France Paris Mission

Parents of Sister Ashley Noelle Stevens

Sister Ashley Noelle Stevens will soon complete her service as a full time missionary in the France Paris Mission. Her scheduled release date will be 10 Dec 2015.

At this time we wish to thank you for your invaluable support of her mission through your letters and prayers. We feel certain you are anticipating a joyous reunion. Upon her return she should report immediately to her stake president in order to give an account of her mission, receive timely instruction, and receive her formal release.

During her mission, Sister Stevens has served faithfully, has demonstrated an extraordinary attitude, testimony, and spirit, and developed qualities which exemplify the very best in the performance of missionary work. She has treated the various responsibilities she assumed here as a sacred trust. By her faith, humility and devotion to duty, often in the face of adversity, she became an effective teacher and witness of truth. The great personal qualities which she discovered and enhanced during her mission will be a source of strength to her and to all with whom she associates throughout her life.

Sister Stevens will be remembered with fondness and love by many friends and members of the Church in France, as well as by her missionary companions. Her life has been enriched by learning the French language, by living in a foreign culture, and especially by serving others.

It has been our privilege to serve with her, observe her spiritual growth, and enjoy close association through personal interviews, and her weekly letters and accompanying reports. She is a fine young woman whom we love and for whom we wish the very best.

Sincerely,

Frédéric Jean Babin

President, France Paris Mission

Monday:

We had a soirée famille! It was super fun we had a really good time we played pictionary, and had pizza haha.

Tuesday:

We met up with our recent convert and gave Hume he book our heritage to read because he's been asking so many questions about he history of the church, so we thought that should help answer a lot of his questions. Then later in the day we met up with a new ami we found she's super cool! A refugee from the Algerian war moved to Paris and has had one crazy life. We taught her about the plan of salvation. She said she's been searching for 40 years to find a religion that believed in a "pre earth life" that we actually lived with God before this life. She was absolutely blown away and was like, this is what I've been searching for! Haha it was so cool, I geared up, and almost cried in the rendez Vous. Needless to say, she's way cool. Then that night we got a call from JJ the recent convert whom we had just given the book our heritage to and he's like, Soeur Stevens guess what! You'll never believe it! Haha I was like what's up JJ what happened! He then related me the miracle. He was sitting in class before the professor started and decided to start reading the book well this other guy came and sat down beside him and started giving him looks, so JJ was like oh whatever I don't want him to think I'm some religious wako, as there was a huge photo of Jesus on the page,so he put the book face down on the desk. Then at the end of the class JJ was starting to put everything back into his bag and the guy tapped him on the shoulder and asked, "excuse-moi, mais est-ce que vous êtes mormon?" "Excuse me, but are you Mormon?" Then JJ told him yes, I've been a member for about a year now, and that there was a ward here, and finally the other guy started to talk and JJ immediately recognized he had an American accent because he's always around American missionaries haha. The guy was like, yes actually I'm from Arkansas, but I'm here getting my masters, I'm Mormon too, but I'm kinda less active for the moment. JJ then took the liberty of befriending him and invited him to soirée familiale! He said he was going to try and come!

Wednesday:

We met up with our recent convert Vanessa, who is basically my best friend. Haha I really do love her! I think she is one I will miss most when I leave. We did an over view of the plan of salvation, she had some questions, and it was a good RDV. Then we went to a less actives with Soeur Penverne. Which was pretty cool. The lady was telling us about her family history as she is working on genealogy. The lady was born 1933. It was pretty cool. Then we went to our DMP with the best man Frere Chantriaux. He's just an amazing person, remind me to tell you their story some day. Then we finished the night with a manger-Vous at the bishops house. I have to say I've served in some amazing places, but the Orleans ward is fantastic. They bishop and his wife were both converts and we asked them how they met, and he was like, NO, she explained the whole story we were laughing so hard. Then we just reminisced of all the hilarious French mistakes we've made, the MTC lessons, how goodness it was a nice night.

