Week 60 (3/23/20): Confinement week 1 report

Hello everybody !
So I feel bad. I lied accidentally. Because we found out we'd be confined right after p day ended. So I've been inside all week. But I didn't know, I swear ! But all the same, we've had some cool blessings.

My companion and I have been calling lots of people, active members and less actives, to encourage people and to check if all the numbers are still good. And I'm working on creating an updated maps.me for Perpignan, which will be super useful. And we're learning how to use Facebook for missionary work, which is good, because that's a skill we'll be able to use for the rest of our lives.

We've also played some fun games. I made a makeshift chess game (behold, the coins versus the miscellaneous objects), the Sœur here right before me left behind some knitting, and a fair amount of yarn, so that's been fun too. And we've studied. A lot.

It's been a good week to reflect. It's crazy how when everything else is uncertain, God is still so certain. This pandemic wasn't a surprise for Him, like, He knows everything. And He promises us that if we keep the promises we make with Him, He'll take care of everything else. And it's that faith that's keeping me sane right now, even though I'm getting ready to spend another week straight in an apartment. But we've been so blessed. At least last week we got to leave to go to a pharmacy, which most missionaries didn't get to do, and we have a big, long, beautiful balcony that allows us to get some good sun and fresh air. So we'll make it. 😁

I hope all of y'all are holding up alright out there ! Say some prayers, and use the extra time to study, because the world could use some extra faith and light right now. Thanks for being that for me 😊

Love you guys !
Sœur Cate

Week 59 (3/16/20): Coronavirus - it's the end of the world as we know it...

Just thought I'd make that the title so you could read that word for the thousandth time today.
So. Updates. All missionaries with respiratory problems have been sent home. My companion in Annecy went home, and we closed the area. We went to Lyon and stayed in this giant apartment with a bunch of other missionary équipés (companionships) with a companion going home, and we were kind of in limbo from Friday night to Saturday morning. Our mission president called us, and told me I'd be going back to Perpignan. Which made me SOOOO happy !! It was actually one of my first thoughts when I heard that one of the Perpignan soeurs was going home - there's a slot open in Perpignan !!! It's been so surreal being back and seeing members and places that I loved so much. Going back to the same apartment has been so weird, especially because I have the other bed, the other dresser, and the other desk 😂. That'll take me a bit to adjust to, but that's honestly just fine with me, I'm just overjoyed to be here !
So, you're probably wondering about our restrictions. WE ARE NOT QUARANTINED. Not angry, just because if I don't put it in caps, someone will miss it and ask 😅🤣
I can go outside, but to respect others in this crazy pandemic, we've been asked not to stop people on the street, or to knock doors. So we mostly go out to buy groceries and get fresh air. It's pretty chill. We'll see what happens 😁
I'm doing really well though. Like, I'm just having the same adventure the whole world is having right now. It's a fun solidarity. And I have baguettes. So I'll be just fine 😎

A fun little miracle from earlier this week: (still in Annecy)
We just had the coolest miracle !!
So both Soeur Gagon and Soeur Dixon said we should contact the Romanian missionaries after they met Maria, a member who speaks Romanian. I figure, if they both felt that, why not ? Let's go for it.
We texted the number, and they gave us the number for a SUPER sister companionship. There were some hiccups with planning (I accidentally texted the Elders instead, oops), and then Maria got home half an hour late. But they got permission to use data, so they were still able to call and did a beautiful restoration lesson for her, and Nicole, who stayed to listen.
I loved it for so many reasons ! I have never seen Maria so happy ! She was laughing and talking and responding to questions, and just SO HAPPY !! And they were so cute, an older sister who was really impressively fluent, and a younger sister. And the older one helped the younger one with her parts of the lesson, she just encouraged her along, and believed in her, and gave her a word or two when she needed it, SUCH cute sisters ! With such a light to them, such joy 😊. Maria could not stop smiling !
It really strengthened my testimony of what we do. We really are part of a worldwide missionary force. We're not alone. There are other missionaries out there doing the same thing we're doing, fighting for the same great cause. And God really has prepared a way forward for every single person. He knows about Maria, and how she feels lonely here in France, so He inspired my companions to feel the need to contact the Romanian missionaries, so she could have that beautiful experience with them tonight. Truly we serve a great God. 🙏

Keep looking for the miracles, and remember that however much it may surprise us, Corona virus wasn't a shock for God. He's got a plan !
Love y'all, don't forget to wash your hands, and stock up on toilet paper !
Sœur Cate

Week 58 (3/9/20): Geneva, chocolate, and some salty little ducks

Salutations from Annecy !

