Lyon 8:3 It was really hard to remember what week I was on...

This week was interesting, we discovered on if the funniest church

videos I have ever seen. "Joseph the man" it's on the church history

set of 3 dvd's. "These are the hands that touched the hands that

touched the hands..." It's really funny, look for it, watch it, you

won't be disappointed :)

So the reason we discovered the video is because Soeur Castagno has

been sick and so we had some days and afternoons in the apartment. It

was good though because I got to serve her which is my favourite!! So

we watched some movies, I read some things, she got some rest and has

been doing better.

So, here is a little miracle for this week. Our engagé Jean Luc is so

cool! We had a lesson with him and our dmp (ward mission leader) and

we taught about the temple and how the temple is a blessing through

the story of Lehi's vision in the Book of Mormon, it went really well

and it was cool because our dmp, frère Girard, said, after we told him

the subject that it was perfect because he brought a little picture of

the temple to give to him! The lesson went well and at the end we

talked about how Lehi wanted his whole family to be able to have all

the joy that he had from the fruit, and we talked about genealogy and

being able to do baptisms for the dead for his ancestors who did not

have the chance to learn of Christ and follow him. He was wonderfully

shocked! He couldn't believe it, he was so happy, and I swear he was

tearing up, it was awesome! There was a baptism the next day in

another ward and he came and he loved it! And so here's another cool

thing, so after the program was finished the stake president said a

few words and guess what story he told!! Yes! Lehi's vision! It was

super cool! Before he started talking he said, "now I'm going to talk

about a story you all know" and I thought, nope, not Jean Luc, and

then he started talking Lehi's vision and I thought, YES!!!! He knows

this!!! After we talked to him and he said that he was super excited

because he knew the story, and then he said, "that's how I know I'm

making the right choice, God is leading." It was super awesome, and so

many people talked to him and he's friends with other missionaries. It

was sweet! Also, he brought a friend to church on Sunday! We weren't

there, sick, but still, super cool!

Okay, here's a funny story. So we planned a surprise for the office

senior couples. We decided to decorate the office all Christmassy as a

surprise; we were hoping to bring a little more holiday cheer into the

office. So Saturday after the baptism we go with the other sisters to

decorate. We had gotten keys to the office and snuck in. About 15

minutes in guess what happened. The door started to get unlocked!! I

see Soeur Castagno run the other way, so I dive under a desk,

literally dive and almost pull my skirt off because it isn't easy to

dive in a skirt,  but while we are doing this, no one came in, the

door opened but no one came in so the other sisters didn't notice and

we're really confused, "sister Christensen why are you under a

desk??!!" And then 2 seconds later she realizes and says, "oh is some

one here??" And then they dive under with me right before we hear

voices... But don't worry, it was only the assistants! They were a

little less surprised than we expected, you know, seeing 3 sisters

crawl out from under a desk... But it was funny. So we continue

decorating, it's looking good, when guess what sound we heard again.!

Yes, once again the door opens, we dive again under the desks, my

skirt almost gets pulled off again! And this time the sweeneys walked

in :( obviously they knew something was up, we were almost done

everything. And then he sees the other soeurs... "Les soeurs se

cachent." It was funny. And still fun even though it wasn't a perfect

surprise.

Also, we went out for dinner with president and sister brown!!! I love

them, we have a picture but I need sister brown to email it to me. We

went to the 'hippopotamus', president and me and my comp got fish. It

was really really good:)

Oh and we sang at the baptism...

