Tugsuu and the Plan of Salvation - October 21, 2013

Hello,

I can't believe this transfer is already ending!! We are in our last week! So crazy.

This week we had exchanges and they were amazing!! I was with Soeur Hoover. Soeur Hoover and Soeur Rhondeau (my trainer) actually went on a study abroad together before the mission (CRAZY SMALL WORLD). Anyway, she is SO great. So sweet, and such an amazing missionary. I'm so grateful for my mission in giving me the occasion to meet all these amazing missionaries that I probably wouldn't know in any other circumstances.

On our exchange we taught a few lessons together but probably my favorite was with Tugsuu. So for a quick reminder, Tugsuu is our recent convert and she is doing so so well. She brings her friends to church all the time and shares the Gospel with just about everyone she meets. So Soeur Hoover and I decided to review the Plan of Salvation because it had been a while since she had been taught it. Soeur Hoover asked Tugsuu what the Plan of Salvation meant to her. She then turned to me and said "It's like the story that you and Soeur Hilton shared with me." *instantly racking my brain. Shoot what story*. Luckily then she continued "the story of the son who leaves his fathers house. It's like that. Like we're away from home and we're trying to find our way back and our Father will come and get us when we start walking back to Him". GLORIOUS!!! So amazing. She is such an example of pure faith. Every lesson with her is so edifying and so spiritual because she is so meek and open to the spirit. I love it.

So last Monday, our evening was a little open and I had been thinking of this area near one of our members. We decided to go out there. So we get there and all the apartment buildings are locked…or porting is not allowed. At this point I’m thinking “mince. Where have I led us? We’re just going to walk around all night and talk to no one” because at this point it was raining…and let’s be honest, no one is out when it rains haha. But as we keep going, we’re both reminded that we felt that we should come to this area and that it is important that we keep pressing forward. We turn the corner and we find this house snuggled within all these apartment buildings. WOOT! First port of the night! 

We run up to the door and ring it. The man answers and out runs his puppy (oops). “Come on in!” he says immediately. Suddenly I’m frozen. I think “uhh…we have not announced ourselves. Maybe he’s having a party and thinks we’re his guests…maybe this is an open house…does he know why we’re here???” At this point he’s grabbed his puppy and then says again “don’t just stand in the rain! Come in!”. We then hesitantly step into the foyer. By now, he is in the living room and welcoming us further into their incredibly beautiful home. He looks at us and then points out our tags and says “The Church of Jesus-Christ…SO you’re the Mormons”. BE COOL SOEUR BITTER! BE COOL! 

We then proceed to have a wonderful lesson with them. The father is not believing, the mother is a REALLY practicing Catholic. She said she goes to church about 3 times a week. The son is believing but not practicing. They are an incredibly nice family who really believes in ‘going about doing good’. 

We talk more and then they say that the other day they met a Mormon and he told them a little about our faith. “Maybe you know them. He is a very nice man. The Guiheux family.” Oh you mean our 2nd counselor in the bishopric? Ya…we know them haha. SO AMAZING!! They had just met Frere Guiheux at a garage where he was getting his car fixed. They were talking and Frere Guiheux had shared small truths about our Faith. Then, 2 weeks later, we knock on their door. So cool. 

They invited us over again for a classic French dinner (excitement) in about a week. And they wanted us to give the Guiheux’s their number. Such a cool miracle.

That’s probably long enough for a weekly letter J I love you all so much. Remember that you are loved by a Father in Heaven. By a King and creator of all. He knows you by name and he loves you.

“Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God”

Soeur Bitter

Vitré castle with Soeur Fellon (the member who drove us there. SHE IS SO AWESOME!)

Vitré

Best friends for life. Our picnic outside the grocery store