June 26, 2017

I'm not getting a new companion...

I'm getting TWO! Yep we will be a trio. The soeurs are taking over Nancy! Sadly Sœur Warr is going to Liege in Belgium, she'll do great things there. I've really appreciated all her help during these past two transfers. I'll miss her!

This week was a crazy one! On Wednesday we went to Strasbourg for a zone finding day. It is a beautiful city! We talked to some very nice people, hopefully some of them work out for the elders there.

On Thursday we went to Paris to do some legality. Surprisingly easy. The church is really good at 

handling all the paperwork. Also another trip to Chipotle!!

The message that we've been sharing recently is the story in the bible of the woman who just simply reached out to touch the clothes of Jesus as he walked by. There was also a talk on it this last conference. But she is such a great example. Its the simple acts, like reaching out our arm, that show our faith and produce miracles. Those small steps that push us to stretch a little farther, work a little harder are so important. What can we do to spiritually stretch our self? We all have things to work on and improve. We can start with the little things and trust that Christ can heal and help us.
This coming week should be interesting! Change is a little scary but life is constant change, just gotta go with it!

Bonne semaine,
Sœur Giles



Numbers represent the months each missionary has been out?




Last few days with Soeur Warr




Strasbourg







Letter to Mom:


This week has been really good!! Yours sounded very busy and very fun. So many parties! Thank you so much for the pictures! Also I did receive the photo book and i LOVE it. Can't wait for the letter and package :)

This next transfer should be really interesting, a trio is pretty tricky I've heard! But the ward will love having another missionary. I've also heard they are both super awesome and really nice!
This week was just a blur! Going to Strasbourg and Paris in the same week is very tiring. Traveling always takes a lot of time. I had to do second year legality even though I haven't been here for 1 year yet. My visa expires in September but it all worked out. I got my recepisee, french legality for another year which will be perfect.

This Sunday I played in sacrament, Sunday school, relief society, and primary! The ward is sure grateful that you taught me piano haha my sight reading skills have really improved!
This week has just been so stinking hot. Camarillo is not this hot and its just June ahh. But we finally bought a fan today so all should be well. Wont be waking up sweaty anymore! Also everyone goes on vacation so teaching amis should be interesting. We found a few cool potentials this past week. One really cool Catholic who is very open to learning more. Her name is Aurelie.

Also heard you're doing a big trip with your sisters and Cassidy!!! Ah sounds so fun. Stop by Nancy? :) have a great time! Expecting pictures!

Thanks for all you do mom, you are great and I love you!! Have a wonderful week!

Bisous!
Hannah






Letter to Dad:


Dang you actually made a family mission plan! That's real cool. Elder whats his face would be happy. The one that was over last summer? Took a year haha.

Also I did the Esther scripture chain thing and I learned something really interesting. I noticed that the king, after the first dinner, went and did some research! It wasn't necessarily what Esther said or asked but her other actions as well. She was putting in effort and that was an example to him. So as we bring the gospel and share what we feel but more importantly how we help them to feel and grow their own relationship with God. Teach people not lessons!

Wow what a cool youth conference! I hope that helped them to have a desire to come on mission because if they go without one it stinks! It kinda sounded like the MTC! We did practice teaching but they were just our teachers but there were also some real investigators being taught in the MTC.
Have you thought of someone to invite over? That would be a dream come true for those missionaries! I'm sure you know that!

Also I like sherbet lemon!!

This week was crazy! We squeezed in some time to just do pure finding. And it was awesome! We talked to some real cool potentials that we will be meeting with this week with my new companions. It was awesome we found 2 amis in 20 minutes! I'm excited!

Other than that it was a pretty tranquil week. Traveling was crazy but we got everything we needed to done. I love being here and am so grateful for this experience. Thanks for your email!

Love, Hannah

June 19, 2017

This week started with a really great zone conference. The last one from President Babin. He talked a lot about working hard but importantly working well. Its so important to prioritize so we can get all the essential things done. Wednesday we had a very interesting mangezvous with Noelle. The appetizer was cheese and shrimp and avocado. Then we ate rabbit and carrots. Funny because rabbits eat carrots..and then a really good dessert! We shared with her the talk from the last October conference about being good enough to receive eternal life. All we got to do is try! Heavenly Father intends for us to make it, so don't ever give up!