Lyon 8:2

So another week. What have I done? Hmmmmm... My brain has stopped

working and I can't think of anything. Probably because white washing

is hard and we still have no idea about anything here, and he have a

list of errands that we have to do that just keeps getting bigger, so

kind of not a lot has happened. But, still we've seen some super cool

things. Let me start off with Jean-luc. So basically he is the coolest

person ever, our zone leaders contacted a friend of his and Jean Luc

came to the rdv. He ended up being super interested and came to the

thanksgiving activity we did. He came to church with us the next day

and loved the Amis class lesson on obedience, and it just so happened

that it was the fifth Sunday, so we had a combined relief society

priesthood lesson. Guess what is was on... Becoming spiritually self

reliant. I'm pretty sure he started falling asleep and the whole time

all we could think of was, why today, he probably is hating this and

doesn't even think we are a church because all we are doing is talking

about some weird booklet that the church made to help everyone become

"autonome" but when the lesson finished and we were all going to leave

Jean Luc leans over and says, can I have one of those booklets and he

ended up loving it! So he came again this last week and it just so

happens that he lives in our sector so we get to teach him and he is

so cool. The elders fixed a baptismal date and as we were doing a

lesson we asked about it, and we asked if he had prayed about Joseph

smith and the Book of Mormon, and he said almost like I was stupid for

asking that he had and that was why he was there, he knows it is true.

So cool. So that's awesome and we are super excited.

So another week. What have I done? Hmmmmm... My brain has stopped

working and I can't think of anything. Probably because white washing

is hard and we still have no idea about anything here, and he have a

list of errands that we have to do that just keeps getting bigger, so

kind of not a lot has happened. But, still we've seen some super cool

things. Let me start off with Jean-luc. So basically he is the coolest

person ever, our zone leaders contacted a friend of his and Jean Luc

came to the rdv. He ended up being super interested and came to the

thanksgiving activity we did. He came to church with us the next day

and loved the Amis class lesson on obedience, and it just so happened

that it was the fifth Sunday, so we had a combined relief society

priesthood lesson. Guess what is was on... Becoming spiritually self

reliant. I'm pretty sure he started falling asleep and the whole time

all we could think of was, why today, he probably is hating this and

doesn't even think we are a church because all we are doing is talking

about some weird booklet that the church made to help everyone become

"autonome" but when the lesson finished and we were all going to leave

Jean Luc leans over and says, can I have one of those booklets and he

ended up loving it! So he came again this last week and it just so

happens that he lives in our sector so we get to teach him and he is

so cool. The elders fixed a baptismal date and as we were doing a

lesson we asked about it, and we asked if he had prayed about Joseph

smith and the Book of Mormon, and he said almost like I was stupid for

asking that he had and that was why he was there, he knows it is true.

So cool. So that's awesome and we are super excited.

That's the coolest greatest thing of the week, but also this week we

did some service! It was so fun! So Sister Brown wants videos of all

the missionaries doing a service activity, and so we had planned a

free hot chocolate Christmas thing. And it actually went really well.

The beginning was rough, really really rough. We thought it would be

cute to sing carols and hand out hot chocolate and show people the new

Christmas video, so we all are standing ready, we start singing, and

it was so so so horrible. It was probably the most awkward thing to

happen so far on my mission. Basically no one stopped and we didn't

even finish the song because we all started laughing because it was

just that bad. So we remade the game plan, and started just contacting

people like normal and giving out hot chocolate and that worked really

well, and we were able to talk to a lot of people. And it made us all

happy :) then for a second service thing we did, the recent convert

here, moved to the Czech Republic a week after his confirmation, and

his wife stayed here to continue studying. So since they were both

waaaay to busy to see us getting everything ready, we decided to make

them dinner, we did a lasagna and salad and a little dessert. And then

 the sweeney's took us over. But basically that was such a miracle too

because we could not get a hold of yilbert all day, neither could the

sweeney's and so we just went hoping he would be there with his wife

who we haven't met yet, and while we were stopped at a red light Soeur

Sweeney looks over and says, look, it's yilbert! He was on a bike

stopped right next to the car! So we pulled over were able to talk and

he said he was going to pick up his wife from school and then would

meet us at their house. So we were able to see them, his wife is so

cute and she told us how sad she was he was leaving and she said when

she finishes exams she will have us over :) so that was great.

