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