Lord needs me at home now….

So I'm pretty sure I have a sinus infection. I love the tree, and
honestly, yes it's hard leaving, but I'm happy. I am just most excited
because I know the lord needs me to be home now, and I've learned a
lot, I can put that to use in other ways at home, and can continue to
develop them!
So stoked!
See you in 10 days, but I still have a whole week. So not to worry.

Second to last week on mission…..

Monday:

We had our last soirée families with Soeur welter! She taught about faith. It went really well, and we played some games, but during the games I looked at my classes, and got to see my schedule! So that was cool.

Tuesday: 

We met up with a bunch of people and had some super good RDVs. To end it we celebrated Soeur welter a last night at our good old Macdo hang out. It was so fun, we laughed so hard, and just realized how much we love it here. We came home and helped Soeur welter pack, Tilby knocked out first at 11, then me at 11:30, then Kemp around 12:30and finally welter around 2. 

Wednesday: 

Got up and headed to Paris! We went directly to Gare de l'Est and had to drop off Soeur welter with the elders. I got to see one of the elders who was in the same MTC group as me, so that was cool to catch up. Then we went to le grand épicerie and we found some pumpkin purée which is like canned pumpkin because they didn't have any there. Sad. Anyways it was really fun Because the store is just super cool! I shared some iCloud photos. Then we got some baguette sandwiches and headed back to the train. We came and did splits with the members and had some RDVs. 

Thursday: 

Woke up feeling like I inhaled chlorine water lol. But it stayed all day, and I sneezed a lot.. Dang! But we had 5 RDVs that day and some member splits it was crazy, we ran around Orleans all day long, I don't think we even ate, and at 8 we were all starving. So I was with Tilby coming back from a lesson and kemp was with another member, we were all meeting up and going to one last RDV. So it's the end of the month and we have like no money left, and nothing really fast to eat, so I'm on the phone with kemp and within the next couple days we have to pay for bus tickets, groceries, and dessert and rolls for the JA activity. Not knowing how to even buy the bus ticket to go to do service the next day in Montargis we were brainstorming, then while looking down praying I find a 5 euro bill behind a leaf! Ahhhhh the heavens opened! I couldn't believe it, I think in total I've found about 35 euros on the street from my entire mission. Just when I'm finally like, alright, Heavenly Father, I don't know how we're going to do this, but we really need your help... I find money! Haha so needless to say the tram ride home was me praising the heavens and I testify God answers prayers. We now had enough cash to get to Montargis and back! Whoop! Then I get a phone call from Soeur kemp because I told her what happened, well she told the story to the member, and the member was like, Ahhh you don't have enough? Then took Soeur kemp into the pizza parlor and bought us all pizza. :) I have to say life is good when the lord is on your side. 

Friday:

Still super sick, my ears are hurting lots and I'm getting bloody noses. But we got up early and took the bus to Montargis, about a 2 hour bus ride to the east or Orleans to go do service on a boat. We spent the day there, and saying our last goodbyes to her. We cleaned out a back room with fleas and parasites. Em yes. Haha probably not super good for the lungs but we laughed. We then came back to the church running to make it on time to CDP. The meeting where all the leaders meet together. We had to present our missionary plan to the ward from president, it was about integrating our amis. 

Saturday:

Ok I'm thinking it's like a sinus infection, normally runny noses are not this painful. Haha I was utterly exhausted and it's kind like when you wake up and get ready and you are so tired you can't remember if it's last night or this morning haha. Anywho we had to start baking our rolls. So I made 60 rolls a pumpkin pie, and pumpkin squares (don't tell anyone it was me because I was super sick, but still made all the food lol) my comps planned out the next week while I did that. Then we went to the church and had a RDV with Vanessa. My best friend, haha. We started to set up for the JA activity. We have been planning it for 3 weeks now. Everyone came and brought something, and the theme was "Thanksgiving" lol. We played minute to win it games, the had a huge chicken (roasted) dinner with everything! It was so good! And did a spiritual lesson of what everyone is grateful for. We ended up having 7 investigators and 3 less actives come! That was huge! 