Thursday we went to Paris for exchanges and talked to some very cool people. We met an amie in the hospital and shared with her the video from Easter. She loved it and just loves missionaires! She is from the Congo and super kind. On our way back from the hospital we talked to a 18 year old named Victoria for an hour and a half!! We contacted her right as she was unlocking her bike from a little fence so she talked the whole time with her helmet on. She explained to us a lot of her life experiences and opinions about what life actually is and how to live a good life. She was actually recently in a bike accident and realized a lot things she needed to change. Shes been able to change the way she sees herself and others. She recognizes the goodness in people instead of the bad. The good news for her is that a lot of what she said is also what we believe! Hopefully she'll be able to meet and learn more.

That is just one of my absolute favorite things of being here. Getting to serve and help and just listen to people. Each person deserves to have this hope that we have and we can help them have it by simply sharing the truths that we believe in.

I'm so grateful to be a missionary and to learn more and more each day about Heavenly Father and his plan for us. It is really plan of joy and happiness. I relearn that every day! This next week is going to be a good week! :)

Bonne lundi!
Sœur Giles







Cheese, Shrimp and Avocado Appetizer




Rabbit with carrots! Kind of funny, since rabbits eat carrots!




fancy dessert




Soeur's Warr and Giles with Elaine S. Dalton - former YW general president







Letter to Mom:
MAMAN! It sounds like you are doing so awesome! Thanks so much for the update. Graduation looked very nice, I received the pictures. No rain like there was for mine? :) glad gramma and Summer went! And her jam is so good. I remember this last semester at school when she drove up to Provo and gave me some I had at least one piece of toast every day!
Summer still hasn't emailed me but I sent her another one to remind her. How is she doing?
Did Rita say anything about how the accounting program is going? I'm so excited for Ruth to come! It'll be funny calling her sœur though haha
Sorry about your teeth, I'm praying for you! What an adventure having braces is. What are you correcting? Just crooked teeth? How is it going to work with getting your tooth out? You rock braces mom! Looking so good! Also hows the estimate for the bathroom remodel?
And I think that is one of the things I miss the very most! Being able to talk for so long while we worked around the house and ran errands. Thanks for the hug and picture, it's going up on my wall! Also hopefully dad showed you the video I sent. I am kinda primary pianist now. Pretty cool! I'm learning the courage of Nephi? Nephi's courage? I'm not sure what it is called but its going well. Mom I absolutely LOVE this one member in the ward. Her name is Anouck and she's around 35 to 40 and she has 2 kids. We went with her daughter to young woman's because she is the only young woman and didn't want to be alone. Anyways Anouck is just so happy and so awesome! We went to her house for lunch on Friday and it was so good. Yesterday she thanked us for the spiritual thought we gave, it really touched her! We're like instant friends!
Did clay get his postcard? Glad the other cards got there.
Tonight we are going to do zumba with a member who is a zumba instructor and some of her friends. You going to spin?
We've also made carrot cake on Saturday to take to a member and amie and it was pretty good! Not as good as yours but pretty healthy! No added sugar, just unsweetened applesauce.
Thanks so much for all you do! I am so grateful to be your daughter. You are wonderful!! Love you so much and I am giving you an even bigger hug! :)
Avec amour,
Hannah


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Letter to Dad:
What a dinner!! I would gladly eat that salmon. Sounds delicious. This week I ate rabbit...it really didn't taste bad but I just kept thinking of the dead bunny park and it grossed me out a little haha. The appetizer was really interesting. Raw baby shrimp. Also here seafood is the mark of fancy. I guess for Christmas they eat so much sea food. Like oysters and things like that. It'll be an adventure when it comes to that! We went to a members house on Friday and she made us barbecue pork ribs!! It was so good they just fell right off the bone. It was cooked in a pot, I know a disgrace to barbecue, but it was a taste of home!
Whenever people ask me about my family I always say we ride our bikes a lot! It is such a big part of our family. You could name your bike soleil! It means sun! "Okay Heather I am going to take soleil on a ride in sycamore canyon, be back in a few hours!" Hmm it could work!
That's really nice of you to go visit Don in the hospital. I'm sure it was very appreciated! Hospitals here are so weird. They don't really have records of people! No real database. Having a baby is free! Not very secure. Anyone could walk in or out. Just so different!
Also iIreally don't remember Grandpa. It sounds like he worked hard for his family. I can't wait to meet him one day! On my grad trip I was able to ask gramma about grandpa. I think it was right around this time! She told me how they met and how she decided to marry him. And voila we are all here!
We are doing our best to work hard and the way the Lord wants! We have to find some new progressing amis this week. We are going to see Alexandra on Saturday and we're going to talk about a baptismal date. She is so ready! I'm excited.
Glad to hear everything is going well, thanks for your email and the pictures! Happy birthday and fathers day again, you're awesome!
Love, Sœur Giles

June 12, 2017

Bon!

