Paris!! 25th Anniversary Trip

Don surprised me at Christmas 2018 with tickets to Paris, France for our 25th anniversary.  I spent a day or two in Paris after serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in southern France many years ago. (La Mission Français de Marseilles) Don spent 24 hours in Paris on his way to India on a business trip in March 2018.  We've been looking forward to celebrating our anniversary in Paris.

Day 1: Friday night/Saturday

Waiting at SLC International Airport for our 9 pm flight

Sunset on the Seine

The Eiffel Tower at night

Day 2: Sunday

Jardin du Luxemburg

L'hotel Luxemburg

As we were walking around Paris, we found this little Catholic Cathedral and we went inside.  I enjoy looking at the beautiful stained glass windows and artwork in these buildings.

Atrium with the baptismal font.

 

 

 

Notre-Dame de Paris
Notre-Dame was closed to the public due to the fire earlier this year.  We were able to walk around the outside and take a lot of photos of the building.  Restoration work is underway.

Place de la Concorde






La Basilique du Sacré Coeur de Montmartre

Dinner at Place du Tertre near Sacré Coeur

We had our portrait drawn by a street artist in the Place du Tertre.  He is very talented,
 but I don't think the picture really looks much like us.

Day 3: Monday

Musée du Louvre
Tickets for the Louvre Museum were sold out, so we didn't get to go inside to see the Mona Lisa or the Venus de Milo or other artwork.  However, we'd both been inside before, so we walked around outside and took some photos.

Don's favorite statue in the courtyard of the Louvre.

Academie Nationale de Musique


Le Tour d'Eiffel
We took an elevator to the 2nd platform and then another to the top of the tower.  There were so many people that we decided to walk all the way down the steps - stopping at the 1st platform -  instead of crowding into the elevator again.

Looking up from the ground to the 2nd platform

Looking up at the top from the 2nd platform

View from the 2nd platform

View from the top

View from the top

View from the top

View from the top

On the 1st platform. The Eiffel Tower is 130 years old this year.

 

On the 1st platform. We are standing on a glass floor through
which you can see the ground below.

Paris! The City of Love!

Looking down at the ground from the 1st platform.

L'Arc de Triomphe

View of the Arc de Triomphe from the Champs Élysee.

Day 4: Tuesday

Château de Versailles

King Louis XIV

One of the many painted ceilings.  I took 4 pictures to try and get all of it. (1 of 4)

(2 of 4)

(3 of 4)

(4 of 4)

Ceiling of the Hall of Mirrors. The Treaty of Versailles ending
World War One was signed here.  The Hall of Mirrors is still used for state
occasions such as receptions for visiting heads of state.

Hall of Mirrors

Hall of Mirrors

Queen's bed

Les Jardins de Versailles

Lower garden

Passage into a garden maze.

One of many statues in the garden.

Neptune Basin fountain

Neptune Basin fountain

Neptune Basin fountain

Fountain of the Dragon

Arc de Triomphe fountain

  

Just outside the Château de Versailles in the garden.

Paris Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Versailles, France

Unfortunately, the temple was closed for cleaning while we were there, so we were not able to attend a session, as we had hoped.  We walked around the temple garden, visited with the missionaries in the Visitor Center and learned a little about the design of the temple as well as the use of different flower patterns on the windows and woodwork that specifically represent France.

"Sainteté Au Seigneur, La Maison Du Seigneur"

"The beauty of the palace of the Kings of France, impressive as it was, simply cannot compare to the quiet magnificence of the palace of the King of Kings!" - Don

Last night in Paris.

Transfer 9, Week 4: Miracles All Around

Hey Everyone, 

             How are we all this fine colder June week? Fun Fact: we've been asked a lot this week if we're staying warm, because many people had to pull out their heaters because of how cold it got this week. Brr. It doesn't feel like June weather at all. But that's ok. I'd rather not have close to 100 degree weather every day. 

