Bold and Busy

Bonjouuuur!!

Hello my sweets!

This week will be short, but I'll do my best.

The giant tender mercy was getting to hear from Elder Kevin Pearson of the Seventy. He came to our Stake Conference this weekend and gave two WONDERFUL discourses to the entire stake. And then he asked to do an special missionary training as well on Sunday evening. Oh la la it was incredible. Highlights:

- Teaching us to be agents, not objects. Objects are acted upon, but agents ACT. It is up to us to have a spiritual experience at church, to feel the Spirit, to strengthen ourselves. It is up to us to act and do and not just wait on the person at the pulpit to inspire us and motivate us to get off our chair and ACT. Loved that. Spot on. 

- He told us to raise our expectations.

- We have to push ourselves over the frontier of faith. It is after that borderline that we will see miracles. And of course to get there, we have to improve our attitude and be diligent. Hard work hard work hard work and also genuine happiness. 

So so many other wonderful things. He is Bold with a capital b. But behind it all was a pure love. When you truly love others you will tell them the truth to help them become better. Maybe it will make them squirm a little, but when it is coming for someone how loves them, they will reflect and then, they might actually GET BETTER. I definitely appreciated his comments and was wishing I'd heard them approximately 16 months ago so I could apply them for more of my mission. But I'll just make the most of these last 2 months :)

Our weeks continue to be full to the brim. We run from lesson to lesson and still don't fit some people in. It kills me when someone calls and has to reschedule because it usually means it will be another week until we see them. The worst, but I guess it's also the best? I've never been so busy in all my mission.

After a much too long 2 weeks (for the above reason), we saw my favorite miracle couple again. The wife said she missed us and it was way too long to wait to see us again. She has miracles experiences every time we come that have happened during the week. It is amazing the progress they are making. We scheduled our following lesson for four days later :) Much sooner. 

Another couple we teach is usually a little more hesitant. They are Protestant and like meeting with us but are less interested in doing anything with what we teach. Well we love teaching them and they have so much potential, so we always go hoping to touch their hearts. One day something will click and they will just latch onto it all, I just know it. During our lesson this week we read Alma 32 with them and, quite boldly thanks to Elder Pearson's counsel, invited them to nourish the word we've been giving them if they want to see the fruit. Aka, read the Book of Mormon. After reading the chapter together, the Spirit was so strong and their eyes seemed to be all lit up. The clarity of this sacred book had touched them and (hopefully) ignited a new desire to discover it for themselves. We felt prompted to ask them if they'd noticed a difference in their life since we started coming. Had they had a "gonflement de coeur"? A swelling of their heart? The wife was nodding like a crazy person before the question was even over. She has become more patient, more faithful, more loving. And then she said one of my favorite phrases. "When you don't come, it's like I'm hungry. I get hungry for your visits. They make me feel so good". The Spirit and the word can truly change our hearts.

I'm out of time, but I love you all. The Lord work miracles! Plan for a busy busy day and He makes it happen. Fill your agendas with all the details to do good and He realizes them! 

My heart is full.

Love for always and forever,

Soeur Evans

Where My Treasure Lies

Bonjour bonjour!!

Hope you are all happy and well!

This week was full of lots of things, but I've forgotten most of them due to last Friday night.

This week celebrated the 3-year anniversary of the Stake in New Caledonia! The church here is still so young and tender, but continues to grow and strengthen. They had another wonderful celebration with all the members. Every ward presented a different country and put on a dance. And when the islanders dance, they DANCE. Oh it was delightful. My favorites, of course, were the Iles Loyaute (our own small islands) dances and the India dance. (Shout out to Hay you would have just died it was the same dance as in Bride and Prejudice).

So we had that wonderful evening and came home at 9:00.

And long story short, we were robbed.

Someone broke in through a window and stole some of our things. Hahah they were probably sorely disappointed because we have so few things of value. Temporal value that is. But they still got away with some of our things. Well, we called the gendarmes (police), and got our house all fingerprinted and got to try to explain the situation to these gendarmes in french the whole situation. And turns out I've learned a lot of new words in French. We filed a complaint at the gendarmerie (police station), talked to insurance and are now house hunting. Heavenly Father is teaching me all sorts of life skills.

Don't worry, we're totally fine. We were a little shaken up for a couple nights, but now it just feels like a funny joke that we keep telling people. Never expected that experience on my mission haha.

