Happy Eating and Happier Teaching

Bonjour et Salutttttt!!!

TRANSFERS HAPPENED. And now Soeur Beagles is no longer in Paita. But THIS Soeur still is! With Soeur Pulsipher. She's from Idaho and so stinking hilarious. We transferred this morning and have already had multiple hilarious moments. I love her. This transfer is gonna be wild. So much fun, and so much good old hard work. But Paita is definitely going to be weird without Soeur Beagles. She did incredible things here and it's sad to see her go.

Highlights of the past week.

We had tea with a French couple. Oh my and porte a ported a neighborhood full of people from Metropole aka France. Their french is so beautiful. And intimidating. And formal. I always mess up and use "tu" instead of "vous" and it's grave. It's a whole different world talking to French people. The ones we have talked with

 really don't believe in God. Their lives just feel sadder. But tea. It was delightful! We had herbal tea and talked about God and why we believe in Him. Turns out they already have a Book of Mormon from some friends and they committed to reading 2 Ne 2 to read about God's plan for us and why we need the opposition and challenges. A delightful rendezvous.

Yesterday we at the most delicious, ginormous lunch. And then 3 hours later we had a dinner appt. And then went immediately from there to another dinner appt. Oh my talk about eating. But we can't say no. These people get so many blessings from feeding us (their words) and we can't say no. So we pray from more room in our stomachs. We forge on. And we eat.

Really touched this week by the testimonies and experiences people shared as they said goodbye to Soeur Beagles. Lots of times it can feel like we're trying in vain to share messages with people. Or that they'll never change. Or that maybe they don't really understand how the Gospel of Jesus Christ applies to THEM, is important for THEM personally. But they do. THey really do. These people's lives really do change because we knocked on their doors. Because we read the scriptures with them. Because we share this message. How amazing to hear. What a beautiful reminder. The message we share is TRUE. WHat  an honor it is to share that with people. To help them draw closer to Christ and find that deeper, realer happiness and satisfaction in their lives. Oh how glorious!

One of our members gave us 10 crabs the other day. That he caught. Casual. So we had crab for lunch. Hahah oh my goodness our lives are so deluxe sometimes. But I'm fully converted to sea food. I eat it all. Last night a whole plate of raw fish on cabbage as an appetizer. But really, the ocean is such a blessing for these people and they are so grateful for it adn really use it. It really does nourit these people.

Love you loads and loads!

happy week!

soeur evans

tidbits from a mind gone blank

Allo bonjourrrrrrr

Well I know we did stuff this week, but my mind is drawing a wee bit
of a blank. So bullet points it is.

Yesterday for pday we went to the river. It's this random river in the
mountains at the end of a windy secret road and it's mostly just rocks
with some water trickling down but it was so peaceful. We just sat by
the river and wrote letters and it was surreal thinking once again
that here I was next to a wild river, in the mountains, on an island
in the middle of...everywhere :). I never ever ever thought this was
where my life would lead me, or where God would lead me, but I can't
imagine not being here or not going on a mission. So many times it
really is surreal, but then other times normal life is surreal and
just feels like a farrrr away dream.

Had dinner with a family in the ward and it felt like AMERICA. She's a
flight attendant so she travels a lot and buys food from all over. So
we had ranch dressing whaaaaat.

I now drive stick shift. Papa aren't you so proud??!!! Soeur Beagle's
one year with her american license is up so it's my turn to drive! And
hahah it's a little lurchy still but I'm getting better! I feel so
professional.

Had a ward activity. Well a missionary activity, where we showed 17
Miracles the movie. No one came. Until 1.5 hours later a member and an
ami showed up! Hahah so it was movie night with them and the
missionaries. I enjoyed it haha.

Of course we taught lessons and did missionary stuff but my mind is
drawing a blank.

Fun fact! I now dream in French! Not every time but it's official and
its' the coooooolesttttttttt. Still hard to believe that when people
speak French I know what they're saying, but God really does bless us
missionaries to do His work and thus, I really do understand! Still
learning of course, still learning a LOT, but it's exciting and
incredible.

I'm happy and well (mostly...winter here gave me a cold...slash maybe
it's cause we do the bise to everyone and eveveryone else here is
sick)

love you all! Be happy be hopeful and be helpful! D&C 6:
32-37...probably one of my ultimate favorites. "Fear not little
flock... fear not to do good."

soeur evans

Highs and Lows

Here are some questions and answers from McKay that I asked her to share.  After, is her letter.

What do you do to celebrate your 6^th month mark?

