I give up Trying to Remember what Week it is...

The picture for the week is a sunrise one morning. I looked up from studies, and had to take a picture. Heavenly Father has blessed us with such beautiful creations! Enjoy them and be grateful for them!

So, to address everyone's concerns first: all is well in Liège, and you all know more of what happened in Paris than I do. Friday night, with the hostages, we got a message from President Babin asking all missionaries to go home, unless they had a rendez-vous scheduled. Soeur Clawson and I had already planned to do weekly planning that night, and we got that message while sitting at our desks. We've been asked to be careful, to avoid certain cartiers, and to avoid places of protest. Honestly, the missionaries in Beligum have had like no worries.

In other news, this week has had its fill of ups and downs. Wednesday, we went and saw Enza to follow up on how she felt at church. She said she loved it and everyone was so nice and she felt the spirit...BUT she wants to remain Catholic. She talked about how she doesn't have the energy to learn a new religion right now. We are going to continue to meet with her for a few more weeks, but if she stops progressing, we will have to drop her.

Thursday, we went and saw a moins-actif, and I had the lead for the first time in a lesson. It went really well, we talked about les buts pour la nouvelle année [I assume something about goals for the New Year]. We read Mosiah 2:23-24 and talked about spiritual goals. She seemed super excited to work toward attending the temple again this year! Yay!

We also had an awkward rendez-vous with an old amie we found in the area book. First of all, I got my first attempted bisous ( kiss on the cheek) by a man. I literally panicked and didn't know what to do! Luckily, Soeur Clawson saved me, and we shook hands, and all was well. Then, the lesson was okay but didn't really go anywhere.

Potato quality cathedral to make Kylee incredibly jealous...
[Whether that was her plans or not is yet to be seen.]

Friday was awesome. We had an integration lesson in the morning, our favorite moins-active around noon, and then a great rendez-vous in the early evening. Our rendez-vous that evening was with Gwen. She was seeing the missionaries and then disappeared for about three months. We got back in contact with her about two weeks ago and had a really good leçon, and then we came back and saw her this last week. We were talking about repentance, and she looks up and asks us when she can be baptized. Neither of us really knew what to do but, we got a date set, and now we are working really hard to get her to come to church.

Saturday there was a baptism for the Zone Leaders in Liège 1! We invited Gwen and one of our less actives. Neither showed (although Gwen didn't totally ditch us; she texted us about two hours after the baptism asking what time it was supposed to start)... but it was an awesome baptism. I loved it because my understanding of French has been improving, so I was able to understand pretty much all of the talks, and they were awesome. Also, the member who did the baptism is a convert that will be serving a mini-mission in the near future, and then hopefully going on a legit mission not too long after. We also had dinner at a member's house that night, and I had some legit African food. Holy poop, I was in heaven.

This week at a district meeting, Soeur Clawson and I were part of an object lesson. The lesson was about the importance of working in unity with your collegue. We were wrapped up like this and then told to run opposite directions. Also, we didn't have on shoes, and we were on hardwood floor... so yeah, I almost did a face plant, but some Elders caught us and stood us upright again... scary and awkward all at the same time.

My studies this week have been kind of centered on the importance of the enabling power of the atonement. Lately, I have been dragging myself down by thinking of all the things I need to improve on. Maybe I missed an opportunity to talk to someone on the bus, or I didn't say something that I thought I should say in a lesson, or I had a bad thought about how cold I was. At the end of the day, I would go though these things and I would think I will do better tomorrow, and then the next day it's the same thing. It really brought me down!

Then, one morning I read "The Sacrament--A Renewal for the Soul by Cheryl A Esplin, and she tells a story about a lady who was doing the exact same thing to herself. She realized that she needed to use the enabling power of the atonement and notice the good things she does in a day. So, I tried that. I remembered those moments when we caught the bus right on time or when I was able to say what I wanted to in a lesson. Immediately, I started to feel better. I was starting to see the Lord's hand in my life again. It was awesome.

I have also been working a lot on the language and having faith in the gift of tongues, and my French has improved so much this week! I had a full half hour conversation with a lady on the bus the other day.

I know that we are always being blessed and lead by the spirit even if we don't always notice it, and when we do notice it, we are so much more happy! Trust in the Lord and in His plan for you!

Sending love and prayers from Liège!

