tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19398713226421211782023-11-16T03:26:48.595-08:00A Missionary in ParisLorraine Hiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02198476462128707287noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939871322642121178.post-17243112438486878692014-11-03T16:35:00.001-08:002014-11-03T16:35:11.659-08:00Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The day my family picked me up...profound joy.</div>
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Homecoming picture with the Soeurs</div>
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Yes, I made Liege and Brussels waffles for the open house...yumm</div>
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Paris pumpkin!! Do you think I miss the mission?</div>
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Lorraine Hiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02198476462128707287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939871322642121178.post-8829746644187167472014-10-27T09:47:00.001-07:002014-10-27T10:08:50.664-07:00"I have never felt something like this before..." - Anna JolyI'm home.<br />
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Everything is the same, but completely different at the same time. I'm wearing my old clothes, sleeping in my same room...it kind of feels like the mission was just a dream... I'm going around doing the same things I did 18 months ago...but inside, I feel so different. <br />
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I have this urge to say "bonjour" to everyone I cross at the grocery store, and I get this weird anxious feeling before I talk to anyone...I realized it was because I was trying to think of what to say to them in FRENCH. Haha...yeah, I can just speak in english now... strange. Also, everything is so convenient here and HUGE. #supersized<br />
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But it has been just magical being back. My homecoming was yesterday and it was stressful/wonderful!! It was really good to see my family, friends, ward members, and mission friends...I love them so much... I felt like my heart just might explode.<br />
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But at the same time, I had a nagging feeling like something was missing... let's face it...I miss my mission! I'm irrevocably in love with the land, the language, and most of all... the people. <br />
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Well, today I wanted to thank everyone that supported me throughout my mission, and followed my blog... I felt your prayers, and they meant the world to me. Serving a mission was THE BEST decision I ever made, hands down. Sure things are weird and different, and I missed out on a lot of things here at home...but it was more than worth it. I have never felt so blessed in my life. I have been armed with power and knowledge from my loving Father, and things will never be the way they used to, but I wouldn't want them to. It's onward and upward from here. Every chapter can be better than the one before it... This is basically how I feel (thank you David Archuletta...you should all see this movie by the way):<br />
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So I just wanted to include my homecoming talk (reader beware, it's a little long...but if you want to understand the title of this post, you need to read the whole thing), and the <a href="http://liegewaffle.wordpress.com/liege-waffle-recipe-liege-gaufre-recette/">Liege waffle recipe</a> that I made for the open house afterwards. So, even if you weren't able to come, you can still have the experience!<br />
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<span class="s1">Homecoming Talk: <i>"I have never felt something like this before..." - Anna Joly</i></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Good morning brothers and sisters, it’s been so long!</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I’d really just like to thank all of my family and friends that came out to support me today, as well as for supporting me throughout my mission. And I don’t think I can thank this ward enough, you are all amazing. I couldn’t have done it without you…</span></div>
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<span class="s1">So, about 18 months ago, I stood at this podium for my farewell talk and haven’t seen most of you since. Many of you probably wondered what happened next. Well, I packed up my bags, put on a dress and headed down to the MTC with my family. I kissed them goodbye, and then just as I was about to wave goodbye they handed me a baguette…haha so I tried to juggle it as well as all my luggage, as I took the first steps into my new life. It was a…unique experience…walking down the hallway, seeing brand-new missionaries dissolve into tears, getting a shiny black name tag, being ushered into a classroom, and hearing only French from my instructor. The MTC was a great experience, I met some of my best friends there, and I felt the Spirit stronger than ever before. I really felt like I was part of a royal army. It was exciting to be surrounded by so many great young people that were about to embark to missions all over the globe,. Naturally, however, there was a great feeling of apprehension among the missionaries, myself included. Were we going to be successful? Was I going to be a good missionary? Would I be able to learn a new language, a new culture, and help bring others unto Christ? </span></div>
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<span class="s1">One day, as I was pondering these questions during personal study, and feeling kind of stressed out, I read in Moroni 7:46, which reads,</span></div>
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<span class="s1"> 46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Because I was thinking a lot about success vs failure, that scripture hit me pretty hard. Charity <i>never faileth</i><i>. </i>In that moment, at least I took it to mean, that it didn’t matter what I achieved on my mission, like the number of baptisms, or if I had leadership positions, or if I was the best of the best, or whatever else could possibly be defined as “success,” but rather that if I had charity, there was no way I could be a failure.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I thought “great!” All I have to do is go over there and have charity, I just need to love everybody and then I’ll be a success…It seemed pretty do-able. So I decided then and there that that was my mission goal. I didn’t realize that I had just placed my feet on the most important path I’d ever walk. I didn’t know how far and deep this would all go, the things I would learn, the revelation I would receive, the places I’d go, and the people I’d meet. In the process I came to know myself, who I really am, understand more clearly God’s amazing plan, and begin to comprehend the Atonement of Jesus Christ.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">So yeah, today I’d like to focus on charity and love.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">What is charity?</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Well, I began to realize over the course of my mission that charity is way more than simply giving service, or donating to charities, or even loving other people. So what is it then?</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Let’s go back to Moroni 7. In verse 45 it says, </span></div>
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<span class="s1">“And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”</span></div>
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<span class="s1">continuing in verse 47, it says simply that,</span></div>
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<span class="s1">“But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.”</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Charity is the love of Christ, pure, perfect and powerful.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">There is nothing more powerful than the love of God. It is the driving force behind every good thing, behind every miracle. I’d like to share a few examples that I saw on my mission.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">First of all, I’d like to tell you about Sophie…</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I met Sophie with my trainer, Soeur Kohlert, on my second day in the mission field. A bright, beautiful young student from China, Sophie immediately stole our hearts. We met her on the bus, invited her to a ward activity that night (which she came to, and loved), and then we set up a rendez-vous to eat crepes for the next week. During the rendez-vous, we taught her about God and prayer. It was the first time in her life she’d ever participated in a prayer. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>What followed in the next few months was incredible. Her faith increased rapidly. She abandoned partying, quit her job, which she sorely needed, to attend church on Sundays, she read the Book of Mormon for hours at a time, and said that when she had children, they’d all be missionaries.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to be there for her baptism, but she sent me an email right after. She said, “I’m mormon now!! life is like magic, our first crepe, it was like yesterday, and do still remember that first time that we met?…<i>life is so gorgeou</i><i>s!</i></span></div>
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<span class="s1">What inspired all of this? How did a young Chinese atheist, who had never prayed in her life, and who thought Christians were “jerks” (haha, that’s what she told Soeur Kohlert and I the first time we met), in just a few short months, completely change her life and be able to say boldly, “When people ask me why I am so happy all the time, I used to tell them that it was because my named means “sunshine,” and now I tell them it’s because I believe in Jesus Christ.”</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Well, the answer is simple. At the end of my mission, my parents and sisters came to pick me up and we were able to go to Rennes and spend an evening with Sophie. She was ecstatic to see me! She even changed into a new dress for the occasion. She explained that when she met Soeur Kohlert and I, we were so nice, and just ‘like friends,” that she was very curious and wanted to hear what we had to say. She said that she was particularly touched when I asked her politely if we could say a prayer with her at the end of our first rendez-vous. She was intrigued…that night she prayed by herself and felt something more powerful and peaceful than she’d ever felt before. It was simply, the love of God. Little by little she came to realize that she had a Father in Heaven who understood her perfectly, and loved her unconditionally. Sophie became unstoppable, and her life became gorgeous.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">The second story I’d like to share is about my friend Murielle. I had been in Arras for about a month before I met Murielle, but I had heard about her a little bit. One of the newest converts in the ward in Arras, named Dimitri, was her 19 year-old son. I was shocked to learn that he hadn’t been a member for even a year. To me he seemed like he’d grown up in the church, or had even served a mission. He had asuch a strong testimony… He and my companion talked to me a little about his mother. Apparently she put up with Dimitri’s religious choices, but thought they were weird and definitely didn’t want to get involved herself.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I finally got to meet her the week of Easter for a family home evening. Murielle was a short, blond, northerner, and smelled heavily of cigarette. We invited her to come to church, and Dimitri really insisted. She said she’d think about it… we were so pleased to see her walking up the steps to the church Easter morning. The first words out of her mouth were, “I’m only here because you and Dimitri asked me to come.” Said with a I’m-here-but-I-don’t-have to-be-happy-about-it, look on her face.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">But, she must have felt something, because she never missed a sunday after that… as the months went on, however, she made very little progress. She never seemed to make time for prayer, or even take a minute to crack open the Book of Mormon. She looked at the members in wonder…how can they believe in someone they can’t see? Why are they so happy?</span></div>
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<span class="s1">One day, when we were over at her house, again we talked about the importance of prayer. I testified that God loved her, that even if she had been the only person on earth, Christ would have suffered the atonement just for her. She broke down…she couldn’t believe that anyone loved her…she said that there were barriers, walls, around her heart, she couldn’t let God in.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Then my companion Soeur Liabeuf suggested that for the next week Murielle tried counting her blessings. What blessings? She asked. I have nothing! We told her to just try.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">What happened next was absolutely incredible, I’m still in shock over it.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">She began, as she searched for small and simple blessings in her life, to see the hand of God in her life clearer and clearer. It all happened so fast. She began to pray personally and in Sunday school. She started to read, and fall in love with the scriptures. She bought new clothes, did her hair, her face even looked brighter,… Only a week or two later she agreed wholeheartedly to baptism, even though she was terrified of water. She even quit smoking. She went from smoking 40 cigarettes a day to 0 in under three weeks. Every step towards baptism, and each new thing she learned afterwards she accepted faithfully and enthusiastically. Her life completely changed. She was a completely different person. It was astounding to watch it all unfold.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">That is the power of charity, the love of God. For, as it says in John 4, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out all fear.” When we understand and feel our Father in Heaven’s unconditional love for us, we become unstoppable. Broken families can be put back together, addictions, temptations, and weakness can be overcome, and any trial lived through. When we understand God’s plan of happiness was inspired by His pure love for each of us, life becomes not only do-able, but beautiful, inspiring, and full of promise.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Now I’d like to tell you about Gigh. I met Gigh in Liege with Soeur Johns. She is a 23 year-old from Rwanda. She is so cool, she’s got this great british accent, and she won Belgium’s next top model like a week after I met her, also she’s brilliant, I recently learned that she was in her first movie like a month ago. But, on the other hand, she has had perhaps one of the most difficult lives I’ve ever heard of. At the age of 3 or 4 she saw her mom murdered right in front of her during the Rwandan genocide… it was a miracle that she herself was able to escape. Life as an orphan was extremely difficult and dangerous. She told me that what got her through, what still gets her through, is her relationship with God. She remembers, not long after the death of her mother, somebody telling her about God. That he was someone who she could pray to for help. She developed an extremely strong bond with Heavenly Father, ‘He’s my dad’ she would say.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">When Soeur John’s and I met her, she was struggling to “exist” (as she put it). When we taught her the Plan of Salvation, it was like a giant light bulb went off in her head. She said, “I lived before this life? I chose to come down to earth? This changes everything! I just know that I signed up for all these challenges, I;m just the adventurous sort…I’m sure I said, ‘Yeah, bring it on!’’ This knowledge gave her the strength to continue. I got to see her with my family at the end of my mission. She said that things are still really hard, but that ever since her baptism, she has been filled with just this incredible sense of peace. She said, “My great daddy God helped me take that one hard step darling, right now he is growing and helping me the 99 steps left. Nothing is easy but I wish I could tell you how much satisfied and peaceful I am inside… nothing can beat it!”</span></div>
