I would not be the same person without that growth. Ah well. What was the worst thing that could happen? ed. We fled war in our country and went to Tanzania in 1995. (Nicholai), Finding Jean-Claude at a bus station and seeing his life change in just 3 weeks. Cold in the winter, but it never snowed. I just waited until the last possible month to earn it. Libraries. (Kale), Dont worry too much about getting Everything before you leave there are markets with skirts and dresses, big shoe stores for when your shoes wear out, their styles are similar, and members and investigators will be happy to direct you on your P day to find more clothes. I cant remember exactly how late it was, but the out of town companionships had to wait until well after dinner time before the trains were even up and running again so they could return home for the night. (Anonymous), Perseverance. You have the power and talent to help people. You can submit your own article, ideas, or feedback at liahona.ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Heres a recent address for the ParisMission. I tapped him on the shoulder after we crossed the street and started talking to him. I had a unique experience. After settling down on the train, a big lady in bright pink barely made the train and shuffled all of her parcels and bags around to sit across from me. (Dennis), One time some members friends gave us a dozen apples or so just after we visited them. (Mariah), Kabobs, fajitas, cheese, raqulette, burritos, crepes, Charlotte au chocolate, baguette with butter and chocolate and chocolate. Packing wise, bring easy to use suitcases. An assignment as unusual as a French-speaking mission in Arizona has certainly caused us to question the impact of our role once or twice. If you have found this service helpful, please consider donating! Bad idea. Should we turn around? A big reason that I memorized the discussions so quickly and taught so many shallow street lessons was to be better than others. Laundry. (Anna), There are two separate cultures in the mission: The city culture and the countryside culture. (Merrilyn). Serving missionaries, parents, and friends since 1995 . I am now a French teacher. How to love all of Gods children. Here are ParisMission Groups- for LDS missionary moms, returned missionaries, mission presidents and other alumni ofthe ParisMission. (Bryan), One of so many would be having my companion feel prompted enough by the Spirit and asked a devout Muslim to kneel with us and offer a prayer and end in the name of Jesus Christ. To this day, he recalls how miraculous it was to meet missionaries in Arizona who could speak his language. We were knocking doors, a little girl opened the door. Beautiful. Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and his wife, Sister Kathy Andersen, spoke at the first of six area devotionals . How to serve and make amazing friends. (Chloe), I wish I was more dedicated in obtaining the Ammon Award. Among the hardest things Id done. (Mariah), Getting city vendors to sell you little souvenirs for really cheap by having two of them competing with each other for your purchase. The very first one!? (Alex), Force yourself to learn the language, talk to people, talk to your companion. When I got there, it was amazing how many members came over to welcome me back with so much love even though I had been gone for quite some time in a different area. (Roberto), One day while at the church, a lady called the chapel and asked to learn more. For my last few transfers, we were able to get 20 lessons a week, which is stellar for any mission, especially with larger geographic alliance. To access the official, up-to-date LDS.org map for the Paris Mission: Here are in-depth YouTube video interviews with returned missionaries from the France ParisMission. (Valan), People skills. But there was no time to jump out and talk to her, get her number or set up an appointment. (2019), 1. 7. (Alex), Saint-Quentin, Brussels, Saint-Ouen. (Matt), Each area has its own culture really. (Zakarias), Video interviews with returned missionaries, Cultural articles written by returned missionaries, aredheadmormonmissionaryinparis.blogspot.com, France Paris Mission President Pond Group, Paris Mission Pres. My DNA be stolen or something? I learned to listen more than I talk. (Matt), Do not bring a lot of stuff with you from the States because you will most likely throw it away and get European clothing, and it makes transferring towns much easier when its light Trust me. We were going to take a trip to Spain but decided not to. Later, her daughter and sister also joined. (Bryan), Very atheist. Member for less than a year but almost a year. But he followed me and came straight up to me with scissors and took off a few inches of a chunk of my long red hair and scurried away. I technically served 2 missions. In short, it will truly be the best time of your life. (Kara), It was a magical place to serve. It doesnt make sense to have to use time to even begin to find a testimony on your mission when you could be bearing it instead to people that need it. (Merrilyn), Learn how to provide good reasons to believe in God without resorting to Bible/Book of Mormon/Prayer (which are all great ways to learn of God but some/most people need a logical reason to believe in a Higher Power at all. I didnt say anything to my companion until after 2 more stops. Buy French Language LDS Missionary France or Quebec Mission Tank Top: Shop top