[And as always, contact the Mormon missionaries or your local Chisholm child if you want to learn more about our church and what we believe.

And as always, have a lovely week, folks.]

Week 4? ... It's the New Year!

[I’ll probably be apologizing every time I manage to make a post, but this was probably the worst timing on my part what with all the danger happening in Paris. So here’s my sincerest apologies people: I am sorry (and I’ll probably wind up doing it again. Seriously people, work is killer). And it looks like you get two posts in a row again, so there’s that.

But seriously, other than wishing I could do better at posting each week, I have no regrets. I love my job.

Okay, enough. Here’s Caytee’s post. Enjoy!]

Ooo la la, it's 2015! But you want to know what is awesome about 2015? I get to be a missionary from Janvier 1--Décembre 31! How exciting is that! It's so awesome...and crazy.

Belgium is cold and wet. It's a good life. The other day we decided to go do some less active pass-bys before lunch because we have a million of them we need to do. We got all bundled up, headed out, and were soaked in the first 20 minutes. Also the two people we went to find didn't exist, but that happens a lot in less-active searching. We also had to run to catch our bus back and splashed a puddle of water down my boot. Once we got back to the apartment and had everything drying on the radiators, all was well, and we had a good laugh about how much we looked like drowned cats.

I seriously love hearing about the missonary efforts from back home. Being on a misson has made me really excited to be a good member missonary after I get home. Our members here are pretty helpful. A lot of them love to open up their houses to having FHEs with our amis and moins-actifs. It's pretty great.

However member present lessons are another story. I've come to learn that the Belgian/French way of like is very “go, go, go,” and not much time for others. We did have a member present lesson this last week, which was awesome! It was at Enza's. We set a baptismal date with her not too long ago, but she had never been to church because she would have to take two different buses, and she has been fighting un maladie for years. We saw her Friday with Soeur Quarré. Our lesson was on the importance to keep the Sabbath day holy, and Soeur Quarré offered to take her to church. She said she would come, and not only just for la reunion de la sainte-seine [she got me, I have no clue what this means], but for all three hours. This was so exciting!

Another thing about Enza is that we have been trying to hard to help her understand that the Holy Ghost doesn't work through signs, but through quiet thoughts and gentle feelings. So she came to church yesterday! Everything was perfect. The Branch was so welcoming. Gospel principles was perfect because we talked about the Holy Ghost, and we read in 3 Nephi where it talks about it taking three tries for the Nephites to recognize the voice of the Savior. Then, in fast and testimony meeting, there weren't any moments of awkward silence, which is really exciting because the Branch is pretty small. Then, afterwards we were worried about having to take her around and introduce her to people, but we turned around and she was already having a conversation with a bunch of members! [I think that’s my favorite part of the story. We need to be reaching out to other in love and companionship every Sunday… And when I say we… I mean, *cough* me? Yes, me.]

Mom asked about how the work here is. It's pretty slow, and a little hard, but that's a mission for ya. Most people here aren't religious at all. They are all too busy for God. It's kind of difficult. There are also quite a few Catholics as expected. Meeting Christians is rare, but we tend to attack them (not really). When we go porting we meet a lot of really nice people, but they usually don't let us in. Since I have been here, we haven't found any new amis, but we are working with three in progress, a few that we have return appointments with, and we are working with a lot of less-actives. One of our less-actives has been to church the last two Sundays! She is 87-years-old, and everyone loves her. She just walks in with a huge smile on her face. Ah! I love her.

Oh! I keep forgetting, but I keep meaning to tell y'all. Here is a list of all the odd things I have eaten so far :) It's too terribly huge, but it's interesting:

-Blood sausage--HORRIBLE

-Duck liver--pas mal. It was actually really good as a spread on bread

-Pig intestines (not in blood)--not too bad either, again better on bread

-Plantine--I thought they were potatoes...and then I took a bite and found out it was banana

-The Romanian thing on Christmas--odd

-Sourkrout (spelling?) and sausage--mal. But better with mustard...

Nothing insanely crazy yet…

Also, people bring in the New Year here with a bang... literally. Our curfew New Years Eve was 10:30 if we were at a members house. So, we spent the evening at the senior couples with the other Elders in our Branch. We played some games, ate, I made my first card tower! 

