(Jordan), Culture, food, country is beautiful. How to get along with another annoying person. (Jordan), Riding bicycles down the hill from the supermarket with a Christmas tree tied to the back of my companion with her scarf. Utah Salt Lake City East Mission. France has over 65 million total inhabitants; Switzerland, nearly 8 million total . You are hereby called to serve in the Arizona Phoenix Mission. It was a long walk. This is true for all those who have the desire to serve. (UK), French is hard and the only way you can learn is by trying and making mistakes and learning if you speak and read and write French. Now my son is also serving in the same mission I know there were about 100 + missionaries and maybe 20-some sisters It was a lot smaller area than it is now. A bit rainy in the winter but otherwise okay. I trained Elder Jeffs. People will say they believe in God but they really dont act like they do. (Aaron), I loved teaching my investigator, Marie-line, because she was so sincere. You have the power and talent to help people. Ah well. (Michael), Anytime you get to pray with someone or bear your testimony of the Savior is an incredibly spiritual experience! (Jordan), More confidence in myself. I love how particular they can be, and how they say hello to every person in the room before they sit down. The LDS Church in French Polynesia was founded in 1843 as the first foreign-language mission of the church. Alaska Anchorage. Pastries. (Paul), Kebab. I could tell immediately that he was not interested, so we tried to go the other way, but he followed us. (Alex), Love the people and enjoy your differences and similarities. (Anna), Beautiful, mild seasons. My last name is White. (Stuart), I learned French! Then we were praying for safety. France Paris Mission It about caused her to pull a stitch. (Matt), We have 3 countries in our mission, Paris has the best public transit in the world. Always practice the language. There are a lot of micro climates. Then they asked me if they could visit my home because they had a message for me.. We were thinking the same thing. Almost all of these people are warm and wonderful. So I went with that mindset, and I found that the mission was the most fun that Ive ever had. To do otherwise will keep you from speaking for a good part of your mission. Living Life. 4 seasons without the extremes you get in the Midwest. The French-speaking members in Phoenix have a deep love for the Savior and strong testimonies that God knows each of His children. Likewise, there are so many people out there who try to use the secular history of Mormons as a tool of deceit, confusion, and contention. You need to watch where you walk. (Alex), Their loyalty to family and good friends. Heres a recent address for the ParisMission. The people you find in areas really are unique in their own ways and I liked finding out the history on all the areas I was at, while also learning that each person has their own story. Alpine German-Speaking Mission. I wish I knew the doctrine better or even had a stronger testimony on certain things. 2017-2020, Paul J. Sorensen 2014-2017, Frdric Jean Babin 2011-2014, Franck A. Poznanski 2008-2011, Don H. Staheli ( Listen to an interview with the Stahelis) 2005-2008, Steven H. Pond 2002-2005, Lynn Bennion 1999-2002, David W. Madsen 1996-1999, Dennis K. Brown Save some money and buy a suit or two in France. It never got too cold, but spending too much time outdoors in the winter was chilly business. My best reasoning is that however we got here as we are now (Big Bang or whatever), we are here. (Jacob), We were riding bikes one day with our skirts pinned and our helmets. (Drew), Shoes: buy for comfort, support, and durability, NEVER for fashion. Dont get discouraged because it will be hard and you will be confused on what to do. One-hundred-fifty years later, in 1981, that number had grown to 71 (Deseret News 1983 Church Almanac 1982, pp. (Kale), Dont worry too much about getting Everything before you leave there are markets with skirts and dresses, big shoe stores for when your shoes wear out, their styles are similar, and members and investigators will be happy to direct you on your P day to find more clothes. The country side is amazing. Wind chill drops the temp 10 degrees and the wind cuts through any clothing you have. You can find happiness in anything if you want to. Dont assume they dont understand you if you are speaking in English together. Sharing the Gospel Online. RussellM. Nelson, opening remarks in Children and Youth: A Face to Face Event with Elder GerritW. Gong, Nov. 17, 2019, broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Here are survey responses from France ParisRMs, to give you a snapshot into what its like to live in the mission. I never actually baptized someone the entire 2 years I served. He then chased us out of the building with said knife. As of July 2022, there are 410 missions in the church. Members are helpful. 