God Answers – June 17, 2013

‪            So I have loads to say this week!!! Hopefully I can get it all in! We will start of with a few miracles!! Sooooo I have been wanting to use Dropbox for my pictures but it isn’t technically an "approved" website so I chose not to go on it. Rather I decided to pray every night that that Heavenly Father would provide a way for me to use Dropbox...or some other method to share, save and store my photos. I felt really stupid praying for such simple thing...but I said pourquoi pas!  Well our Mission President Announced last week that we could use Dropbox! Can you believe it? I honestly believe it is because I chose to be obedient and ask the Lord!  So I really encourage you this week to ASK!  Ask the Lord of something...whatever it may be! I know and can testify that He will answer—I’ve  seen it over and over again! So yes I officially have Dropbox and am loading all my pics on it. I think you can only use 2 GB of space or something without paying so let me know ASAP how you want to use this! Maybe just download them?? I don’t know!

Miracle #2: I talked to a person all by myself!! CRAZY RIGHT?! We were on our way back to Toulouse from Bordeaux and I had a conversation with a guy...he was awesome!! God really does give you the language in the very minute you need it! My French is definitely getting a lot better! I am understanding more and I am forcing words out of my mouth!! It is slow but I am getting it! I really know that the Lord is blessing me!!! 

            So This week I have been all over the place!! I had Zone conference in Bordeaux Wednesday-Thurs. and then I went on Exchange to Carcasonne Friday-Sat.! It was exhausting! Zone conference was AMAZING! Elder Richards of the Seventy was our visitor! He gave the talk in conference about how the atonement can heal physical and spiritual pain. He was awesome! We discussed the importance of teaching “simply” and he said we should ask a question every 1-2 minutes!! He was awesome!! And I just love being gathered with large groups of missionaries and seeing President Roney!! He is awesome!! My Carcasonne exchange went…well. It was a little different...but good. I just am really grateful for my trainer Soeur Bayles and for being in Touloàuse.  I pretty much spent half my week on a train! That’s how we get from place to place here! It’s going to be weird to get back in the states and get in a car! I take the Metro, bus, tram, or train every day...or a combination of all!!

Oh I FINALLY got the package!!! THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH!!!! I love, love, love, peanut butter.....it was heaven-sent! And the other spread was soooooo thoughtful! AND then to have Laffy Taffy!!! I almost started crying when I saw it!!!! The French version of Laffy Taffy is truly AWEFUL! But the best part was definitely hearing from everyone!!! I love getting all your letters! Special shout out to Elle’s Tinkerbelle drawing!!!! I LOVED IT!!!! Its soooo good!!! Way impressive....I can’t even draw that good! No surprise though!! She is going places! And I loved Gavin’s high fives!! So cute. 

Miracle #3.  Our mission has a goal to each week contact at least 350 people. Since we had been traveling all week and with exchanges we were short about...oh just 100 PEOPLE!!! We only had one day left and contacting 100 is next to impossible! We prayed and went to work. We only had an hour and a half to do it (another road block!!) We worked like mad women!!! And we contacted 106 people! We were soooooooo pumped!!! It really was a miracle!! Afterwards we have been searching high and low for this special edition Fanta flavor drink that just came out (Peach Apricot Fanta!). We haven’t been able to find it anywhere! So after we finished contacting we went to a random grocery store we never go to and WE FOUND IT!! I truly feel like the Lord was rewarding us for our efforts!! We went home and made a toast to our success (hahahaha). I love being on a mission!!! I am having experiences here that I know I couldn’t have anywhere else. I wouldn’t trade them for anything! 

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!! I am sad I missed it!! I hope you opened my gift! I love you more than you know!!!  MOM!! I would love some Salad Recipes next week!!! Especially the dressings! I have been dying for a good salad!! Thanks!! XOXO

So Today (our P-day) Soeur Bayles and I went and visited the Ville Foix! They have an awesome Chateau and we went and saw it.  It was GORGEOUS!!! I uploaded all my pics from it into drop box!! Foix is so green and luscious and it has an awesome castle on top of a hill!! It was a fun day!!  We got up and thought...why not!!  We find out if we transfer on Friday!! I feel like I will stay in Toulouse but feel that Soeur Bayles will get transferred :( Sad day!!! But we don’t really know for sure one way or the other! We will get "the call" Friday Morning! 