I'm just going to start with Saturday. Since we get a new mission president in a few weeks, we had a sœur conference in Paris to say good bye to President and Sœur Babin. And it was wonderful!! The sœur leaders put together a good presentation of speakers and little discussions. We heard from an old Paris missionary who is an mtc teacher who was in Paris for an internship and also we got a surprise visit from Elaine S. Dalton!! She used to be the general young women's president and was in Paris to visit the temple and for vacation. It actually wasn't in her plans to visit Paris on the last day but she decided to and voilà! We got to meet her and hear her speak a little bit. She is such a strong woman and a great example! One thing that I really liked that she said was "In the strength of the Lord I can do all things and so can you". Because it is so true!!
After returning from Paris, we went straight to a rendezvous with our ami Alexandra. She is 17 and the daughter of a recent convert and the few times I've seen her, she has awesome questions about family history and the temple. So we decided to talk about the Plan of Happiness! And what a lesson it was! We went through the whole lesson(Sœur did a fabulous drawing on the chalkboard) and along the way she would ask questions and the answer was in the next paragraph. The most wonderful moment was at the end when she said she felt the presence of God with us and while she has been at church. She is so ready and so prepared! Can't wait for our next rendezvous!
This week I really enjoyed the talk from this last conference about having a firm foundation of faith in Christ. Opposition is an opportunity to change and become better. Though we don't understand everything, Christ sure does!
Bonne lundi!
Sœur Giles





A visit from Sis. Elaine Dalton - Hannah is in the back, on the right








P-Day basketball





Letter to Mom:


Okay wow sounds like an awesome weekend! Glad you are enjoying the good weather and family! What a treat :) it is weird that Clay is going to be in high school so soon. But exciting! So I recieved his letter on the 8th of june. He wanted me to let him know when it got here! Probably takes about 9 or 10 days. Is he excited for summer? I'll write him back this week!
Some wonderful experiences we had this week was with visits with members and less actives. I really have such a better understanding of why visiting teaching is so important. There are woman who are really struggling and don't have anyone to talk about it with! We visited a woman who is awesome and we shared a quote from a talk about how everything will be made right through Christ and He can help with all things. She then shared with us how she doesn't feel like she's going to make it! She doesn't feel like she's good enough! So we gave her the talk from October conference about that to read and we'll talk about it this week. So my little tip for you this summer is to try as hard as possible to visit those who need it! It truly helps and is worth the sacrifice! Also don't feel discouraged if its hard because its a struggle for the members here too! Its easy for us as missionaries because tha'ts what we do all day!
The foods are similar here just eaten in a different way so not too many new foods!
I did buy those small brown boots, only 20 euros! Could you also tell me what my balance is on my debit card? I've been trying to keep track but the conversion is throwing off my groove. And the dress was just here!
Sœur Warr and I get along really well and I'm sad she'll probably leave in a few weeks because we've been together for two transfers. There is also a missionary mom's facebook page! There might be some pictures on there too.
Also I am playing the piano for when the primary kids sing a song for father's day next sunday! And I am going to continue playing for their monthly song, Nephi's courage. Thanks again for teaching me! The primary chorister is so cute and so thankful! We are going to visit her this week!
Thanks for your email Mom, thanks for everything. Keep it up, you're doing great! Love you!
Sœur Giles


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Letter to Dad:


Yeah it is definitely getting warmer here. Apparently it gets really hot in the summer and really cold in the winter. Stinky buses here we come! :D
Also we definitely do need to plan a trip but that can wait till after!
Our investigators are doing well. Most of them have a good desire to learn and meet with us but life gets in the way a lot of the time. I am able to add more to lessons now which is really nice. Feels like I'm contributing! Sœur is good and pushes me to lead lessons and ask questions which is nice of her!
Also she went to Sauguas high school so she probably knows that kid! Its so sad how that happens. Keep looking for opportunities to share your testimony! Just a simple line or two will help for sure. Go member missionaries :D and those ideas on that calendar are really good. Definitely going to do some of them more!
Missionary experiences Highlights of the week
We prepared a thought for a member older woman and it opened up a good discussion of one of her concerns in life. We gave her a talk to read about it and will talk about it next time.
We also met with a less active who is here for school but she left for Greece the day after we talked to her and she comes back in September. We'll see her again then I hope!
Oh a cool experience we had. We went to do a pass by after church but she wasn't there so we started to walk home and met a woman at the bus stop! She is only 21 and believes in a lot of things. We are meeting with her on Wednesday.
Then another awesome thing happened! We've been trying to see our bishop and his family and get to know them the whole time I've been here. Sœur warr hadn't been to his house before either. We have to take a train to get there and they are pretty busy. But yesterday they called a few hours after church to see if we could come for dinner! So of course we went!! And it was wonderful to talk with them. Hopefully its the start of him especially wanting to help us out a little bit more.
This week we have zone conference and exchanges so it'll be another busy one!
Thanks for your email Dad, you're a great example. Love you!
Sœur Giles

Moi manquez vous June 6, 2017

Another crazy week!