Sunday: 

I'm literally about to give up and just stop trying to breath through my nose. Lol. I'm so done with it. We went to church and talked to the JAs who thanked us for the activity, they rated it within the top 3 best activities ever. So that was cool. And they had brought a bunch of friends that we talked with about the gospel. It was just an amazing night. Then the DMP asked if I would teach the lesson the 2nd hour because the normal teacher wasn't there. So I taught, "the signs of the second coming". Then it was the primary Sunday so we got to hear all of the little kids sing it was so cute! After church we had to go to the choir practice for the relief society. I don't know if I ever told you, but nobody in France knows how to play the piano. So I had to somewhat sight read half play while Soeur Tilby directed. Haha oh man. If that's the best you got, you can bet how good it was. But thank you mom for helping me learn to play the littlest bit on the piano, so I could at least read the notes. Lol. Then we went to our RDV with a less active family. Then we were invited to another JA activity at the penvernes, so we got dinner! Yay. It was super fun. I love this ward so much. They are so cool, and we are all just super good friends. It's so nice to have members that trust you, and help out in the missionary work. 

Things I learned:

Saline solution doesn't work as a decongestant haha. 

I broke my boots, fixed them, then the heel ripped apart. So, gel glue isn't the best shoe repair. 

Lucky charms in France costs $12.25 a box. 

Birds at the gare will eat out of your hand.

Hot chocolate made with soy milk is not my favorite. Though a baked apple is. 

We went over discussion methods (at a members house) to use when your married to avoid hurting each others feelings... Nailed it with companionship inventory. Hehe

I like mushrooms. It's official. 

I learned just a little bit more about patience and humility. Every day. 

I like being tired and sore knowing I did something awesome that day. 

My moms pumpkin bars are too popular among the French, and they will all hunt you down until you give them the recipe lol. 

I have way over 10 things to be greatful for, but I think something on top is Christmas trees 

Love you,

Soeur Stevens

Sent from my iPad

Everyday life pics from Service to eating….

Thanksgiving letter!

Monday

Well it was pretty normal we were still on lock down, but we had soirée family. It was really good and helped everyone laugh for a bit. 

Tuesday: 

We had some miracles and RDVs! So our amie Marie has been meeting with the missionaries for over a year now. She's baptized Protestant, and even though she comes to our church every Sunday, she still isn't sure if it's the true church. So the last RDV we had with her she said her one hesitation is the churches history. So after some prayer I thought about showing her the movie Legacy. We watched it together, and after six months of hard core RDVs of gospel principles and throw downs of faith, she looked at us with tears saying, this movie has answered so many of my questions, I feel so much more ready to act on my faith and be baptized. ARE YOU KIDDING. After 6 months of stress and grief over getting her to find the truth for her self all I had to do was pop in the movie LEGACY! Hahaha talk about a humbling experience. It's not me who teaches it's the spirit, that's for sure. After that we met up with a member Ntokozo, and our recent convert JJ. We talked about why bad things happen in the world. How trials can be consecrated for our gain. It was a really good lesson, we talked about a sermon that Jesus gave, and mostly we talked about how to love your enemies, as it was the day everyone learned France had officially declared war against Deach (ISIS?) Anyways after that we went to a mangez-Vous with the Javoy family. They are straight from Madagascar and I finally remembered to tell her Tyler got his mission call there, when I told her she just about died the gasped and said, "He is the luckiest person alive" haha she also with their husband served a couples mission there since they moved to France. Biggest part. President Foot, the president of the Madagascar mission right now served the France Paris mission! And served in Orleans haha. So needless to say almost all of the members here know him. They LOVE him. He was an amazing missionary they said, and when they heard he'd been called as president they all just about died of happiness haha. So anyways, Soeur Javoy told me she still emails President Foot regularly and is writing to him about a "Tyler Schnoor" who will soon be in the mission, and a great asset to him in the field. Haha I love this ward. Oh also she made us take some videos for him, that's what I put on iCloud, it's her speaking Malagasy. (She's a native) 

Wednesday: 

We had district meeting. We talked about how we didn't "shrink" this transfer. What we did to keep ourselves motivated and going until the end. It was really good, we got all the way through lunch, then a phone call. There was another shooting in Paris, and we were to be extra careful, (were already uber careful, I don't get how they can keep saying be more careful lol) and so without a phone our district leader told us just not to leave the church until our meeting with the DMP later that day, so we didn't really do anything, which was a bummer. But Soeur Kemp taught me how to Waltz, haha so yep. Then we had our meeting with the DMP and then it was a big relief society activity for making Christmas decorations. #homemaking 

