faux pas dire

the pretty cathedrale up the street

Chere Family,

Still basking in the happiness of seeing your faces on Christmas. It was a lovely day and I was blown away slash touched to the point of tears at the kindness of the Branch here in Blois and the kindness from you across the sea. 

Yesterday we had what is one of our final mangez-vous of the season (thank heavens. I am seriously feeling like a stuffed Christmas goose.) chez the Branch President and his family. After the giant cheese plate came out I asked them what their favorite cheese was. They stared at me blankly.

 "C'est pas possible." I told them I would rephrase the question, and said

"Okay, okay if you could only have one cheese for the rest of your life and all the other cheese in the world were wiped out which one would you choose? "

They. Were. Horrified. I have never seen a look of such fear. 

"Écoute Soeur Rhondeau. That is impossible. No. Don't joke about things like that. That is like me asking you what your favorite kind of apple is. It is just not tha—"

"Pink Lady."

Silence and blank stares. 

"It is not that simple." 

Lesson learned. We do NOT talk lightly about such topics here in France. I love that about them. 

So other than my major cheese faux pas, it was a swell week. We were able to watch the Restoration video with Paula, and she loved it and we love her. We were a little wiped out this week, but one night we went to do finding and it was rough and long and then we knocked on a door and a family let us in and they are amazing. They are from Congo Kinshasa and are so full of faith. Before I tell the rest of this story let me preface it. When we teach lessons 99 percent of the time the TV is on. People always have their TVs on. ALWAYS. And when we ask them to turn it off they just turn it down. So we teach our little lesson and go to kneel down to say a prayer together and I start speaking, when the dad stops me mid sentence and tells me to wait, and then TURNS OF THE TV before motioning to me to start praying again. And then the son asks if he can pray after us. Biggest miracle of the week. 

blois

me and Maggy, a recent convert in the Branch, on Christmas. She made me the coolest head towel thing.

People were just so kind to us this week. It was really .... touching. That is the only word that I can use to describe it. Sometimes people aren't so nice to missionaries. But then when people are kind it just seriously turns my day around. Everything feels lighter. Kindness is powerful. I found this quote by George Albert Smith that I LOVE:

"What a joy, what a comfort, what a satisfaction can be added to the lives of our neighbors and friends through kindness. How I would like to write that word in capital letters and emblazon it in the air. Kindness is the power that God has given us to unlock hard hearts and subdue stubborn souls."

I want to write it in capital letters and emblazon it is the air too. And maybe we can. By being kind. We can't win every battle we fight, but we can be kind. And maybe that is worth even more than winning. 

I love you BEAUCOUP! So so much. And I love that I learned kindness from you, and I love that I get to be here representing Him, who was the kindest of them all. 

à la semaine prochaine, 

Olivia

joyeux noel

Bonjour!

 

The Christmas music is playing on the streets, people are selling holly wreaths and bouquets and it is almost Christmaaaaas! Which means I get to talk to you in two days. So I will make this a quick short email, but just wanted to share a Christmas miracle with you.

 

So remember Paula? The woman we met last week? We met with her this week and basically she is a long lost soul friend. I just love her. She is one of those people who is easy to laugh and love, and she just exudes light. She reminds me a LOT of Laura Pertab. So obvs she is great. She told us all about her life story — born and raised in Brazil, was in the army, moved to Spain, studied PoliSci, teaches Portuguese classes here, makes jewelry out of garbage she finds on the street, has been searching for truth — she is the coolest. We watched a video of the birth of Christ with her and she was in tears, and we talked about Christ and why this Christmas season is so important. She told us about how she sees something inside of us that she wants, that assurance that "God is at your side." We told her that is exactly why we are here and that she can have that. We shared the scripture in Luke 2:

 

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Obviously the reasons and necessities of a Savior are many, but I love this verse for so many reasons.  I love that the first thing the angel says is "fear not." That is the same message of the Savior today. We don't have to fear the future, our sins, our sadnesses, our shortcomings, because of Him. Because of him we can live peacefully and have a calm assurance that when we turn to Him all will be well. We don't need to fear. And He is simply a good message of joy.

