Natalie May 20, 2013

My dear family,

ah it's nice to hear from you. Thank you so much for your letters and your love. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Loge and Em. I really missed you guys yesterday and hope you had a great day.  I'm trying to send your package this week. So look for that! Thank you so much for your prayers and love. I can feel it. Wow so much has happened since i last talked to you on the phone. I feel like it's been a few months. haha let me catch you up to speed.

So we flew into Paris and arrived in the morning. It was pretty crazy to actually be here in France.  We met President and Sister Poznanski and immediately felt of their love for us. They're incredible. They loaded up our luggage. we tried our first pain au chocolat (which was incredible..) and they handed us a book of mormon. We got on the metro and handed them all out. I gave mine to a lady after a cool convo I had with her. Then she kissed my cheeks and I knew that I'd arrived in Paris. I saw Notre Dame and the famous bridge with the locks.  The city is pretty incredible.  I can't believe I'm here.

We went to the chapel in Paris which is the most expensive piece of property that the church owns. it was built in 1650 and was pretty crazy being inside. I'm going to try and send pictures of it. That night we stayed in a cute little hotel and the next morning went to consecration hill.  It is a beautiful hill overlooking all of Paris.  We sat there and all decided what we wanted our missions to be.  We set goals and prayed and had a moment to be alone.  It was great and a cool way to start my mission.

When we got back Sister Hafen was there! I got to chat with her for a bit. I also met cute Sister Hoover and chatted with her.  She just got called to be my Sister Training Leader and I'm really excited to get to know her more! 

So we went inside the chapel and on one side of the room they had the trainers, the other side all of us blues.  One by one they announced where we were going and with who.  I got called to open the city of Tours (which was a huge shock) and my trainer is Sister Miller from Texas.  She is incredible and has been such a blessing so far. We get a long really well and have a lot in common. 

Tours is about an hour away from Paris. so we got all of our luggage and trecked to the Metro. it was crazy. but by some miracle and some incredible APs we made it to the station to take our train to Tours.

Our ZLs were there to meet us at the station and we took a bus to our apartment and walked our luggage to our building. Our apartment is incredible and huge! It's been fun to decorate it and make it feel like a home. We have two french terraces and a fun area. I feel blessed to have it!

So far it's been really rainy.  But I guess Tours is known for its castles and history.  We haven't had a chance to go out and see any of them. But there's a rumor that the castle in beauty and the beast is here.  I want to go see it! 

So because we're opening this city, we don't' really have anything to work with. So our first day we just jumped in and started to find.  We try to talk to everyone we see. I am praising Madame's name night and day for her help with my french.
Loge you will feel the same. we're pretty blessed. \it's been a blessing because most people think I'm french at first! Then they hear me talk and ask what 'm doing here.  It's been a great tool. The members all think I'm from the south of France.  Our landlord thinks we're nuns...haha we're debating on whether to tell him we're not because we get all these nice perks.
We try to talk to everyone we see and get to know all we can. So it took us about 30 people before we had 1 who was willing to listen.  We were on the bus and we started talking to her.  Her name is Anne Marie and she's incredible.  Her husband died and her and her son live here in Tours.  She is very believing and religious and has a testimony of God.  We met her Saturday and invited her to come to church with us the next day and she said yes! So Sunday morning she showed up and stayed for all 3 hours.  She loved it and couldn't get enough.  We have a rendez-vous with her tomorrow.  She's my tours miracle.  

Church was very interesting. Relief Society consisted of 5 women including us.  There was a sweet spirit there though and it was cool for Anne Marie to see.  In Sacrament meeting about 5 minutes before it started, they knew i was from Utah so just assumed i played the piano. haha so i got to play the piano then bear my testimony as well.  

Afterwards this cute family invited us over for dinner.  The Kehli family has 2 daughters.  They're 10 and 6 and so cute.  We taught them some english words and they did dances for us and tricks.  They were so cute.  It was a tender mercy to be welcomed in so well.  They told us that we were the first sisters to be in Tours and they've been waiting for us.  I'm excited to work closely with the members and build the branch here.  

Elder Bednar came to our mission awhile ago and gave an apostolic blessing on the missionaries and their french.  He said if you and your families prayed 3 times a day for the gift of tongues for the right reasons, then we could become fluent.  So I'm doing this and for Loge too! And i have already seen miracles.  French is a beautiful language and I love hearing it everywhere I go.

Europe is very different than the Untied states.  There are buildings here older than our country.  Most people are very kind, some aren't so kind. haha but I guess that's the same wherever you go. My first porting experience was quite an adventure.  We got all pumped up and walked up to the door and this crazy old man ran out yelling at us! He looked so scared like we were the police or something.  He told us to leave and then his wife came out and started screaming in this crazy lady voice.  We quickly ran away. I turned to my companion after we'd settled down and we just laughed. haha 

I'm so excited to be here in France.  I know it's where I'm supposed to be.  I can feel your prayers and I'm so grateful for them. 

This week we already have 5 rendez-vous's set up.  And I'm excited to see what the week holds for us!  We finally got a ward list and there are quite a few names on there that aren't active.  So we got a map and color coded our ward and our goal is to visit every person's name on that list before we leave.  I know there are miracles waiting to happen and people waiting to be blessed! What an incredible and exciting time to be a missionary. 

Thank you all for your support and love.  I feel it! I am praying for all of you and thinking of you often. 

I hope you all have a great week. Know that I love you all and miss you! We are all so blessed to live where we live, and to have grown up in our ward, area, and our family.  I am so grateful for you all.

LOVE YOU!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK

Soeur Cameron

100% no regrets. I've promised to give more.