Thursday:

Woke up and studies went ok, until because it's the last week of the transfers we had to sign each others Soeur books, long story I'll tell you about those later, but I was reading s bunch of sentimental stuff in everyone's books and all of a sudden I was balling my eyes out and Soeur Tilby couldn't tell if I was laughing or crying so she just came and hugged me, then I just kept saying I don't want to leave. So yeah that was really hard, and embarrassing. But whatever, I got a horrible headache from it so I told her I was going to lay down. Well the headache just got worse and worse, I ended up falling asleep for like 3 hours, and Soeur welter had been throwing up so Tilby and kemp with on an exchange to all of our RDVs, and I just slept with Soeur welter, all day. Then we had to go to one RDV that night, and we got there, with the member, but they weren't home. So that was a bummer. But we just went home I took a hot shower and slept the rest of the night. 

Friday: 

Woke up earlier to catch the train to Paris. My head was still hurting and all I did was sleep and drink water. I think it was just because I'm over stressed and exhausted. We got to Paris and prayed about how we should get to St. Merri, then we got to see the new AP... Elder McBride! Haha that was funny we just laughed. Anyway, then we went to OFII, and spent the day there. I met all the new blues all elders, but in a couple weeks there will be a huge group of sister like 12! So stoked. Then we took the train home, I didn't want to do anything in Paris just Soeur Tilby and I. Then we got home and do transfer prophecies for the next day. 

Saturday:

Alright so we woke up, and went down to see repertoire. Guess what! I'm staying in Orleans in a trio with Soeur kemp and Tilby! Haha for a week and a half. Then home! So happy! Then after repetoire we went home and Soeur welter was still super sick, it had been three days of it now, so we called the mission nurse. She told us to go to the hospital, but they had a RDV, so I took Soeur welter to the hospital here in Orleans and got her checked in, then waited. The nurse guy I thought was kinda attractive and I translated for Soeur welter and him lol. That's a funny story. Anywhosers he told us if we wanted to we could wait another 7 hours, and he could start looking into taking blood and ultrasounds, but our best bet was to go to a sort of urgent care doctor. So after that we went to the doctor who checked her up and turns out she has a really bad stomach virus that's hitting around Orleans, and it's contagious.. Lovely. So he gave her like 4 different medications and then we went to the pharmacy to pic them up. You know I'm glad I knew some medical terms, and that medicine is mostly all the same root words because it was a long day of doctors apts. At least it's not appendicitis! Which is what the nurse thought it could be.

Sunday: 

Soeur Tilbys birthday! Yay! We woke up at 6:30 and sung happy birthday to her. Then Soeur welter has been on bed rest so I had to stay home with her. So I had another Sunday of no church which is just weird as a missionary. But, I stayed home and made cheeseburger buns that Tilby has been requesting for weeks now. I made her a chocolate cake, and we each got her a present so we wrapped them in news paper and made a banner and hung it up for her. 

We then planned out the entire young adult Thanksgiving activity for Saturday! Pray for it to all go well! 

Happy thanksgiving! 

Eat some turkey, stuffing and potatoes for me. Thank you for the card. In lieu of (get it, it's French haha) what I learned this week, I'll tell you what I'm thankful for. 

1. The possibility we have to change, thanks to Jesus. 
2. The France Paris Mission.
3. My family, and all they do to support me in my goals.
4. My super awesome companions on the mission, I've needed every one of them, and learned so much.
5. The power of prayer, and faith. 
6. This church, and all it can do to help people.
7. The French language and it's humbling powers haha
8. The health I've had throughout my life.
9. People that I have met and helped on the path of discipleship.
10. Paris, Rennes, and Orleans the greatest villes I could have ever asked for. 

Hope you have an awesome week, and think about your blessings this week. 

Soeur Stevens 

Ce fut une belle journée 

Fellow missionary pics!

Parents letter from president Babin

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

 

Additional little note Ash added to other letter…..

I got some super nice emails
from everyone this week. I wanted to thank them all for their prayers
and support, however France is still so scared. Everyone. It's just
weird again. Just like January.