Hey y'all! So this past week we were able to take out a young sister who is preparing to go on a mission. It was really fun for me to get to work with her because just a year ago at this time I was in her same shoes. It was really cool to have that pre-mission excitement come back and she really helped rejuvenate some of those old feelings of mission hype. I got to talk to her a lot about the things that she's excited for and the things she's nervous about. She's much the same way that I was right before I left--can't wait to meet the people she'll serve, can't wait to experience a new culture, and is proud to serve the Lord. But there's also the fears of leaving home and family, being rejected, being brave, learning a new language, getting along with companions, etc. She asked a question that really got me thinking. She asked what do I wish I would have known or how would I have prepared differently to come out here. So, in light of hitting my year mark on the mission this past week, I just felt prompted to give a little message to all those who are about to serve or are preparing to serve a mission. I'm going to answer her question to all of you. I think something every missionary fears when leaving is saying goodbye to friends and family. It's not easy, but I'll tell you how it's possible. The answer you'll hear a lot is to get lost in the work. That's true, but there's a certain way to "get lost", and it's not in knocking 100 doors a day. If you make a new family in the field, your struggles of missing your own family diminish. Make everyone your family--first your companion, the other missionaries you work with, the members of your ward, the investigators you work with, the less-actives you work with, essentially everyone. Treat them as if you've known them your whole life, even upon your first time meeting them. Be yourself, open up your heart, and just love. Something else that a lot of missionaries are afraid of are the logistics of a mission life...the routine schedule, the rules, or being engaged in activities 24/7 that aren't your usual idea of "fun". I'll be honest, at first, it's rough. The hardest for me were things like not having relaxing Sunday afternoons, no movies, or only listening to church music. But I'm going to promise you something. With every time you make the decision to be obedient, you literally become more like your Savior. You will start to recognize noticeable changes within yourself of being someone who is more resistant to temptation, and more filled with love and happiness. You know why? Because you're then entitled to the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. This lifestyle soon becomes so regular to you and you laugh at yourself for the way you used to spend your time once you've realized where your priorities should be. Another fear comes with being "good enough" in terms of teaching, being brave, speaking a foreign language, etc. Well, hate to break it to you, but none of us are good enough. You'll quickly realize you aren't capable of doing this without the help of God. But oh how He gives you help. This is His work that He's in control of, do you really think He won't qualify His workers to accomplish His tasks? You can call down the power of angels to help you, yes they're there, and yes they'll help you. He gives us 2-3 hours every day to study to prepare ourselves. Use these precious study hours to gain the strength, spirit, and knowledge you'll need. You will love your study hours if you study with a purpose. You have the gift of the Holy Ghost with you, and he speaks every language. You are literally just a mouthpiece. If you're worthy, God will be able to do with you whatever He needs. Just know today's best isn't always the same as yesterday's. Agency attitude for comps Angels for help Studies
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Bonjour! Ça va? So this week was pretty full of all sorts of experiences. I've been asked a lot now to share more details of the daily here and our amis...so...It started out with an awesome family home evening with a family that was just like "tell us what problems you're having with getting members to help you, and just with the work in general, and we'll fix it." They literally do all they can to help us find new amis, befriend our current amis, help us teach, and visit less-actives. This should be the attitude of everyone! We're all on the Lord's team. I'm really grateful for this family and I know how much the Lord will bless them. This whole ward really is incredible at helping us with His work. We also went on an exchange with our sisters in Lausanne. I sure love Switzerland! It was a really helpful exchange because the examples of these extremely hard-working sisters just inspired me to want to be more diligent. I have become very aware that I was called to be a sister training leader because I was in need of many lessons that these soeurs were meant to teach me. They help me and set more of an example to me than I ever could for them. Our new amie Saipo is also progressing really well. She was just so prepared. I'm telling ya, this work is done by God, through God, and for God. We are just the mouthpiece for teaching and giving out the invitation. He prepares the hearts of these people and helps them accept His gospel. She's been coming to church, all the activities, actually keeps her commitments--like reading the BOM and praying. She even accepted to be baptized when she knows these things are true! She has been humbled and has been searching for God's light for some time now. She knows she's found it! We're also teaching two kids, Mathis