Bonne anniversaire!!

It was Kiirsten's birthday this week (two days ago to be exact)...she turned the big 2-3!! Here's her latest email. Oh, and also, she hit her half-way point on the 16th so we're on the down-hill slide! Enjoy the update!
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Thanks to all for all the Happy Birthday messages. I had a great Paris birthday! I started the morning with a surprise crêpe fête from the other Sisters, and then we had an early appointment with Xuengpeung (pronounced sway pung), she was baptized just a couple of months ago. Anyway she wished me HB and got me a present! She bought me a beautiful purple, houndstooth scarf. I love it! I can't believe she got me a present! She is too generous. Afterwards we had District Meeting and the Elders surprised me with a patisserie and sang HB to me. I was so embarrassed! But it was very sweet of them. Throughout the day I got phone calls from investigators and members wishing me a happy birthday. One Chinese girl told me I needed to eat noodles because in China eating noodles on your birthday insures you long life! Luckily I had Thai soup for lunch that afternoon. All in all it was a great day!

Today we are going to Musée d'Orsay.

It is an old train station made into a museum at the turn of the 19th century, or so I heard. There's Whistler's Mother and The Thinker, I can't wait. Ahhh, I love Paris. I hope to stay through the Winter season! Anyway, we plan to meet up with my "son", Sister Huzu, and Sister Bernskov this afternoon.

We have been very busy this transfer with less active work. We visit several less-active, single sisters in the ward and in the neighboring ward now as well. It is hard to be a single female member here. Many members live on small budgets and the American members are all very wealthy in comparison so they can't really relate, and in addition, the majority of the American sisters don't really speak much French at all. It makes it difficult. but the less actives love missionaries and we love to see them. There is a lot of faith here. France is a gold mine of faithful saints, they just don't quite understand the organization of the church yet.

We got e-referal!! A young girl from Colorado is nannying for a couple in our ward and her best friend and her husband also live here. We have made several contacts with her and she wants to meet with us. We are trying to set up an appointment with her and the her best friend's family for next week. We think there is a lot of potential there.

Well, that is the scoop! I love you all very much! Take care and keep praying for the missionaries!

Bisous, Kiirsten

On Broadway!!

So transfers were this week and I did not get transferred nor did Sister Hathaway, we are staying together! But funny story actaully, the other two sisters who live with us are getting seperated so guess who is coming to replace one of them? Sœur Marshall! S. H's and my old comp from last transfers 3-some! We are all going to be roomies again! Fun fun fun!

So, Lots of news. First of all, I am now a FATHER. Let me explain. In the mission, when you train a Bleue you are a "mother" because you nuture and train up that new bleue for a couple transfers. Well, it is a tradition in the mission that on your first day you get taken out contacting by the older, more experienced missionaries for like 30 minutes. Well, yesterday S. H and I became new fathers! We took the two new sister missionaries contacting. I went with Sister Huzu from New Caladonia who is adorable! She is such a nice girl. I hope I get to serve with her someday. It was fun to be with someone new and see from the other side what we were like as little bleues. They were so scared but eager. Even though both are French speakers it was still nerve racking for them. Sweet little things! Anyway, it was a big milestone for me.

Speaking of Milestones, tomorrow (Oct 16th) is my 9 month mark. I am officially half way done with my mission! Time to really work!I got an email from Sister Didier who met Grandma Selee in the temple and they talked about me. Sister Didier is originally from Belgium I believe so she wanted to write to say hi. It was so fun to write her back in French. I never get the opportunity to write in French! It was cool.

Oh my gosh! I saw my first Broadway musical on Saturday!! I saw "Le Roi Lion" (The Lion King) and it was incredible! The music I already knew well thanks to Sis. H's iPod so I was totally excited to see it and I was NOT let down. It was flawless! Oh, I just can't even tell you. It was incredible! C'est magnifique! If you get the chance to see it In Portland, go! The Elders loved it to! We had to basically drag them there and then they all left totally converted. Now we want to go see "Edward, Mains d'Argent" (Edward Scissor-hands) - the ballet. Fingers crossed!

