EvERyBoDy StAy CaLM

Welp, this is it guys 

       In the space of three days, we got quarantined, I got emergency transferred, and I got a new Francophone companion. I'm on my second outbound about 100 miles south of Paris. We lost many missionaries and all of our senior couples except the Bourroux. I can't believe how drastically things have changed with such short notice. When we heard we were going to be quarantined, I honestly didn't think I'd make it 24 hours. The stir crazy is coming for me. 

       After I said bye to Sœur Busch, Antony, and potentially the VC forever, I was a puddle of sadness. I was on the train home dramatically looking out the window and when we finally got to Troyes, there was a giant rainbow. My cute little Tahitian companion was ecstatic, laughing and looking out the window with me. And I realized that, everything is gonna be okay. This simple little rainbow I took as a sign from God that this is all part of the plan. He loves me and He will help me get through these weeks even if we have to work differently than usual. 

       I know that God is with us and I have been inspired by how many members of the church and even just members of society are coming together to overcome this. I have a lot of respect for those that continue to work because their profession is necessary for us. I saw a lot of elderly at the grocery store yesterday and pray that God will protect them for the sacrifices they're making for society.

Que Dieu vous protège ! For anybody else that is quarantined and stir crazy, feel free to send me an email. All voice memos will be gladly accepted <3

Sœur McOmber 

Quarantine preparations. I moved immediately after this to find my new apartment only had a can of soup. This is good preparation for college.

Versailles 

Love my Sœur Busch <3 wasn't a long time but it was a good time 

Troyes with Sœur Tuhoe 

Did baptisms with Emma!! It was my first time doing baptisms at the Paris temple and it was beautiful! All of the art is so French- It's like the Louvre but all these impressionist paintings of Jesus and nature. There's water lilies everywhere in the stained glass and it's gorgeous. I was so happy to get to go with her, she loves the temple.

In loving memory of the district of Melun <3 

They love tiny things here. Even the cartons of milk are tiny. So here's some tiny dollhouse things, the tiny carton of eggs is 35€90, this is like a rich person's retirement hobby 

Marie Thérèse had swollen feet so we brought Jesus to her this week

Senior missionaries are the backbone of our mission so I hope we get them back as soon as possible. Until then, they are all home safely and waiting to hear more news. Love all the memories that I have from working with them and hearing their stories.

The gang hit the wax museum this week, so here's some French people and some not French people 

Coco Chanel

Napolean 

Leonardo Da Vinci

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris Saint Germain) 

Mahatma Gandhi 

Louis XIV (King in Versailles)

Marie Antoinette before the guillotine

Michael Jackson, bien sûr 

Victor Hugo (wrote Les Misérables) 

French chef, I like him because he reminds me of Gusteau in Ratatouille 

The Pope

Leonardo DiCaprio 

"Let's build a wall" 

Ice Age - a classic 

Ryan Gosling

This is in fact not a wax human but Sœur Sandres :)) 

My shoebox

Hi everyone! 

        Just finished stocking up on 2 weeks worth of canned food for 5 people because President wants us to be prepared for a potential Coronavirus lockdown!!! So we're now hiding tons of rice and white beans under our beds (Parisian apartments are so tiny, I have half of my belongings in a shoebox HA) 

        I met the cutest recent convert this week - her name is Emma. She talked a lot about how, since she's met the church, she's been so much kinder to her children and her home is filled with peace. She was so worried about us catching the Coronavirus HA we were about to leave and she's like "Les Sœurs can I get in the car with you?" And once she's in the car she whispers, "Les Sœurs I'm gonna do something I've never done before. Promise me you will accept it." We were like "Okay..." and then she hands us a 50€ and says "Protect yourself from the Coronavirus" and runs off in the wrong direction HA she's so sweet I adore her.

          Sœur Curtis shared with me a quote from her studies: President Ezra Taft Benson described the difficulty that can come with prosperity: “Ours then seems to be the toughest test of all for the evils are more subtle, more clever. It all seems less menacing and it is harder to detect. While every test of righteousness represents a struggle, this particular test seems like no test at all, no struggle and so could be the most deceiving of all tests. Do you know what peace and prosperity can do to a people—it can put them to sleep.”

             If there's one lesson the Book of Mormon teaches us, it's that a lot of hardships and trials can be avoided in turning to God before you are forced to. Don't fall asleep aye

Love you all, que Dieu vous bénisse 

Sister McOmber x

Atelier des Lumieres - it's like an empty warehouse and they project art on the walls and floor while blasting classical music

Here's a link of Atelier des Lumieres and a man breaking it down with an accordion: 

Click here to watch video

Click here to watch video:

Sœur Stenberg drew me the other day

Emma! 

Bonjour welcome to Paris

Frère Ferrazza showing me the kilt of my ancestors tribe 

God is good

Howdy

        This week was so good I cried like 5 times just because I was so happy to be in Antony with Sœur Busch. We just go out and walk the same street over and over and almost everybody will stop and talk with you! Even white people! This is incredible! And I already love the ward- we had Stake Conference on Sunday and a ton of members came and introduced themselves to me. Such a warm ward, I trust them with my life.

         Elder Hirst, from the 70, came to our Stake Conference and I loved his talk. He studied law and one of his very best cases he titled: the case of the corn. He often shopped at 2 competing stores (for the sake of the French people he used Carrefour and SuperU as an example). He said once his wife bought a can of corn from Carrefour and found a spider in it, so Elder Hirst immediately returned to Carrefour to debate with customer service. He presented the Carrefour manager with the can filled with spider bits and argued his case for a refund. The manager politely listened and apologized for the inconvenience. "I will give you fresh cans of corn if you would like, but unfortunately we can't refund that product because we're not the ones that sold it." Elder Hirst then realized the can was labeled "SuperU" and  not, in fact "Carrefour." He was arguing with the wrong manager. Even in spite of that, and Elder Hirsts misdirected anger, the manager still offered him a new can of corn. And that is grace. 

       Grace in Christian theology is the free and unmerited favor or beneficence of God. We didn't do anything to earn God's love for us - yet he gives it willingly. We too can love more freely and live with a little more grace. Love and show kindness even when it isn't deserved - even when we feel we have been wronged. 

Matthew 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.

I hope we can all find ways to add a little more grace into our lives, and I know God in turn will bless us with his grace 

I hope you all had a great week!

Que Dieu vous bénisse <3

Sœur McOmber 

Our reaction to pretty much everything, also the French make this face a lot (zoolander?) 

Sœur Tulieva came back to the Center with her family! So weird to see ex-missionaries from the ~outerworld~

The Louvre 3.0

Sœur Stenbergs scary cookies pls no

Video of my new roommate Sœur Stenberg singing in her native Swedish tongue:

(Click here to watch the video)