Well, hello!
This week's been a little crazy, just like last week. Silly weeks don't know how to act. They should be less crazy. It's easier that way. But it was fun at the same time, so I guess it's okay.
Tuesday, April 15 -
On Tuesday, Soeur Johns and I taught Tsleng (still not sure how to spell his name) the Chinese guy we'd met while doing Easter porting (knocking on doors). We taught him about Christ's Atonement, how we can be clean because of Christ, how he can give us peace and happiness, and how we can be with our families after we die because of his resurrection. Tsleng said he wants to learn more about Christ because he doesn't feel like he knows him very well. I think he felt the Spirit during the lesson, because I sure did. I know the Spirit is always present when we testify of Christ.
After that we got some delicious pastries (I got a white chocolate raspberry brioche and a pistachio eclair) and I did a lot of packing. That pretty much took up the rest of our day, then at night we ate at a member's house.
Wednesday, April 16 -
I took three different trains on Wednesday, and luckily there were missionaries at the train station to help me find my way to my next train, because I probably would have gotten lost otherwise. There were a lot of other missionaries in Paris for transfers, so I got to meet a lot of new people.
After many hours of travelling, I finally met Soeur Cameron, my new companion. She is so kind, fun, loving, friendly, and open! I'm so excited to learn more about her and become friends with her. In fact, I feel like we're already friends. And I've learned so much from her. She trusts so much in the Lord and does pretty much everything with by the direction of the Spirit.
After we got to the apartment, Soeur Cameron called a recent convert who said we could come over in ten minutes, so we quickly planned a lesson and went to teach her. Her name's Chantelle and she's a funny older woman who's having some health problems. We taught her about the power of Christ's Atonement, how it can give us strength to change our lives and do the things we need to do. I felt the Spirit guiding me as we taught and I didn't feel as afraid as I should have considering we hadn't really prepared a lesson. I talked about as much as Soeur Cameron, and I got to know Chantelle better.
Thursday, April 17 -
On Thursday, I contacted a lady in the park all on my own and she gave us her number! It was awesome. I think I'm getting to be a little more comfortable with contacting people.
We visited a less-active named Soeur Manet who'd been a member for a while, but hadn't really ever come to church. She was really kind and had some good insights on the talk we watched with her from this conference by Elder Christofferson about the Resurrection. Also, she gave us lots of food. It was good. :)
We then taught some really awesome recent converts named Marie-France and Didier. Marie-France is overweight (she weighs around 300 pounds) and is having a lot of health problems right now, so when we came into her house to visit her, she was not feeling well. She had a migraine and seemed really unhappy. Her husband, Didier, was really great. He did so much for her to help her. He's such a Christ-like, loving person. We watched the same talk with them as we did with Soeur Manet, and it was great. After listening to the talk, Marie-France had changed. She seemed happier and had more hope. She and Didier bore their testimonies about Christ, and I'm so impressed by their faith and their strong testimonies. I felt the Spirit so strongly and I could tell they both love the Savior so much.
Friday, April 18 -
So, most of Friday consisted of Transfer and Weekly Planning, so I didn't do much. We did eat a really good pastry called Merveilleux Nord, which is basically two pieces of meringue with spekulos filling in the middle, with spekulos frosting all around the outside, then a half of a spekulos cookie on the top. It might have been the most delicious thing I've ever tasted.
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| Soeur Williams with a Merveilleux Nord |
Saturday, April 19 -
Most of our time on Saturday was spent at the home of the bishop, Bishop Kimpe, because we have to take trains to get to his house because it's really far away. I love him and his family. We met two of his kids, Pauline (she's nine) and Samuel (he's 7, I think) and they're so adorable. Their family was so nice to me, asking me questions and taking an interest in what I said. Pauline had a neighbor friend over, named Leslie, who isn't a member. We watched a short video about Christ's Atonement and resurrection, and Pauline explained it to her friend and afterward both of the children testified of the Savior. It amazed me how much they knew, and how their simple testimonies brought in the Spirit so strongly. They're really good examples.
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| The Kimpes children with Soeur Cameron and Soeur Williams |
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| The Kimpes family with Soeur Cameron and Soeur Williams |
Sunday, April 20 -
Happy Easter! :D
My Easter was great. I ate candy my parents had sent. Probably too much, actually... then some more that ward members gave us. I went to church and we taught the Young Women's class, because the young women in this ward need extra help and examples. Then we taught Amanda, a 9 year old girl with a baptismal date, whose parents are active members but never taught anything about the gospel to their children. Then I bore my testimony in sacrament meeting, which was scary, but I think I did pretty well considering I've only been in France for six weeks. After sacrament meeting I talked to a lot of members. They're so kind and they are really interested in helping the missionaries. I can't wait to get to know them better!
After church, we visited Marie-France and Didier again, and it was amazing to see the difference in Marie-France. Some members had just visited her and she had such hope in her eyes, she seemed much lighter and more joyful. She had more energy than the last time I'd seen her. We watched the video about Christ and she loved it so much. We testified of the Savior's power to enable us to do anything, how he knows all we're going through and will be with us every step of the way. They both said they knew that was true. Marie-France even said she'd try to go to church before Soeur Cameron leaves next transfer.
I found a scripture that I love a lot, and I thought it would be good to share considering it was Easter yesterday:
Alma 7:11-12 - "And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and tempations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmites."
I know the Savior knows us so well, that it hurts him when we're hurt or we've gone away from him, and that he is always with us, ready to strengthen us when we need it as we come to him.
I'm excited to be in Valenciennes now! I'm sad that I had to leave Soeur Johns and Rennes and all the people I came to love in Rennes, but I know that this is where I need to be right now, and that Soeur Cameron is meant to be my companion. I know I'll learn so much here, and be able to find the Lord's lost sheep find their way back to him.
-Soeur Williams
