"Why U Have First Same Name?"

Wow this week... Lots of of items checked off my bucket list. Started teaching a man from Madagascar named Dieudonné. Direct translation: "God given". He was a miracle when we found him; we stopped him on the street after two hours of being rejected. God gave us this new investigator, truly. Also, we played a heated match of soccer at a church activity against our ward mission leader, our second counselor in the branch presidency, and this Afganistani guy that we invited two weeks ago to our English class. I know all the secrets of how to play like a European/Asian now, so watch out. The Afghan texted us after and was asking us really funny questions in broken English.  

Unfortunately, we will not be having a baptism this transfer, given that we get our transfer calls in five days and our investigators have dropped us like flies because of smoking problems or laziness about coming to church. And that's okay. I've learned so much this transfer and have gotten the hang of working with a tiny branch. There are some incredible members here and I can't wait to work more with them.

Sœur Green

Spent some time with this beautiful family on Saturday in a city that's far away.
They waited until the train rolled away to go back to their car.
I love these people like family. :)

As close as I'll get to Iceland for now.

Haha....yeah....only when I'm a missionary does this happen....

Sœur Caldwell hit her year mark!! We celebrated with sticky ice cream in a frozen lemon,
using plastic spoons we asked for at a bakery, by a canal. It was quite glamorous.

Excuse my demented expression. This was when we visited a less-active member and surprised her with some pastries. She announced this week that she started her plan to stop smoking! She will be completely done in six months!!! She is another member of my Montauban family :)

We trained a couple young adults how to use Preach My Gospel for a FHE activity and they taught us a beautiful lesson on how to recognize the Spirit. Sœur Green gave herself a short haircut and got a nice tan.

I was going through Sœur Caldwell's camera and found a series of photos of me taking pictures of roadkill.
I have changed a lot on my mission, but I'm still the same person...

My favorite picture of the week:  drawn by the little girl that you see in the first picture.
She taught us how to walk like gymnasts. :)

You are My Sunshiiiiiine, My Only Sunshiiiiine...you make me happyyyyyyy when skies are graaaay.

You are My Sunshiiiiiine, My Only Sunshiiiiine...you make me happyyyyyyy when skies are graaaay.  


So...I didn't include a really cool experience last week because the Andersen conference in Nice just blew everything else out of the water. Allow me to briefly report our experience teaching twenty-five retired folks in a community English class the restoration. Basically, we were two Americans invited to speak at this class...and, as inevitably predicted, the class let it turn into a heated religious discussion (which was unfortunate because we had a guitar with us and were asked beforehand to sing folk songs with them). While we kept very calm and simply explained the origin of our church, immediately when we testified of Christ's authority being restored after many years of being lost after the death of his apostles, whispers and giggles busted throughout the room. I have literally never felt so close to understanding how Christ himself felt as He taught His disciples that eventually turned away because of their misunderstanding. It's kind of weird that I could look at this situation that way, as a blessing, I mean. Among the myriad of instantaneous arguments challenging my beliefs, I could feel Christ giving me a reassurance that I was standing right where I should be and that I shouldn't move. I can't really explain the feeling much further, especially over the internet, but know that I know the things I teach to people in broken French everyday are true.

Have a great week! I love each of you like a French pastry. Pastry of the week: The Gourmandise. Just so you know.

Sœur Green 

We give pop rocks to kids here... and then film their reactions.

Did an awesome exchange with Sœur Luthi in Bordeaux this week;
it was nice to see it again after a whole year.

We teach a family that lives in centerville...so we get to go... all the time....

Tomatoes, mozzarella, and the beloved gourmandise. God bless France. 

This is what happens Sunday night when you forget to buy toilet paper on P-day.

Oh, I might have done another in exchange in Toulouse as well.
The church is growing so fast there that God blesses them with this sky every night. :)

The Following is a Record of the Spiritual History of the People of Montauban (*about 2014 A.D.)

The Following is a Record of the Spiritual History of the People of Montauban (*about 2014 A.D.)


And it came to pass that I, Sœur Green, and my companion, having prepared for many weeks, traveled for many days to the land Bountiful, which is called Nice. Yea, we were presented with much revelation insomuch that I, Sœur Green, did shed tears for my people in Montauban. We were enlightened greatly with insights about the significance of all things, yea, of our callings, our purpose, and our Savior. Having said much, Elder Andersen bore strong witness of our Redeemer, showing us that faith contains the power to do all things. And I would exhort each of you to meditate over this last phrase. For by faith, all things are possible. 