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<span class="s1">God’s love is truly amazing. I saw it work many, many other miracles throughout my mission. I saw it change so many lives. And it changed me as well.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I came to realize that my role as a missionary was to simply be an instrument in the Lord’s hand to help reflect His light. My goal became that, through me, others would be able to feel His love and learn to trust Him, developing the faith necessary let Him help them change their lives.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I took me awhile to figure this out, and it wasn’t an easy thing to do. I learned eventually that having charity is not something that you can do half-way. Charity isn’t giving of our money, time, talents, or even our love…it is the gift of ourselves…our whole self…just like our perfect example. Christ right before performing the greatest act of charity that ever took place, humbly said, even though he wished there was another way, “not my will, but thine, be done.” He gave himself completely over to the Father. It was complete consecration of self. This is charity. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” The hallmark virtue of discipleship is charity. Christ said, “By this shall men know, that ye are my disciples, if ye have love, one to another.” Charity is all about discipleship…it means following in the footsteps of the savior, by giving over our whole selves. It is only then that Christ can begin to mold us in His image, and we can truly be instruments in His hands.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">What I didn’t expect was what I would get in return. It all began to be so much easier. As I focused on others, and, as Moroni encourages, as I “prayed unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that [I] may be filled with this love…” wonderful things began to happen. Things got so much clearer. I saw people, at least in part, the way our Heavenly Father sees them… Everything became so beautiful, even the hard times. My trust in God and His timing gave me this incredible peace that everything would work out. I began to see miracles everyday. When I tried to have charity and be an instrument, I felt unstoppable, like nothing was impossible. I have never felt so blessed in my entire life. I would say that “I feel like I just get up every morning, head out the door, and I have the privilege of watching God work.” Doctrine and Covenants 123: 17 became one of my favorite scriptures, which reads, </span></div>
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<span class="s2"> </span><span class="s1">17 Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">There is no better feeling than being an instrument in the hands of God. It’s amazing. I had moments of just profound joy. There were times that I felt so surrounded by His love, it hurt, like there wasn’t enough room in my heart to hold it all. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">I felt like Ammon, when he said to his brethren in Alma 26: </span></div>
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<span class="s1">“And now, I ask, what great blessings has he bestowed upon us? Can ye tell?</span></div>
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<span class="s2"> </span><span class="s1">3 Behold, I answer for you; for our brethren, the Lamanites, were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold, how many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work.”</span></div>
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<span class="s1">“15 Yea, they were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; but behold, he has brought them into his everlasting light, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love; yea, and we have been instruments in his hands of doing this great and marvelous work.”</span></div>
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<span class="s1">There is nothing more powerful than the love of God. And it is all around us, all we have to do is look. This very earth we live on is a product of it. Every flower, tree, everything witnesses to it. And the greatest proof of His love is the gift of His son, through which we can not only overcome any obstacle life throws at us, but we will one day overcome death itself, and we can return and live with our Heavenly Father, surrounded by our loved ones.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I don’t know how many of you were here at my farewell… but in my talk I talked about one of my friends Anna who lives in France. A lot of you know her because she lived with my family here summer 2012. In my farewell talk I recounted the experiences that we had together and how she had felt the Spirit at our family reunion. I had even read the little “testimony” that she had shared the next day describing how she had felt and the experience she had while staying with us. Well, two days before flying home, my family and I went out to eat with her family. My family had prepared a gift for her. It was a picture book of her “great American adventure.” She loved it! I’ve never seen anyone so happy about a present. She read it with awe as the memories and feelings from her trip began to flood back. Then she came to the last page, where her testimony was written… it said,</span></div>
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<span class="s1">“As you maybe know i’m sort of an atheist so i’m not believing in God…but i could feel something (at the testimony meeting)…I don’t know how I should call it…I think you call it the Spirit… I felt love…soo much love in one place… <b>I never felt something like this before.</b>”</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I watched as Anna read those words over again…she lingered on the page and said to me, “I remember this so clearly…I have never felt anything like that before…never.” And then she closed the book and held it close. <b>Anna was right, there is nothing like that feeling. </b> I saw the power of that feeling over and over again on my mission.</span> We have all felt it before. The prophet Alma calls it the “song of redeeming love.”</div>
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<span class="s1">In a CES devotional, <i>I Will Give Myself to Him</i>, Russell Osguthorphe said, “I know that we can accept Christ’s invitation to come and be strengthened, to come and be forgiven, to come and feel His infinite love. Then, with a smiling heart, we will want to sing the song of redeeming love. Not just once in a while—we will want to sing this song always. When we feel strength to do something difficult, we will sing the song in our heart. When we allow truth to find us and enlarge our soul, we will sing the song. When we feel forgiven, we will sing the song. And when we feel His love, we will sing the song.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Each time we sing it, we will be giving our will to Him, the only gift we have to give Him. He will not only accept this gift, He will expand it and deepen it. He will cause us to feel more capable. He will help increase our capacity to love and be loved. He will lead us out of darkness into light. He will heal and help us in ways that permit us to forgive and be forgiven.”</span></div>
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<span class="s1">And so I would ask you all, as Alma questioned, “If ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?” I hope that you can all feel it. It is 100% free and is always, always available. just as our dear prophet said in General Relief Society meeting, speaking of God’s love, “It is simply there. It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God’s love is there for you whether or not you deserve love. It is simply always there.” just as I learned in the MTC.. it never fails.</span></div>
Lorraine Hiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02198476462128707287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939871322642121178.post-73009920571774146352014-10-06T13:16:00.002-07:002014-10-06T13:24:35.054-07:00The Un-returned MissionaryMy stomach was in complete knots as I waited in the mission home... It had been quite a week already... saying goodbye to Soeur Whisler, the Elders, members, amis etc. in Bruxelles, a last minute service project when I should have been packing, early train ride into Paris, Paris p-day with my MTC soeurs, interview with President, testimony meeting, Chinese buffet, slumber party in the Mission Home, woken up by Soeur Jackson at 5:45 am, saying goodbye to the Soeurs as they headed off to the airport, waiting with Soeur Hunsaker, not able to go back to sleep, Soeur Hunsaker's mom coming and then the two of them leaving...then there was just me...I couldn't have been more anxious. Was it really over? Was I really going to see my family at any moment?<br />
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Then, a knock at the door. It was Elder Wall (senior missionary), and behind him was the most beautiful sight....my family.</div>
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It was such a great reunion! We got to chat with President and Soeur Babin, take pictures etc. I was just... filled with joy. It was so good to see them again.</div>
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So, I am still a missionary. And let me tell you, this is my kind of missionary work. We just go happily along, visiting Paris, Versailles, the Paris temple site, Bruxelles, Liege...spreading the gospel as we go. We've already had lots of neat experiences together. We met a nice lady at a grocery store the first day. She was kind of smiling at us, amused by our American accents, we struck up a conversation and we got to tell her about the temple that is being built just 100 meters from where we were! We saw Gigh in Liege and watched general conference with her. It was AMAZING. She was glowing. She has really seen the difference in her life since making the decision to be baptized. She is going to do great things. I'm so proud of her. Then today we were just wanting some hot chocolate and we ended up talking to quite a few people at Starbucks, even giving away pass-along cards and brochures. I was so proud of little Natalie who went up and put a pass-along card into a street performers tin... it was adorable. </div>
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And so I continue, doing missionary work, WITH MY FAMILY. Could life get any better? I'm here visiting my favorite places on earth, visiting my best friends, with the people I love most, and I still get to be a missionary. So just call me, the un-returned missionary. ;)</div>
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Love you all,</div>
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Until next week!</div>
Lorraine Hiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02198476462128707287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939871322642121178.post-73682281085390564942014-10-03T14:12:00.001-07:002014-10-03T14:12:32.702-07:00"Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel." Alma 26:16<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
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Well....I'm feeling...kind of like Ammon in the scripture above. "I cannot say the smallest part which I feel."</div>
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I guess I'm glad that I opened my heart <i>just </i>enough to listen to that little voice that told me "Go. Don't worry about where you'll go or what you'll do. Just trust me." I'll admit that I was scared, that I shed a lot of tears... but I'll be forever grateful that I was just humble enough, courageous enough, and faithful enough to take this leap of faith... And it wasn't a lot. Just eighteen months of service. In fact the "sacrifices" I made, the "hardships" I went through...though they were real, so real, they were nothing compared to what I got in return....</div>
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As I look back at my mission I am just filled with wonder. He was with me the whole time. I took a step into the darkness and He led me from one majestic place to another.. places more beautiful than I could imagine, He introduced me amazing people, and He taught me about who I am, and who I can become. </div>
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I see so much more clearly now. Things that were blurry before have suddenly come into focus, brilliant focus. And that is because I know Him, the way, the truth and the <i><b>light.</b></i></div>
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I don't know what lies ahead for me...but the beautiful thing about the gospel of Jesus Christ is that <b>we don't have to be scared. </b>He's already shown us the path, we just have to follow Him. It's is so simple. And when we put our lives in His hands, every day is an adventure, an opportunity to learn and grow and serve. We can learn from our mistakes and plan for our future. Every chapter can be better and more brilliant than the one before. That is the gospel. That today can be better than yesterday...eternal progression, you know? And it is all possible because of one who loved us so much "He laid down His life for his friends." Let us share this love. It's all that really matters.</div>
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Anyways, this last week was full of joys and challenges, just like anyother week on the mission. I'm tired...my back hurts, even my toes hurt. But there were miracles everyday. Like a member hoping we would call her, just to have us randomly show up at her house. Or Anastasia coming to church and thinking tithing and the temple was "chouette." Or our new friend Nuria coming to all three hours of church and just loving it... Or the opportunity I had to give another talk and play my violin one last time. It was a beautiful end to a beautiful journey. But it's not over. It's the beginning. My brother Bradley shared this quote with me a few months ago, it's the last paragraph in the last book in the Chronicles of Narnia...changed my life, no big deal:</div>
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"And as He (Aslan) spoke He no longer looked to them like a lion, but the things which began to happen after that were so GREAT and BEAUTIFUL that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived <i>happily ever after</i>. But for them it was only the beginning of the REAL STORY. All their life in this world and their adventures in Narnia (the mission) had only been the cover and the title page. Now at last they were beginning CHAPTER ONE of the GREAT STORY which no one on earth has read, which goes on <i>forever; </i>in which every chapter is better than the one before." - C.S. Lewis</div>
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And although it will break my heart to leave all of this behind, I know that even greater things are ahead, on and on for eternity. "<span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">If </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">God </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">be</span></span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> for </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">us, </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">who </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">can </span></span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">be</span></span></div>
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This is the truth. I know that Heavenly Father lives and loves us and I am so grateful that I had the amazing privledge to serve Him as a missionary. I'd encourage any of you who haven't served to do so! It will change everything.</div>
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Love you all! See you soon!!</div>
Lorraine Hiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02198476462128707287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939871322642121178.post-34269711605005369772014-09-22T13:23:00.001-07:002014-09-22T13:23:12.387-07:00"Make sure you step on Satan's face on your way out the door." - Soeur Hosking<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
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Pictures: Soeur Hafen, back to Liege, an invincible summer, Soeur Hosking (matching dresses!!!!!)</div>
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This week was...exhausting, yet exhilarating at the same time. </div>
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My body is so tired, but God is seriously carrying me through. I saw miracles EVERY DAY this week. He even gave me a companion who loves giving back massages! He is with me every step of the way. I feel Him next to me.</div>
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"<span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Therefore, </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">that </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">we </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">should </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">wa<wbr></wbr>ste </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">wear</span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> out </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">our </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">lives </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">in </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><wbr></wbr>bringing </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">to </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">light </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">all </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">hidd<wbr></wbr>en </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">things</span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> of </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">darkness, </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">wherein<wbr></wbr> </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">we</span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">know </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">them; </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">they </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">are </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">tru<wbr></wbr>ly </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">manifest </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">from </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">heaven—" Doctrine and Covenants 123:13</span></div>
