Joyeux Noel!
First off it’s been a crazy week!!
A fun but crazy week!! This week we did a lot of successful work that brought
about immediate results!! It was a miraculous thing to see! Wednesday we travelled
to a Christmas Conference...in Lyon!! That kept my streak alive! I have been to
Lyon every transfer so far on my mission!! Haha.
It was soooooo much fun!! I got to see Sœur Luthi and Elder Haparai-Hansen!
Best Christmas present ever! I also got to meet The Roney's daughter and
son-in-law. They are AMAZING! I have never met a couple so powerful and
converted to the gospel and their family. The conference started off with Brad
(Roney's son-in-law) recounting their story with their lost baby son
Henrick. The spirit was tangible in the room. We were all bawling and
then they related it to the birth of Jesus. I still get Goosebumps
thinking about it. We got to eat lunch and I got to sit with Sœur Luthi
and Elder Happy-hap and catch up on mission life! Then "Santa" came
out and gave us our presents!! WOW I am spoiled!! I got loads!! I
felt soooo blessed!! 2 pkgs from Richardson clan, 1 from Zach and
Jess, 1 from Grandma Jeanne and G. Wayne, 1 from the Roberts. Sœur Roney
gave me Zach and Jess's package. The Roberts (Roney’s daughter and
son in law) came up to me with big smiles and giant hugs!! They raved about
both mom and dad. They immediately
started apologizing that they could not bring Megs package with them...they
felt SO bad. I was EXTREMELY impressed with them! Sœur Roney said she was sooo
jealous her daughter has met mom and she hasn’t! She hopes you come pick my up
so she can meet you! After the AMAZING, AMAZING, zone conference the
Chambéry Sœurs and me hit the town!! We took some P-day time so we could go on
a giant Farris Wheel in Lyon. It was magical. Simply Magical. Lyon is a
gorgeous city. I will happily take anyone around my mission..if they pay my way
hahaha :)
This week we have had the fortunate
opportunity to see loads members. The members LOVE us. Even if we didn’t
get invited over somewhere for Christmas. Most are out of town. BUT I came
up with the idea to have a gathering for people who would spend
Christmas alone. It’s been a fun experience inviting people to our Christmas
dinner and watching their face light up or tears begin to form in their eyes. It’s
an honor to look at someone and tell him or her that they are wanted and loved.
We have one of our less actives we've been working with, Frere Naccarro, coming. He blessed the sacrament for the first time
in years this past Sunday and he invited 3 other people to Church. I literally
cried as he said the sacrament prayer. Anyways, we have around 5 people coming
on Wednesday! It will be a Christmas to remember!! We are planning on
eating, playing Uno, and singing around the piano....yes Grandma....SINGING
AROUND THE PIANO! We have been caroling to all our members’ houses. We caroled
to Pont de Beauvoisin...which
has 3 less active families and La famille Belebi. It was a miracle
day. We saw every single less active family and the Belibis’ less active
sons. They NEVER come out of their rooms when missionaries are over, by
the way! They not only stayed for the spiritual thought but also sang Christmas
hymns with us! Sœur Belibi said that was the first time she has heard her sons
sing hymns in years! What a miracle! But the true miracle happened Sunday when
we had 9 less actives at Church. They were giving us big smiles, participating
in the meetings, and thanking us. CHRISTMAS MIRACLE! I now realize why our Amis were being dumb this week. Our
focus needed to be on our less-actives this week. It was very touching. We
continued caroling throughout the weekend and caroled to people
"in-ville" (our sector is huge and contains loads of smaller villages
like pont de beauvoisin etc. so in-ville means Chambéry). Each member welcomed
us in showered us with love and invited us to eat. But the biggest surprise was
with La famille Gonon. We went and caroled to their house they opened the door
and invited us in to a full on dinner. Places for us to eat were already set
for us and music was playing (classic Christmas of course). There was even an image of a burning fire on
their TV. I was soooo touched. We spent the rest of the night laughing, crying,
and having a wonderful Christmas time! Christmas time is different here...it’s
hard to be away from family and all our wonderful traditions but so amazing to
be apart of others Christmas festivities!
This week while in Aix-les-Bains seeing our less active
Fr. Naccarro there was a Christmas parade! We were loving it!! Sœur Beeny
and I where soooo in the Christmas spirit! Mickey and Minnie were even in
the parade!! As huge Disney buff we couldn’t help but squeal! Fr. Naccarro
saw how excited we were to see Disney Characters so he charged out into the middle
of the parade went up to Tigger and had him wave at us and stop for a picture! He
is soooo giving and loving. He loves us
sooo much!! He also had an accordion player play us a special song and
sang/danced to Christmas music! I look forward to our weekly Rendezvous sooo much! I was talking with
two men in the GARE (train station)
and when he arrived he came up to us and the first words he said was, “Hello
monsieur, you should come to Church tomorrow!” Not subtle at all but so full of
desire to share the joy!! We need more frère Naccarro's in the world!!
These next few weeks are scary as
far as our Amis go. They are all out
of town until probably until January. HOLIDAYS STINK. It’s like Vacance month all over again. This is especially
hard when they are progressing so well and then to not have any contact—this puts
a huge stall in things. We have had some tough experiences with Amis lately—they just aren’t ready I
guessed.
Challenge:
Have a wonderful Christmas Day and post the nativity bible video on
your Facebook.
All right Family, friends, loved ones!!
Have a Merry Christmas!! I am excited to talk with you on
Skype!!! 5pm my time, 9am your time!!! XOXO! HO HO HO!!
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