The Craziness of Life in Evry

I'm sorry I've been slow on emails, but here is the first of 3!

Bonne Semaine ma famille! J'éspère que vous allez bien et il fait du soleil!

This week has been wonderful. We went and saw the Louvre and yes, the Mona Lisa. Which, to confirm all of your suspicions is very small and surrounded by bullet proof glass! I thought it was the funniest thing that you can turn around and look at an incredible painting 10 times larger than it and somehow, everyone's there is just to see the Mona.:)

We had some very wonderful happenings this week. You wouldn't believe it, but we were working in another ville in our area called Corbeil-Essonnes trying to find a couple of adresses for people we had contacted a week before, when I stopped this very chique, french women on the street. And it turns out that she spoke english, knew about our church and was able to help us find our way. We even prayed with her, gave her our card and parted to go look for something to eat for lunch.

We walked a couple streets away and rounded a corner to look at the least expensive crepery we could find. And just as we turned the corner, we ran into her again. Turns out she was waiting for a businesess interview and was also trying to find a bite to eat. So we had lunch together

She told us all about her work and her life growing up in Paris, living in Arkansas for a month as a teenager. Her name is Dominique and her and her family live in Stasbourg. Turns out she's already met other missionaries before.And then she asked us about ourselves and what we were doing here. We ended up teaching her about the Restoration of the Gospel and sharing with her the story of Joseph Smith. It was a powerful and special experience sitting in the upper level of the cafe sharing this experience with her. Everytime I share the words of Jospeh Smith in the sacred grove, there is a power that just fills the room and its like everything becomes still. Dominique just sat there listening intently and made the remark, "Wow. That's powerful." :) Yes, it really is.

It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. She was so kind and told us that we were such good representatives of our church and country. (Seriously, that's the best compliment I've ever received on my mission. America + The Gospel = All the Best Things). We gave her our contact information so that if she was interested in having the missionnaires visit her, they could go to see her where she's at. And as we were leaving, she insisted on paying for us. We were telling her not to worry about it and we could pay for ourselves, but she insisted. "40 years from now, you're going to tell you're kids about this lady that you met in Corbeil-Essonnes and how she took you out to lunch."

We took a picture too!

And we also got Stephanie to church! 3 hours of trajet going out to get her and bring her back by the bus and with the train--but so worth it! She was really debating on going because of her three small kids. But somehow, when we arrived she looked at us and decided, "Well, you're already here, so we might as well go!" And it was so wonderful because as soon as we got into Evry, some members came and picked us up to go to the chapel and someeone offered to give her a ride all the way back. It really is all worth it and I know that she felt the spirit so strongly when she was there.

There is no way I could ever decide not to go to church everyweek after helping someone make that trip! 

Here are some of the wonderful members and people that we taught this week!

The other night we were in Corbeil-Essonne again and we stopped in this neighbor that surrounds the city's cathedral and I was like, "Soeur Walker, grab the camera! This is too beautiful!" Hence, me in a doorway, the motorcycle, the view....

And me using the map to navigate...that's an adventure!

I love you all, have a wonderful week! God loves you and He knows exactly where you stand. He will help you and place you in the path of others He wants you to meet!

Living and Loving the Gospel in Paris,

Soeur Hopkins

Have a great week! 

Lots of love,

Melissa