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But it is all worth it because I am "bringing to light all the hidden things." There is nothing more important than this. This was the best decision I ever made... to be a messenger.</div>
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This week I had two awesome exchanges. The first was with Soeur Hafen. She is from Michigan. We saw incredible things together. The best was when we taught this lady in the street and she accepted a Book of Mormon. I noticed there were two people hanging around behind us...after we started to walk away, they approached us and asked us if we were lost. The pointed us in the right direction and then just stood there... They asked if we were preaching the word of Christ. Turns out the Elders had found them a few months ago and promised to send the Soeurs... they never did. They said, "we saw you over there and thought, those must be the Soeurs!" So yeah, we have two new friends! They let us into their home and we taught them a lesson and prayed with them!</div>
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Then I had my last exchange...with Soeur Hosking!!!!!!! She was trained by the one and only Soeur Johns! It was an incredible exchange! We taught the Restoration to this girl named Nayolie. She really felt the Spirit and asked great questions. </div>
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Soeur Hosking should go into motivational speaking. She is seriously inspiring. She's the one who told me to "Make sure you step on Satan's face on your way out the door."(aka finish strong) I really learned a lot from our exchange... It just the perfect way to end my STL run.</div>
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THEN the best part, I got to take her back to Liège!!! It was so surreal to walk those streets and to ride the bus and see the apartment. Everything was the same, yet so different. I was just knocked over by a flood of memories and emotions... I realized that Liege was pretty much the same...but that I was different. I can't believe how much I've changed... What a blessing.</div>
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Then the weekend. All this running around this transfer with exchanges and what not finally caught up with us...Soeur Whisler and I both got really sick. It hurt to walk, and everything got dizzy when we went outside. But God helped us! We tried our best to get the necessary rest, but we also tried to work. And God just sent people to us... We even had a member's daughter tell us she is ready for baptism!</div>
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This sunday we had two amis at church. One of which was muslim and we got to give her an Arabic Book of Mormon...so cool. Also, I'm giving ANOTHER talk this next Sunday. Two in the same transfer!</div>
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Well, it was another great week on the mission!</div>
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Talk to you soon:)</div>
Lorraine Hiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02198476462128707287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939871322642121178.post-14236659969811533282014-09-16T09:10:00.000-07:002014-09-16T09:10:05.407-07:00 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week was crazy, as usual. We kicked it off with zone conference. The most I've ever done in a zone conference before was lead everyone in the mission song, but this last week Soeur Whisler and I gave a 40 minute formation about teaching with the scriptures, I gave my dying testimony (I was the only one too!) and then I played my violin for the musical number. It all went really well, but man was I stressed right before!</div>
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Then I headed straight off to Villen d'Ascq for an exchange with Soeur Tane (a tahitien!) Then the next day Soeur Bennion and I came up to Brussels for our exchange. She is incredible. We had a marvelous redhead exchange (yes she's a ginger too) together and really learned a lot from each other and met some cool people and taught lessons in the street...so awesome.</div>
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Then this weekend was pretty crazy... we did some service so we ended getting to wear jeans...it was so strange...haha.</div>
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But the best thing was today for p day the senior couple here took us to the gorgeous park to the site where Belgium was dedicated by Elder Holland. It felt like the sacred grove. It was these three giant stone in the middle of a clearing lead to by 12 paths...symbolic? Then we read the dedicatory prayer together. It was a really amazing moment. It really helped me remember why I'm here and that what I'm doing really matters... And just the potential of the church here in Belgium...</div>
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Anyways I chose 2 Timothy 1:7 today because Soeur Whisler and I have been talking about fear lately. And how if we have the gospel in our lives we have no need to fear. Perfect love casteth out all fear. We don't need to worry about our futures or if everything is really going to work out in the end. God LOVES us and if we trust him and his plan, EVERYTHING will work together for our good... there isn't a more beautiful message than that. And I have the pleasure and blessing to share that with everyone I meet, everyday...</div>
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Well everyone, I love you! Until next week!</div>
Lorraine Hiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02198476462128707287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939871322642121178.post-36639077479850217662014-09-08T11:50:00.001-07:002014-09-08T11:50:37.272-07:00 "God is so good. God is so good."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This was maybe one of the craziest weeks on my mission. Like Soeur Whisler says..."everyday like we are in a movie..." But really, Brussels is absolutely nuts. We just walk outside and the cameras start rolling. If they made"The District: Brussels" it would definitely be interesting. </div>
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This week started out with...going back to Arras!!!!!!!! It was absolutely magical. The train pulled in and I just led Soeur Whisler to my old apartment, where I had just lived for the last six months, rang the door bell and was greeted by a giant hug from my dear daughter Soeur Liabeuf! Then I got to meet my Granddaughter, Soeur Rasband. She is absolutely adorable. She's from American Fork and she's already an amazing missionary. Our exchange together was a dream. The Lord blessed us with some crazy miracles. I am just so grateful that I got an extra day as a missionary in my beloved Arras.</div>
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When I got there Soeur Liabeuf handed me a stack of books and said they were for me! They were from Isabelle and Jean-Pierre. They had even wrote me a touching dedication in the front. I'm so excited to read them. Then for dinner we went to the Engelen's home and, frère Engelen, who's from Bruxelles, told me all about how the quartier where the Soeurs live is dangerous...great. Good thing we have special missionary protection. Then the next day Soeur Rasband and I did some contacting and met a woman named Christine. She started out pretty defensive, but quickly invited us in and we taught her and two of her friends! She accepted a Book of Mormon and a return appointment. Then we went to the Marechal's home and she had invited her neighbor over at the last minute. She isn't believing at all, but her baby grandson is really really ill. So we prayed for him. The Spirit was really strong and she ended up agreeing to try and pray and even asked some questions that led to a discussion about the plan of salvation...It was amazing. I am so happy that I was able to go back to Arras and spend the day with Soeur Rasband, she's soooo great. So yeah, of course we took some 3 generation photos!</div>
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Then on Friday we had the baptism of Steve and Gabriel Kwenge! I LOVE BAPTISMS. This one was really really special. Those two boys have just won my heart. They have such a deep and sincere faith in Jesus Christ and they will do great things. I am so happy to have been a part of all of this... haha but it's been such a comedy of errors getting them to this point. Their mom Patricia is always like at least an hour late to everything...including their baptism... and then to top it off the water was FREEZING. Oh well, the spirit warmed them right up afterwards.</div>
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Sunday was full of miracles too! We had our ami Anastasia show up to church...we didn't even know she was coming! She LOVED it. We had a little lesson with her afterwards and she prayed for like a good ten minutes, thanking God for leading us to each other. She even called us 'prophetesses." haha. AND we finally got Fujiko a Book of Mormon in Japanese!</div>
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Well, for those of you who know me well...you know that I talk in my sleep. Soeur Whisler said that the night of the baptism I said in my sleep, "God is so good. God is SO good." And that came from the heart people. God is really so good. I love this gospel and I love my mission! God loves us all, let's share this love with everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!</div>
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Lorraine Hiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02198476462128707287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939871322642121178.post-4299889919059954172014-09-01T12:01:00.001-07:002014-09-01T12:01:33.826-07:00The Brussels Hustle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">So when I was serving in Liege, Soeur Johns and I were often in Brussels. Whenever we came here we just felt like everything moved so fast. Everyone running around through the metros, jumping on trams etc. So I dubbed the fast-paced Brussels' way of life....The Brussels Hustle.</span><br />
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Well, it is still an acurate description of Brussels! Life here is super fast, and the work is moving even faster! With four equipes of missionaries we are always getting referrals from the Elders, meeting new faces at church every week, and finding new people almost every day. Not to mention we are running around going on exchanges too!</div>
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This last week was super fast. We started out with Week 2 District Meeting where Soeur Whistler and I gave a presentation. We shared this video. I absolutley love it! Watch it! THIS is why we do what we do.</div>
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<span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2014-07-006-the-hope-of-gods-light?lang=eng" target="_blank">The Hope of God's Light</a></span></div>
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Then we headed out to VALENCIENNES for our first exchange! I got to be with Soeur Doyle. She's only one transfer below me and is whitewash training. It was an amazing exchange and I really learned a lot from her. Her blue is super cute too! She is so excited to do missionary work and it makes everyone else pumped too.</div>
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Here in Brussels we saw a lot of miracles. We are preparing these two boys, Steve and Gab (12 and 10 years old) for baptism this next Friday. They are AMAZING. They are just zooming through the Book of Mormon and they understand and apply what we teach really quickly. They are really a miracle. Their mom, Patricia, just called us one day and asked if her boys could get baptized...(she's a less-active member).</div>
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Then, we've been working with this other family, the Pistaceci's. They parents are inactive and their 9 year old daughter isn't baptized. This last week we went over and watched "Finding Faith in Christ." Sophia, the daughter, got really really quiet...I don't think I'll ever forget the look on her face...or on her father's. The spirit was really strong, I felt like all of us were just surrounded in the loving arms of our Heavenly Father. Afterwards they agreed to come to church and Anders (the father), told us he'd like Sophia to get baptized:)</div>
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Then we met this lady named Anastasia. We taught her the first lesson and it was incredible. She is so prepared, she kept saying how "curious" she was and how she was going to pray and read the Book of Mormon. She's from Rwanda, just like Gigh!</div>
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Then on Sunday, I was asked to give a talk. I talked about hope...I've really been studying that this week and it's been really interesting. I don't have a lot of time to talk about it, maybe next week. Yesterday was the last Sunday in this building at Louise! It was so sad watching everybody carrying out books and manuals and taking last pictures... but the church here is on to bigger and better things! As our leader said yesterday, "we are living a miracle."</div>
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Well, sadly that's all the time I have...you know, the Brussels hustle and all! I'll talk to you next week!</div>
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Also, if you want to send me any letters, my new address is</div>
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Les Missionaires, Soeur Hilton</div>
118 Avenue Henri Jaspar box 17<div>
1060 Saint Gilles</div>
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Lorraine Hiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02198476462128707287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939871322642121178.post-69289703665051742842014-08-25T12:13:00.001-07:002014-08-25T12:13:46.281-07:00"It's who you think it is!" - Soeur Bitter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #500050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Well everybody, I'm back. Back in Brussels. And I am beyond excited to be here. When I got off the train in Bruxelles-Midi I was overcome with emotions... I felt like I was coming home. And ever since, I've just had this crazy sense of peace, and energy. I'm here for a reason. And Soeur Whistler is just GENIAL. We are going to work so hard this transfer. We're already seeing the hand of the Lord in our companionship and in this ville. There are eight missionaries here. And we are just ready to go. Especially the new equipe that just got whitewashed in. Elder Bailey and Elder Gutelius. They are just bouncing off the walls. I feel that way too. I just can't wait to get out and talk with EVERYONE. This city is magic.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #500050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That doesn't mean that there aren't a lot of problems. In fact, I've never seen a ward in such bad shape. We have no ward mission leader or Relief society president, the bishop is leaving in a week, annnnnd they just announced at church yesterday that the building that we meet in is going to be shut down next week. That means everyone has to travel extra far to the Flemish side of Brussels for church. This is seriously a trial of faith for the members here. We had some major freak-outs yesterday. (Mainly on the part of our Japanese Ami, Fujiko). But I know that this is inspired. It is going to unite this ward... Side note: I need to learn Spanish. Half the ward here is Hispanophone. Yesterday at church I heard English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian and Japanese. My French just doesn't cut it anymore, haha. Not to mention half the people we contact speak spanish or latvian or some other crazy language. Welcome to Europe's capital!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #500050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, now I'm an STL...and it's... a lot of planning and meetings... it's good, but right now I feel like it's cutting into proselyting time. We are going to have to be really, really efficient with our time. BUT it is such a blessing to be able to work with all the soeurs and to be able to attend mission council and everything. I'm already learning so much. We were planning our exchanges, and I'm going to be able to work with some really amazing missionaries. What a dream. I also am going to be able to go back to Arras next week!! That is going to be a miracle. As much as I'm excited to be here in Brussels, my heart just broke leaving Arras... Such a tender mercy that I get to go back so soon.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #500050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I really felt like the Lord was watching over me this week. Giving me what I need to finish out strong. The most amazing was on Wednesday when I dropped of Soeur Liabeuf at St Merri to go get her blue. I was just surrounded by some of the people I love most in this world...Sr Cameron, Tupai, Henson, Holmes, Walker, Hales, Jackson... it was magic. I even got to see all the new missionaries come in...15 SISTERS. I felt so old...That was me not that long ago...or at least it doesn't seem that long ago. Anyways, the only one I hadn't seen was Soeur Bitter. But we had to go catch our train to Brussels. As we were heading out I saw her across the street...and there was a Chinese young woman standing right next to her. I was speechless. But even from 50 meters away Sr Bitter knew exactly what question was running through my mind. "It's who you think it is!!!!" she yelled. Immediately the tears came, it was SOHPIE. We embraced and thanked God for this tender, tender mercy. I told her, through tears, that I was coming to Rennes soon. "I'll see you in Rennes." she said, as I was whisked away to Belgium... miracle. I felt like Alma when he runs into the sons of Mosiah after 14 years...they were still his brethren in the Lord... overcome with a joy so profound it hurts. (I didn't fall to the ground like Alma, thank goodness...Paris is dirty, haha.)</span></div>