             This week has been full of mini miracles everywhere. Right and left we can see them as we continue forth in the work of the Lord. It is so cool to continue to see His hand. Honestly I don't know where to start with how the week went, because there are so many items to cover. On Monday we had a zone preparation day and zone council afterwards. That was a lot of fun. The big highlight of it was that we had a water balloon capture the flag fight. That was a lot of fun. The sad highlight though was that Elder Matthews lost his tiwi card. A lot of extra walking resulted of that trial. But no worries. During zone council we talked a lot about trusting the process and sustaining president Larsen through many different things. It was a great time and I enjoyed being able to spend time with the other zone members. 

           Tuesday we went on Exchanges wit Lovell 2,3,5. That was awesome. Elder Walker came with Me to Byron/Cowley, and Elder Matthews stayed in Lovell with Elder Reinhold. This exchange was awesome. We had a great lesson with Liz, that let us know a lot more of what's going on because Carl was a little preoccupied to pay too much attention. It was awesome how much more we learned from her when Liz had the opportunity to speak. Afterwards we also did some service moving a few wood shop equipment pieces and trying to make a few contacts in Cowley. 

          Thursday, We did some service for Viki with Lovell 1,4 again. We were pulling down a dog kennel. We seem to have really pushed Elder Matthews over the edge because he ended up after that not feeling well. We think it was both from a little Gluten and shock from what he did to his hand on Monday, so we had a much simpler day afterwards doing weekly planning and Elder Matthews Sleeping a lot because he wasn't feeling well. We also set up a lesson for Friday with a new potential, Amy

         Friday, We had that lesson with Amy. A little background on that. Amy met with the Lovell 1,4 elders with her recent convert friend. And she was interested so she put a missionary visit request in ComeuntoChrist.org. That was awesome, and then we met with her on Friday. After doing a bit of service for Carl, we had the lesson and answered many of her questions, and even put her temporarily on date. She is so golden and points out little spiritual confirmations she gets. Amy is ready and we're so happy for her and the progress she is making. We also had a lesson with Justin that evening which was fantastic. 

     Saturday was really just a day of preparation for Amy coming to Church on Sunday. After doing that we also helped set up for a wedding dinner at the church. That was pretty good. 

      Sunday, we also saw another great miracle as we were heading home for the night. The Byron young men's president calls and gives us a great referral for a youth that isn't baptized but comes to mutual weekly, and will probably be baptized in just a few weeks. So sweet to see that miracle as well. I love it. We are looking forward to next week when we will see him at mutual. 

     Well, I think that just about wraps up our week. I do hope for some slightly warmer weather soon. Because it sure is cold outside. haha. A lot of good is happening and I am so excited to see what else we can do over this next week in the service of our God. 

Love,

Elder Sherwood

Photos:

Selfie with Elder Matthews

Pictures from Zone water balloon fight:

Transfer 9, Week 3: Exchanges and Finding Successes

Hey Everyone, 

       How are we all doing today? Are we enjoying the Hot of Summer? Or has it not set in yet for everyone? This is the first week that we haven't seen rain in like 2.5 months. It was awesome, but super hot. 

       This week honestly hasn't had much go on. But there were a lot of exciting things happen in that little amount of time. We have had a wonderfully successful week. Even though there isn't really much to talk about this week. 

       We did a lot of service this week. We planted trees, Weeded a garden, and helped cleanup a rat infestation once again. It was a lot of hard work. But definitely worth it. It was a great way to get into the community and touch the lives of others in Byron and Cowley. 

       We also went on exchanges this week with the zone leaders. I went to Powell with Elder Callister. It was a blast. We found a new person in the park and did a bit of finding/ street contacting. I honestly love going on these exchanges because it can clear the head and allow us the missionaries to get refocused on the area we are assigned to. 

       Because of that exchange, we had found a new person in Byron. Thanks Elder Hatch and Elder Matthews. We are so pumped to continue working with those we are. 

