Holy Miracles, Batman!

     See what I did there? That's what we refer to as the Plan B. As per usual, we seldom get the miracles we expect and often find better ones. Better ones? Better ones. That one. But I digress. I guess first and foremost, if you are currently addressing a letter to my Annecy address, STOP. Put down your pen and hold up for a minute. 

     French Fact: People go shopping for food like every couple days or so. And its strictly BYOB-Bring your own bags, because you're walking home and they aren't free. And you bag it yourself.

    Okay back to the miracles. While we did not get to our 22 lessons we planned last week, our hard work and diligence has paid off. Our tombez-vous were replaced with other lessons when we ported in the area. We found a ridiculously old lady who said she'd be baptized. We found a guy who was baptized years ago and his parents are active. We found a family that was surprised to see us because the family of the dad are all members. We met another family that is open to listening, but the dad was sick when we went by, so they said try again next week. We saw Amina on the street, a lady we contacted a while ago and seemed interested and she said she's still interested just busy. We saw Madame Roulleau, or 83 year old less active. We actually had to yell through her window because she won't let us in. When we yelled up to her, she yelled back, Are you sick?! Go away! But, hey, at least we got to see her and express our love. We met with our ami Armand, who we haven't been able to meet with in a while, but he quit smoking! And wants to be baptized! We had the best lesson with Hakim ever and he agreed to start actually progressing in the Book of Mormon with us even though he's not ready to read by himself yet. The Spirit was strong. We saw Jenny, another less active who is so hard to find and she said she'd start coming to church and English class so we can teach her to read. We found a bunch of new potential amis and set up a bunch more lessons for next week. And we had a lesson with Dorothè, who agreed to start reading and praying and whatnot. We also received a bunch of referrals from everywhere, which rarely happens. Some guy traded me a Koran for a Book of Mormon. Not sure where he's going with that, but he said he'd read and pray about it and that's pretty much all we ask. I feel like the work is picking up in Annecy. All we pray for and work for is one soul who can realize the importance of this message and desire to partake of the bounteous blessings therein. 

     Friday night, I received a call from President Roney. It went something like this. Hi Sister Hutchins. There was a problem with a creeper in Chalon sur Saone and I've decided to move you there. It's closer to Lyon so I'll be able to keep an eye on you anyways. You're probably leaving Monday. Soeur Woods will be coming to Annecy. Can I talk to Soeur Sovaleni now? Okay...So today I am writing you from Chalon sur Saone with my new companion, Soeur Packard. I did an exchange with her so we already know each other a bit. But I had a few rushed goodbyes. Took some photos and addresses. And another miracle-we ran into Anna, our recent convert who we knew would be visiting her children on Sunday and wouldn't be at church. So I got to say goodbye to her. What a tender mercy. But I am glad the mission president gives us a few days to pack instead of having to depart immediately, like all the missionaries in the Book of Mormon. But then again, I think they only had one set of clothes and never showered, so I don't know what they would've had to pack. 

     There was a letter I received that got delayed in the mail, asking for more details on Soeur Sovaleni. Understand that, like today, we ride home on the train, drop our bags off; and go immediately to email, so I really didn't know very much. She likes to eat Corn Pops and her favorite story is Abinadi and also the lady touching Jesus' clothes. She really likes to walk about 5 steps behind me. And put her arm around me when we're sitting down. She's great though. I don't really know what else to say. She likes Jambon Cru. Yeah. 

     I love Annecy and all the people and I invited the Collignons to visit us in two years chez-moi in Connecticut. So be prepared for that because, as per usual, I was entirely serious. It sounds like this area could use my ridiculosity a tad more. And I'm bringing it in full force.

