Mormons! Latter-day Saints!

We were walking around the little town of Ferney when we hear someone shout Mormons! We were a little worried because, usually when people yell at us it isn't good. So we kind of look and keep walking when he shouts Latter-day Saints! What? We decide to go over and talk to him. Well. He is a pretty cool guy. He's a philosophy teacher but he is really into religion and really believeing. We talked to him and his friend a little while and they were pretty cool! Then we turn the corner and some guy says, "Sisters!" What? Oh. Just an RM (South America) from Utah visiting France and randomly ran into the sisters. His name is Chris and he is the COOLEST. How often does that happen? Never.

Contacting has been hard because... in August everybody goes on vacation. Once populated cities become ghost towns. We drove to the other end of our area (about an hour away) and it was literally empty. 2 hours of work and we only saw 3 people. It was creepy... pretty much a scary movie waiting to happen.

In one town we had a really funny experience with a guy we contacted. We said hello and asked how he was doing and he just starts getting REALLY upset. A lot. We were prepared for the worst but he starts asking us the name of our church in a huge rage. Sœur Roberts and I knew we could not say Mormons or he would flip a lid so we just kept repeating the full name of the church even though we knew that wasn't what he meant. Eventually he just yelled UTAH! You're from Utah! We looked at each other and I said, I'm from Ohio and she said, I'm from California? The poor guy was pretty confused. He's like, I've been to Utah and saw your building! The Mormons! We were like, oh yeah, that's us. He must have been a little confused. After that we had a jolly conversation and he bid us farewell with the biggest smile. It was really kind of funny.

Another fun adventure I've been having is driving a stick... in the mountains of France. There is every obstacle that makes your life a nightmare. PLUS driving in the mountains. Basically you have to learn really fast or you will just sit on a hill with people honking at you forever. We turned up this one hill and I accidentally killed it... and could NOT get it up the hill. One time it started but we hit some rocks and the tires spun... and it died. So bitter. It worked out eventually. Once I was basically back at the bottom of the hill from rolling backwards so much. Yeah... it was my first day. I'm better now.

Also, we happened to find a little stable and I got to spend some time with a beautiful horse and her baby! So precious. She's a jumper too... perfect. I love it here.

Right now we are teaching a really sweet girl named Melissa. She has Muslim background but really has a desire to believe in Christ and be baptized. She has a date for September 7 but she is trying to quit smoking. She is incredible, isn't she? I love teaching her. I love being a missionary!

This week at zone conference we talked a lot about faith and missionary work. We watched the Mormon Message, "Mountains to Climb" (watch it if you haven't) and talked about how much we need to have faith and rely on the Savoir even though the hardest times in life and as a missionary. It was really perfect. The mission has been struggling since everybody is gone and there aren't a lot of people, but it's been okay. We keep working :)

I love you all and I hope you have a super week!

Sœur Loder

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Je suis Mormon, et vous?

There was a member in Nice that had a shirt that says that... he wore it all the time and he is kind of eccentric so I found it really funny :) Kind of random but I'm not feeling super creative this week. Or ever.

So guess what? I love Gex! I forgot that I should tell you how to say it because it is easy to say not correct and then nobody knows what you are talking about. So it is like Jex, but the J makes the sound like in pleaSUre. It's really French, I know. Good luck!

Right, so the weather here is kind of really nice. It's summer but not really that hot and it actually rains and gets cooler! It rains pretty often, which I like. I actually sleep in a long sleeved shirt and use a blanket at night! Which is a lot nicer than I remember :) It's also really fun to go contacting here because there aren't so many people you can't handle it. We go out for several hours and maybe see 30 or 40 people but we get to talk to ALL of them and take the time to do a good job. I LOVE it. Plus the people are generally nicer and speak slower since we are right next to Switzerland.

There are stables everywhere and I have seen several dressage letters and jumps. I'm going to study up on some horse vocabulary and we're going to go make friends with stable people and teach them/love their horses and maybe do some service! We have to get creative around here since there aren't tons of people. I'm not too upset about it :)

Our leaders here are really cool. Our district leader calls every night to see how we are, how our day went, if we have questions or need help with anything. He is incredible! He also gives us challenges every couple of days. Fun things like making people laugh and contacting ladies in red dresses. It has been so much fun and we have had a great time making people laugh even if they say NO to us. It makes us feel better too.