It's been a good week 😁

We went to Geneva for zone conference ! I love going to Geneva for multiple reasons- seeing other missionaries, buying swiss chocolate, sleeping on the bus for an hour and a half each way... it's a good gig, and that's before you factor in the spiritual side ! We had a really cool zone conference about making sure we invite people to do something every time we meet with them, because it means they're more likely to put the things we teach them into action, which lets them have their own experience and their own testimony of the truth. Definitely a cool thing to discuss !

Then we had exchanges on Friday. I went with Sœur Clark, and we talked to a bunch of people around the lake. We also taught the family we found recently. Honestly, it was such a cool lesson. We thought we'd be continuing to answer their questions about the restoration, but they actually had a bunch of questions that were more focused on the plan of salvation. Luckily, my STL companion has some cute handmade cutouts that help explain the plan of salvation, and it ended up being a really deep conversation. The father really wants to know the truth, so he took a picture of the whole plan laid out, nearly snatched the pamphlet out of my hand with enthusiasm, and wrote down all the extra scriptures were talked about. It's such a blessing to teach someone that really wants to know the truth. And they're such... a family ? I don't even know how to capture it in words, but they laugh and tease and share jokes and have friendly competitions just the way a family does, but in such a loving way. It's beautiful to see a family that's built on the love of God and His gospel, it gives them such a strong foundation. I love them so much !

Today was lovely 😊, we toured the prison museum (my new companion hadn't seen it yet), looked at another lovely cathedral together, and ended up wandering in these wildly picturesque little gardens and streets around it, that I didn't even know existed. And then we bought chocolate and ate it by the lake. We were visited by two adorable ducks, who were a little salty that we wouldn't feed them, but I didn't want them to get sick, and I wanted all the chocolate for myself. Duh. Never did I know that ducks could give such dirty looks.

I've really enjoyed the video Hear Him that President Nelson released recently. His focus on personal revelation and a personal relationship with God. I know that God wants each of us to hear him for ourselves, and I invite you all (remember zone conference 😎) to find a way to reach out to Him. I know if you listen closer, you really can have a more personal relationship with Him. And it's worth the work !

Love you guys tons- and try not to offend any ducks !

Sœur Cate 

Week 57 (3/2/20): Flight simulators and snow and tartiflette and ... transfers ? ...

Hello everybody !
So despite the less than ideal weather (it rained and snowed and rained some more), it was still a great week !
We saw the family we found last week, and after a really lovely lesson where we answered LOTS of questions, we had dinner with them. And the father revealed that airplanes have always fascinated him, and he has a flight simulator !
We saw Valerie
Soeur Gagon taught the Rupas, and we had 20 people listening !
We got a phone call at 7 in the morning from the mission president, and we were on a train 4 hours later.
We met up with our new companions and the Lyon STLs, then I headed back to Annecy with Soeur Dixon.
We had a karaoke night, which was AWESOME ! There were a ton of people there, members and non members alike, and lots of yummy food. It was funny how many english songs everybody knew, so we sang a lot in english 🤣
We had a really cool first lesson with an ami. We were outside in a little like, clear plastic walled shelter next to his university. We were in the middle of teaching when it started raining. And then was we were getting ready to finish, it started picking up more. I had the distinct impression that if we prayed, the storm would stop. But I was terrified to try that, because like, what if it didn't work ? After reading through a conference talk after the lesson, it was getting worse, and the temperature was dropping. So I gave in and told them we should pray. I could hear the storm calming while I prayed. But it was still raining by the time I stopped. I felt the promise, "if you have the faith to walk out, I'll stop the storm." I told the other two that we should go now while it was calmer, then walked out. Within a minute, the previously pounding storm was just a light sprinkle. The ami stared at me and said, "you got some kinda magic..." and I responded, "it's not us, it's the power of God !" God is real my friends, and so are miracles. The same Jesus of Nazareth that can calm the sea of galilee can also calm storms wherever we are, and whatever form they take in our lives, if we just have faith to call on Him.
Everything else was pretty normal. We had fast and testimony Sunday, so I translated testimonies from English into French for a couple of people, and everything else from French into English. I would say I'm getting solid job experience to work as a translator, but it's EXHAUSTING. So I dunno if I'd ever choose to do that.
Anyways, I love you guys so much, and I'll talk to you next week !
Love,
Sœur Cate

