Tuesday, November 11, 2014

I'm Dreaming of a White Baptism!

 this was probably my fav lesson from last week


Hello!

So many miracles from the week! 

Last Monday we saw Benedicte and were able to read with her and her brother since they didn't do their reading. Her brother has so much desire to learn and understand the scriptures. I hope they take more time to read this week. 

Tuesday we had exchanges with sisters in Mulhouse. I spent the day with Soeur Francis and we saw so many miracles. First of all we got to see Manon, the daughter of the elder's recent convert. During our lesson we invited Manon to be baptized and she said yes! She is planning on being baptized the 25th of October. We are so pumped!! Her mom was so thrilled when she told her. *Side miracle, the elders went over a few days before to teach her mom for her recent convert lessons. During the lesson they could tell Mary-Lynn was really stressed and they asked if they could give her a blessing. During her blessing she was promised that she would have an eternal family. 3 days later Manon called her and told her she was going to be baptized! How incredible is that! Later that night Soeur Francis and I went contacting and we ran into a young girl who right away asked us if we were 'Mormons.' She then explained that her best friend is a missionary in Germany and she has been to church several times and knows all about the church. Very cool. She said she wasn't interested, but she was super nice and it was so neat that we contacted her! It goes to show that when we are obedient and contacting everyone we can that someone else could be contacting our friend is back home. We also contacted a lady who we exchanged cards with. She said she is a professor who teaches American culture. She has a small class that gets together every week and speaks English and discusses American stuff. She said she wasn't at all interested, but maybe she knew some people that might be. We didn't think much of it, but that it was a unique contact.

Wednesday we had district meeting and exchanges with sisters in Toul. I was with the new bleu, Soeur Dionne for the day. It was so fun to be with a fresh missionary again. We contacted and knocked on so many doors even in the rain and not one person was interested. There was so much opposition, it was a nice reminder that only after the trial of our faith, do we receive blessings and witnesses of this gospel. Everything happens for a reason. 

Thursday we saw Mariette and Irenes. So good to see them. We watched the Joseph Smith Restoration film and after Mariette was so pumped about Joseph Smith. It's so cool to see somone who has such a love for the prophet who helped Jesus Christ restore His church on the earth. 

Friday was a day full of miracles. In the morning we decided to pass by an ami who hasn't been responding lately. As we stood at her doorstep, a little disappointed that she wasn't home, Soeur Hosking and I heard some catchy music down the hall. We looked at each other and said, "We gotta knock that door!" So we walked around leaning our ears towards different doors to find the music, we arrived at the door. After I rang the doorbell, a chipper, blonde woman with sparkly eyeliner answers. We explained that we were missionaries for our church and that we heard her music and wanted to meet her. She was really shocked and said she wasn't interested, so we began making small talk with her and all the sudden she says, "Oh just come in.." score. So we sat down and talked with her. At first she just kept showing me pictures of her convict son saying he just got out of prison and asked if I thought he was cute...uhh..right...but then we switched the conversation back to the gospel and she kept telling us how hard her life has been. We testified of the Savior and she just looks at us and asked about 5 different times, "Why are you two so happy?" and "Where do you get all your energy?" She was such a miracle and we are going back to teach her hopefully soon. Later we taught Manon again and she explained that she told her neighbor that she was going to be baptized. Her neighbor asked why she would do such a thing if she was already baptized as a baby? She responded "do you remember your baptism?" and he said, "well, no" then she asked "Do you feel close to God?" and he responded "no." and she finishes "Well, voila quoi." Haha oh Manon. She's so sassy it cracks me up. Atta girl. Speaking of sassy, Soeur Hosking and I finished the night visiting Soeur Dautreville. She is so funny and has so much sass. I think my favorite quality of Soeur Dautreville is her ability to share her favorite principle of the gospel with us everytime--the word of wisdom. She kills me, I love her.

Saturday was a very interesting day. The Relief Society had a relaxation activity this week. They taught us all how to breathe and relax into a near comatose state to avoid stress. Then we had a tea party. It was the best thing of my life. Us? Stressed? Never... Well, not anymore that is. We got to see Nune as well, whom I just ADORE. There is a large language barrier so most of our communication is through large hand motions. That just makes everything that much more interesting.

Sunday we had church. I felt like everyone was calling me left and right! Sundays are so overwhelming, but in the best possible way. Claudiana, an albanian member our age brought an albanian family to church who wants to be baptized so we are going to start teaching them the lessons with Claudiana as our translator. Also Collomb came to church! So awesome. With the Albanian family not too far and Collomb on the other side with another little girl in the ward who asks me for flower stickers and for me to write her poems in her Book of Mormon during church, I don't know what could be better. Later the L'Homel family took us home for some nice Sunday Raclette! Can't complain on ending a fast like that. YUM. What a nice family. Rewind a little and jump back to Tuesday. The last lady we contacted of the night, the American professor had called us the next day after we met her and said she'd love to meet with us and ask us questions! So we planned to go over on Sunday night and talk with her. We drank infusions and talked with her and answered all of her questions. It was so neat because she explained how she wasn't active practicing the Catholic religion anymore because she doesn't agree with {insert list of things she doesn't like} when she finished her list we told her that we didn't agree with any of that either and our church is contrare to all those concepts (infant baptism, repeated prayers...yadda yadda yadda) It was such a cool discussion and she invited us to come speak to her little class and answer all their questions. She is so sweet and we can't wait to see her and her class!

Love this work, love this gospel, love this city, love this country. and love all of you! Til next time,

GROS BISOUS

Sœur Berge




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