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<br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #500050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Soeur Lorraine Hilton</span>Lorraine Hiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02198476462128707287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939871322642121178.post-65794232556429975152014-08-18T15:14:00.001-07:002014-08-18T15:14:50.782-07:00Back to Belgium<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yes, you read that right, I am going back to Belgium. History is repeating itself. But this time instead of finishing my training, I'm finishing Soeur Liabeuf's training. Instead of heading to Leige, I'm going to Brussels. And instead of being a young, inexperienced missionary, I'm going into my final transfer as a Sister Training Leader. The symmetry is pretty neat. I am beyond excited. It's going to be an action packed, high speed, big city end to my mission. I'll be running all over Belgium and Northern France. I may even get to do exchanges in Liege and Arras... is this seriously real life? I feel super blessed. The Lord prepared me for this one. When I served in Liege I was in Brussels pretty much every other week...exchanges, zone conferences, stake conference etc. I already have met some of the amis and I know that apartment like my second home. It's kind of overwhelming, but I have just an awesome sense of peace actually. I'm pretty humbled by this, but God's helped me out so far, he's not just going to abandon me at the end:) I feel like it's going to be perfect, and it's going to be just beau, quoi.</div>
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In other news, I am going to be a GRANDMA. Yep, my darling daughter Soeur Liabeuf is going to be training!!! I'm so excited for her, she is going to do so great. Soeur Tupai is also training... seriously she's going to be amazing too.</div>
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I am really sad to be leaving Arras... I have never loved a place more. I feel almost like I've had a glimspe into eternity. Heavenly Father has pushed, stretched and refined me over the last 5 months, and my future will never be the same. I have learned about Him, and I've learned about me. I've learned that faith is a REAL POWER that can change the world. It can knock down the highest walls and collapse the strongest barriers: time, addiction, heartache, unbelief...all is surmountable with faith in Jesus Christ. And faith cannot be developed until we feel God's love. Without charity this work is impossible. We can't do anything. But with it, we are unstoppable. I will be forever grateful for my time in Arras. We've been having miracles up until the last minute. The Rivierre's are beyond active, Murielle is excited to do her "archeology" (geneology), and Estelle is glowing brighter during each lesson. Even Soeur Liabeuf's brother and sister-in-law are opening up... And I just feel so blessed to have been able to see it all happen. Comme quoi, le Seigner nous connait.</div>
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It is amazing to look back at where I was when I arrived in Arras and see how much I've progressed. Yesterday at church two lost, Australian ladies showed up for church and I was able to translate for them... I realized how far I've come in my French. But the language skills don't really matter, I feel like it was a symbol of just how far I've come on my mission... I'm excited to take what I've learned and lift and fortify the Soeurs around me. This is it. It's go time. (haha, yes, I'm being a little dramatic, but that's what happens when you're a missionary, haha)</div>
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Love you all,</div>
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Soeur Hilton</div>
Lorraine Hiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02198476462128707287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939871322642121178.post-72132396620871531872014-08-11T14:59:00.001-07:002014-08-11T14:59:24.343-07:00"My goal wasn't to be technically perfect, it was that they would feel the spirit."<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Hello everyone, we had some BIG miracles this week, so buckle up! haha, but seriously we were really blessed this week. You know that you're doing it right when you feel like you had nothing to do with it. Let me explain: There is nothing I love more than just feeling like an instrument in the Lord's hand. None of this "success" is because of me, or because I'm a "great missionary." Never is, never was, never will be. It is such a blessing, exhilarating at times, to wake up, get out the door and just watch the Lord use you in His work. Once we let go of our own plans, ideas, pre-conceived notions, the Lord is able to fulfill his designs. And when He is able to use me, imperfect little me...that is the best feeling in the world. That's why it is so important to have the spirit. How can we be lead if we aren't listening? And how can others feel it, if I don't live it?</div>
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Going along with that, this last week we watched a David Archuletta return missionary interview/video thing. It was super inspiring, I'd invite you all to watch it. Anyways, there was a part that really struck me. When he was on American Idol, for one of the performances he performed "Imagine," (The Beatles). I don't know if you all watched that, but I remember when he sang it and that it was pretty moving. Anyways, his vocal coach recounted the conversation they had the day after:</div>
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"That was a really good performance last night David, congratulations. But you and I both know that it wasn't perfect."</div>
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"It wasn't my goal to be technically perfect."</div>
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"Oh really, what was it?"</div>
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"It was that they would feel the Spirit..."</div>
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I was really touched by that. I thought about it over and over again. It goes along with what's been on my mind a lot lately. Perfection and the gospel. I've come to the conclusion that there are two ways to live the gospel/serve a mission. The first way, the hard way, is perfectionism. This way is all about looking inward, cutting yourself down, trying to never ever make a mistake...it leads to misery and depression. The second way is to look outwards, it's hard, but it's easier and we are richly richly blessed for it. This is Christ's way. As soon as we stop thinking about ourselves and focus on others, forgetting about "technical perfection," that's when we will actually, (eventually) achieve it. This week, more than ever, I've tried to focus on "helping others feel the spirit"...in every lesson, every contact, every conversation. AND WOW, I've felt completely unstoppable. I've got a long way to go, but the road just gets clearer with every step.</div>
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So here are the miracles:</div>
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1. Taught Philippe and Aline about the temple and geneology... turns out they've been doing geneology for YEARS. Philippe has BINDERS full of it. "Each sheet of paper is a person," he said. By baptizing Philippe we opened the door for hundreds.</div>
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2. MURIELLE WAS BAPTIZED! And Dimitri (her son) baptized her. He was pretty scared and kept saying he didn't want to, but in the end he did it, and it was really a great moment. He also confirmed her the next day. Seriously, Murielle is a completely different person. She went from 40-0 in just 3 weeks. She went from hating prayer and religious discussion, to shouting out answers in <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_256857310" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Sunday</span></span> School, giving beautiful prayers, accepting principle after principle with ease, and just glowing with the Light of Christ... and Soeur Tupai was there so double miracle.</div>
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3. And the biggest of all. Soeur Liabeuf's brother and sister-in-law came to church yesterday. I don't even know if I can describe to you what that meant to Soeur Liabeuf. It really taught me the power of prayer. Of course Soeur Liabeuf was praying for it. I talked about it with Soeur Cameron on our exchange, and we decided to pray about it. AND the bishop, and his counselors prayed about it together... incredible. This is a huge step, HUGE. This will change her life.</div>
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4. And a hundred other tiny miracles, like meeting a young catholic family that just GLOWED with the light of Christ, bearing my testimony to Eliane from England who has questions about the church, praying with two teenage girls who have no idea who they really are, the Paulian's friend Latitia coming to church and now wanting to learn about Christ, train conductor Giles says "If you know Christ, you have truly understood. If he is for us, who can be against us?", and our mission president raising the vision of the mission...we need to BECOME not just do, we need to CONSECRATE not just sacrifice...</div>
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So yeah, just another week in the life, right? I am so blessed.</div>
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Mark 10</div>
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29 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s,</div>
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30 But he shall receive an <strong><span style="font-size: medium;">hundredfold</span></strong> now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.</div>
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I love you all! Have a great week</div>
Lorraine Hiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02198476462128707287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939871322642121178.post-83151918614934028082014-08-05T13:54:00.002-07:002014-08-05T13:54:22.781-07:00Could you gaze into heaven five minutes, you would know more than you would by reading all that was ever written" - Joseph Smith<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
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Sometimes revelation comes line upon line, precept upon precept...but sometimes it feels like it comes truckload by truckload. This week I feel like I've gazed into heaven. My entire mission I've been learning. I've learned about faith, patience, the Atonement, the commandments, grace vs.works, the resurrection, the temple, how to contact people, how to feel the spirit, you name it, I've probably studied it, experienced it, thought about it, taught it. Up until this point they've felt a little like disconnected principles, floating around in my head. Now they are beginning to merge together into a <span style="font-size: medium;">beautiful, magestic whole</span>. I've been searching and praying for answers for awhile now...and seriously this week, God has just been throwing down sacred truths, one after another. </div>
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And I know that they are true, because each one makes life/existence/the gospel, more and more <b>simple</b>, <b>clear</b>, <b>beautiful</b>. </div>
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I know they are from God because they <b>make sense</b>, and because <b>I feel like I've heard them before.</b></div>
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"If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things—that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal." -D&C 42:16</div>
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My mission is not about "changing." It not a fight against true myself, struggling to reach a perfection that is simply out of reach. It's not taming the natural man, It's getting rid of him completely. I'm not changing into something new or different or against my nature. Rather, it's giving myself to God, and allowing Him to pull back the layers...the layers of worldly distractions, culture, ignorance, unbelief, appetites, passions, dependancies, all the baggage we collect in this earthly existence, all the walls that we build, to reveal who I really am and what I am really destined to become. The mission, (life and eternity for the matter) is about <b>becoming who</b> <b>I really am. </b></div>
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<b>And who am I?</b> That is a question we must all ask. And then we must spend the rest of our lives becoming who we really are.</div>
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And it's not easy. That is why God offers His help. It would be impossible with out Him, we are too weak, too imperfect and too human. That is where Jesus Christ comes in. Every day He is there, waiting for us to<b>want </b>to know. To want to know badly enough that we <b>ask. </b>And to ask sincerely enough, with the determination to <b>do. </b>Then he'll take us by the hand, show us the path, and then we will <b>become. </b>And what will we become? Moroni says it more eloquently than I ever could:</div>
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<span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">pray</span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"> unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">followers</span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"> of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">be</span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"> like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be </span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">purified</span><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"> even as he is pure. Amen."</span></div>
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<b>We will become like Him.</b></div>
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And the best part is...that this isn't hard. This is the easiest way. The path of discipleship may be rough sometimes, but it's a road of contentment. It's an exciting path. It's the only way to true fulfillment, profound joy and lasting happiness... </div>
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Wow, well that's enough of my thoughts. Anyways, those are just my musings for the week. In other news. All those things that I just explained are happening in the lives of people all around me. And that is profound joy. I see Murielle not just giving up cigarettes so she can get in the water, but becoming a refined woman, a true disciple of Christ. I don't see Philippe just giving away Book of Mormon's because it's what "everyone does" in the church, I see a changed man sharing something precious that he's found with others.</div>
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This week has been beautiful. I had the best exchange of my life this week. With Soeur Cameron. Yes, Soeur Cameron, my MTC angel. It was seriously a tender mercy. Estelle and Charlotte came to the baptism of Rene, Cedric and Yann. When we showed up for church yesterday morning there was a whole crowd of people waiting to get into the church...who was it? It was our recent converts...half an hour early. I felt the Spirit put words into my mouth, I saw wall after wall fall down as the spirit testified to people in the street and in their doorways. This is real. This is powerful. And it is possible for each one of us.</div>
