Spiritual Dynamite...and Mom forgets to post letters...sorry!

March 5
Turns out a great way to contact people here in Versailles/Paris is to be down to take grammar corrections and occasionally learn some new words. Our new Ami, a guy we'll call N, is Lebanese and taught Arabic for years before he ended up here. Our lesson was already awesome due to some cool things, at the same time as it was kinda weird, but as soon as I mentioned I'd like to learn Arabic someday he got really involves in the lesson. "The Book" is "El Quitabe," now I've just got to get him to teach me the "of mormon" part. And "thank you" is "shakran."

I've had some good contacts by letting my American accent get through and just saying random stuff like "I really like the rain, I don't have much of that in my home city!" And then, because rh3 climate here is like Portland and it is raining ALL. THE. TIME, people talk to me to figure out 1. Where on earth I live that I enjoy this rain and 2. How long I've been here that I'm not sick of it yet and 3. Why I'd want to be here this long in the rain just talking about a religion. Alternatively, they want to speak in English with me because they're bored, or they think my French is funny and listen really closely so they can help me along with what I'm saying. 

Our investigator A is doing really well recently, she's so cute and has a hard time sometimes with church or understanding why we're asking her to do things like go to church or not drink green tea, but she does it. That's the reverse of a lot of people, she has NO clue why she's doing it but she is going to try. This week in sacrament meeting she read her book of Mormon and made notes in the margins. It was so cool! And then we had a huge principals of the gospel class since we had our 4 amis there, 6 other missionaries and their amis/friends, our awesome DMP/teacher,  and some helpful members and new converts, so A and I ended up on two chairs on the side instead of at the table since she doesn't do crowded we'll, which I get. She had to help me find the scriptures and point on the page in french and was trying to explain it to me, since Frere G speaks French to make an auctioneer proud, so she was super involved in the lesson and asked lots of questions and gave answers. 

We took preach my gospel's advice and tried praying to find not just those who are searching or ready themselves, but those whose ancestors are waiting for somebody to do their work for them. I'm sure that's how we found N, and a few other people as well. Online and in person! We're not alone, we have a family that goes into eternity farther than we can comprehend and that is really cool. 

Online has been a rodeo for a few days since the conference protesters are gearing up, but a few grumpy people have turned out to be good contacts and people end up with legit questions. The gospel essays are awesome! The DNA one explains so much about things I kept getting questions on and didn't know, and the book of Mormon translation questions are easy to answer now too. We also have younger members coming on asking why the protesters are there, or for advice preparing for a mission. 

One of our mission goals is "have the courage and faith to see miracles." We see them all the time here! Today a security guard at the mall we buy groceries stopped us because he saw my nametag. Turns out he's passed the temple, somehow has a book of Mormon at home, and didn't realise the Mormons believed in Christ too. He wants to bring his daughter by the temple soon to see if she likes it. We've had multiple people stop us first on the bus, metro, mall, or stations, always when We're least expecting it. Another miracle, we have rockstar members who are ready to help each other, and they've been getting new converts to the temple and making sure our amis are included, and we wouldn't have been able to teach N without one of the young sisters in the ward who is awesome, an RM who served in tahiti. Another miracle, my notebook showed up in the Paris chapel! No idea how it got there but I have all my notes from the MTC now!

Challenge of the week: invite somebody to use the Mormon.org chat. Tour the website yourself, see how it works, watch the cute videos, maybe even make a family home evening out of it! 

There was a training for us a few days ago about how important it is, and what they're going to be doing with it. Never thought I'd be on tech as much as I am on my mission, it is SO important! We found out it's almost completely sisters now, there's only about 10 elders still allowed to do it. (Apparently studies said sisters are calmer with spicy people, and people are just generally more willing to talk to us.) A lot of missions are going to be using online tools more, including Facebook and even some other social media depending on the mission. We teach lessons over Facebook calls at least weekly.

Just saw Elder Nelson again at the mall! That's three weeks in a row! The only comment he had was "How??" 

Also, fun fact, we can see the Eiffel tower from the train right now and we can see it almost every time we take tragee to an appointment. Good times. 