and Rebecca, whose grandparents want them to be baptized, but their parents aren't active, so we're teaching them. I love teaching kids! Definitely my favorite amis. Why? Because just like Christ has said, they are the most humble and teachable. They're progressing well because their sweet spirits are so accepting of the truth! We all need to be a bit more kid-like. We have two couples that we're working with. It's two less-active sisters who have a husband/fiancé that aren't members. So one of the couples is progressing really well. They've been coming to church and stake conference and meet with us regularly. The other couple really isn't going anywhere right now. You want to know why the two are having such different results, even though we're giving them the same lessons? The couple who is progressing is actually making efforts by action--they keep their engagements! They read their scriptures together and they pray and come to church. Her fiancé even told us that as they were saying a dinner prayer he felt goosebumps because he loved the spirit that came in while they were praying. Bless his heart. It's true though, it's the little daily things that make all the difference! It may seem simple, but that's how our testimony grows, little by little. By small and simple things are great things brought to pass! If you're not praying and reading your scriptures daily and going to church weekly, I invite you to do so. It works. We've also got an awesome sister in our ward who does all she can to bring every one of her friends to the gospel. She had us over to teach two of her friends. It went pretty well, but it's going to take some heart-softening by the Lord for these two. I don't doubt Him though! While we were at this sisters's house she told us about a friend from high school that had started talking to her on Facebook and how she wanted to bring up the gospel to her. So she called her up right then and there and asked if she could see her some time! And even better, she showed us a post she made on Facebook about her testimony of the BOM and she showed us all of her friends who "liked" it who aren't members. She told us she'll try to get into contact with each one of them! That's how technology should be used! I'm so proud of this fearless sister. Lastly we're teaching a young guy who has been taught by the missionaries for years now named Gwenael. (I even taught him a couple times on exchange months ago when I was in this zone the first time.) For our lessons we actually have given him a PMG and he teaches us the lessons and we pretend to be the investigator. He knows it all so well! Yet he won't get baptized because he says he's waiting for a real big conviction that it's right. You can bet your bottom dollar that we've pulled out every "answers require action", "true faith doesn't require signs", "you receive witnesses after the trial of your faith", "you feel the spirit in small and simple ways", type of stuff. So what it's a matter of now is the Lord acting according to His will and to His timing. We must be patient and trust His will and timing! I want so badly for this guy to take the step towards true happiness, and it's hard to watch him keep putting it off. But I know God is in control and we're doing what He's asked us to do by teaching and inviting; we leave the rest in His hands. We had a great family who invited us over with him, and the father shared his conversion story, which was almost identical to the situation Gwenael is in right now. Same stubbornness and same reasons for not wanting to take the next step, but then finally he did, after a long process of searching. He said it wasn't until the moment he was submersed in the waters of baptism that it was confirmed to him that what he was doing was right. He said he walked into the water having every doubt in the world and came out of the water filled with more joy than he'd ever felt before. Very grateful to this family! I think they had a hunch they could relate. Gwenael seemed pretty intrigued by it. The week was filled with lots of other stuff too as usual--walking and talking to people on the street, lots of people telling us we're crazy and God doesn't exist, lots of visits with less-actives, zone training, a beautiful hike with a recent convert and his non-member family/friends (he's such a good missionary), relief society activities and ami game nights...yes yes yes the church is true and the same wherever you go. It's a wonderful work that I get to be a part of! I hope that you're catching the drift that this work is SO much more effective when it's done the way it's supposed to be done...members and missionaries working together!! I love you all! Have a great week. Love, Soeur Shields
Bonjour à tous! What an awesome week! We went all over the place. I was back in my beloved Chambèry for a zone activity, and I got to reunite with old friends there. We had stake conference in Genève and I got to see basically the entire Chambèry branch there, so that was even better! We spent a lot of time with the other missionaries all around. I really love my mission family. :) I've been really touched this week by the power that comes behind uniting as one team as members and missionaries. I read a quote this week by Gordon B. Hinckley, as he explains the 3 things that everyone who has recently become a member of the church (or anyone who is learning about the gospel in my opinion) needs from the members of their ward. He says that each of them need an assignment, need to be nourished by the good word of God, but the part that I really want to focus on is this--they need "a friend in