April 24th, 2017

Baguette vending machine

So the vending machine actually makes the baguettes during the day all by itself, what a genius invention, I might need one in my house!

Anyways this week was super good. First district meeting was on Tuesday, and I learned a lot! It was about being a more consecrated missionary. As a zone, this transfer we are really focusing on working hard but also working well. It should be an awesome transfer.

 
Thursday we went to the open house of the Paris temple!! It was absolutely beautiful. It is truly the house of God! It was a lot of traveling but very worth it. We also went to Chipotle, a good taste of regular food!

After that we went to the Couturier's home for dinner. We had a barbecue! We then ate an awesome cake, it was chocolate but also had olives on it so strange combination but good, with the coolest candle ever!!! I know its a bad picture, from a video...

We taught a lesson on the Fall and Adam and Eve to a recent convert, Iman. We were able to teach about the importance of choosing between good and evil. It's the greatest gift. Iman really understood and appreciated Adam and Eve. Because of them, we have the chance to have everlasting joy.

Other than that the week just flew. I am so happy to be a missionary and I love that Heavenly Father is always finding ways to bless his children. He loves you!

Sœur Giles

Paris Temple

The Avenue des Champs-Élysées 

Couturier's home - really cool candle!

Letter to Mom,


Ah mom that's so awesome. Glad you're doing well :) honestly doesn't feel weird to be 20, it's just weird to talk about it haha. So cool that Elder Christofferson is coming, he will for sure enjoy the choir. Also Cassidy is singing in the choir?? Cool cool. She sent me a picture of her dress, so pretty. Also tell me about the dress you wore to the wedding!!
I love that analogy with the salt. I really in Ether 6 this week. Read it and apply it to life. Why doesn't the Lord just push the jaridites with a nice breeze? Think of the boat as the Holy ghost and the stones as Christ.
Glad Clay is enjoying baseball and that his team did well. Is anyone playing catch with him? :) tell him I would if I could!! Also I had the thought yesterday for him to start reading the tennis shoes among the Nephites books! I remember reading them in middle school and really being interested in the book of Mormon after that. It made the characters come to life. Also I remember reading one of them in the bathroom late at night, yes I did that a lot haha, and being so touched by the spirit when Christ came to the Nephites after he was resurrected. Anyways just a thought for him!
I loved walking through the temple and remembering the covenants that we make. Honestly God is giving us so so much. We are promised so many awesome blessings when we obey.
Keep it up mom, I love you so much!!
Hannah


Letter to Dad,




Ah Dad I know im so sorry for not emailing you back last week!! I really appreciate hearing about your week! I wrote a draft for last weeks as well. Here it is.
Thanks so much, especially for the birthday cake emoji, just delicious!! It's been pretty cold this past week but I think it's supposed to warm up this week and start spring. It's only rained one time. So my comp had a baptism the Saturday before I got here so we have been reteaching the lessons to her. Right now we have lots of potentials but only one progressing ami. We are working hard for more!
Sounds like work is getting pretty busy! Has the USC deal been finalized or is that more of a continual process? #3 exec though!! Go dad!! I'm sure he enjoyed your new car.
I'm glad all the reception turned out well. Have you used the new smoker yet??
I haven't had snails yet! Closest thing was snail butter but not too many weird foods yet. Something different here is that they eat vegetables by themselves, not in a salad. Almost everyone for dinner has a bowl of cucumbers covered in sour cream, another bowl of tomatoes with olive oil and spices, and another bowl of shredded carrots. It's interesting!


The temple tour was amazing. There was some cool sun, moon, star Stain glass window pieces. Also the chairs are very comfortable. So the Chipotle we went to after the temple was on the Champs...we were there just a few hours before the terrorist attack. Heavenly Father takes care of his missionaries, we were long gone on a train by then. We were supposed to have exchanges in Paris this week but that got changed, they will be here in Nancy the next week I think. We have quite a few meetings with new amis this week, I'm excited to start teaching.
Here they only bisou 2 times, the left then to the right. It's just pretty normal now. Unfortunately the Harry Potter store isn't open on Mondays and we don't really have time during the week so we just look in the window sometimes!
Have another great week! Love , Hannah

April 17, 2017

April 17, 2017

Lots of Kinder Chocolate!

My bleue ville is Nancy! It's on the east side of France, a few hours from Paris.

The flight here was long, I sat next to a guy from Holland! President and Sœur Babin picked us up and drove us to the mission office where we started contacting. I contacted with Sœur Bishop who has been out for 11 months, we gave out a few copies of the Book of Mormon. This is what I contributed in all our conversations combined : 3 Bonjours, and one 20 second prayer. She was a fearless missionary!!

The next day we met our trainers, mine is Sœur Warr from Santa Clarita, California! Every where I go I meet someone who knows where Camarillo is, small world. We took the bullet train to Nancy and quickly changed into normal clothes. Nancy is awesome because they have young adult activites ! The ward is here relatively big. So Wednesday night we had a sports night with a few of the members and some Amis. The next day we had a mangez-vous with a member Maité and her friend Irène. They are both old ladies and love the missionaries, we had a great time with them. Maité actually knows my teacher from the MTC Sœur Kitchen, that was a nice tender mercy!