All in all, I learned some wonderful lessons about my priorities and where my treasure lies. The few things I had of temporal value were taken from me. And while for a few hours that was annoying and a little frustrating, now I hardly care any more. My true treasure is spiritual: my testimony, my faith, the sacred, spiritual experiences I have lived and continue to live. These things can never be taken from me, they can't be snatched or robbed or burglarized. I can protect those eternally in my heart and keep them sacred and strong and lasting.

I now hide the few things of temporal value that I have. But I also find myself keeping my scriptures constantly beside me. They are an infinite treasure. Sometimes I have to remind myself that to a robber they are just a book and that I can set them down sometimes and leave them on my desk, because to me they are full of precious truths and personal answers and words of eternal worth that everyone would want.

How grateful I am to be filling my life with GIVING. Each day I get to give and give and give. And the things I give and share cannot be stolen.

Soeur Giles and I have been incredibly blessed to have the Spirit FILL our lessons. It's incredible to look back on the week and remember powerful lesson after powerful lesson. As we sit together across from these dear amis I can almost feel the Spirit overflowing the room. As I bear testimony my heart just about explodes with warmth and peace. These truths are TRUE. They are precious.

I truly cherish these feelings and confirmations of the Spirit more than almost anything else. Lessons have become a recharge for my batteries because we walk out and can still the feel the Spirit lingering in their home and within our hearts.

I often feel quite overcome with emotion. But not in the way I used to be. Before my emotion was much more exterieur, but now it seems to fill me on the inside. Don't be fooled, I'm still a blank canvas of emotion when it comes to excitement and all that, but the sweet peaceful whisperings of the Spirit don't leak out of my tearducts as often.

Well, I love you all tremendously. I think of you often and rejoice in your happiness.

What do you truly value in your life? Is your treasure more spiritual or temporal? I'll certainly be asking myself those questions a lot more in my life :)

much loooove,

soeur evans

Putting Eternal Life Before Life

Bonjour bonjour bonjour!!!

Another blessed week. Today I'm just gonna list all the wonderful moments out, cause they are plentiful!

We got a call from our bishop the other week inviting us to come meet a man over a casual dinner at his home. Well, a missionary doesn't say no to that! That's the dream-meeting someone a member found in the member's home. The man had so many questions. He was rattling off his life stories and trials for the whole evening and woven into all of it were so many deep questions. I realized (again) that although these questions are our day-to-day material...people are constantly asking us "why.... and why...."...they are eating away inside of these people. How grateful I am to get to respond to these questions with such surety and hope and calmness. It was really interesting to "feel" the room as he spoke. It felt stressed and high-energy and doubtful and chaotic. Then as we spoke and taught and explained and testified a stillness and peace and quiet settled in the room and upon this man. The Spirit is so powerful.

We taught my favorite mami again! The sweet old woman I've taught since the beginning of my mission. She has such a special place in my heart. Ohhh I love her so! In the past, she didn't understand anything we taught. Today she was teaching us about prophets, explaining the scriptures, warning us again false "seers" and testifying of the truthfulness of the Godhead and building upon Christ. No greater reward, no greater reward than helping people to UNDERSTAND.

On Saturday a couple that the elders in our ward have been teaching got baptized. They are Futunian and have faced a lot of opposition from their family due to their deeeeeeeep Catholic roots and traditions. But they continued on and took that step of faith. Oh my goodness, the Spirit was so strong. The wife kissed her father's cheek right before walking into the font and oh la la talk about getting choked up. He is one of the few people supporting her choice. 

One night we had 20 minutes to spare, so we did some porte-a-porte. At the second house we yelled at we were invited in. Turns out they LOVE the missionaries, LOVE the family, LOVE the Lord and used to take the lessons. We have a lesson and dinner appt with them tonight. Blessings upon blessings. And did I mention that it's a family??

Taught our other favorite couple. The miraculous ones we found doing porte-a-porte one day. In the middle of the lesson their 25 year old son came and asked to join us. YES. So grateful for people who have the courage to follow the Spirit. He is now taking the lessons with his parents.

Some other general things:

-I never tire of the look of complete and riveted attention that comes from people being nourished spiritually. It's like we're handing a bathtub full of icy cold water to someone who just walked across the desert. Their feet are a little burned, exhausted and they're dirty. But their relief has arrived. Their thirst is quenched. Oh it is the most incredible thing.

-When people here experience that spiritual nourishment they always want to express thanks in some way. So we have many days when we have to quickly drive home to stick a bag of frozen fish in our freezer (that is, if no one was home we tried to gift it to :) )before continuing the days work.