That's the coolest greatest thing of the week, but also this week we

did some service! It was so fun! So Sister Brown wants videos of all

the missionaries doing a service activity, and so we had planned a

free hot chocolate Christmas thing. And it actually went really well.

The beginning was rough, really really rough. We thought it would be

cute to sing carols and hand out hot chocolate and show people the new

Christmas video, so we all are standing ready, we start singing, and

it was so so so horrible. It was probably the most awkward thing to

happen so far on my mission. Basically no one stopped and we didn't

even finish the song because we all started laughing because it was

just that bad. So we remade the game plan, and started just contacting

people like normal and giving out hot chocolate and that worked really

well, and we were able to talk to a lot of people. And it made us all

happy :) then for a second service thing we did, the recent convert

here, moved to the Czech Republic a week after his confirmation, and

his wife stayed here to continue studying. So since they were both

waaaay to busy to see us getting everything ready, we decided to make

them dinner, we did a lasagna and salad and a little dessert. And then

 the sweeney's took us over. But basically that was such a miracle too

because we could not get a hold of yilbert all day, neither could the

sweeney's and so we just went hoping he would be there with his wife

who we haven't met yet, and while we were stopped at a red light Soeur

Sweeney looks over and says, look, it's yilbert! He was on a bike

stopped right next to the car! So we pulled over were able to talk and

he said he was going to pick up his wife from school and then would

meet us at their house. So we were able to see them, his wife is so

cute and she told us how sad she was he was leaving and she said when

she finishes exams she will have us over :) so that was great.

(no subject)

Went out for lunch with the other sister :) soooo good and so fun. I

love Lyon :)

So this week not a ton happened, we did a thanksgiving dinner with

other missionaries and Amis. And I have no more time but I love you

all.

I got the letters from auntie Wendy. And thank you!

I love you all!

Poitiers 7:6

So, got calls and guess what, I'm now serving in Lyon!! I'm an stl
with Soeur Castagno!!!!!!!!! I love her and I'm really excited because
our apartment is where all the new missionaries come and stay when
they first get in, and all the sisters that are finishing their
missions come to our apartment too, so its a busy place. But I'm
excited to be in Lyon for Christmas :)

So this week Zoé or Ying Zhou got baptised!! It was so so so
beautiful. Not many members could come, but there were enough and it
was the best day of my life!! She was so nervous but so excited and
she had written out her testimony and got some help from elder Leon
(Chinese) but when she went up to do it she said she didn't even use
it, she just spoke from her heart and I just cried and she was crying
and the spirt was so strong. In her testimony she said that growing up
in China she would see the Buddhists who were very hypocritical and
not actually very good people, so she never liked religion and she
never cared about going. But then she moved to France, and school was
hard and French was hard, so school was even harder and she just was
not happy. Nothing made her happy, and then one day her neighbour
invited her to a church activity, and she came, and then she came to
church and then she said she couldn't wait to come back because for
the first time since moving to France she felt happy. And so we taught
her and she learned how to pray and started reading the scriptures
etc. She said how honoured she feels to be able to follow God and
Jesus Christ. She said how when she thinks about her future she isn't
worried anymore and the hard things, she can just let them go because
she know God will help her. Ahhh, she is so cute. The one hitch was
that the water was cold... No idea why, and so she was actually almost
shaking of cold, but then when she came out of the water she
immediately cried out, "je me sens bien!" It was cute! In the car on
the way home she said how good she felt and she kept touching her
heart because she had no other way of expressing her feelings.

Saying good bye was really hard. But it's okay because her and
Anastasia said I can go to China after the mission, or they will come
to Canada, so it's okay.

So that was the big thing from this week. Seriously, so cool.

So leaving Poitiers, I didn't do any packing until Sunday... Because
we had the baptism and church was busy and all these things, so I
basically just prayed and prayed and some how I was able to get the
suitcases closed. There was a slight panic at the end when I opened
the drier and saw my clothes in it, but it was okay because there
wasn't that much and I was able to stuff it all in my carry on bag
thing. It was weird leaving because I was the only sister traveling
with a big group of elders and then, just me and an elder ended up on
the train together. So that was weird, but the voyage was good, no
problems, so it was nice, just long.