I also want to start where ever I am serving and have you guys Google the area for me—so I know the awesome places. I don’t want to miss any cool things that are in my sector!!! Its crazy to thinks it’s already been a transfer!!! Hasn’t it gone fast?!?! AHHHHHH I dont want it toooo end!

Love you all!!! Keep being amazing!! Thanks for all the support!! R5 forever!! 

Things to pray for: Open Hearts, Marie-Antoinette (our only Amis), and Miracles!!!

June 10, 2013 - Living in a Gangsta Paradise

‪            So as usually I will start by explaining the meaning of the subject of the email. Last night we were able to have dinner at the Family Chantiaux house. We teach Killian (a 10 yr old) the recent convert lecons (lessons) cause he was just baptized!! His sister recently put in her papers and things are going great for that family!! Anyways, we ate dinner at their house on Sunday. It was quite the experience! After our dinner Killian got out a story to read with us called Crèpes avec Maman....or something like that! It’s about Africans and they make crêpes!! It was hilarious!! We were each taking turns reading a page when we had this fabulous idea to try and read it with an African accent!  Hahaha! French with African accents are CRAZY!! We thought we were sooooo funny!!! Well it came to my turn again and I thought I would mix things up and rap it! They LOVED it! They thought it was sooooooo funny! We all then took turns gansta rapping the children’s story!! I was clearly the best! Hahaha ;) It was so funny to see Killian rapping!!! He was doing gangsta hand motions.  Overall my rapping was a success! We really got our gansta on! I figure since I got pepper sprayed two weeks ago and rapped this week that I’m pretty much living in a gangsta paradise!!!  Hahahahahaha!  Ohhhhhh good times in France! I love the members!! They are SOOOO fabulous! Soeur Bayles and I were specifically asked to work with the members a few weeks ago and its been an absolute delight!!! I am already dreading transfer calls! I don’t want to leave Toulouse! But I will go where the Lord wants me to go!!

So I would like to give a shout out to MODERN MEDICINE!!! And prayer! As you know, Soeur Bayles and I visited the doctor and got the wonderful news we had strep throat and sinus infections.  We received loads of medicine to help. Sadly we were on our death beds for the next two days and then a blessing from above happened—the SUN CAME OUT!!!! Glory Hallelujah!! The weather here has been very unusual!  Everyone keeps telling us that it hasn’t been like this for 30 years!! It’s usually always bright and sunny by this time of the year! It got rainy again at the end of last week.  I am really hoping that this doesn’t continue! We need to be really careful with our health—as directed by the cute senior couple in our area and its getting old to have to worry about!!! I would rather always worry about my investigators rather than my stinking health!!! But things are looking up!!! 

The only bright side of being stuck in bed is that I got to do a lot of study time! I am almost finished with the Livre De Mormon! What a fabulous book! I tell you....I am in love with it! I also read a fabulous talk by President Utchdorf on Patience! Find it and read it...I think its from the April 2010 conference?? Possibly during the Priesthood session? Je ne sais pas?!  It’s got some great one-liners!! One of my favorite lines goes something like this: Patience it’s not the receiving  but the waiting when you grow the most. I really feel like God keeps telling me to be patient with myself...especially with the language!! I have been trying hard to listen and apply this past week! 

            So we talked to our one investigators about setting a date for baptism! I committed her to baptism last week but we tried to get her to commit to the 6 Juillet! She said....NO! It was really heart breaking...She has been soooo awesome! (she is the one that has been coming to church on her own, etc.). After she said no, she didn’t show up to church the next week....a double whammy! But I am keeping a good attitude and trying to not let my heart be completely broken! Curse peoples agency!! If they only knew the blessings that comes from this gospel! I have grown such a deep testimony of that. It soooo sad to see soooo many people still in a state of apostasy...their hearts are hard.  It reminds me of the stories in the Book of Mormon. Sometimes I feel like Mormon.....soooooo sad for his people and their state of wickedness trying soooo hard to cry repentance to their souls. I am trying sooooo hard!!!! And I know that if they do not harken to the words of the Savior they will be judged for their works. PLEASE PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE OF FRANCE. We need open hearts!!! 

