Miracles Never Cease

Bonjour tout le monde!

Transfer News! I’m staying in Saint Quentin! Big surprise, I know. It’s only been two weeks, so luckily I have at least six more weeks to discover this place and get my feet under me before I migrate elsewhere. Random fun fact about St. Quentin: it’s in the north of France, with a population of 56,000 people. Yes, we have already contacted some of the same people for the second time. Pretty big change from the population in Paris!

They have called a new mission president for our mission! Frédéric Jean Babin and his wife Marie-Françoise Babin are from Evry, France and will begin their service this summer in July. We were all so excited to hear that a French couple would continue to lead our mission, as we truly feel like they are able to gain a real understanding of the people, the culture and missionary work here in the France Paris Mission. He won’t be my mission president for very long, but it will be cool to see the transition!

Remembering what I said last week … exact obedience brings miracles. As missionaries, we are expected to live certain standards and abide by certain rules for our own security, but also to ensure that our minds and motives are centered on our sacred calling to bring others unto Christ. Monday night, after a lesson with a less-active member, we made our way home to find ourselves on the street just below our apartment at 8:54pm. We are supposed to be home at 9pm. At times, going home early seems really tempting, especially when its freezing cold and the streets are completely deserted … literally meaning that no one is on the streets. Soeur Kohlert and I looked at each other and decided we would be exactly obedient, even if it meant a simple six minutes. We decided to walk to the end of the street and turn back, giving us enough time before 9:00pm. To be honest, it seemed pointless, as there truly was NO ONE outside walking the streets. We started walking anyway, and I said a silent prayer asking Heavenly Father to put someone in our path. A minute or two later, a couple came out of nowhere and started walking towards us. We began talking with them (Francis and Melanie) and they told us that they were no longer believing because they had lost their child at a young age. We testified that we knew they would be able to see him again through the Plan of Salvation and through the Atonement of Christ. They were really touched and opened up more as we talked. We left them with a brochure and set an appointment to meet with them again later in the week. It was so cool to see how the Lord blessed us when we did our best to be obedient!!

On Saturday we went to Georgette's house (a woman from our ward) and she taught us how to make crepes! She is so adorable - just this great older lady with delicious recipes! Her testimony is so strong and she has remained faithful her entire life even through the many trials she has been through. We are going to continue to visit her to help her with her reading in the Book of Mormon, because it has gotten hard for her. She is officially my St. Quentin grandma!

Another miracle … Soeur Kohlert and I decided to pass-by some members on our ward list who are no longer practicing or active in the ward here in Saint Quentin. It was pretty cold outside and I was freezing. I even wrapped my feet in plastic bags over my thermal socks to be sure that rain didn't get in through my boots! After walking for a while, we found the home of the Langlos family. We said a quick prayer before, hoping that their family would be open to talking with us. After ringing the doorbell, we patiently waited underneath our umbrellas … no answer. After a couple minutes, we turned to leave and a young man named Stephen came out from the back of the house and said that the front door was broken. We told him who we were and he quickly said that his parents were no longer interested. We told him we could leave him with our card with the address of the church, and told him he was always welcome. He said he wasn’t really believing, and that he wasn’t interested. He took our card anyway and trudged back inside.

I didn’t think much of that moment until the end of the week when we walked in the church doors, to see that SAME young man standing there, dressed in church clothes talking with the elders. Stephen was happy to see us and thanked us for stopping by that day. He told us he just felt the need to come to church that day. We found out that he was never baptized and that he was really touched by the talks he heard in the sacrament meeting. The elders are now teaching Stephen! It’s so cool to see how our efforts never go wasted!

The Josse Family is continuing to progress. We did a cute activity with images we cut out from the church magazines to teach the Restoration of the Church to the entire family, including the kids, Alexi (7) and Samuel (3). It’s funny because the little boys actually remind me of my cousins on the Vance side of my family when they were younger. They loved the activity and I am so amazed by Alexi's love of learning and faith in Christ! Continue to pray for their family.

Funny stories of the week:

While at church yesterday (Sunday), as I was listening to the speakers during sacrament meeting, my left arm began to itch. I took the pen in my hand and began to scratch the spot where it itched with the end of the pen, not thinking much of it. After a few seconds I looked down to see that the cap of the pen had fallen to the ground, and I was in complete horror as I looked down at my left arm with huge black, scribble marks running down my sleeve!! I was so embarrassed! Soeur Kohlert couldn’t help but laugh at me. Luckily we were in the primary helping teach lessons to the kids earlier that morning, so when the members commented on it, I made a joke that it was the primary kids who did it!

