August 28, 2017

It's been a week of eating rice and couscous

Ok first off let's just talk about Sœur Hunt's stir fry!!! We had it at least 4 times this week. Bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, and zucchini never tasted so good.

Our rendezvous went pretty well. We were able to see Joseph and Iman. They are both doing well!
The biggest thing that happened this week was we were able to go to Luxembourg for a day!! We did exchanges there and it was super cool. It looks different than France and everyone speaks at least 4 languages. They take trains instead of buses to get to the different villages and the main center town is pretty small. 

We went to see a less active and we showed the video about the man who is on a cruise and takes canned beans to eat because he doesn't realize that the food and activities are included in the price of the ticket. Sometimes its easy to forget about all the blessings Heavenly Father has for us. We've been baptized, we've paid the ticket and are aboard the ship. But do we participate in all that He has in store for us? That could mean during Sundays paying more attention to the sacrament and how to involve the atonement in our lives or during each day, making sure our prayers are more meaningful and thoughtful so that He can answer them! I loved seeing that perspective.

Then we went on the elevator in the middle of the city! People actually use it to travel. We talked to a lady who was on her way home and she took a picture for us!

Saturday we had a fun brunch with the Tahitian couple in our ward. Her sister from Tahiti was visiting. Her sister served her mission in Australia so it was fun speaking a little bit of English with her.

That's about it for this week, have a great one!

Sœur Giles








































Letter to Mom and Dad:

I had a really good week! Sœur Hunt and I are getting along very well and are much more comfortable. We started to really laugh a lot this week and had some very good times. Being with her has really helped me to see how powerful preach my gospel is. It really is inspired! It is very simple but it has so much power. The lessons work so well and tie into each other and then all the other chapters are added bonus on how to obtain lots of blessings of the gospel. I've also learned how precious time is, it's important not to waste a second! That includes taking the time to slow down and talk through the experiences we have had.

One of my strengths really is not contacting, you're right Dad, sometime people have a gift for it and others don't (I don't remember that sister 10 years ago but I'm sure it helped the ward so much and showed that they are people who are prepared even in little Camarillo) but I really have found a lot of joy in seeing members reach out. There is a lot of potential for that in this ward so I'm praying for ways on how we can put it into reality! One member Maité is super awesome in inviting her friends and family in a very soft way, she doesn't want to push them but she has a strong testimony of the love of the savior. Her daughter in law seems to need the gospel!

Mom, my piano site reading skills are just getting better and better (well I pray every single second of every song because of the lack of time for real practice). But I played a few new songs in sacrament meeting yesterday that I never have before. It was fun but I sweated way too much, too nervous!

It's so crazy how people are getting married, seems so surreal. The flowers were beautiful! And Paige is going to have a baby!! I remember when we were in primary together.

Iman's calling is assistant relief society secretary so she takes roll during 3rd hour but she hasn't been there in about a month. She has friends in the ward and they all care about her! Almost everyone we see asks about how she is doing. But now she is in Toul taking care of a sick friend for the next 2 weeks. It just feels like so many things are pushing against all our efforts to help her!

I read Joshua 5 and 6 and I liked it! Cool story about how the Lord keeps his promises when we are exactly obedient. I read that 7 represents holiness and perfection in the bible. And the Savior is the Lord of Hosts, he directs his work, he is the head of this church, the reason why we can progress in life. What he does, and where he is is holy! So things of the world cant be there, like joshua's shoes. Veggie tales has taught me a lot actually!

Thanks for your emails, stay busy and smile lots and lots! Even with your braces mom :)
Love,
Sœur Giles
Some extra pictures of Luxembourg!

August 21, 2017

Transfer 4 in Nancy begins!

Another crazy week! We had a fun time at a ward picnic. We played lots of fun games. Like trying to push a toy car with a potato tied to your waist...interesting! We also played one where you had to put on lots of random clothes fast then run a little ways and back and then take them all off again. It was good to spend time with the ward and see them laugh a lot. We then had dinner with the Tahitian couple in our ward and she tried to teach us how to Tahitian dance. Unfortunately we were not blessed with that ability and we looked ridiculous haha but it was very fun!

Wednesday I went with two other soeurs into Paris to pick up our bleues. We successfully navigated the metros with huge suitcases, didnt get lost at all!
My bleue's name is Sœur Hunt! She is from Sandy,  Utah and just graduated from high school. She is very cute and very courageous. We will have lots of good times these next months. 