6 month mark you usually wake up to a surprise letter or post-it design

from your companion haha and then you say "wow it's already been 6
months!!!!" and that's it really hahaha. Usually we celebrate 6, 9 and
12 month marks like that :) sometimes we treat ourselves to pizza or
pastries or desserts or ice cream bars (magnum or bounty yummmm...they
don't have gelato here)

What is your living situation?

living situation: a little house with a gate across the driveway. 2
bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen/living space, washer. not much more to
say?

What do you do on your preparation day?

pday: last pday we were with a member teaching  how to make cheesecake, and
yesterday we went to a ward activitiy and felt super awkward and
unwanted haha. we mostly just like to relax a little. we take a nap,
write letters, catch up on journals, do laundry, eat, do our grocery
shopping, drive the elders to do theirs, and then it's over. we have
to end early since we do our emails today. not too exciting, but so
needed and so nice :) we want to go picnic at a river soon or go to
the beach to write letters or go on a hike in the col de la pirogue
too.

Do you know the other missionaries serving in your mission?

missionaries: i already know everyone in my mission..not know, but
it's only 40 missionaries and we see each other enough that we " know
' each other. but it's always nice to see them all still :)

Iorana! Bonjour!

This was a week of ups and downs. Rejections and miracles. It
certainly is true that you need to have an opposition in all things,
so no surprises that we had a little bit of both this week.

Zone Conference was glorious! We LOVE President Brewer!!! And Sister
Brewer! They are so wonderful and truly inspired servants of the Lord.
Just seeing them I was close to tears because they radiate love and
appreciation and the Spirit. They really are our parents away from
home and we love them so much. It was a day of learning and soaking in
the Spirit. I left feeling so motivated and mostly just really
encouraged and loved and appreciated. Recharged and refreshed. We
learned all about the importance of setting goals and planning and it
was a really good reminder. It helped put into perspective our own
personal need to plan as missionaries, but also the way that Heavenly
Father planned everything out too and how that should be our pattern
of life as well.

Then we had a couple of struggle days. Hahah as in our normal
appointments fell through. Or we showed up and no one was there. Or
they called and cancelled. Until pretty soon we had 8 hours ahead of
us no set plans. Hahaha nooooot the ideal. Then everyone we visited
rejected us or said they were busy. Hahaha yeah. So. We did a lot of
porte a porteing. But it was actually a jolly good time! I love porte
a porte! We get to talk to loads of people and if they reject us they
reject us, but when they accept us oooooweeee it's the best! We really
prayed before starting that we would be led to a family. And then at
the top of the hill we found one! And set up a return appt. Miracle!
After 2 days of ultimate rejection me and Soeur Beagles have found a
whole new appreciation for always being with a companion. So grateful
for companionships!

Shoot I'm out of time. But we had miracles too! Found a few new amis
and felt the Spirit really strong and it was good.

Love you all! Sorry this is so short and undescriptive.
Soeur Evans

Add Up All Those LIttle Miracles

Bonjour tout le monde!

Well guess who had the happiest of happy Sundays? This missionary! We
showed up to the chapel and there was one of our amies walking in. And
make it even better, she was like a polynesian goddess with a pink
island dress and her long long hair. Love love love. And THEN we're
sitting singing our opening hymn when another one of our amis walks
in. Not just anyone, but an ami we've been trying to get to come back
to church (he'd come before I got here) since my first week. But then
he walked in and he had his son and I was just oh so happy sitting on
the bench with amis on BOTH sides. It was testimony meeting and I
prayed so very hard for the Spirit to be there powerfully and to
really touch their hearts, so they could fully understand the
importance and joy of going to church. Oh I was not disappointed. All
three hours I felt the Spirit so strongly. One of our really solid
members bore testimony. And then our sunday school was great too. God
did not let us down.

Then after church we asked one of our members (who only speaks
Bislama) to come to our lesson with our new ami. And not only did he
say YES, he offered to go with the sisters in Noumea too hahaha. And
his wife and daughter volunteered to come. So our next lesson, we'll
have a whole family of wonderful Bislama/English/French speaking
members with us. Oh my so excited.

Then later that afternoon we went to a health clinic to visit one of
our amis. (Side note, this happens to be the most tranquil lovely
health clinic ever. It's in the mountains past a tribu surrounded by
nature and streams and beauty. Anone would be healed there just by
being there.) But anyway, we were there without members because we
couldn't find anyone to come with us. Until, whaddyaknow, we finish
our opening prayer and 2 members just come walking up the driveway to
visit our ami. God is SO GOOD. Our lesson ended up being so wonderful
and the Spirit was absolutely there with us.

