Monday, September 15, 2014

Baptism! & Grandpa's passing

I really wasnt sure what to write to you, I mean with Grandpa passing, I wish I could just give you a great big hug, and tell you how much God loves our family, and how much he is blessing us right now through our trials. We taught the plan of salvation this week, and everytime I read it, thats what makes our church so true, and the temples so amazing. I love you so so so much and pray that you and the family recieve strength through this difficult time. I just think the Holy Ghost is so amazing, on Thursday night I remember i was thinking about grandpa and I was going to ask you how he was this week becuase I had a strong impression that he was leaving. I prayed that i could just give you a hug. Its so amazing that the spirit works like that. I kind of knew he was gone, so when i read it, it was not a huge shock. He is done suffering now, and is so happy to be reunited with his family up in heaven. I just finished reading all of his ancestorys histories. Sounds like he has wonderful family to welcome him home. 
I just want you to know how much I love you, and how perfect Gods love is for all of us. That though times may seem hard its because he loves us- perfectly, and though we may see something as too hard to bear or too difficult we just have to remember that he sees us in our Godly potential. He knows exactly how much we can handle, and how to help us grow and progress to become like him.

I recently found this really good talk by Elder Holland, "An High Priest of Good Things to Come" 

“Don’t give up. Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead. You keep your chin up. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come.” I testify that this is Their true Church and that They sustain us in our hour of need—and always will, even if we cannot recognize that intervention. Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come.Of that I personally attest,
I really like that quote, no matter how hard we may think life gets God always has blessings waiting to pour out upon us. It may not be today, or tomorrow, maybe not even until heaven, but they will come. I know they will. I thank God that they do, I dont know how I would survive if not. But I am so sorry that it had to happen. I feel very close to you all, and know that I am thinking of you always and my thoughts and prayers are at the funeral. 

This week was really hard for us too in France. All of our amis dropped us, and we are contacting over 50 people a day and nobody wants to hear the gospel. Its very hard, and getting harder. We fasted and prayed for new amis, and then Mary called and is back from vacation. We went over and she said she wanted to be baptized! We fixed a date Oct. 4th!!! So we are praying that all goes well until then! It will be my first baptism! YAY! But other than that we have nobody. Sad. There are days that feel like I just want to go home, I cant do it any more but then I remember Gods promises and blessings and it keeps me going just one step more until i think i can make it home. Im realizing the harshness of missionary work, I have been yelled at and almost spat on, almost run over a few times (european drivers man haha), and insulted countless times, but in the end i remember that we are literally "angels" according to the mission president and scriptures. And God will not be mocked. I just wish they would soften their hearts. Its ok though. I love sundays! We get to sit for 3 hours straight! YAY! haha and i listen to hours of french talking. if you ever though church was boring then, try doing it in French... haha jk. I love it. The ward is so nice to missionaries. 
We went over to a member families house from Argentina like straight up. they have a daughter 16 and son whose 18 preping for a mission. We ate dinner with them and they are just the sweetest people ever! For dinner though she wants to make us authentic Argentinian food so we had rice, then a stew on top that had who knows what in it all i could make out for sure though was a chicken foot... oh man i said some prayers that reached heaven to get that meal down. The family is getting sealed in the Madrid temple in December!! YAY!!! were so excited for them. She invited us over next week because shes going to make us this course meal of Argentinian food. Yikes... but theyre so nice ill shove down some wierd food if it means I get to be with that family. 
Mary our only ami is from Nigeria or something.. i cant remember she only speaks english and its very poor, she and her three boys all little lives in a one room apartment with mold all up the walls and celeing, There is one bed and one suitcase. Mom, i've never seen such poverty as this before. I could barely teach the lesson it was so crazy. But i did, and she is extremely humble and wants so badly the blessings of baptism. I am very excited for her! It makes me so so so grateful for the home I grew up in and the family I have. WOW.
So today I am going to go see a Chateau in Champs-sur-Marne. yay.

Also meeting up with Madeline next monday in Paris possibly the opera house, je ne sais pas. Love you tons mom. I really hope you 

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