WOW can I just say...its cold. Yes,
it’s cold, cold, cold! I miss Toulouse for many reasons and that is definitely
on the list—Toulouse is not so cold. This week has been filled with miracles. First
off to answer some questions: Opening an equipe
means that we start from ground zero (aka no amis, nothing). There was already
an equipe there before we just added
an equipe. However, it has felt a lot
like opening an equipe because the
only Sister missionary that was here before is in her second transfer and she
really doesn’t know where anything is (#blueoblivion). So Soeur Beeny and I arrived and really had no
choice but to hit the ground and contact, contact, contact with hopes of
finding people to teach. Boy, did we see miracles! We started with zero amis and now we have 3 Amis, gave away 7 LdMs (Books of Mormon), 5 Plan
du Salut pamphlets, and have a booked week this week with rendezvous with future amis. It’s unreal. Everyday is
exhausting but soooo much fun!!
My new companion is from Atlanta,
Georgia. She went to BYU for her freshman yr. and then came on a mission. She is crazy fun and we laugh constantly. She speaks unbelievable French!! (SCORE!) She
is a hard worker, which makes things easy especially opening a new equipe!! We work hard and have loads of
fun!! My new area is like living in a storybook. It is super cute and has a Park City feel! It’s a ski town (I have the alps surrounding
me). I am finding that things are getting
better here. I’m not going to lie, I am
extremely homesick for Toulouse and everyone there. I pray everyday for more
love for Chambéry because I feel guilty that I don’t love it as much as I love
Toulouse. Luckily I am super busy so don’t have loads of time to think about
it. I can’t look at any pictures from my last transfers or I start to cry. I am a complete baby! I miss Soeur Caldwell as well. I hope she is
doing well in Carcassonne!
My 3rd day in Chambéry was pretty
rough. We were walking all over town and we couldn’t get bus passes until the
beginning of the month so we literally were walking ALL across town to visit
less-actives. We were contacting and porting
along the way. I was getting a little frustrated and feeling Toulouse homesickness.
I flipped open my agenda and on the inside cover I cut out a picture of Dad
from the Ensign and taped it there. And this transfer I wrote under his photo,
“You Just Gotta Believe” (a phrase I always saw flashing on dad’s work
computer). That gave me the push I needed. You see this work is not easy and there are
many forces working against me (things like doubt or anger) but I just have to
believe. If I can do that, then miracles can happen. And they did!! We went
from nothing to loads of possibilities.
We met with loads of families. The
top two families this week were the Gaggini and Ferraris. La famille Ferraris is our Branch President,
his wife, and their 5 kids—all under the age of 9. It was a blast to be with them and we spent
the night playing with the kids and eating homemade Lasagna. Actually, everything was homemade and grown
from the Garden...WOW! It was unreal delicious. That is one thing I love about
France—cheap veggies and fruits. They
aren’t very expensive because they come from their own region or people just
have bomb gardens. Church on Sunday was interesting (aka: we have about 35-40
active members). A little bit different than Toulouse hahaha. As I was sitting
there in a room the size of Toulouse's Young Women’s room for Sacrament Meeting
with a member on the piano (who could only play the top hand) and everyone belting
the song out at the top of their lungs...I kind of fell in love. They are
trying really hard. And it will be so good for them to have the support of two equipes of missionaries. It is a black
and white difference from Toulouse to Chambéry but little by little I am loving
it here more and more.
We ate with La famille Belibi. She
cooked a duck! It was super gourmet and looked like something straight out of a
magazine. The meal was unreal!! Potatoes,
veggies, roasted duck, and a homemade chocolate cake with chestnut crème
filling. Even more impressive than the meal was their faith in Jesus Christ. They
don’t have an easy life but they are holding strong!!
So we all had to set a baptismal
goal to reach before Christmas to give as a Christmas gift to the Savoir. We
have fixed a great goal and it’s going to require loads of work and miracles!!!
I would like to invite all of you this week to REALLY PRAY HARD for my comp and
me this week to find a family here in Chambéry! We really feel like there is a
family we need to find and give the gospel. Please, please, please, pray your
guts out for us!! We are going to be working super super hard!! But we need
your prayers and support!!
Challenge of the Week: Pray at least once a day for my comp and me
to find our future engagés (engagés = people committed to
baptism)
I love you all. This gospel is
true. Live it with allllllll your heart. Convert.
PS....send Christmas packages to the office...I am scared
about packages now hahaha because my last
package is stuck in Toulouse! But we are working it out. Ca va!! :)
Questions: 1. YES I NEED A COAT!!! I am in the Alps and it’s
freezing! 2. Makeup and lotion. 3. For Christmas? Christmas eve PJs. :(Scotch
kisses?? Face soap? Jewelry? Clothes? IDK....follow the spirit :)) Anything
will be welcomed!! It’s nice of you to ask :) but I do kind of need a coat
a.s.a.p...so if you could put some money on my card—I am slightly freezing my
sweet cheeks off!!! hahaha
PPS. I am going to Switzerland this week....yay...hardly any
American missionary gets to do that anymore. #spoiled
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