Last night we had a Burrito Fête with a bunch of less actives and investigators. It was so funny to see chinese people respond to Mexican food. One lady tried to put eggs in the salsa! We pretty much had to steal the bowl from her. And they did not know what to make of the guacamole. It was a hoot!We are having a lot of progress with our investigator Cici from China. She is still searching and unsure about the idea of God but she is trying to understand and that is huge! We are going to the Louvre with her today. Sad news, our ward boundaries were changed on Sunday. All the members living in the 15th District are now in the Antony Ward. And it was so sad because our less active who hasn't come to church since her baptism, came the day they announced it and guess what...Yep. She is in the 15th. She was pretty crestfallen. Poor lady. But we are going to do our best to help her transition well.

Well, those are the bonnes nouvelles for the week. Take care. I love you bunches!

~Kiirsten

Ooops...forgot to post last week :o}

Today we decided to take our proselyting time earlier so we could have the rest of the day to prepare/play! We plan to go to the Palais de Louvre and pick up some fun French scarves as the temp is dropping and let's face it we want to look as chic as possible in beautiful Paris.

Soon, we have exchanges; Sister Fabiano and Sister Giblette are going to come here, to Paris. Then I will be with Sis. G (we rock/paper/scissored to decide who goes with who since we have both already served with Sis. Fabs). I think I actually won because I get to have a whole new experience with a brand new sister missionary who I don't know well personally, lucky me! I am super stoked because they come tomorrow morning! And then the fun begins!

This morning we taught Sylvie and talked about some of her concerns. She said she feels nothing when she reads the BoM. She said she felt that faith and prayer were more important than reading. I told her that it is by studying the scriptures that we enhance our faith. I don't think she understands that it is a commandment to read the words of the prophets. But by the end I felt like we got through to her.We also have a new investigator, Chantale. She is very French, very stylish woman in her fifties. She is deeply catholic, very energetic, and loves talking about her faith. We gave her first the lesson which went incredible. She is one of those who just reasons for herself. I have hope that in a few lessons she will come around. And in addition she accepted to come with us to Conference!! She is a keeper!

It was really fun to see Jocelyn after having seen no one from home in 9 months! She was very sweet to say that I speak perfect French although that is just not the case. Actaully, I have been sick for the last 5 or 6 days, I feel fine now, but on Sunday I wasn't sure if I would even be able to talk. Luckily I was able to speak, I read a talk by El. Arnold of the 70's entitled "Strengthen thy Brethern" that we had shared with Bishop and Sister Arnould that week. He called me the Friday night before and invited me to speak. I was just grateful for the opportunity to speak to the members (and it was my first French sacrament talk)!

I love you a lot! I miss you!

Kiirsten

A welcome phone call :o)

It's always nice to hear from people who have personal interactions or connections with Kiirsten in Paris-either from the missionary mom's website mom subscribes to or from someone we know personally.

In this case, a member of our ward is currently doing a term abroad in Paris and we received a call from her mom recently. She told us that Jocelyn (her daughter) had been attending her first sacrament meeting in her first Paris ward and who would be speaking???? Kiirsten! Jocelyn told her mom, who relayed it to us that not only did Kiirsten look "amazing," but she also spoke "beautiful" French. Being so far away from our little missionary, it was really nice to know that she was able to see someone from back home :o)

Pictures from the Catacombs

As I said last week, the idea of a group of sister missionaries spending their p~day at the catacombs of Paris is a little more than strange, but a landmark is a landmark right?? Well here are some of Kiirsten's latest pictures from that very p~day last week and her trip.

So, I did my best on freetranslation.com and here's what I came up with...LOOSELY transalted it says:

"If you have some time (?) a man (? ?) that the (?) goes out awaits you"

Look-she made some new friends!

So they may be among a BUNCH of skulls and bones, but they sure are having fun!

