You can submit your own article, ideas, or feedback at liahona.ChurchofJesusChrist.org. The French are awesome people. (Zakarias), Its like regular mainland European weather- we have both a lot of rain and sun. I discovered a lot about myself. Ways in which I was French, or like specific companions, members or investigators. There are so many types of transportation that you have to figure out how and when to use. You are equals no matter what; its not a competition, nor a fashion show (3 Nephi 13:25-34). Fun night! This is true for all those who have the desire to serve. I love their wildness for football and tennis. Turns out she loves family history and was full of love towards us and interested in what we did. It was right outside a train station and everyone stopped to see how I would react. It never got too cold, but spending too much time outdoors in the winter was chilly business. (Michael), Once, my companion and I were waiting for the mtro (subway) when a homeless man came up to us to ask for money. Remember that youll be effectively living out of your luggage sometimes, and transfers happen unexpectedly sometimes. no, thank you. Rainy springs. Mainly humid. (Matt), How to find the good in others, studying for a couple hours at a time, and not being afraid to open my mouth. Many of them understand English. We all spent the day in our apartment, having our meeting there in our living room, followed by a big lunch. (Anna), We had decided to go up to a specific village a few train stops away to do some finding. 5. How to enjoy being anywhere. A man opened the door in a small robe and when we asked him if he spoke English, he swung the door wide open and revealed a butcher knife in his hand. The mission designs are printed on white shirts and are shipped to you. There are a lot of micro climates. A week or two in snow, rain in fall and spring, a couple days of gusty wind, and sunshine otherwise. (Scott), The history was amazing!!! Seeing ancient castles and cathedrals and buildings blew my mind!! (Jordan), If you say je suis plein for I am full it really means I am, HA HA I bet everyone makes this one. We were handing out English lesson flyers while knocking on doors in St Dennis. (Jeffrey), French speaking and knowing how to act professionally in a setting. Enduring to the end. (Matt), Bread and cheese, snails, sauerkraut with various meats, fries and the different sauces that France and Belgium have to offer. The Gift of Tongues is a very real and very beautiful thing, I can testify to that. French Language: General: Dealing with money Getting to Paris from the . The French-speaking members in Phoenix have a deep love for the Savior and strong testimonies that God knows each of His children. I can get along with almost anyone. (Anna), People always told me it would be SO HARD. Instead I asked for a bra. The people you find in areas really are unique in their own ways and I liked finding out the history on all the areas I was at, while also learning that each person has their own story. (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. Read the Book of Mormon in the language. You are assigned to teach in the French language. We were both more than surprised to receive such a mission call. In general, weather is nice, except it occasionally snows in the winter and there are occasional heat waves in the summer. Utah Salt Lake City Mission. We made it clear that us sisters were missionaries and why we were here. (Drew), Soak up the Temple experience while at the Mission Training Center as much as possible. We are members of THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF THE BLOODY LAST DAYS. Get a good,lightweight jacket thatll keep you warm and dry. When he started towards my blue, I got rather defensive, raised my voice, and then he ran away. (Matt), I called women, men sometimes haha. Its nice and varied! All these things I learned are essential in my present life and future. Keep it going! Other times, it was just having a conversation with the man in the park about death, and what he was going through. (Chloe), Western European oceanic climate. It was pretty funny. We used a translator. Learning to talk with anyone from any background. We were going to take a trip to Spain but decided not to. 252- 253). It about caused her to pull a stitch. (Chloe), I wish I was more dedicated in obtaining the Ammon Award. Surely there will be hard and discouraging times. Mission President:President Paul J. Sorensen. (Mariah), Not many baptisms. (Dennis), Rainy, humid, great sunny days, too. 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. From opposite ends of the Pacific, we both gazed down at those words in our letters wondering, Who in Arizona needs to hear about the gospel of Jesus Christ in French?. (Valan), People skills. She said she was hoping to talk with us more, and what a miracle it was that we just appeared! (Mariah), Had a great companionship study in the morning and really felt the Spirit. *Click here to browse Paris Mission gifts. Miss those things dearly. (Merrilyn), How to be humorous. The food is unforgettable. You will be forever blessed in every aspect of your life. (Jeffrey), Immerse yourself in the work. How to be more spiritual. 