Coucou à tous ! Wow what a week it has been! So much to tell you in so little time and space! If anything, this past week has been one full of miracles and little moments that brought so much joy! I came out of this week feeling so much gratitude for being a missionary, for the members here in our branch, for our amis, for my own family, for my own sweet friends, and just for life!
As you all know, Mondays are our pdays, the day that we get to take a break for a few hours and have time to do our grocery shopping, become a tourist for a bit, etc. However, pdays can look very different depending on the area, as some areas have more to do than others. Toul is a small sleepy town, so I have more time to talk to family and write emails. 😉 At 18h we are then back on the clock until the end of the day. We usually spend those last few working hours of our day talking to people, having lessons, etc. Missionary things!
Last Monday we were suppose to go over to a member's house to pick up some invitations to pass out for an activity we were having. (Remember the amazing Tahitian family I've told you about? The Tehahe? THEM!) We show up and one of the kids opens the door and just stopped and waited. Soeur Letourneau kinda stood there not knowing whether or not to enter. 😂 We could hear everyone in the kitchen, so we decided to go in. A quick "Ioarana" and then a, "you are eating with us tonight! Sit at the table!" And then it was followed up with, "if you have time of course." Obediently we sat at the table. We tried offering to help but they just kept telling us to sit down. 😂 It turned out to be one of the best member meals EVER! We laughed and joked the entire time! Every time we eat with them they think we don't eat enough and say that we "eat like birds" so they start pulling out tons of ice cream to give us. 🤣 They also say the more you eat, the more blessings you get. Sometimes I just feel like I ain't got any more room for blessings! 🤣
At the end of the evening as we went to wash our hands before we left we asked of we could do anything and they said to sing for our food! So, of course, we sang a hymn for them! They actually filmed it to send to less active members and friends! 😂 Before we left, they asked how many members we eat with during the week and we said not very many. They were so surprised and began telling us that in Tahiti the missionaries eat with members almost every night and invited us to eat with them whenever we want. They told us that if we don't know what to eat one night, or if we have nowhere to go, to just call them! We thanked them and told them it was very kind, but we wouldn't want to burden them. They looked us dead in the eye and expressed how much they love having us over and that they want us to come. I was literally fighting back tears! This family is seriously incredible! They love to joke, laugh, smile, and simply have a good time, and the love and support they have for the missionaries is amazing! When we left for the night I could not stop crying the entire way home! This family means so so much to me! Their generosity, love, kindness, just everything about them touches me and words cannot describe my love for the family Tehahe! They are a huge example to me! During dinner one of the kids shared that he was disappointed that he couldn't get a chocolate bar at the store that day because they couldn't afford it, but it was okay because he was still happy. The mother in law, in all sincerity then said we don't have much but we are happy and everyone agreed with her. It is so true! We really don't need a lot to have true happiness. Material things give limited happiness. That chocolate bar might make you happy in the moment you eat it, but then you just might have regrets later 😉. True happiness comes from those you love, edifying experiences, and above all Jesus Christ. Anything from Him is where true happiness lies!😊
Another amazing member we visit weekly is a woman named Sandy. Sandy is so very special to us. She is in a wheelchair, blind, and has some other limitations but she is so so incredible and is yet another inspiration to me. She loooooves music! Especially this one artist named Soprano! (Mental note to add that artist to my list of music for after the mission. 😉) We usually sing together or share a cantique and discuss a scripture. The Spirit is always so very strong when we visit her. Her testimony is incredible and she has such a true and strong desire to serve the Lord in every way she can. She can't do everything she wants, but what she can do she does with such joy and passion! She has been a great friend of the missionaries since forever, so she has also learned a bit of English from the missionaries over the years, so we say a lot of "oh yeas," (I taught her that one 😉) " hellos," "goodnights," and even "kiss, kisses," but she surprised us by saying a prayer in English during our last visit, and let me tell you, it was one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard! She prayed for us, for our families, for our amis, and seriously just poured her whole heart out to the Lord. Soeur Letourneau and I started tearing up. (I promise, I don't cry as much as it sounds.) The prayers that Sandy says are seriously so heartfelt and are an example to me of how I want my prayers to be. She is just so genuinely good and radiates the light of Christ. 
I know I've talked a lot about the members, but they seriously are incredible and are so so important to me! Members mean so much to missionaries! You truly make a difference! The families in our wards and branches really do become our family, our home away from home. 🥰 These are people who have absolutely made my week and I hope these experiences have helped uplift you in your week too!
Recently, Soeur Letourneau and I have been trying to stay out in town right up to the end of our day to give us more opportunities to talk to people. We met some incredible people this week and one interaction resulted in us giving out a Book of Mormon, getting a phone number, getting invited to dinner, and even getting a hug at the end! WOWZUH! (The French don't necessarily hug. It's more of an intimate gesture here, hence why they do the Bis!) So it was pretty incredible! Another contact we had ended up with us talking in English! We started in French but then found out the lady preferred English, and Wow - I haven't done that in awhile! My brain short wired and I could not communicate for the life of me in English! 😂 I kinda gave the lead on this one to my companion, and Wow! Was it awesome! We even ended up getting her number! (PRAY for me that I'll continue to have most of my contacts in French!) 😉
Last but not least... Window Man! Toul is small enough to where everyone pretty much talks to each other through their windows, and sometimes these conversations may even end up with cakes being passed through the window! Atleast this was the case for us! Every day we pass by the cutest old man looking out his window, and of course we wave! One day it was torrentially raining and we were racing home when we saw him waving us over. We got to know each other a bit and we had the cutest conversation ever as he shared about his grandchildren and great grandchildren! He then began showing us pictures through the window. 😂 Then he tells us that he has something for us and disappeared for a few minutes, then came back with a huge slice of cake for us! He told us it was for breakfast the next day and not to eat it too fast! Too cute! He literally made our day! We even took a picture with him! Ahhhh! Amazing! This week was seriously all about the connections and interactions we had with people. There were so many experiences that brought me so much joy! I love it all!
Spiritual Thought
This week someone shared a scripture that really stood out to me! This scripture comes from the New Testament and talks about being content in every moment:
"Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." (Philippians 4:11)
My dad always tells me to be Present, Happy, and Humble! If I had to pair his guidance with a scripture, this is probably the scripture I would use! In whatever state we are in, we can choose to be content! We can choose to be happy no matter the circumstance. So this week... choose to be happy!
I love you so so much! I am so happy being a missionary and I hope you all are just as happy!
A little housekeeping...
I also wanted to quickly update you all on some new missionary regulations... I am now only allowed to communicate with friends via e-mail and letters. So feel free to reach out to me on messenger, but don't forget to drop your email so I can respond.🙃
Je vous aime tellement ! Bonne semaine ! À bientôt ! 🥰
- Soeur Hansen
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