So ya, crazy stuff, I'm kind of nervous to be in such a big city, and
not really knowing what I'm doing... But it's okay. :) like one of our
Amis told me, Christ is my compass, so I'll never get lost."

I love you all, this week feels likes it's going to be pretty crazy :)

Love you!!

Envoyé de mon iPad

Poitiers 7:5 The end is coming in Poitiers!!! Maybe!

So, lots happened this week. As usual. So one of the things was that

as a mission we wanted to have 200 Amis at church, so double what we

had last week. It would round to about 2 Amis at church per missionary

Equipe. And.... We succeeded!!!!

Except Poitiers choked. We planned on having about ten Amis there, 5

is a normal and they are all solid, and then we had met new people who

said they would 100% come, and we called the, and saw them through out

the week and on Saturday night everyone was confirmed to come. And

guess what happened Sunday. Everyone was sick. Our 5 solid there every

week were super sick, or their kids were (I think a bug is going

around, a little girl threw up during the sacrament prayers, my eyes

were closed and all of a sudden I hear just wrenching and then

splashing... It was gross, there's a first time for every thing

though!) but Sunday was awesome none the less. Our one ami Nathalie

came, she lives in California most of the time, but she is half French

so she is often on France and her family has a home here (the most

beautiful home ever)! And she really liked it I think. We did the

lesson for gospel principles. It was supposed to be about how we are a

covenant people. But I didn't really like the manual, and so we

focused of what that means to have the Lord's promise of rest when we

take his yoke upon us, and how taking his yoke upon us is done through

making sacred covenants, it was awesome!! We started off with the

video about "dayton's legs" where the guy does a triathlon pulling the

whole time his friend with cerebral palsy. And then right after we did

the one called lifting your burdens. And we made the connection of how

much we need to be connected to Christ. There were 2 less actives

there that I had never met before, and it was awesome because everyone

participated, even Nathalie, sharing experiences where the Lord

strengthened us and how important our covenants are. The spirit was so

strong and when class ended and the relief society started coming in

one Soeur said, "oh la la, l'esprit est fort, on le ressent " it was

cool. And the relief society lesson was about missionary work and a

big part of it was focused on the Book of Mormon, and at the end

Nathalie said to us, "we'll I guess I really do need to read the Book

of Mormon." Yes!!!!! One other thing, Nathalie is as sensitive as me

and so the whole lesson she was crying, I was crying, and we would

just look at each other and laugh because we just couldn't handle it.

Haha. Kindred spirits. :)

And I bet you are all wondering about the attacks in Paris. So

basically, our mission president alerted us all and told us to stay in

our apartments due to the attacks in Paris. At 8 that was lifted and

we were able to leave, but we needed to be weary of public transport

and large crowds etc. So basically here in Poitiers all was fine, in

centre ville people put out candles and posters of names, because we

are actually only and hour and some outside of Paris. But anyways,

nothing really changed for us, but I know in some of the bigger cities

in our mission (Bordeaux) they have a 6 o clock curfew and metros and

trains are banned. But nothing here at least so far. Something

president had us do though was call everyone we had a number for and

invite them to church. It was cool because most of the people we

talked to were really thankful, some were weird, but the majority were

thankful for the call, even if they didn't want to come. We called one

of the recent converts that we had never met from a few years ago and

she came, and it was cool because she just barely moved back to

Poitiers maybe a week ago, and then we called and invited her to

church. It seemed like a little too perfect of timing.. :)

Zoé our one Chinese ami is getting baptised this coming week!!! I'm so

excited! She was so so so prepared! The Chinese elder in Limoges did

another lesson with them through Skype and he said that every question

about the gospel that they asked she just crushed and even though her

understanding isn't perfect she has the strongest desire to be

baptized! Nothing is getting in the way, the other day we texted her

to see how she was doing, she told us that everyone else was out

skating, but that she preferred to stay in and read the Book of

Mormon! She is so awesome!