-We are now so busy that if people miss their appointment we usually can't see them until the next week. Wild!! It's great cause we're busy, but the worst cause I loooove these people and a week is way too long.

Well I love you all to bits and pieces. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. It is restored on the earth. It is the key, the center, the secret to all happiness.

There are no words for my gratitude to be a member of this Church. To be a missionary for the Lord.

Do whatever you need to do to follow the Lord. There is nothing more important. Absolutely nothing. Please don't let life get in the way of eternal life.

Love you all forever! Especially my sweet family!

Soeur Evans

Let the Holy SPirit Guide

Bonjouuuurrrrrrrr!

Baaaah this week I feel like I'm exploding with stories to tell and experiences to share. Here goes. 

First of all, a great big HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! Joyeuse Fete des Meres maman :) It was so wonderful to see and hear my sweet family! Grateful for a family that loves me through my awkwardness. That transition to normal person life is going to be something else. 

Ok. Before anything else, I have to tell the most incredible story. This happened earlier today and I still can't believe this is my life. First of all, some background. Way back when I first got to Paita (at the beginning of my mission), we were teaching a man, we'll call him O. Well O was really in progres and he fixed a baptismal date and was AWESOME. Then we left Paita. He did not get baptised. Now I'm back in Paita. And for a month we have been trying and trying to contact him. We've called and stopped by his house, but every time we go he's not there, or just barely left. Bah. 

So it's been about a week since we last tried. I started feeling like he was just ignoring us. Then last night I had a dream about O. Then today at around noon, we had some free time before a lesson. O's name popped into my head, but I thought to myself, "Huh.....noooo. It's the middle of the day, he's at work. Why would I think of him now?" And 10 seconds later Soeur Giles goes, "this is gonna sound really weird, cause it's the middle of the day.....but I feel like we need to go see someone?" "Ah, oui? Who?" "O...." "No way!!! I was just thinking that but then I was like noooo that's silly" 

So off we go, to O's house. We're both super confused, cause seriously at noon here, everyone is at work or sleeping or something. It was the least likely time to see him according to logics. We pull up to his house and its deserted. No one home, no cars. Huh. So we park our car and say a prayer explaining that we had heeded the prompting and asking to be led to whoever we were supposed to meet at that moment. I open my eyes and get out of the car and the next second, O's TRUCK COMES PULLING AROUND THE CORNER. NO. WAY. He pulls up beside me and stops his truck and looks down all confused, "Evans?? How are you back here? I haven't see you in forever" "Uhhhhh I'm back in Paita!!! We came to see you!" 

I was dumbstruck. Me and Soeur Giles were standing there in the middle of the road as he parked his giant construction truck on this tiny road, and we couldn't stop giggling. "Did that just happen? Is this happening? THE SPIRIT IS THE BEST THING OF ALL TIME." Hahahaha we were just freaking out cause it was so unreal. Turns out he had come back for a quick lunch break in the middle of his workday. It was a moment of being completely guided by the hand of the Lord. He made our paths cross. But if we hadn't followed the Spirit, we would have continued on in our normal day and missed out on one of the most incredible experiences of my mission. 

I hope I did that experience justice. I felt like I was living a General Conference talk. We had a prompting. It felt silly. It felt a little ridiculous actually. We followed it anyway. When we arrived and saw no one, we didn't keep driving. We prayed and parked. And then, how marvelously we were REWARDED. Oh the Spirit is so real. He is the best guide our Savior could ever have given us. We just have to heed him. 

Other highlights of this marvelous week:

-Our day after Skype was one of our best days yet. We had lesson after lesson and the Spirit was so strong. Blessings. 

-Had an incredible incredible lesson with a new ami we met. The Spirit was poured upon us and as we testifed she started bawling, she was so overcome with emotion. The Spirit truly fills our mouths with the words that others need to hear, and fills their hearts with peace and comfort.

-Had a lesson with one of our couples. They often tell us they are simply "open to listening", but not really searching for a change. Well we taught the Plan of Salvation and at the end of the lesson asked when we could come back. Hahahah and the husband goes, "Well, are you free Thursday?" It was Monday night. As people learn gospel truths their hearts are touched and they yearn to learn more. 

Ok, well that's all for today. I love you all! Bisoux a vous tous!

Seek the Spirit. And when you find it, follow it. 

Soeur Evans

Melodies of heaven

Bonjour et Salut!!

Oh la la la la je ne sais pas ou commencer. I don't even know where to start. I keep thinking that I'll reach a plateau of blessings, but I have yet to experience that. Somehow I got on the uphill track that continues to bring blessing upon abundant blessing. And I have no desire to change tracks :)

Well, as per usual, I shall begin with the highlights.

