8/8/2016 0 Comments There's No Place Like Paris!I’m sure you're all anxious to hear all about life as a Parisian; all I can say is...this place is making my "choose to be happy" goal a little TOO easy! How can anyone be anything but ecstatic to be living in such a beautiful historic place!? Friday morning I was woken up abruptly to an alarm clock at 4 am after a horrible nightmare, startled to the point of throwing my arm, launching my iPad off the top bunk, and shattering the screen on the floor. I also had a head cold. Then I sat up and looked out the window and just laughed. Because how can I complain about anything when I am living and serving as a missionary in the center of the most dreamed-about city in the world?
I began my adventure here in Paris as an escort for transfer day! It was actually super hilarious because I had no idea where I was going since this is my first time actually using the metro system in Paris hahaha. And yet, every single tourist we passed was stopping to ask if I could help them find their way. Seeing as I didn't even know where I was going, my phrase of the day became, "No clue! But I can ask someone in French for you! :)" haha. I have never translated so much in my entire life, it was awesome! To break the ice, day one, The Weckster (Soeur Weckesser) and I were making some yummy omelettes when I began cutting the onions. HOLY SMOKES!! Those babies were FRESH! I sobbed/laughed for about 15 minutes until my mascara covered my face, chin, and neck, forming a perfect mascara beard. My new companion Soeur Weckesser is as awesome as I told you all she would be ;) Miracles are flying out the wazoo. We even set a baptismal date with an ami the very first day! It was amazing! Soeur Weckesser wasn't actually there for it because she got sick and so I went on a last minute exchange. It was kind of funny because I had absolutely NO idea who the ami was or what Soeur Weckesser had planned to teach her because I had only been in Paris for a total of about 3 hours at this point, haha! It was quite the adventure! It's something I like to call "flying by the [spirit] of your pants" hahaha. It's when you're not really sure what your doing so you just rely 100% on the spirit ;) it's works great! Before going in, we decided to pray about a baptismal date to keep in mind, just in case :) We ended up teaching about the enabling power of the atonement and she said, "Well, I understand what he did for me. I have faith now, I didn't before. But I am just not sure what he wants me to do with it."...You better believe I whipped out 2 Nephi 31 faster than you could say "Miracle!" "...He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do (2 Nephi 31:12)" I love the clarity and simplicity of the Lord's answer as he exhorts us to follow his example. As we read together from the scripture, Sarah's eyes lit up brilliantly. Then she looked at us as said, "I understand." In that perfect moment, we invited her to follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized by someone holding the priesthood authority of God, and to prepare herself to be baptized on the 16th of October. After a moment of silence, we were excited to hear her joyful response, "Block the date!" :) On the way home from our rendezvous with Sarah we were sitting on a metro next to this cute Asian woman named Angsulin holding a Snoopy bag. So American, I had to say something! Though it was a bit awkward because she didn't speak French and so she tried to respond to me in some other language before discovering that our mutual language was English haha. Turns out she just moved here from Thailand! I told her that one of my best friends lived there for two years and I have never seen someone get SO excited! She suddenly wanted to know EVERYTHING! It gave me to the perfect moment to bring up the reason he was there ;) (which very conveniently happened to be the same reason I am in France!) It was the coolest thing, it was like she instantly just adopted us as her best friends :) We have a rendezvous with our new friend Angsulin and one of our Thai members this coming week! Our second day in Paris we set a second baptismal date! We were teaching a sweet old lady named Lucile. She is the mother of one of our recent converts here in Paris. It was such a sweet lesson, and the spirit was so strong. We didn't even need to ask her, she just told us she wanted to be baptized! You can only imagine how happy her family was-- How happy we ALL were! Even moving to Paris hasn't broken the spider plague... The other day we we waiting at a bus stop when a spider flew out of nowhere right into my throat! I immediately started coughing and spitting but it was too late... Mmmm! Protein! That was a great bonding moment for my new companion and I. Friday we had mission council. My very first mission council that didn't consist of waking up at 4 am to take a train into Paris--this is the life! ;) After mission council we planned with the different Zone Leaders of our zones before heading off to a rendezvous with a young family in our ward to top off the day :) Which leads us into Saturday morning when we actually did wake up at 4 am to take a train to Strasbourg for another training meeting haha. Strasbourg is one of the most "envied" cities in our mission because it's right next to Germany and is absolutely beautiful. There are no sisters in Strasbourg yet though so we lucked out getting to visit! Even though we got there at 11, had a meeting, and then left at 1 haha. We got back home around 5, just in time to go to another meeting with the Zone Leaders and District Leaders here in Paris haha. It's been a busy week!! The best part is, it's just the beginning! ;) Soeur Weckesser and I were having a really hard time focusing during planning and we made a joke about how we needed those Blinder glasses that they use for horses to keep them from getting distracted hahahah. We laughed so hard, then we made them! Lol. The highlight of my week was going to church and sitting in the exact spot where 5 years ago, I truly discovered my personal testimony of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. After having spent the summer living in France with a family of non-member friends, I found myself longing to feel the spirit that I had missed during that summer. With the closest LDS church being more than 3 hours away, I had no way of attending. During this time, I was able to see the ways that my life was affected when the church wasn't a part of it. Though sometimes not going to church gave me much more time to visit castles and the other wonders of France, something very important was missing from my life. It took me more than half of the summer to figure out that those peaceful feelings I had been missing so much were the feelings that come from the spirit. At the end of the summer I had the opportunity to travel to Paris to attend church before heading home. Amongst the numberless phenomenal cites to see in Paris, the church was the most magical. I remember fasting and praying before going to church with a single intent... To feel the spirit again. I have NEVER been so excited to give up food for 24 hours in my entire life. We got to church nearly an hour early because I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to miss ANYTHING. Sacrament meeting started and suddenly I realized... No... It's not possible... everything was in French!? Of course everything was in French... I was in France. It came as quite the shock to me because I had been living with a family that spoke perfect English the entire summer. I wanted to cry. How could I feel the spirit when I couldn't understand a single word that was being said? Everything was in French, and I didn't speak a word. I wanted to cry. But instead, I began to pray. In that moment, I heard these simple words, "Listen." I bowed my head, closed my eyes, and listened. As much as I would love to say I received the gift of tongues and understood everything that was said... I didn't. It was definitely still in French haha. But, I learned something much more important. The spirt got stronger and stronger the better I listened and I realized in that moment that, even though the languages change all over the world, the spirit does not. The spirit always testifies of truth. That is why it is by the spirit that we are able to gain a testimony of the Gospel. Ever since that day my testimony has done nothing but flourish. I know it wasn't easy for my parents to let me go to France by myself at the age of 15 but I can't express my gratitude to them for trusting the Lord enough to let me go and have that experience. I love the gospel. I know with my whole heart that it's true. The cherry on top--Now I am here in the exact place I found my testimony, helping others find theirs :) I even had the opportunity to share this story with the ward here yesterday in Fast and testimony meeting, in French :). It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever experienced. I am so grateful to be here, I am so grateful for this gospel, and I am so grateful for the infinite love that our Heavenly Father has for each one of his children. I love you all. Love, Sœur Tracie Laina Wyson
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Tracie WysonI feel very honored to have had the opportunity to serve as a full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the France, Paris Mission. Archives
April 2017
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