This morning Soeur Kohlert and I went grocery shopping in a huge super mart. We were in the fruits and vegetables section picking out our assorted items. It was super crowded, so I decided to leave our cart where it was and squeeze past a few French men to get to the peppers and tomatoes (yes, I LOVE tomatoes now!) After putting them in the bag and weighing them on the scale, I turned and threw them in my cart and took off down the aisle in search of the next item on our list. All of a sudden I hear a French man behind me start hollering, and making a scene. I turn around to see him pointing at me, accusing me of something. Not knowing what was going on, my eyes quickly drop to the items in my cart, and I realize that none of them belong to me!!! I had stolen his cart!! I started dying laughing and my whole face was on fire as I awkwardly approached this man to give him back his proper cart. I apologized and strolled off, laughing uncontrollably, pretending like nothing happened.

Je vous aime! I love this work and am so grateful for the love the Savior has for each one of us. He invests so much in us because He knows what we can become. I feel so blessed to be serving here at this time and I know that Heavenly Father is going to put people in our path who are prepared to accept the gospel. Please keep us in your prayers as we are searching for new people to teach! Have a wonderful week!

Soeur Madeline Vance

Errand of Angels

I have seen so many miracles on my mission. I know the work we are doing is the Lord's work, and this week I truly felt as though I was on the errand of angels. What an unbelievable calling it is to be a missionary!

Saint Quentin is incredible. This “whitewash” has gone smoother than the last, but maybe I am just used to it. Soeur Kohlert and I are doing great; we started off the week by having a zone conference back in Paris Lilas. I can’t seem to leave the place! The zone leaders presented the new 2014 theme for the mission. The reference is found in Doctrine & Covenants 64:33-34. It states, “Wherefore, be ye not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great. Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days.” They gave us counsel from President Poznanski …that we all need to truly give our hearts to this work and do all we can to be exactly obedient, so that we may be able to reap the fruits of our labors in the Lord’s vineyard. It was great training and our district leader also talked a lot about the importance of teaching with love, by the Spirit and being bold! It was exactly what I needed to hear and it helped us many times throughout the week. The theme for the year really motivated me and pushed me to set goals for this year and the rest of my mission. It gave me a vision of where I want to be and who I want to become. We can’t ever limit ourselves by feeling complacent in what we are doing. I love the quote, "GOOD is the enemy of GREAT." It made want to change the little things that would help me become an even more effective instrument in bringing others unto Christ.

We had the chance to meet more of the ward! I was so impressed by the members in the ward council meeting on Sunday. I was able to see that, even though the ward here is small, they are so strong! They are fully dedicated to working with the missionaries and doing their part to help us do our part. I am really looking forward to working with them.

At church on Sunday, Soeur Kohlert and I were asked to give talks and Soeur Kohlert played the beautiful hymn, "I Know That My Redeemer Lives", on the violin at the end of the meeting. Many members were touched by our remarks and the song, and came up to us afterward to thank us for our efforts and strong desire to be here. I felt an instant love for the members and I know that this place is quickly going to become one I will never want to leave.

It was so neat to see that, as we went throughout the week, our Heavenly Father gave us the right words to say to those who were in need of it. We visited a woman and her husband in our ward who had just left the hospital and felt impressed to sing a hymn for them. They both wept as they listened to the sweet words of "Onward Christian Soldiers". Soeur Kohlert and I are really starting to see the powerful effects of our obedience. Having the Spirit with us in full force makes all the difference while we work hard, find people and teach them.

Sunday night was probably one of the most special moments of my mission. We had the chance to go to Vauxillon and teach two families back-to-back. A young member from the ward named Marie drove us the 45 minutes out to the French countryside to where these two families live. Marie was actually the teacher of the boys in each family, and their parents were really touched by her example. We first visited the Niamke Family. They are from the Ivory Coast and come from a Christian background. There were five little kids all gathered around the table, super excited and attentive to learn. We planned a fun family home evening and prayed that they would be able to feel the Spirit, hoping we could come back another time. We started off by singing a song from the Children’s Songbook called, "Teach Me to Walk in The Light". The Spirit flooded the room, bringing me to tears, making it difficult to even sing. We taught the Plan of Salvation, using a chart with cute illustrations that Soeur Kohlert had made for each step. We went through each step and explained that we lived with God before, what our purpose is here on earth and where we go after this life. The 9-year-old boy, George, was full of questions. He was so interested and attentive. I kept nudging Soeur Kohlert every time a different child asked a question. Then their entire family explained the whole plan back to us and said, "We want to go to the Celestial Kingdom!" Afterward, we played a fun game together and scheduled another time to meet with them. As we left, my heart was burning in my chest, full of PURE JOY. As we got in the car, none of us said a word. We all looked at each other in awe, as we reflected on the beautiful miracle we had just witnessed. WE ARE TEACHING A FAMILY!!!

