Week 77 (7/20/20): We tour the south of France

Nah, legit though, we went the two biggest cities in southern France (Lyon and Marseille), and also spent the night in Aix-en-Provence. It was SUCH a fun time, it was so good for us to see everyone and catch up with other missionaries. We literally hadn't seen anyone since march. But since my companion, Sœur DiDonato had to get her Visa renewed, we got to go to Lyon and hang out with everybody !!Then it got extra fun, because my companion's Visa appointment was the same day as our zone conference in Toulouse. So they sent us to the conference in Marseille, and we spent the night in Aix-en-Provence. It was such a fun adventure ! And we were able to talk to so many other sisters, and catch up and share stories and experiences. There really is strength in sharing ❤

We also went and saw an Abbey in this ADORABLE little town called Elne. I think I'll know I succeeded in life when I can retire there. 10/10

I'm running out of p day time 😅, but I wanted to share an awesome miracle we had yesterday. There was a woman who tried to come to church yesterday because she was looking for an evangelist church, but she found us instead. She showed up at 11, so just as the meeting ended, but we were able to sit down and talk for an hour afterwards, and it was such a beautiful discussion ! We gave her a book of mormon, and we'll see her again on Thursday. God really does have a plan for each of us, and he knows where his children are. What an incredible God we work for !

Anyways, I love you all !

Sœur Cate

Week 76: (7/13/20): Le Palais des Rois de Majorque et le Castillet

Hey everybody !
How's it going ? I'm doing pretty well. I'm looking forward to this week, we'll be going to Lyon to get my companion's legal forms done, then we'll go down to Marseille for their zone conference (because the zone conference in Toulouse that we'd usually go to is on the same day we have to be in Lyon), and then we'll spend the night in Aix-en-Provence, then we'll come back. So tune in next week, I'll have visited 2 new areas !! I haven't visited a new area in my mission since... I went to Geneva for the first time ? Yeah, it's been a hot second.

Our friend in Africa is making amazing progress ! He asked what made our church different, so we retaught the Restoration with more detail while really focusing on the authority of the Priesthood that's been restored. He's really thinking about it ! And we set up a rendez-vous with the visitor's center sisters in Paris, so he'll get to see what a modern temple looks like. He's so humble, and has such a profound knowledge of the Bible, honestly, it's a privilege to teach him. What a guy !

Today we decided to be tourists in our own city (not the surrounding cities), so we toured the two castles within walking distance. The Palais des Rois de Majorque is about a ten minute walk from our house. The thing is, the other walls are so thick and tall that you can't see what's inside, so I literally never realized how huge and stunning this castle was. So I never visited it. But today we finally did, and I LOVED it !! It nailed the castle aesthetic, I got a cute coin as a souvenir, and I FINALLY know what's behind those walls. All for 4 dollars.

We also toured the Castillet, aka the symbol of Perpignan. It's this castle right in the middle of centre-ville... centerville ? Downtown ? Right in the middle of the city, and it's got a great view too. And it had a video about its history, and the history of Perpignan as it grew up around it, so that was wildly cool. Or at least like, I, as a history nerd, was loving it.

I really got to thinking about that first castle. It's magnificent. But I always thought it was much smaller, because you can't see over the walls. And I thought that the door we could see from the outside was like, the front door. It is the front door... to the giant complex. It takes you directly to some stairs, which takes you to more stairs, and then more stairs, with progressively better views. I think working with God is like that. A lot of people that we meet as missionaries can't see what he has planned for them. They're outside the walls. And even people inside the walls can get distracted by the fact that flip me, there are a lot of stairs to climb ! But the path he is offering us really does lead to incredible heights and incredible blessings. We just have to trust him and keep climbing ! 😅

Best of luck climbing your personal staircase to eternity,
❤ Sœur Cate

Week 75 (7/6/20): Le moulin à huile d'olive de Millas

Hey everybody !
How's life ? I hope that you're enjoying the summer weather. Perpignan is sunny and windy, in its usual fashion. How much I love this sector ❤

We've had a really good week. The fact that we can visit members and share our testimonies with them is such a blessing. And they strengthen us ! Even though we can't bise them, it's funny how weird that is to me. Like, I'm American, but my instinct now is STILL to faire la bise... have to laugh 😂

We had the INCREDIBLE privilege of setting up a rdv with the Paris temple Sœurs and three older women in our ward. They're all best friends, but while one is a stalwart member (Antonietta), the other two are pretty less active. They agreed to the rdv though, and they were all gathered together at Antonietta's house (because they're all over 60, so it would've been more complicated to meet in person), and it was the CUTEST rdv ! Seeing the model of the temple really seemed to resonate with them, and Antonietta testified so powerfully ! Her husband has passed on, but when she was helping explain the sealing, she said, "I was sealed to my husband years ago. And I'm still sealed !" What a beautiful and optimistic doctrine. 😊

Speaking of the temple, we visited one single sister this week that was just incredible ! Samia is preparing to put her papers in to serve as a temple missionary. She bombarded us with questions about papers and packing and dress code, and shared such a powerful testimony of the importance of the work that goes on in the temple. She's having to leave everything behind, and she's not nearly retirement age. She'll have to find a new job and new apartment when she gets back. There are no guarantees, and she has no family to help her. But she ended with, "but if I end up on the street afterwards, so be it. It's the Lord's will." We have such incredible members.

I love how well I know this ward. Some missionaries have commented, "wow, that's a long time to be in a sector..." but I love going to church and knowing almost every single face, and a little bit of their story. I love having watched the kids grow up a bit, and watched people come back to church, and testimonies grow and develop. This really is God's work !!

Today we decided to go on an adventure again for p day, because it's good for our sanity to see new places. We got a brochure telling us about places to travel last week, and it told us about an olive oil factory that has an exhibit section. It was SO cool ! Olive trees show up all through the scriptures, with a whole bunch of symbolism attached to them (which I studied yesterday, to make today more fun). It was incredible going through their exhibition all about the history of olive trees, what it takes to make them grow, and how to get oil out of them. And then we got to taste different olive oils ! There are apparently several different varieties of olive trees, and you can pick the olives at multiple stages of ripeness, and ferment them to change the flavor. We got one that's kinda spicy, just to have fun with it 😁

Anyways, I imagine that next week my thoughts will be much more out together about everything I learned (they're still processing right now), but one of my favorite things is that this is one of God's favorite trees. It shows up in multiple paraboles, and they were the silent witnesses to the Savior's suffering in Gethsemane. And like. Olive trees. These aren't sky scrapers, or elegant ... they're kinda gnarly. And they take SO. MUCH. WORK. But it made me think. God doesn't care what we look like. He cares what we are, and what we, through his guiding care, can become. He doesn't want a tree that grows fine all by itself. He wants one that needs Him, and relies on Him, and because it does, it produces something beautiful. And flipping delicious, whoa, consider me educated.

Anyways, I hope y'all are doing amazing, talk to you next week !
Sœur Cate