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
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