Hey family!
Guess what? I'm being transferred! Mom, it's just like you said, big mix of emotions. I LOVE the people here. Isn't that what every missionary says? I never understood it before. Now, when I think about leaving it breaks my heart. It's strange to think that I may never see some of them again. There are some people here who have changed my life and seriously strengthened my testimony. Mom, I think you're exactly right when you say that service to the Lord bonds us more than anything else. I feel that with mission companions and with people that have come to teach with us. There is something that can't really be described or replicated. So I'm headed to.... VERSAILLES! Exciting, eh? Apparently it's one of the strongest wards in all of France. I will be companions with Sister Gifford. She is just a transfer behind me so I knew her in the MTC. She is a sweet heart and I am super excited to be able to work with her. It's the ward with the APs, office elders, Stahelis and Elder Causse. I have talked to some of the elders here who served there and they have said that it's one of the nicest areas in all of France! I'm not so fancy myself so I'm thinking about going and trying to find some cute shirts. I am sad to leave but excited to keep working.
So V and A came to family home evening Monday night and V leaned over and said, "Hey Soeur Powers, i have to talk to you after ok?" So after we sat down and she takes a big breath. I thought she was going to say that she doesn't want to see us anymore or something heartbreaking like that BUT she goes, 'A and I went home and prayed after our last rdv. We have been talking a lot about what you said and we have decided we are going to be baptized in a month and half.' Haha I almost jumped out of my chair. I love them so much. Then on Saturday, they came to play sports and we taught them the word of wisdom. we were talking about respecting our bodies and how they are gifts from God and she said "so, what do you think about chastity? is that disrespecting your body?" So then we got to teach that too. It was incredbile. They both have such an amazing desire to learn and to become the son and daughter that Heavenly Father wants them to become. The elders have started teaching A because he doesn't really understand french and Elder Duarte is Portugese so that is perfect. They came to church again yesterday.

Quick miracle! So on Monday we got a referral from the office for some guy who just moved here from Italy. Well we were kind of in his area and so just stopped by. He lives in this dorm-ish set up so we opened the door and followed the voices. We asked around and nobody knew who he was. They were all these young African guy students. They kept saying "mmm, I don't know him, lets knock on this door and see if he knows." Well we get to the top floor and we haven't found him so the last guy we go, 'Hey, so, I know that we haven't found who were looking for but we're missionaries and...' He invited us in and we started teaching the restoration! As we're talking to him he tells us that when we knocked on the door he had been praying to know how he could get closer to God. Everything in his life has been upside down lately and he decided he needed to realign his spiritual life first and then everything else in his life would straighten out. Right as he was asking we knocked on the door! We went back and taught him with R and she was able to testify strongly of how she changed and the blessings she's seen in her life since. It was beautiful. He came to church and it was perfect. The lesson in the amis class was on the gathering of Israel so...a little bit deep but he had a ton of questions and eventually the teacher said, ' write your questions down and the missionaries will answer them when they come to see you next' :) haha he is so cool. I'm sad I won't be here to see him progress and get baptized.
We played basketball today! Malheurusement I'm not so good anymore. I did win knock out twice and it felt so good to play again. The next email you get will be from FRANCE - crazy and a little nervous:)
soeur powers