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I love you all and I wish you all a great week!</div>
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Soeur Lorraine Hilton</div>
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"Only as we spend the time to think deeply about the questions asked in </div>
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the Book of Mormon will the Spirit help us find answers - answers that, </div>
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when internalized and acted upon, have the power to help us grow and </div>
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change our lives" John Hilton.</div>
Lorraine Hiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02198476462128707287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939871322642121178.post-53622051081654614012014-07-28T09:20:00.002-07:002014-07-28T09:20:32.051-07:00Simeoncourt aka Mormonville <div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
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I can't believe that another week has gone by... it went so fast. This week was a week of soirée familiales (family home evenings)! We were invited over by the Nivard Senior family (the father is the stake patriarch), the Nivard junior family (the father is the bishop here in Arras), and the Neville family. And they all live in the the tiny village of Simeoncourt. Everybody knows them and that they are members. Haha whenever children misbehave in that village everybody says, "what will the Nivard's think?!" haha, love it. Another family, the Rulence's, lives in the neighboring village, and the Sanchez family is moving out into that area next month. Yep, Pas-de-Callais Mormonville...love it:)</div>
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I don't really have a super amazing experience to share this week, just a lot of little ones. And a general feeling of wonder and gratitude. I just know that every night I came home feeling amazing... I feel so blessed to be a missionary in Arras... my heart is just full. Everyday I get to see the miracle of the Atonement work in people's lives. The most stunning examples right now are Philippe and Aline. Who, when I arrived here didn't even have the desire to pray, are now asking me for more Book of Mormon's to hand out, giving rides to church to other members and just radiating with the light of the gospel. I get to witness the power of conversion everyday. This week Murielle took the law of tithing like a champ, and even though her life is far from easy, she has stopped complaining and is filled with hope for the future. And the Elders amis, a father and his two sons, are getting baptized <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1488262805" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">this Saturday</span></span>! They were the first ones at church yesterday, a whole 45 minutes early! Estelle is reading and loving the Book of Mormon. Carole and Baptiste are praying and coming to church this week. Charlotte, who "returned" her Book of Mormon to the library, finally has another one and is going to start reading. I could go on and on... this work is incredible.</div>
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I hope you all have a great week:)</div>
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Love, Soeur Hilton</div>
Lorraine Hiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02198476462128707287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939871322642121178.post-4949827424172031982014-07-21T10:10:00.001-07:002014-07-28T06:58:55.069-07:00We are made of light<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hey everyone! I hope you all had a great week. A big thanks to mom for sending me pictures from the family reunion. I must say, everybody is looking so grown-up. I litterally thought Brett had been photoshopped... Is he really that tall? Or was he standing on some sort of giant rock... haha and all the "little girls" who are just no longer little. Instead they are beautiful young women! What happened? Have I really been gone that long? haha.</div>
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This week was a little crazy. Soeur Liabeuf and I have both been kind of sick, thanks to the amazingly unpredictable weather of Nord-Pas-de-Calais. One day it's super hot and humid, then the next there's a rainstorm. Our noses and throats just can't take it haha. </div>
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Well, the week started out good. Bastille Day was this last Monday. On Tuesday we went up to Bethune to see Murielle and we watched the Restoration DVD. We had a really good discussion about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. She loves the Book of Mormon and the way she talks about it, you can tell that she feels the Spirit when she reads. She explained it like thoughts just "popping into her mind," and questions just "suddenly clearing up."</div>
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Wednesday we headed down to Paris for a zone conference. The train was suuuuper early 7h47 so we got to take a little tour by Notre Dame. I love Paris... especially in the morning... it's magic. Since it was a zone meeting...I got to see Soeur Tupai!! Seriously, love her. It's such a blessing that we are still in the same zone. She's coming up on her half way mark?!?! I swear that it was just yesterday that she was finished training and we became companions. So anways, as usual, we were one step ahead of the zone leaders. Soeur Liabeuf and I fixed a transfer goal to fortify recent converts and less-actives....and guess what the meeting was on? Recent Converts and Less-actives!</div>
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Anyways, Philippe (our recent convert) is doing great this week. We decided to teach him about missionary work...but we weren't sure if it was the right time. We felt good about it and planned to do it anyways. Then the morning of the lesson Aline, his wife, called and asked if we could bring an extra Book of Mormon to the rendez-vous. She said Philippe wants an extra to keep in the car, just in case somebody wanted to learn about it! Haha, well that confirmed that we were going to talk about the right subject:) Our rendez-vous was really good. And on Sunday Philippe got to pass the sacrament for the first time at church. I asked him about it and he just said, "each week is just something new, I can't wait for the next step." And that's how eternity will be, just line upon line, precept upon precept, forever forward and upward...we just have to be willing to trust Heavenly Father's plan. He's such a great example. Love it.</div>
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Friday was probably the weirdest day of my mission... I attended a WEDDING in Paris. It was just what you would expect: vintage clothes, vintage car, boating down the Seine (we didn't stay for that part), crazy taxi rides through the heart of Paris. And everything you wouldn't expect: finding myself face to face with my companion's family, being told that what we are doing is delusional (missionary work), becoming the unofficial photographer, and running through the sweltering Metro to catch our train back to Arras...which we missed by 5 minutes... haha. epic fail. Anyways, long story short, we got permission from president to go to Sr. Liabeuf's cousin's wedding. Her family was not at all happy that we couldn't stay the whole weekend...they don't understand her choice at all. I just have to say I'm impressed with her. She is a pioneer:) It's a day I'll never forget...crazy.</div>
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Then on Saturday we had a rendez-vous with Estelle in the morning. She's wonderful. I don't really know what else to say for the moment...just that I love Arras and I never want to leave, how about that?</div>
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Then we had one of the neatest experiences ever. We met this lady last week when we were in St. Pol, her name is Isabelle. She told us that she and her husband were in the middle of an exciting, fast-paced period of spiritual research and discovery. So we fixed another time to meet. We went over at 2:30 and left and 6:00... it was one of the most fascinating discussions I've ever had. We discussed everything from Einstein's theory of relativity, Buddhism, and the great apostasy, to the Plan of Salvation, the 4th and 5th dimensions, the power of prayer, and eternal progression. It was incredible. They are the fulfillment of the Hebrews 11:6<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1939871322642121178&pli=1" name="14759daf9e731054_14759cacfc6be15f_1475959a96e2ac1d_6"><span style="color: #486fae;"> </span></a>6 But without <sup><span style="font-size: xx-small;">a</span></sup><a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/heb/11.6?lang=eng#" rel="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/footnote?lang=eng&volumeUri=nt&bookUri=heb&chapterUri=11&noteID=6a" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #486fae;">faith</span></a> <em>it is</em> impossible to please <em>him:</em> for he that <sup><span style="font-size: xx-small;">b</span></sup><a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/heb/11.6?lang=eng#" rel="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/footnote?lang=eng&volumeUri=nt&bookUri=heb&chapterUri=11&noteID=6b" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #486fae;">cometh</span></a> to God must believe that he is, and <em>that</em> he is a <sup><span style="font-size: xx-small;">c</span></sup><a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/heb/11.6?lang=eng#" rel="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/footnote?lang=eng&volumeUri=nt&bookUri=heb&chapterUri=11&noteID=6c" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #486fae;">rewarder</span></a> of them that <sup><span style="font-size: xx-small;">d</span></sup><a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/heb/11.6?lang=eng#" rel="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/footnote?lang=eng&volumeUri=nt&bookUri=heb&chapterUri=11&noteID=6d" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #486fae;">diligently</span></a> <sup><span style="font-size: xx-small;">e</span></sup><a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/heb/11.6?lang=eng#" rel="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/footnote?lang=eng&volumeUri=nt&bookUri=heb&chapterUri=11&noteID=6e" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #486fae;">seek</span></a> him.<br />
They have searched diligently, and have been richly, richly rewarded. They shared with us that scientists, philosophers and spiritualits alike are coming to more and more interesting conclusions about the nature of the universe...which line up more and more with the Plan of Salvation. Heavenly Father really is pouring out his spirit more abundantly in our day. I was especially touched when Isabelle explained that all matter, at it's very base, is made of light...we are light, we are divine, and we are all connected. I had heard that before, but it just resonated with me more profoundly this time. Her words rang with eternal truth. Since then I've had some interesting "personal revelations" just thinking about the universe and everything. Just another day in the life, right? Anyways, they are super cool and really open. I'm excited to see them again and to be able to discuss more!<br />
Well, I'm just here, bopping about Northern France, going to weddings in Paris, having four hour discussions about spirituality and helping people come unto Christ...is this real life?<br />
Love you all,<br />
Soeur Lorraine Hilton</div>
Lorraine Hiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02198476462128707287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939871322642121178.post-75834780229862983332014-07-15T11:22:00.003-07:002014-07-15T11:22:50.372-07:00From the mouths of babes<div style="background-color: white; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">
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This week was pretty amazing...seriously the mission just gets more and more beautiful every week.</div>
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Seriously, our amis teach us way more than we teach them. I was particularly touched this week by our little friends Damien and Ophelie. We've been teaching Damien since I got here. He is an energetic nine-year-old. Sometimes it's hard to teach him because he's all over the place and has a short attention span, but then, when you're least expecting it, he'll say something super profound. Lately we've been trying to get him interested in reading the Book of Mormon, not an easy task...(Congrats mom and dad for helping me be interested in the Book of Mormon when I was young!) We started out the lesson with the question, "why do you think the Book of Mormon is important?" And little 6-year old Ophelie, who never participates and doesn't really like praying, immediately responded, "To know Jesus!" It was pretty powerful coming from such a little girl. Then we discussed how we can receive a testimony and why it was important to have one...we asked Damien if he had prayed about the Book of Mormon and if he thought it was true... He responded that one evening he had prayed and asked God if the Book of Mormon was true. Then he described the dream he had that night...that he was in the clouds and that Jesus Christ appeared to him and simply told him that the Book of Mormon was true. All of us adults kind of just started at each other... It was pretty amazing. There we were thinking we were teaching Damien, but he was teaching us. He has such pure faith. Anyways, this experience made me think of Luke:</div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">¶In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. </span></div>
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God reveals his mysteries to those who will accept them. Children are so full of faith and so teachable. We should all try to be more like them.</div>
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So last week we fixed a baptismal date with Murielle, remember? Well, we were pretty nervous to talk to her about the Word of Wisdom and we weren't sure if we should bring it up right away... we felt like we should and so we did. I was SO impressed with her! As soon as we told her she just said,"ok, if it's what I got to do, I'll do it!" She has such a desire to follow Christ, she's going to do whatever it takes. It's not going to be easy...she smokes... a lot. But she has already started to cut down. She is amazing!</div>
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You may be wondering what happened next with Philippe? He made the huge step to get baptized, now what? Well, this week has really showed me that baptism is JUST the gate. There is so much awaiting Philippe and the Lord has wasted no time putting him to work. </div>
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When we went to see him and Aline this week, he had a huge smile just plastered on his face...he looked like a different person. We asked him how his scripture reading was going and he told us that he can't stop anymore. He reads morning, noon, and in the evening. Seriously, he's on fire. Haha, he told us how he realized that he's much more emotional lately... he realized this when he started crying during a movie the other day. He NEVER cries during movies! haha he said, "I cry all the time now, and it's your fault!"</div>
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Anyways, we taught him about the priesthood and he was pretty shocked that he could get it immediately. But he said "if you say I'm ready, and if it's what the Lord wants, I'm willing." So after church on Sunday, Philippe was ordained a priest... And Heavenly Father wasted no time putting him to work. Literally, just as everyone walked out of the bishop's office after the ordination, we found out that a brother that lives in Douai (where Philippe and Aline live) was sick and nobody was able to take him the sacrament. "Philippe can do it! He's a priest now!" said our ward mission leader, frere Leterme. So just one week after his baptism, Philippe is already serving others with his priesthood...so cool.</div>
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So, this week pretty much all the members went to England to go to the temple for the week. Tomorrow the Sanchez family is getting sealed! How wonderful:) and Soeur Koch is finally able to go back to the temple after years of waiting... Makes me excited to be able to go back to the temple soon:)</div>
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Well, that's it for this week. Can't wait to see what will happen in the coming week. Thank you for your letters and encouragement, it means a lot. And to those who haven't written recently, don't be shy! Haha here's a less than subtle hint to write me:</div>