And then we had to walk home. It was a little sketchy since we live in centre-ville (downtown), but we just walked fast and stayed with the Elders. And then midnight came around. HOLY POOP. There were fireworks everywhere. We stood on our balcony and watched like four different shows. There was also a random tuba player walking up and down our street for about an hour. It was pretty fun.

So, I hope you all have set some awesome goals for the Nouvelle Année :) I have set one big one because I have daily and weekly goals all the time. On 31 Décembre 2015, I want to be a missionary that I am proud of, and that my Heavenly Father is proud of. I want to feel like I have been molded and shaped into the person Heavenly Father wants me to be.

I love you all! I'm sending prayers and love from Liège all the time!

[If you would like to know more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, just call up the missionaries and ask as many questions as you’d like. You can also message any Chisholm family member with your questions as well.

Plus, we have a website: So, you know, use that if you’d like.]

Week 3: Joyeuse Noel!!! Et Bonne Anee!!!

[Not only was Caytee able to call the family at home, but she managed to spend 30 minutes talking to her sister in Idaho. Pretty much everyone were happy campers this year.

Also she says for everyone else:]

JOYUESE NOEL FROM SOEUR CLAWSON AND I!!

So I'll probably repeat some stuff because my family heard a lot of it all on Skype, but I just want to tell you all that Christmas on the mission has been one of the best days so far. (Also, side note: I've been out two months today!)

Christmas Eve was actually my most favorite, we had planned to do some less-active pass-bys, but when we passed-by, no one was home--this happens tous le temps. We were eating at a member’s house at 6, so we decided to port [tract] their neighborhood for two hours before dinner. It was cold and raining, but we were super excited. We passed by a lady who keeps telling us to come back because she is always busy, and we got the same answer. So, decided to go left from her house and then work our way down the street. We went to a house, and they said they were studying...this also happens a lot. Then, we went to the next house.

It didn't really look like anyone was home, but we decided to ring the bell anyways. A lady answered, and we asked if we can sing a Cantique de Noel for her and her family. She let us in the house because it was cold, and then we sang Silent Night. This is our carol of choice, because the spirit ALWAYS come when we sing it. After we sang, she invited us upstairs for hot chocolate, and then we were talking and eventually we were able to bring up the Restoration. We taught the whole Restoration with them, and the dad was super interested! The sprit was so strong! Unfortunately, the mom was not very interested, and she is the one who walked us out, so we weren't able to get their contact, but we plan on stopping back by.

That night we were able to sing for 5 families, which is really a miracle, because no one lets you sing here. Then, at the member’s house we had cheese raqulette, which is a machine where you melt cheese with vegetables and meat and then you pour it all on bread and enjoy. Holy. Poop. [Can I just repeat that? Holy crow that sounds amazing.] I ate so much! The family shared the Chirstmas story in French and mixed it with the hymns that went along with the story. To end, we all went around and bore our testimonies of who our Savior is for us. The Spirit was amazing!

Then, for Christmas, we went to the Senior couple's house, and I skyped from there and Soeur Clawson talked on the phone. They also fed us chicken noodle soup, which was awesome! Then, we went to Aurica's. She is an eternal ami [I assume investigator], but we are really working hard with her to progress. At her house, we had a strange Romanian dinner. I can't really explain it. It just tasted funny. But you would take a bite, and it wouldn't be too bad, and then you would take a bite, and it would taste terrible. It was really just a never-ending process. Also, at each house we went to over those two days we came home with loads of candy, and my skirts fitting a little tighter. After New Years, we are going on a diet...maybe.

She apologizes for the awkwardness. This is Caytee, Soeur Clawson, and Aurica.

Also, at Aurica's while Soeur Clawson skyped, I was able to talk on the phone with Kylee. YAY!

The 26th was cool, because we set a baptismal date with an ami! She is having a hard time because she is looking for a sign that the church is true. So, we talked a lot about how the spirit works through quiet whispers, and if you listen really hard, you can receive the answer that the Book of Mormon is true. We left her with some scriptures to read and with the engagement to read and pray and listen for the whisperings of the spirit. Now our next task is getting her to church!

