Power Saws and Miracles

Lots of fun times this week! For the title... We have a totally new ward council with the exception of the Bishop, so a new chance to build a relationship with the ward! The new DMP was PSYCHED for his call and we got invited to the first ward council and asked him to meet with us for an hour before for the first new DMP meeting.

Problem: Somehow the locking mechanism to the doors broke and a screw came down, so we couldn't open the doors. This is where the awesome photo of our elders comes in. Elder Pickard and Elder Atzbach are a lot taller than most of our ward members so they got recruited to try to fix the thing, while bishop tried to call people and the DMP said "You're gonna want to get a picture of this." He was right. 

Eventually they figured out the issue and a ward member with power tools and stuff came over, they pried the door open, and cut the screw off with a power saw. The DMP offered it as a souvenir, bishop threw it away. Best part of the 45 minutes spent waiting was hearing them realize the bus schedule on the wall is from 2004 and nobody has the key to change it. Good times! We eventually got to ward council and bishop talked a lot about ministering and how it allows everyone else to be more involved in missionary work.

Changes: Seour Oules and I are staying together ! The schedule for incoming VC sisters got all weird and they're doing 5 companionships at the Visitor's Center as long as possible since it's BUSY. We're the only Versailles district companionship staying the same, though! Soeur Sedrick is training, Elder Pickard is going to be a ZL in his first zone, Elder Atzbach is finishing his mission, Elder Morphis is staying with a new companion, and Elder Eyring is training somewhere else. So, our new district is me and Soeur Oules, Soeur Sedrick and an unknown Bleu, Elder Pixton and an unknown Bleu, and Elders Morphis and Laurie. 

A is getting baptised Saturday!!!  She's so cute and is doing so well! She's asked a ward member to confirm her, it was a little bit of an adventure with the changes but she is DOWN for being a ministering sister and the Relief Society president told her as soon as she's baptised they'll get her an assignment. She rocks at serving others and does a lot better with everything when she can help people. Prayers for our amis would still be awesome. 

Also! We saw the baptism of F yesterday, who came to the VC with his elders and we got to teach him, and there's an awesome ami who is getting baptised the same day as A who wants us to come to his baptism, since we were there with him the first time he came to the temple grounds. He is so sweet and his friend in the ward is also a new convert who is the biggest help and support ever. We'll Skype in even if we can't get there and back in time. 

And a few people we chatted with online have gotten baptised or are soon! So many miracles, it is amazing !

A good quote I'm hearing is "the seeds are already planted, we're here to harvest." It's true here, our mission goal of 20 invitations and everything are helping us focus on that. It's really sad when we might have to drop people but it gives us the time to focus on the people who are listening and working. 

As testimony is an awesome example of faith. She says she knows the Book of Mormon is true. She reads it, she prays, and she obeys the commandments. When she doesn't know why she does something, she remembers the Book is true and she believes this and she tries. It's been incredible seeing her grow, we love her so much! And seeing the tender mercies and miracles that happen for her is amazing too. 

We know a ton of the people getting baptised recently because they've come to the Visitor's Center and temple grounds, like Bishop Cause and President Sorensen invited. They feel the spirit here, they see the temple as the goal, they know they have an eternal family and support, and they know they matter. Miracles happen when they come and see. Their missionaries are working hard and showing love and patience and just all around being fantastic and obedient. 

Got called away for a minute to reach things in a cupboard. Never thought I'd be the tall one somewhere. 

Challenge: Pray for a chance to show love to someone, write down thoughts you have right afterwards, and then do it. Big or small, but make it something the person will feel. 

Challenge for member missionaries: Ask your missionaries if they have any investigators you can help with, have a lesson in your home, or just support and love. 

First video: Connect. Belong. https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2018-02-0100-connect-belong-rootstech-kickoff-2018?lang=eng

Second video: super sappy but I just found it and I still love it. https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2017-11-0020-think-to-thank?category=social-media-shareable-videos&lang=eng

Out of time, I love you all, be safe and have fun and make good choices and read your scriptures ! 

-Bisous

Soeur Amott

the broken bed

Strike 1-2-3

So this email is super short and late on account of we're trying to get on the train and there's strikes going, but hey. I love you all and personal emails are getting a little wrecked for two weeks because next p-day is also transfer day because there's a strike scheduled for the normal day.

A is doing great, she even got a new dress for church. 

The Visitor's Center is getting really busy because of the spring but it's also great and we're meeting amazing people.

Okay so I just gave away a Book of Mormon while writing this so out of time but that was SUPER cool, I only had an English one with me but his Mom was English and he spoke it perfectly. He also told me to quit talking to strangers in Paris because it's not safe, but he listened and had some great questions. This is why we wear nametags? 