fashion brands Tanks & Camis at Amazon.com FREE DELIVERY and Returns possible on eligible purchases Amazon.com: French Language LDS Missionary France or Quebec Mission Tank Top : Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry (Matt), Being organized, clean, proper with others, patient, happy, and a leader. I saw behind her a huge dog and right after she said bonjour I told her to shut the door because I was afraid that the dog would attack us. She met the missionaries after her member friend told her about how priesthood holders can bless homes, and this really helped her and her family. A language and an extra degree. Very brave people. You dont generally need a large trench coat. I wish Id understood things about the Temple more when I was there attending so much so I couldve more fully appreciated the experience. I learned how to better serve. You cant help them feel Christs love if you dont show them love. (Valan), St Quentin, St Omer, Brussels, Paris, Nantes, Tours. Goat cheese salads. He decided to be baptized. Learn to accept them for who they are, look for the good in them, compromise with them, and have a good time while you are with them. That ended my first porting experience and the Elders bought me my first French pastry. So I went with that mindset, and I found that the mission was the most fun that Ive ever had. So much time immersed in the scriptures, I got to know them so much better 2. Utah Salt Lake City West Mission. This gives them something real serious to think about. (Mariah), I had the opportunity to go back to a previous area and be apart of a baptism for a person I had worked with for 6 months. 3. In September 2019, the third French-speaking branch in the United States was organized in Arizona. Preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to all the people of the world, each in their own language, is a mandate from God. (Paul), Kebab. (Matt), We have 3 countries in our mission, Paris has the best public transit in the world. It snowed in Paris the winter I served in the mission office and I may have thrown a snowball at a member of President Bennions family. Brussels is the city of miracles and Nogent is a dream. The language of the Spirit is the codex for the universal translator that is the Gift of Tongues. We soon discovered that the Arizona Phoenix Mission is home to a large population of French speakers originally from West and Central Africa, Haiti, and other countries around the world. All these things I learned are essential in my present life and future. (Nicholai), I had 4 Mission PresidentsI only officially met 2 of them. Slightly nerve racking but ultimately hilarious. They were all so kind and friendly. (Douglas), I gave and participated in 15 musical concerts while a missionary, invited people to the missionary visitor center by playing the violin, and saw almost 50 baptisms. How to work past exhaustion. It is so enriching to learn form people from every corner of the world and you can learn so much from them. Africa North (AN), North America (NA), and South America (SA) are abbreviated for concise column and reduction of row height for most rows. Nothing changes the truthfulness of the gospel and Satan will work against you, so fight the battles and win. (Elsa), I had three Mission Presidents: President Jones in Paris, Elder Andersen, and President Oveson in Bordeaux. As the sister missionaries who served in this area before us visited him and the Spirit taught him, he came to know for himself the truthfulness of the message they shared. (Anna), Beautiful, mild seasons. (Merrilyn), I met a woman whom my dad had taught and baptized 20 years earlier and that reinforced the importance of sharing the gospel and strengthening get new members I also now teach French and LOVE the connections I still have in France as I have been able to keep several friendships strong . Great way to finish! (Bryan), The people are very kind and stick to themselves. France has over 65 million total inhabitants; Switzerland, nearly 8 million total . (Jacob), Humid, which intensifies both heat and cold. During the 1960s, Church membership increased fivefold as missionaries and members worked to spread the gospel. We are members of THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF THE BLOODY LAST DAYS. (Jacob), St Maur des Fosses, Chelles, Sarcelles, Rennes. In Europe (and especially Paris), people wear skinnier suits/pants/shirts, so youll want to either buy these beforehand or be prepared to buy them when you arrive. Here are T-shirts for the France ParisMission! Take pictures of the people you meet (and label them because no matter how much you love them, you will forget their names). Dont get discouraged because it will be hard and you will be confused on what to do. I was a part of many individuals accepting the gospel and joining the church. IMO (Dennis), If you obey, work and communicate openly with your companion, you will be happy. I dont know if they ever got baptized, but I was definitely prompted to talk to him. *Learn about living in Utah. From that moment on, Brother Lualas life was changed. It is such beautiful countryside, both in natures landscape, and also in the architecture of the little roads, the stone buildings, the manicured trees and the history there . Give Him your time and dont bring your own agenda. There are a lot of micro climates. I was also blessed to learn how to set goals and work toward those goals. (Alex), Language bonus, people