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We're doing emails from the mission office today. So I'm using one of the elders' computers. Next to me on the desk is a note pad. The top page of the pad is dated and says "Salut tout le monde," (his greeting line to the letter) and that's it. Ha ha that's kind of how I feel. I could start this and just say "HEY!" and have no idea where to go from there. It's funny how that works. Some weeks, I just have copious amount to say and then others I don't even know where to begin.
I guess last week's baptism is as good a place as any to start. It was just wonderful. =) Dorothée was so happy. And you know how I've told you that they are the living proof of the gospel's power to bless families. It was lovely. Knowing where I saw them come from as a family, but especially as a couple, it was more than just that "oh how cute" moment when Christian pulled her up out of the water and very tenderly kissed her on the forehead. It's really hard to truly explain what a miracle that is without having personally witnessed it, but you can trust me, it's literally a miracle. =) And if that wasn't good enough, it was so funny being there with Sister Barros. Sister Barros served in Valenciennes from five months. So that ward knows her super well. They talk about her all the time still. Yet none of them knew she was coming. They were all freaking out when they saw her. It was literally like being with a celebrity.
Sister Moraga, Sister Barros and I try to say "Bonjour" to every one we pass on the street, especially around our apartment. We've gotten to the point where most of them will even say hello back to us. So that's good news. =) But on Sunday, it paid off even more than our neighbors just liking us. On our walk home from church, a woman walked up behind us and said "Bonjour" a couple times, finally she caught up to us enough to really talk with us. She told us that we had said hello to her the day before and she wanted to know what we do and asked if we'd be willing to come over to her home for tea, cake and to talk. Umm...heck yes we'd love too!!! We never complain about people setting their own rendez-vous from us. ha ha. She's awesome! Her name is Olga. She's originally Russian. Her mother was christian, but had to be so in secret. And her father was a communist. She's studied out a lot of different religions, but she'd only heard of us and not much more. We told her a bit about the restoration. She was totally cool with it and asked us to come back. (One of the coolest bits of that rendez-vous: she showed us her and her father's old Soviet Union passports! We SO felt like we were like FBI agents or something ha ha)
As always, members are honestly the key to missionary work. If I learn nothing else while I'm out here, it's how very crucial members are to this work. We got a referral the other day that we went and tracked down on Wednesday. I've gotten several referrals while I've been in the field, but none of them have ever amounted to much. Normally, the phone number doesn't work, they address is wrong, they really don't want anything to do with us, etc. But this time was a bit different. We had a bad address, but miraculously we were able to find the real address AND he was there AND when we asked if he was interested in learning about our church he said, "Oh of course!" Sister Barros and I freaked out a bit because neither of us have ever had a referral work out. As we were walking home we repeatedly discussed the fact that we don't know where to go with a referral past the "Are you interested in learning more about our church?" "No, oh okay, well...have a nice day" ha ha But he immediately set a rendez-vous with us for the next day. When we taught him, he explained that he visited America with some friends who took him to Church, Temple Square, the Conference Center, gave him a Book of Mormon with their testimony inside, and asked if he'd like to see the missionaries in France! Members make ALL the difference. Members get into places that we as missionaries never can. Members are absolutely essential!
Tuesday night was a bit of an adventure... We were teaching English class when a recent convert came in. I've met him before, but only a couple times. The first time was in the visitor center with Sister Williams. At that time he was a little...excited to get married...Well nothing changed in the time I was gone. When he came in he asked Sister Barros how to say "jupe" in English. She quickly told him it's "skirt" and went back to the lesson. Right after learning that new word, he recommenced awkwardly starring at me and said, "I like to see your skirt." Oh be still my trembling heart... ha ha Probably the best pick up line I've heard in a while ;) It's a mystery as to why I ignored him when he told me "I would very much like to marry you" right after the skirt comment. Oh dear...ha ha
Today for P-day we ran off to Montmartre to see the Cathedral up there called Sacre Coeur. It's the only cathedral here dedicated to Christ rather than one of the saints. It was beautiful. It was still very much a cathedral, but it was one of the brightest inside I've ever seen. It was just a lovely day that I don't have tons of time to tell you about right now. Sorry...I'll have to manage email time better next week.