Look up the "true Christianity" Mormon message if you have a second, it's really cool. 

Challenge: hug somebody you love and look for an opportunity to serve them

Okay train is packed and gotta go but I love you all! Be safe and have fun! 

- Soeur Amott

Walking in the Sunshine

This week has been a little rough, but still good. Also this email is going to be a little chaotic because I'm writing super fast and not grammar or spell checking.

It has been really cold and then super warm and Then really cold which is fun. Paris has a similar climate to Seattle so lots of grey days and rain and mist. Vitamins are awesome, especially vitamin D, and veggies, and flowers around us are a nice change.

P-Day looking for clothes and I gave a tour in really rough toddler level Spanish,  Tuesday was zone conference, Wednesday was oFII which is this doctors office visit for legality (looks like my blood sugar and all is still good?) And i got to see an x-ray of my lungs. Thursday we finally got soeur O to a doctor for her back. Friday and Saturday got about back to normal, we got to do finding! And sunday our ward split in two. 

The ward split is AWESOME and should be great for missionsry work, and also we wont need to seat people on the stage for a while. We'd had to use the entire cultural hall and rhe stage for a long time. 

Now we only have two young missionaries companionships and like three senior/temple couples in our ward. :) 

But seriously, we can support that many missionaries. This area keeps us busy, especially when all of us have other responsibilities. 

Zone Conference talked again about the blessings of having a temple so close by and challenged all the missionaries to get everybody to the VC and to get them in for baptisms for their ancestors right after their own baptism. They reminded everyone that there are sisters specifically set apart for the VC to help their Amis and converts and members have a spiritual experience. They even invited the VC directors to present about it! And, the other missionaries are being awesome! We've done a ton of tours this week and people are starting to come in off the street. 

With Easter next week and a series of train strikes scheduled we're going to be really busy but it is very cool.  We could use prayers. And prayers for our amis and all the people in France to see the open doors of the VC and come to visit the garden. 

We are the only VC with the Christus statue in the garden, and it's a blessing for helping people see what we believe. 

Challenge 1: find something relating to Christ on lds.org, big or small, or a video I've shared before, and post it. Mom, can you find the youth theme song "peace in Christ" and share it in french and English on the blog? Thanks again.

2: Invite somebody to watch a session of conference with you. 

3. Make something fun for conference. A treat, a friend, a new notebook or pen, something so help you get excited to watch it!

The Saint-Jeans are finishing their mission today which is really sad for us but good for them. They're the awesome old French couple that's usually on shift with us, and they're adorable. He's goofy and loud and short and loves to talk to everyone and debate scriptures or share old French phrases, and she's always just smiling like "look at this nerd," and occasionally tells him not to overwhelm the nice person. They're both smart and debate in rapid fire french I can't understand but we always learn something. They're great missionaries because you know you're welcome to the VC as soon as you walk in, no matter how many times they've seen you. We're all going to miss them. They told us all to make sure to write them and for me to keep sending especially good Daisy pictures.


They wrote us all a little letter and Soeur Saint-Jean wanted to get us chocolate but Elder St.J said that wasn't good for us so they got us a whole bag of fruit for each companionship, and Soeur SJ got us all a little natural chocolate animal sucker thing. Compromise, I guess?


Allergies are a thing now. Pine trees are everywhere. Beautifully blowing yellow pollen aaaaaaaall over. Had a really bad week with it and have a fun cough now but the pharmacist got me allergy medicine nasal spray that's working and some NASTY tasting cough stuff and it's been a lot better. That's the charge on the card. I tried to power through it for 2 weeks and then sounded like I was dying but the pharmacist said "american?" So turns out the pine trees are a known issue.


Funny story though. The elders from Torcy brought an ami and I got to give him the tour because I need to do more in french and he was fine with my iffy french. We watched a movie, toured the maquette, and it was going awesome so we went outside to the Christ's statue. It was beautiful and warm and breezy. The spirit was strong and he LOVED the temple and was talking about baptism. He was saying he knew hed found rhe truth and was so happy and it was awesome. Then I remembered that the garden is surrounded by pine trees. Happily blowing their pollen right at me. He was so touched when I started tearing up and sniffling and had red eyes while he was talking about that. At the end he accepted a baptismal date! And then when he left I got my dose of allergy spray. 

This is an example of "the spirit works with what we've got and makes up for our weakness" and "the gospel is true because it's definitely not the missionary who is convincing people." My allergies became a spiritual experience for somebody.


I love you all, be safe and have fun and make good choices. Hug dogs for me. 

Bisous! 

- Soeur Alyssa Amott