We visited a less active family on Thursday and it was such a good rendezvous. We talked about Mosiah 18 and our baptismal covenants. The wife was able to study and learn about what our covenants are. And they actually were able to come to church last week. The husband said the opening prayer in sacrament meeting. He was very nervous so he only said two things: bless the missionaries and bless the cats and dogs. It was the cutest!

On Friday we saw Joseph. He has a strong desire to learn more. He doesn't speak much french but is trying his best to learn.
We then went to see a less active in Pont a Mousson. She lives about 20 minutes from the train station and the whole time we were walking, it was pouring rain. Oh well!

On Saturday we met the coolest lady!! Her name is Josette and she had seen missionnaires a little while ago. She is really interested in genealogy and is having difficult family struggles. She was so ready! Well we got her number and then called it yesterday...not her number. It was sad because it was such a great experience. Hopefully she will be found again!

Have a wonderful week!

Sœur Giles 

Letter to Mom:

I am doing well Mom :) I love my new companion. She is very sweet! And she has such a good desire to be out here. Its been fun reliving MTC days. That feels like so long ago! Sœur Hunt actually received her mission call AFTER I reported to the MTC. Weird.

Speaking of weird, I had the same thought last week when Lucas emailed me and said Kailee was sick. Interesting, very interesting. We will see soon I'm sure!

Also I'd love to email Clay! Maybe you could help him set up a gmail so we can talk? I miss my chess playing buddy!
Cute blankets! The babies are going to be very comfy. 

I am really happy to still be here. When you come we will walk through place stansislas and get some gelato in the shape of a rose! You'll love it!

One thing I enjoyed studying about this week was the Abrahamic covenant! It's cool to think that when we enter into the covenant we are promised access to the atonement and to eternal blessings. We always have a chance to start over and try again. Always!
Hopefully your mouth heals quickly, I'm praying for you! 

Love, Sœur Giles

August 14, 2017

Drum Roll!

This week was a crazy one! Our transfer ended and we had no idea what was going to happen to the three of us. So I will be staying in Nancy and a new missionary straight from the MTC will join me! I'm super excited but incredibly nervous. Sœur Meredith is going to Lille and Sœur Robertson is going to the city right next to it, Villeneuve d'Ascq. They will be in the same apartment but not companions! I am super happy to still be in Nancy, I love the city and I love the members here. They are incredible!

This week we had a fun rendezvous with a new amie Dominque! She is open to talking and likes that we dont focus on the death of Christ. We showed her the Prince of Peace video and she liked it enough. She had one problem with it...she said that Jesus didn't actually turn wine into water. He just added more water to make it into water and the disciples didn't even know it! Well actually the miracle was water into wine so her logic makes no sense...oops!

We were also able to have a good family night with Iman! She bought us a little cake and we sang together. We also read Mosiah 5 and talked about how important covenants are.

This week, we discovered a cool way how to work with less actives. In chapter 12 of President Howard W Hunter's teaching manual he talks about how important our relation is with the Savior, how important our covenants are with him. So we decided to talk about that with 2 of the families we went to see this week. And it was awesome! We talked about what they really wanted in life. One really really wants to be sealed in the temple and the other wants to be a good example to her grand kids. Both stem from keeping their covenants!

Other than that one of the elder's amis made us dinner, tartiflette. Potatoes and cheese and bacon and onions. Its special because of the cheese I guess. It was super super good!!

Bonne semaine!
Sœur Giles

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Letter to Mom:

Oh wow lots of change! How is your mouth feeling now? Cassidy is a great nurse!
French is coming along. It is nice having a francophone in my district because he corrects us a lot and that helps! But he is leaving to another ville, sad! But I'm sure I will get lots of practice these next two transfers if my new companion isn't francophone.

Glad to hear the return missionaries are doing well! Its such a good time to be our here serving, i love it! Every day is absolutely insane and lots of crazy things happen but its soo good.

I will really miss my companions, they have been such great examples and have helped me a lot. Sœur Meredith was really sad to have only spent one transfer here. Nancy is the best! But i am also nervous to be taking over Nancy, I know the most about everyone!

Also yes I am very comfortable with public transport, it seems like its the only way i will ever travel. Super easy! Here there are about 15 bus lines and I have ridden most of them.

