First of all I have to start by telling all of you (MOM) that we had a zone conference where they talked about cleaning your apartements, and I was used as an example of a missionary who was really clean. :) Feel free to be slightly proud, i'm one of the cleanest missionaries.

Anywho, enough of how perfect I am. ;)

This week was a good week. It didn't have the most perfect start, but it had a really good ending. Soeur Sorenson was a little sick, so we got to spend some time in the apartement, so I got some time to think, here are my thoughts.

So i usually have a pretty good vision of the things i need to accomplish in my area before the transfer is done. And I knew what I had to do here, but due to a little complication with the Branche I was finding the task really really difficult. Honestly, I started thinking I couldn't do it, which isn't something I often let myself do. Its just I had planned it out and tried, and not succeeded as planned. So I wasn't sure how to proceed, and then comes Zone Conference. Oh the joys of inspired leaders. So we get a new method of doing misisonary work during the Easter season, that I think is going to just work miracles, we are so excited to do it. But also they gave me a direct solution for our problem. And so we got home from Zone Conference that night, and we started doing. We got together with the branche council and we worked it out, we've talked with the members, we've fixed RDVs. I feel a lot better when I have a plan of action to follow.

So we put that into action Friday night, Saturday and Sunday morning. We are making it really clear to the members that we have a plan of action, and that we are making sure that they are all going to be involved in the plan. And what happened Sunday? We got 2 coordonnées from members. Two numbers, where the members have called the person and asked if they could give their number to the missionaries and the person said yes. It was kind of wonderful. And other members have named specific friends that they are going to talk to. It was just a little moment where you see that sun ray piercing through the clouds.

So that was the miracle of my week, it was a precious moment for me. :) Love you all, and I hope you all have a little sun ray through the clouds during your week! 

No big deal, just driving along the countryside and find these super super old ruins of the people who originally lived here, they are decendents from the celts. We also got pictures of us on top of it......I don't know if we just disrespected a grave sight......And yes, Soeur Sorenson is quite a bit taller than me, I know. 

Well its official, somehow I have become a really organized missionary, and the misisonaries that were here before weren't. So basically we have spent a whole lot of time organizing this ville. Like really, creating member books, going through 150 random numbers in the phone (yes, somebody threatened to call the cops on me), and maping out everyone in the ville, its been crazy, but good, so it will be a lot better for future missionaries who come in.

We had a really fun thing happen this week, first I think I should state, in case i forgot last time, did you all know that I can teach men in this ville?! So so so weird.

So to the story, we went over to eat with a member, Mata, she is Tongan and recently active. We are teaching her son william, who is tongan and her husband Ramu, who is French (and he is a rugby player here). So we get there and they had another little family over (by little I mean huge, as you can see from the photo). They are the family Swanepoel, The dad is another rugby player on the same team as Ramu, and the family is from South Africa. And let me tell you, they had the most beautiful accents. Anywho, they have 3 little kids and they are just so cute.

So were sitting there eating and Mata starts talking about how her daughter (who is black) sang 'I am a child of God' for the talent show at the church, and the mama Swanepoel, georgette, was all 'do I know that one?' So we sang it. :) And then starting talking about the church, and it was really cute the questions that they asked. And the member just told about how everything is run, with the primary and everything, and that I can translate if they need help. And the dad Booky was all, 'you know we believe in Christ, but we just haven't found a church here in France, so my wife just does the prayers with our kids each day. It would be really nice to go.' Oh you have to love those golden moments like that. And we invited them to our Easter Egg Hunt activity in April, and they are so excited to come. 

So we found a lovely new family this week. Sometimes I feel like Heavenly Father is like 'i'm just going to throw you a little miracle right now', I don't know that I deserve them, but I sure do love them.

So this a picture with me and the 2 rugby players, Ramu is trying to look tough, but he's really sweet. And Booky, the big curly haired one is just the funniest guy I have ever met. It was a fun night, plus we had BBQ. :) So basically in this lesson we had French, Tongan, South African (white), African (black), and Americans. Only in France.

 

A Beautiful View by the Sea

Well everyone here is the update on St Nazaire, and I think Catherine and Keld your going to love this (because yes, I met all of your family!).

ITS BEAUTIFUL!! No joke, I have never thought during my mission that I could live in France, and then I came to St Nazaire, and then we went to Le Croisic, oh my gosh its amazing. Mom and dad you would LOVE IT! It is the most beautiful place I have ever seen, and then this week we are going to La Baule, and I hear that is also just incredible. Its amazing, I think i'm high on vitamin D. So every morning I get to run next to the ocean, and this morning we ran out to a light house, and we do contacting next to the ocean, and for P day today we just went and sat on the beach. The weather has been incredible. Soeur Sorenson was like 'wow, it rained everyday, and since you've been here its been beautiful', basically i'm a miracle worker with weather. Its just like in Evry, I prayed hard enough and we had no snow. haha

Its a little branch here at St Nazaire, like pretty small, which is a huge change from Evry, which is one of the biggest wards in France. But the members all seem really nice. Luckily i've got a nice 'in' with all the members when I say I know the family Foucher. haha But I think it will be fun to work with all the members.

Soeur Sorenson is adorable. She is from the south and has the strongest accent, its so cute. She's really tall, thin and blond, and used to be a cheerleader. Basically she is the younger version of the mom from The Blind Side. i'm trying to copy her accent, not working so far, but one day....I'm just not destined to have companions from Utah.

The apartement is disgusting, because it belonged to elders until 6 months ago when they put sisters in, and the sisters decided they didn't need to clean it, so i'm getting to buisness on that. Actually its pretty unorganized right now, so that is what a lot of my efforts are going to right now, organizing the ville.

They only have about 2 investigators that they are working with, so its a drastic change from Evry, but that's okay because we will find them. President apparently likes to send me into villes where they don't have a lot of amis, I think its to punish me haha. But they just had St Nazaire re-dedicated by the stake president, so i'm expecting miracles to happen on a daily basis. :)

And I somehow got foolishly called to be a blue card holder, so basically I think i'm going to have a power trip. ;)

That's about it, sincerely, the misisonary who if they weren't speaking French would think she was serving in California.

Well its officially the opposite of Belgium! haha and for Catherine Scott this is really going to mean a lot! haha I'm going to.....
Saint Nazaire!!! Literally right by the ocean, completely opposite direction of Belgium. I get a nice little companion who is all new on the mission (the poor girl gets me).

Its cool, but sad, yesterday was hard saying goodbye to everyone. I got the honor of bearing my testimony twice. In sacrament, and at the beginning of relief society. The 2 elders who are leaving Evry with me weren't very happy because I was the only missionary allowed to give a testimony in Sacrament. I'd feel bad....but I don't.... haha

So my goodbyes are said, pictures are taken, I only cried a little bit, and I plan to return to this ward in October. ;)

Love you all! Have a fun week! I have to go pack.


Sorry, I forgot, here is the address :)

4, rue Pierre Mendés-France

44600 St. Nazaire

Feel free to write me :)