Bonjour ma chere famille, 

 I feel like I need to apologize first of all for my complainy email last week. I feel like I let the emotions and hard days (and maybe my lack of a shower) just build up on each other and then they somehow made their way into my weekly email. This week during my studies I was wondering how I can try to have a more enjoyable time when things are getting rough, and the answer came so clearly: be thankful. That day I read a talk by President Monson, where he quoted Aldous Huxley who said, "Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity to take things for granted." I find myself guilty of this way too often, and this week I tried to notice all of the wonderful things that I have to be grateful for. This all came at a good time, because this week felt like we were starting back at square one here in Melun. 

Soeur Jenkins left us, and it was so sad to see her go! William came along with us to carry her luggage to St Merri where we meet up with the other missionaries. He works at Gare de Lyon, and it was awesome because it felt like we had our own personal body guard/guide taking us through the gare. All the workers were waving at us and it felt like we had our own special in. It is so sweet to see how much William loves these two Soeurs who taught him and helped him find truth. So Soeur Jenkins left, and then Soeur Johnson and I headed back to Melun to start a week of finding. Because here is the deal: we do not have many investigators right now. They have either dropped us, or have fallen off of the face of the planet. The saddest of which is Alexi. He disapeared. We literally have no idea where he is, and think he may have been deported :( So keep him in your prayers! And so we didn't teach hardly any lessons this week, but knocked on a whole lotta doors and talked to a whole lotta people. 

On one such finding day, we decided to go to a smaller ville in our area. We had to get a connecting train, and had a half hour to wait in a different ville. A less active lives there, and we thought we would have time to go visit her, but by the time we got back we heard the whistle sounding, and the doors closing, and watched the last train of the day for that little ville take off. So there we were, in this little town, and no plan. So we started walking. And we walked for about a half hour, looking for a town we could go porting in, when we happened upon a medieval village. Not even kidding. It is called Moret-sur-Loing. Look it up. It was perhaps the most magical little place I have ever seen! We walked around and ported and maybe stopped to get a pastry at the boulangerie (how can you NOT in a ville like that). We mostly met really nice old Catholic French people who weren't interested, but it was an adventure! We just kept on walking through the winding cobblestone streets and looking at each other and saying "Is this real life?!" It felt like a dream that we just happened upon. So that was a fun little happenstance moment. We didn't find anyone who was interested, but it made me so happy to be in this beautiful country. 

The rest of the week was spent knocking on doors. We didn't have a lot of success, but on Saturday, we went to a town called Epinay Sous Senart, and went porting in batiments there. We found a beautiful family who wants us to come and teach them. After a few hundred doors this week, and also a few angry drunk frenchman, this was such a lovely and welcome outcome to porting! We are teaching them tomorrow, and I am excited to get to know them. They were really sweet. 

Well, this week has been a blur of a lot of different things that don't necessarily need to be put in an email, but the most important thing I have learned this week is to be thankful, even if it is just for the fact that a lady stopped her car and drove us to the next bus stop after she saw us miss the bus. There are a lot of lovely things around us, and God is so aware of who we are, and the struggles we are going through. I love this quote I found by Joseph F. Smith this week: "The grateful man sees so much in the world to be thankful for, and with him the good outweighs the evil. Love overpowers jealousy, and light drives darkness out of his life." So I will try try try to be thankful, and see the light drive out some of the rougher gray winter days. And you should too, because Spring is almost here! Yay! Pray for us that we will be able to find some souls who will listen. 

I love you, je t'aime je t'aime je t'aime. 

Olivia 

a week in le brassier.

Family,

First off, I think I may have told you the wrong address for my apartment building. It is 10 rue Brasserie Gruber, instead of Brassier. But the good thing is I have still gotten all your letters, so that address works too, it looks like. Funny French translation: Brassier = inferno, and Brasserie = bar. Both hilariously fitting names for missionaries for multiple reasons. Brassier seems the most fitting for this week however :) Okay okay, that might be a little dramatic. I will spare you the details; needless to say it was a rough one, but after tearful a phone call to my mission mother (Soeur Pymm) I felt much better. I am so thankful for her. She will be a best friend for a long time, I am sure. Guess who still doesn't have their shower fixed and takes the train in the morning or night to a member's house to use their shower? And the bus driver KNOWS said people, and asked the other day when we got back on with wet hair, "So is everything going okay for you?" True story. Like I said, pride has flown out the window. The loveliest member in our ward, Aline lets us come to her apartment. We love her so so much. She is a student in Paris, and she is a ward missionary so she teaches lessons all the time with us. She is the best example to me of charity and love. She is from Rwanda and she gave a talk in church yesterday about how her family had to flee Rwanda, and how God helped them get to France. It was beautiful and she is my saving grace here in Melun. 