This week we worked with members a lot to help set up a wedding! We set up tables and chairs and decorated cupcakes and cleaned. It was actually really fun to do some real service. Members are sometimes too nice to let you help them, but I'm telling you. The missionaries want to help you! Let them! Okay thanks. We sadly had to miss the wedding because we went to Lyon for Blue's Conference again but it was great. I got to see some people I love and be uplifted and take a train ride :) Really good.

Yesterday was rough. Two members fed us... lasagna. Lunch was with our upstairs members. They are Italian. Legitimately Italian and I have never had better lasagna in my life and I'm sure I never will. They fed me so much and I just took it because it was so amazing. Well, dinner was also lasagna from a family from Argentina. It was also incredible, but I struggled. This was the biggest piece of lasagna I had ever seen. Somehow I did it. Sœur Roberts helped me out... I'm not sure how because she is a tiny little thing. Too much food. It's been a day and I don't want to eat ever again.

The wonderful Italian family is thrilled that I studied Italian and still remember quite a bit. They have been reviewing with me and it seems a lot easier now that I have studied another language. Plus we actually need Italian a lot more than I expected. They told me I have a really good Italian accent and coming from Italians... I was flattered. Ha.

Anyway. I love you all. The church is so true. I love the work and Gex and my companion :) Have a good week!

Sœur Loder

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Bonjour de GEX!

Yes. Transfer calls got me this time! Everybody in Nice was convinced I was staying but the call said otherwise.

"Hello Sister Loder. How are you?"

"... good..."

"Well you're leaving. To Gex. Where you'll be senior companion to Sister Roberts. Are you ready to train?"

"Yes, President!" ... was all I could say even though really I was freaking out a little bit. There were a lot different feelings. It felt so right, but I love Nice so much! Thankfully we had Niçoise food just before I left so I had that experience. I'm not even sure what it was but it was pretty good :)

Plus we were able to teach Sacha a few times and he is doing so well. He is SO cool so he'll probably be baptized eventually. There are some good sisters working with him in Nice so I'm not worried! But here's what I won't miss... creepy kids on the street telling us we're pretty. It's not as much as a confidence boost as you might think. Ha.

But yes. Our weekend was full of packing... I didn't even try. I just dumped eveything into my luggage and called it good :) Some of the elders in Nice have served around Gex so they told me it was super great! So I was excited and not feeling too sad until I had to get up in front of the ward and give my farewell testimony. Then I cried. I love those sweet members so much and they took such great care of me as a little missionary. Saying goodbye is the worst!

Come Monday morning I hopped on my train and took the 7 hours to Geneva. Yes, Gex is that close to Switzerland! We live in the basement of a member's home (it's wonderful too) and I love it. This place is heaven! We live on the side of a mountain and we can see the Alps and there are horses everywhere. I can't even believe how I love this place already. Look up some pictures!

The sister I'm training is Sister Roberts! She is from California and I'm finishing her training. Intimidating? A little :) But she is SO sweet and I'm really excited to work with her in this ward. Here's the fun part, our sector is several different small cities so we have a car. So I get to REALLY learn how to drive that stick, and in France, even better. :) I'm so happy to be here though.

Here's the new address:

Sœur Carson Loder

18 Impasse des Quatre Saisons

F-01170 Crozet

France

Hope to hear from you soon :) I love you all and I love being a missionary!

Sœur Carson Loder

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Hello!

That's right, I can still speak English! Barely. I mix it up all the time and it's horrible. Most of the people in my ward speak English so they do it too. I'm sure to anyone listening from the outside it sounds ridiculous. 