This week, we had a night of no rendezvous. Nobody scheduled. So during the day we went out and tried to do some follow up and get some things scheduled. And it worked. We showed up that night to the home of a couple who previously took the lessons. They are Futunians (all Walisians and Futunians are Catholic. And they have been for generations upon generations). But of course, they were very kind and welcomed us into their home.

We walk in and think that they have company over, so we offer to come back another time when they are less busy. They tell us that there's always that many people and that it's not a problem at all if we stay. So we sit down on a woven mat in their main room, just us and the couple and their daughter. Before the prayer, the wife invites the other people who were there to join us. Suddenly we're sitting there with EIGHT FUTUNIANS facing us in silence waiting for us to begin. Um. That is approximately eight times more people than we ever teach at a time haha.

As always, we began with a prayer. And after the prayer came the message. You may think that it is automatically easy for us, as missionaries, to teach the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to anyone. But fun fact, it is a little nervewracking and sometimes slightly awkward to be an invited guest in the home of 8 strong Catholics and to share this bold and unique message of truth. Nevertheless, share it we did. We are called to be BOLD and to serve and LOVE our brothers and sisters. Although talking about 'faith' or 'the life of Christ' would have been easy, nothing proves our love like sharing the message that God loves us and is constant and unchanging.

Oh my, the Spirit was so strong. Words and promises and testimonies were coming out of my mouth on their own. During that lesson we were definitely not the ones teaching. We were simply instruments in the Lord's wise hands to bring this message to eight of God's beloved children. The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true.

But the best is yet to come! After the closing prayer, the wife turned to me and goes, "Do you not like to sing?" "Why, yes, I do in fact like to sing" And then, oh words cannot even describe. Then, sitting together on the floor, we sang "Instant de Paix, Moment Si Doux"  (Secret Prayer in English). When the chorus came, Soeur Giles and I were belting the words to the melody and all eight of them in their sweet deep voices were harmonizing. The floor was shaking. Hahah I was shaking. And I just wanted to cry I was so happy. It was the most beautiful beautiful music.

So that was by far my favorite moment of the week.

Other delights and real life moments:

-Sr Giles and I take turns being sick. One day on, one day off. It's dandy. But it's not enough to keep us off the streets and out of houses. We continue, hilariously weak and uncomfortable at times, but we continue.

-We showed up to one of our dinner appointments to find half the ward there. Normal. Then we helped a soeur do her english homework. Also normal.

-It is beginning to be coooold here. I wore a scarf and a sweater the other day. I think it may be in the seventies. Maybe sixties. I've turned into a hot-weather-lover.

-Our amis keep on progressing! People are receiving testimonies, keeping the Word of WIsdom, praying, and ohhhh all sorts of lovely things!

-We currently have more amis than I've ever had on my mission. So many miracles.

Well, I love you all. This work is TRUE. It's true because it continues. And it continues on in light and joy. I've never been so happy and blessed and sure.

Sing a song to someone. Bear your testimony. Tell someone about the Book of Mormon. The Lord can work miracles with us, of that I am sure!

Love forever,

Soeur Evans

Fwd: bonjour

Voila I finally got a picture from the conference with Elder Haleck. That's all of the missionaries on New Caledonia :)

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Draining and Edifying

Bonjour tout le monde,

Well I keep having to switch email days cause of the mediatheques that close constantly, which means today I have loads upon loads of time because I've beat everyone else to email :)

Which means I shall do my very best to summarize this week nicely. 

Hahah lets see, cette semaine we had lots of cancellations. That usually makes for a lot of unexpected free time to followup on past contacts and contact some new people. So we've been really great at following up with people, to the point that we were feeling a little like helicopter missionaries and decided we needed to go expand our contact pool. 

We had one lesson this week with a young family. Earlier in the week we had spoken with the husband and he was nice as can be and clearly had a strong faith in Jesus Christ. We showed up for our rendezvous on Saturday really excited to share the message of the Retablissement with them and have a Spirit-filled lesson. So we showed up and surprise surprise, it was nothing what we expected. For about an hour we sat there as they critiqued the Church and misinterpreted doctrine and sacred beliefs and told us we were wrong and misguided and didn't believe in Jesus Christ. Oh my heart hurts thinking about it. I think that's the hardest for me- when people think we don't believe in Jesus Christ, despite His name being written just below mine on the badge I wear over my heart. Turns out they had studied theology and had taken a class about the Church and our beliefs. What a testimony to me of how ineffective it is to learn true doctrine and teachings if the Spirit is not present. Though they learned sacred truths, they interpreted it to mean something entirely different, to the point that they thought we worshipped man and wrote our own books to replace the Bible. Nothing too uncommon as far as misconceptions go, but no less painful to hear. Sr Giles and I did our best to simply listen to them tell us what we believe, be receptive and try to testify of real truths and beliefs in a nonargumentative way. We're not here to prove anything. I'm not here to prove l'Eglise de Jesus-Christ des Saints des Dernier Jours is true, I'm here to testify and invite others to receive their own witness of the Saint-Esprit.

