Only 10%? -- June 30, 2014

Well, to start off...I only have about 40 minutes to write this email....SORRY!!! We went shopping today (because it's soldes!!). :) Win on the wardrobe side but then we didn't pay attention to the time and now I am paying for it by only getting a nanosecond to do all my emails.

This week we saw Francoise and Patrick Gentry. They live out in Péaule. It's a small town outside of Vannes where this family lives. This family is AWESOME!! The moved from England here to France because they knew that there was missionary work here for them to do and people waiting for them. So, without knowing the language, they picked up and moved to Vannes France!

I only have time to talk about a new couple that we're teaching. The Elders contacted a woman in Centreville Vannes and taught her and her husband but then passed them to us because they are in our area. Two weeks ago we had a FHE with them and the Gentry's (English family). At the lesson, they took out the brochure that the Elders had given them. On the back there is a supplementary reading section. Not only did they read the brochure, they did the extra study and took notes on all the scriptures that were referenced.

They then exclaimed, "There was only one problem. We don't have this Book of Mormon." We gave them a Book of Mormon and told them we would explain more next time. We asked them to read the introduction and Alma 32. When we returned the next time, not only did they read Alma 32 and the intro...they also read the 3 and 8 witnesses and the 1st 7 chapters of 1 Nephi. SO COOL!!

When we introduced the Book of Mormon, it was like teaching a recent convert couple. They would finish our sentences for us. "The Book of Mormon and Bible support each other to help us have a strong testimony of Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon---" [Patrick:] "--completes and clarifies the Bible". Crazy cool.

They came to church yesterday and just loved it. Literally in 2nd hour everyone thought that they were members because they would participate a ton and say things like "it's like in the Introduction of the Book of Mormon...". Their copies of the Book of Mormon are already underlined like crazy. It is so amazing to watch two people who are SO PREPARED!

After the first hour in church, Patrick and Francoise went up to Sr. Gentry and asked why everyone was together in one meeting. "we read that the men and women seperate in the beginning". We then explained that it was different because it was the 5th Sunday of the month. "oh...ok. That makes sense. And what is your stand on Tithing?" Haha Before sister Gentry could respond he said "because in the church I attend right now we pay x..y and z" She then told him "the scriptures tell us to pay 10% so that is what we pay". He then got REALLY EXCITED and grabbed his wife’s arm "did you hear that?! Only 10%!! That's nothing! We can totally do that!". Sister Gentry called us that night and told us "I had never seen anyone so excited about the law of tithing" haha.

This has been really cool from the beginning, since we have been teaching with the Gentry family. They are already such good friends and Patrick and Francoise. They have someone already that they can turn to. Teaching with members is awesome.

I'm so sorry family. That is really all I have time for. But on the upside!! I got 3 cute shirts for really cheap!! After leaving the store I realized that 2 of them are almost the same, just in different colors. Oh well :)

Spiritual thought of the week is brought to you by George Albert Smith "Our eternal happiness will be in proportion to the way that we devote ourselves to helping others."

I love you all so much.

Thank you for your constant example to me … and for pushing me to be better.

XO,

Soeur Kari Ann Bitter

Farewell to President and Soeur Poznanski

Part of My MTC Group -- 16 Months Later

Train Strike - June 23, 2014

Such a good week. Seriously the weeks are flying by.

Fun Story of the Week: The SNCF (the train travel of France) is on strike. Yippee. It's been going on for about two weeks now. I feel bad for Paris. ALL of their transport is SNCF. Luckily out here in Vannes, we really only use SNCF if we are going to leave Vannes...ya know...like we did last week. Last week was the Zone Conference to say goodbye to President and Soeur Poznanski. They have finished their mission and we had our last conference to say goodbye. At each of the conferences, there were three zones so we went all the way to Angers. Normally, a train to Angers would take about three hours...well...it's a little more complicated if most of the trains aren't running.