Also this week, it was elder Leon's birthday the same day as district

meeting and he requested poutine... So that's what we had. It was

pretty good, but I don't know if eating it made me want it more or

less. I was satisfied because it was poutine but then not satisfied

because I just wanted the real deal even more.

Poitiers 7:4

So like every week this week flew by! I couldn't believe it!

This week we had an exchange, I was with Soeur Whatcott here in

Poitiers and Soeur Tauira went to Bayonne with my old companion Soeur

Staples! We all met up in Bordeaux and then switched, but there was a

big mix up with our tickets. Basically both our tickets leaving

Bordeaux left before we even got into Bordeaux... We realized this no

more than the evening before we had to leave. So we called the office

quickly, and they cancelled out tickets and sent new ones, the only

problem as that our new tickets went to La Rochelle which isn't in our

mission! So we called again and we had to be fast because we had a

lesson to go to, and so we got those tickets cancelled, only to learn

that the only train we could take, that would stay in the mission

boundaries and get us to Bordeaux on time was at noon, instead of

around 4. So then we had to cancel our rdvs for the next day :( and we

spent from noon till 3:30 in trains going all through the country, it

was really pretty, but frustrating at the same time.

The exchange was really good though.

Also this week, the Chinese elders were able to do a Skype lesson with

one of our Chinese amis Zoé, after the lesson the texted us and said

"your girl is so ready, I've never seen a Chinese ami with that much

faith!" Apparently she cried because she wants to get baptized so

badly, and knows that she doesn't understand everything. Ah, it made

me almost cry with joy, to know that it isn't just me that knows how

ready she is. So basically she is super ready, we just have to finish

the lessons. Her friend the other Chinese ami Anastasia isn't quite as

ready, she wants to but she needs to understand more, and her family

isn't very supportive, so she needs a bit more time, but as we talked

she still said that she wants to get baptized! So cool!!! I love

them!!

And our other ami, Aurech, right now he is searching for a witness of

the restoration, he understands everything, and is ready to take the

step and be baptized, he just doesn't yet have that sure witness of

the restoration. But he wants to, so during our lesson with him, he

says, "can't I fast about this?" !!! It was awesome, we all said we

would fast together on Saturday to sunday. And so, I'll keep you

updated on that :)

So basically, Poitiers is awesome, we are still seeing so many

miracles and the family I talked about last week, the son of a member,

they came again and we were able to have a family home evening with

them :) the kids are so cute, each one said a prayer. It was adorable.

I love them!

This week we met a guy named Philippe, he is super cool! We were on

the bus and he said next to my companion, and I was facing them a few

seats away, he looked really nice, and when we met eyes he smiled and

I thought, ah my companion needs to talk to him, he seems really nice

and open, and then 2 seconds later they started talking, and one thing

led to another, he took our card and said he would (normally they

don't), we had a lesson and then after the lesson we checked the

phone, missed call! It was him! We fixed a rdv for the next day. And

then during the rdv he talked and talked and talked about how the

family is so important to him but how family values are lost in the

world right now, and then he talked about the Holy Ghost and how

important that is, and he asked us all these questions! It was really

cool. And at the end he said, well we are going to have to have a lot

more rdv s because there's so much more I need to know. Basically he

seems to live all the commandments all ready and he has great faith in

God and Christ! Super cool!

So good things continue to happen. One day we woke up and we could see

absolutely nothing out of our window it was that foggy. And at zone

conference president brown brought his bow and arrow, he is a big

hunter, and shot at some pop bottles. The theme was take the shot, be

bold, don't miss the chance. It was cool. I love president and sister

brown!

Thank you for prayers, thoughts, everything! I love you all!

Love sis Christensen :)