Glad you got back safely, summer is almost over! It is starting to be pretty chilly in the morning. But I am doing really well. 

Have a wonderful week mom!
Love you!

Sœur Giles

August 7, 2017

We've had another great week! Last Monday we were able to go and visit lots of World War I sites. This area of France suffered a lot of damage during those years and most of the places are preserved. We got to go up close to so many remnants of buildings and churches. We also went to see the trenches! Walking through them was so interesting! It was thundering while we were there which made it feel more real. Each year French and German students come together and clean them. We also saw an american cemetery and monument. The Americans were able to do a lot of good over here. 

We had a fun rendezvous with our amie Chloé! We went to the church and made cookies together. She loves american cookies haha but we also showed her around and talked about the restoration of the church. She was very interested in all the classes we have and all the activities we do. She does not have a big religious background so she thought it was so cool that our church is a big family and help each other out. She works on Sundays but she will come to some young adult activities!
We had a good rendezvous with Cyril also. We talked about the atonement of Christ and how much it can help us. He took it really well. Unfortunately he lost his phone and didn't show up to church. Hopefully we can find him around town!

So we visited this young couple in the ward last week and we ended talking about how they want to share the gospel with their friends but that they are pretty nervous. Since then, we have thought of a few ideas of how to work with them. Then yesterday during fast and testimony meeting, the husband, a convert of about 4 years, got up and bore a 1 minute testimony on the power of missionary work. It was so powerful and so meaningful knowing that it is something hard for him but he did it anyways!!
I read a great talk today from the April general conference about the role of the Holy Ghost. With this gift we can be warned of danger, comforts us, and testifies of truth. As we seek for God's help and ask for it, He will help us along the way. I know it! 

Have a great week!

Sœur Giles

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Letter to Mom and Dad,


Looks like you had tons of fun! Gramma did alright? Thanks for the pictures!
These past 2 weeks have been crazy! We have had lots of lessons, amis and less actives. Its going well! Most everyone is on vacation though. People here leave for a whole month so church has been pretty empty! But they are starting to trickle back in, thank goodness!


Last Monday was super awesome!! Frère Houmeau took us all over! He has such a cool story and speaks about 6 languages, he does some translating for the church as well. We started in Pont a Mousson, a smaller town north of here. We learned about some architecture-old buildings from the renaissance and before. In the main town square they designated whose shop was whose by a head on the arch so I took a picture of one haha then he showed us the little statue for the american ambulance drivers. They were very crucial in this part of France. We also went and visited some destroyed villages. One had a replica of the church and some remnants as well. One of the towns was all mapped out! We then went and saw some areas where Germans had blown up some trenches. They were just huge pits in the earth, cool! Something interesting is that there is still no grass there. I took a picture of the chart describing the effects of the bombs. Finally we went to the trenches! The Germans build some nice sturdy ones with rocks while the French just settled for lumps of dirt piled up. It was so weird walking through them. It was thundering a little bit while we were there...that made it feel more real! When we went to visit the American monuments, we saw a group of bike riders riding up the hill as well and we talked to them a little at the top and they took a picture for us! One of them had been to Utah before. Its a pretty steep hill so I was impressed. I'll give you full details of pictures when I show them to you in person!


I did a good study on gratitude and why Heavenly Father needs to be thanked. Its kind of a crazy circle. But I found that when we are grateful, Heavenly Father promises us so many blessings! He made this all for us and and wants to help us progress and being thankful allows that. When we are grateful for the Spirit, he blesses us with it more and we are able to become better and align our will with his. Then I thought about how it is His work and glory for us to progress. So in turn, He progresses as we do! It makes it way more meaningful to be thankful to think about how much good comes about because of it.


In addition to that , I have been thinking about the scripture Matthew 7:7. It is the ask and ye shall recieve verse. Heavenly Father doesn't hide anything from us, his mysteries can be unfolded as we seek them. I love this concept. Nephi experiences this a lot in 1 Nephi. He desires to know what is father had seen and he was filled with peace and belief in his father's words.


This is the last week of the transfer which is super weird to think about but here we are 6 weeks later! This Saturday we will find out what happens to our dear trio. We have so much fun together and it would be super awesome to stay together another transfer. But most likely at least one of us will be transferred. With our new president, anything could happen!


Here are tons of pictures!
Love you!
Sœur Giles


Pictures from WWI memorial sites