       Lovell is just popping with all of the fun excitement. We've been told of a few new potentials that we may be receiving from the other Elders soon. I am so excited to continue to see this area grow and the spirit of missionary work it has. I love the work here and I hope that it continues to grow as we put forth the effort in helping the people of Wyoming understand who they are and who they can look towards for any help that they may need. 

      Well, I hope that all is well, and that you enjoy this first week of june. I'm sorry for the short one this week. Enjoy Summer!!!!

Love,

Elder Sherwood

Hey Guys,

        How are we all doing today? Are we doing OK?  Tired of Summer yet? ha ha. It's all good.  How is the book of Mormon reading going? I hope it is going well, and that you are learning a lot from the book. 

       This past week was pretty good. You know the book of Mormon has a lot of fancy and lovely stories you can learn from right? I keep learning something new every time I read through it again. Right now I'm in the Middle of the book of Alma, and learning about how Alma dd such a good job being the chief judge. We can all learn to be good judges for ourselves. 

      I hope that all is well, and that you are enjoying Summer. It is going to be great I'm sure. Keep it up and I hope you have a great week. 

Love ya,

Elder Sherwood

Transfer 9, Week 2: Happy Hump Day!

Hey Everyone,

        How is it going? Is summer in full swing anywhere else yet? Or are we having fun with no more school? This week has been nothing but wet ALL week. Literally it has rained everyday but Saturday. But that is ok, I guess. At least it is cooler right? No, this week has been not quite as easy for many people. There have definitely been a few hindrances in the work this week, but we got through it ok, so  yeah???

       To start out the week, we got to go to Cody for our Transfer Walmart trip. That is always fun being able to meet up with the other missionaries and play some games. That doesn't get to happen all that much anymore:(. It's ok though that's not why we're out here. Something else that made this week slightly more challenging was that we had no appointments with investigators. They all fell through the cracks, so we were finding pretty much all week. Sadly without much success, but hey, that's sometimes the nature of the beast. We have to work hard to see results and most of the time, they don't come the way we are expecting. 

       Tuesday we had the Trainer call in the morning and then we did some weekly planning because we weren't able to do it last week. 

       Wednesday as a big hiccup. Starting at District Council. Elder Reinhold was not feeling well at all, and him coupled with me trying to overcome my spring allergies and ailments, made for one tough day combined. It ended up being a pretty low key day with not much going on, because all that the sick missionaries wanted to do was sleep, and not cough our lungs out. We're working on not passing it on, and keeping the others from picking it up as well. 

      Thursday we got to take a tour of the Byron Library with a nonmember. That was pretty cool. The nonmember Kristin is a ghost hunter. She can feel where the spirits are(where the veil is pretty thin) and tries to figure out what is causing the spirits stress. Supposedly there are a lot of them in Byron from its past. I got to watch some footage of the Library when a glass  case was broken by an unseen force. It was kind of cool. Kristin isn't interested, but it was fun to meet her and learn more of the history of the town. Thursday was also my 1 year mark. It was so cool to see that I have been out for a year. It sure doesn't feel like it. But now it's time to climb the rest of the way. This next year will be super fun I'm sure.

      Saturday we were invited to a funeral and got to celebrate the life of a member of the church. It went well, and we loved that it didn't rain on Saturday. It felt so good to see people outside and walking around. It is a great sign of the incoming summer. 

       Sunday we gad a baptism in Lovell with the Lovell 1st ward elders. That was super cool with all that they had set up and it really brings the spirit of the work into the stake, district and zone. I can't wait to see the results of the Spirit of Missionary work hit with the people here. 

      Overall, there hasn't really been anything exciting to report. We're out here doing our best, but sometimes we hit bumps in the road. Oh well. Next week will be better I'm sure. But until then I hope you all have a great Memorial day and first week of Summer.

Love,

Elder Sherwood

Hey Guys, 

          How are we doing today? Are we having fun with school getting out? Or are we all still stuck in boring places? Haha! I know that summer brings excitement for everyone but Amy, but it will not be hard I promise. With summer on the verge, do you realize I have fewer days left than I have been out? Yep, I'm on the down hill slope now. 

