Natalie July 28, 2014

What a week. Holy hannah.

I can honestly say that this week has probably been one of the craziest and most incredible weeks of my life. I have never run so fast. Never seen so much. Never felt so much. Wow. Where to start.

So Tuesday, we had zone conference with the Babins in Paris. It was so incredible and we talked about consecrating ourselves to the Lord. Everything I've been studying for the past few months. It was pretty incredible. We also had interviews. We ended up going last so we had a lot of time. We happen to be the only soeurs in our whole zone as well--weird for our mission. So naturally, we all sat around the piano and layed down a sick jam session. Primary songs included. Ben Folds style. We even have Tahitians who had real life ukes. Some Elders are planning a musical fireside for our amis so we've been busy arranging and getting ready for that. 2 Tahitians, a couple of Americans, a grand piano, 1 guitar, 2 ukes, and beautiful tenor voices. hmm I'm real excited.

So, Wednesday. I went to the mission home to be with Soeur Williams. She was there going to doctors and with president, trying to figure out if she should go home or not. It was a really hard decision and we weren't sure what to do. President let us do an exchange for a day to see if we could study and brainstorm together to find an answer! That day, through a lot of sacred, incredible experiences we got our answer. We felt it would be better for her now to return home and get some help in order to return. President Babin has been absolutely incredible about it. He interviewed me again and told me to make Soeur William's last days in France the most beautiful. "les plus belle" So we did. He told me to take her to the Versailles castle. ok? what? It is closed on Mondays so missionaries never get to go. It's only the most famous castle in the world. So we went. And it was absolutely breath takingly magical. We visited inside the castle, ate paninis alongside the river in the gardens, walked through Marie Antoinette's estate and village that is completely left the way it was left. It was like walking into another world. Soeur Williams was brimming from ear to ear and told me she was the happiest she'd ever been.

The castle was breath taking, the gardens magical, and the experience unforgettable, but none of it compared to where we went next. We walked about 200 meters up the street. And made a little stop at the temple site of our temple. It was really emotional and lifechanging. The story behind that land, the experiences that have led up to getting a temple there, and the hearts of every single passionate french member living in this country were felt. One of my biggest dreams is to come back here for the dedication with all of my french family waiting for me here. It will be an emotional day in France. Then, we made our way over to Consecration Hill. It is the place I went the first day of my mission to set all of my mission goals. Pretty incredible going back and seeing what God has made of my mission. And of me. It was really special. We ate at a beautiful crêperie and ate galettes. Best ones i've ever had. It was magical. Then we walked home along the Seine.

Saturday, we got up and the office elders drove us to the airport to drop Soeur Williams off. It was powerful to see how bold Soeur Williams was. It was literally the hardest thing she's done. Walking onto that plane away from us. But she did it. And the coolset part, is she is coming back. And president promised her she could come back to Valenciennes. Unbelievable.

So then the elders dropped us off at the gare, we got on a train to go close down Valenciennes. Summers are fun in France. Lots of sweaty people. We happened to be right next to one on our train into V'town. A big guy. Lots of hair. Lots of stank. But the coolest part is, because of it we made friends with a random classy french lady sitting across from us when we'd all just look at each other and bust up laughing when he would get up drenched in sweat to creepily walk by us like 10 times. Then the train controler walked by, asked us about the church and we taught him! Then got some referals for missionaries in the marshall Islands. It was a miracle!

We got to Valenciennes and had 3 hours to pack up her stuff, get the apartment ready and jump back on the train. The Rousseaux's came and the the Bishop and his fam to say hi and take us to the gare. It was SO good seeing them. A happy reunion. We had another train, switched gares with luggage then headed back into Paris and got Soeur Holmes safely with her other companions. It was quite the adventure.

Throughout this week, I have learned over and over and over again how real Heavenly Father's power is. He is our Father. He loves us. He wants us to be happy. And when we really look, we can see His loving tender mercies in every minute of every day. He is fighting for us. He loves us.

Well i love you all! hope you have a great week. know i'm praying for you and thinking of you lots

Love,
Soeur Cameron 100 % no regrets i've promised to give more!