Part One: Wonder of Wonders

Soeur Sovaleni and Soeur Hutchins in Geneva

     I title this letter Part One in the hopes that there will indeed be a part two that I can call Miracle of Miracles. Watch and Pray. Fun Frenchie Fact: 

     Here's the low-down for this week. First of all, I was sick. Yes, I've been taking my vitamins. Yes, I've been washing my hands. Yes, I've eaten enough fiber. But for whatever reason, one day I got sick. I had a fever and then hot and cold flashes and I felt like I was going to throw up. Sorry if that's too graphic. Luckily, we had planned some really slow-paced days where we could take our time and relax. Just kidding. We're missionaries. So I just struggled along. Its funny, because Soeur Sovaleni and I actually walked at the same pace! Normally, I have to look back every ten yards and wait for her to catch up. Oh Tahitians. Slowly but surely, I will get her to increase her walking speed. As Oregon Trailers know: Grueling Pace, Meager Rations gets you to the end. She also doesn't really understand the meager rations part. She kept trying to feed me, but there's only so many times you can mime throwing up before giving up. But if nothing else, I lowered my pride enough to ask for a blessing from my District Leader, Elder Strom. I love the Priesthood. There's nothing quite like the taste of God's power you can get in priesthood blessings. 

     Secondly for this week, every single lesson we had with investigators was a tombez-vous. And if you don't understand the lingo yet, that means we showed up and they didn't. 

     Thirdly, our mission is low on funds I think. That means we have limited BOMs (Book of Mormons) to give out. How can you convert people if they don't have the proof of our message to study in their homes? Our advice was to hold on to the BOMs you have and tell the people you contact they can have one if they show up to the RDV. 

Now to the good news. After that bummer of a week, we get to church Sunday with our awesome ward. A guy we contacted on the street one day showed up for all of church and loved it! Our less active member showed up for the whole thing and even wore a tie! And we had a killer talk on missionary work by the Stake YM President, I think, Frere Roban. Oh it was a sweet meeting. His 16 year old son has already converted and baptized 5 of his friends! Wowzers. After, he went over and talked to Joao-Pedro, our ami, and gave him a Livre de Mormon. He didn't even know about our shortage!  Later, we finished planning for the week and we had 22 lessons planned for the upcoming week. You can cross one off, since we tried to find the address already and I don't think it exists. But that in itself is a miracle! 

     And we ate my first French crepe meal with the Collignons. I love them. I want them to stay at our house and be friends with my family. But I forget that my family doesn't all speak French. Which is a bummer, since they are the best. Aaron and I can hang out with them by ourselves. Maybe Kevin if he speaks French. 

River reminds me of the movie 'Timeline'

     We also had a Zone Conference this week. It was a faith builder. I have realized that our Mission President sets goals for a reason. And they are achievable. So this week, we will try so hard to achieve them. We also have the task of purifying our hearts. We have a paper on the process of purification-the story of a missionary who could tell he didn't have that special power of the Holy Ghost yet. Basically, you make a list of all the things you should stop doing and fast from them for 40 days, praying for the much needed help all the way. And by the end, voila! In addition, I've studied all of Preach My Gospel, the Handbook, and the Health Guide to find all the other things I should be doing and am replacing bad habits with good ones. Its nothing major, but its already made a big difference. People can't help but listen when you really have the spirit. It's awesome. So that's the challenge for you this week-purify your hearts. Get rid of a bad habit and replace it with a good one. Consciously fast from it for 40 days, praying all the time for help. I love this people. I love this gospel. I know that it's true. Bonne semaine.

Obedience is Freedom

Soeur Hutchins in Old Annecy

     Ask me how many pictures of Soeur Layton I found this week? No don't. Like her future children, they are as numerous as the sands of the sea-and hidden everywhere in the apartment. Thank you for all the joy you continue to bring to my life. 

     It's hard to remember my French Facts, but here's one that I don't think I've used before: They are obsessed with orange juice. Don't get me wrong, I love orange juice. But it's a little over the top. They would drink orange juice over water any day. I'm gonna have to push it down, behind water, milk, smoothies, and root beer floats. 