6. Laundry. -awesome!!!! (Anna), People always told me it would be SO HARD. Fun night! I know Christ and his mission on earth. Hated it so never tried it. How to love all of Gods children. One was when a recent convert learn how to read by sounding out words from the Book of Mormon and the Gospel Principles manual. (Mariah), The place is amazing with so much to see, hear, taste, and enjoy. Was in 3 missions, all transfers were by airplane. Make sure you have a mechanism by which they can attach together in case you need to book it across train stations! Moules frites. We had an elder from England who had not done language training. Then he tried to get between us. They also do their own laundry, exercise daily, eat nutritious meals provided by each MTC cafeteria and stay in touch with family and friends via weekly emails. (Jacob), There are a lot of cognates in French. We dont use cars for transfers. Forget the nylons (if you can get away with it). Libraries. (Mariah), I packed all the stuff on the list and used almost everything. (Michael), French! (Chloe), Too many to appropriately list here. She got baptized later, and I got to baptize and confirm her. Home France LDS Missions. Beautiful. I have a stronger testimony. (Drew), I was on splits the first night of my mission with two elders. The members are incredible. They were all so kind and friendly. (Jordan), How to speak another language. He participates in the temple preparation class we teach twice per week, and his testimony is a blessing to everyone around him. (Zakarias). The more you pray, study and testify, the stronger your testimony will grow. Just when we were starting to talk, she jumped up and ran to the door This is my stop! (Matt), How to find the good in others, studying for a couple hours at a time, and not being afraid to open my mouth. (Merrilyn), I met a woman whom my dad had taught and baptized 20 years earlier and that reinforced the importance of sharing the gospel and strengthening get new members I also now teach French and LOVE the connections I still have in France as I have been able to keep several friendships strong . . After the dinner we headed towards the metro, but it was shut down due to a transit strike. (Matt), I called women, men sometimes haha. Good wheels if you have them. Since we did nothing everyone was a lot nicer to us. Have faith in God (Bryan), Forget yourself and go to work. Ha Ha I had no idea how to lead music. Family unity. (Bryan), The people are very kind and stick to themselves. Its nice and varied! (Elsa), Grecs (kbab sandwiches) were a staple of my diet in every area I served in Northern France. (Bryan), The Bible better and Book of Mormon. (Jeffrey), France is a beautiful country. Also, people enjoyed food. France Marseille Mission. (Doug), There are an estimated 500,000+ Chinese natives living in Paris and surrounding suburbs. I developed a love of linguistics which has indeed carried over into my professional career as a game artist, especially when working in iconography for user-interface design. (Jeffrey), A warm coat for winter that can withstand wind and rain. This is a list I made from information from Lifey, current language needs for senior couples, mission websites, and locations of non-English speaking units in the US. I technically served 2 missions. This gives them something real serious to think about. (Nicholai), Be more outgoing and less afraid of making mistakes. I felt the Spirit very strongly as I was able to answer Yes. (Nicholai), Friends, family, French Every good thing that has happened to me ever since. The other blessings were from the ways I grew on my mission. It was pretty funny. That was always a good spiritual experience. There are places in the world where the missionaries, even in their humble circumstances, are wealthier than the people they serve: dont insult them and embarrass yourself by over-dressing. (Doug), Pray for the people even before you get your call. 4. If you have found this service helpful, please consider donating! (Stuart), I suffered from debilitating migraines during my mission. Oh yeah and raw hamburger. Were His people, engaged together in His holy work.3. no, thank you. (Valan), Threw up in garbage can at metro stop after eating flour and water for dinner. . (Paul), Little to no snow.. humid. I learned to love a large variety of foods. I learned how the Spirit worked with me more clearly. (Scott), Crepes Kebabs Gallettes Panninis Baguettes. (Mariah), Not many baptisms. The very first one!? (Valan), They seem cold at first, but once they warm up to you they are super friendly. Dont worry about yourself and focus on the Lord and His work you will be happier. All these things I learned are essential in my present life and future. In the evening that same day we were in a remote location far from the center and knocking doorsguess who opened one of the door we knocked at. Study skills. (Matt), Do not bring a lot of stuff with you from the States because you will most likely throw it away and get European clothing, and it makes transferring towns much easier when its light Trust me. (Chloe), Western European oceanic climate. (Mariah), I have some of the most amazing friends who have been able to come visit in the U.S. Bread. It existed until 1852 when it was closed due to restrictions by the French government, and the missionaries left the territory. Sometimes sunny. 78110 Le Vesinet The grandmothers are all converts, and there are very few third-generation members. (Paul), A new perspective on life. The quicker you do the faster you will start to have one of the most cherished times of your life. (Drew), While serving in Lorient, France in the spring of 2001, we were surprised to find the entire center of town and a 1 km radius around it under evacuation orders because a construction crew had discovered an unexploded bomb from WWII buried beneath the ruins of an old bunker that was being demolished in an expansion project for the local stadium (Lorient had been an Allied port and submarine base during the war). We made it clear that us sisters were missionaries and why we were here. Tartiflette. Croissante aux aumaund. Organization. Not a big one. (Drew), Missionaries convince the greens that the slang when asking tens for help is to ask for throat support, this would be soutien gourge, however soutien-gourge actually means your asking for a bra and then they watch as people give you a weird look. Click the mission name for a page that indicates the mission (s) that now serve the same area. Yes. France, Phone Number:33-1-34-80-04-83 