           This week, I have been thinking a lot about that talk from General conference about the vision of the Tree of Life. It has made me want to ponder on what things we need to work on and how to do so, in a way that we don't just simply float by the tree of life. It is a great thought to keep in mind, and one to relay back to often if possible. It may help.

        Well, Not much else to be said. I hope the school year ends well, and you enjoy the hot sun. Haha. 

Love ya,

Elder Sherwood 

Transfer 9, Week 1: I Have A Spanish Companion

Hey everyone,
       How's it like back home? Is it super warm yet, or are you getting hit with all the rain northern Wyoming is? It has been such a wet week, I'm starting to miss the sun again. Anyway, this week was pretty great to say the least. It has been super crazy, and full of major hiccups. 
       So to start I should probably put a few people at ease. No, I didn't transfer. I'm still serving in Cowly and Byron. I just shipped off my 7th companion to Kalispell. So I am now on number 8 (including the MTC). I've gotten to know a lot of people on the mission, that's for sure. His name is Elder Matthews, he is from West Jordan, Utah. And yes he is a spanish speaking missionary. I can tell this transfer is already going to be a bit different than normal. The other new thing about him, is that he lives a very sad life. Haha not really, he just can't eat good food. Elder Matthews has a gluten allergy, so it's going to make this transfer different, that's for sure. 
       Anyway, the week was kind of broken up in 2 sections. Part 1 was end of last transfer with Elder Lewis. We honestly spent a crap ton of time packing. I never knew someone could take so much time to pack. And to complicate the matter a little bit, our roof was getting reshingled from the hail storm we had last week. Fun times being trapped inside. 
        Wyoming transfers are different. Missionaries leaving the zone head out the night before transfers, because of time schedules for everyone else. So that leaves the other missionaries waiting in trios, or temporary companionships for a whole day instead of a few hours. So Elder Walker and I got to know one another a lot better than we already did, spending a whole day doing service and other fun activities. 
One of those fun activities was a bit of service that I never want to repeat. We were asked to come help clean out a basement, which doesn't sound bad at all, until we got there, and they added that it was infested with mice. Yuck!!! I doubt I've ever been so sick to my stomach in my life. 
       After the new missionaries arrived, we let Elder Matthews unpack, and get ready for the transfer. Immediately after we had to run to a baptismal interview for an investigator of Lovell 1,4, Levi. That was great, and it was so cool to see all the hard work among the district starting to pay off some rich dividends. 
      Other than that, It was a pretty traditional week. A lot of finding, and testing out Elder Mathews's spanish skills. We were able to find a couple of potentials that way which was way cool, and I can't wait to sit there and be completely confused about what my companion is saying while he speaks spanish. Haha. It will definetly be a great transfer. 
       The opportunities are real and will provide for new chances for us to learn and grow. I can't wait to see what we can do as companions here in Wyoming. It will definetly be a blast though. I love you all, and hope you have a great week. 

Love,
Elder Sherwood

Pictures ... only 1

Elder Lewis leaving.

Transfer 8, Week 6: I Made A Tie!