We got a text from our Zone Leaders telling us that we all should check our tickets in advance to make sure our specific train is running. We thought we were golden because there are four ways to get to Angers the morning of the conference. The train we purchased tickets for ran just 10 minutes later, an hour earlier and an hour later. Pas de probleme. Well that blew up in our faces. You can't check your train until 6 pm the night before. So we go to the train station and it said, “All ways to Angers have been cancelled”...except one getting us there at 1 pm...3.5 hours into the conference. But we would be leaving at the same time.

Instantly we call our elders. The only train that would get us there in time leaves from a train station 60km away from our place. They immediately tell us to take a train to that Ville tonight. We sprint home, pack in literally 7 minutes flat and sprint back to the gare. Just in time for them to call us and tell us there are no hotels in that city. Ha-ha.

Well after they called everyone imaginable (including President Poznanski), it was finally settled that we would take our little car and drive to that train station at 5:20 am! Roadtrip!! Well finally after 8 different modes of transportation, we made it to Angers. The way back wasn't any easier. In total Sr Mason and I took over 12 modes of transportation in less than 36 hours. We did this while hauling around sleepover stuff and my violin.

After we got home, we took our lunch break. Instead of eating, we just laid on the floor and slept. When the time came for us to get up, I sat up, blurry eyed, tried to get up, blacked out, fell on the floor and then woke up again 45 minutes later. We were pretty sore from sleeping on the tile floor for an hour and a half but at least we were able to do missionary work for the rest of the evening. Win.

Updates:

The Batistas are doing well. Well...Sylvain is doing well. The only problem is, a couple of weeks ago, their car broke down...so Sylvain lost his job. The good news is that they got a new car and he got his job back! WIN! The bad news is that that means they don't have the money to go to Guyane to get married next month. Blast.

On top of that, Karene will be leaving in October or so to go to Guyane to have her baby...and then she won't be coming back until FEB OF NEXT YEAR. Double blast. SO what we're really praying for is that their hearts will be softened and they will want to get married here in France. That way they can get baptized and then when they are in Guyane with their family, they can have the party. It's so sad because Sylvain just looks stuck. He wants to be baptized so badly but for right now, solutions are looking pretty slim.

The LaBontés: We had an awesome FHE with them and a family about their age. They are doing so well and Clement is already halfway through Alma in the Book of Mormon. HE LOVES IT. Their problem...Clement left today to go to the south of France for a month. And then he will leave in October for Africa again for 3 months. Oh the military. Not a fan of the schedule. BUT they're doing really well. We taught them the Plan of Salvation this week and it went super well. Clement is really developing a strong testimony of the Restoration. We're just trying to help Sonia realize why the Restoration would be important. But things were starting to click this week!! So we're pretty excited. :)

Cool finding miracle this week: So Saturday finally came and we had just a little bit of time at night to do some porting. (Like 30 minutes). So Sr Mason and I said a little prayer before starting (which we normally do) but this time we took the advice of our DL (maybe it was our Zone Leader...I can't remember). He told us that to pray to be guided is good but he told us to try something better. In our prayer he asked us to say "We felt we should come here. We know there is someone here who is prepared. Please help us to find them". After praying, we got to work. After 10 doors, only one answered...and they weren't interested. No one was home haha. Well, the next person who answered was a man named Pascale. We talked with him that night and went back the next afternoon to teach him and are now going back again this Wednesday. He is so excited to learn more and in just explaining who we were and why we were there, he was obviously touched by the spirit.

"has the day of miracles ceased?...Behold I say unto you, Nay; for it is by faith that miracles are wrought...wherefore, if these things have ceased wo be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief, and all is vain." (Moroni 7: 35, 37)

It was a humbling experience for me and definitely pushed me to work with more faith!! So much to learn as a missionary. I have a long way to go haha. Luckily I still have time to improve :)

I love you all

Soeur Kari Ann Bitter

Pioneer of France - June 16, 2014

Well this week was just wonderful. First, we decided to have a FHE with Sonia, Clement and theVogel family. Phillipe is one of the Vogel sons and he served a mission in the West Indies (which is where Sonia and Clement are from) and his parents have been wanting to have a FHE at their house with our amis for a long, long time. So we thought it was perfect. 

