Ginger on a Mission: 06/02/14

Cathryn's district. The numbers are how many transfers they've been in France.

Hello again!
So, it feels like a lot happened this week, but in reality, not much happened that I can write about. So this letter will probably be shorter than some of my others.
Tuesday, May 27 -
We spent most of Tuesday saying goodbye to people and packing. Soeur Cameron and I helped Claudine, a woman from our ward, set up tables and put up decorations for her wedding, then she fed us. Then we visited Jacqueline and Soeur Cameron bore her testimony and said goodbye. Then she gave us some delicious fruit tarts. After that, we went and ate at the Rousseaux's house, and that was delicious too. By the end of the day we were stuffed and exhausted, Soeur Cameron was emotionally exhausted from saying goodbye and physically exhausted from all her running around to get things and pack things.

Wednesday, May 28 -
Soeur Cameron and I went to Paris to meet our new companions. I was really sad to say goodbye to Soeur Cameron, she's been such a good example to me and has helped me so much, but I'll get to do exchanges with her since she'll be my Sister Training Leader. And I got an awesome new companion, Soeur Holmes. She used to be a Sister Training Leader, she's almost done with her mission (only 12 weeks left), she's very bold but also very loving and is really good at listening to people and asking questions. I know I'll learn a lot from her -- I already have.

Thursday, May 29 -
We spent the whole day in Iwuy with the Rousseax family, and this time the elders came with us, too. We'd decided to all come to Iwuy and split up, since it was a French holiday and everyone was home (no stores were open, there was no public transportation, and no one worked). The elders found three different people, and we found one as well. It was a day of miracles. Then we went back to the Rousseaux's and Soeur Rousseaux taught us how to make crêpes. We even learned to flip them without a spatula, instead flipping them with the pan. It was a good day. We did a lot and the Rousseaux were so good and willing to help us with anything we needed.

Friday, May 30 -
We went contacting and talked to a woman named Maria. At first she was very closed off. She said she didn't believe in God and that too many bad things had happened to her so she wasn't believing any more. She said she lost a lot of people that were close to her and that she cried every night. We just prayed in our hearts to know what to say and showed her love, then testified that she was never alone, that God is always there for her to comfort her, and that he sent us to her to help her. We testified that Christ knows exactly how she feels and how to give her peace. She started to cry and said she knows that God is real, but that it's really hard for her right now. We prayed for her and felt Heavenly Father's love, and she said we could see her on Tuesday. I know that Heavenly Father prompted us to talk to her at the time she needed it most, that he's mindful of all his children and their needs.
After talking to Maria, we taught Denise with a member, Soeur Coppola. We talked about prayer and finding/recognizing answers to our prayers. Basically Soeur Coppola taught the whole thing -- she shared her conversion story, how she receives answers to her prayers and how each member of her family receives answers. She shared perfect experiences and perfect ways to find answers (prayer, scriptures, going to church) and the Spirit was very strong. I know Denise understood and it related to her so much better than if we had taught alone, and that shows me why it's important to have members involved in missionary work.
We were standing at a bus stop in the evening and a lady came up to us and asked us if we were part of a religion. We told her who we were and she said she was Muslim but she wanted to learn about all the other religions and she wanted her 7 year old son to be able to choose for himself what religion he wanted to join, so she asked us for the address to the church and information about any church activities. That was a really cool miracle since pretty much no one ever contacts us, and it also showed me that there are people ready and willing to talk about the church wherever you are.

Saturday, May 31 -
We'd tried to visit Patricia earlier this week, but she was so sick and so much in pain that she couldn't answer the door, so we came back on Saturday. She was feeling much better and we talked about the purpose of this life and about the Atonement and how that can give us the strength to get through the hard trials in our lives, how the Savior knows us so deeply and perfectly and that he's always there to support us. She agreed with all that we said, now it's up to her to pray and receive an answer to know for herself.

Sunday, June 1 -
We had Ward Conference this Sunday and a lot more people came to church. Denise even came again with her kids. It was really cool - the talks were perfect for what the ward needed, and I got answers to the questions that I had. Also, we all ate food together after and I got to talk more with some of the members I don't know as well, so that was awesome as well.

3 Nephi 27:27 - "... Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am."
I love this scripture because that's basically our whole goal in this life - to become more and more like the Christ. I find that the more I rely on him, put my faith and trust in him, the more I feel his power and guidance in my life. When I don't know what to say, or when I'm scared to do something, I just let go and let the Savior take my fears and my burdens, and he guides me and fills me with his peace. As I come to do that more and try to become more like him each day, the closer I become to him, the more love I feel for him and from him. As I give everything I have to him, he gives me even more.

Soeur Williams

Here are some pictures that go with this and previous emails.