Fun part, cool members have given the VC sisters treats a few times. Had my first ever maccaron from an American sister who dropped off a box at the VC! It's silly but it makes our day every time, since We're volunteers we try not to spend money on that stuff often. Also, don't worry mom, it's once in a blue moon so not dying of sugar. 

French flour is extremely different and cookies turned out super weird. Shortbread works great, using that for personal touches and challenges for the members, chocolate chip cookies are going to need some work. Our district elders seemed to like them, though, and so did our DMP who finished his whole Tupperware before he got out of the chapel. That was hillarious.

Gotta go, love you all, be safe and have fun! Sorry for quick messy emails!

- Soeur Alyssa Amott 

March 12

The transfer sheet got here last night! I'm still with Soeur Oules training for another transfer, which is very nice. Don't need to change anything and we get the Anthony soeurs in our apartment!  There are two new VC sisters arriving Wednesday so we're pretty excited. 

Been an interesting week, trying to get to the Louvre now so another short email written while walking or being motion sick. Good times. Soeur Bossel contacted somebody and gave her a Book of Mormon while I was trying to find my ginger, so it was pretty successful!

Seeing more miracles with our amis and general mission stuff. 

A is doing great and making so much progress! She's accepted a baptismal date! She even waved at a baby, we are so proud of her. A few of our amis like A are extremely shy but my complete clulessness has been a blessing in helping them open up. They're not embarrassed to ask basic questions or admit to not understanding when I still talk about my horses (hair) getting in my mouth when the wind blows, or ask a blessing for somebody's liver. (Love you, Soeur Marchant!) In the franglais of A, "we are both here, (about a foot from the floor,) and we learn together. Yes." They speak no church, I speak no French, it's perfect. The spirit still comes through. 

My French is getting better, though. We're trying to only speak french outside our apartment except for when we're teaching in English at the VC (which is pretty often.)

Had a GREAT talk this last week at a fireside, all about family history work and how it's important for us too. There's a video from rootstech I'd add if I had service, it was amazing! If you can find it it's the "we matter" one. Quote of the night from a 12 year old: "I took my great great grandma to the temple, we had a great time." 

First challenge of the week: find a family member who needs something done and have a little party for them. Get ice cream, make it fun. We celebrate our baptisms, we can do the same thing for our loved ones.

Challenge #2: Spend a family night on family tree and add some stories. Stories about grandma and grandpa, aunts and uncles, anyone who has passed on. They get forgotten so easily and they're a great missionary tool too. 

Out of time because talking to people on train but love you all!!!

March 19

World's fasted missionary email coming now, love you all.

Spiritual dynamite- Family history and temple work. 

AWESOME VIDEO, share with everyone or on social media. We are matter, and we matter, and all of that matters (try translating that into french, I dare you) 

Our ancestors and loved ones help us and help our work.

Okay got two rendez-vous and gotta catch a train, I love you all, be safe and have fun and thank you for the cat pictures! Also, say hi to Masa for me and tell my siblings to email me!

Bisous!

Home ward: #6289

alyssa.amott@myldsmail.net

La Mission Francaise de Paris

Soeur Alyssa Grace Amott

131 Boulevard Carnot

78110 Le Vesinet, France

France has huge customs fees that will be billed to the missionaries if they receive a package listed at a value of more than $15. Please do not send anything by mail with a value of more than this. A package can be upward of $65 EXTRA charged to the missionaries to pick it up from customs.

If you send items from Amazon.UK or Amazon.FR these fees for the missionaries do not apply for them to pick up. The mission home suggests if you would like to send something nice, that rather we can add money onto her personal account and you send a letter or email saying what to use it for or to use Amazon.UK or Amazon.FR with a gift note.

(I sent Alyssa a crockpot on Amazon.fr-Amazon's france page so there is no customs fee! Apparently crock pots aren't a thing in France and I can't imagine busy missionaries not having one)

(Alma 56:48-We did not doubt our mothers knew it-I wonder if there is a story behind this photo)

(lots and lots of zuchinni)

(Grandma Petersen's song)

I'm still here!

Had a surprise one day P-day change for the temple trip so super quick email again, sorry!!! Writing from the table at lunch, never get nachos in French, really cheap but weird. 