Well, it was. It couldn't have been more perfect!! The members here are so awesome. They bore wonderful testimonies but even more than that, it was a testimony to me of the power of a Christ-centered home. The Spirit came so easily into their house, even during dinner. Then that Sunday (yesterday) all of them came to church!! It was Sonia's 2nd or 3rd time at church, Clement's 1st time and it was the 1st time that the kids were all there too. It was amazing. Oh and how did they get to church you ask? By nothing short of a miracle, they were able to get a car!! It was such a good feeling seeing them all at church. 

Earlier in the week, I had the thought to call a widow in the ward and offer to come and play my violin for her. When she picked up the phone she was SO excited to hear from us and then she told us that actually her friends were in town and they would just love to meet the missionaries. Win. 

So we went over. Let me just tell you; she is AMAZING!! So to paint the scenery, she lives on a peninsula. From her house she can see 300 degrees of ocean but then her yard goes out onto a point where it is 340 degrees of ocean. No joke. As soon as we arrived, she told us to go out and explore. 

After about 20 minutes she came out and we all sat on the tip of the peninsula while she told us stories of the early days in France. How she was baptized by Mitt Romney, etc etc. She told us that when this area was a district, she was called as the District primary president. She organized with the Mission President so that she could have all the primary kids all over Breatagne and the Loire valley come to her house and camp outside. She told funny stories of early morning work outs along the beach and bonfires at the end of the peninsula.

She then told us that many times at Stake Conference grown men will come up to her and ask "DO YOU REMEMBER ME?!" After talking she'll learn that they were one of the young boys who came to these activities and now they have 8 and 10 year old kids of their own. "That's something that warms the heart". I am continually amazed at the deep sacrifices and service that the early members of the church here in France have made.

I actually don't have a lot of time today so I'm just going to leave the email there. :) Sorry it's shorter this week. I'll make up for it next week I promise.

This next week, we are having our last Zone Conference with President and Soeur Poznanski. They are being released in a couple weeks so they can be the president of the seminary and institute programs for Europe. I am going to miss them so much. I actually have already met the new mission president and his wife. I had the chance to meet them in the MTC. They are so wonderful and will do so many amazing things here. It's just crazy how time has flown. Most likely tears will be shed.

I love you all so much
Soeur Bitter

Sr. Mason and I at Sr. Berthlin's house.

Exchange with Sr. Callister. Yes that is our backyard!
I love the green forests of France. :)

I Am a Christian and Jesus is My Best Friend!

Hello everyone!! First, this week has flown by. The coolest thing was that we had a stake conference broadcast and guess who spoke....Elder Andersen, Sister Reeves, Elder Teixeira and President Uchtdorf! It was amazing!! I wish that I would have brought my notes so you could have benefited as well from the power line up! But there was an idea that I loved from President Uchtdorf that I thought I would just share.

He started by talking about how our testimony is a living thing. It is either growing, which growth will bring it to the brightness of certainty or it will diminish until one day it has gone out. We must continue to nourish our testimony but that is not where it stops. We are reminded from the Book of Mormon that our baptism is a covenant to “stand as witnesses of God [and His kingdom] at all times and in all things, and in all places..." (Mosiah 18:9). President Uchtdorf went on to say that this becomes true as we SHARE the testimony that we have cultivated. In order to magnify this covenant we have made at baptism, we must stand forth boldly, open our mouths and share the testimony that we have taken the time to cultivate. This is when we become a witness of Christ.

It was such an amazing conference. All of them were in Switzerland and we went to Nantes to watch a broadcast of it.