After that lesson we had a day full of porte-a-porte cause everyone else cancelled or no-showed. It was a day of feeling extremely spiritually and emotionally drained. Knocking on door after door, testifying endlessly, maintaining a happy, joyful spirit despite your heart still feeling a little over-squeezed. 

But Heavenly Father is a Father of endless love and mercy. By the time evening came around I was really seeking a Spirit-filled lesson full of simple gospel truths. Well after a final no-show, we went to an inactive soeur as a backup. She was home alone with her son and invited us in. In the past we had always done reallyyyy basic lessons with her family (not really sure why, it was just always like that). Well this time the Spirit in the room was entirely different. There was a stillness and peace. Me and Sr Giles were both drained almost dry and had more of a peaceful, calm Spirit than our usual, more energetic, enthousiastic one. As we began the lesson, Sr Giles asked some wonderful questions and the Spirit was there with us. We read from Alma 32 together and had a beautiful, simple lesson on faith and nurturing our faith to keep it growing and strong. Her heart was touched and so was mine. How grateful I am for this Gospel of simple truths. Simple, edifying truths. And for a Father in Heaven who knows our every need. 

On the other end of the spectrum we had the most WONDERFUL lesson with one of our amis. She's the mami that I used to teach. When we started teaching her (back at the beinning of my mission), she pretty much understood nothing. So we began to teach more simply and in smaller chunks. She began to understand. Then she started to retain doctrine from lesson to lesson. Well this Thursday we went and taught her. And we went over the Plan du Salut. And oh my sweet miracle, she UNDERSTANDS. She really, truly, deeply understands. We were asking deep questions and she was giving responses of true doctrine and principles. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing that change take place. Before she had never even touched a Bible, and now she is teaching US the Plan du Salut. The Lord truly works miracles. What a blessing to watch them unfold. 

At one conference with President Brewer, he talked about how if we could go back to our missions after 40 years and see the changes and miracles that have taken place, we would have to be rolled out on a gurney. Hahah that we would be shocked dead by the progress of the work. Well I believe him. Just in the difference between now and 6 months ago in Paita, I am constantly struck dumb. I'll be sitting in lessons with people I've known for over a year and they'll start to testify and I just sit there speechless and dumbstruck by the Lord's goodness and power to change us. 

Wow I really have a lot of time. Hahaha apologies if I'm rambling, but I'll continue. 

SUNDAY. Sunday was the BEST. Not because of a wild miracle story of 20 amis coming or anything, but because meeting after meeting I could feel my battery recharging and my spirit finding strength. We had fast and testimony meeting filled with beautiful testimonies. Our Sunday School was all about free agency and our capacity to choose good along with the incredible blessings that come as a result of our good use of our agency. Edified. I was edified and uplifted. 

Fun Facts:

-I have now been out on my mission for 15 months. Yikes. Ca passe vite, eh? 

-Sometimes me and Sr Giles try to speak really good english to each other and then find ourselves mistranslating things from french to english. It is hilarious and alarming. 

-Yesterday before church a less active dropped off 8 pastries and 2 baguettes at our house. Sums up Paita pretty well. 

-I GET TO GO TO BOURAIL TOMORROW. We have a zone meeting up north sweet praises!

-About 5 years ago New Caledonia had a maximum of 3-4 missionaries out at a time (from NC). Now there are over 20 youth from NC serving around the world. 

D'accord, I think that's a pretty real summary of the week. This work continues to be the most rewarding and challenging thing in my life. The Lord is full of surprises, but often I think they are surprises just because I underestimate His power and wisdom. May we all increase our faith in the Lord that He may more easily and frequently work miracles in our lives.

I love you all! 

Soeur Evans

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McKay in her Melanesian dress-- la Roche de percee

Soeur Evans and Soeur Giles

McKay with her Ami

Good Morning in beautiful Paita

Paita in background

Pampelmousse- a favorite fruit