April 12, 2010

This week was a good week but really weird. We have a schedule down and we see our amis Tuesdays and Thursdays. Well most of them. just because that is when they are free. And this wee we had the Soeurs Conference Thursday so we didnt get to see al of them like we wanted to. THey are doing well. Thierry is continuing to really progess. When we saw him this week he said that he smokes half a pack a cigerettes a day now instead of a whole pack. And he doenst drink coffee anymore! it was interesting because since he has been coming to church every week he has really been keeping his commitments and progressing. I love Cathy! she is so open and is progressing as well. SHe understands and loves the gospel. We need to get her to come to church. I think that is what will make the difference. there was a Baptism of a Sister from the branch of St. RApheal this weekend. They have to come to Cannes because they dont have a font in their building. It was such a neat baptism. Our ami Madame Chapuis came and really liked it.As we were talking after we finally figured out why she isnt progressing . she has stopped praying and reading the scriptures. It is interesting when you think about it. when we stop praying and reading we stop progressing in our lives. I understand more and more why it is important for our amis to keep doing it too. The spirit really is there so much more and helps us in our lives when we are doing these things. It was so good to have a Soeur Conference! It really was a fun day. I was so excited to see all of the Soeurs especailly SR. Brunt. The theme of the conference was becoming our best selfs. Sr. CArter talked to us aobut the 2 extremes that we find in the world. One being the extreme of fiting th mold of the world and having the right size, clothes and personality. Then the other side of the being the perfect mormons. She went on to talk about the two extremes arent good. that Heavenly Father has created us each differently and we need to be happy in our own skin. Then she went onto talk about how we need to set goals to be progressing and doing the best taht we can but not be too hard on ourselves. we have weaknesses and they are to help us to grow. We should set goals and standards for our own progression not according to the progression of others. I just love Sr. CAter. As part of the being our best self, we made all sorts of differnt salads for lunch! She talked about eating right and exercising. to end the afternoon we did some Yoga! The day was so much fun and just relaxing. WE had fun talking and laughing. To be honest it was kind of like we werent missionaries anymore just friends.

Picnic in France

We got to go with the Ward last week on a picnic. We went up to this little village in the mountains about an hour from Cannes. It was beautiful!!!! We played games and ate. I think the best part was not doing anything and just being able to visit with the members.
Jen in Gourdon where the picnic was held.

Jen in Grasse with the view behind

It is funny for the picnic you have all sorts of things but mostly sandwiches. But they are good sandwiches on baguettes!!! I love them. but then you have a lot of people that bring like salads or cold pizza. they eat a lot of cold pizza here. also they make lots of tarts/keishes. I will have to make one for you when I get home. As for the games they playes soccer, badminton, and this other cherades game.

April 6, 2010

I think that all week that is what we talked about with our amis and with people that we met on the street. I loved being able to talk about Jesus Christ. To think about his life and all that he did for us. The spirit was so strong as we had the opportunity to testify to our amis that he lives. I think one of the coolest things was Sunday. Our Amis Thierry came right as the first session ended. We had the 2 hours in between to talk. I undestand a lot more about him and what he thinks about the church. He was talking with Brother Simon and told him all the things that had really suprised him as he has been being taught. He was raised Catholic so he knows the basics about CHrist but when he learned that Christ is still living he said that he was shocked. Then for him to know that we have a prophet on the earth he was suprised as well. We really did have an intersting discussion. He loved conference too! Earlier in the week we seen him and he has started to keep the Word of Wisdom. He has stopped drinking coffee and says he is almost ready to stop smoking. He really suprises us each time we see him.
I have to laugh sometimes at what people ask us and also what they think we do at our church. For instance we had invited someone to come to conference and he's like "will there be somthing that i have to do in order to enter, dont they rub wine on your head?" I honestly started laughing. He looked at us like what. We told him that we dont do things weird that everyone is welcome and can come in as they would like.
Anther interesting thing is when we tell people that God has called a prophet for us today. A lot of people think that it is the pope. Anyway random run ins for the week.
I was so excited Cathy came to Conference Saturday night. It was the first Saturday session that we got to watch. Some of it really was just for her. She is a single mother. Her daughter is 12 or 13. so just starting to be a teenager. and that session really had a lot of talk about mothers and their daughters. She said today that she was expecting that they would read from the bible and the Book of Mormon and talk about the verses but was pleasently suprised when they really did talk about things that concern us today in our everyday lives.