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Remember, it's</div>
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Soeur Lorraine Hilton</div>
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22 Rue Doncre</div>
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62000 Arras</div>
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France</div>
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Can't wait to hear from you ALL.</div>
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Love,</div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent;">Soeur Hilton</span></div>
Lorraine Hiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02198476462128707287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939871322642121178.post-28059709784730864492014-07-07T16:30:00.000-07:002014-07-07T16:30:31.025-07:00A "très particulier" baptism<div style="background-color: white; color: #500050; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
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<span style="color: black;">My heart is just FULL TO THE BRIM. First of all, I am staying in Arras for another six weeks!!!! Seriously, I am so happy, I love this place, my comp, and all our friends. Then I only have six more weeks until the end of my mission. I'm pretty sure I'll be moving for the last transfer... crazy.</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">Anyways, on to the main event: PHILIPPE'S BAPTISM. Everyone kept saying that it was "un baptême particulier." Meaning "a very special" baptism. No one could really put their finger on it, but the spirit that was there was...incredible. I just felt so...full. Soeur Tupai made the trip from Nogent to be there, Philippe was literally glowing the entire time, almost the entire paroisse showed up to support him, the talks were powerful... there was just an overwhelming feeling of peace, and the joy and approval of a loving Heavenly Father. I wish I could explain it better. There are a few things I will never forget:<br />-- when after twenty-two years of telling missionaries "no, I'm not ready," Philippe walked straight up to me, with a light in his eyes, and said, "Je suis prêt!",<br />-- the way that Philippe burst out of the water (never seen anything like it, so much energy) -- symbolizing his desire to just take off running in his new life<br />--playing Soeur Tupai's favorite hymn (the lower lights) on my violin. I can't believe we were able to see this baptism together</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">Talk about the walls of Jericho falling down...Philippe is a completely different person. He and Aline showed up at 9 o'clock Sunday morning (they've never come to all three hours since I've been here), I heard him pray for the first time ever (Frere Leterme asked him during Sunday School, I was so proud of him) and he attended Priesthood for the second time in his life... and just four months ago he was filled with doubts that seemed insurmountable... what a miracle.</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">His confirmation was beautiful, we definitely saw him wiping away a tear as his wife bore testimony... seriously, I love being a missionary. These are just joys you can't explain.<br /><br />Speaking of joys, Murielle also accepted a baptismal date! We were pretty hesitant about it because we didn't know how she would react, but we decided together to take a leap of faith. And she said yes! She had a lot of concerns (like having to go under the water, that the water would be cold etc...) but she said yes. Her progression lately has been astounding. I really can trace it back to when she started counting her blessings...Soeur Liabeuf suggested that she start doing that, and it's made a huge difference. She sees more and more the hand of God in her life, and that he really does love her:)</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">We found some new friends this week too! Carole's two sons, Benjamin and Baptiste...they are adorable. And little Baptiste said the closing prayer last night!</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">We also met our new mission president and his wife (the Babin's). They are from Evry (south Paris) and absolutely GENIAL (awesome). I'm excited to work with them for the last little bit of my mission! We are going to see miracles for sure.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Well that's it for this week folks, until next time!<br /><br />Soeur Hilton</span>Lorraine Hiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02198476462128707287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939871322642121178.post-91980281059132865512014-07-01T11:30:00.001-07:002014-07-01T11:30:42.620-07:00"Je ne vois plus des barrieres pour mon baptême...Le seul question est, "quand?"" (I don't see anymore barriers to my baptism...the only question is, "when?") <div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
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So... I was going along having a normal week in Arras, and then BAM. Miracle. Let me elaborate..</div>
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Meet Phillipe. A fifty-something French man. Reminds me a lot of Dad, actually. Just in the way he talks (similar sense of humor, really friendly, likes DISCUSSION etc.) and in his interests (lots of PROJECTS, works with renewable energy etc.) Well, about twenty-two years ago he and his wife Aline met the Mormon missionaries. Aline instantly knew that the Book of Mormon was true and was baptized. Phillipe wasn't so sure. Over the years they had their fair share of trials, and Aline fell away from the church (still had a testimony, just wasn't active). Missionaries came and went. When Soeur Tupai and I started to visit them, we thought, "Oh wow, this is going to take awhile." But we continued visiting them every week. Small and simple things, people. Little by little things started to change. They started praying together, coming to church and growing in faith. Their faces literally started to get brighter and brighter as the spirit entered into their home. Then about a month and a half ago, Aline called us and told us that Phillipe wanted to get baptized! She was shocked. (so were we) "You know that means you'll have to pay tithing, and have a calling, and go to church every week, right?" she asked. "I know," he replied, "that's what I want!" She asked us to pretend that we didn't know that he wanted to get baptized, but to try to lead the conversation there in the next lesson. Well, it was the first lesson that Soeur Liabeuf and I had together, the very day that I picked her up in Paris. We talked about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I invited Phillipe to get baptized. He got really serious and said, "Every pair of missionaries that has ever taught us has asked me to get baptized, and every time I've said no...but I've been really thinking about it and...I think that it's time... that I get baptised..." Wow. The spirit was so strong that night, but when I tried to suggest a date...he got really nervous and said he wasn't ready for that. </div>
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So for the past month we've been hoping and praying that his desire would continue to grow and he wouldn't wait another 22 years to actually get in the font. Then, this last Wednesday, we went to their house for our weekly rendez-vous and only Aline was there... Phillipe had to help his brother move that night. I was a little disappointed. Right after the opening prayer, however Phillipe walked through the door. He sat down and they started talking about how their home teacher, frere Vienne and his family had come over last Sunday and that they had had a GREAT discussion about ordinances, baptism and the priesthood. I felt impressed to ask Phillipe how he was feeling about baptism lately. He said, "Well, I don't see anymore barriers to my baptism.. the only question now is, "when?"" (I was freaking out inside, but stayed super cool, like I did this every day of my mission...haha). I told him, "Frankly, you are ready now, you can get baptised whenever you want." He replied, "well the month of May seems good to me...my birthday is in May..." It took me a minute to realize he was joking...my heart stopped for a second there, haha. Then he asked, "well, Soeur Hilton, when do you think I should get baptized...how about right before you leave? When is the next transfer? If it's next week I don't know though..." I told him it was on Wednesday July 9th. Aline said, "okay, well how about Saturday the 5th?" I was shocked when Phillipe said "why not!" (that's THIS SATURDAY) I stayed super calm and missionary-like, pulled out a baptismal calendar and we started getting all the details taken care of. PHILLIPE WASN'T EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE AT THE LESSON AND NOW HE'S GETTING BAPTIZED NEXT SATURDAY. Seriously, it all flowed so simply and naturally. Miracles are just that, simple, clear, yet at the same time unbelievable. This is truly the Lord's work. I got kind of emotional at the end when Phillipe's only question was "what about my children?" (their kids have made some serious mistakes). "I want to have an eternal family, what can I do for them?" I testified that his decision to be baptized and the unity between him and Aline because of it, will only bless their family and that the only thing they can do is to be examples, have faith, and PRAY, "implorez le Seigneur" I said. Aline said, "yeah, prayer really works Phillipe, do you realize how much I prayed for you over the years?" wow, what a moment. Haha, they drove us home and I could tell that this was one of the best day's of Aline's life...she was keeping it together really well, but she immediately started make calls while we were driving. Soeur Neville started crying on the phone and the Bishop was ecstatic. Seriously one of the best days of my mission. And it was my mom's birthday! Happy birthday Mom!</div>
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Other than that, this week has been amazing. We made three new friends (Ginette, Sandrine and Carole) and taught a ton of lessons. We invited Murielle and Estelle to get baptised, they were very open, but are going to take time to think about it. I can be patient... as long as they don't take 20 years! haha. But really, those two are progressing rapidly, so receptive...they are beginning to feel the spirit more and more.</div>
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Arras is EXPLODING right now. Thank you blue fire. This is going to be an awesome week, we will meet the new mission president, there is a ward BBQ, and Phillipe is getting baptized. Most glorious week six ever, is about to go down.</div>
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Well, I love you all so much. Keep praying for the work! Prayer can do miracles:)</div>
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Love,</div>
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Soeur Hilton</div>
Lorraine Hiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02198476462128707287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939871322642121178.post-10887060445283020982014-06-23T15:00:00.002-07:002014-06-23T18:54:30.462-07:00Les Petites Choses (Small Things)<blockquote type="cite">
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br />So the big news of this week is that it is the LAST WEEK for President and Soeur Pozanaski...my heart is broken. We had this zone conference that was perfectly designed to have me in tears the entire time. First of all the STL's showed us a video that I saw in my very first zone conference exactly a year ago. It was a talk by Elder Holland in which he talks about how missionary work is hard because salvation is not cheap (Jesus Christ paid a huge price for our salvation, so it is natural that the work of salvation wouldn't be a walk in the park for us either). Then Soeur Cameron played "Homeward Bound," like she did in the MTC the day that the MTC became holy ground for me and the sisters in my district (impromtu testimony meeting/bonding moment). And then finally the Pozanaski's. THEY ARE INCREDIBLE. I knew that they had turned around the mission, but I didn't realize by how much. We've baptized more than double what this mission was doing before they got here. President told us about how the missionaries would just chill in their apartments all day, they had hardly any faith that these people would listen. A Zone Leader called in and said, "okay, we went porting <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://0" x-apple-data-detectors-result="0" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">tonight</a> like you said president...and each one of the 4 houses we knocked on rejected us...now what do we do?!" This mission is a completely different place now... I'm so impressed by their courage, sacrifice and their willingness to follow the spirit and the inspirations they recieved for this mission. They inspired me, helped me through some really difficult times, and helped me become the missionary/person I am today. I'll never forget them.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In other news the Paris temple has absolutely no more obstacles! Elder Anderson, of the 12 apostles vistited Paris last week, and the very moment that he set foot on the temple grounds in Versailles, Bishop Causé recieved a telephone call. It was from the council saying that all oppostitions to the construction of the temple had been rejected and that they were free to continue in all haste... wow, miracle. The temple will be finished in about 2 years...time to start saving up my money for the dedication;)</span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">President shared a really inspiring story relating to the temple here in France that really touched me. With Soeur Tupai I discovered Alma 37 (I forget which verses) which talks about "small and simple things" leading to that which is great and miraculous. We loved it and shared it with a lot of our amis and members. Then when Soeur Liabeuf got here we shared it in ward council. It's true that in the church there are lots of tiny things that we need to do diligently, prayer, scripture study, calling less-actives, praying for the amis etc. Sometimes it may seem like we are getting no where, but when we look back later we see the accumulation of our efforts and the amazing things that God has done with our small and simple efforts. Well the bishop LOVED our spiritual thought and constantly brings it back up in council. He even announced it over the pulpit yesterday in sacrament meeting. The following story is a powerful example of "small and simple things."</span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">There was just an ordinary man (American), a member of the church who worked often in England and also found himself in Paris quite a bit. One evening he was in Paris and his boss called him up to see what he was doing. He was just sitting in his hotel room so his boss invited him to come out to dinner with him and some friends. When they arrived this simple man found himself in a very very nice Parisian restaurant in the company of some of the most powerful men in France. CEO's of AirFrance and other huge companies...billionaires, politicians etc. He suddenly felt very small and asked himself "What in the world am I doing here?" This was in 2011, and one of the big topics of conversation that year was the upcoming American Presidential Elections. The conversation turned to that subject and then to Mitt Romney and the Mormons. The men asked among themselves, "is there anyone here that can tell us about the Mormons? Who are these people?" That's when this man realized why he was there. For about two hours he answered, as best as he could, as these powerful men barraged him with questions about the church. After that they started speaking in French, very seriously, among themselves. This man couldn't speak French, but he could tell that something important was happening...it seemed like they were in the process of making an important decision. He turned to his boss and asked him to explain. His boss explained that this dinner was actually a meeting for a very important political party in France, and that these men were the leaders of the party. They had tentatively decided earlier that they were going to oppose the construction of the Mormon temple in Versailles and that<a href="x-apple-data-detectors://1" x-apple-data-detectors-result="1" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">tonight</a> they were planning on finalizing the decision. BUT after the conversation that they just had, they had all unanimously changed their minds.... Wow, what an incredible miracle. The Lord always always works this way. He takes the humble and the simple people of this world, and through means discret and almost impercipble, he brings to pass enormous and great things. It was to a 14 year old that he appeared to restore his gospel, it is through things like prayer and home and visting teaching that he changes hearts, it's through the whisperings of his spirit that we learn eternal truths, and it is through simple young men and women that he spreads the message of his gospel. God is preparing each one of us to be instruments in his hands. Every day we are faced with decisions that are small and simple, but that can lead us to great things. I pray that we can all be dilligent in the "petites choses" so we can be instruments in his hands!</span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Anyways, those are my musings for the week! Onward and upward!</span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Love, Soeur Hilton</span></blockquote>
