Have you ever been in the depths of despair, Marilla?

“No. To despair is to turn your back on God.”

That’s right. An Anne of Green Gables quote. Angela and Theresa should be proud.

Let me explain.

The first few days here was rough. It’s a lot to take in and adjusting has not been my forte in the past. It’s really quite scary being an ocean away from your friends and family and in a foreign speaking environment with so much terrifying freedom. But I know that I’m being taken care of and angels have gone before me to get me here. I have been blessed with tender mercies to brace me until I get my sure footing. 

Although there have been several of these “tender mercies,” one that I feel is most important to share happened on my first day. I had slept past the church service I had intended to attend, but decided I wanted to explore the city. I had directions on how to get to the church so that’s where I was headed. I walked around for a few hours, map in hand. I didn’t find the church. Nor did I find much of anything else of use to me. I was tired, and I was trying not to be discouraged. I know that Heavenly Father knows what we need and when we need it. I know that, but it doesn’t mean you can always chase away those doubts. I was headed back to my dorm when up ahead I saw the answer to my prayers.

About a block down the street before me were two young men in white shirts. To anyone familiar with Mormons, this means LDS missionaries. I’m sure they were a bit startled to come across someone who was actually happy to see them, but they seemed just as happy to meet me. Afterall, I was someone who didn’t avoid eye contact and actually wanted to talk to them (it can be pretty rough being an LDS missionary). As expected, one of the elders was from Utah, so we could speak English. They gave me directions to my phone store, the church, and Institute and told me about a couple activities. They gave me the cell phone numbers of both the companionship of elders in this area and the zone leaders. Meeting them made all four of those sweaty hours walking around Aix (pronounced “ex,” by the way) worth it.

The church in France is not the strongest, as you can assume just from the French nonchalance toward much of religion. They have had enough bloodshed in their history due to religious conflict, so I why add another to the mix? I can’t say that I blame them. But at any rate, for a good comparison, France is about the size of Texas (sorry Shauntae). Texas, with a population of about 25 million, has roughly 278 thousand LDS members. France, with a population of about 65 million, has less than 35 thousand. There are 53 stakes in Texas, and only 9 in France. (The church is divided into stakes based on territory and number of wards, or congregations. Wards are dependent upon number of members. Smaller congregations are called branches.) In all of France, there are only two missions, or districts where the church sends missionaries (Texas has 8 missions). What I’m trying to say is that the chances of finding LDS missionaries on my first day in France are pretty slim. There aren’t many of them, roughly 150 missionaries in the France Lyon Mission where Provence is. Generally, the most missionaries are sent to the areas with the most people. Aix-en-provence is a town, so granted, the likelihood of finding the elders in a smaller area would be more likely. However, having the church be such a presence here is surprising, because Aix is not one of the most populous of towns. So for me, it seems this is the perfect area for me to be in. I couldn’t have planned it better myself.

And that, my friends, was no coincidence.

Et là où quiconque vous reçoit je serai aussi, car j'irai devant votre face, je serai à votre droite et à votre gauche, et mon Esprit sera dans votre cœur, et mes anges seront tout autour de vous pour vous soutenir.
D&A 84:88

And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.
D&C 84:88