I love you all!! Thanks for all the prayers you have been sending my way!! Please send them to the people of France!!!  Oh and dad... was it Elder Vistcanti who bore his Testimony at the youth conference??? He is from Poe and we all knew him from the MTC!! He is in the Provo mission. He is awesome!! Also I got/didn’t get the package!! Its here it arrived Saturday but we weren’t there so now its at a post office place and we cant pick it up until tonight! So thanks SO much for sending a package!!! I am SOOOOOOO excited to open it!! It was sooooo nice of you to send, THANK YOU THANK YOU  Momma!! PS. I love those shoes you mentioned but don’t worry too much.  If you don’t want to send them it is fine.  They are, of course, super cute! 

xoxox 143 Stand up straight and smile remember who you are!!! 

ps. HAVE FUN AT COUSINS CAMP!!!!! I am going to miss being there with everyone!!! I am sending my love from France!!!! xoxoxox 

June 3, 2013 – Pepper Sprayed

‪            Well things just keep getting weirder here in Toulouse. I guess I will start out with the crazy story of the week.  Soeur Bayles and I got pepper sprayed!  To be honest, it wasn’t a direct attack on us as women or missionaries but more like a group of us that got it. It is crazy how pandemonium can strike in a matter of seconds! There was a guy next to me on the metro and he was talking to himself and looking around. When we got off at our stop he started yelling , “You got a problem?! You got a problem with me!!” We were all confused because no one knew who he was talking to.  As we all got on the escalator he whipped out the Pepper spray and gave everyone a good spray!!!  Everyone started freaking out...I immediately put my scarf to my face and started scrambling up the escalator! My face was BURNING!!! That stuff is not fun! Soeur Bayles and I had to ask the members we were visiting if we could use their bathroom to wash off...it was one for the journal that is for sure!! 

This week has been really hard. We have pretty much had to drop all 5 of our amis....its been WAY frustrating.  As a result, we are having to start from scratch, which is why we have been porting (door to door) and contacting a ton. And it’s been crazy cold!! There has been so much rain. And unfortunately my companion and I got sick.  In fact, we just saw the doctor and it turns out that we have strep throat!  It’s been crazy here.  Needless to say all of this makes us very ineffective because trying to speak French when you don’t know any to begin with and then you have a massive sore throat—let’s just say this is not a good combo. It’s made things hard/frustrating.  On the bright side, however, I am understanding a ton more of what people are saying..

At the beginning of the week I had exchanges in Bordeaux, it is interesting to see how different each ville is. For example, in Bordeaux, people actually stopped and talked to us!! In Toulouse, everyone is in such a hurry! I hope I have the chance to serve in a suburb sometime! 

Ok....wow. So I pretty much feel like I’ve been complaining this whole email. I really love the mission!! It’s so great but its been a really hard transfer (six weeks). My comp said this has been her hardest transfer so far but life is still good! Its just unfortunate we that had to drop all our amis and finding others has been so slow. We did get one new amis this week. Her name is Marie Antoinette. I gave her the baptismal commitment and she said Yes!! Score!!! 

So Soeur Bayles and I have started visiting a lot of members this week because our District Leader asked us  to focus on the members. I LOVE THE MEMBERS. They are SO awesome!! Two nights ago we had dinner with the family Caplin. They were the greatest!! And dinners here are awesome!! Its nice having a home cooked meal! I love it here in Toulouse. I cant wait until my French gets better so I can communicate with them more!!

Well that’s about all as far as my week goes. I could really use some prayers! I need to be healthy! Thanks for all you all have done you all are the greatest!

Also, Shout out to TYLER J!!!! Happy Birthday! I wish you all the happiness in the world!! Make it a great day! I love you more than I could ever express! 17 years old—woot, woot!!! Miss you Homie!! 

