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. :)