A Redhead Mormon Missionary in Paris: Our Miracle of the Week and some Porting Stories

Another week! I always love hearing from our French girl!

Dear Family!

Funny Porting/Street Contacting Stories:

The other day, we went porting through this specific batiment.

When I was on exchanges with Soeur Hensen, we ported the apartment of a young Muslim man. From what I could gather, he was not interested but he was friendly and seemed pretty normal. He gave us his number and then we left. I was pretty sure I missed some contextual clues, because Soeur Hensen had the funniest look on her face. Turns out....

Yes, he was interested, but not in our message. Whenever we talk to Muslim people, we end up just sharing our common value of families. So she gave him a Family Proclomation pamphlet to read about. He, in turn, talked about a need to feel peace in life. He told Soeur Hensen that if she ever needed peace in her life, to just call him. (When she told me THAT part of the story, I was Dying of laughter). He rummaged around his apartment to find a peace of paper to write his name and number. It sounded like he was remodeling his apartment! And when I looked at the name, I noticed that he spelled it wrong the first time. Sooooo funny. Soeur Bradley and I decided to leave that floor alone. hahaha The story's aaaaall in the Context.

Another port we came across kind of took me back for a moment. Outside the apartment was 2 fake trees, ivory taped onto and along the wall and portraits of the local chateauxs. Woah.

I wrote this one in my planner. "This young kid answers the door and informs us that he's too busy right now, because he's 'Going Out.' Oh yeah, I forgot it's Friday night..."

We contacted this young french girl in Centre Ville the other day, expecting her to be busy or running off to do something else. But instead, she stops and talks to us. After getting through our usual introduction and conversational questions, I just kind of looked at Soeur Bradley as we awkwardly stood there. A flashback scene from The Best Two Years came to me after Elder Calhoun and his companion commit their friend to baptism. They get so excited and then the moment dies down awkwardly as they stare at each other. Elder Calhoun asks, "What are we supposed to do Now?? His companion: "I don't know. I've never gotten this far!" Oh la looooow...

This past week, we started teaching two sisters named Stephanie and Prisca. We actually didn't contact them first. The Elders called us up and told us to meet them and then go to their home.

Stephanie and Priscas' sister is a member in Metz. The other day they were spending the day with her and while they were together, she just started bearing her testimony to them about the blessings of the gospel in her life. She said they needed to meet with the missionaries.

But Stephanie said she hadn't seen any before. Her sister informed her that was impossible, because they Are EVERYWHERE (true). Then she spotted our Elders at a bus stop and ran off to talk to them.

There are no such things as coincidences.

We've been teaching them for a week now and they are wonderful. Our rendez-vous have been so good and they are so curious and open to the gospel. Prisca offered her first prayer the other day and it was so sincere and heartfelt. She just thanked God for allowing her to wake up that day and enjoy it. I wish I did that Every Day.

It's such a miracle and I feel so blessed to be even a little part of it. All we really do as missionaries is show others the way, help them along and then let them experience the Gospel in their lives. We just want them to be BLESSED and feel the LOVE of GOD in their lives. Who doesn't want that?

The french is coming along so much better than I've even realized. There's a lot to go, I know. But when you have something important or meaningful to say, it gets communicated.

Hope you're having a wonderful week! And here's the new address for where we're at now. It's a lot faster direct vs. through the mission home. But if its ever getting close to the end of a transfer, I'll give you a heads up.

Grosses Bisous,

Soeur Hopkins

4 Rue Horizon Vert

37170 Chambray Les Tours

France