Machine washable clothes are always best (dry cleaners arent always available). (Scott), St Nazaire Sarcelles Versailles Paris Poitiers Meaux Cergy. French Language: General: Dealing with money Getting to Paris from the . (Valan), Walking in a sketchy city with lots of Arabs and came across a fight in the parking lot. However, as we climbed the stairs I felt the migraine lift and strength return. She met the missionaries after her member friend told her about how priesthood holders can bless homes, and this really helped her and her family. (Merrilyn), Learn how to provide good reasons to believe in God without resorting to Bible/Book of Mormon/Prayer (which are all great ways to learn of God but some/most people need a logical reason to believe in a Higher Power at all. Not only was I blessed with the chance to develop near-native fluency in French during my time serving, but I developed a literary fluency in most of the Romance Languages along the way. (Roberto), While riding our bikes in Orleans, some guys we rode by spat at and hit us in the shoulder. As missionaries, we are helping fulfill that prophecy today. Here are LDS-friendly educational videos aboutFrance. I dont know if they ever got baptized, but I was definitely prompted to talk to him. You cant help them feel Christs love if you dont show them love. The temporal/secular history of the Church is often many individuals only exposure to the Church, but intelligent discussion of such is often an amazingly positive and readily accessible way to reach people about the Gospel. (Zakarias), Its hard and long but its what you make of it, Make sure you have a solid testimony of the Gospel, especially The Book of Mormon. You never know what the Lord has in store for the friendships you build with members and investigators. How to talk to people from all walks of life. Go all out! The food is unforgettable. Make sure your luggage can roll so it is easier to travel on transfer days. One February day, while living in Arizona, he met the French-speaking sister missionaries when they knocked on his neighbors door. I wouldve worked better with members. (Drew), There is so much history in France, and such a warm culture. Winters do get cold. The French-speaking members in Phoenix have a deep love for the Savior and strong testimonies that God knows each of His children. No spirit, no success. (Douglas), Every baptism was such a spiritual experience. Avoid accumulating things on your mission. So youd have to be prepared for anything over the course of a year. They love fine food, good education, good music, small gatherings, they dress nicely and are generous. (Alex), Force yourself to learn the language, talk to people, talk to your companion. (Douglas), Orleans, Reims, Lorient, Sarcelle(Paris ghettos), Soissons, and Alencon, and then I got to serve in many others on exchanges. (Kara), Fresh bread and chocolate. Seeing ancient castles and cathedrals and buildings blew my mind!! (Zakarias), Our mission is the highest baptizing mission in Europe (except Cabo Verde), and also happens to be the best in the entire world! (Bryan), Almost knocked out a drunk Irish guy that kept jabbing me in the side trying to start a fight. I Had Left the Church. In the Book of Mormon, King Benjamin prophesies, And moreover, I say unto you, that the time shall come when the knowledge of a Savior shall spread throughout every nation, kindred, tongue, and people (Mosiah 3:20). (Bryan), One time playing soccer near the Eiffel Tower and watching a bunch of illegal sellers of tourist items running away from police and diving into bushes and seeing all their stuff flying everywhere. Take pictures of the people you meet (and label them because no matter how much you love them, you will forget their names). Just trust in the Lord. You can submit your own article, ideas, or feedback at liahona.ChurchofJesusChrist.org. (Anonymous), Getting along with your companion is more important than you ever would believe. My companion scheduled a dinner appointment just outside of our area, but I went along with it since he only had three weeks left in his mission. People are proper and polite, they love their language, beauty and history. No smoking no drinking NO DRINKING WINE. And those talents are specifically required for the people you teach. ed. Know the history of the restored Church just like you should know scripture. Heres a list of LDS missionary blogs for the ParisMission. Throughout our time as missionaries here, we have learned three important truths about missionary work that wed like to share with our fellow missionaries around the world. (Douglas), Crme brle, lapin la moutarde, crpes, couscous algrienne, une bonne quiche, et un sandwich baguette pour quelques euros sur la rue. But at the same time, I felt some inner rush to keep hurrying to find her. A lot more humid than the desert I grew up in. Remember that youll be effectively living out of your luggage sometimes, and transfers happen unexpectedly sometimes. Also, companionship study could be very spiritual because we were studying similar doctrine together and discussing what we learned in detail. She was getting married the next day and her friends were having fun getting her embarrassed. We kept working through the crowd, and somehow, up ahead another block or two away was that bright pink. (Matt), My family has grown much stronger together! You will become fluent enough. I can get along with almost anyone. Ratatouille. (Matt), Let your mission be a compass for the rest of your life. The French are awesome people. (Matt), Having my last lesson on my mission where our golden investigator told us a story where he met 2 young men in white shirts and ties that gave him a book that forever changed his life and his families.