Thursday:

We woke up early and headed into Paris for our exchanges, but on the train the Other soeurs texted they were organizing stuff for zone conference and couldn't meet us until 12:30! Ha ok. So it gave us 3 hours in Paris to do whatever we wanted! I took her to the best place to get macaroon, and Notre Dame, then we ate lunch at this cute Parisian cafe. That was fun. Then we met up with the others and the ZL's asked us if we would make dessert for the zone tomorrow, so Soeur Asay and I took on the task of making tiramisu for 40 people. Haha it was pretty fun, and it's not the first time I've made it. So when I get home, I'll make you all a really good fruit tiramisu like the French do it! Then as we were finishing I walked out and boom it was Soeur bell! Haha we ran into each other and got to catch up. I forgot how much I love Paris, and Soeur bell haha. We're both super excited to get to go the same day!

Then we went to the apartment in Torcy and got to see Soeur Back! Ahh it was like the best day ever! We talked and caught up.

Friday:

We woke up early and headed back into Paris meme for zone conference. It was really good, I gave my dying testimony and had no crappin idea what I was supposed to say. So I gathered my thoughts and got up there, then when I stood on the stand, everything just became so real. I blanked, all I could think, was "it's over, your done, the last zone conference, the last time you have to do any of this" then I froze. I had no idea what I was doing up there, didn't I just get to France? How on earth could I have enough experience to give a dying testimony to all these other missionaries. Well I kinda remembered some of the biggest things I've learned and some how got them to come out in a word form lol. Then I look down and Soeur Walters crying and Tilby is like, "my mom is leaving" tears in the eyes. Then I saw my district, my best friends. I just smiled. Everything has been worth it, and would do it all over again. I can't put the feelings into words, but it was a pretty epic moment up there. Then after that we were given formations by the Babins and the AP's. Then we had lunch and they were bringing out the dessert when Soeur Babin was like, hey you ready for your interviews? So Tilby and I went to the other section and started our interviews. I started with Soeur Babin and ah I just love that woman. She just asked me how I was and all that, then she looked at me and asked, "what was the biggest thing you learned on your mission?" Did she not see me struggling hard core giving my dying testimony lol. So we chatted for a bit. Then the big man himself President called me in and about a minute into the interview there was a knock at the door and it was our zone leader with two plates of tiramisu he had saved for us! So we took them and set them aside and he asked me, "so Soeur Stevens, are you eating?" Haha yes, "are you sleeping?" Haha "good one president, ça suffit" (its sufficient) we both laughed then we started to eat our dessert and he was like, wow this is good, I was like thank you I made it haha. It was just hilarious. We starting chatting and eating dessert together and then at the end he was like, "Soeur Stevens, you're at the very end, and your training. I want you to know how you finish your mission will put into her mind how a missionary dies. Finish strong, and show her how to die." Haha ok President whatever you say. But really we've been working hard, and we made some insane goals for the next two weeks! I think they are totally possible if we put our faith to it. We finished up zone conference and headed home.

Saturday:

We had a couple RDVs and then the elders from Blois (our DL) was having a baptism but they don't have a font, so normally Blois and Bourges do their baptisms in the Loiret, but because it's November and cold, they came up to use the font here. There was 16 people at the baptism. He is from Korea and just the coolest guy. He's married and has 2 kids, his wife is kinda taking the discussions too! One day he says he will go to the temple with her. It was adorable.

Sunday:

Church, weekly planning, and our eternal amie. Lol that was a good RDV. We payed down the law. But props to prayer, we had two Amis at church this week! Hoping for 4 next week, but it's ok!

Alright I'll give you my run down:

So the APs were giving us some motivation to work with and this quote is what we got:

Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hope shine, enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gate the grip in your hand, the irresistible surge of will and execute your ideas -Henry ford.

The last two weeks of the transfer are here, and it's really a huge point as its my last transfer. We made some epic goals, and as we always ask here, "do you have the faith?!" Haha motto of Rennes, coming back. Ah I'm so happy to be here and soaking up every last little bit.

Have a super week,

Soeur Stevens

Sent from my iPad