Well for a continuation of the story of our Neighbor (she borrowed salt and basically asked to be taught at our door), we went and saw them this week and they are awesome. She is not sure if she believes in Christ but she is pretty sure that she believes in something. He is an atheist, but open and very friendly. What was amazing is that he was really touched by the Spirit. At the end of the evening, Sister Mason offered a beautiful prayer. Afterwards, he was at a loss of words and he told her again and again that her prayer was "so agreeable, different, better than I've ever heard before, personal, so agreeable, it was just...agreeable!” It was clear that he felt the spirit, but he has not yet recognized it as such. It was a testimony to me that any honest, pure-hearted seeker, regardless of their current beliefs, can and will be affected by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Earlier last week, we were headed to a RDV that we had with a Hungarian family that we had met. When we got to their apartment, the husband answers the door and tells us that we cannot come in. Mince. We walked down the stairs from the apartment complex (naturally disappointed) and exited at the bottom. At this point, we have no other lessons for the entire night. I looked at Sr Mason and just said "Well...if we're porting for 3 hours straight, we need to buy some chocolate to keep me company". ha-ha. We headed across the street to a small store, bought our chocolate and got to work.

First door we ported - believing, talked to him for 15 minutes and shared a little about the Restoration. He told us that he would love to welcome us in but his wife doesn't like religion at all and it bothers her that HE even believes. we left him with all of our information and he said that he wanted to see our church and find out more.

Second door-- not interested. Third door- Let in to pray with them. Fourth door...etc etc. This literally went on all night. It was a night of MIRACLES!! We met so many people who want us to come back, or let us in to pray, and/or had a chance to share our message. It was amazing. Sr Mason and I call it our chocolate bar miracle night. It was obvious though that the Lord knew that our RDV wouldn't go through but that there were people in that same neighborhood who WERE ready to hear themessage.

Cute story from that night: So we were porting (hour 1.5 out of 3) and a mom opens the door. We tell her that we are there to pray with families. She then tells us that she is not interested and not believing. Her daughter (13 years oldish) looks at her mom and then looks at us and with so much excitement says "I BELIEVE! I AM A CHRISTIAN! AND JESUS IS MY BEST FRIEND!". Instantly I melted. I saw this beautiful young girl BEAMING after sharing her simple and sincere testimony. She just kept looking between our plaques, and each of our faces all the while smiling from ear to ear. Through all the miracles we saw that night, and even though I will most likely not see her again, that may have been the highlight for me.

It is time for me to sign out.

I love you all

This church is true and Christ lives.

What a wonderful message we share

Soeur Bitter

Titensors!! I heard that you are headed out to Mexico this next week!! I am so excited for you. You will see so many miracles. I know that there are missionaries who will be coming to your mission because YOU are there. Mission Presidents and their wives have a profound impact on their missionaries for good--and for life. It definitely is that way with me and my mission president. And you know what it was the most--just the way they are. Who they are and how they are together. And I just know that your example will bless thousands of lives in Mexico. You are in my prayers.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JON!!! Already sent you a note and I'm sending your postcard asap. I loved all the updates from you and Sarah today! The turtle was my favorite...or maybe the leaf blower inside...or Zoë having her swimsuit on and her clothes at the same time...or Callan with his thug headband. All are great. And you two are great. Love you so much

A Miraculous Week - June 2, 2014

This week was absolutely miraculous. I seriously can't even write all the things that happened so I'll just write some of the things from this weekend. My new companion is Sr. Mason and I absolutely love her!! She is the best.

Just a little about her: she is from central California. She is 19 but turning 20 this month (PARTY!) and she is SO SWEET. I will attach pictures of us at the bottom.

So first off CLEMENT IS BACK!! For a refresher, Clement is Sonia's husband and while Skyping with Sonia a couple of weeks ago, he told her that he was reading the Book of Mormon and he wanted to be baptized.