Also, transfer calls are this week. I'm banking on one more transfer in Nice but send letters to the mission home just in case :)

So this week... nobody had cleaned our dead neighbor's apartment. It was terrible. Our guardian gave us some stuff to cover up the smell but it got to the point that they started smelling the same and all the chemical and body smell was making us sick. Elder Bria made some calls and we got direction from President Roney to pack our bags! They moved us into a four star hotel. WITH AIR CONDITIONING. It was heaven, and they gave us chocolate every day. And it smelled like fruit :) 

Also, they made us throw away all our food. So the bishop exhorted the ward to feed us each day and treat us like daughters. Yes, lunch and dinner appointments for a week! The ward was immediately in action and our schedule filled up the first night. I have had so much good food this week... really and truly. But I'm excited because I have eaten so much. I can't remember what it feels like to be hungry... we need a break. But what a ward! They love the missionaries here. I love them :) 

Honestly, the last couple of weeks had been terrible. Mean people and little success, then Friday happened. I met tons of really sweet people on the street (which never happens). I was pleading to Heavenly Father to just give me one person that would be nice to me... and walked up to a lady who put her hand in my face. I was like, what?! I just prayed for a nice person! I talked to several more people... but finally found my nice people. They are real! I love it. There was my little lesson for the week. He's just trying to let me know that I have to be patient. 

Friday we went to the Bria's home for dinner and they asked us to invite an ami. Awkwardly enough... we didn't have any. But we thought of an inactive member of our ward at the same time. We invited him over and over until he finally called and said he couldn't come. Bummer! But a member talked him into it and told him to take his friend... and he did. Elder Bria opens the elevator and says, good news... he wants to learn more! We had an amazing dinner and taught him a lot. He prayed. He is incredible. He is probably elect. He was at church and despite our members deciding to be crazy this week, he liked it and wants to come back :) Expect miracles! 

This week we have obviously spent a lot of time with members... and most of them are converts. All week I have listened to miraculous conversion stories from our best members and I was in awe. I want to be just like them! I love the members here and admire their strength so much. Some of them travel long distances just for church and hold down multiple callings. They are incredible people. Hard to find, but when you do, they stay faithful! I love it so much. Nice is miracle ville! 

We just moved back into our apartment... it's pretty hot. Someone finally cleaned it so it smells clean again! But I sure miss that air conditioning and chocolate :) Haha, it was a fun little vacation of sorts. 

I love you all!

Sœur Loder 

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Bonjour Bonjour

Hello dear friends and happy birthday to Paul :) 

We had quite the week. It's been so incredibly exhausting because of the heat but that's okay. Somehow July is half over! Time flies when you're preaching the Gospel. 

Lyon has seen miracles. Each week we receive the list of people with a baptismal date and these last few weeks, the size of the list has doubled. DOUBLED! It's incredible to see how many people are prepared to meet the missionaries. 

We had a lot of lessons fall through this week and we barely taught at all! It was still good. We have been able to organize the apartment and talk to tons and tons of people. We meet lots of mean people, but the nice ones make up for it :) Even though nothing big happened, I still felt like it was a really good week. Jared's e-mail talked about looking for the little things because out here, there aren't really tons of baptisms or anything. It's so true. My eyes have been opened to how many good things happen here in France despite the work being a little slow :) 

This week we had an interesting experience. A guy we had seen around was spotted again in the cute little alleys of Nice. Was it creepy or is he an elect trying to tell us he wants to be baptized? Well, probably creepy. We talked with him for a bit before excusing ourselves for a "rendez-vous" but he showed up at church. No good! The elders helped us out because he clearly wasn't there for Jesus... and turns out he considers his mission to be the opposite of ours. Going and destroying the faith of Christians. Yeah... I hope we don't see him around anymore. 

Other than that, we have worked with the members a lot and I just love them more and more. I have a talk this Sunday and they have been helping me translate into French. Most of them are converts so I've gotten to hear lots of great and inspiring stories! I love it. Being able to speak French really helps too. 

I love all of you! I like hearing all the random details of your lives. Send pictures, send anything :) 

The church is true. We have a Savior and He loves us. Don't forget that!

Sœur Loder 

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#baptize50

Hello again. Just a warning, I forgot my card reader so no pictures this week. I'm pretty disappointed in myself because this week I had pictures of Xavier's baptism and Tour de France! Bummer. But now you can all look forward to next week! 

RACHEL HAS A MISSION CALL! Oh I'm so pleased :) Denver is a cool place. Lucky girl! 