We are still working with the Famille Josse, another awesome French family that the sisters were working with before us. They are so sweet and feed us every time we go over there. The other night they made such a delicious meal, but Soeur Kohlert and I thought we were going to explode after, because it was just simply too much!! I’m not making that mistake again. They have been taught all of the lessons and the father, Mickael, is just waiting for his answer of when he should be baptized. We felt super impressed to share with him the talk "His Grace is Sufficient" by Brad Wilcox. I think he was really touched as we testified of the Atonement. Continue to pray for them!

I love you all and I am so happy here; we are already seeing so many miracles. It’s so hard to put into words, but I really feel more motivated than ever to do the Lord's work and to do it the right way! Obedience brings blessings, exact obedience brings miracles!

Soeur Madeline Vance

St. Quentin - Now is the Best Time

Bonjour ma famille et mes amis!

SAINT QUENTIN. I already love it here.

I realize that no matter where you go, a whitewash is still, well, a whitewash. I could not help but laugh to myself as my new companion, Soeur Kohlert, and I were lugging our huge bags off of the train before it pulled away and continued on to the next city. You acquire so many things while on your mission and you simply don’t have time to get rid of it all. Hence, the 100 pound bags that could kill a man!

When we got there, we looked around, and a new excitement grew within me as I realized I knew nothing about this new place. It was like Charleroi all over again. Christmas lights were still up and, from what I could tell, Saint Quentin has its own charm. It is such a beautiful city in northern France. Two women from the ward arrived at the train station and helped us with our things, and drove us to our apartment. As we drove past the red brick homes and little city shops, I couldn’t help but have flashbacks to the beginning of my mission in Villeneuve D'Ascq. I instantly felt at home, and it was in that moment that I knew I was where I am supposed to be.

My new companion, Soeur Kohlert, is great. She arrived in France the same time I did and she is a great missionary. She is from Utah (like many of my other companions) and was serving in Luxembourg before she arrived here with me. I am so excited to work with her and we have already become good friends. It should be a great transfer!

Last week in Paris we had a crazy, but really great, week. The days were biting at our heels as we prepared to head out and pack our bags for our new areas. I was tired and stressed, wondering how in the world I was going to get everything done. Soeur Biver and I had to make all of the necessary preparations to close down our area at Paris Lilas. It was harder than I had expected it to be … not just the physical work it took to update the area book, inform all of the members and amies that we would be leaving and pass them off to the elder teams, but it was also hard emotionally. At one point as I was organizing all of the different paperwork, maps and information about our amis, when my eyes filled with tears. I couldn’t help but think, "What is going to happen to our people here? Are they just going to fall through the cracks? The elders are so busy with their work and their amis … these people I have grown to love are just going to be lost and forgotten." It hurt my heart to think that all of the work that we and the sisters before us had done, could be lost knowing there weren’t new sisters coming to replace us.

In that moment, I got on my knees and offered a prayer to my Father in Heaven. I poured out my soul, pleading for comfort and expressing my worries and fears of leaving this place, and leaving these people. That comfort came. As I finished my prayer, an overwhelming sense of peace entered my mind and heart. I knew that everything was going to be okay. I knew the Lord heard my prayer and was aware of my efforts to leave this place in the best hands. It was then that I truly realized that I was leaving Paris Lilas in the best of hands … His.

I am so grateful for the power of prayer. I know Christ lives and that God answers our prayers. I am grateful for the chance I had to serve in Paris and grow to love the ward there. The members really stepped up and started working better with the missionaries. The last Sunday they announced that they had called five people to serve as member missionaries! I will miss the ward so much.

Soeur Biver and I also had a great New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day! On New Year’s Eve, we went to the Ravello family’s home. They are a sweet family from Peru and we went with the other elder teams and had a great dinner together. On New Years Day, we went out to discover Paris a bit! Not everything was open, but we went to Sacre Coeur (a church) with a member, Sonia, and our amie, Ammara. It was so much fun! It was special too because I went to Sacre Coeur the first day of my mission here in France. I remember making goals and "consecrating" ourselves to the Lord and His work for the next 18 months. It was neat going back after so long and reflecting on that moment, especially on the New Year. Later that evening we went and saw the Eiffel Tower all lit up! Wow, it was stunning! It was a great time with Sonia and Ammara, and it was so neat being able to see a bit more of Paris!

We saw Marie and Raquel before we left. We had powerful lessons on the Plan of Salvation. They really loved the idea of being able to live with their families for eternity and it seemed to make sense to them when we explained that we truly did live with God before this life, and that we will live with Him again. It was sad saying goodbye, but I know Marie and Raquel will continue to progress towards baptism!

I loved this talk given by President Uchtdorf. He talks about making New Year’s resolutions and deciding, NOW, to become the person we want to be. Read it!