We went to see them this last Saturday. We started by asking him about his reading in the Book of Mormon and how he liked it. He then opened up to us. He said, "I was your typical military man. I drank and partied with my military friends a lot. But ever since I have been reading this book, I don't have any desire to drink anymore and I just know that I am starting to head down the right path. I've prayed to know if it's true and I haven't had any grand sign but I feel really good when I read this book. And honestly, that's a sign enough for me."

Unbelievable! The craziest thing is that he was taught by the missionaries two different times before leaving on his military mission. When we saw his little military backpack, it was so impressive that of all the things he could have taken, he took a Book of Mormon. It was such a testimony to me of how powerful the Book of Mormon really is in changing lives. Just from reading the Book of Mormon day after day, he has had a mighty change of heart and all he wants now, is to come unto his Savior and be on the right path towards Him. Incredible!

Later that day, we headed home for dinner. We were sitting in our apartment when suddenly, we hear the doorbell ring. What the? For most people, their doorbell ringing would not be that big of a surprise...but for a missionary...it's a HUGE surprise.

So we sneak over to the door super quietly and look through the peephole. All I see is a tiny, chic 25 year old with jet black hair. "Hmmm...she seems harmless." haha. So we opened the door. She was our neighbor! She asked if she could borrow some pepper--which we gladly gave her.

She then told us that she would be back in 5 minutes. Sure enough, she comes back...and then proceeds to tell us that she had met the other sister missionaries who were here before. They had never come over or discussed in length but she said that they had explained a little bit about who they were and what they were doing. She hesitates for a moment. Then tells us, she now is searching for the truth.

My immediate thought "WAIT!!! WE TEACH THAT!". We asked if she would be interested in hearing more of our message. We told her we could come by and talk with her. She got really excited and said that it would be an absolute pleasure. Thought: “Am I dreaming? Seriously? I've never been on this side of the door and someone ported me!” LOL Well we exchanged numbers and within 30 minutes, we got a call from her saying that she and her boyfriend wanted to invite us over for dinner Tuesday night so we could talk.

Julie: "Is there anything you don't eat or are allergic to?"

Us: "No we love everything. Oh! But we don't drink alcohol." (We often say that so as not to offend the French when they offer their expensive wine).

Julie: "Perfect. Neither do we! See you Tuesday night!"

Sr Mason and I were dumbfounded haha. It was really awesome though because we did SO MUCH porting that Thursday and Friday. We had met some really amazing people but no one interested in us coming back. But it was a testimony to us that if you're trying and you're sharing your testimony as much as you can, He will lead people who are prepared for the message.

Fast forward to Sunday night. We were planning to go to visit a couple of people we met a while ago but then a thought came that maybe we could pass by Ludo and Adele on our way. Ludo is a recent convert and Adele is Catholic. Their kids really don’t believe and things have been hard recently for them.

Well, as soon as we walked into the apartment, we knew why we had come. Ludo looked so sad! I have never seen him like that. He is just this Bob Marley, positive, musician, hippie who loves Heavenly Father and everyone around him. Before we even started, he explained to us that he had been having doubts. My heart immediately went out to him. He has lived through so much. We just sat and listened to him and then we took a minute to share a couple scriptures with him. By the end, there was light back in his face and he kept thanking us over and over again for coming. Then in his prayer he said "Father, thank you for sending your two daughters here tonight to help me overcome my doubts. I'm sorry I had doubts. I know you're there and I love you." Miracles.

Well all in all this week was so great.

HAPPY FATHERS DAY TO THE BEST PAPA IN THE WORLD (And no, this is not a general statement. I'm talking to just my dad.)

Oh snap. Happy Father’s day to Jon and Grandpa Weber too!

Also, I have sent out lots of letters these last couple weeks. But I have gotten no word if you've gotten them or not. I hope you all have!!

Soeur Bitter

 What is Versailles without a jumping picture?

Soeur Francis and I went to the Chateau de Versailles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sr Mason and I saw an elderly woman working in her garden so we stopped to ask if she needed help. Instead she picked two of her daisies and handed them to us