This past week was almost as fast as the week before, and I'm
sure before I know it I will be transferred and before I know it I will be home.
Time is limited here. Before ya know it, I will be calling home for Christmas!!
So anyway, we had exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders on Tuesday in
Talence, which is right outside of Bordeaux, which is the most beautiful ville
I have been in... I hope I get to serve there one day. I was with Soeur Reynolds
through the day. She is a great sister. We didn't have much planned except
visiting a member who was in the hospital. RANDOM FACT: French Hospitals =
Really Creepy. She wasn't there though, so we randomly passed different members
and did lots of contacting! We had a great time, even though there was dumb
rain. We had one lady come up to us on the bus and say "Hey, I really
wanna learn more about your church! I am looking for the truth and want to know
if you have it."... MIRACLE! It was so awesome. We had a grand time in
Bordeaux. It just goes to show that there are miracles happening all over
France, not just in Carcassonne!
We had lots of leçons this week, so that was fun. We had
great leçcons with Jullien. He loves the Plan of Salvation and told us it makes
total sense and told us his goal is to make it to the Celestial Kingdom... we
also taught the Gospel. He is excited for his baptism, and he said he was
excited to come to Jean-François's baptism as well! We taught him the Word of
Wisdom on Saturday, just a few hours before the baptism. He said he accepted
it. We asked if he knew that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and he said yes. He
said he knew that if it came from Joseph, that it really was a commandment
given from God. The only problem he had was that he loves coffee, but he said
he would try to give it up, and that he would let us know how things went and
when he needed help. He gave a great prayer and told us he would be back in an
hour for the baptism. We were overjoyed!... Well he texted us about 30 minutes
later and told us that he didn't want to see us ever again. He said he loved
coffee too much and that he will never give it up for anything... We were
shocked!! 30 minutes earlier he had told us that all was well and that he
understood and would try. We were blown out of the water. Soeur Mann was so
upset. I thought it was a joke at first, but it wasn't. We were really shaken as
Jean-François arrived for his baptism. It made it hard, but I recognized that
it was Satan trying to work against us. Something beautiful and amazing was
about to happen, and he wanted to do everything in his power to stop us. Keep
praying for Jullien and that he will recognize that he can stop drinking
coffee. We hope to keep his baptismal date and to keep teaching him... we will
see in a few days when we try to contact him again.
French people are Flaky. FLAKY. But I still love them.
We got two new amis this week. Christian we met last week
contacting. He came to our leçon and accepted the LdeM. He seems really chill
and wants to know for himself. He is in the process of moving from one little
ville to another, so we wont be able to see him for about two weeks! Bummer,
but we call him every couple of days to see how his reading is going... ya
gotta do whacha gotta do. Especially here in France! Pray that he will know for
himself and feel the spirit as he reads the LdeM.
Do you remember the miracle leçon I had with Soeur Bayles
like 6 or 7 weeks ago? We felt like we needed to go out contacting on a Sunday
night for some reason. We changed out plans. We contacted a woman on a bench
with her grandbaby and she didn't seem interested... we walked like 50 feet away
and we knew we NEEDED to go back and talk to her more. When we went back we had
a RDV with her. She cried during our leçon and accepted the LdeM. We didn't get
her information because she doesn't live here in Carcassonne... WELL, we saw her
this week and she remembered me! She just moved here to Carcassonne and wants
to see us. We will be seeing her tomorrow. DANG. I am so happy that 7 weeks ago
we listened to the spirit. Not until almost two months later are we seeing the
fruits of our labors. Her name is Madame Devigne. Pray for her to accept our
message and feel the spirit.
We had some great experiences with members this week. We
went to Dior and Adhnas house (our bishops daughters) so we could practice
teaching with them. We KILLED it. I feel like my teaching skills have improved
amazingly this transfer. Teaching seems to be my passion as a missionary. Dior
made homemade rice pudding... WHICH WAS SO DELICIOUS! Dang it was good.
We had a district meeting this week. Elder Crossman, our
district leader is going home in a week, so he is really distracted and not too
concentrated, haha, which made for a really fun and bizare district meeting. We
get to go to Perpignan this week for another one too! haha, Jean-François was so
nervous for his baptismal interview, but he passed with soaring colors!
Other fun surprise this week: Soeur Bayles returned for a
day to do her legality!! It was so fun to be reunited with her... one of her
amis literally died two weeks ago. He got into a car accident and died. Pray
for her to find more amis! Anyway, we had fun and I realized how stinkin lucky
I was to have her as a companion...
We had a great leçon with Jean-François where we watched the
restoration video. FUN. He felt the spirit a lot this week, especially at his
baptism. Every time we saw him he would tell us he was really nervous for his
baptism. It worried us. Saturday when he arrived for his baptism, he told us he
woke up more at peace with his decision to get baptized than ever before. He
randomly changed his mind and wanted another ward member to baptize him, and
the Brother said yes. It was really great to get other ward members involved.
The brother hadn't baptized anyone since his mission about 15 years ago. It was
beautiful! Remember the trio Gretchen, Charlotte, and I sang at Seminary
Graduation? Well, Soeur Mann, Everett, and I sang it at the baptism, but we
changed the lyrics to the French version of Je sais qu'il vit mon rédempteur.
IT WAS AMAZING! Jean-François cried when we sang... it was beautiful. His
baptism was beautiful. All the kids (and I) were kneeling around the glass
wall. As he came out of the water, one baby began to scream and cry, haha. It
was really funny. It kind of ruined the spirit a little, but it was memorable!!
He didn't mind at all. His confirmation yesterday was beautiful as well. The
bishop blessed him to hold fast to the gospel, and promised that the gospel
would bless him and his future family... FAMILY!! So basically I baptized a
family this week... right on. It was a great experience. Now we need to find
some new super prepared people just like him!! Haha, pray for him to continue
well and for us to find some great new amis. Soeur Mann had a great birthday
and we had fun. What better birthday gift than a golden ami to get baptized?
Soeur Mann was sick all day yesterday, so we didn't get to do
much. Soeur Everett stayed home with her and Soeur Richardson and I went out go
to three RDVs... all of which fell through, haha. Opposition is so stupid! But
it makes the good moments that much more beautiful :)
Funny occurrence this week: Got asked if I was a virgin...
people aren't too private here, haha.
Other than that, we are all just waiting around for transfer
calls this week, so don't send me anything because it may not get here before
Monday! I love you all. Have a blessed week and know the Lord is there.
Avec tout mon amour,
Soeur Beeny
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