So we talk to her about that and she says,

"Well, I really hope I have just found the truth becase Buddhism is my last option and I don't want to shave my head and orange really isn't my color."

I know she has found it, and it is a miracle. She and her kids came to the Branch Christmas party and it was a hit and there is a Branch member who speaks Portuguese and they just chatted the whole night and yaaaay! And then as we are leaving her daughter Maria says "Wait we didn't say a prayer together, we can't leave!" So cute.

Also the Christmas party could be a whole email in and of itself, I will have to tell you all about it on Skype — the Young Men did a poetry reading and a choreographed dance number, there were small plays, and a history reading of the Loire valley. It was ADORABLE. And Soeur Doyle and I sang and played the guitar which was so so much fun.

Can't wait to talk to you soon. Merry Christmas, I love you from Blois to the moon.

xoxo

Olivia

1 — last week for p-day we went to the champs to the christmas market and rode the ferris wheel and this was the magical view.

 

TWO — (the two key doesn't work ayayayaya)  me and Stahly on the ferris wheel.

 

3 — me and Soeur Doyle. I ate escargot for the first time! And the last!

4 — this is the most awkward picture ever taken and I have no idea what is happening and I love it. My new fave.

 

5 — Paulas' (the lady we met last week)  little girl Maria at the Christmas party TOOO CUTE.

 

blah blah Blois

Bonjour! 

Hello from happy, sunny, beautiful Blois. I arrived here on Wednesday after a crazy day of lugging suitcases on and off trains (with looks of dismay from the Parisians on the metro) and saying goodbye to my BFF Stahly. I am convinced that transfer day in France is the craziest of transfer days. 

Blois is wonderful. Every time I say that it sounds like I am saying blah or that I am gagging. But that is the furthest sentiment from the truth. It is magical here. Aaaand the smallest little place I have served in on my mission. Is it possible to have culture shock just moving from one city to another? Because I think that happened to me. We live right in centre ville next to the chateau and the pretty winding streets, and when I walk around sometimes it doesn't feel real. But then I contact someone and I am brought back down to reality :) My companion is Sister Doyle, she is from Herriman and came out the same time as Soeur Bradley. She is wonderful and loving and we are going to have a good time. 

One of my favorite contacts yet was a super nice woman we contacted outside of the chateau who talked with us about faith and love and charity and then we asked her if we could see her again and she says "Yeah I work in the public bathrooms at the chateau, come by tomorrow and we can chat." So we stop by the public bathrooms and there is no one. As in OF COURSE no one works at the PUBLIC bathrooms. I think we got shafted and sent to the bathrooms. Oh the shame! 

We don't really have any investigators at the moment, other than a beautiful family from Kosovo. They speak Albanian (my favorite!) and we have our lessons through Skype with the missionaries in Albania — so crazy! It is really neat to sit in and just listen to their beautiful language. They are wonderful and the branch has just adopted them as their own. 

So, because of the lack of people to teach we did a LOT of finding this week. Which was an adventure. After a long afternoon of knocking on doors, we were waiting at the bus stop and I saw a woman across the street waiting for the bus. I had a really strong feeling that I needed to cross the street and talk to her, but the usual excuses came to my mind "It's a huge intersection, I am tired, that is so awkward etc etc." And then the bus pulled up giving me another excuse to hop on and avoid the situation. Later that night we were lost and on lots of different busses with no idea where we were. Then all of the sudden guess who gets on the bus? The same lady from earlier, with her three beautiful children. They were speaking in Spanish, and I had no idea if they spoke French, so I got nervous again. But this time I knew I had to do something, so I leaned over to Soeur Doyle to tell her we were getting off at the same stop as them. Totally not creepy. So we get off and I start talking to her and she speaks French too! Relief. She was so kind and I told her who we were, and she told me that she wasn't interested in religion. I asked her if she believed in God. She hesitated and said, "I did once. But my life changed and He left me." Then she tells us her story — three little kids, moved here from Spain, her husband left her, they were homeless etc etc. She said she feels abandoned, but that her mom prays for her and that gives her comfort. We asked her if we could walk home with her, and she said of course and so I pushed her little newborn baby in a stroller and Soeur Doyle saved the day with stickers to occupy the little ones. And we just talked and talked and she is incredible. A super hero mom. The hardest life, but she is full of so much light and love and laughter. We got to the hotel where they are living and said a prayer outside, and she was so happy! She gave us her number and asked us to call again and now we get to see her again next week. 

