Dear family and friends,
My heart is so filled with gratitude today to be able to talk to
you and tell you about the incredible work that the Lord is letting me be apart
of here in Nogent, France. Sometimes I just don't know how to count my
blessings because there are just so many. My heart is filled with love for the
Lord and these great people and my awesome companion.
This week started off incredibly! We went and had dinner as
planned with a French woman we met on the street, Chantal. She is incredible!!
I love her to death. We went over to her HUGE French house and as we arrived,
we noticed other people in the garden. We were having a little picnic with her
and her husband and her best friend. They were some of the nicest people ever
and throughout the night we sat and discussed our beliefs with these incredible
people. They are in their 60's and are French and have a twin boy and girl that
they adopted from Chile who are grown and moved away. We bore testimony from
the bottoms of our hearts and we were all so open and loving and had such a
nice time. It was a perfect night! Bernard, her husband had such interesting
questions, but all of us just felt the power of the Holy Ghost so strongly all
thoughout our dinner picnic. We were all best friends by the end of the night
and even took some fun pics that I'll include. They are such great people and
as Soeur Wynn and I were heading home that night, we both got the distinct
feeling that this was not the first time we had met this charming couple. That
we had been sent to them because in the life before this life, we knew each
other...we anticipate seeing them again soon, I hope!
We had exchanges this week and so I was with Soeur Pulupuna! I LOVE
HER! We had 2 incredible lessons with our 2 amis: Claudia (big curly hair) and
Isabelle and her son Gael (he also has huge crazy hair). Both of these women
are incredible! and BOTH came to the baptism and met and ended up being best of
friends. We didn't have a ton of members at the baptism, but the both of them
ended up helping us out a ton setting up cakes and refreshments after. They're
so incredible! (I'm thinking they'll get baptized on the same day ;) October
19th!) Later that night of the exchange I ended up getting pretty sick..
After 3 days, I was finally feeling better and so we went on
fast mode this weekend to make up for it. Even while I was sick, we still got
tons of calls in a set up appointments and were able to get good planning in
and such so it wasn't a total waste. The Lord blessed us so much for our
efforts to go out and Soeur Wynn ended up getting pretty sick too, but after resting
really well, the Lord strengthened us and back to work we went!
We had our first ward counsel this weekend!!! It was super
awesome to show the ward that we are really trying super hard and that we have
so many people who are ready for baptism and who are progressing so well. As we
left that night, we felt so proud of the work that we are doing, the people the
Lord has blessed us with. It's incredible to see how He has taken this area
that was really struggling for a long time and has shaped it into a field ready
to be harvested!!! And we are blessed to be the ones to harvest!
Our favorite bit of this weekend was the baptism of our darling
Stéphanie =) it was such a great day, even though hardly anyone came! But
that's ok because we had 2 of our amies come!!!! Claudia (who is our awesome
amie who does all the family nights with us and a who will be baptized next
month) is already fellowshipping all of our other amis! She has been coming to
the ward for several weeks now so she knows the drill and so she helped us out
a ton at the baptism and at church on Sunday when we had people come! It was so
great to have her there and we are having a JOINT FAMILY HOME EVENING now with
her and another amie at a member's house this week. It will be EPIC! We have set
up 4 family home evenings for this week already all with investigators who were
invited specifically by members! Can you believe that?! That's what we call a
solid week! Through our ward counsel meeting we asked several members to invite
our amies who come to church to their house and so they did! Look at that
faith! This ward is ready to do some missionary work! I'm so thrilled.
The baptism was incredible though. Stéphanie is such a light and
an example of purity. She's so darling! I love her to pieces! Her baptism was a
sweet experience and watching her in the waters of baptism and being confirmed
I have a joy in my heart that is unlike any other! Like I said last time, it's
quite an addicting feeling! I can't imagine the joy I will feel as I watch my
own children and family enter the waters of baptism. There really is no greater
joy.That is the most joy we can have on this earth I think...closest we get to
heaven. But Stéphanie has promised us to one day serve a mission and to be
sealed in the temple as well. I look forward to watching her life play out in
the next 10-15 years. She loves the feeling of the Holy Ghost and is so
overjoyed to have it now. I love her!!!
We were able to visit our family last night. It was the mom's
birthday Saturday so we made a card and stopped by. We had an incredible short
little lesson and the dad expressed some concerns and right after we just asked
if he had prayed to know...he made up a few excuses and then we opened up to 2
Nephi 32:8-9 and had him read it and then I testified with all my heart, with my
companion doing the same, that our Heavenly Father loves us with all of His
heart, more that we can imagine and He wants to talk with us. After testifying by the power of the Spirit for a few minutes we sat in silence and he looked up
at us finally and said, ok, I'll pray. We are having a family home evening with
the Lasa's (our African parents) on Sunday. So we look forward to that!
We also had a BBQ yesterday after church. Super interesting.
French BBQs are NOTHING like American BBQs..it was fun though.
We have been so blessed this week and I could not be more
grateful. I'm really bummed that Soeur Wynn is leaving me the end of this
transfer, but Elder Oaks is coming this next Sunday so we will be at the multi-stake
assembly for that next week.
This gospel is just so incredible. I'm so very grateful to have
the opportunity to spread the good word that the fulness of the gospel is upon
the earth! What a great time to be alive and growing closer to our Father in
heaven each day. I know this church is true. I know we have a Heavenly Father
who knows our weaknesses and our trials. He knows us better than we think and
He wants us to talk to Him through prayer. He wants to pour out blessings. We
just have to humble ourselves and ask.
Thank you for all the love and support. I pray that all is well
and I know that you are in the hands of the Lord, right where I left you! I
love you!
Stay righteous, be true, be you!
Avec amour,
Soeur Berge
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