the church to whom they can constantly turn, who will walk beside them, who will answer their questions, who will understand their problems." They simply need a friend. This week we have started the lessons with our new amie, Saipo. Well, we get a call from this awesome sister in our ward who asks if we'd like to come over for dinner, AND if we have an ami that we'd like to bring with us. We were like, as a matter of fact, there's a brand new amie that we'd love to bring! So, we bring Saipo to this family's house and it was just wonderful. This sister threw her arms around Saipo and made her feel like a part of the family right off the bat. She willingly opened the doors of her home to our amie, but more importantly, she opened her heart and made her feel loved. Saipo left that night feeling like she was finally a part of something, and she is so excited to keep continuing on with us. A lot of that is thanks to this Christ-like sister in our ward. It is wonderful if you can become friends with the investigators of the missionaries, but you know what's just as good, if not better? Bringing YOUR friends TO the missionaries. Earlier this week we got invited to an FHE at a sister's home and she invited her non-member friend to come as well. We were able to laugh and get to know each other, and then we were able to simply testify of a few gospel principles. Then this sister powerfully shared why her religion is so important to her, how it's made her happy, and how she truly loves her friend, and this is what she wants for her too. Do you know how much more meaningful it is for an ami to hear those words coming from their life-long friend versus a missionary they met an hour earlier? It makes all the difference, because they have that trust already built up, and they know their friend only wants what's best for them. It doesn't always have to be big things like these two examples. We had two other members this week simply ask if they could give an ami and a recent convert a ride to Stake Conference. And then we had another member go and sit next to our ami and the recent convert during the meeting. It's simple gestures like that too that go a long way. Little bits of Christ-like love and friendliness are what will make this work spring forward at the rate the Lord needs. Because the fact of the matter is, is that the missionaries will leave, but the members stay. So we need the members there to have "adopted" our amis into the fold of the ward, so they know they belong there. Because everyone belongs in Christ's church. We can't do this work without you, and you can't do this work without us. So, I ask you: When was the last time you had the missionaries in your home? When was the last time you had them bring one of their investigators to your home? When was the last time you helped them teach a lesson? When was the last time you took the courage to introduce your friend to them? When was the last time you even asked them who they are teaching? When was the last time you made an effort at church to befriend the investigators they bring? When was the last time you went with them to visit less-actives? When was the last time you made the effort to make a recent convert your friend? We understand you don't have time to do this full-time like we do, and that's not what we're asking for. You don't have to do all of these things at once. We're simply asking for a little help every now and then... A little spurt of courage. A little spurt of selflessness. A little spurt of Christ-like love. Aren't we all His disciples? I love you all and thank you for what you already do! YOU make the difference. Love Always,Soeur Shields
Salut! This week was really interesting. A lot of times in life your placed with a lot of good decisions before you, and you don't know exactly which to choose. Or you're placed in positions where you're needed, but you're not always sure how to go about this responsibilty to best fulfill it. But what I've learned is that God expects us to do our part, to make our efforts, to make a plan, and then come to Him and present our plan. Then we act. And after we act, we'll find out why He had us go down a certain path or do a certain thing. Because the witness comes after the trial of our faith! I'll give you some examples. So the biggest one probably came with the fact that we wanted to reach the standards of excellence this week, particularly for the number of lessons we taught. Well, we had told God on Monday of that week that we were going for the standard this week, and we were going to work hard, but we would need His help in accomplishing it. We would need Him to soften the hearts of the people here, and to place the prepared people in our path. Our part would be being obedient, and opening our mouth with everyone. So we did that. We worked hard teaching and teaching all week, but come Sunday, we were still 4 lessons short. Well, we knew that He could help us since we came to Him with our plan. And so after church, we hit the pavement. Right off the bat, we met one prepared person after another. All 4 accepted to listen to us, and 2 even agreed to seeing us again this week. This isn't exactly normal here... And might I also mention that the people we talked to weren't by the sheer looks of them, who we would think of as being prepared. But turns out, they were those searching the most earnestly. We got a big lesson in learning that God knows who is prepared, we don't, that's why it's our job to talk to everyone. Well, we accomplished our goal for the week, and it was a huge testament to me that God provides a way. And once we commit to doing our