Week 56 (2/24/20): Jeremiah's writing is so flowery my allergies are reacting

^^ just a funny quote from this week 🤣

Hello everybody !!
Oh my gosh, we had such a good week !
So this story is kinda long, but it's SO COOL !!
Tuesday evening was incredible. It started out ordinarily enough. We were out contacting, and we weren't very far from a building with a green spire we can see from our apartment window. Well, why not go contacting over there ? We felt no inspiration suggesting otherwise, so off we went. After admiring the church, taking a couple pictures, and then contacting some people in the street, it occurred to us that there might be less active addresses nearby, and we could try to check if they still lived there and visit them. So we went to one building, and the person didn't live there anymore, but we got inside the building ! We were both planning on going door to door, but we both felt like we shouldn't. So we didn't. We headed towards the next address, contacting on the way. It took us a while to find the building, and once we did, Soeur Gagon had the distinct impression that it was wrong. The spirit prompted her to rearrange the words for the street name, so we got a new address, that felt right to us. We reached that address, got in just fine, and made contact with the son, Nephi ! We talked to him for a couple minutes, got his mom's Chantal's phone number, because she wasn't there, then left.
For some reason I really don't know, we didn't port that building. Which is wildly out of character for us. But we went to the one right next door and rang on the first sonnarie. They let us in, but then mostly just wanted to bash, so we just left. We were both feeling a bit rattled, but we thought, hey, why not finish porting this building, then we'll be done for the night (it was getting late anyways). We got to the bottom floor, and there was a scripture on the door : "ne crains pas, crois seulement. -Marc 5: 36" (be not afraid, only believe). I joked to Soeur Gagon that these people were probably croyant (believing), then rang the doorbell. A woman answered, heard who we were, cheerfully threw open the door, and ushered us in, saying, "we just finished praying !"
They had just prayed, and were having their daily evening scripture study as a family. The spirit the was wonderful. Like, soooo strong ! They're so in tune ! We'd made a goal with our district to give out two copies of the book of mormon that day, and we gave them the two copies we had on us. The father, who initially seemed very closed off, was actually really interested, and asked us to write down Moroni 10: 3-5 for him so he could read it again later. And he says he already has loads of questions. Yay !

So yeah, that was our biggest miracle ! In other news, the weather was in full spring mode. We went on a nice little hike, with a great place to stretch and relax at the top (and eat Subway), and we really enjoyed ourselves. Then we headed back down into the city. We wandered around shops and canals, and bought a few pieces of fancy chocolate and ate them by one of the canals. It was so picturesque ! Life could really be a lot worse.
Oh, and my companion helped me organize my desk, and it looks so much cuter now ! It's a lot more cleared off, so I can see my decorations, which makes me happy 😊. I'm so grateful for her, because goodness knows I don't know how to organize anything 😅
Other than that, it's a lot of contacting. We talk to so many people, so at least we're giving people the opportunity to learn more about God, even if they're not interested right now. God loves them just the same, and if they ever decide to open up their hearts to Him, He'll be right there for them. I know He's there for all of you.
Love you guys, and have an awesome week !!
Sœur Cate

Week 55 (2/17/20): The Sound of Music... and the taste of mousse

So it's been a good week. I'm not dead yet 😅 I'm feeling really ADHD today though, so you've been warned !