May 27 – Kissy, Kissy, Kissy, Kissy

‪            So you are probably wondering.....why the subject of kissing?!?! Tots innapprops (completely inappropriate) subject while on a mission, I know. BUT this week was a week filled with kissing!! It’s always a fun experience getting on the metro and throughout the day and have couples full on making out.  I’m not gonna lie, the first time I saw it, I couldn’t help but laugh! I nudged my comp and she just smiled and said....what of it? This is FRANCE! Hahahah I see it daily and now and it doesn’t even phase me! Also I got a lot of lovin this week! The beloved Bisou!!! Yes, the kiss on both cheek French thing. Yah, that’s for reals and we do it ALL the time! I actually love it!! So this was a week of kissing! And also a week of ALOT of rejection! Yep, A TON of rejection. Our amis (investigators) have been super flakey lately. They cancel their lecons at the last minute and it’s been SO frustrating!! So we have to contact and porte (knock doors...more like ring buzzers at gates) and let me tell you, it’s not fun getting door after door slammed in your face! It gets old really fast!! I do have complete faith in the Lord’s timing and direction, however. And if the Lord wants me to knock on all the doors of Toulouse, then I will do it with a smile! I was so frustrated at one point that I finally thought: “why even knock?”  I already know the outcome.  But then I immediately thought that I am planting seeds. I might not be getting to teach these people behind those doors, but I am planting seeds for future missionaries!!! And I am totally OK with that. 

So my favorite amis is moving this week. She is going back to Australia. I was so frustrated with the language and everything else that I really feel like having her for an amis was a gift from God. You see, I was able to teach in English and bear my testimony. We went over for dinner and then shared a lecon (lesson).  There was one point where I stopped, looked in her eyes, and said, “Maria...God loves you, I know it. And we love you. You are loved.” She then burst into tears, the spirit was so strong. It was a good reminder to me that everyone needs to be told they are loved. Everyone needs to feel love. I feel God’s love around me everyday. So friends, family, and world: I LOVE YOU.  We saw her again later that week.  Because she is moving back to Australia she is getting rid of a ton of things and she gave me this really cute hat.  It’s apparently like a $500 dollar hat! Hahaha. I am really going to miss her. We are taking her to the airport tomorrow. 

So to answer some of your questions: Soeur Bayles is awesome! She is from Florida.  she is 24 and she went to the University in London and graduated in Anthropology.  We get along great!  She is super patient with me but really pushes me (aka she makes me talk…haha).  This is really good for me! My apartment only has two sisters living n it—just Soeur Bayles and me! We are the only Sisters in Toulouse.  Toulouse is a HUGE city.  We have been apartment hunting because we are getting another equipe (pair) next transfer!! woot woot!  My health is fine. We have 4 equipes of Elders and then the two of us here. Toulouse is AWESOME!! I love it! It's huge but has an awesome feel to it! It’s kind of a college town so it’s really alive and young! But it seriously is huge!! We attend two sacrament meetings because we are the only sisters! But I love it!!  So you asked if I have any needs.  Lets see...do I have any needs? Ya!  I need to learn French. I need the people of France to be touched by the spirit. I need a temple in the South of France. As for temporal needs....none that I can think of.  It is true, Mondays are my pdays. And by the way, I about died at how cute Elle, gavie, and eddie where.....such cuties!!  Thanks for the photos. In France they listen to a lot of American pop music.  What joy?! It is soooooo hard not to sing along to all the songs  (Katy Perry, Mumford and sons, rap, you name it!). Its soooo distracting.

It was mother’s day in France yesterday! Happy Mother’s Day, Mom.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELISA...welcome to being 21! Actually, it’s not that cool, sorry.

We just had Zone training and our goals are to get 25 new amis by 2 Juin. Much prayer will be needed!!! We are also going to call down the powers of heaven for angels to guide us to the elect. My mission president is BOMB. He is so inspiring and thoughtful. 

Also please pray for sunshine.  On Saturday we tracked ALL day and we literally had the craziest weather. It went from sun to rain to sun to sleet to sun to hail to slush to wind storm......it was unreal! And of course it was on the day we were outside walking all day!!! I am really building a lot of Character here in France ;) 

Have a fun Memorials day...eat a hot dog for me...and play loads of volleyball!!! Bon Semaine! 

May 20 – French Explosion

‪            Well well well...I am currently sitting in an internet cafe in the downtown area of Toulouse France, typing on a French keyboard with Arabian music playing in the background. Random I know. 