skills, being able to carry on a conversation, cooking. I loved learning about the French and African cultures I loved the history and sites everywhere I served. (Kara), French (study a second language early). Heres a list of LDS missionary blogs for the ParisMission. Foofoo. (Mariah), Dont wear your clothes to deathjust buy some new suits when the old are worn out and the same goes for your shoes. If we are here now, what will our race be like a hundred, a thousand, a million years from now even if there is no higher power to interfere with our progress? Has awesome preparation days. How to work harder when exhausted. (Jacob), We were riding bikes one day with our skirts pinned and our helmets. Keep it going! (Jeffrey), A lot haha honestly I learned self-confidence, I was blessed tremendously after my mission. I love the cosmopolitan, international nature of the cities there, meeting people from every nation, all working together. (adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({}); !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) To name two, I was blessed to learn to love people, even though I dont directly benefit in any temporal way from those people. 4 seasons without the extremes you get in the Midwest. The cobblestone may break your wheels so try to get a strong suitcase. You will become fluent enough. The ethnicity is add broad as you will ever find. He said that translated it meant throat support so I thought it made sense. Utah St. George Mission. The cities are full of people from every country imaginable. In the end, the most important part of the letter we both received that day were the words, You are hereby called to serve. We love our assignment in French-speaking Arizona, but most of all, we love participating in the work of the Lord. And one . Forget the nylons (if you can get away with it). Love the people. Amazing member missionaries, amazing examples. Language. (Kara), Being there when the first stake was formed in Versailles. (Douglas), I love their love and pride in their culture and continual quest to perfect their language. (Doug), Seeing peoples lives change through reading the Book of Mormon with an open heart and mind. (Drew), Pain au chocolate. After the law granting religious freedom was passed in 1967, an independent Spanish branch was organized in Madrid. I told myself one more time he hits me he is going to to get the Book of Mormon across his head. Avoid accumulating things on your mission. No smoking no drinking NO DRINKING WINE. (Jeffrey), Nantes, Rennes, Poitier, Bourges, Tours, Reims, Antony, Sarcelles. Brother Naatjes is a former stake president, high councilor, branch president . Dont contend with them, but always be able to inform them where they can readily find accurate information and that youre always happy to teach them more about the Church and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. How to talk to people from all walks of life. There are many Muslim people in France. It was awesome to see her progress, her maturity in the gospel, and how the Gospel filled her life with joy. Getting along with different personalities and people. I loved the people and the area. My prayer worked and he left us alone and minutes later almost had a brawl with some Arabs up to no good. (Drew), Rain in the winter, hot in the summer- especially in Paris. (Zakarias), I wish I knew better how to listen, and especially how to work with members. (Kale), Confidence, teaching experience, fearlessness, stronger faith, humility, much greater trust in the Lord, and an understanding of our place in his plan, better self image, empathy(Mariah), How to speak French. (Paul), France felt like home and still does. we just taught a lesson about Jesus Christ to a friend in the neighborhood but he then asked if he could have some of our hair. The other blessings were from the ways I grew on my mission. I asked for her name as she ran out and she yelled it back. (Mariah), Moderate. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides relief and development projects for humanitarian purposes in countries all over the world. (Valan), Never snowed. Have faith in God (Bryan), Forget yourself and go to work. She nearly fell off the couch laughing. Pick things that you feel great in when you feel beautiful in the morning, you can stop worrying about yourself and your confidence is boosted as you go around talking to everyone. (Drew), Teaching the lessons and seeing the baptism of a young refugee from the Ukraine. (Roberto), Spoke out more-even if I wasnt confident in French yet. Try to hold out for Soldes for major discounts. Chinese people are absolutely amazing, humble and kind. I hope I get to go back as a couple missionary. Armani isnt exactly for missionaries. It was great. In 1975, the first stake in France was organized in Paris. French-speaking immigrants from the Piedmont valleys of alpine Italy, taught Utahns how to raise and use silk. In my head, I translated tableau as table and went to get one. (Douglas), Everybody kept telling me that a mission would be so difficult, hard work, lots of rejection and stress. THE HONEY MOON ONLY LASTS FOR TWO WEEKS. (Valan), They seem cold at first, but once they warm up to you they are super friendly. But times have changed and there is so much work to do! Blessings continue to flow from service. Everything you do/learn will apply to whatever you do after your mission for the rest of your life. Heres a list of current and past Mission Presidents of the ParisLDS Mission. I love their wildness for football and tennis. (Alex), The ability to speak and teach without having every word written out. The next day, we were notified from our Mission President that missionaries were no longer to hold Halloween parties in any way whatsoever. Charleroi is my idea of Zion. (Mariah), In the ghettos, having some people try to take your cell phones or cameras. I was thinking, what are we doing?! Many people told me I wouldnt see any since I was going to France. 