It was a big learning week for me.We had the majority of our lessons fall through this week, and ended up doing a lot a lot of porting and contacting with not much luck. We were worn out this week and felt a little discouraged. Then we get a phone call from Alexi, the man who had shown up at church two Sundays ago, and we set up a rendezvous with him. We taught him the Restoration and watched the Restoration video. After it was over he talked about how he feels exactly how Joseph Smith felt, and he has been searching for a church that is true. He was baptized Catholic when he was a child, and then through the corruption he saw in a lot of religions he stopped believing in religion, but always felt like he needed to have a relationship with God. He spent most of his life trying to have that relationship, without religion, but got to a point in his life where he said he knew that wasn't enough. When we knocked on his door that night, he said it was as if God sent us to him, because he has been going to a bunch of churches around Melun and couldn't find one that was right. He said the day he came to the chapel that Sunday, he knew that it was right. He has started reading the Book of Mormon and knows that it is true. He said he needs it because he needs peace. He said there are so many paths you can turn to in life, and he found that when he wasn't turning towards God, he was turning to things that didn't bring him happiness. We talked to him a lot about how when we live our lives according to the commandments, we are actually made free. I see this over and over again in myself and in other people. It is the most beautiful thing to see people become free from guilt, addiction, pain, all from turning to God. I love the definition of repentance in the Bible dictionary. It says that repentance is "a fresh view of yourself and of the world." He said he wants this, and we talked about baptism and he wants to get baptized! We set a baptismal date for March 9, and we are going to work with him to help him to be ready by that point. So exciting! He came to church yesterday and loved it, and the members in this ward have just welcomed him so well. So keep Alexi in your prayers! 

Then on Saturday we went to visit our favorite Russian. He has read up to page 170 of the Book of Mormon and has a million good/'oh no I don't know the answer to this' intellectual questions. We answered the best we could, and then talked about how logically you can talk your way in or out of anything. We have to know the truthfulness of things by prayer and the Spirit. He paused after we talked about that, and then said "You know, I do know one thing: every time I read the book I have a peace, and I feel lighter." He seems like a really troubled guy, and he is searching for a lot of peace in his life. I have found that with a lot of people we have taught in Melun, more so than I have seen before. They seem weighed down by troubles. They are just searching for something that makes them feel at peace. Each of them have said that inexplicably they find themselves turning to God for what they are searching for. That is such a testimony to me that we are children of God, and that this life is neither the beginning, nor the end. It is in our nature to turn to our Father. Even on days when it is pouring rain and I can't feel my feet and I maybe start crying a little on the bus (low point) and I feel kind of mad that I am here, I find myself saying prayers in my heart. And then I am filled with gratitude and I am so humbled to be here and to talk to these souls who are all searching for something, along with the rest of us. And they can find it in God, which is awesome. So after the rdv, he showed us his library and he has a HUGE collection of books. I think Mom and Dad would love talking to him. He is a fascinating fellow. 

We got our transfer email this week, and Soeur Jenkins is leaving :( :( I am so sad that she is going! She is going to Angers with Soeur Searle though, which I assured her is the best news ever from what I have heard about Soeur Searle. So Soeur Johnson and I will be here together for her last transfer. There are so many places to go here in our area and I can't wait to discover them all in the next few months.

Tonight we are teaching the family Debarbaraque (sp?) YES. As in Danielle Debarbaraque from Ever After. Whooooa. I'll let you know how that goes. I love you and miss you so very much.

Bisous,

Olivia 

Commen dit-on Bronchitis en Francais?

Bonjour a tous! So this email is going to be more about maladies in Melun instead of miracles in Melun. About two hours after I sent my email last week I starting feeling pretty under the weather. Ultimately this week we did missionary things for two days, and the rest were spent in the apartment or at doctors' offices or pharmacies having the most ridiculously hilarious adventures. This week was one of those weeks where you just cannot catch a break. 

Exhibit A: Tuesday I was feeling a little sick, but I woke up and got in the shower and then in the middle of the shower someone bangs on our door. Turns out that beaucoup of water was leaking into the apartment under us. Shower goes off shampoo still in my hair. Washed it in the sink. 