Dumb thing I did this week: I was having a lot of trouble with allergies. No idea what to, but it was getting really bad. So I called the mission president's wife, and she was like, "have you tried allergy meds ?" ... duh. But the happy news is that they've worked, so I'm no longer sneezing and itching and blowing my nose all the time. Thank goodness for modern medicine ! The only problem is that one of the side effects of the medicine is that it makes me more drowsy in the morning... and for those of you that have ever seen me first thing in the morning, you know that's one step up from dead. So that's been an extra challenge, but hey, it's worth being able to breathe and think ! I like those things.

We've continued helping teach the temple prep lessons to one of our returning members, and honestly, it's such a privilege. We get to discuss the most incredible, sacred place ever once a week, with this wonderful French woman who loves learning about Christ so much ! I love seeing how happy we all feel after the lessons, because our love for the temple and desire to learn just really brings the spirit. I'm so grateful for those rendez-vous !

We went to a nearby little town called Poisy ! There was a beautiful cathedral, some stunning views that look like where they filmed The Sound of Music. It was so ridiculously pretty. We met a less active member (who has 20 cats... cue allergies), and were able to have a fun conversation with him, so that was cool ! We'll try to set up something with him again soon. There was also a boulangerie with an incredible baguette panini with 3 types of cheese, and then a dessert that involved vanilla mousse, apples, caramel, and something that tasted like shortcake ? I would DEFINITELY recommend it. So overall, Poisy was a very good experience.

We're also continuing to help out in the primary every Sunday (my companion plays the piano for them while I help them with the melodies), which is honestly the most entertaining thing ever. Though the kids are starting to get used to me, so they talk with this adorable kid-french, and it's kind of the best.

We made turtle bread ! It is just normal bread, but you put it in the shape of a turtle. And then we wrapped it up in aluminum foil to give to some members, but we had to leave his head uncovered, so he looked like a little space turtle. So cute !

Anyways, I know God loves us. I know He has a plan, and that His plan allows for all of our imperfections, and still provides a path home for every single person that chooses to take it. Choose to take it !

Love y'all tons !

Sœur Cate

Week 54 (2/10/20): Old towns, mousse parties, and 102

Hello everybody !
I hope y'all are doing dang fabulously. I'm doing pretty good myself 😊
We had district council in Geneva this week, which was slightly problematic for our district leader to get to (strikes make transportation in France more exciting 😊) but it was a REALLY great council. We discussed how inviting people to be baptized was one of the most important things we could do, because it puts them on the path to become like God. So now we're just going to invite everyone we teach all the time. I can't wait to see the what blessings come from being bold and encouraging them to make the most important decisions ! 😁 We also talked about being more consecrated- more focused on what really matters, less distracted, more willing to give things up for God, and submit our desires to His higher will. We'll see how it goes !

We also had a really great lesson with a less active. He's not been to church in a while, and he has a lot of questions, but it was really cool to feel the spirit guiding us as we prepared to answer his real questions, and address some of his concerns. Honestly, the feeling of being directed by God so you can serve someone else is such an incredible feeling. It's a slow and steady work with him, but it's cool to see him changing !

We set a goal this week with our zone (the missionaries in the surrounding region, 11 missionary companionships in 7 cities) to find 22 new people to teach in one day ! Which is a pretty high goal, 2 people per companionship. We went out and started talking to people and inviting them to learn more, and we walked FOREVER, but we talked to over 100 people ! That's pretty crazy ! We didn't find anyone to teach, but I know that God sees our efforts, and he'll bless us in His way, in His time.

Well, for p day we got subway for lunch (God bless Subway), then went to a comic book store, then wandered around old town. I would recommend the old town of Annecy to literally anybody. There are fabulous old buildings, bookstores and clothes stores, souvenir shops, DIVINE food, canals, at least 4 cathedrals.... y'all should put this one on the bucket list.

Anyways, sorry this is short, but I love you guys, and hope you're doing great !
Soeur Cate