Well, yet again, a very choppy letter. I'm sorry. I'm just not good at fast emails anymore. But, it nothing else you know a bit of our past week now.
I love you. Have a great week!
Love
~Kim
I guess last week's baptism is as good a place as any to start. It was just wonderful. =) Dorothée was so happy. And you know how I've told you that they are the living proof of the gospel's power to bless families. It was lovely. Knowing where I saw them come from as a family, but especially as a couple, it was more than just that "oh how cute" moment when Christian pulled her up out of the water and very tenderly kissed her on the forehead. It's really hard to truly explain what a miracle that is without having personally witnessed it, but you can trust me, it's literally a miracle. =) And if that wasn't good enough, it was so funny being there with Sister Barros. Sister Barros served in Valenciennes from five months. So that ward knows her super well. They talk about her all the time still. Yet none of them knew she was coming. They were all freaking out when they saw her. It was literally like being with a celebrity.
Sister Moraga, Sister Barros and I try to say "Bonjour" to every one we pass on the street, especially around our apartment. We've gotten to the point where most of them will even say hello back to us. So that's good news. =) But on Sunday, it paid off even more than our neighbors just liking us. On our walk home from church, a woman walked up behind us and said "Bonjour" a couple times, finally she caught up to us enough to really talk with us. She told us that we had said hello to her the day before and she wanted to know what we do and asked if we'd be willing to come over to her home for tea, cake and to talk. Umm...heck yes we'd love too!!! We never complain about people setting their own rendez-vous from us. ha ha. She's awesome! Her name is Olga. She's originally Russian. Her mother was christian, but had to be so in secret. And her father was a communist. She's studied out a lot of different religions, but she'd only heard of us and not much more. We told her a bit about the restoration. She was totally cool with it and asked us to come back. (One of the coolest bits of that rendez-vous: she showed us her and her father's old Soviet Union passports! We SO felt like we were like FBI agents or something ha ha)
As always, members are honestly the key to missionary work. If I learn nothing else while I'm out here, it's how very crucial members are to this work. We got a referral the other day that we went and tracked down on Wednesday. I've gotten several referrals while I've been in the field, but none of them have ever amounted to much. Normally, the phone number doesn't work, they address is wrong, they really don't want anything to do with us, etc. But this time was a bit different. We had a bad address, but miraculously we were able to find the real address AND he was there AND when we asked if he was interested in learning about our church he said, "Oh of course!" Sister Barros and I freaked out a bit because neither of us have ever had a referral work out. As we were walking home we repeatedly discussed the fact that we don't know where to go with a referral past the "Are you interested in learning more about our church?" "No, oh okay, well...have a nice day" ha ha But he immediately set a rendez-vous with us for the next day. When we taught him, he explained that he visited America with some friends who took him to Church, Temple Square, the Conference Center, gave him a Book of Mormon with their testimony inside, and asked if he'd like to see the missionaries in France! Members make ALL the difference. Members get into places that we as missionaries never can. Members are absolutely essential!
Tuesday night was a bit of an adventure... We were teaching English class when a recent convert came in. I've met him before, but only a couple times. The first time was in the visitor center with Sister Williams. At that time he was a little...excited to get married...Well nothing changed in the time I was gone. When he came in he asked Sister Barros how to say "jupe" in English. She quickly told him it's "skirt" and went back to the lesson. Right after learning that new word, he recommenced awkwardly starring at me and said, "I like to see your skirt." Oh be still my trembling heart... ha ha Probably the best pick up line I've heard in a while ;) It's a mystery as to why I ignored him when he told me "I would very much like to marry you" right after the skirt comment. Oh dear...ha ha
Today for P-day we ran off to Montmartre to see the Cathedral up there called Sacre Coeur. It's the only cathedral here dedicated to Christ rather than one of the saints. It was beautiful. It was still very much a cathedral, but it was one of the brightest inside I've ever seen. It was just a lovely day that I don't have tons of time to tell you about right now. Sorry...I'll have to manage email time better next week.
Well, yet again, a very choppy letter. I'm sorry. I'm just not good at fast emails anymore. But, it nothing else you know a bit of our past week now.
I love you. Have a great week!
Love
~Kim