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