March 29, 2010

This week was good. we Are keeping busy and trying to prepare our amis to come to General Conference. We realized that it is going to be alittle hard with it Easter weekend. But we are going to do our Best. Our one ami Ivinia is so excited she really wants to come. We are praying that her husband will let her come for at least one of the sessions. We saw her this afternoon and as we were talking about it she kept getting more and more excited she is going to try and invite all of her family to come and see it as well. We are praying that they will be opened to atleast come and see what it is. I just love her. She said today that she feels like thanking Heavenly Father isnt enough for all of the blessings she is receiving!
I have been thinking about this week and the experiences we have had realized that we had many. I didnt think at first that i had a lot to share but really there is a lot.
One of our other amis Celine fasted with us last week. We had taught about fasting and praying and engaged her to set a goal or find something that she needed help with then we would all fast together. She decided that she couldnt fast for herself that her daughter needed it more than she did; Her daught is 7 and is struggling in school. So we fasted for her. A lot of times the first time to fast is hard but she did it. We went to see her today and as we were talking she said i have to tell you about the fast it we really hard but you know it is really powerful! She continued to tell us that as she prayed and fasted for her daughter the spirit helped her see what was wrong with her daughter and how she could help her. It was a great experience for me. I know that the fast relly is something that is powerful and can and will help us in all situations.
There was another night this week that we went to teach Mrs. Chapuis. We taught about tithing. the bishop was with us and really helped. As we were talking about how the Lord asks for 10% she said that is alot. She said that what do you do when you cant make it everymonth anyway how do you pay tithing? we each shared a personal experience and how tithing is really like taking a leap of faith. Bishop Paya shared with us that it is like when he is playing with his nephews and they are on the table and he tells them to jump to him. They have so much faith and know that their uncle will catch them. It is like that with us and Heavenly Father other than sometimes we are scared that he wont catch us. I never realized truly we need to walk by faith and have more confidence in our heavenly Father. Each time he asks us to jump he is going to catch us. he wont let us fall. He knows our limits and sometimes he will puch us to where we think we cant go any farther but then just when we think we are going to fall he catches us. He is there to help us. Because he loves us unconditionally.
I just love that it is spring time. EVerything is in full bloom here. There are flowers everywhere and of all size shape and colors. Then we have the beach. Sunday night we walked down by the beach for a few minutes. I could have stayed there for hours just watching the waves roll in. There are so many beautiful creations around us that testify that there is a creator.

March 22, 2010

First I have a funny story for you. So the door to our apartment there isnt handle on the outside so you have to have the key to unlock it to go in. so yesterday we were getting ready to leave for church we were a little behind and thought we would be late for the bus. We prayed then opened the door to leave I stepped out to turn on the light in the hall but i didnt grab the keys out of the door. Well Sr. cordner thinking that I had the keys stepped out and closed the door. No sooner had the door closed then we looked at each other and were like oh crap. the keys are in the inside. There is no way to open the door. We stresssed for a second then said the balcony door is unlocked so we can climb up and getin that way but if we do that now we will be late for church so we will do it after church. So long story short we went to church then asked the elders to come and climb up to the balcony for us. Well they said they could. lets just say it was quite amusing. I was so glad that we have the elders close by if not it would have been and interesting experience climbing up the first story balcony in a dress.
On to another things...
We have had some really good experiences with our amis this week. I think I told you a little bit aobut our amis Mr. Ananna. We got to see him on Saturday. We have been teaching him at his work because his wife doesnt like the idea that he is Christian now. When we got there Saturday We were asking him if he had had a chance to read in the BOM He's like ya i read a little bit i dont know what page hold on let me look. Come to find out he read over 60 pages. Even asking him about it he was understanding what he is reading and he loves it. He really is someone that has been prepared to come to know christ. It is amazing too to see the change that he has made from being a muslim to Christian.
One of our other amis. Thierry is som funny. He always has such random questions and we were really wondering if he understands anything that we teach. Well We taught him Tuesday and he gave him a chapter to read in the BOM When he came Friday he said that he had read and he had actually got curious and started from the beginning to read the BOM. I was suprised! My testimony is confirmed more and more of the power of the Book of Mormon. The Spirit really does testify of the truthfulness of the Plan of Salvation and also that Jesus is the Christ; i love the book of Mormon more and more each day. i love how the spirit can teach us new things from the same passage that we have read hundreds of times. There is no way someone could convince me that it is just a story that Joseph SMith made up. It is a true Stroy it is aobut real people real prophets that lived and saw and talked with our Savior.