3. The more you pray, study and testify, the stronger your testimony will grow. The ability to learn and speak another language. (Elsa), The opening of the Bordeaux StakeElder Packer was phenomenal. (Mariah), I wish I had spoken the language better. (Anna), A lady answered the door in a robe and looked directly into my eyes and said, You have beautiful eyes. (Matt), Too many to count. (Anonymous), My companion and I were beat up by three Arabs about a month after 9/11. But really, I didnt realize it would be some of the most fun Id ever experienced in my life and so much fulfillment and finding myself. (Jordan), Finding a family that we were taking a Book of Mormon to whose address we had left at home, hours away. Tropical island Evan Long, a BYU student from Oregon, expected malaria pills and poverty when he opened his mission call to Antananarivo, Madagascar. There is a lot to do. The best was in Nantes or Bordeaux where we met in a three story house. [1] By country/territory [ edit] List of missions within each country, territory or dependency. Definitely a good rain jacket and umbrella and waterproof shoes. How the Miracle My Ancestor Experienced during the Spanish Flu Pandemic Is Inspiring Me, Making the Doctrine and Covenants Personal to You. That part was pretty cool. (Valan), Threw up in garbage can at metro stop after eating flour and water for dinner. Online Recommendation System. (Mariah), Just relax, you dont need to kill yourself to learn the language, it will come with time. We studied listening to the Spirit and acting on faith. I could tell immediately that he was not interested, so we tried to go the other way, but he followed us. So we turned the other way, and kept walking and bustling through the busy city square. Product details Package Dimensions : 10 x 8 x 1 inches; 4.8 Ounces I wasnt sure if I could even make it to his apartment because I was feeling so weak and he lived on the 6th floor. There's also Cote d'Ivoire, and Belgium. (UK), French is hard and the only way you can learn is by trying and making mistakes and learning if you speak and read and write French. 188 Countries Receiving Humanitarian Aid (Since 1985) 36,639 Welfare Services Missionaries (Incl. A bit rainy in the winter but otherwise okay. 172 Years. He then reached out and grabbed some of my long red hair, and cut off several inches. (Chloe), Western European oceanic climate. (Paul), The language is beautiful. (Matt), I called women, men sometimes haha. Read the Book of Mormon in the language. Machine washable clothes are always best (dry cleaners arent always available). (Kara), Finding ourselves in the middle of an anti-war protest. Dont hold yourself back. My trainer replied Hey, Eldersonnerie means doorbell. (Zakarias), Baiser-careful!! Sometimes it was foggy and so cold you couldnt wear enough clothes to stay warm. (Jeffrey), France is a beautiful country. Later that night, my trainer asked me Elder, do you remember what you prayed for before we left our apartment? (Doug), Dont worry so much about yourself or the future. . They also do their own laundry, exercise daily, eat nutritious meals provided by each MTC cafeteria and stay in touch with family and friends via weekly emails. Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service, rev. Study skills. When we opened our call letters and read our unique assignment, we never could have imagined the obstacles we would face in the mission field. One-hundred-fifty years later, in 1981, that number had grown to 71 (Deseret News 1983 Church Almanac 1982, pp. Caresser is to pet. Never had done it. Organized on 18-Jun-1850 Miss those things dearly. In a recent general conference talk, President HenryB. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, quoted the First Presidency in 1840 saying, The work which has to be accomplished in the last days is one of vast importance, and will call into action the energy, skill, talent, and ability of the Saints.4 We are each where we are for a reason, and no effort consecrated to accomplishing the work of the Lord will go unnoticed by Him. The weather felt extreme (but its really pretty moderate) but only because of the humidity. Enjoy every day. (Doug), Paris, Versailles, Nantes, Chatiillon, Pau, Tarbes, Bordeaux. A knowledge of Gods love and His involvement and interest in my life. We made it clear that us sisters were missionaries and why we were here. See DieterF. Uchtdorf, God Will Do Something Unimaginable, Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 54. Alabama Birmingham. He told us (in French) that he was excited to be there, but exciter in French means to be sexually aroused. When we left the appointment and went down the stairs, the migraine and weakness both returned. (Drew), I was a little nervous as plans fell through again with my first blue (trainee), and I was afraid she might be mad or frustrated that we werent teaching quite as much as she probably expected.