I'm not sure why people think French people aren't very nice because almost all of them are so kind and encouraging!! I love them! On Thursday we did some finding and my goal was to start some of the conversations. The first woman I talked to, Charlotte, was so receptive and nice!
A lot of the contacts we do, we share the Easter video. It is awesome, definitely watch it soon please! Each time I watch it, I feel Christ's love for the whole world. He truly lived, died, and lives again so we can have eternal joy. Through Him we can have peace!

The bizarre event of the week was having dinner with the family Nisse. They are less actives. I don't really know how to describe them...definitely French! They fed us lamb covered in snail butter. Meals take a really long time here, we had at least 4 courses, we started at 7 and we had to rush the desert out to finish by 9. They just don't stop talking!

Church yesterday was very refreshing! The members are so fun. An elder that just finished this past Wednesday actually came with his family to visit the ward, it was nice talking to them. Actually his brother served in Taiwan with the Blickenstaffs, their last name is Long! I don't think the world could get any smaller.

I absolutely love it here. I'm so grateful for Sœur Warr, she works so hard and is very dedicated to bringing this happy message to everyone around us. She's a great example to me.
One scripture that i loved this week was Psalms 62:8. A lot of people we talk to say that God is all around us but he can actually be with us! He answers our prayers because He loves us!

Have a great week!

Sœur Giles





Gratitude Wall, at the MTC




Bus ride to the airport from the MTC

Arrived at the airport in Paris!




Breakfast at the mission home




meeting their new trainer today




dinner at the mission home




First trainer, Soeur Warr!










Consecration Hill

Seour Warr, from Santa Clarita, California - Hannah's trainer




We heart attacked Maité to thank her for lunch.

Yummy pastry!

President and Sœur Babin





























Letter to Mom:


That sounds incredible Mom!! I cant wait for the pictures! Also tell me about the dress you were wearing for the wedding?!? It's beautiful! Not the one you ordered right?

It has been quite the week, most of it is in the group email but I just wanted to tell you that I love you and I am so grateful for all your help in preparing me for this! You've always been a great example to me and I see how strong you are and how much you love the lord. Keep it up mom! Also you'd be proud of me, I'm not really that scared to go up and talk to random people! A lot of them do say I don't have time but a lot of them do talk about their beliefs. You could totally be a missionary!
The transportation system is really confusing for me and I usually have no idea where we are but I know which bus to take to get to the church and how to get to a grocery store! 

We talked to such a nice lady yesterday at the bus stop. The bus was really late so we got to talk for a long time! She was interested in life after death because her husband died 20 years ago but she says she can still feel him here. She's been prepared! Sadly she wouldn't give us her number so hopefully she will call us sometime. We gave her a Book of Mormon too! 

We haven't taught many lessons, just little thoughts for the families we visit. They had a baptism last Saturday, her name is Iman and she is the cutest Armenian lady ever to be seen!!
We get to go to the Paris temple on Thursday,part of the vip open house, the most perfect birthday present. Thanks for your package! Greatly appreciated mom :) I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

Hannah

We heart attacked Maité to thank her for lunch. Picture from consecration hill. Our gratitude wall from the MTC. Bus ride to the airport. And a random building!

April 7th, 2017

10 hour flight here I come!

This week has flown by! It started off great with general conference. Those prophets have been called of God and do speak his word. I am so grateful that God loves us so much that he would provide a way for us to come to learn more about him and learn more how to have happiness in this life. Fun fact Elder Costa and Elder Palmer each came to the MTC and spoke to us the past two Tuesdays! Everyone cheered when they walked up to talk. I loved President Monson's talk about how important the Book of Mormon is. Seriously, read it every single day!!

Sunday night vocal point from BYU came and sang. It was awesome!!! Listen to Nearer My God to Thee by them as soon as you can. It is so powerful and awesome and inspiring. Please listen to it!

This week was a little crazy. On Monday we had TRC with a real person this week! His name is Adam from Bordeaux. It was super cool. He likes to ride his bike and he delivers pizza!
Tuesday and Wednesday we taught our last lessons and had some really fun times with our teachers, they told awesome stories.

Thursday was in field orientation and we did a lot of contacting. They also talked about how important the members are in helping people have a good experience at church and can help support their testimony as well.

I am super excited to get to France and spread the joy of the gospel. I may not be able to speak much but through God anything is possible.

Sœur Giles

*******************************************************************************Letter to Mom,

Mom you are awesome!!! There are so many tender mercies here. I absolutely love studying and planning lessons. Often my questions are answered when I study for my investigators.

Can't believe Lucas is getting married tomorrow, I'm glad everything is working out.
I'm so excited for Ruth!! I can't wait to see her. Soooo many people have or are or will serve in paris. The work is hastening for sure. I can't wait to get out there. I have been reading a lot of my teacher's emails from when he served, he has them all printed out in a binder . They are hilarious! The members are so kind and there are so many opportunities to teach people.

Also I love your tandem bike poem, it's such a good analogy. I miss Grandpa, he was so kind and gentle and loving, can't wait to see him again!
On Monday, we leave for the airport a little after 12, so I will probably be able to call in-between 2 and 4. Hopefully you won't be going through a bad cell phone area...

Also thank you so much for the package and thank clay for his letter, I'll send him one back!
I'll talk to you soon! Love you so much!

Sœur Hannah Giles