On Sunday, one of our less actives came to church! Which is funny because the last time we saw her she talked a lot about how she wasn't ever planning on returning because she is too old. She is 87 years old and has terrible hearing. We were standing outside the chapel, and all of the sudden we see little Marie Servaite come wobbling in! It was so exciting! We went and visited her later that day, aussi. She is lonely, so she loves having people to talk to. She also has a super strong testimony. I love her so much.

We are also working with another less active who is a little more difficult. She has a lot of trials in her life, and we are trying to help her put all her cares and her trust in Heavenly Father.

I can't believe it is already almost 2015! We will be spending New Years Eve at the Redd's again, and then New Years, we only have a lunch at a members house planned. Other than that, Soeur Clawson and I plan on spending the day reading our Scriptures and writing letters.

I love hearing about all the missionary work back home! Seeing the progress each week is so awesome!

I love you all so much!

Also, I'm sending this email from Bruxelles today! Yay for legality.

Random castle they found in Bruxelles.
(Also Soeur Chisholm looking adorable.)

Make some good goals for the New Year, and then act!

[And that’s it for this week. I hope everyone has a productive and goal filled week.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact any of the Chisholms. You can also turn to any Mormon in your area, especially those Mormon missionaries. They’re always willing and happy to help.]

Week 2 in Liege

[I’m not even going to explain that I’m two weeks late. I think you people all know. I’ll just give you the letter from Caytee. Enjoy peeps. It’s a week off Christmas and yet still fun.]

Holy cow, I'm pooped! This has been a crazy and an interesting week. So, Tuesday was the Christmas conference. They split the mission in half and had two. We were the Wednesday conference, but we spent the night in Lille Tuesday. We got to the Lille apartment around 8:30ish Tuesday night and realized we didn't have our tickets for the train to Paris the next morning. We knew the train left at 6:40 so we woke up super early Wednesday morning, found the station, printed our tickets and boarded the train just in time!

Soeur Clawson and Chisholm waiting for the train.

We then rode that train for an hour and a half and then took an RER and a Metro to Versailles. Then we walked to the church building where the meeting was...in the rain. YAY!

The meeting was really good. I learned a lot when they spoke English and caught the gist of things when it was in French. SOEUR HIGGINS WAS THERE:) It was so awesome! We got to catch up on our lives because she is in the ghettos of Paris, and I'm in college town Belgium. Everything is different.

After the conference we took our metro, RER, and two trains home. Then, we taught a couple lessons with less actives on Thursday. Saturday we moved in our new senior couple! YAYYYY!!! They are awesome. We also had our ward Christmas party, our fete de Noel :) It was awesome. We had an ami and a less active attend. They did a couple little skits and songs. The spirit was so special. Then on Sunday we went to church and all that jazz. Sunday night we did a lot of contacting and gave a bunch of Il est le don cards (pass-along cards). Only one couple let us sing for them though. Everyone here always has somewhere to be.

Here is something funny from this week. I totally face planted in the middle of a busy sidewalk. They have this line of little Christmas shops all down the main sidewalk. They are always busy and full of people. So, I think it was Saturday night, Soeur Clawson and I were hurrying home because it was like two minutes to nine and our bus stop is a 15 minute walk from home. We get off the bus, and we are hurrying through the marché dodging people left and right, and Soeur Clawson gets a little ways ahead of me. I kind of start doing a little half walk/half jog to catch up, and my toe catches a cobblestone. I WENT DOOOOWWWNNN. I somehow bruised my knees, hands, and left shoulder, but I ended up sitting on my butt. I really don't know how I did that, but it hurt. It still hurts to kneel.

A street in Liege where Caytee would have faceplanted.

The work here is slow right now; it's kind of frustrating because it's Christmas! The best time of the year to talk about Christ and his life, but nobody will listen! We keep trying though, there is someone out there waiting, and we'll find them.

Also, another fun thing from this week. I got yelled at for the first time. I was wondering when that would happen. We got let into a batiment, and so we decided to knock the doors...an old man answered and told us that we weren't allowed to do that and all that jazz. So we left haha

[And that’s all. Caytee sends her love. Like always I’m going to be posting a second post today and the newest email on its proper Sunday. It’s good times.

I hope everyone had a lovely, Christ centered Christmas (with a few gifts and parties on the side), and an even lovelier new year

If you have any questions, feel free to contact any of the Chisholms. You can also turn to any Mormon in your area, especially those Mormon missionaries. They’re always willing and happy to help.]