Hey Everyone, 
     How are we doing today? Are we having fun, or not? Is school almost out? Haha. Life on the mission over this last week actually have been pretty cold and wet. We've gotten a lot of rain. It is almost crazy to see how much has accumulated. 
     This week has been full once again. It was great. We went from activity or highlight to another almost non stop. Not all of them were exciting, but it definitely was nice to be able to be busy. 
     To start, on Monday we went hiking. Actually, I got dragged into hiking. The other elders always seem to want to do something no matter the planning time they took. So we went hiking. It sucked. It was wet and we had really thick fog. The trails were muddy, and they left me and one other elder so far behind. It wasn't the greatest to be honest. It would have been fun, but like I said, poor to no planning. 
     On Wednesday, we had zone council in GreyBull. That is always a lot of fun. I felt like I learned a lot about Leadership and the responsibilities I need to make sure I am following and completing. After Zone Council we also started exchanges with the zone leaders. I got the privilege to go to Powell with Elder Callister. We had a fantastic time there. Elder Callister is such a great Missionary who I will miss for sure when he goes home. :(
     While on Exchanges, Elder Callister helped me build a homemande tie. That was a new experience for sure. I never knew that it was easy to make a tie. But I quite enjoyed it, and may do it again in the future. 
     We did a lot of good work there, then for the rest of the week we had fun activities for finding lined up when we weren't in lessons. One of the fun activities that we were able to participate in was helping brand some cattle. That was an oppurtunity I did not want to miss for sure. It was my first time ever branding, and it was a lot of fun. Wrestling those calfs and then assisting in what I can. 
     This week went by super fast. It was awesome. I love working the Lord's work and doing what I can to assist in what I can. We are able to constantly find a new person to teach every week, and it is providing new ways for me to learn and grow as I keep going. 
     Well, I think that just about wraps it up for this week. There haven't been too many new developments with individual investigators. But that 's ok. I hope you all have a fantastic week, and had a fantastic Mother's Day.

Love,
Elder Sherwood

No pictures..... :(:( sorry 

A sister in the a ward in Powell, WY sent this picture after a dinner appointment.

Hey Guys, 
     It was so great to talk to you all yesterday and catch up. I loved it. But either way how are you doing with reading the Book of Mormon? Is it as good as you would hope or like? I sure hope that you are still reading even with all the other stuff that you have to do. 
     Today, my mind is drawn to the spiritual gifts that Moroni talks about in Moroni chapter 10. Which spiritual gifts do you have? and which ones do you see in others? Developing these gifts is kind of like building muscles. President Nelson gave us a great equation for buiding spiritual power in our lives that may be directly related to the strength of our spiritual gifts. It is:

                                                       Faith + Purity = Power

     As we have and exercise faith, we build the desire to repent of the things we have done. Through repentence we become pure. And when you combine the 2 together, you can receive power and strength to do what God needs us to do. 
     Well, I hope you have had a great week and are excited to keep moving foreward as we go. Its only 1 year left till II comee home, and I can't wait to see you all again. 

Love,
Elder Sherwood

Mother's Day Skype call

Transfer 8, week 5: The Traffic in Billings Reminds Me of Utah

Hey Everyone,

          Is it spring anywhere yet, or just the ends of winter? Because I feel like we should be seeing a lot more flower buds than we are out here in Wyoming. It has been rainy and cold almost non stop this past week. We need the water, but this might be a bit much. Anyway, how are we all doing today? Is it warm anywhere else? haha. This week has had it's ups and downs no doubt, but overall I think it went by pretty flawlessly. So, I'm feeling contrite right now.

         Starting off this big week, your probably all wondering what I was doing in Billings,  We had zone conference in Billings this week. It was really good and I enjoyed it. We're only about an hour and a half from Billings, so we had to leave around 7 am to get there. But it was a great day of learning and instruction fr me. President stressed keeping our mind on our purpose this time.

           We also had interviews with President Larsen Friday afternoon. That is always great. As always, they went a little over, but I love the time I get to spend 1 on 1 with President Larsen. It always makes me feel good inside and motivates me to keep going forward. 

          The rest of the week went pretty much like normal. We had our lessons with our current investigators, and learned a lot from one another. We were able to find a new person this week, which turned out to be a bit of a miracle. We have been trying to contact this man named Derrick for the whole transfer, and we were about to drop him because we couldn't contact him. But we decided to try 1 last time on Saturday. Turns out we found the right time to try. Because we talked with him for a bit, and got to know him, we now have another new person to teach. Yeah!

           There was a Baptism that happened this week in Lovell 3rd ward. It went really well, and I am so excited both for Tyler, and for the energy this may add to the stake regarding Member Missionary work. I'm so grateful to be apart of this work, and all that it entails. 

           I know this week was short, but I think that is pretty much it this time. I am looking forward to this next week and what we can accomplish. I hope you all have a good one.

Love,

Elder Sherwood

no pictures... Sorry