment, alone. I might have gotten a little teary eyed, and had no idea what to say. What do you tell to that person? I have no idea how she feels. But lucky we had our little conference talk in our hands and could read to her:

"Trials may come, and we may not understand everything that happens to us or around us. But if we humbly, quietly trust in the Lord, He will give us strength and guidance in every challenge we face. Even in a darkening world, we as Latter-day Saints may sing with joy, knowing that the powers of heaven are with God’s Church and people. We may rejoice in the knowledge that a beautiful morning lies ahead—the dawn of the millennial day, when the Son of God shall rise in the East and reign again on the earth."

Then the words seemed to fall into place after that. We testified the best we could that God had saved her to come forth at this time because he knew that she was strong enough for these challenges. And said that she can't even image what he has waiting for her on the other side. It was one of my favorite lessons honestly. And I think that's true for a lot of people in the world. They don't know why Heavenly Father gave them challenges, and sometimes we never find out. But if we are trusting in the Lord he is going to calm us, and if we endure to the end, how great shall be our reward. (as a missionary this is something we tell ourselves often, although instead of a grand house, the reward is seeing your family :).) I love these people here, they will be really hard to leave.

So there is a story from Sarah's week, enjoy. :)

I hope everyone has a good week!! Love you all!!! Miss you like crazy.

Sr. Jackson.

Exchanges in Paris

This week I got to go do exchanges in Paris with Sr. Pulupuna!!! Seriously she is one of my most favorite missionaries. She's just one of the best. This is her last transfer and then she returns home. She is also my grandmother on the mission, it's awesome, I have the best mission heritage ever. She's been in some pictures that I have sent home, she's the Tongan. :) But it was super awesome. I can officially say that I never want to serve in Paris, and never again do I want to go Grocery Shopping in Paris. But It was really good to spend this last time with her before she leaves, get some awesome advice. Sr. Pulupuna is just the kind of missionary I want to be, all of her actions are out of true love for every person, she is always serving, and she just loves everyone! I love it, if I turn out like her I will be content with myself.

Another note, our mission had a goal, that by the 12th of September (because an apostle was supposed to come) To have 100 baptisms. That goal was made 3 months ago, and the mission just reached it!!! Woo-hoo France Paris mission!!! haha The Apostle is still coming, but not to talk to the missionaries anymore, he is coming to rearrange stake boundaries. Which also means that the mission boundaries with be changing, this will be interesting. But it is really cool too, here's part of what is going down. So on the 15th of September they will create a 3rd stake in Paris and integrate the Lorient district to a stake located in Rennes. France will literally be convered by stakes as it was prophised by President Kimball in 1976. It's kind of amazing.

I found something i'm sending you guys for Christmas that you will love!!! I just have to figure out how to actually get it...It's a bit difficult. haha But all is good!! France is progressing at a nice little pace, and it will be totally ready for that temple!! 

Hope you are all doing well!!! LOVE YOU!!!

Sr. Jackson.

 August 26th 2013

Okay well this week has been a bit all over the place, since we had to travel to go get interviews done. And this next week will be the same way, we go do exchanges in Paris with my favorite person in the whole world! My grandma!! I'm so excited.

Anywho, the story I wanted to share with you guys today is more for mom and Colleen. It is about a woman in our ward who is termed a non-practicing. She is very old, and sick, and in a wheelchair. Her name is Sr. Casy. She has not been able to attend church for many years because of her illness, although she is still a firm believer.

Sr. Casy found the missionaries when she was a teenager right after WWII, Mulhouse had just been given back to France. She met the missionaries and decided to be baptized. Soon after she was baptized, the Elder who baptized her (whom she had a bit of a crush on) and some other missionaries, mostly in Belgium decided that they should be doing Polygamy. (I don't know if you guys have heard about this). So all these Elders were excommunicated from the church. When this happened Sr. Casy got A LOT of pressure from her family to disjoin the church. Even with all that opposition she said strong in the church. Agreed that those men were wrong, but she kept going. After that happened there were only a handful of people who went to church in branch that she attend. Yet still she always went.

Now many many years later, two missionaries are talking to this older woman, the louder one (because Sr. Casy is kind of deaf), asked if there was anything that the missionaries can do to help her. She is completely alone in the world at this point, no children. And what does she say?

"Yes. I have a sister in the ward who I am her visiting teacher. I used to e-mail her a message every month, but then her computer broke, and now I write her a message every month. This woman is becoming inactive, and I am the only member she is in contact with".

She didn't ask us to do anything for her, just to go find this woman she visit teaches. I can't think of a better visiting teacher. I think if Sr. Casy can continue to do her visiting teaching after everything then the sisters in our ward can. I find Sr. Casy so incredible, she is an incredible pioneer and she will never have an epic movie done about her, but more people need to learn from her example.

Sorry that was long. Just one other random thing. So the ward had a picnic the other day with the ward. And they played this game where they describe a territory of France that a cheese in named after, and people guess the territory, and then there is a song for each one!! It was awesome. All the old people new all the little songs, and one old man got up and waltzed to one. It was sweet.

Anywho. Love you all lots and lots!!! Keep going strong!

Soeur Jackson.

Well this has been a crazy week. Like really, both me and Sr. Hafen on Sunday night sat back and were like "We just got tons and tons of miracles". So great.

We found people, like lots of people, it was just really great. So there are a lot of stories that I could tell, i'm not sure which one to choose.

Okay, so the one that really hit me home was a member called us and he had a friend who wanted to me with us. Her name was Sr. Stehlie and she had met the missionaries 10 years ago and wasn't interested, but now she is. Which was a miracle that someone was looking for us and not the other way around. So we got a RDV with her at the church, and we gave her a tour and then had a lesson in the chapel with Fr. Foucher. And it was really great, she was just this cute old lady whose husband has died. And when she found out about relief society she wanted to know if they would let her in. It was adorable. And the icing on the cake, during the lesson I asked a question, and her reply (but in French of course) "I don't know, but I do know that I feel less sad". Huge smile from this little missionary, that's the spirit for you. It is really wonderful when you get to see someone feeling and recognizing the spirit for the first time. You could tell it was hitting her.

Another one. We were contacting in this neighborhood and were talking to a lady who wasn't interested but let us come and drink some water, she mentioned she worked for Huntsman, and I was like 'oh we have members that work there, do you know them?' And she said yes, and then she was like ' you have some members that live just down the street'. So when we left we went out on a voyage to find these members that I have not yet visited. So i'm creepy walking down the street reading everyone's mailbox names and I hear a ' who are you looking for?' Turn around and it was Fr. Storti. Hilarious. I looked like a creeper, and of course my companion didn't know who he was yet. Anywho so he invites us in and we walk in and his wife is like "we are making crepes and you can eat with us, but first you have to go to the man across the street and talk to him. We have invited him to church, and we have been hoping you guys would come' so we were like okay. Walked right out the door and went and talked to the man. And man, he was ready. He even asked the question 'how do you know which church is true'. Seriously. I didn't think anybody asked that question. And he said that his wife is really closed, but that they had dinner with the Storti's and after that his wife became interested. It was AWESOME!!!

AND the cherry on top of the cake, a woman who has been taking lessons from the Missionaries for 6 years and never come to church, came!! So sweet you guys.

Sorry this was quickly written, I didn't want to run out of time. But there are just a few of the miracles that went down in Mulhouse this past week!! Awesome week.

Love you all!! Keep going strong!! Obedience brings miracles!

Love, Soeur Jackson!