"The Best Time to Plant a Tree": http://www.lds.org/liahona/2014/01/the-best-time-to-plant-a-tree?cid=HPWE010114311&im=true&lang=eng

Here is an excerpt from the talk:

"An old proverb says, ‘The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.’ There is something wonderful and hopeful about the word ‘now’. There is something empowering about the fact that if we choose to decide now, we can move forward at this very moment. Now is the best time to start becoming the person we eventually want to be - not only 20 years from now but also for all eternity."

We must choose now to change. If we don’t, we never will. 'Someday' will never come, but choosing 'today' is the way we will change. I have recommitted myself to living the highest standards of obedience and doing everything I can to be in unity with my companion and to have the Spirit with me. When we sanctify ourselves, God endows us with power. Soeur Kohlert and I know there are big things waiting for us here in Saint Quentin. We are going to see miracles. I love my mission and I love each of you for the good example you are to me. Thank you for your prayers … please pray for the Josse Family (here in Saint Quentin), that they will continue to progress towards baptism!

Have a wonderful week, and great New Year’s resolutions! Stick to ‘em! Love you!

Soeur Madeline Vance

p.s. If you would like my address in Saint Quentin, you can email me at madeline.vance@myldsmail.net or ask my parents for it.

Beginning Anew

Happy New Year everyone! Soeur Biver and I had a wonderful Christmas! It was so much fun being able to Skype with my family. Over the course of my mission, I truly feel as though my love for my family has deepened. I may be far from them in distance, but I can honestly say that I have never felt closer to them. I am so grateful for their shining examples and friendships in my life. They motivate and encourage me to continue to work my hardest and turn my will over to the Lord.

On Christmas Eve, we ate with the Famille Tancrel. A team of elders came with us and we ate a traditional meal from Haiti! It was so good and we truly felt their love as they took the time to open their home to help us feel the true Christmas Spirit. We played different games together and laughed over the dinner table as we shared several mission experiences and shared the various Christmas traditions we do in our respective families.

Marie is one of our progressing amies, and I love her. She is a 70 year-old woman from Martinique. A couple weeks ago she shared with us that she would be spending Christmas alone. Her children have moved far away and don’t spend much time with her. Hearing this broke my heart. For some reason, it never occurred to me that there really were people out there who spent Christmas alone, in their homes, with no Christmas tree … nothing … just spending the day like any other. We went over on Christmas Eve and sang many Christmas songs and hymns with her. The Spirit entered the room and she had the biggest smile on her face. We threw Santa hats on at the end and were laughing so hard together … even though we really had nothing but each other. A few days later we stopped by to see how she was doing and tears filled her eyes as she thanked us for helping her have the greatest Christmas ever. She said, "We had nothing. No big feast, no presents, no fancy clothes or decorations ... all we had was each other … and that was all we needed. You two have a light within you that shines. Thank you for sharing that light with me as we celebrated the birth of our Savior together. This Christmas is one I will never ever forget."

Just hearing Marie say that made my Christmas season, and it is something I will never forget. Sharing that moment with her bonded us as sisters, as daughters of God, in a way that no presents, decorations, or Christmas lights could.

On Christmas Day we were allowed to sleep in! We slept in until 8:30am! Haha, it was glorious! We started the morning opening the gifts we received and had the perfect French breakfast ... crepes. We were then invited to a members home, the Michaud's, for a Christmas brunch. I was so touched by their generosity and the way they made us feel at home on such a special day. As I looked around the room, I saw other members from the ward who lived alone, and also invited to join with us to celebrate the Savior’s birth. I was so inspired by their examples and hope I will do the same when I am older. We ate goat! It was actually pretty good!

Our amies continue to progress and we are seeing so many miracles. We will be passing them over to the elders as we will both be leaving the area. I am excited for Soeur Biver to head to her mission in Louisiana! She will be great!

I know the Savior lives. I know He knows and loves each one of us. I hope that each of us will strive to stand a little taller, to be a little better, and to do a little more as this New Year approaches. We can leave behind our past mistakes and start new when we use the Savior and His atoning sacrifice in our lives. Let us make resolutions that will help us become more like Christ … more loving, more unselfish and more service-oriented. Share the joy that comes from the gospel with those around you … you will never regret it!

I love you all so much. I will be eternally grateful for the incredible people I am meeting every day here. It is my last week in Paris … leaving it better than I found it! Here I come, St. Quentin!

Love

Soeur Madeline Vance

"And Christ truly said unto our fathers: If ye have faith ye can do all things which are expedient unto me." Moroni 10:23

p.s. We went to the Opera Garnier today for our PDAY... it was so awesome! That’s where the Phantom of the Opera takes place, as well as several ballets! Sophia, you would love it!

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