Our friend Sonila who was in the hospital, had her baby and a few days later went back to Metz! Though her baby is still here, she might come visit soon! We talked on the phone the other day and she said she misses us. I am so grateful to make a friendship that will last longer than a life time! We got to hear her story and support her during a very difficult time. It was amazing!

Then we had a finding day in Epinal, which was fun! It's a small village not too far away. We talked to this woman named Manuella who was the nicest temoigne Jehovah I've ever met! She said straight up if I find your church to be true I'll join. She'll be in the hospital for the next month but after that she will totally take the lessons! Hopefully she's reading the book of Mormon during her stay. We talked to her for an hour and a half on a park bench. Quite a contact!

Friday was a crazy day. We had so many rendezvous and planned out every minute from 11 to 17h30, bus times included. The crazy thing, it all happened!! It was the first day where our plans actually happened! Yay! The lessons we had were very needed and wonderful!

Yesterday we had a good day in Metz with the relief society of the stake. We took two classes . One was about natural products. We got homemade chapstick and mosquito repellent. Then we went to an art of the table class where we learned true table manners. I think my favorite moment of the day was when the old French ladies gasped at the thought of using your finger to push food onto the fork. What a day!

The Lord is good and is always willing to bless us. Turn to Him!

Bonne semaine,
Sœur Giles
















Learning the art of correct table manners!






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Letter to Mom:


Well this week has been a good one just like yours! Busy and busy and busy! Which is the best!! Its interesting though because every single one of our rendezvous cancelled for a whole week but we were still incredibly busy.
Honestly I figured out a huge reason why you taught me how to play the piano and why I kept with it. We did a church tour with our ami Elizabeth and while we were in the chapel I played I know that my Redeemer lives for her. She took a video so she could listen while she was at home. She tried to sing along with Sœur Warr. But she LOVED it. Being there increased her desire to come to church and come to know God. We really hope shes going to come to church this week, it would help so much!

With our member visits we are talking about the temple. And share Mosiah 2:4-6. And our commitment is to set a goal to turn your home or heart towards the temple. The members here actually live closer to the Swiss temple, but they love that there is a temple in their country. The members were very blessed in the prayer.

Thank you for sharing that talk! There were so many good ones from this last conference.
Also what is your financial plan for remodeling? :) i would love to hear it! What are the differences in the estimates? And don't forget pictures during the process! Also do you remember if you put Sœur on the photo book package? Our mailbox says les missionaires so if not it might be on its way back to you.
Other than that it was a good week!
Love you!!
Sœur Hannah

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Letter to Dad:

We are doing well here in Nancy! The land of the endless holidays and a strike so no buses or tram today. How wonderful for missionaries who have tons of things to do and never enough time. But really we are doing so well!! Sunday was sad when no amis came to church . Satan is working too hard and getting in the way!! Next week will be better.

Oh what are some of the activities for the youth? That's pretty cool thing to do. As a zone we are working on consecration and using the temple covenants. Last week was obedience and this week is sacrifice. Each day there is something new to work on. Today we talked to at least 5 people on trajet but there is none today in Nancy so we will try again tomorrow. But it's cool to have a substantial goal each day.

Also that quote is so true. Its easy to see flaws and to go through the motions but so much more rewarding to live the gospel to its fullest. Not by being perfect but by continually changing and becoming better. Jesus didn't even call himself perfect until after he was resurrected so we all just have to try our best!

Also do you have any more scripture chains? I like those a lot!

Too bad about your bike, don't break your collar bone again! Also i just realized right now that your jersey says old fart...

We have had so many good rendezvous with our recent convert Iman. She's so hungry for the truth. She loves learning the commandments and has a strong testimony of God's love. She was so excited to tell us yesterday she finished Jacob in the book of Mormon!! She is cruising. Also in every prayer she blesses her cat Titi taiwan.
Thanks for the updates. I've been doing calf raises every night while I brush my teeth so tell Clay that he's got some work to do to catch up!

Love you!!
Sœur Giles