part, He always does His. Another thing, we had planned at the beginning of the transfer to have a specific less-active that we wanted to focus on by the end of the 3rd week of the transfer (yesterday). Well, by the end of Saturday, we still didn't have one that we felt like should be the focus. We had made dozens of calls to less-actives, with no success in any being willing to see us. Well, Saturday night, we get an unexpected call from a less-active who asked if we could accompany her to church the next day and then even see her this week. We knew once again right away that this was God helping us accomplishing our goals. Since we had done our part, He did His. I've been joking with my comp this week that we've finally realized that we've actually been in a trio all along on our mission. You and your comp, and then God. He is the perfect companion too, let me tell ya. Haha. I'm really grateful for His help! Lastly, we did 2 exchanges this past week with our sisters. The night before each of their exchanges, my comp and I still didn't know who should go with who. We had been praying about it, but we didn't feel a strong pull either way. We decided it was God telling us either way would be fine. So, we picked and went with it. Well, on my first exchange, I quickly realized that it was so vital that she and I were together that day. We both are struggling with many of the same things, and we both really just needed someone to talk it out with. We were able to come up with plans together of how to make our weaknesses strengths. On the other exchange, I took a sister with me who speaks Spanish. We went to our ami's house to teach her, and little did we know, but their cousin is there, who speaks nothing but Spanish. She sat down and wanted in on the lesson. So the sister I was with was able to translate the whole lesson into Spanish, and the cousin loved it and wants to learn more! It was really cool to me that God let us make the decision, and then it was after we took the leap of faith and went with it, that we saw why it had to be the way it was. So that's all for now! I hope you all have a wonderful week. Love always,Soeur Shields
Boooonjour! This past week was super filled with a lot of great lessons, as we spent the first half of it in Lyon for our leadership training. There was a statement made there that really stuck out to me. And that was: The 2 most important things we've been given in this life are time and agency. I am so grateful to have 6 more months to CHOOSE to use my TIME to become more like Christ. As I was preparing to skype my family this week, I thought about the kind of changes I've made in the last year since the last time we were together. A HUGE wave of gratitude for the Atonement washed over me. I thought a lot about the person I was before my mission. I wasn't anyone terrible I'd like to think, but I know I could have been someone better. I have a lot of regrets, I have a lot of things I wish I could take back, I have a lot of things I wish I would have done differently. I don't think I'm that unique in wishing those things. And as I've been a missionary, I have come to realize a lot that needed to change about myself. I'm still working on changing a lot of those things, so I can become more like my Savior. It will be a forever on-going process, I'm well aware. For those of you who know my mission story, over the past year I've come to figure out that a huge reason why the Lord needed me on a mission, was because He needed me to make a lot of changes. That's one of the billions of reasons why I'm so grateful I chose to come out here. But before you think I'm just sitting here beating myself up, I want you to know how this train of thought actually makes me really happy. We watched the video "Because of Him" at leadership council. If you haven't seen it, go look it up on lds.org right now! But there is one part in there that talks about us getting "second chances", thanks to the Atonement of Jesus Christ. That part hit me so hard this week as I watched that. I thought about how that is so true. And we don't just get a second chance, we get a third, a fourth, it's endless. The Atonement is infinite. I felt an incredible amount of peace, love, and gratitude just fill my entire being as I saw that scene. I knew that was the spirit telling me that no matter who I was before, it doesn't matter in the eyes of the Lord anymore. When we repent, when we really change, He forgives us and He sees us only through eyes of love for who we can become. We don't have to regret who we once were, we can just be grateful that we have the opportunity to become someone better each and every day. I can't thank my Savior enough for giving His life for me so that I can keep trying to be better every time I mess up. I can't explain my love for Him and how clearly I know He loves me. I would be remissed if I didn't attribute much of my testimony of the Savior and His Atonement to the lessons taught to me by my mother while growing up. Like the Savior, she always freely forgave me. Like the Savior, she still loved me even when I messed up. Like the Savior, she saw me only for who I could become. Like the Savior, she sacrifices all every single day, to help me be happy and become the person she knows I can be. Like the Savior, she leads and guides me through her example of pure love and charity towards others. Like the Savior, she makes me want to be a better person and serve those around me, just as she has always served me. I am so grateful for my dear mother. For those of you who get to talk to your mom more than just an hour and a half a week, please tell her how much she means to you. First figure out why, and then tell her. Let her know how loved and appreciated she is. I love this work. I love what I'm doing, and I love what it's doing to me. I hope you all have a wonderful week! Love always,Soeur Shields