It was a really beautiful experience for me, especially because I don't know that I have ever felt so strongly that I had to talk to somone on my mission. And then God gave me a second chance and hopefully we brought her some hope and happiness in a dark time of her life. 

The branch here is tiny — there were may be 30 members there on Sunday — and so so kind. We had lunch with a member named Nathalie and they are just like a family here. 

We only have a super limited amount of time here at the library  and I cant change this keyboard into English, which means that it takes me double time to write ... so I have to run, but I love you and I miss you and I can't wait to talk to you soon! One week! 

xoxoxo

Olivia

** new address!! **

Les Missionnaires

Sœur Olivia Rhondeau

60 rue Denis Papin

41000 BLOIS

France

little town, full of little people

the bestest district.

Bonjour mes chères,

 

I don't know why this never feels normal, but it still feels a little heartbreaking each time. Transfer email just came in, and I will be leaving Versailles. I have never been so sad to leave a ville in my entire mission. I have met so many people I love who are becoming best friends and family and man I hate goodbyes. I will be moving to Blois. I went there on my study abroad and it is a magical little place. It reminded us of Beauty and the Beast, and Claire and I sang the songs all the day long. So here's to new adventures.

 

But what a beautiful week to end on in Versailles. It is was so so beautiful. At one point Sœur Stahly said "One of us must be leaving next week, because everything has been too perfect and beautiful."  I don't know if I have ever told you about Luce? Well, Luce has been taking the discussions for a few months and is the kindest, happiest person you will ever meet. Last week she told us that it hasn't always been like that, but that since the sœurs knocked on her door she has been filled with light. She has stopped yelling back when her family is arguing, she has stopped feeling stuck in her circumstances, and she feels a new joy and purpose. One night after a really hard day and after people had yelled at her, she went to her room and she colsed her eyes and she said that all she could hear were hymns. Hymns she has never heard, but that were the most beautiufl thing she had ever heard, and her soul was filled with peace. And then our visit with Manon at the hospital — she said that she had her doubts about 'vous les mormons', but the second we talked about Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost, the Spirit filled her heart and made her feel at peace. And each time we come she says she feels the same thing, and every time she prays she feels the same thing too. And then she said, "So it must be true! When I feel like that, I know that it is good and right. "

 

So the theme of this week was peace. I often feel that peace is the most beautiful and often-felt manifestations of the spirit. Maybe our life wasn't changed and we didn't get some huge thundering response; maybe we are still unsure of the future or still have questions unanswered. But what we do have is peace. An assurance that God is there, that He is mindful of us, and that if we just hold on and keep going, all will be well. And not just well, but beautiful. "He makes everything beautiful in His time." (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

 

Like right now I kind of want to cry about leaving ("I don't want to be dramatic or anything...") but I have  a peace knowing that all is well. And I know that is true for all of us. It is all going to be okay. Pray for peace, and no matter the heaviness of circumstances, you will feel light.

My favorite baby in the whole world. Her name is Serena, and while we teach her Mom the Plan de Salut, she sits next to me and holds my hand.

The weird kryptonite orb. Why not.

 

On a light note, this week Sœur Stahly and I were on what we call the fancy bus (comfy chairs, nice music) and it was late and dark and the bus said it was going all the way to Versailles, so we just sat down and got comfortable and started talking. And then everyone gets off the bus and we are like hmm this is weird, it's just us and the bus driver. And then we realize how fun it is that we have the bus to ousrselves. So we keep talking talking talking and then all the sudden the bus driver is singing and it seems that he is unaware of anyone being on the bus ... turns out he was. And it also turns out that we missed the terminus and we were heading to the bus depot! So he is SUPER alarmed (sort of like when you are singing super loud and you don't think anyone is home and then someone walks in the room and you are like "How long have you been here?!" and then you overreact.) Well, he realized we were on the bus and then he dropped us off on the side of the bus. Thought we were trying to swindle our way into spending the night at the bus depot.