FACTS I LEARNED:

• Reading the scriptures on a ten hours bus ride will affect your diction.
• In fact, reading consistently for ten hours period will affect you in general. 
• I have a lot of fun with the English language.
• Everything is funny to me now.
• I have a feeling that it's going to be hard to be around me in four months...:)

For behold, many investigators in the land of Montauban have ceased to progress in their spiritual knowledge. Yea, after praying much, we were able to see investigators that have opened their doors after ceasing to be taught after a long period of time. And it came to pass that we were guided to visit a family from Slovakia. We used the talents bestowed upon us to sing hymns and play guitar for this family. And it delighted the people so, insomuch that we did pray with them after, yea, prostrated in a circular gathering. And it has been decided that, we will continue to go forth and preach unto these righteous people.

In all seriousness, I want to tell each and every one of you that I have felt God's presence this past week. I know that he lives and knows each of us personally. I would be lying if I said anything contrary. I understand better that questions are normal, but doubts are not necessary. It is truly a matter of opening our ears and placing our hearts where they should be. This is true; I would never say something like this with hollow conviction. Look at the promises in the scriptures. They are sincere. And they are for everyone. I love you. Have a wonderful week! Sœur Green

I love when these things happen.

Nice: (noun); Beverly Hills of France.

In commemoration of my father: A picture of France that looks like Utah. 

Happy Father's day!!! I love you and I'm sending you a letter in a crazy envelope I made 

since I didn't make you enough crafts in elementary school.

L'Hôtel.

The Land Bountiful.

Picture Day!

Picture Day!

This is a painting Sœur Caldwell did for our investigator family. They are going through a rough patch and getting really discouraged. She's in the Master's program for design at BYU. Her talent is ridiculous.

I keep having Batman dreams where the Joker kidnaps our investigators and we have to go rescue them. More than a year on my mission and still true to my roots. 

So, there's this Finnish cartoon character called Muumi and it's the funnest thing to draw on thank you cards. Unfortunately, I only know three Finnish people. 

I really enjoy the south. Weird accents and strange food, but so many beautiful things to see and so many cool people. Miracle of the week: I talked to a man on the street who was completely atheist and closed off for the first ten minutes of our conversation until he told me he did his studies at Georgia Tech. Insert cool bonding moment and voilà. He left with our card. Small world!

Sitting in Libraries Gives Me the Warm Fuzzies.

Sitting in Libraries Gives Me the Warm Fuzzies.


So, I can only do emails on Tuesdays during the time I'm here because the médiathèque is closed on Mondays. It was a long Monday without emails. Great news: we have found some awesome people to teach. Bad news: everyone the missionaries were teaching before I got here have dropped off the face of the earth. At least we are staying neutral....

FACTS I LEARNED:

• My companion lived in Spain for four months...and happens to know how to answer all my Spanish questions...

• Plans that you have had for months or years can change. Instantly. Without you noticing until people ask you about them.

• My grandmother is hip. Just so you know.

We taught the coolest lesson this week. This woman kept going on and on after our lesson how this force pushed her to give us her number when we met her on the street. She said the Sunday before (we met her on Tuesday) she had skipped church for the first time in her life because she felt like something was missing. And then she runs into two little Mollys shortly after. She said that God has answered her prayers to questions she has had for so long. Allow me to give you our perspective on the situation without the bias of hindsight: We saw her on the street in front of the grocery store and, without even having enough time to make a conscious decision, we were talking to her. God blesses us so much. That lesson was so incredible because we were both able to share this same feeling that nothing happens by accident and that God really placed us there for each other. She took a Book of Mormon gladly and wants to meet with us as soon as possible. Please pray that we can help her. Her name is Lucy and she is a lovely human being.

I bid thee adieu...at least until next Wednesday. Next Tuesday the whole mission will be at a Conference in Nice to hear Elder Andersen speak. I cannot express my enthusiasm in type, only in flailing arm movements. So, there's some imagery for you. 

Have a wonderful week, my dear friends.

Sœur Green

Family Home Evening: Cleaning the house to Michael Jackson music
and playing Jeopardy with the cutest little boy in the world.

We biked down a canal for an hour and a half to get to a lesson that ended up not happening.
At least I had my camera with me.

Random elevator in the middle of a bunch of trees to help people get from one parking lot to another.
Pointless, but makes a missionary feel like she got into Disneyworld for free.

Creepy selfie to show that my companion cut my bangs one morning.
Just woke up on Monday and felt the need for change.

Montauban is a big Carcassonne.
I forgot how different the southern accent is.

Me and Sœur Caldwell