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Lorraine Hiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02198476462128707287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939871322642121178.post-35020385240667773152014-06-16T08:36:00.002-07:002014-06-16T08:36:20.534-07:00Courage brethren and on, on to the victory!!<div class="im" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
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This week was...crazy. Our week was greatly affected by one of the great traditions of the nation of France... a train greve(strike). If there is something the French love as much as wine and cheese, it's striking. haha...yeah, we take the train A LOT here in Arras...so this week was kind of a headache...I mean a culturally informing experience. But Heavenly Father was right there to make up for it!</div>
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On Wednesday all of our plans fell through because of the greve. So we had to improvise. We decided to stop by our ami Vi (she's from Vietnam). We've passed by numerous times lately and she was never there. but this time, she was! And her husband Florent was too! It was a really cool lesson and they are excited to see us again and learn about more about the Book of Mormon. Yay! A new friend.</div>
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Then that afternoon...another tender mercy...exchanges with the sister training leaders...none other than Soeur Linton and Soeur Cameron!!!!!!! Yes, you heard that right, my dear friend from the MTC, Soeur Cameron spent 24 hours in my ville! My exchange was actually with soeur Linton which was equally cool. But it was fun to reminisce about the MTC with S. Cameron:)</div>
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Soeur Linton and I seriously had a BLAST. What a great Soeur. She is just one transfer ahead of me and we've served in neighboring villes pretty much our whole missions. She is super chill and we really learned a lot from each other. We set some exchange goals and Soeur Linton decided she wanted to work on being more courageous. I really jumped on the idea, because I need more courage too. So in the morning I studied courage in the scriptures and it was really inspiring and motivating. My favorite scripture I found was in 2 Timothy 1:7</div>
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<strong>"7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."</strong></div>
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I have really learned the power of scriptures during my mission. This one just fueled my and Soeur Linton for the rest of our exchange. We were invincible. We just contacted and ported like crazy, and we didn't get down when we were rejected. We had Joseph Smith's battle cry in our heads, "<strong>Courage brethren and on, on to the victory!!" </strong>And we had a miracle together. We were porting and a lady named Doriane answered. She seemed like she was going to say no, but Soeur Linton courageously asked a second time, "can we come in and pray with you?" and surprisingly, she said yes! The spirit was super strong and I could really tell that Heavenly Father loved this woman. We fixed another rendez-vous for the next week and she even gave us chocolate :) Yay for an exchange of courage with Soeur Linton!</div>
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Soeur Liabeuf and I did a lot of porting this week... and we found some really neat people. A lady named Antonia from Italy and a cute older couple named Florence and Immanuel. I feel like Arras is exploding. The Lord is preparing people, even in tiny Arras, France. Not even a major French train greve can get in the way of the work;) even if we were packed like sardines for an hour in the gare du Nord in Paris and then the told us to all get off and wait for a different train... and the greve is continuing this week too. Courage brethren, and on, on to the victory! Gonna need it this week too:)</div>
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Love you all, have an awesome week everybody!</div>
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Lorraine Hiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02198476462128707287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939871322642121178.post-15717818800660445132014-06-09T12:25:00.000-07:002014-06-09T12:25:18.313-07:00Great reason to rejoice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Hello everyone! This morning I was reading in Alma 26 the first few verses basically explain my feelings today:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><br />Alma 26<br />1 And now, these are the <wbr></wbr>words of Ammon to his <wbr></wbr>brethren, which say thus: My <wbr></wbr>brothers and mybrethren, <wbr></wbr>behold I say unto you, how <wbr></wbr>great reason have we to <wbr></wbr>rejoice; for could we <wbr></wbr>havesupposed when we started <wbr></wbr>from the land of Zarahemla <wbr></wbr>that God would have granted <wbr></wbr>unto ussuch great blessings?</span></span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="" name="1468214108e76ae8_146820c35ad3bc2d_1468016549d9a1e3_2" style="color: #222222;"> </a>2 And now, I ask, what great <wbr></wbr>blessings has he bestowed <wbr></wbr>upon us? Can ye tell?</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="" name="1468214108e76ae8_146820c35ad3bc2d_1468016549d9a1e3_3" style="color: #222222;"> </a>3 Behold, I answer for you; <wbr></wbr>for our brethren, the <wbr></wbr>Lamanites, were in darkness, <wbr></wbr>yea, even in thedarkest abyss,<wbr></wbr> but behold, how many of them <wbr></wbr>are brought to behold the <wbr></wbr>marvelous light of God!And <wbr></wbr>this is the blessing which <wbr></wbr>hath been bestowed upon us, <wbr></wbr>that we have been <wbr></wbr>madeinstruments in the hands <wbr></wbr>of God to bring about this <wbr></wbr>great work.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">I have been feeling so blessed lately! I truly feel like I am an instrument in God's hands. I feel his spirit guiding me, giving me words to say and places to go... it's an amazing feeling. It's the best feeling. And speaking of being an instrument, I received this email from my dear Gigh today:</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">OMG........sister Hilton, i am in tears.. i miss you sooooo muuuucccchhhh.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Thank youuuuuuuu, you and sister Jones basicaly were my everything...</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">My great daddy God helped me take that one hard step darling, right now he is growing and helping me the 99steps left.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Nothing is easy but i wish i could tell you how much satisfied and peaceful i am inside... nothing can beat it!!</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">I can't wait to see you and ofcourse it will mean a lot to me if you stay in my life.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">I love you to bits...God bless you.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Sis. Gigh</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">I had emailed her congratulating her on her baptism. I'm just so grateful that Soeur Johns and I were prompted to turn around from that bus stop so many months ago in Liege. What a miracle!<br /></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">Well, things are going great in Arras. On Saturday evening we went up to Villeneuve D'Ascq for Stake conference and SOEUR KOHLERT was there! So obviously we had to take a "Three generation" photo. It should be attached, Soeur Kohlert (my mission mom) is on my left and Soeur Liabeuf (my mission daughter) is on my right. I think that was the last time I'm going to see Soeur Kohlert as a missionary! Crazy. She goes home on August 4th.<br /></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">This week we saw some really cool miracles. I'll share a couple. On Friday the sister training leaders texted us and challenged each equipe to contact 1000 people this transfer. Other mission leaders have done this challenge before, so my first reaction was...not again! haha. Not super positive I know. But Soeur Liabeuf and I decided to act with faith and start contacting as much as possible. We had quite a bit of rejection. But then I saw a lady at a bus stop across the street and I went over and talked to her. She LOVES Jesus Christ! And was really excited to talk with us and set up another appointment... I was shocked. It was almost immediately after we decided to act in faith Super cool.</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">Then yesterday we were porting and we knocked on a door. A man answered and said he wasn't interested. I asked if he knew anyone that might be interested. He said...hmm no not really, and definitely not in the neighborhood. My first thought was, are we wasting our time here? But we continued on... the next door that opened was a mother named Carole and her two sons Jean-Baptiste and Benjamin. She said that she wasn't believing and wasn't interested. At this point they usually close the door and we move on. But for some reason the door stayed open and the conversation kept going... I testified about prayer and we had a good chat about faith etc. At the end I said, can we come by another time? She said, "whenever you like!" Miracle. Thank you Saint-Esprit. Then we knocked on another door and a young mother and her 4 year old daughter answered. We asked if she was believing and she said "un petit peu" (a litte bit.) She said that they were in the middle of dinner, but quickly asked if we could come back another time:) miracle. We set up a rdv with another family too... So much for no one being interested in that neighborhood:) Nothing is impossible because this is His work.<br /><br />Also, one more experience. Yesterday we had a ward lunch after stake conference. Since it was stake conference there were quite a few unfamiliar faces. I noticed one family however that was speaking English. I went up to the mother and asked where she was from. With a huge smile she said, HIGHLAND UTAH. What? I'm from Highland Utah! It was the Quigley family, apparently they are in our stake! (they are in the 4th ward) They were just in France on vacation. how fun! It was cool to speak in English, and the ward members were amazed that we were from the same city, the same stake, and that we live just a few roads away, but we'd never seen each other before! It was fun to talk to them, I even wrote them a little cheat sheet with french phrases and told them some cool places to go see. It was great!<br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Well, that's it for this week folks.<br />Love you!<br />Soeur Hilton</span><br />Lorraine Hiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02198476462128707287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939871322642121178.post-18628008365255350162014-06-08T21:05:00.001-07:002014-06-08T21:05:12.745-07:00"Je pense que le portail est ouvert pour NOUS." (I think that the gate is open for US.)<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
This week was... crazy. First of all... Soeur Tupai is gone! I'm so sad. I miss her so much. But, fortunately, she is still in my zone, so I get to see her pretty often. In fact, I get to see her tomorrow!</div>
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<br />Secondly...I'm a MOM! This is the first time I've trained, so I didn't really know what to expect. It was super intense. We had a big training meeting for all of the trainers (everyone was freaking out...which made me freak out). President and Soeur Pozanaski then laid on the pressure, saying that they saved the best for last (this is their last transfer). And that we have a huge responsibilty, not only to train these new missionaries, but to be the trainers for when the new mission president arrives. President Pozanaski said that the first thing he did when he got on his mission was to look and see who the trainers were... it's true, all of the sisters who are training are old/experienced in the mission. So if that wasn't stressful enough... they do this huge slideshow ceremony thing, where they show a picture of the ville with the trainer's name on it and then...drumroll...they announce the trainee! It threw me back to over a year ago when I was on the left side of the room, nervous and excited about where I was going/who I would be with. This time I think it was even more stressful...haha.<br /></div>
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Well, a gorgeous picture of the Arras Beffroi came up and I knew that it was my turn. I stood up excited/nervous as president announced that Soeur Liabeuf would be serving with me! I looked over and waved to a tiny little french girl. FRENCH, ahh! haha. Soeur Liabeuf is amazing. She grew up in French Guiana (next to Brazil), but has been living in Aix-en-Provence (Southern France) for the last four years for her studies. After being in Aix for a year, she was contacted by two funny look Americans in suits and ties...8 months later she joined the church. Yep, she is a recent convert of just three years. She is the only member in her family. Her family is having a hard time understanding her decision, especially the mission. They don't even really know what it is that she will be doing for the next year and a half. She told them that she is working for the church (doing service etc.)<br /></div>
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The craziest part is that her BROTHER lives in Arras... President had no idea. When he found out he simply said, "I felt really strongly that Soeur Liabeuf has a work to do in Arras, and that she needs to do it specifically with Soeur Hilton." Yep, pretty crazy stuff. I'm stoked! Yeah, so yesterday we stopped by and surprised her brother and sister-in-law. hahahaha it was hilarious. Her sister in law said, "great! we found babysisters!" haha<br /></div>
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Anyways, training started out a little rough...we had a lot of things fall through and ended up doing a lot of street contacting and porting. We had no success for the first few days and Soeur Liabeuf was getting pretty discouraged (kind of a tough wake-up call for your first week as a missionary!) But then Saturday night we went to do some pass-backs...no one was home... As we were heading towards the bus I saw a little gated neighborhood. But something was different...the gate was OPEN. Soeur Liabeuf suggested that we go porte it. We were worried that the gate might close, however, and we'd be stuck inside. I was really impressed with what Sr Liabeuf said next, "Je pense que le portail est ouvert pour NOUS." (I think that the gate is open for US.) So, with the faith of my blue, we pressed forward. It was amazing. TWO families said that we could pass again, and we had a great conversation with an older lady, left her a brochure, and fixed another rendez-vous. Talk about walls breaking down...or I guess, gates opening (poetic, right?)<br /></div>
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Other than that, this week was great. Phillipe finally admitted he wants to get baptized! After seeing missionaries for 22 years. AND Karine and Christophe are still progressing like crazy. I LOVE Arras. I'm a little "french fried" (soeur Liabeuf's English is minimal) and tired, but other than that, still going strong!</div>
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Until next week!<br /></div>
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Love,<br /><br />Soeur Hilton</div>
Lorraine Hiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02198476462128707287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939871322642121178.post-59314082633258260852014-05-26T19:40:00.000-07:002014-05-26T19:40:19.737-07:00"You've changed our lives…I hope you know that."<br />
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This week was remarkable... the most frustrating thing about the mission is that it is pretty much impossible to explain what it really feels like. Only your companion knows exactly what happened and how real all the miracles were... but I'll do my best to try to express myself!</div>