Me and Sœur Holdrinet (who is one of the coolest people in the world and traveled around the world to find the truth, and then found it in Versailles through two elders :)) and her friend Herminia who we had an FHE with.

 

It was the Christmas concert last night, which was beautiful, and the Tavares family came and they are just the most incredible people in the world. We told Frere Tavares  that one of us might be leaving and he was NOT happy, and asked to talk to the President. We thought he was kidding ... until 5 minutes later he had tracked down the AP and was drilling him about how he cannot move one of us. The conversation went like this:

 

"Well, I can promise you that at least ONE of them will be visiting you this week."

 

"No. It doesn't work like that. Rhondeau Stahly, Stahly Rhondeau. We can't have one without the other."

 

Il a raison! We don't want to be separated. Unfortunately his pleas didn't work, but ça va. Mission friends are eternal, right?

 

Today we are going to the Christmas market at the Champs Elysee. Yaaaaay! And we are definitely going to be filming the rest of our documentary. Final scènes on the Arc de Triomphe. Oh yeah.

 

I love you, I love the gospel, I love Paris.

 

xoxo

Olivia

Me & Stahly with our Thanksgiving meal. Seriously one of the best I have ever had.

Hello family!

 

Had the happiest Thanksgiving week. We spent the day before walking a million miles, trying to find people (we never found them), but we did find out a lot of fun things about each other. Something I love about missions is the time you have to talk to just one person. You would think that after two months of non-stop togetherness you would know everything there is to know. Not true. Always more. Like one of my favorite Jane Austen quotes,

 

“But people themselves alter so much, that there is something new to be observed in them for ever.” 

 

That night we got home late after an emergency call to go help someone do their home teaching ('on call' takes on a whole new meaning as a missionary), and we hadn't baked a single thing and somehow came up with a banana cream pie and pumpkin cake. We all met in Paris for Thanksgiving and we took the RER C, which means we got to see the replica of the Statue of Liberty, which just made me especially thankful for America and freedom and home. The day of Thanksgiving was spent with our amazing zone (and zone leaders ... who are Canadian ... and organized a the whole thing. Bless their hearts). We made feather headdresses and ate food and played games and sang and talked. It was just the most beautiful day. 

The district. Hats with thankful feathers. You each made it on there.

I left feeling so full of happiness and home and light. It was something you just wanted to have forever, you know? I think what was so wonderful was that we were all together and there were no distractions and we are pretty much all any of us has here. We don't have our family here, so we create one. I think that is what eternity is. Being with people you love, with no distractions or fears. And I love that this Holiday stems from gratitude. That we remember what we have been given and who we are. Some days it feels like nothing is happening or that I am not becoming. But this week helped me just stop and remember.  I love this quote from Elder Eyring:

 

"Remembrance is the seed of gratitude which is the seed of generosity. Gratitude for the remission of sins is the seed of charity, the pure love of Christ. And so God has made possible for you and me this blessing, a change in our very natures: “And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God.” (Moroni 8:26)"

 

And then I remember Mom and Dad and Naomi and Daniel and E and this person and that person and suddenly I am full of hope and gratitude. And I remember God, and how He has this plan and how we have this beautiful gift of change. And through Christ we can change and be filled with perfect love, until that day when "all the saints shall dwell with God.” All of us together! That is eternity. And there is always something new to be observed in each of us, because we change and grow and will continue to get to know eachother and I just think it is beautiful.

 

So this week just remember. Remember all of the beautiful blessings of life and that you are known and loved by God.

 

The rest of our week is a bit of a haze because of the nasty virus I caught, and spent a lot of dizzy days in bed. But I'm back and all is well, and am just happy for this week.

 

I love you.

 

xo

 

Sœur Rhondeau

Marylline and Serena! Look at my hand that mysteriously morphed into an African hand. We laughed for a long time.

Me and Prisca! Visiting her was so wonderful. Her family is doing so well, and she is just glowing with happiness.