Where to even start? So flying was the most stressful thing of my life. I did not get a wink of sleep on the Chicago to London flight. I didn’t get any sleep on any of the flights. That was a real bummer. And then I arrive in France and no bags arrived. The airline lost both my bags...not a fun way to start off my first day (no sleep and no bags).  I spent the entire week in Lyon.  We had legality issue so basically all the new missionaries stayed in a hotel.  On the first day the mission president met us, fed us ,and then sent us to bed. We must have looked like death. I got back to our TINY hotel room, took a much needed shower, and then somehow I was fast asleep. I suddenly woke up in the middle of the night, however, to a French couple SCREAMING at each other. It was actually way scary. I think that is when I really realized that I AM NOT IN THE USA anymore. It dawned on me that I was away because first, I had no clue what they were screaming and second, I thought I was going to have to call 911.  Then I realized I DON’T KNOW THE NUMBER FOR 911!!!!! Luckily I fell back asleep right after they ran off yelling at each other.  Basically a moment I will never forget! Haha 

Quick Birthday shout outs to Janelle, Max, and Aunt Payslie!!!! Love you all!! Hope you had wonderful days!! So when I finally got to Toulouse we had just enough time to set my bags down and then we got a call from the Elders giving us an amis (friend/investigator) to teach who they had contacted earlier that day. We met her at a metro stop and took her to the centre (its a young adult center) in Toulouse. It was the strangest thing I’ve ever done. Seriously though. SOOOO strange. She was talking and then all the sudden stopped and started shaking and like squinting/pushing...then she would breath really heavy and started apologizing.  She said that is how the Lord communicated with her. As you can imagine I didn’t know how to react. AND I HAD NO CLUE WHAT SHE WAS SAYING! So I just held the same face the whole time! I literally didn’t move or change. It was a great experience. 

Soeur Bayles is my trainer. I LOVE her. She is at her half way mark on her mission this transfer. She speaks good French. I would like to pick up how to speak French...I think that would be VERY useful.  Sigh... I am trying to stay positive about all this language stuff. God has been telling me repeatedly not to worry about it (the President said: "I know you, this first bit is going to be very hard for you just be patient"). On Sunday there was a girl that was in our ward randomly...she served in the Paris mission who basically said the same thing.  We also had some Soeurs (Sisters) spend the night in our apartment because they had to be at the Gare (Train Station) in the morning to go to LYON.  Both were their 2nd transfer and they said, “if the lord wanted you to be connecting and communicating with the people then you would be doing that...but that isn’t your current purpose”.) idk.  Loads of great advice and comfort have been coming my way.  It has been helpful.  In all honesty this is HARD. Learning a language is HARD. But I know that God has his timing and hand in all things.... so I am not too worried. 

I love my ward sooooo much. I go to two ward because we are the only Soeurs in Toulouse and we are in charge of both wards. There is a 13 year old girl in the 9am ward that reminds me SO much of Mckynlie Jackson. She is awesome!  She is the biggest 1Direction fan...so we had loads to talk about! I already love the people sooooo much. I just wish I could communicate with them hahaha :) Gratefully they are all super understanding.  So that scary experience where you have to go bear your testimony to your ward on the first Sunday in the country…I got to do it twice. LUCKY ME! Let me tell you...it is very embarrassing speaking your horrible French in front of fluent French speakers.  Yikes!  Ohhhh well. Cest la vie. 

If you want to be my best friend send me peanut butter....it doesn’t exist here :( Fortunately pretty much everything else is 100X better than food in the USA. Their cereal has like chunks of delicious chocolate....and their cheese!!!!! OH MAN its good. The only American foods I’ve seen so far are Pringles and Lays.  No Sunchips, however. :( I discovered that in France, they use butter like mayo. So like they have ham, butter, and pickle baguette sandwiches.  You know what?  They are to die for. Soooooo good. 

My address is:

Soeur Lauren Richardson

70 Ave Jules Julien Apt #14

31400 Toulouse

FRANCE

Please send all my mail to me....unless you are worried I am moving or something....I just have to wait longer to get it!!!! Oh I almost forgot to tell you we visit a cat lady.... she literally has 26 cats. I will spare you the details of the state of her apartment :) Gotta love being a missionary!!!

I love you all. This church is SO true. Never stray. Hold to the rod. Bear  testimony!!! Au revoir!!! Bonne semaine!!