So yes. We had the opportunity to attend the Tour de France! They had a huge festival type thing going on down by the coast. It was super fun and crazy but I loved it. We saw two or three teams come by so that was awesome! I just cannot believe I was in Nice for the Tour de France. 

Crazy week! President Roney called our phone and asked to talk to Sœur Bentley to tell her her new missionary finally had her visa so we were excited! Then President tells her that she is moving somewhere by Toulouse and will be taking her bleu with her... so now Sœur Witt and I have Sœur Young! Really, I wonder how things could get any stranger in the mission field but I'm not going to tempt President. 

Here in France, instead of having sales whenever... everyone does a huge sale for 4 or 5 weeks called Soldes. Pretty much everything goes on crazy sale and keeps getting better and better! Why doesn't America do that? I'd like it a lot better! But Nice is crazy with tourists because of it... really hard to talk to people. It's always an adventure though. You have to love it. 

I should explain my subject line. President knows we're a bunch of miracle workers here so he has high goals for us. At a conference he explained that he wants our mission to have 50 baptisms in the month of July... a goal that has not been accomplished in many years. Is it impossible, he asked us? Then he quoted Mark Twain, "They didn't know it was impossible, so they did it anyway." :) Our zone is really close and we're all hardworkers! The zone leaders (they are in Nice too) have come up with our little reminder. #baptize50 ... and we will! Speaking of which... 

XAVIER IS BAPTIZED! I cannot describe the smallest part of how I feel! The service was incredible. The talks were spiritual, the baptism even better! Tahiana and I sang an arrangement of Abide With Me in English. He and I rocked it! I've received compliments several days later thanking me for having the voice of an angel. Our ward is too kind! Xavier's dad was able to come and he was such a nice man. Yesterday Xavier was confirmed and I cried. I'm not ashamed either. The change in him is incredible. You can just feel his spirit. The bishop gave him some scriptures and he told me after church how excited he is to share his old Book of Mormon with others who want to learn about the church. Isn't he super? :) I think the Bria's uploaded some pictures so look out for those! 

I'm excited to work. There is so much to be done here and every day I feel an urgency like no other! There are people to find and teach, who need the Gospel more than ever. We have to find them and show them the way! I just love being here on a mission and I am astounded at how fast the time goes. There is just too much to do! But that isn't a bad thing :) We love the work. 

I love all of you!

Sœur Loder 

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Hello bonjour!

I was going to include Italien but I can't remember how to spell it... but I did contact someone this week and he spoke Italien. It wasn't a great contact but he was happy I could at least say the Church's name. He took the card. I'm sure he'll get baptized someday :) 

Hello again from beautiful Nice! My companion is Sœur Witt from Salt Lake City, Utah :) She's a gem and I love her! We get along like best friends already and we both are just passionate about the work so we're for sure expecting MIRACLES this transfer. It's going to be good. 

This week has been insane with transfers and then going to Lyon for Bleu's Conference. Basically they bring all the new missionaries back after their first transfer for a huge reunion. It was the absolute best to see everyone again! The crazy part is that Lyon public transport went crazy so long story short... everyone missed their trains to go home. And by everyone I mean like, 30 or more missionaries. So they were in a panic to get us new tickets and we had to stay another night... it was a long weekend. So crazy but I loved it. There's never a boring day as a missionary!

Since this week was mostly travel, not much has happened. So I'll keep it short and tell you some things I think are funny and awesome about France:

Right now they have tons and tons of fresh produce. There are markets everywhere and I'm just loving it! I pretty much live off cherries and nectarines and apples and also Freeze Pops. Yes France has those and they are perfect for those long, hot missionary days. 

Here they can't make H sounds very well. I tell people I'm from O'io. Ohio without the H sound. French people are so funny! They call me, "Sœur... Lo-DAIR." I love it. I love them. 

I often ask people how they are doing to start a conversation and most of them ask me why I want to know and I respond, why not? Generally they think it's weird and funny enough to let me talk to them :) French people are either really talkative or want nothing to do with you. 

The work is so good. I'm especially excited for our baptism this Friday! I just can't wait :) But just you wait for the rest of the miracles. They're coming! The Church is so true. I love you all! 

Sœur Loder 

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