Bonjour à tous! I don't have much time, but I'll let you know real quick how the first week of the white-wash here in Annemasse went. One word: tiring. haha. But honestly, it was really great, and I like it here a lot. It's beatiful being tucked up in here in the Swiss Alps. Sometimes I feel like I'm in the Sound of Music or something. But we sure did have a full week! We had a lot of opposition to be honest. White-washes are never easy, but we had some added factors. It has been raining literally all week, we've gotten onto wrong trains, ended up in wrong villes, we don't know anyone here, we've gotten lost several times (luckily my comp is great with a map), had a LOT of rdvs fall through, had a lot of people not want to talk to us or let us in their homes, etc. It may sound like I'm just complaining, but I promise this has a point. It doesn't sound much different from the typical grind off missionary work, but added all together into one straight week made it a bit exhausting. Well, you know how in the scriptures it says that we have to endure to the end, and then we'll have the reward? And how we receive no witness until after the trial of our faith? Well, it's true! On many of these days where literally one thing after another went wrong, we were blessed to see some really cool miracles right at the end there. For example, we were walking to this awesome rdv we had planned, when we get a call that they had to cancel. So, we try our back-up plan, and they weren't home. At this point it's the end of the day, rainy, cold, and we only have about 30 minutes until we can go home. Pretty tempting to just go back...But, we decided to port (knock doors) instead. We go to door after door, and no one wants to talk, and they think we're crazy for being out there in the dark in the rain. But I liked it actually because it left a distinct impression that they'll never forget. haha. But anyways, we go do one last door. Well, this sweet mother of 2 lets us in. She tells us we have 3 minutes. Well...45 minutes later, this lady exchanges phone numbers with us. We did the project elijah approach with her, got her talking about her family, and then she lets it out that she lost a son and her mother. Immediately we could feel the presence of thoset two angels standing there with us testifying. This lady who said once we first got in that she "couldn't understand why a loving God would let such awful things happen" by the end of the lesson was saying maybe it is possible that trials are tests, meant to help us turn closer to God. It was just so incredible to see the power of having the spirit and ministering angels with us. That's just one little example, but there were many others. Almost every day this week after everything had gone wrong, some little miracle happened right at the end of the day that just made me realize that everything happens for a reason. In the moment we may think everything is going wrong, but really, God just works in mysterious ways. He has everything happen in His way, according to His timing, so that we will be in the right places at the right times, to meet those of His children who need us and are ready for us. He wants us to trust Him and keep perservering with trust and faith in Him, no matter how hard it may seem, and then we see a witness as to why we had to endure that moment. But that always comes after. :) I hope you all have a splendid week. Go make the world a better place! Love, Soeur Shields
Salut!
Well, I am now back up near my bleuville, in Annemasse. It's just on the border of Switzerland, so I'm back in my beautiful Swiss Alpes region. I'll be working almost entirely in Switzerland as well, since that's where all of our sisters are that we're over. It's going to be really cool, and my new comp is a gem! Let me tell ya though, it has never been so hard to say goodbye than it was to my humongous family in Nice. To say I'm tired of goodbyes is an understatement. But I know that I'm where the Lord wants and needs me to be right now. One reason that Nice was so nice, is because the members were stellar missionaries. They were actively preparing their friends for us to meet, and they had no fear in letting us get to know their friends, and eventually to start teaching them. In case you didn't know, that's how this work needs to be done. We can literally do next to nothing without the help of the members. So, if you haven't even considered a friend or family member you could introduce to the missionaries, even just to get to know them and make a friendship, I invite you to start praying to know who to do this with. If you've done that much, then start praying of ways to get those two worlds to collide, and get the missionaries and your friend together! You don't have to start out in a teaching setting by the way, just get them to be their friend first. And hopefully, your friends will then see the happiness that we have because of this gospel, and then eventually will want to learn more. Please take courage and show your friends and family that you really love them by helping lead them to the one thing that will give them eternal joy! You can do it! :) Ok, so something super cool and exciting. We had a huge mission conference this past weekend in Lyon. Our mission is getting Ipads, and the whole conference was on training of how we're going to use these tools. The gospel and