One of our baptismal dates, Ann, and her husband came to church last week (the 14th.) It was her first real time being there. She had come once before with her husband, but they missed their first train. So they only made it for the last half hour of church. So, like with any one else, we just hope and pray it goes well. The first time there can make such a huge impression. Sitting in Relief Society on either side of her, both Sister Barros and I were just praying that she would feel the spirit of that lesson. The lesson was great, but it was on family history. Now I've found that sometimes amis, especially Africans, tend to come to church expecting to here nothing more discussed that Christ. So they can be a little surprised to see we discuss all kinds of different aspects of the gospel. Family history is majorly important and has eternal significance, but we just really didn't want her to see the lesson as just a logistical lesson full of statistics and websites. Well...like always...prayer works! When we talked to her a couple days later in our rendez-vous she would not stop talking about Relief Society. "It was all good, but the meeting that really hit me and touched me; touched my heart, was the lesson on family history." Cool, huh? Maybe just a coincidence, but we're counting it as prayers answered yet again.=)
really didn't want her to see the lesson as just a logistical lesson full of statistics and websites. Well...like always...prayer works! When we talked to her a couple days later in our rendez-vous she would not stop talking about relief society. "It was all good, but the meeting that really hit me and touched me; touched my heart, was the lesson on family history." Cool, huh? Maybe just a coincidence, but we're counting it as prayers answered yet again.=)
FYI fact of the day: Mick Jagger freaking lives in our area! Crazy right?! ha ha. Sister Barros and I contacted a guy last week who basically told us his life story. It really was kind of a sad contact. This guy is just SO lonely. He went running into his house and brought out pictures of his kids and grandkids and any time we told him that we needed to go, he'd bring up something else at random to stop us from leaving. We were honestly heart broken for him when we left. He was just so sweet and so so sad. Anyway, tangent over, in his rantings about life, he told us about Mick Jagger. Apparently he lives (or maybe not "lives" but at least owns a château) near that man's sister. Ha ha, never know what you'll learn when you just go out talking to people at random!
Wednesday this week was such a packed day! We started out the morning taking a couple of hours from our P-day and got our hair cut by an American girl who is here as a nanny. She got her license just before moving to France a couple months ago. Oh my gosh. I missed bangs and not having split ends! Hair cuts are basically one of the most wonderful things in the entire world! After Wednesday I am thoroughly convinced of that fact! ;) If nothing else, change it wonderful.
After that we went to tract down a referral we'd gotten from the Salt Lake Temple visitor center. The little town it was located in like a "U" looping around a forest. Our referral was pretty much a straight shot through the town from the gare to her home. Aka we had to cut straight through the forest. No problem, right? Forests are lovely and it was a lovely day. One problem: I hate spiders (surprise!) I don't really get it, but I have never seen so many spiders (big ones at that) in all my life as I have seen here. They are just everywhere right now! My spider spotting skills are getting so well toned it's ridiculous! Well, their population isn't exactly diminished in a forest. At on a rather skinny part of the trail I had Sister Barros walking in front of me. I'm SO glad I did. Out of nowhere she freaked out and stopped dead in her path. Directly in front of her was a massive spider sitting right in the middle of his web which completely covered our path from one side to the other. Umm...yeah...forests are lovely, but I was so happy to be out of that one!
On the way back to the gare we opted to take the bus rather than hike through the forest again. Best. Idea. Ever. We got to ride a short handicap bus that looked like it belonged on The Magic School bus 2.0!
On Tuesday our entire zone came out to Versailles, we went on splits and did contacting for an hour. I can't really explain it, but it was so neat. Even though Sister Perez and I were by ourselves, just like any other day for Sister Barros and myself, there's just something cool to know that you aren't the only ones there. There are other people united in the same cause as you and there, in a way, working side-by-side with you. Obviously, directly tying into our work as missionaries, but it kind of works for every member that way too. We're all asked to do the same things and work for the same goal. And no matter how hard or monotonous that may get, we can always know there are a whole lot of other people working right along with us. Like I said, hard to really put into words (and quickly at that -I've got to finish up fast here) but it was just a cool experience/"ah ha" moment.
I'm (as always) running short on time. But last couple thoughts really quickly: we got transfer news today and...Sister Barros and I are staying together in Versailles!!!! We are so super stoked!!! =) still have SO much I could tell you, but I just don't have time right now. Sister Barros and I did our exchange with Caen yesterday and I came up to Normandy to meet up with her this morning. Someone she's taught (and someone I taught with her on our exchange my third transfer) is getting baptized today. So we've got to run off to the church here pretty fast. SO...have a wonderful week. I love you!
~Kim