Exhibit B: Wednesday I woke up and could. not. get. out. of bed. I felt like death. My body was aching and I was coughing up a storm. So up and out the door we go to find a doctor. Here is the deal though: doctors' offices are not open on Wednesday, 'Oh and also don't come back tomorrow around this hour because this is our lunch hour so please don't bother us' says the doctor to the sad little coughing American girl. Here is something you should know about France—they like to close up shop at whatever hour pleases them and when you go ask them questions it is like you are doing them the greatest disservice in the world. So great. 

Exhibit C: We realized that there was a doctor in our ward so we went to her but she is from Venezuela and can't write ordonances (can't think of the word in English—the thing to get medicine) so she said to go to the pharmacy. Guess what though? Pharmacies are closed on this particular day at this particular hour! Probably for snack time. But she told me I had Bronchitis and to stay inside out of the rain and snow. So we went home and I slept for probably 10 hours. And watched The Testaments and Legacy. I was desperate. 

Exhibit D: The plumber came to our house and looked at our shower on Friday and comes into the room after and we ask "C'est grave?" He replies "Oui, c'est GRAAAAAVE" We will not have a shower for at least another week. Cue us getting on the train to go to a member's house to shower. And there may or may not have been a member who said "Well we have a baptismal font in the church. You could just fill it up half way and use that?" We still aren't sure if he was kidding . . . We first went to a Russian member in our ward who is the kindest woman in the world. And she lives in this beautiful home and it sort of felt like going on vacation. We playing these funny French games with her kids as we traded off taking showers. Then we went to our Bishop's family's house and I love their family. We had dinner with them too and it was so fun to be with a family. Silver lining! Our pride might be gone, but we are clean and got to eat some killer French cheese. 

Exhibit E: When we finally found a doctor's office, we walked in and it was up this creepy stairwell and there were all these cracks in the ceiling and we walked into the waiting room and there was DU MONDE (a lot of people) there. And no one was talking and we all just waited for the doctor, and part way through it I looked at my comp and said "Does this feel legal to you?" The doctor would just walk out and n'importe qui would go in and it just seemed kind of sketchy. BUT the good news is he prescribed me medicine and told me I had Bronchitis and something I couldn't understand and I have medicine and have only had a few negative reactions that can be explained at a later date. 

So I am on the mend and the shower is . . . not on the mend, but we are doing really well. We had the chance to still teach a few lessons and had some great experiences. We started teaching William's (the recent convert) sister Sonia and we had a really beautiful lesson with her about the Atonement. She has had a really sad sad life, and has found it hard to have faith. We talked about faith through our difficulties and how Christ understands her sadness. Soeur Jenkins did such a great job about testifying about the hard things in her life and the burdens she has that have been made lighter through having faith. As we talked about faith, it felt like the room even became lighter. In church on Sunday we had a lesson based off of the prophet's quote "Your future is as bright as your faith." I love that quote more and more and find it to be so true in the lives of people we teach. William talked about how before, his future looked dim but now he has faith in things so he works for them and then asks God for help, and he has seen how it has changed him. The future really is more bright with faith. There are a lot of really sad corners of this place. A lot of really lost people living hard and lonely lives. I want them to have this brightness of hope for their future. When we taught Sonia, I felt like we were able to offer that. 

Eugene, the Russian man, continues to do well. We got to his house for our rdv, and he said apologetically "I am sorry to disappoint you but I haven't studied very much." We said, "Oh that's okay, so you didn't read the introduction of the Book of Mormon then?" "Oh no I read that! I just meant I haven't finished the whole book—I am only on chapter 26." Oh, Eugene. If only he knew how happy that makes us missionaries. He is very intellectual and has really great questions, but he is also very sincere about his search for truth. And he always gives us delicious tea and cakes. We love him. 

Today we decided we needed to get out of the apartement after being cooped up for so long, so we are headed to Montmartre to find the Amélie cafe. I just wish I could have the soundtrack playing as well as I walked around. So magical. Next week I promise to have more spiritual and uplifting things to write, but hey, now you just have a fun look into the medical system in France.  I love you and am thankful for you. Everyday everyweek! 

xo,

Olivia 

P.S. Good news: Remember Oyun from Rennes who we taught? She is getting baptised!!! So happy. She is the loveliest person and I am so happy for her! 

The Littlest Things.