Life in France

Today we are going to Sainte Chapel with an investigator. She is so cute. She is a chinese girl here studying business. She is super cute and sweet. Speaks English, her (French) name is Cici. Anyway we are going to the church and then we are going to go shopping!! Yeah! Thank heavens for Paris fashion!

So lets see... You need to hear one of my miracles. I have recieved a testimony on my mission of the tender mercies of the Lord. In 1 Nephi 1: 22 I believe it reads," Behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance." That is true. We are often found in dangerous circumstances in which the Lord truly protects us. I have been contacted by homeless people, crazy persons, drunk persons, and every spectrum of people in places that if you saw where I was you would probably have a fit. We have been lost in the poorest ghettos of Paris, found ourselves talking to all manner of people, and yet we have been protected, so long as we are obedient. I have had impressions to leave certain places, go certain places, and take unfamiliar routes that at the time made no sense to take. I willl never know what it was that the Lord was directing me from or why, but I do know this much: That like Alma said in Chapter 36:27th verse " I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of affliction. Yea, God has delivered me from prison, and from bonds, and from death; yea, and I do put my trust in him, and he will still deliver me." I know that I have been protected in dangerous situations, bolstered in times of sadness, and strengthend when my best was not enough, and I know that He is with me.

I love this work. I love the gospel, and I will give my best until the very last minute.

Big hugs and Kisses to my family and friends. Take care of each other. Seek out opportunities to help the missionaries in your area. They are doing their best and this work is not easy. Serve one another. Love your missionaries in the field and pray for us! We pray for you!

Bisous,Kiirsten

A day at the catacombs...

Dear Mom, Dad, family and friends,

 Today is what we call Paris P-Day, and that means that all the missionaries in the outer Paris areas (Versailles, Aulnay, évry...) can come into Paris and see the sights. So everyone gets together and has lunch and sees the sights. I went with all the sister missionaries to the Catacombs! It was so cool! There are stacks and stacks of bones of over 6 million dead that they dug up and replaced in this underground tunnel. A lot of them died during the revolution and after. I saw skulls with obvious bullet wholes in them and there were ephitaphs and quotes about death and the certainty of death. It was very Edgar Allen Poe. We went with an investigator too so it counts as proselyting time!

Last weekend we had Zone Conferences.  Elder Kopivcke came and spoke. He was amazing! He instructed us to see our investigators more frequently and with shorter visits. He also talked about the need for better planning and told us to use a calendar for each investigator highlighting what we want to teach and what they should read, etc. I'm doing exchanges with the Troyes sisters (Sis Fabiano!) in a couple of weeks! Sylvie is progressing really well. We are seeing her now 3 times a week and she is coming to a baptism on Saturday. We have interviews on Friday with President Staheli. 

I love you very much! 

Kiirsten

I found these pictures online...is it just me, or does the idea of a bunch of sister missionaries spending their p-day in these catacombs seem a tad surprising??  It's definitely an experience!!

Latest news from Paris

Fall has set in in Paris. The temp is dropping and it has seriously cooled off. And that means I'm going SCARF SHOPPING! They are CHEAP here, and beautiful! And they are actually true essentials because they help you stay warm!

There is no greater joy than to see someone you have striven with repent or enter the waters of baptism, or share their testimony in church for the first time.  The Lord truly is tearing down the shack I made for myself and rebuilding a mansion. I am so grateful to be here. I know that this is the work of the Lord. I know he loves me and you individually. He hears my prayers. There have been moments when I could literally see you in our home as I prayed for you and I felt the reassurance that he was watching over you. I know God lives. And I know that despite my many weaknesses he accepts my sacrifices on his behalf.

 

Love,

Kiirsten

Latest Pictures

Here's the latest pictures she sent of her and her two companions. Check out how long her hair is!!! I think that's an all time record for her!

Welcome!!

So, I decided to jump on the band wagon and create a blog for our missionary, Kiirsten. I figured that this is a great way to keep everyone in the loop with her latest news and the latest and greatest pictures she sends!!

I hope you all enjoy!