Our Christmas tree!!
It's covered with pictures of our amis
and then little yellow stars that have miracles and blessings.
I'm sorry I don't update you more on all of my amis. This is
for 2 reasons. 1) It was a new area and it took me a while to get in and meet everyone
and get to know them. And 2) I am afraid it would be rather boring to you. I
love these people SO much. They are my life! It's the greatest feeling in the
world when an ami begins to catch that eternal vision and begins to have the
desire to change. But I know that you don't know these people, and it makes
sense that you don't love them like I do. But you do know me, which is why I
have always tried to share the lessons I have learned, how I have changed,
miracles, and lots of love.
Galerie Lafayette! Most BEAUTIFUL mall I have ever beheld in
my entire life.
Standing on the roof of the Galerie and being able to look
down on the Paris Opera House!
And then also be able to see l'Arc de Triomphe,
the Eiffel Tower, and Notre Dame. GORGEOUS.
The street where we always meet up for district meetings,
zone conferences, transfers, etc. This is the institute building too, so we
always see American BYU students there for their study abroad.
The Bastille!! Or... where the prison used to be. Now it's
just a big square.
But still, standing where the French revolution started =
MARVELOUS.
Victor Hugo's home.
No big deal.
This week we taught Celine (referral from our recent convert
friend Maria) and had a Christmas celebration! She knows that Lindt dark chocolate
is my FAVORITE thing in the world, so she went and bought us a box of Lindt.
LOVE her. Then we hung up Christmas lights, sang Christmas songs, and watched
together forever. I keep meeting people on the mission and they say things like
"I have lost my personality... I don't know who I am... I don't feel like
I'm worth anything" and I know that God sent this wannabe self esteem
coach to France precisely for them, with a message about how they are children
of a supreme creator and belong to something so much bigger. God is just SO
SMART.
And helping our amie Celine hang up her Christmas lights
while we sing English Christmas carols and have the most beautiful lesson about
eternal families.
Then we had some lessons with another sister. She is this ADORABLE
girl from Africa, but hadn't been progressing because of law of chastity
issues. We kept trying, and nothing was going anywhere, and we began to wonder
if we should just drop her. So... we didn't call her for a few days. Sunday
came, and we didn't send a million texts begging her to come to church. But...
she showed up! We we SO excited and shocked! She walked in all by herself and
was just glowing! There was something different. We talked with her a lot and
then we asked about her boyfriend. "C'est fini." ("It's
over.") And I have never been so happy in my whole life! (Don't mean to be
dramatic or anything.) Baptism invite, here we come!
So... we bought Christmas sweaters. At this little vintage
shop in Paris.
And we're a little obsessed with them.
Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth.
And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his
great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth
confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls. (Alma 37:6)
Yeah, Alma is definitely my soul friend.Then we went to our huge multi zone Christmas conference and the Poznanski couple gave us all white shells. Mine was pretty big, and Elder Sughroue was sitting next to me and his was really little. Then the Poznanski's told us the shells represented us... and the Elder leaned over "Can we trade? I don't want to be small." And I took that shell. And the word "small" kept ringing in my ears. And I remembered that scripture. And I looked down at that very small and very simple shell.
[Mom insert: I saw these photos of the conference on Facebook]
And it's me. Small and simple. But don't you know? That's how God has ALWAYS worked to bring about his purposes. And this is how he works to bring about the salvation of many souls.
At zone conference, they gave us all Santa hats. Adorbs.
xoxo, Soeur Autumn Bradley
Oh, I forgot the misshapen who in who-ville tree that is
right next to town hall
and also our train station. French Christmas! haha
P.S. I think there has been a little confusion... sorry! Here's my
address:
For normal mail: 2 Rue du Lieutenant Ohresser 94130 Nogent-Sur-Marne France
For packages: 33 Rue Maximilien Robespierre 94120
Fontenay-Sous-Bois France (This is the Elders apartment, but it's better
because they have a doorbell system and a big mailbox...both of which we lack.)
For normal mail: 2 Rue du Lieutenant Ohresser 94130 Nogent-Sur-Marne France
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