March 17, 2010

I really am excited to be in Cannes. The change has been different but it is going well. We have some amesome amis and all but of them are girls! ALl of them are progressing too!
here is a little about them.
Ivania she is 21 and newly married. And she already love the gospel. Each time that we go she is so exicted and she says I feel such a difference in my life I am doing things that I have never done but that are for the best. We are praying that here husband will see the differences in her and want to listen a little more.
Cathy is a reference of a member. Last week whe had asked us a question about how she could know what God expects of her and in repose we gave her 2 Nephi 31 to read and we talke about it yesterday with her. Before we started the lesson she said to us "so i read the chapter and I know that in order to live with God again I need to be baptized." we were a little dumbfounded and simply said well ya. But it was such a testimony builder the spirit helps prepare our amis for the lessons. She has been a little bit closed with us. She talks but not a whole lot. yesterday was so cool she opened right up and explained that she likes what she is feeling thinks this is what she wants but she wants to be sure and is going to take her time. It was the best lesson we have had with her.
We actually found a new ami this last week his name is Mr. Ananna. (sidenote ananna in french means pineapple) He is really cool! He was muslim until last year and he converted to christianism. He realized that Jesus really is the Christ and that means that Mohamed isnt a prophet and that the Koran isnt true. The thing is we think that he is kind of under cover about it because all of his family and everything are practicing muslims. But he is really cool and has a lot of potential.
The Ville is very active. There are people everywhere and all the time. We are right next to the sea with the mountains just behind. It is starting to get warmer! EVerything is blooming and just beautiful. I will have to take picture and send to you!
The ward is a the biggerst ward that I have been in. There area lot of families and young kids in the ward so it is really different. There are only a few members that I know right now but little by little we are trying to go visit them and get to know them. Sr. Cordner doesnt know them very well either so that is our goal to to go and visit and get to know them. Know the members makes all the difference in the work. They really help out and make the transition for our amis a lote easier.

March 8, 2010

So far so good here. We actually have quite a few amis that we teach often. For the first week it wasnt too bad. It is so different to Perpignan and is interesting to adapt to the change. The city is a rich city you could say with lots of tourist starting to come. It is a lot busier than what i was used to. The ward is lot bigger too and seems to have a some really strong families which is a good thing. THis week we actually taught one of our amis with the bishop which was cool, i have never taught with the bishop my entire mission. His dad is a general authourity and is in this ward too. Elder Paya. As for the ward so far so good.
Like I was saying we have some really cool amis. one her name is Ivania. It wasnt that long ago that the soeurs started teaching her. Before we went to see her the first time this week Sr. Cordner said that she is from Portugal and that they thought she had a hard time understanding when she read in French. SO I go in thinking that we will gos low and really teach to help her understand. Well lets just say that I was shocked. She is reading int he BOM and is already to 2 Nephi. She even had a few questions to what she read. She is so cute. she is 21 and newly married. She told us that as she reads and prays she really feel like it is true that the book of Mormon is not just a story but something real. The second time we went she said that she has always prayed in the morning and since we have been teaching her she has started parying at night and she cnat go to sleep now without praying. As we were talking about it after the lesson Sr. Cordner said that they ahvent even taught the lessons "praying and studying the scriptures." It was such a testimony builder of how the holy ghost works on people when they have the desire to know more.
I can say that is the greatsest desire of a missionary to see that the amis understand and are ready to try new and really pray to know and find the truth.