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Karine and Christophe... I don't even know what to say. Just that, there is no way that Soeur Tupai and I did this by ourselves...this is truly the Lord's work! This week we had a family home evening with them at the bishop's house, they started the Book of Mormon and...the ENTIRE family came to church. They told us the day before that it would just be Karine, like last week...she said she'd be there at 10...but by <span class="" data-term="goog_6616469" tabindex="0">10:30</span> she wasn't there and I was getting pretty anxious. Then the usher came and pulled us out of <span class="" data-term="goog_6616470" tabindex="0">Sunday</span> School and I will never forget the sight of all of them, walking through the front doors (dressed in <span class="" data-term="goog_6616471" tabindex="0">Sunday</span> clothes), with the children Collette and Martin! They filed into <span class="" data-term="goog_6616472" tabindex="0">Sunday</span> School and Frère Rulence gave the most amazing lesson, talking about his conversion…the spirit was incredible. Then sacrament meeting was a tearjerker. The Primary/Young Men's/Young Women's, did a special Mother's day program (Mother's day in France was yesterday). Karine loved it. Then at the end all the men went out into the hallway and came back with roses for all the women. It was the PERFECT first S<span class="" data-term="goog_6616473" tabindex="0">unday</span> for the family! At the end, Christophe told us, "You've changed our lives...I hope you know that." Can a missionary hear any sweeter words than that? He also asked, "Did you pray that we would all be here today?" "Yes!" we answered, "like 10 times at least." Such a beautiful, beautiful day. I think I can say it was the most wonderful day I've had so far on my mission, (which means the most wonderful day of my life...)</div>
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Also I got a Mother's day surprise last night... I'm going to be a mom! (meaning I'm training a brand new missionary, mission lingo...weird, I know). hahaha the assistant, Elder Everett, who called me last night, ended by saying... "President, Elder Price and I know that you are going to be a great district lead---- I mean, trainer! Trainer, not district leader...not yet, haha." That was hilarious... Yep so I'm excited/nervous to go get my bleue (greenie) <span class="" data-term="goog_6616474" tabindex="0">Wednesday</span> morning. I hope I can be a good mom. I'm also really sad that Soeur Tupai is leaving! I absolutely adore her... She is going to Nogent, so we will still be in the same zone! Wahooo!</div>
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Until next time! Love you all!</div>
Lorraine Hiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02198476462128707287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939871322642121178.post-27164155678749683612014-05-19T13:12:00.001-07:002014-05-19T13:17:53.741-07:00Church Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week was GENIAL. There were some really high ups, and some pretty low downs. But the ups made it all worth it! We'll just focus on those, mmk?</div>
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Tuesday night we had a church tour with Karine and Christoff... it was amazing. Haha when they walked in, you should have seen the look on their faces. They loved it! They were fascinated to learn about geneology, all the different organizations etc. Christoff just couldn't contain himself, he kept saying things like, "this is a 'vachement chouette eglise' you have here!" haha. Loved it. Our lesson with them on Saturday was also really good. Christoff had a ton of questions, and Karine answered pretty much all of them, because she had read the brochure on the Plan of Salvation right beforehand. Anyways we explained to them the Book of Mormon and when we read the promise in Moroni 10 and inviting them to find out for themselves, the spirit was so strong. The two of them were just looking at us with an expression I will never forget… it was seriously surreal, Soeur Tupai just stopped midway through her explanation and blurted out "you two are just great!" haha they were like "what? why?" haha. They are also hilarious, always joking around, seriously--I just love them. They are just the cutest young parents ever: Karine makes, sews and knits all of her children's clothes, when we showed up Christoff was outside with Collette looking at the neighbors horses, and Christoff works with antique cars. They are so "cool" (just like Frère Rulence said last Sunday, haha he came up to us and asked, "what's going on with that cool couple you guys brought over a few weeks ago?" haha) Karine even came to church for the first time yesterday! (Christoff couldn't because it was in the middle of Collette's nap). We are hoping to see some great progression this week too!</div>
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We also went to Versailles this Friday for a mission conference. Elder Snow from the quorum of the seventy, and some other general authorities spoke to us. It was soooooo good to see some of my missionary friends again, especially my mom, Soeur Kohlert! She is just the best, we got to catch up and reminice about Rennes. Oh wow, Rennes seems like such a long time ago. Exactly a year ago I arrived in France and Soeur Kohlert and I were running around finding Sophie and Fatima, baptizing Lucy, Shaina, Gladys....that was just another lifetime. Anyways, Soeur Kohlert is such a great example to me...can't believe how lucky I was to be trained by her. Best news ever---we are going to be practically neighbors next year at BYU (both living at condo row), so excited.</div>
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There are also some other exciting developments happening with our amis, but I'm going to hold off until next week to tell you about them. Let's just say that the walls of Jericho are falling pretty rapidly out here in Arras!</div>
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I love you guys! Talk to you next week.</div>
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P.S. This morning we went to a WWI memorial out in a little town not far from Arras, called Vimy. It was here that the Canadians won a huge victory against the Germans during the battle of Arras in April 1917. It was pretty emotional...the land has all these crazy hills and craters, remnants of the miles and miles of trenches. There were danger signs in front of a lot of these fields, warning that there could still be munitions and bombs in the earth...wow. We got to see the British and Canadian front lines, 'no-man's land,' the German front line, we even got to go into the subterrain passageways. The memorial is absolutely incredible. The marble is sooo white, what got me the most was the sculpture of the woman, looking out from the conquered Vimy ridge...representing mourning Canada. I can't believe all of that happened right here in Arras... so many heros... </div>
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Another interesting note...Canadians speak French WAY diferently than French people! Ohlalala our tour guide had an amazing Quebecois accent. Super fascinating/hard to understand at first.</div>
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Lorraine Hiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02198476462128707287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939871322642121178.post-49122437929755882222014-05-12T10:34:00.004-07:002014-05-12T10:34:58.449-07:00Mother's Day<br />
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If there is something missionaries love just as much as Christmas...It's Mother's day! I think I liked it even more than Christmas actually! It was so fun to see all of your faces, even though it was pretty blurry most of the time...haha.</div>
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This week we didn't go to Paris, so we were able to get some good work done in the sector. The best part of the week, however, was that we got Estelle back! Do you all remember Estelle? She's the one we found the second day I was here in Arras and who already had a Book of Mormon (given to her by Elders some 15 years ago). Well after she came to church about a month ago, we totally lost contact and I was pretty sad about it. We passed quite a few times and she was never home, and she didn't answer our phone calls. Then last Sunday we went by and she was there! We shared a message and it was pretty awkward...she just didn't seem the same. But we set up a rdv with her anyways for this last Thursday, and I half expected her to not be there or to cancel on us...but no...she was there and super excited to see us! She was completely herself again and she invited us back again on Saturday and even made us teasan (herbal tea). She prayed, she cried, she was just all around wonderful, just like before! I had been praying for at least a month that we could get her back...I'm so happy! I just love her so much!</div>
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Things are going really well with our other investigators. Karine and Christoff, our little family, is progressing. They agreed to do a church tour with us tomorrow, which is a big step because Christoff is scared of churches...I don't think he's ever been inside of one acutally. Damien is doing well, the other week his mom told us that she woke up the morning of our rdv, and everything was really calm (usually the kids wake her up, yelling/playing)...but no everything was really quiet. She tiptoed downstairs to find Damien and Ofelie watching "The Restoration" DVD that we had given them the last week... That really touched me. It's amazing what we can learn from children! Damien really wants to get baptized, but we are waiting on his father's permission. We've been praying a lot for that!</div>
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This week is looking like it's going to be AWESOME. I'm so excited. We have a general authority, Elder Snow, coming to speak to us in Versailles on Friday, and we just have great rdv's set up. STOKED.</div>
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Well thank you all for your support, I love you times a million!</div>
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Also, thanks Natalie for the best skype picture EVER. haha. I'm printing that one out and putting it on my wall!</div>
Lorraine Hiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02198476462128707287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939871322642121178.post-41269009025116169682014-05-05T17:08:00.003-07:002014-05-12T09:07:39.272-07:00"Shout, for the LORD hath given you the city." - Joshua 6:16<img src="webkit-fake-url://13B230E6-19F8-4CC4-8D96-59763E62477E/imagejpeg" /><br />
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I'm feeling pretty emotional today (like I can't stop crying)...this week has been one I will never forget. I never imagined that my mission could be so beautiful... You'll see what I mean in a second.<br />
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On Tuesday we had the most powerful zone conference I've ever attended. Soeur Pozanaski gave a formation in which she talked about the children of Israel and the walls of Jericho. She compared this story to us--to our mission. The Paris France mission is sterotyped as being perhaps the hardest mission in the world. Like the city of Jericho, it surrounded by huge, impenetrable walls. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1939871322642121178"> </a>1 Now a<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/josh/6?lang=eng#">Jericho</a> was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.<br />
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This is what I was told about my mission... that I'd see a lot of castles and artwork, but no success really...the walls are too high. The next verse however says:<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1939871322642121178"> </a>2 And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho<br />
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This is what Heavenly Father has said to every missionary here! We were sent here by his prophet, we are here to make a difference. He has given us the city of Paris...but how? At this point in the story the walls are still looming, menacingly high above us.<br />
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Soeur Pozanaski shared the following verses:<br />
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3 And ye shall a<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/josh/6?lang=eng#">compass</a> the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1939871322642121178"> </a>4 And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1939871322642121178"> </a>5 And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.<br />
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Whenever I thought about this story growing up...I thought that these instructions from the Lord were a little, well, odd... Soeur Pozanaski explained that sometimes (a lot of the time) the things we asked to do as missionaries may seem strange, or just too simple (like walking around the walls of a city). Months of talking to strangers in the street, knocking door after door, and following all the little, simple instructions we have been given as a mission, I guess I felt a little like the children of Israel walking around those walls (Sure walked enough to knock down Jericho at least a hundred times, haha). Are our efforts really going to knock down the walls surrounding these peoples hearts?<br />
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The key here is absolute confidence in the Lord. The Israelites trusted and had the faith to do what the Lord commanded. Their faith was so strong that even before the walls had crumbled, right after they had finished their last circuit around Jericho, Joshua exclaimed,<br />
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16 Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city.<br />
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This scripture...I can't even explain how powerful it was to me. I have learned so much about the power of faith this week... And, the walls are crumbling here in Arras. We have people coming back to church, accepting us into their homes, and progressing towards baptism. Members are engaging themselves more fully in the work... the spirit of the Lord is sweeping through the Nord-Pas-de-Calais. In my final interview with President he encouraged me to work on faith, and I've never seen the power of faith more clearly than this week. A sincere prayer of faith in the name of Jesus Christ, can topple the highest city wall. I can't even tell you how many times I prayed for something this week, to have it happen immediately afterwards.<br />
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Let me just share a few examples: We were sitting in the home of a partial member family. I had never met the two daughters before, and when I met them I just had this aching in my heart...I longed to teach them the gospel...but the walls are really high around this family. With a prayer, and some inspired words, they let us know that they are ready... We will begin the discussions next week. Another experience...I was sitting next to Phillipe Rivierre in sacrament yesterday (the spirit was really strong) and I had been fasting that day for him, praying that he will start to read the Book of Mormon (we've been working with him for awhile, and he's been married to a member for like 25 years). Right after sacrament his wife, Aline, came up to me and said, "I need to tell you something...(then whispering in my ear), Phillipe and I read the Book of Mormon together this week." Wow. I could go on and on. I feel so blessed. I couldn't even sleep last night thinking about all of this. A scripture that Soeur Tupai and I picked to be sort of a theme this transfer is found in D&C 123:17<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1939871322642121178"> </a>17 Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us a<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/123.17?lang=eng#">cheerfully</a> b<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/123.17?lang=eng#">do</a> all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the c<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/123.17?lang=eng#">salvation</a> of God, and for his arm to be revealed.<br />
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I've had tried to live this scripture...it runs through my head constantly... I just have to do all that is in my power, with a smile on my face, and then stand still and watch the salvation of God...watch as the walls, barriers, and obstacles tumble, falling flat. The France Paris mission is the hope of Europe right now, walls are falling everyday, this is not a vacation mission, this is a baptizing mission. Today I found out that...Gigh was baptized last week. The joy I feel can't even fit into my heart, it's too big. And then I learned that my little Katie (the amazing 10 year-old from Liege), is also going to be baptized soon. I didn't think would ever see those walls fall down...This is HIS work, and we are the instruments in His hands. How blessed can I be?<br />
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Speaking of barriers breaking down, I can't wait to skype you all in just a few days!<br />
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With all my love,<br />
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Soeur HiltonLorraine Hiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02198476462128707287noreply@blogger.com0