Family,

Coucou! This week shook me around a little bit and gave me moments where I wondered why I ever CHOSE to come on a mission, and then the next day I was on cloud nine and thinking that this is the best thing I have ever decided to do. Bienvenue to the life of a missionary en France.  I sometimes get frustrated at myself that I can't just be 100% in love with what I am doing all the time. But then I realize I can't necessarily be super stoked about porting in the freezing cold, talking to strangers who would much rather not be bothered, and waking up at 6:30 and doing it all over again. What I can ensure though is that I love the people. I might not love the situations sometimes, but you can always love the people. And it's all a deal—you can't meet people who you love if you don't walk outside and start talking. This Mother Theresa quote continually comes to my mind in the midst of days where I feel like I just CAN'T do it all— "You can do no great things. You can only do small things with great love." So that being said, here are some of the small things that happened this week that really do make me love this missionary thing:

We had exchanges this week, and I stayed here in Melun, while my comps went to Evry. Soeur McKay came here and from the minute we started our exchange it was like I was with a kindred spirit, Anne of Green Gables style. It was the greatest! It was a much needed exchange where we just talked and talked about the important things of life and it really put me back into perspective of why I am here. I just love her! I was a tad concerned that I wouldn't be able to get around Melun too well since I had only lived here two weeks, and now I was in charge. So things were going great and then we went to Brie Comte Robert which is a ways outside of Melun. We taught a lesson to this great lady from Haiti who had been investigating the church for awhile. So after we finished the lesson, we were sitting on the bus on the way back talking and then it had been about 45 minutes and I was thinking to myself "I feel like we have been on this bus a little too long," when Soeur McKay looks out the window and says "Wait, I think we are in the Nogent area!" (she had served there before) Yep. Definitely took the wrong bus and took poor Soeur McKay to the other side of Paris. We eventually made it back home. Classic. 

One night we went to Fontainbleau to do some porting. Once again, we took the wrong bus, so we got off the bus (after an embarrassing episode of the bus driver STOPPING the bus after we had gotten off and honking to make sure we were okay slash had gotten off at the right stop. Sometimes I feel like such a helpless tourist) and we started walking and we stopped a lady who was walking on the street. We shared our beliefs with her and she shared hers with us. She was the kindest person, and she was so interesting. She wasn't interested in learning more but she was so sincere and said "You have a really special light about you. I will never forget this conversation. Thank You." Even though she wasn't interested it is moments like that that just really make being here worth it to me—talking to people about what matters and what they believe.

My comps ported into this Russian guy before I came and we were finally able to set up a rendezvous with him this week. We went over to his house and we walked in and it was like an art gallery. He is an artist, like a real ARTIST. It is beautiful and I wish I could have all of his art to put in my house. He grew up in Russia and his Dad was a dancer for the Moscow ballet, and he had all of these awesome black and white photos of him and his dad from Russia. He had tea and cake all ready for us, and the Book of Mormon and the pamphlets all set out. A few days before Soeur Johnson had said "I have this dream that one day we will meet someone and give them a pamphlet and set up a rdv, and when we show up they have actually read everything and have real questions." Well, that dream came true. He had read everything very carefully and had awesome questions. We taught him the Plan of Salvation, as he was really interested about the after life, what happens etc. His Russian mom showed up with this great furry Russian hat, and the first thing he said to her was "Mom they don't drink alcohol!" To which she replied "How do you have fun?! You are very curious girls." They were completely lovely. 

This week we went porting and had ported into a man and gave him a passalong card and told him the hours for church. He said he was going to come, which is great, but we hear that a lot and people never show up. But we are walking to church on Sunday and we walk up to the door and he is there! And not only is he there, but he loves every second of it, stays for the whole meeting, starts reading the Book of Mormon during Sacrament Meeting, stays for the baptism of the eight year old girl who got baptized in our ward, and then looks over and says "So how can I get baptized?" It all seems to good to be true, but he is really great and we have a rdv this week, so I'll give you an update next week. Eugene, the Russian guy, came too! It was a good day. 

There is an American family in my ward and they are awesome and I talked to the mom for the first time on Sunday. I asked her where she is from and she said "Well I grew up in New Zealand" and then I interjected and told her I lived there too and we chatted for a while about it! I thought she looked Maori, but didn't really think anything of it. Get this: she has a picture of her geat great grandmother on D'URVILLE ISLAND at the house there! I love the connections that you can make in the most random of places. I like to think that it isn't random at all, but little reminders that we are all connected and that God knows us individually. And it just made me happy to remember some of the happiest sunniest times of my life, on a gray day in France. 

So there you have it. The little things. Everything is going well. I miss you all a little more than usual this week which has been a bit rough. Why do you have to be so great? If you weren't so great I wouldn't have to miss you this much! I love you, and am so thankful for your prayers and love. Where would I be without them. Possibly lost on a bus in the middle of France. 

Que Dieu te benisse toujours,

Olivia 

1. my fave investigators in Rennes.

2. my comps in Paris on a snowy day! 

3. us on a snowy day porting—look at the rue we were on.  The irony!