6. You will never be in that place with that person again. But work is progressing, and swinging upward. (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. Comfortable shoes (those flats wont last you long on the cobblestone roads!) Just when we were starting to talk, she jumped up and ran to the door This is my stop! Diligent, heartfelt service with a true, sincere care for others pays dividends. (Paul), Kebab. (Jacob), There are a lot of cognates in French. HUMOR AND SPIRIT ARE POWERFUL TOOLS in making relationships work. RussellM. Nelson, opening remarks in Children and Youth: A Face to Face Event with Elder GerritW. Gong, Nov. 17, 2019, broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org. (Roberto), Spoke out more-even if I wasnt confident in French yet. 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. They were going against a whole lifetime of culture to live the principles of the gospel. (Google Maps) 3. Lardons & crime fraiche with pasta. (Jeffrey), Nantes, Rennes, Poitier, Bourges, Tours, Reims, Antony, Sarcelles. (Bryan), A strong testimony of the work and of the church. So I turned my bleue away and walked around the median just to be safe. THE HONEY MOON ONLY LASTS FOR TWO WEEKS. I saw almost 50 baptisms in my 18 months. (Michael), Just be careful where you go after dark. Humanitarian Service Missionaries) Learn More Education That was the last time I let him schedule dinner appointments. They encourage you to learn French, and become part of their home. This gives them something real serious to think about. The French are kind but you need to be real and sincere with themthey will see through insincerity very quickly. (Anonymous), Crepes, bread, cheese, pate, patisserie, grec, kabab, etc. What was the worst thing that could happen? Missionary Training Center. Missionaries called French speaking serve in Reunion and Mauritius and never see the mission home on Madagascar. to LDS Mission Network (LDSMN Official Donation Page) Number of records: Alumni: 3108: . (Anonymous), I served in an ever changing mission with boundary changes, area closures and much adversity, but I still had a very successful mission serving in 8 different areas, living in 10 different apartments with 15 different companions. On Halloween, we decided to show the French what a real Halloween was like. (Bryan), Very atheist. The beauty of the mission is going to teach you how to rely on the Spirit which will force you to learn talents as you go! (Anonymous), My companion and I were beat up by three Arabs about a month after 9/11. But there was no time to jump out and talk to her, get her number or set up an appointment. Heres a recent address for the ParisMission. Weve learned some valuable lessons from our unique mission experience. :) Although most Missionaries are American, there are a good number of native french speaking Missionaries as well. (Scott), This happened twice on mission. She nearly fell off the couch laughing. Never had done it. How to serve and make amazing friends. How to see others in a different light and to love them and feel compassion for them. As of July 2022, there are 410 missions in the church. He knows exactly where to find those who are prepared for His message, and He knows how to touch their hearts. A few of the members had a chuckle. (Anonymous), Perseverance. (Doug), Seeing peoples lives change through reading the Book of Mormon with an open heart and mind. (Jordan), Riding bicycles down the hill from the supermarket with a Christmas tree tied to the back of my companion with her scarf. I should have just tried and learned rather than being worried about being embarrassed. I was a part of many individuals accepting the gospel and joining the church. (Matt), Each area has its own culture really. He then chased us out of the building with said knife. Whether we are full-time missionaries or not, no matter where were from or what language we speak, we can all invite others to come unto Christ and partake of the joy that can only be found in His gospel. I was on exchanges and we were unknowingly being led to someone who was about to commit suicide. Cheese. (Stuart), I suffered from debilitating migraines during my mission. John Conway and I took the weekend off and biked up to a mountain village. (Matt), Let your mission be a compass for the rest of your life. After the law granting religious freedom was passed in 1967, an independent Spanish branch was organized in Madrid. (Bryan), Calling a Madame a Monsieur . I am married with 6 children and currently serve on the High Council and I am still a missionary every day. My last companion started training Elder Whitman the day I went home. 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. My best reasoning is that however we got here as we are now (Big Bang or whatever), we are here. (Drew), I had the opportunity to teach the missionary discussions in seven different languages over the course of my mission. Forget the nylons (if you can get away with it). Was in 3 missions, all transfers were by airplane. (Bryan), The Bible better and Book of Mormon. Our mission president is french. So I went with that mindset, and I found that the mission was the most fun that Ive ever had. (Zakarias), I wish I knew better how to listen, and especially how to work with members. Give Him your time and dont bring your own agenda. Rain gear a must. How to keep pushing past hard times. His friend pulled him away but we were scared, partially from the sense that we were not as well protected because we had not been obedient that day.