Blues Conference with Soeur Swenson and Elders Lago and Herring

  We had Blues Conference this week. For those who aren't familiar with such occurrences, let me explain-in France, the new missionaries are called 'blues'. Blues Conference is when all the missionaries who just began their second transfer gather to give us some final teachings as we continue to serve and eventually, train. And oh, what joy and what marvelous light there was! The four of us who served in the MTC together rejoiced in seeing that we were all still alive-and more importantly, that we were all still brethren in the Lord. Much like the sons of Mosiah and Ammon, I believe. I would vouch for any one of them. The missionaries from the other districts-eh. But for Soeur Swenson and Elders Lago and Herring, I can testify that these are some worthy servants of the Lord. Interesting fact for all: as my companion was the only one there who does not speak English, or at least professes not to (I've had my doubts), I translated the whole conference for her. As Frere Colignon says, I speak very well and understand considerably less. In thinking on this and studying Preach My Gospel, it has come to my attention that not only should I be praying for the Gift of Tongues, but also Interpretation of Tongues. Shesh! In the words of my father, Hello! McFly! That being said, I still understand quite a bit. The various accents take some getting used to and my vocabulary is still petite.

Old Annecy

     We also visited Soeur Cambouris this week, a member who recently moved. She's been working on fixing up the garden by her house, so we volunteered to help her out. And by that I mean we spent just over two hours shoveling and moving a huge pile of gravel to various places in the garden and off the driveway. We didn't finish, but we did most and she called it a day. I have nice blisters to remind me of it. Boy do I love physical labor. I was so grateful for the opportunity to help her out with that. When we were outside, it was so hot that my body used up all available water resources to fuel the pump. On the extremely rare occasion that we took a break to re-hydrate inside, it all came out. I have never seen myself sweat quite like that. It was like someone poured baby oil all over my skin. I used so many paper towels to dry it up, but it kept coming until we left the house. Or maybe I forgot about it because I had  two tons of gravel to replace. Reminds me of the Phantom Tollbooth. But it felt good.

I also made banana bread this week. And was completely offended when S. Sovaleni called it banana cake. Please. Cake indeed.

ATTENTION. A while ago, I used to just do a brief scan of letters, so for anyone in the same depths of sin, capital letters should do the trick. Since I've been here for a transfer, I'm kind of in charge of finding things. Let me tell you, the map is well used. Tickets are double and triple checked. It may be just because that's how I am, and I usually freak out about things like this, or because I have extra responsibility. But I check that map several times in the same block usually. In connection with that, let me tell you about two talks I read recently. First, L. Tom Perry: "[Heavenly Father's] goal is our eternal happiness and His commandments are the road map." How often have you checked the road map? Are you sure you're still on the only path to the destination? Or are you trying to take side routes without a glance, hoping you'll get there eventually? I testify to you today that there is one route to get to eternal happiness and that is to follow the example of the Savior, Jesus Christ. And I challenge all of you to check your progress. Read the scriptures, pray, go to church, and obey ALL of the commandments with all of your heart. Only then is the final goal possible. 
     In the second talk, President Monson says, "There is no need for you or for me, in this enlightened age when the fullness of the gospel has been restored, to sail uncharted seas or to travel unmarked roads in search of truth." We have the truth. We have the map. Put your man pants on and handle it. 

Band in Old Annecy

Ode to Soeur Layton

And now she cooks too !

     Fun French Fact pour aujourdh'ui: All buses are driven like tiny stick shift cars. Aka jerky. That being said, the roads they can maneuver with those buses are impressively tight. We drove on a but to Lyon today to pick up my new companion and the bus was stuck at a particularly tight corner. Mind you that these buses are coach buses and the roads are French roads. We did about a 50 point turn, but made it through and we all cheered.

Oh la la la la. 