Moral of the story: When you truly, sincerely, with all your heart ask
for the Spirit to be with you, it WILL be. All day long I could feel
Him there with us.

Fun tidbit: yesterday we taught a member and her friends to make
cheesecake and lemon bars. Hahahahaha yikes trying to describe cooking
words is not our forte. But it worked! And they spelled out every
cooking verb for the recipes for me :)

I've been amazed by all the little miracles lately. We plan to focus
on a certain inactive during the week. Oh look at that, he randomly
walks up to us in the grocery store and introduces himself and says to
call him. We walk back to the car with our pizza (sometimes we treat
ourself, it's da bomb) and a lady makes eye contact with us, so I
start talking to her. Oh, she's an ancien ami who wants to take the
discussions again. Ok. We talk to a woman on the street and she says,
"what's your number, I'll text you tonight to pass tomorrow. But I'll
contact you...". So we give it to her not really expecting much. And
the next day we get a text from her. Tiny little wonderful miracles
everyday. You do your part and He will most DEFINITELY do His.

Sorry if this is crazy long, I have no mail to read hahaha tricked
everyone with my email schedule :)

Feeling content and watched over and praying the same for YOU,
Soeur Evans

Give a Little More

 Bonjour et salut!

The other day we had the strangest experience. We taught a lesson in
English. Whaaaaaaattt. It's a man who's from Vanuatu, so he speaks
Bislama and English and is learning French. But since we don't speak
Bislama (sadly, I"m in love with that language. It's just a happy
happy language) English it was! Talking with Americans and such is a
breeze in English, but whenever I have to speak English to someone who
normally I would just speak French to, it is the most awkward feeling.
The words are all foreign and weird coming out and it feels like a
second language. Hahah and my past self would probably be mortified at
the vocabulary I use because it's most certainly degraded (is degraded
a word?). How grateful I was for my time in Virginia during our
lesson! The feeling and vocabulary of teaching in English flowed back
a little bit into my mind and oh how it helped! Well we made it
through our lesson, with a few French words slipped in on accident. It
was a wonderful lesson and he is extremely receptive, so we're excited
for the future! We even get to give him a Book of Mormon, not even a
Livre de Mormon!

Had a first over here in Paita: we had 4 soeurs all at once in Paita.
It was wild, we got to schedule so many people for one day! It's
because we had an exchange with our soeurs dirigeants, but we all
stayed in Paita. The big blessing out of that was getting the chance
to go to Savannah, another town in our secteur that we NEVER get to go
see because we're always in Paita for lessons and soirees. Savannah is
HUGE, but has no amis or members. My heart aches thinking of all the
people there that are just sitting waiting for us to go find them. And
we finally got to start finding them on Saturday!

Something  finally set in this week that I think I've been learning
my whole mission. The miracles happen after we do that little bit
more. Every time I have an experience where I really see the hand of
the Lord in my life or in our work, it is AFTER we do something a
little bit out of the ordinary. After we do something beyond what our
natural man tendencies say. The other night we were doing porte a
porte and a family pulled in at the house next to the house we were
trying to contact. They whiz up their loooooooong long driveway. Their
house was up on a hill and it was totally dark out. But they were
getting out of their car, so maybe they'd hear us. It was definitely
one of those moments when your awkward-meter says walk away, but I
yelled a bonsoir anyway and what do you knoooow a young man walked all
the way down his driveway. And then he INVITED US IN. He and his
little sister talked to us and are just as cute as cute can be and
were devastated when their mom told them "not tonight", but of course
we set another time. Miracles are real. If you don't see them, maybe
it's because God is waiting for us to get out of our comfort zone a
little. He's pushing us to do a little more. And THEN He will reward
us.

This week is Zone Conference which means WE GET TO SEE PRESIDENT. 
Living on a different island and a different country than your mission
president makes the times we see him all the sweeter. I'm beyond
stoked.


We got to do our studies on the beach yesterday and it sunk in yet
again just how blessed we are to get to serve here. Ain't nothing like
eating a patisserie sandwich and the bestest ever goat cheese/herb
breadstick while studying the gospel on the beach of a tropical island
where you...oh yes, where you LIVE. Bienheureuse. We are bienheureuse.
Such a sweet reminder of this incredible experience that's happening
all around and inside me.

Love you all to pieces!
So joyous that so many friends are reporting this week or soon or
working on papers or anything of the sort!
Praying for you all and hoping you can feel my love and gratitude for
you each day,
Soeur Evans