sharing the gospel go together like peanute butter and jelly. We had Elder Kearon and Elder Nealson of the 70 speak to us, and you know what they said? That God gave us these technological devices for the primary purpose of hastening His work! So invite you to ask yourself what Elder Nelson asked us in General Conference when you post something online: "What sign am I showing to God?" Are you showing what joy the gospel brings you, are you standing up for what you believe in, are you seeking to uplift others, are you striving to share the precious truths that mean so much to you? THIS is what all of our lovely social media and devices can and should be used for. So, we'll be allowed to use facebook pretty soon for this purpose, so don't freak out when you see me on there. Haha Also, a really cool reason why they are wanting us missionaries to use them now, is to train and condition us in the field, while we're in a "nurturing environment" as to how to regulate our usage on devices. Because I'll be the first to admit, before the mission, I was on my phone all the time. They want to help us learn to gradually use these wonderful devices in moderation, for the right reasons, and to develop good, healthy habits with our usage of them. That way when we get home and have free reign on using our devices again, we don't just fall back into the trap of being glued to your phone 24/7. So, if you feel like you're one of those people who can't leave your device for 10 minutes, start trying to put it away for an hour here, an hour there, and you'll be amazed at all the time you have to do so many more productive things! It provides you the ability to look outside of yourself, and look up to see the needs of others. Make the gospel the center of your life, not your phone, but use your phone to share the gospel. Get it? Got it? Good. Clear as mud. I know. But with God's help, you'll figure out a good balance. I'm really grateful for the opportunity to do so. Have a fantastic week! Love, Soeur Shields Hello world! I am just on cloud 9 and I don't think I'm ever coming down. Honestly, I don't think I've ever been so happy. This past weekend I got to witness a family who I consider my own family begin the road to becoming eternal. Cynthia, the mother of my dear Su'a family was baptized and confirmed this weekend. I can't really convey at all what I felt during the whole thing, but I will try. The whole baptism just started out with a thick spirit. You could feel it in the room...just this warm, peaceful calm. I couldn't stop smiling. The whole room was in tears, and I couldn't hold them back either. I don't really remember many of the words that were said, but the feelings I felt there will never leave my memory. I watched Cynthia as tears just flowed and flowed as she was overjoyed that she finally decided to make this decision, after 18 long years of turning down the invitation. The part that got me most was watching her sweet husband shed tear after tear as he was overwhelmed by the pure joy that his wife had finally chosen the path he's wanted her to take for so long. The two of them were beaming with love and happiness as they both knew that they are now one step closer to going to the temple to be sealed to each other and their 6 daughters for time and all eternity. It was such a beautiful experience, and I can't stop thanking God for letting me be a witness of the entire process. I got to watch this family go from having nothing to do with the church, to coming every sunday, reading their scriptures together every night, and saying family prayer every day. I got to see the literal changing of heart that can take place, thanks to the Holy Ghost. I saw a mother who only laughed and rolled her eyes when her husband told us to "dunk her next", to eventually entering the waters of baptism, coming out with a heart that desires to serve God for the rest of her life. I got to see the promises God makes to us that living the gospel brings blessings, joy, and unity to families be fulfilled. As Ronny (the father) decided to change his life around, even so far as to quitting his job, he opened the windows of heaven for his family as he began to honor his baptismal covenants again. He took a huge leap of faith, and trusted that if he turned back towards God, God would bless his family with the things he so desperately wanted. And you know what? God did. He blessed that family in every way possible. He found a new job right away, they are happy, they are strong as a rock, and his wife finally softened her heart and now they are capable of becoming an eternal family next year. I'm really just speechless when I try to describe how incredible it is to me that all of this is actually real. Every promise, every word of counsel, every commandment we read in the scriptures and hear from the prophets is actually real. This stuff works. I saw it for myself, and now I can't ever deny that these things are true. Living the gospel brings joy and blessings. The Holy Ghost can soften hearts. The Lord works in His own time, and in His own ways. The priesthood really is restored to earth and we are capable of making covenants with God, which allows Him to bless us if we keep them. The Atonement is real. Even though we may mess up, maybe even for a really long time, we can always come back, always be forgiven, and become someone new and better. These things aren't just words people! It actually happens! And I am so grateful God showed me this, and I'll never forget it. I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!Love, Soeur Shields
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