So many hilarious mistranslations this week, oh my goodness. Been saving these in notes.

"Thaw, melt... make the ice go away...? : "We have freeze, and we have unfreeze! What do you mean you don't just say unfreeze?? Why is there a different word??" - Soeur Oules

"I know we are not supposed to waste food, but you are insulting my country!" Soeur Oules on croissant sandwiches (she's right!)

Important French mission words are "fruged," which means somebody didn't show up, "batting," going knocking on doors, and "rendez-vous" which is an appointment and ties in with "mange-vous" which is missionary for "dinner appointment."

Soeur Oules hurt her back this week and we called Elder Picard, our district leader for a blessing for her. He and elder Atzbach, his companion, went and got us chocolate from Leaderprice afterwards, and brought some for all the sisters at the VC. So, safe to say we have the greatest district in the Paris mission. They're the office elders and super busy but still never miss a call or meeting. We also have Elder Eyring and Elder Morphis, who are the assistants, so between our three equips (since we're VC soeurs) finding a time for district meeting is an adventure. 

Soeur Oules is doing better, we got a lot of phone finding time this week and our apartment is very clean since I'm not particularly useful on the phone yet. We're trying to find rubbing alcohol to make an ice pack for her, but we finally used that freezerburned bag of frozen carrots for something useful. Blessing, though, it happened during a huge cold snap so we get to be inside anyways instead of outside in 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

(Babybell Chevre)

We've become very creative with ways to use rice and canned beans in cooking. Previous sisters left some stuff and we don't want to waste anything since people are sacrificing money so we can be out here. Versailles is crazy expensive, and we're blessed to have parents and awesome people so missionaries can serve. We're making an effort to respect those sacrifices. Soeur Oules is a good sport and I'm glad I can cook. She actually loves beanie weenies, so hey! Cheap and easy. Made one 2 euro pack of pork last three meals. Still working on veggies, but bell peppers and kiwis are easy to find and decently cheap. Can you cook with kiwi? Anybody got an answer for that? She hates leeks so we'll work on that. She doesn't make me eat tuna, she doesn't have to eat leeks.

Ether 12:4

We've been working a lot on helping members with missionary work, and letting them know we're here for them!  One thing we're doing is "personal touches," which is little things that apply to the members and get them involved, like cookies and a card to our rockstar member missionary families and socks and chocolate to new parents, etc. Anybody have ideas? Or scripture wordsearches and stuff in french? What would make an impact on you?

Challenge of the week: Write down a list of ten small simple things you can do to serve somebody and help them feel Christ-like love. We live our testimonies through service and trying to follow the gospel. There's a video called "The Hope of God's Light" on Mormon messages, and we love it because there are three separate member teaching moments and not a single full time missionary, and that lead to the young man in the video finding his answer to prayers. A picnic, talking in a cafeteria, and calling to catch up with an old friend were all ways he was helped to come to Christ and learn God does answer him. Alma 37:6-7 says that small and simple things bring great things to pass, and a picnic, a text, and a cafeteria conversation are about as small as it gets.

Chat has been an adventure this week, lots of members have been using it as LDS google but they still come with some great questions sometimes. I understand now why they ask your typing speed in papers. Also some people that need a hobby, like always, but a surprising number end up with actual questions once they realize you're not thrown off. Miracles through weird, weird things.

The thing we need help with this week is helping people feel loved, wanted, and accepted at church. Please, please be warm to investigators and everyone who comes to church, you never know how much courage it might have taken somebody to come that day. Church is not an exhibition of perfection, if it was I'd never be able to go, it's a hospital for those who need healing. If the new person at church smells like smoke then how awesome is it that they came that day to learn??  Their skirt is too short? Tattoos? They're in exactly the right place and we are SO happy to have them there, and to have a chance to love them! If we want people to stay, to know they've found the truth, we need to try our best as our own human selves to follow his example and love our families. Thank you to the people who have done that for me, I use your examples in lessons more than you'd ever know.

I love all of you, be safe and have fun, Liken the Scriptures has some awesome quiet music, and everyone should invest in warm socks and good sticky notes. Bisous!

Soeur Amott