     This week. We went to Ye Olde Annecy for P day and ate just about the biggest ice cream I've ever seen. We met with Cyril-the coolest ami ever! He is around our age and pretty much already lives all the standards of the church and asked tons of questions about the Plan de Salut. He's leaving on vacance for Lyon, but hopefully it's just temporary. We're turning him over to them for a bit anyhow. We tried to find our old and inactive branch president, address unknown and ended up going on at least a 6-7 mile walk. But we found a potential ami en route, so it was worth it. Saturday was Fête du Lac-which France spends as much money on as Hong Kong spends on Chinese New Year! Crazy! Hakim, our less active joined a band we saw. And my new companion Soeur Sovaleni doesn't speak any English! Awesome. Our P Day is kind of hurried today since a lot of it was spent transferring and whatnot. Here's a weir dexperience for you. We were trying to read scriptures with Hakim, and this woman walks up and starts talking to us-the best, right? We talk for a while and she is loving us, like about ready to take us home and adopt us. As she's leaving, she asks if my name has an equivelant in other languages. We end up explaining it's my family name, not my prenom. It was like we flipped a switch. She starts yelling that we are brainwashed and its a cult and yadda yadda yadda. As I told Soeur Layton many a time, I don't understand mean things in French. But we called her later and she seemed better. We were in complete shock afterwards. Yikes. Satan grabs ahold quickly, I suppose. DON'T LET HIM. That's all I have to say. Read the scriptures, pray, and don't fall in love with the missionaries.

You Know You're in France When...

Sister Layton and Sister Hutchins

         

French is a language that is not spoken quite like English. It comes from farther back in your throat, and so most people here have much deeper voices. Its especially surprising in younger people, these tiny girls that could probably sing bass better than a man. Just kidding. But the transition from English to French is rough. Instead of my voice being lower, its like I'm going through puberty a second time. Its really high and squeaky and often gives out in the middle of a testimony. 

     This week we did exchanges with the Sisters in Gex. I love exchanges. I got to be companions with Sister Packard for a day. She's been here for a couple transfers now and they just dropped a bunch of investigators, so we had like four hours to contact! I love contacting. I love contacting when we set aside time for just contacting, anyways. I'm working on loving it always. You meet some cool people and get awesome stories out of it.

       Sister Layton was with Sister Christensen, who has all the mannerisms of Chelsey Cattelain. I felt like I was still in Utah when I talked to her. We met up at the end of the day to go to Zumba together. Somehow they got this activity approved because lots of nonmembers go and we can *spark* them. It was so fun. I have not felt that tired physically in a while. I'm tired all the time, but exercise is so good. Everyone else just enjoyed watching me dance like a ridiculous fool. As Soeur Layton says, <I've never seen anybody move so awkwardly. Its incredible.> Ill drink to that, but at least I have fun and work hard. At least I don't have to rely on my dancing skills to convert people. 

Castle Bridge

     Lets see. I ate a frog leg pizza. Our english student, Philipp bought us ridiculously expensive chocolates because he felt so bad for missing last weeks class. And we have two new amis! We met Agnes and her sister and kids when our appointment fell through. And Seour Layton met Cyril while visiting with Hakim, our less active. I haven't met him yet, because we were on exchanges that day, but he's apparently really cool and interested in the Plan de Salut and promised to read a chapter in the Livre de Mormon. I am so excited to meet him!

    

Alps from Geneva, Switezerland

      I've been reading in the war chapters in the Book of Mormon. I don't know why these have such a reputation because they're awesome! Captain Moroni and Helaman are legit! They are always preparing in new ways, according to the spirit, to fight the enemy and defend their lives and liberties. I always think about how Satan is trying new ways to tempt us and he tries to erode the walls we build up, or he lures us down the mountain to poison us by degrees. Don't do it. We also met a man who was really interested to talk to us and argue. The other sisters started kind of arguing back timidly. Luckily I also know French and I testified straight up trying really hard not to show him why his arguments were faulty. He was unwilling to even try to learn anything! That makes me so sad. We cant force people to live the gospel and get testimonies for themselves. That's Satan's plan, again. All we can do is present it, bring the Spirit, and pray for them to realize the truth at some point.