Dear Fam,
What a week! After a slow week last week we really
stepped it up this week and saw a ton of miracles and had all sorts of
adventures.
I'll start by talking about our trips to Lyon. We went
to Lyon twice this week. Once on Thursday and again on Saturday. Its a 2.5 hour
trip on train. We leave at 626am.
Thursday we were there with 5 zones
and David Archuletta. It was really spectacular. We each had the chance to shake
his hand and meet him. He's shorter than I'd imagined, but really cool and
genuine. He sung several Christmas numbers including a french one, and shared
some thoughts on Christmas and his testimony and experience on his mission. It
was really spiritual and moving.
Saturday we had zone training. Really
fun, felt a bit odd not giving it, but thinking about all the preparation it
takes to prepare them I was grateful it wasn't me presenting.
Other
than that we were on our grind. We talked to an abnormal amount of people and
found an abnormal amount of people willing to talk to us. It was crazy the
people we found that had clearly been prepared to talk to us. Tuesday was really
the big day. We fasted. And even though we had 2 rdvs fall through we talked to
everyone around us and at the end of the day found 6 potential amis, and a
recently baptized man from Canada that had lost contact with the church.
Everywhere we turned we found people in some way prepared for us.
Elder Mataalii and I are really clicking together. He is so humble
and fun. Its been a fun time already with him. He is so humble that we can be
super open with each other and bring out the best each other by expressing our
worries or ideas or goals. Its been fun. This week has been one of the most
effective weeks of my mission.
One of my favorite miracles was last
night. We didnt have any rdvs. After the ward meal, we were asked to go with a
recent convert, David to go and administer the sacrament to a sick member unable
to come to church. She lived an hour away by car out in the middle of the french
countryside, super beautiful. Her name is sister Hughes shes from England and
her husband is not a member but really cool. They were happy to have us. She has
been unable to come church due to stomach problems for 9 weeks. We administered
the sacrament in english and after she just started crying. She told us how she
felt so cleansed and purified by the sacrament and how different she felt after
taking it. The Spirit was there, it felt really sweet. She told us how people
always say you need to go to church cause it makes a difference, that you cant
just stay at home and read your scriptures. She told us how she had come to
realize how true this was.
How true it is the scripture: "Verily, verily, I say
unto you, as I said unto my disciples, where two or three are gathered together
in my name, as touching one thing, behold, there will I be in the midst of
them—even so am I in the midst of you."
We shared with her Alma 7: 10-13 which
she told us was the perfect scripture for her considering the fact that it was
her bowels giving her problems haha. We talked about the immense love and
perfection of the Lord for us. The Spirit was almost tangible, it felt
wonderful. And we then got to teach Arthur her husband. It was just a fantastic
way to spend our day. I felt assured that we had done the will of the
Lord.
I'm so excited to see you this Thursday! I can't wait! It
should be around 6pm my time, 12 your time. Stay ready!
Merry
Christmas! I love you!
